Atlanta Metro Area

University System of Georgia's System Office, in downtown Atlanta, GA, is seeking a full-time, temporary, Administrative Coordinator. Applicants must have the following qualifications:

Experience interacting with Senior Executives in a professional office environment; Recent experience managing an Executive's calendar; Intermediate Microsoft Office Skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.; Experience processing invoices; Some experience updating web pages, preferred Customer-centric approach to service; Must be able to work a M - F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule. There may be a need for periodic overtime. All interested parties, should contact one of the following agencies to have your resume submitted for review: Abacus Staffing; Focus (focusga.com); Happy Faces Personnel Group, Inc. (happyfaces.net); Abacus Staffing (abacuscorporation.com). Thank you for your interest.

Georgia is an employment at will state. I can't explain that in technical legalese terms. But in plain language your employer can fire you when ever they dang well please without any dang reason what so ever if they dang well feel like it and there's not a dang thing you can do about it. The law sucks! Atlanta is a booming city home to the headquarters of many major corporations, an emerging entertainment industry, a vibrant tourism and convention industry, the world's busiest airport, a healthy real estate market which supports many related industries such as construction, retail and landscaping, and lots of small businesses such as restaurants, boutiques, professional services, and start up companies. The job market in Atlanta is very good though also very competitive because of the number of new job seekers relocating here. However, I think if job seekers are diligent and flexible most can find employment with in a reasonable amount of time looking. Unfortunately, job security can be tenuous because of Georgia's employment at will law. I don't know how widely or frequently it's used but when or if you are one of the unfortunate victims of it, which I was, it can be humiliating to say the least. On my last job I had a good work record including favorable annual appraisals, no disciplinary actions, good attendance, glowing accolades from clients and supervisors, approval of all work plans. None of the reasons one would expect to be fired for, but I was. The only advantage I had was that they gave me 3 months notice so my termination didn't happen immediately. They even told me they would be glad to give me references. We don't want you working for us anymore but we'll be glad to help you get a job with somebody else, basically. WTF? Employment at will offers limited recourse. If you believe you were let go because of some form of discrimination than you can pursue a case with various regulatory agencies. In limited circumstances hourly employees are entitled to a disciplinary process involving verbal warnings, written warnings, suspensions and such before finally being fired. But salaried workers are not even allowed the disciplinary process unless the employer chooses to use it. Similar to employment at will, and sometimes confused with it, is the right to work law, which applies to union workers. I don't know what to suggest to protect yourself from an employer who chooses to exercise their right to terminate you at will because it's totally up to your employer's discretion. But I recommend when working in Atlanta remain aware that it can happen to you and be prepared for what you're going to do if it does.

How you'll get to work is an important consideration for job searching in Atlanta. Metro Atlanta can be 5 to 28 counties depending on which specifications are considered, so working in 'Atlanta' could include a long commute to your job. Here are some points I've identified.

1. Public transportation . Atlanta has Marta, the commuter rail and bus system which serves the City of Atlanta and Fulton and DeKalb Counties. Marta buses also serve Clayton and other bus services in Cobb and Gwinnett feed into Marta. If working outside of those counties or while the public transportation system is closed you'll need another means of transportation.
2. Driving. Atlanta traffic can be a nightmare during rush hour depending on the roads you drive. Allow extra time to allow for traffic jams. You'll most likely have to pay for parking if you work in downtown Atlanta.
3. Biking. It's an option for working in town where there are bike lanes and bike paths in some areas.
4. Walking. Many live, work, shop communities have been going up in and around Atlanta where you might find a place to live near the job. A common application and interview question is how will you get to work. I suggest you add that to your list of considerations when looking for jobs to apply for in metro Atlanta.