Crescent-News.com - Watercooler Chat: Moms in for more gifts; job listings advice

MOMS GET MORE GIFTS

American adults said they planned to spend more this year than last year for Mother's Day -- although their moms wish they wouldn't.

In a recent poll, the 55 percent of men and women who said they intended to give gifts to their mothers said they planned to spend an average $70.30, up almost $4 from 2007.

But 82 percent of the mothers surveyed said they would rather their children spent less on them this year.

Men planned to outspend women this year: The average amount men plan to spend on their mothers is $77.50, while women plan to spend $63.90 on average.

Men are even more generous when it comes to buying presents for their wives. They plan to spend $108 for Mother's Day presents for their spouses, probably because they are helping their children buy presents for their mothers, said Ryan Garton, director of customer insights for Discover Financial Services' Discover Card, which conducted the survey.

Discover Card's Mother's Day Shopping Survey surveyed 1,003 American adults in April by telephone.

AMERICANS ABROAD

The dollar may be slumping steadily and Americans' disposable income may be shrinking, but just try keeping them home.

Travel organization AAA and Global Insight, a forecasting company, predicted 25.1 million Americans will be crossing borders for leisure travel this summer, up 2.6 percent from last year. Summer is the most popular vacation season.

And they're expected to spend more than ever: $30.7 billion in June, July and August, up 5.7 percent from last year.

"Those that choose to make these trips are reallocating their budgets," said Ken McGill, executive managing director of Global Insight, a forecasting company. "Leisure travel has become not only a necessity to many American travelers, it's become almost a divine right."

Vacationers will cut shopping and entertainment out of their travel budgets, and will cut household expenses before they nix travel plans, McGill said.

The forecast is based on an economic model that includes aggregated data about the U.S. economy, domestic spending, foreign exchange rates, historic travel data, inflation in travel costs and other factors.

MAKE IT SING

A tight labor market is no excuse for lazy job postings.

Candidates may flock to ads, but to attract the best potential employee, job listings need to generate excitement about the company and articulate benefits to the hire while being short, clear and punchy.

Some tips from Michael Jalbert, president of MRINetwork, an executive search company:

-- Don't drone on and on about a position's responsibilities and requirements. Keep postings short.

-- Sell the job's strengths: Get in a "what's in it for me" statement at the end of a posting. Job candidates need to know why the position is valuable and interesting.

-- Make sure salary and benefits match what competitors are offering. Job-seekers today can research other companies' offerings and determine their value.

-- In precise, crisp language, make clear the brand of your company and why it's a valuable workplace.

-- For junior positions, creative or cutting-edge wordplay can be acceptable; for senior management roles, keep language drier and professional.

KEEP RESUME CURRENT

Even if you're not actively seeking employment, it's smart to keep your resume current. You never know when an intriguing employment opportunity might arise. You may even need a copy of your resume when applying for a new job with your current employer. Update your resume, for instance, by including any new skills you've learned, responsibilities you've taken on or professional development courses you've completed. Moreover, delete outdated information (such as your grade point average in college) that is not relevant to your current position or career pursuits.