Tax, Job Search and Travel Sites See Growth as New Year Begins

comScore, Inc. just released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at the top online properties for January 2009 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. The Tax category led as the top-gaining category as January marked the beginning of tax season, while Job Search, Government and travel-related sites also witnessed strong gains.

January has historically been a strong month for career sites as the beginning of the New Year causes many Americans to reconsider their current career trajectory and future goals. However, the surge in visitors this January also reflects the millions of lost jobs across the nation, resulting in significant increases to both the Job Search category (up 42 percent to 26.7 million visitors) and Career Resources category (up 26 percent to 48.9 million visitors).

The Job Search category was led by CareerBuilder.com Job Search with 12.2 million visitors (up 34 percent versus December), Monster.com Job Search with 9.5 million visitors (up 42 percent), and Yahoo! HotJobs Job Search with 7.7 million visitors (up 38 percent).

Kristie's job at Cumberland Farms

Anyone who has worked with the general public knows the challenges associated. My experience working in a C-store has actually helped with my public speaking that is necessary both in the classroom as well as now working in my career.

It all started one day I was picking up milk for my friends mother and noticed a “now hiring” sign in the window of our local C-store, Cumberland Farms. I applied for the job, got an interview and was offered a job! I worked as a full-time customer service associate for 3 years while balancing a full college course-load. I stayed in my position at Cumberland Farms because the hours were incredibly flexible and the managers were understanding and considerate of the stresses during test time.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Business Management, the company offered me an internal career opportunity. My experience can be evident to others shown in the perks of longevity with a company and my ability to exhibit time management.

Start your career at Cumberland Farms! Apply today!

Top 10 Retail Movies

There are dozens of movies about retailing that have been released over the years. The following Top 10 are from Retail Info News:

1. Elf, 2003 Will Farrell is raised by Santa's elves, but it is time for him to find his birth family in New York City. Scenes take place in Gimbel's to complete the off-made connection between Christmas and retailing.
2. You've Got Mail, 1998 AOL product placement romance remakes 1940 film "The Shop Around the Corner." Meg Ryan is an independent bookstore manager while Tom Hanks is scion of a family that runs a mega chain.
3. Mallrats, 1995 Kevin Smiths second film also features Jay and Silent Bob. Although less successful than "Clerks," it has achieved cult status. Shenanigans are carried out by Shannon Doherty and Ben Affleck.
4. Clerks, 1994 slacker comedy introduced to cinema Jay and Silent Bob. Made on a budget of $27,000 and shot at a convenience store in New Jersey where the director, Kevin Smith, worked.
5. Mannequin, 1987 An artist makes a store mannequin so perfect it comes to life at night in the form of Kim Cattrel, from "Sex and the City." Movie largely takes place in a large New York City department store.
6. High Fidelity, 2000 Dramedy about record shop owner examining the past to figure out why he can't maintain a relationship. Arrested development is clear from the vinyl records he specializes in.
7. Miracle on 34th Street, 1947 Yes, there is a Santa Claus, Virginia. Timeless, uplifting drama moves from Macy's flagship store to a psychiatric hospital to a courtroom, where Santa Claus is put on trial.
8. Employee of the Month, 2006 To get an idea about this movie all you have to know is it was a Jessica Simpson vehicle. It makes the list because the entire movie is set in a large , warehouse club store.
9. Empire Records, 1995 Comedic day in the life of an independent record store fighting for survival against a large chain. Wacky employees, including a young Renee Zellweger and Liv Tyler, save the store.
10. 40 Year Old Virgin, 2005 Four buds at an electronics superstore learn Steve Carrell hasn't "done the deed." Carrell meets Catherine Keener, manager of an iSold It store. "It" finally happens.

Looking for a great retail career? Check out some of the job openings at Cumberland Farms here

Retail Store Manager Careers

This exiting opportunity could be the start of a great retail career!

Are you an enthusiastic individual who enjoys helping customers? Would you like to turn your "job" into a career?

Consider becoming a retail Manager-In-Training and show customers what good customer service is all about!
As a Manager-in-Training you will be trained to manage a retail location using critical information from a state-of-the-art windows based computer system.
Many retail stores recognize success is directly related to the success of each employee. That is why Cumberland Farms invests so heavily in training and development. The Company's unique Manager-in-Training program emphasizes the learning process to ensure learning takes place, identifies, defines and conveys management skills utilizing in store mentoring, includes instruction by our best, most experienced Training Managers, and provides self-paced, hands-on practice to reinforce newly learned skills.

Your new retail career starts at Cumberland Farms.

Interview Red Flags

Certain behaviors and reactions displayed during the interview indicate cause for concern. This list was developed after conducting many interviews. Can you think of any Red Flags I missed? Read on!

1. Poor personal appearance.
2. Lack of interest and enthusiasm.
3. Overemphasis on money.
4. Condemnation of past employers.
5. Late for the interview.
6. Failure to express appreciation for the interviewer's time.
7. Asks no questions about the position.
8. Vague response to questions.
9. Overly aggressive, conceited, or know-it-all complex.
10. Inability to express oneself clearly.
11. Lack of planning for a career.
12. Lack of confidence and poise.
13. Unwilling to start at the bottom; expects too much, too soon.
14. Evasive, hedges on unfavorable factors in job history.
15. Lack of maturity.
16. Lethargic, lack of energy.
17. Merely shopping around.
18. Wants job only for a short time.
19. No interest in company or industry.

Employers: Got any more examples? Leave a reply with your example Interview Red Flag!

Job Seekers: Got any Red Flag examples from the other side of the desk? Share them!

The Stop That Keep You Going

Careers That Keep You Growing.

That's what many recently hired Store Managers are saying about their decisions to join Cumberland Farms. "Many employees have been with the Company 10, 15 or 20 years! It's not un-heard of to meet a 30 year employee" said Jon Stallward of Canton, MA. Jon worked for a "big box" retailer up until recently when he decided he needed more career stability with career advancement.

To see Cumberland Farms employment opportunities in your area, visit http://www.cumberlandfarms.com/ today!