Saint Louis Job News & Opportunities St. Louis Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in St. Louis, Missouri and Southwest Illinois. St. Louis News Community Info St. Louis Job News St. Louis CitySide Business News St. Charles News Southwest, IL News Fairview Heights,IL Art Gallery News Hotel News Restaurant News Style St. Louis Not Just For Kids   Downtown Map America's Center Busch Stadium Gateway Arch Scottrade Center Laclede's Landing Old Courthouse Union Station Washington Avenue   Metropolitan Map Casinos Clayton, MO Grand Center Grant's Farm Forest Park Kimmswick, MO MO Botanical Garden Soulard St. Charles, MO West Port Plaza Transportation Lambert Airport How To Reach Us: St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com Can Workers Recover From Unexpected Layoffs? ST. LOUIS (PRNewswire), February 18, 2007 - The recent layoff upheaval at Ford is symptomatic of a shift in the US manufacturing sector, where automation, outsourcing and globalization are forcing American workers to reevaluate their skills and search for new niches, using innovative tools such as the Birkman personality assessment to launch a new career. "When people who are only 10 to 15 years away from traditional retirement are suddenly thrust into the job market, they can quickly become frustrated by what appear to be limited options," said Sharon Birkman-Fink, President and CEO of Birkman International, developers of the Birkman Method (R). "But really, a layoff can be an opportunity to reevaluate what is important to them as far as well-being, and may be the catalyst that they need to start a more fulfilling career." According to Birkman, people may have skills they have never even considered using for at work, skills which may have lain dormant during a lengthy tenure at a job where workers may have lacked the ability to advance in responsibility and leadership. Additionally, a new work environment that better caters to a person's core interests, may lower stress, and promote a better, more enriching daily life. Reinventing a career can be simply a matter of reorienting, and using the science of self-analysis to take stock before taking risks. The Birkman personality assessment is an effective tool to guide such analysis, especially in the hands of a skilled career counselor or coach. While Ford recently announced that 30,000 of its hourly employees will be eliminated, receiving "early retirement packages," they are not alone in cutting back their American labor force. 50,000 GM employees have recently taken similar "early out" offers, as have numerous employees in the telecommunications sector. Dr. Roger Birkman first created the Birkman test in 1951, a result of research conducted at the University of Texas in psychological instruments for pilot selection in the U.S. Air Force. After decades of refinement and improvement, the Birkman continues to be the premier assessment to delve deep into motivations and the underlying drives that relate to work and self- discovery. The assessment is taken on-line and can be completed in about 45 minutes. The respondents answer 125 True/False questions about self and 125 True/False questions about most people. Additionally, the test contains 48 multiple choice questions that determine interests and job preference. Through a process of regression and factor analysis, the Birkman Method identifies a person's everyday interpersonal style, underlying motivations, expectations, and signs of stress behavior. "It is never too late to make life-altering decisions, especially when happiness is at stake," said Birkman-Fink. "A test like the Birkman gives people the right tool to face the future, no matter how murky the horizon may appear." Archived: Chronic Pain Up Almost 40 Percent Among U.S. Workers in Past Decade Package Yourself to Get Your Dream Job Most Women Aren't 'Opting Out' of the Work Force Comprehensive Personality Testing May Help Land the Right Job in a Hot Job Market One-in-Five Workers to Change Jobs in the New Year Major Trends for the New Year Includes Bigger Paychecks, More Promotions, Flexible Schedules, Prolonged Retirement and Recruitment of Hispanic Workers Most Executives Still on the Job While Away From the Office Employees with Severe Disabilities Are Happy and Proud of Their Work    The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .