How's the job hunt going in these final months of 2011? Although the national unemployment rate still hovers at around nine percent, there are a few professional positions that may be extra tough to get. According to recent research from staffing firm Robert Half International, here are the some of the top positions in this recovering economy and their unemployment rates for the third quarter: (Please note that these figures reflect the average for the entire third quarter of 2011)

Financial analysts: 0.6%
Compliance officers: 1.7%
Human resources managers: 2.6%
Chief executives (includes CFOs): 2.8%
Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks: 2.9%
Accountants and auditors: 3.4%

"Organizations are doing better than in the last few years," said Brett Good, Senior District President of Robert Half International. "They're bringing back these people to handle transactions."Good said that even though positions may be available, those positions are also becoming more difficult to fill as more and more people apply to those positions.

"There's so much noise. Companies are getting a vast amount of resumes," said Good. "Candidates are aggressively counter-offered."Over 50 percent of the executives surveyed in the latest research from Robert Half International said that they had run into recruiting problems and had trouble finding skilled candidates. Another 46 percent of executives said that they are "very confident" in their organizations' ability to grow in the fourth quarter, and an equal number said they were "somewhat confident." To get in front of these executive and to land these positions, Good offered a few bits of advice.

"Emphasize the personal ROI, whether its increasing productivity or finding a new revenue stream," Good said. "You're relying strictly on the resume, where its locked with hundreds or even thousands of others."

Good also suggested that job hunters go with a staffing firm or hiring agency that specializes in their role or field because those companies will know who is hiring in the respective role or field. "Organizations are looking to hire people in transition," Good said. "They are open to interviewing."

Read the rest of this entry »

If you're looking for a job, chances are you're getting advice from a host of people -- your spouse, friends, former co-workers, maybe even your parents. Everyone means well, but not all of the tips you receive are valuable. In fact, some advice could even be harmful to your job search. How do you know which advice you should pay attention to and which you should ignore? Following are some words of wisdom you might not want to follow:

'You should ... blanket the market with résumés.'
Some people think you should send résumés to every job opening that interests you. The problem with this theory is that it assumes you are qualified for each of those positions, which may not be the case. If you apply to every job posting you see, whether you're qualified or not, you'll waste your time. Instead, identify positions that are a strong fit with your skills and experience, and research the employers to determine how you can meet their unique needs. By being selective and focusing your efforts on these roles only, then targeting your résumé to each opening, you give yourself a much better chance of finding the job you want.

'You should ... have a lot of contacts, even if they're not all close.'
When searching for employment, it pays to have as many contacts as possible. After all, the majority of jobs are still filled by word of mouth. But knowing someone won't do you much good on the job hunt if you don't know him or her very well. The people in the best position to aid in your search are those who understand the type of position you seek and the unique skills you can offer an employer. Armed with this knowledge, those in your network can keep an eye out for job leads that might fit your career goals and refer you to companies that are hiring. In addition, prospective employers may reach out to your contacts during the hiring process -- especially people who are linked to you through social networking Web sites. You want hiring managers to reach out to people who can speak knowledgeably about your professional abilities.

When establishing new relationships, go out of your way to make sure they will last. That means continually following up with those you've met -- by sending them articles of interest, for example, or meeting them for coffee on occasion -- and offering to help them first before you ask for assistance yourself.

'You should ... focus all of your efforts online.'
The Internet is a valuable tool for job seekers. Along with the aforementioned social networking sites, job boards, company Web sites and industry-related forums can also play a part in your search. But the Internet shouldn't be your only avenue for finding employment. In fact, one of the most effective ways to hear of opportunities -- and potentially land a new position -- is through face-to-face networking. So instead of putting all of your job search eggs into just one basket, attend trade shows, job fairs and conferences. And don't forget industry print publications, which can be good sources for job leads that you won't find online.

'You should ... skip the cover letter when applying online.'
Many people think that a cover letter is unnecessary when submitting a résumé online, whether by e-mail or through a Web site. This is a mistake, for a few reasons. First, because the cover letter is the initial document a hiring manager sees, it's your chance to make a strong impression. Second, the ability to express yourself well with the written word is a highly sought-after skill, something your cover letter can demonstrate. Third, if your résumé has something a hiring manager might question, such as a gap in employment, a cover letter is where you can provide clarification. And finally, executives understand a cover letter's worth. According to a Robert Half survey, 86 percent of executives polled said cover letters are valuable when evaluating prospective job candidates. Remember, your cover letter doesn't have to be a separate attachment; it can be the e-mail message itself.

You should always appreciate the job search advice that people give you, but take the suggestions with a grain of salt. Remember, you're the one looking for a job, so you need to be selective and apply the advice that works best for you.

Read the rest of this entry »

Employers are still willing to pay the right money for the right candidate. Statistics indicate that around 43,000 employers are seeking employees for 80,000 vacancies. This fact shows that the Pakistani market is still full of jobs.

However, the most interesting element of the Pakistani market is that often employers do not find the “right person” and the “right person” does not find the “right job”. Getting a job is like selling yourself and the candidate must be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to get one. The golden rules listed below can go a long way in helping one get a job.

You are a product
Organisations do not hire people; they invest money on a product which multiplies their revenue. The product must have a good brochure, an eye-catching wrapper, a specific skillset and an affordable price-tag.

Your CV is your brochure
A good CV catches employer’s attention as soon as he looks at it for the first time. Most of the candidates develop their CVs in hassle. It is always a good idea to develop a new CV for every position a candidate is going to apply for.

Collect information before applying
Candidates must collect information about the organisation and the nature of the job they are going to apply for. They must know the job description of advertised vacancy and should visit the website of the organisation for detailed information about the business of that particular organisation. In short, you should know what you are getting into.

Interviewing skills
First impression, confidence, body language and selection of words definitely play their role in an interview; however, interviewers are more interested in knowing what value would you add to the organisation/department if you are hired and what cutting-edge quality do you have over other candidates?

Use the language you are comfortable in
Often candidates try to speak English, or try to speak it with a foreign accent during interviews. Speaking error free English is a skill which is not required for every job. An accent is definitely not value-addition. In interviews, we must speak a language we are comfortable with.

References are not important
A reference is a gateway to any organisation, however, it does not guarantee you a job. No one likes to invest in a product that is not useful.

Have a dream
Have a dream and follow it with your full potential. Do not apply for every job, you encounter. Apply for a job that takes you to your dream position. Your job hunt should be specific and target oriented.

Read the rest of this entry »

As older workers delay retirement and remain on the job, it's important that they look and act youthful. They should also show enthusiasm and exhibit a sense of energy.

As retirement funds continue to fall due to challenging economic times, older workers may rethink planned retirements. These workers will have to prove to their employers that they should remain on the job. John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement consultancy firm, provided the following advice to older workers:

Tell Your Employer Immediately.

If your employer expects you to end your service with the company soon due to retirement, she needs to know your plans have changed. Inform superiors immediately that you have decided to continue working. Your bosses may be interviewing for your replacement, if they have not found one already.

Be Likeable.

In some cases, workers nearing retirement begin to detach from their jobs and co-workers. Being disliked by someone in authority is the single most important reason people are discharged, not their lack of skills and abilities. You were liked when you were hired and you must maintain that kind of loyalty rapport with your employer. It will not continue automatically; you must consciously work at it. In the workplace, people fall out of favor if they become careless or overconfident about themselves. That is when you are most likely to make the mistakes that will downgrade you in the eyes of your supervisor. Do not let it happen. Mentally review what it is the employer liked about you when you were hired. Keep up those qualities.

Emphasize Past Examples Of Loyalty.

When you decide to tell your employer you do not wish to retire, you may have to outline why they should keep you on. Show you are still committed to your job; employers still need to feel that employees are 100 percent dedicated to the company.

Stress Relevant Experience

And Willingness To Expand.

Your employer should feel that you can continue your current position, as well as possibly taking on new tasks. It is important to convince your boss that age has nothing to do with learning new concepts and accepting new ways of doing things.

Demonstrate Your Flexibility

And Creativity.

You want to counteract stereotypes that suggest older workers do not have imagination. Talk to your employer about ways you can solve problems and develop ideas to make your employer more money or be more competitive.

Read the rest of this entry »

When a new refrigerator plant opened here in 1962, this city held a parade to celebrate the arrival of a big employer that helped compensate for job losses at a nearby Army base, Fort Chaffee.

Now the resilience of Fort Smith, long noted for its ability to attract manufacturers and their well-paying jobs, is being tested again. Whirlpool Corp., the current owner of the refrigerator plant, recently disclosed it would close the factory by mid-2012, moving some of its 1,000 jobs to other plants in the U.S. and Mexico.

Whirlpool blamed sluggish U.S. demand for appliances. The world's largest appliance maker and No. 2 Electrolux AB of Sweden until recently were keeping spare capacity for an expected sales revival that hasn't happened. Electrolux says North American appliance sales this year will be down about 25% from the 2005 peak. Both are slashing capacity.

The fault wasn't with Fort Smith or its workers, Whirlpool insists. "It is a great work force," says Jeff Noel, Whirlpool's head of public affairs. Though unionized, the plant was "almost jointly managed" by the company and labor, he adds.

Fort Smith, a city of 86,000 on the western edge of Arkansas that was the setting for the Western novel "True Grit," has set out to replace those jobs. "We've got our work cut out for us," acknowledges Sandy Sanders, Fort Smith's mayor, who worked at the Whirlpool plant as a human-resources manager before retiring in 1998. Two promising areas are health care and tourism.

To lure more tourists, Fort Smith bills itself as a place "where the New South meets the Old West." Among the tourist attractions: Miss Laura's Social Club, a former brothel, and a small museum at the spot where Elvis Presley got a haircut when he joined the Army in 1958.

But Fort Smith is still counting on its rare knack for luring manufacturers. After the local furniture-making industry all but vanished over the past few decades, the town dangled tax breaks and other incentives. It won food processors such as the Mars Petcare unit of Mars Inc. and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., which recently built a $100 million plant. Nestle SA's Gerber unit is expanding its baby-food plant here.

The attractions have included relatively low land and electric-utility costs. Electricity costs for industrial users here are about 24% below the national average, according toOGE Energy Corp., which runs the local utility. Another factor: The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith designs one- and two-year programs tailored for local manufacturers' needs.

Manufacturing in the Fort Smith metropolitan area accounts for about 18% of jobs, double the national rate. Fort Smith's unemployment rate, at 8%, is modestly better than the national average of 9%.

But Fort Smith has lost about a third of its manufacturing jobs since the late 1990s, and its more efficient factories churn out more with fewer workers. Baldor Electric Co., an industrial motor maker that employs about 2,000 people in the Fort Smith area, says its sales this year are up more than 10%. The company is looking for a few more information-technology specialists but doesn't have any immediate need to expand its production work force, which has grown more productive, partly through automation,says Ron Tucker, president of Baldor, a unit of Swiss engineering firm ABB Ltd.

Fort Smith also is becoming more reliant on service jobs, which often come with lower pay. Sykes Enterprises Inc. recently opened a 450-employee call center in a former mall. Starting pay for the jobs is $9.75 an hour.

Local government and business leaders hope to attract a manufacturer to take over the old Whirlpool plant, with its sky blue walls and nearly 28 acres of floor space. Along with the usual state and local incentives for investment, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce has a $2.2 million fund to encourage new businesses. Paul Harvel, president of the chamber, says it would consider providing as much as $500,000 in a grant to a company willing to make a major investment at the old Whirlpool plant.

One challenge in finding new jobs for the Whirlpool workers is that many of them are near retirement age. The average age of its hourly work force in Fort Smith is 53, the company says.

It's a loyal group: Workers still at the plant have been employed there for an average of 30 years. Officials of the United Steelworkers, which represents workers at the plant, say Whirlpool has generally been a good employer. "I blame [the closure] on free world trade," says Rick Nemeth, the 47-year-old president of the local union branch, who has worked at Whirlpool for 29 years and doesn't know what he will do next.

Aside from the 1,000 Whirlpool jobs, the plant's closure is likely to lead to the loss of 600 jobs at smaller companies that supply the refrigerator factory, estimates Latisha Settlage, an economics professor at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

At one of those suppliers, River Bend Industries LLC, a maker of plastic parts, Whirlpool accounts for about 60% of revenue. River Bend aims to diversify by selling the Kosmo, an outdoor water cooler that stands on three retractable legs. Shoppers at Sam's Club, a unit of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., have given it a "positive response" so far, a spokeswoman for the retailer says.

Even so, Ron Embree, CEO and part owner of River Bend, says he has warned his 118 employees that "it is going to be difficult" for the plant to replace all the work that will disappear when the Whirlpool plant closes. Employment is likely to decline at least temporarily, he says.

Fort Smith will replace all the lost jobs, vows the chamber's Mr. Harvel: "Is it going to happen immediately? Probably not."

Read the rest of this entry »

C-Falls grads find happiness in Seattle: Josh Johns was the kind of kid who grew up wanting to know how things worked. He took a lawnmower apart one day to see what was what. Growing up in West Glacier, the son of a general contractor and pounding nails since he was 13, he also learned something about how buildings are put together. So it should be no surprise that after Josh graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1998, he went off to Montana State University-Bozeman and entered the college's five-year master's program in architecture.

"I took Architecture 101 in my freshman year, but the classes threw me for a loop," he recalled.
The degree required classes in building codes, drafting and how buildings went together, but mostly it was an art program, he said. More than 200 people entered the program, but only 100 finished. Even fewer ever got their license - four years after leaving MSU, Josh passed his 9-part exam and became a licensed architect.


Jill Anderson, another 1998 C-Falls graduate, also went to MSU, where she received her bachelor's in business. The couple married in 2001, and two years later, Josh finished his architecture degree at MSU.
"I spent that summer horsing around in Montana," Josh said. "Then Jill and I headed out to Seattle."
The two had made contacts about work, but the Seattle economy was weak in 2003. They visited offices and dropped off resumes but always got the same glum look and news about recent layoffs.

"I took a construction job for about two months," Josh said. "I was taking my time, looking for the right job."
Maybe Josh learned something about patience from flyfishing on Montana rivers. A part-time job he found at E Cobb Architects one month later turned into a full-time job. "I've been there eight years now," he said.

Jill's story went a little differently. She landed a job with Digital Kitchen, "a creative agency that produces award-winning and innovative communication strategies in converging media," she said. The company's work appears on TV screens every night across the U.S., from popular commercials to titles for shows such as "House," "Six Feet Under" and "Dexter."

She started out as a studio manager and executive assistant to the company's founder and CEO, and she worked her way up to lead producer. But with the arrival of three children, Mila, 4, and 15-month-old fraternal twins, Shilo and Annika, Jill opted to become a stay-at-home mom.

"She's an amazing mother," Josh said. "She gave up a higher-paying job than mine to do that."Like other Montana graduates, Josh and Jill were drawn to Seattle's reputation as a big city with a progressive lifestyle and mountainous surroundings similar to the Flathead's. "We wanted a change of pace and get some experience under our belt," Josh said about the move. "I also liked modern architecture, and there's not much of that in Montana."

At E Cobb Architects, Josh works on single-family residences and "tenant improvements" at a mix of urban, suburban and rural locations. He rode the Amtrak down to Lake Oswego, near Portland, Ore., for his first assignment, where he learned he wasn't old enough to rent a car. He designed homes on Lake Washington and around Seattle, and his current project is for a house on Whidbey Island. Josh was project architect for a glass-sided house recently featured on the cover of "Home & Architectural Trends" magazine. With "breath-taking lake views," the house is entered by a bridge to the second floor. A sliding aircraft-hangar door converts the living room into an outdoor deck space.

When they first arrived in Seattle, the Johns found themselves out on the town, with Jill entertaining clients at some of the city's finest restaurants. That helped take the edge off the transition from rural Montana.
"I thought at first I wouldn't like it," Josh recalled. "I thought I'd give it a year. Then, one year later, we bought a home in West Seattle."

Josh says he might go out to a Mariners or Sounders game once in a while, but mostly he likes to take the family out of town, up to Stephens Pass or Snoqualmie Pass or south to Mount Rainier. The Johns recently purchased a property on South Nucleus Avenue.

"Its a run-down house in need of either complete destruction or much TLC," Jill said. "We're likely choosing the TLC route and will be giving it a modern-makeover in the coming year or two."Jill notes that she and Josh have a strong desire to raise their children here. "It's just a matter of finding out how to make it in the Flathead and still have jobs and careers that satisfy us and pay the bills," she said.

Read the rest of this entry »

The MyRecruitOnline software, by DC123 Group of Companies, will provide information to job seekers who scan QR codes embedded in classified ads. DC123 said the software has the ability to process SMS messages and prospective employees could use it to apply for jobs. They can undergo an initial job interview using video conferencing.

Recruiters can use a drag-and-drop feature in their smartphones to shortlist applicants. It also has been designed to take over some of a recruiters administrative work by acting as an avatar for them. Recruiters can create a customised, virtual version of themselves to make decisions and act automatically on their behalf, eliminating administration time, DC123 said in a statement.

After the personalised rules are set up, the system takes over and alerts the recruiter via email, SMS or live chat in real time if something needs attention. The system includes an iPhone application that allows recruiters to access the system and process job applications while on the run using drag-and-drop technology. For example, a recruiter could use their phone to drag a candidate from the screened bucket into the interviewed bucket or shortlisted.

With each drag, all of the various administrative tasks that have to be completed each time are automatically done: notification emails are sent, diary reminders are put in place and reports are sent or updated.The brilliance of the system is in its automation.

DC123 said the software included a built-in online video conferencing system that would allow recruiters to record first-round interviews and send trailers to clients for consideration. Designed in Melbourne, the web-based software, which can be fully operational in a business within three weeks, is already in use in Australia.

DC123 also has announced Michael Coomer as its chairman. Mr Coomer, a former chief information officer at Ansett, moved into the world of banking, first as CIO of National Australia Bank and then as group executive for business and technology services at Westpac.

DC123 said Mr Coomer had spent the past 15 months managing his own IT and business process outsourcing businesses since departing from EDS, following its merger with Hewlett-Packard in 2008.

Read the rest of this entry »

A report by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) contains findings that human networks are the decisive factor in a successful job hunt in South Korea.

KDI researcher Kim Young-chul stated in his report titled “Assessment on Dependency of Human Networks During Job Searches” released on Nov. 14, “56.4% of the job hunters rely on human networks to acquire jobs during job searches.” He also added, “This is only a minimum prediction, and the actual reliance could be up to 60%.”

This research was based on an analysis of data collected by Korea Labor Panel over five years, from 2003 to 2007, of 6,165 people and their method used for acquiring jobs.

Of the variety of human networks, friends and families took up largest part in the percentage of group of human networks that were used, with approximately 36.9%. This was followed by individuals from prior work places (7.9%) and next by acquaintances at the place where one wishes to work (7.8%). Also, reliance on human networks in job hunting was approximately 50% higher in the case of experienced workers than in the case of first-time job hunters.

At small businesses with less than 30 employees, approximately 70% of the employees were hired with recommendations.

In addition, dependency on networking was higher in the case of part-time workers than that of full-time workers, and men tended to have more dependence on human networks than that of women. But, employment through process of open recruitment was only 25% of the number of people employed through recommendations. Different from general public’s knowledge, even at large corporations with more than 500 employees, 47% of the employees were employed through recommendations, a much higher percentage than that of open recruitment (32%).

Kim said, “The reason behind high dependency on human networks is the absence of social capital such as lack of social infrastructure related to employment services, social trust, and other factors that culminated together.”

Read the rest of this entry »

The nation’s employment crisis and the huge change in culture from military to civilian life challenge many veterans looking for work. Fine-tune your job-hunting skills so they lead you to a veteran who will hire you.

This advice comes from Holly Mosack, who served in Iraq as an Army captain. She’s director of Military Recruiting at the global manufacturing consulting company Advanced Technology Services Inc., headquartered in Peoria, Ill.

ATS provides onsite maintenance support to Fortune 500 factories. Veterans comprise approximately 28 percent of its workforce and 50 percent of its leadership from supervisor up. Chip Dykes, a vice president at the nonprofit Southwest Veterans Business Resource Center in San Diego. (swvbrc.org), helps veterans find jobs and re-enter life as a civilian. He’s seen the challenge on both sides, first as a Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 3 and then as a civilian. He’s also a vice president at General Services Inc., a government contracting and consulting firm in Oceanside.

“The only reason a veteran of this era would become jobless ... is that the person isn’t trying hard enough,” Dykes says. “The abundance of resources for troops is overwhelming.” He recommends the 24/7 “Courage to Call,” a referral service for veterans at (877) 698-7838.

TWO INVENTORIES
Prepare for your search by taking an inventory of your online brand and your job skills. Social media will tell people a lot, indicates Michael Arsenault, director, Candidate Services, at the military-focused recruiting firm Bradley-Morris Inc., headquartered in Kennesaw, Ga. Arsenault, who served as an Army captain, suggests you review your online activity, including Google and Facebook, as if you were an employer.

Then, too, what do your email address, voicemail and/or answering machine say about you? Arsenault says, “Ask yourself, ‘Would my mother be ashamed if she saw (or heard) this?’”He further advises candidates rejected after a credit or criminal background check to get the company to “notify you (about) what they discovered,” as required by law. Meanwhile, rehearse non-defensive responses to possible knee-jerk questions if you can’t remove unfavorable online chatter, credit or other information.

Next, take a professional inventory. David Jacob, a former Navy pilot and lieutenant, is a managing partner at Davalen LLC in Lynchburg, Va. His suggestion targets technical people but applies elsewhere.
“In technology,” Jacob advises, “people want a person to do something. Choose a critical skill; make the investment and learn it, while continuing to market; and work for free for six weeks so you’ll have a reference.” He recommends that you keep building by using the same strategy with the next company or two, until you’re hired. It worked for him.

FINDING VETERANS
Mosack maintains that veterans like to hire veterans, that the online application system can’t dominate your job hunt. Further, “if you’re a junior officer,” she says, “I wouldn’t rely on general headhunters. Spend more time searching LinkedIn and the chamber of commerce where you’ll be living. Join the (target) company’s online group. See employees and start networking. There are veterans’ groups to join, too.
“It’s all about getting in touch,” she continues. “You have to call the company and find the people.” She adds that asking for advice can be extremely effective in landing a job, because you’ll flatter the person into helping you.

Mosack emphasizes that, with company recruiters, every communication, whether through email or social media, by telephone, or in person or in an interview, is itself an interview, even if the company representative is a veteran. You’re competing with other job seekers. When you have contact with companies, give it your best – the civilian equivalent of standing at attention. Find your job by improving your social media presence, identifying a skill you offer that’s in demand and going after employment in the smartest way possible, searching for veterans and asking for advice along the way.

Read the rest of this entry »

At the Lavish Laines tasting room in Livermore, California, each glass of wine poured represents the achievement of a remarkable winery. It's run not by experienced winemakers, but by veteran soldiers, marines and airmen: ex-military who couldn't find a job, until they found Josh Laine.

"It's all about providing for our own, and that's what I want to do- make sure the veterans are taken care of," says Laine. The 26-year old former Marine says after he got into California winemaking several years ago, he recruited some of his Marine Corps buddies to help him out with the "grunt work," everything from planting grapes to web design. He soon discovered veterans make terrific vintners. "Veterans don't have to be micro-managed. They know how to take a task, carry it out and get it done."

28-year old former Marine Eamon Kelly says he spent three years looking for a job, battling stress and depression at the same time. He says working at Lavish Laines means camaraderie, as well as a good paycheck. He likes toiling in the fields, following specific orders, and being alone with his thoughts.

"It's almost like being back in the military again, but there's no stress what so ever. It's very easy to come out here and work," says Kelly. Business operations manager Bob Schumacher is ex-Army. He says while the wine sells itself, the veteran angle provides a competitive edge. "It's a labor of love, and I think veterans come home with a sense of wanting to give something back," says Schumacher. "Certainly all the guys I've met at this winery have that character about them- they're giving something back, and that makes for a successful business and a good wine."

The winery sells 3,000 cases of wine a year, not bad for a start up in the competitive Livermore Valley. Lavish Laines hopes to expand into other states, like Oregon and Nevada, coping with a growing number of unemployed service members.

The winery currently employs 42 veterans who've served in conflicts ranging from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan. Some have posted photos from their military days on a wall in the tasting room, which also features a yellow flag that says "Welcome Home Warrior Citizen," and plaques representing the military branches.

Today, as the nation honors its veterans, Lavish Laines hopes Americans chose one of their Zinfandel’s, Merlot's or Chardonnay's to raise a glass and toast those who've sacrificed for their country. "And to the returning veterans," adds Laine, "welcome home, and come see us. We'll try to take care of you."

Read the rest of this entry »