Defend Yourself Against the Recession with Internet Job Training at the New Orleans Web Expo

Aug. 17, 2009 - PRLog -- Recent headlines reporting the loss of jobs in New Orleans and across America are making a lot of people nervous, especially people who have worked at one job for more than 5 years. The employment landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade and many people are wondering if they will be able to find a job now with their current skills.

The good news is that the Internet industry has thousands of jobs available and In The Media Dot Com is providing an Internet Job Training Course to teach the skills required for working online. The "I-Freelance 2009 New Orleans Web Expo" is 2 full days of hands-on Internet business tutorials, exhibits and special events focused on how to earn income online. It will be held at the Hilton St. Charles Hotel on Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th in the historic city of New Orleans.

The need for this training is real and supported by President Barack Obama who has pledged to expand telework for federal employees. According to letters written to John Gage, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees, Obama is quoted as saying he would, “support efforts to bring paid family leave, flexible work schedules and increased Teleworking to the federal government.”

The Director of the New Orleans Web Expo and lead trainer for the "I-Freelance 2009" Internet job training course, Uma Sumeros stated: "Telework or freelancing is a real option for traditional companies as well as Internet companies and their need for independent, skilled employees is growing as a result of global competition. In New Orleans there is a wealth of talent that can profit from working online with local companies who need their skills: these companies play a major role in the rebuilding of New Orleans. Many of these companies offer substantial benefits to long term employees and freelance workers can now enjoy many of the same benefits. Our job is to show you the who, what, where and how of working online profitably."

All of the terms such as "freelancing," "telework," "outsourcing," "telecommuting," "independent contracting" and "contract employment" apply to the independent work style that has steadily gained popular acceptance over the past decade in the business world and is projected to continue to grow. The results of the "2009 Job Forecast" survey conducted by CareerBuilders support this growth. Here are a few of the findings from the survey:

* 60% of employers will increase salaries for existing employees in 2009
* 31% of employers plan to provide more flexible work arrangements in 2009 – Including Telecommuting options (48 percent)
* 13% of employers plan to add "green jobs" in 2009
* 23% of employers say their overall hiring budgets will decrease for 2009
* 28% of employers anticipate hiring freelancers or contractors in 2009.

There are thousands of companies and entrepreneurs that hire individuals and small businesses to provide goods and services in America, the challenge is knowing where to find them and how to market your skills. In a survey conducted by Gartner Dataquest reported in 2008 that 25% of workers telecommuted in 2007, and in their recent 2009 projections, they estimate that number to hit 27.5%. Companies like Booz Allen Hamilton, eBay, Gartner, Goldman Sachs, Principal Financial Group, S.C. Johnson & Son, Yahoo, and Qualcomm, continue to lead the pack with their flexible work and telecommuting benefits.

For some of these companies, flexible work schedules and options are not a new idea, for example, Booz Allen Hamilton has been offering flexible schedules since 2005, and Google’s Quality of life benefits have been a mainstay since its inception. These companies fully understand the advantages of freelance work and telecommuting.  The Internet Job Training course at "I-Freelance 2009 New Orleans Web Expo" is for anyone who wants to learn how to take advantage of the opportunity and become a part of the growing Internet industry: as a job to earn extra income, as a career or as a company.

The "I-Freelance 2009 New Orleans Web Expo" is focused on "Web 2.0" such as the development of mobile Internet applications means that you have the freedom to access and work on the Internet from a multitude of portable devices.  The Internet job training course will explore Social Media and the businesses related to social networking and how to use it to promote their business.

The "big picture" is how to use social networking for economic profit: providing local New Orleans online companies the opportunity to demonstrate their products and services, expanding their customer base and connecting with talented vendors. The opportunities for artists to produce and market their work has also expanded from the growth of multi-media on the Internet. Music and video business will also be explored in the Internet Music and Video showcase.

In addition to increasing the exposure for individuals and companies, the New Orleans Web Expo is also focused on the community. Ms. Sumeros stated: "This event is geared to increase the knowledge and skills needed by individuals to improve their quality of life. But we also know that the quality of life includes a place to live. 15% of every registration fee will be donated to http://makeitrightnola.org. to assist the rebuilding of the Ninth Ward that was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina."

If you are a experienced freelancer and would like to share your experience or would like to get involved, applications for volunteers and presentation speakers are available by contacting our office. To register for the Internet job training course, visit the "I-Freelance 2009 New Orleans Web Expo" official website http://neworleanswebexpo.com or call (504) 528-8674 for more information.

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In The Media Dot Com is a group of freelance professionals that has provided advertising, public relations, copywriting, training, web design and development since 2005 as a division of Suneva Webcasting, Inc.