job seekers

Is It Time to Cut Ties with an Employee?

/ nancyrubin

Running your company means you have a lot of responsibilities on your shoulder. With that in mind, one of the biggest calls you have to make at times is now the right time to cut ties with an employee?

Whether performance, issues with co-workers or money, letting someone go can be difficult.

So, will you cut ties with them?

Thinking If Now is the Time

As you ponder the idea of letting someone go, it is good to consider the following:

  1. Performance – Even if an employee has a quirk or two, you more than likely rate them on their job performance. Has their performance been detrimental to the company and clients as of late? If so, did you try and talk with them about improving on the job? In the event you did give them chances to improve and they did not, you more than likely will move ahead with a release.
  2. Personality – You can have the most talented worker, but what if he or she doesn’t get along well with others? That is a dilemma many bosses face over time. You might have to dismiss someone because they are causing too much friction in the office place. In looking at their personality, did you know a lot about them before hiring them? Although many do background searches, they do not always get all the details on someone. It could also be a case where an employee changed during their time with you.
  3. Repercussions – Although you do what is best for business, do you worry one may cause problems if you let them go? In doing an online people search, you can more times than not keep tabs on someone. This could be important if a former employee is trying to undermine your company. You may have lost track of where he or she moved to after you dismissed them. That online search may yield clues on where they are now and how to contact them if you need to. If a former worker is making trouble for you, you will have to decide if legal action may be necessary.
  4. Future – Last, what is good for your office and of course your business will be what is most important to you. That said parting ways with an employee is oftentimes never easy. Like you, they need to earn a living to get by. Before you cut ties with someone, think about the real reason why you are doing so.

Hiring the Best from Day One

Although your goal should always be to hire the best people, you know that this does not always happen.

Did you rush to hire someone only to fill a seat in the office? Many use a public records search to find out where people are and what they’ve been up to. Should you have done more background investigating on someone you hired?

When you craft a job hiring advertisement, take the time to get it right.

Be sure to spell out not only the qualifications you want, but also the type of personality you want in the office.

Hiring workers is not as easy a task as some might make it out to be.

That said getting it right the first time around will save you money and frustration.

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

 

How Can Graduates Increase Their Chances Of Getting A Job

/ nancyrubin

Graduating college and finally reaching the end of your academic career is a monumental event that can leave you feeling proud and accomplished. However, after this euphoria has passed, you must settle down and focus on putting your degree to use. The unfortunate reality is that as beneficial as a college degree is in helping you advance in your career, there is a negative trend in getting a job after graduating from college.

While some markets are substantially more challenging to land a job in after college graduation than others, you can take numerous steps that could potentially bolster your chance of landing a first job. Remember that searching for a job is a full-time job itself. If you want to be successful in your effort, you need to focus diligently on it and apply the right strategies and techniques.

Self-Marketing Starts With the CV
Curriculum Vitae (CV) is essentially translated into a “course of (one’s) life.” Do not be fooled by this definition. You definitely need to use a CV to articulate your accomplishments to a potential employer and to specifically explain why you are a great candidate for the position, but your information needs to be customized and targeted. Understand what the company’s motto is and what is the corporate culture. Focus on what the company values and look for connections between your experiences and its culture or values.

You essentially want to craft a CV that beautifully illustrates all connections while also hyping up how valuable you would be as a new addition to the team. Remember to customize each CV. It can be detrimental to send a generic CV out with each resume.

Don’t Ignore Your Soft Skills

You may have minimal real-life work experience in your specific industry, but that does not mean that you do not have specific soft skills that companies may value. Soft skills are the hardest to learn. All of your non-industry job experiences, extracurricular activities and even personal experiences may have enabled the development of those skills.

Identify what you learned from each experience. Did being a Lacrosse Team president teach you leadership skills like motivation? Find a way to communicate these skills to a hiring manager through your resume in a unique way. Everything you’ve done during college can be beneficial, no matter if it is an internship, part time job or a on campus position.

Remember that many resumes use the same overused and worn out words. Be creative in your use of words as well as in how you explain soft skills through real-life examples.

Tidy Up Your Facebook Profile

It is increasingly common for employers to learn more about potential applicants through their Facebook profiles. Your Facebook profile essentially can be seen as an extension of your resume, and it gives hiring managers a more well-rounded view about who you are as a person. Many college graduates need to spend time sprucing up their Facebook profile so that it portrays an ideal candidate. Look at your profile honestly through the eyes of an employer to identify things that may need to be removed.

There are some specific areas of a profile that may be overlooked. For example, analyze the pages and groups that you follow. Eliminate questionable ones and consider adding a few that are related to your profession. Delete photos that are not desirable and think about posting a few that present you in a more professional or mature light. Even if you update your privacy settings, ensure that your profile and cover photo are suitable and even professional. Keep in mind that it is a small world, and there is a possibility that one of your friends could be your employer in the future. Cleaning up your profile today is a smart idea, but you also need to focus on making smart, mature posts in the future.

Make the Most of LinkedIn

Many college graduates do not yet have a LinkedIn profile, but 70 percent of employers use this platform to learn more about candidates. Some even use LinkedIn to find candidates who have not yet applied for a position. Remember that LinkedIn is an online extension of your resume. All information on your resume should match your online profile, including dates and details.

In order to craft a professional profession on LinkedIn:

  • Add a professional header and headshot.
  • Create a solid profile summary and an eye-catching headline.
  • Use the profile to show off, but always remain professional.
  • Review and customize your LinkedIn URL.
  • Include all achievements, recognitions and awards.

Build Networks

After you have spent adequate time updating or creating your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, take the additional step to Google yourself. Pay attention to photos or other items that may require updating before you draw attention to yourself through job applications and networking.

Once you believe that your online presence is professional and mature, use the Internet to network extensively. This includes joining LinkedIn groups, following companies on Facebook, connecting with professionals who you know and interacting with professionals in other ways. Remember that you can even post articles related to your field that could get the attention of hiring managers. Writing references for others is also another way to get more attention yourself.

A Final Word

As you can see, there is more to getting a first job after college graduation than simply emailing a few resumes to hiring managers. Be flexible about jobs that you consider. Look for any jobs that are in your field as they will at least serve as a foot-in-door experience, and this includes lower-paying jobs. Getting some experience in your field could be a stepping stone to an even better job down the road.

About the Author:
Michelle works from home and writes articles about various topics. She loves her keyboard on a rainy day, but she also loves being outdoors in her free time. She often daydreams of visiting new places and works on making those dreams come true. Her magic? Cycling in the woods.

5 Ninja Tactics to Get a High-Paying Technology Job!

/ nancyrubin

Technology world is exploding with newer solutions emerging every fortnight leaving the aspirants clueless about which technology to learn to get a suitable technology job. However different consultants suggest different technology domains, which is confusing and stressing for the candidates as they have potential, but they have no idea where to utilize it.

This blog is rather an attempt to guide all those aspirants who wish to succeed in the technology domain. Currently the market is talking about these technologies, which we will have a look at in ascending order:

Data Science: The Hottest Domain

Forbes has described Data Science as the sexiest job of 21st century. The people who wish to become analysts, machine learning experts, artificial intelligence professionals, this field is for them. The most important part is that, learning Data Science concepts do not require the candidate have a technology background. In fact, anyone who has knowledge of mathematics and statistics can become a data scientist and recruited by top MNCs in absolutely no time. The reason behind this increasing demand is that companies need innovative strategies to survive the war between companies over coming up with something new each time, which gets tougher when the product and segment is same. Analyzing the market trends, recognizing the patterns and coming up with something that has not happened before, helps the companies change the game.

Big Data: The Holy Grail for Techies

Usually the candidates who are fresh graduates having knowledge of coding and testing, Big Data is the most sought-after domain for them. The reason behind this trend is that most of them have a good knowledge of Java, JavaScript, C, C#, etc. Since all the big data frameworks are written in programming languages having the feature of standard input/output. So any programming language having this functionality can be used to learn big data technologies. Moreover it is time for the aspiring developers to come out of their comfort zones and learn something that is innovative and progressive too.

Cloud Computing: Trending Now!

You cannot certainly deny the fact that everything is stored in the cloud nowadays. Google drive is one of the most popular private cloud used by people in daily life. Ranging from mail to spreadsheet, to documents and analytics everything can be dome in the cloud. This is just the perspective of common tools used by people like us. Think about the kind of tools used by companies. Whether it is a platform, an infrastructure, or software, everything is turned into a service, which is a revolution in the digital world. This is one of the most trending technologies presently and learning it will definitely take your career to a whole new level. Companies like Microsoft and AWS are the biggest vendors of cloud.

Business Intelligence: Brightest future!

Analytics is the crux behind all the business decisions and strategic moves. With the shrinking timeline and increasing pressure, businesses are bound to respond instantly which mandates the use of real-time analytics. SAS, SAP, Tableau, QlikView, Spotfire, etc., are widely known BI solutions used by the top MNCs to analyze the bulks of raw data and convert it into a meaningful pattern of information. Ranging from gathering data from various sources, converting it into a supported format, analyzing the data and creating interactive reports are the major operations performed by Business Analysts. Learning it today will help you get job tomorrow!

Software Programming: Evergreen Domain!

Programming is the safest jobs of all times. Other domains emerge and become obsolete as soon as companies get accustomed, but programming is the domain which is always in demand. Programming languages like Java, Python, R programming, C, C#, PHP, etc., have been heavily used by the companies to create softwares and are still the preferred language by the developers. Mastering at least two to three languages will open huge opportunities for you in all the sectors and you can earn like hell.

Though all I described are the Ninja Tactics, it is all of your effort that brings the output. Definitely smart work is required, but hard work is what pays you at the end. So make a wise decision about your career today and grab top-dollar jobs tomorrow!

Author Bio :

Sonal Maheshwari has 6 years of corporate experience in various technology platforms such as Big Data, Data Science, Salesforce, Digital Marketing, CRM, SQL, JAVA, Oracle, etc. She has worked for MNCs like Wenger & Watson Inc, CMC LIMITED, EXL Services Ltd., and Cognizant. She is a technology nerd and loves contributing to various open platforms through blogging. She is currently in association with a leading professional training provider, Intellipaat Software Solutions and strives to provide knowledge to aspirants and professionals through personal blogs, research, and innovative ideas.

Are You Confident Going Into Your Next Job Interview?

/ nancyrubin

Job interviews can be both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. What are you doing to give you the best possible chance for success each time you enter an interview?

For some people, they can adjust at a moment’s notice. This means nailing their interviews with little or no preparations. Meantime, others need prep time to learn more about the brand they are interviewing with. They also need time to rehearse how they will speak and act in front of an interviewer.

It is important that you have as much confidence as possible in any interview that comes your way.

So, what is your confidence level heading into your next sit-down or phone interview?

Is Your Background Going to Come up?

In most cases, your background to one degree or another will come up during your next interview.

This means you could have to discuss your past or present job history to some length. While personal questions not in most cases a part of an interview, don’t discount them altogether. You might be asked about where you see yourself living down the road etc.

With a background check, don’t think companies in today’s digital age are not investigating. This is why you need to have an answer to the question of what will a background check show?

 

Among some of the items that could show up in a background check on you:

  • Any issues you may have had with a former employer
  • Any DUIs or other driving related problems
  • Any run-ins with the law outside of driving i.e. domestic violence etc.
  • Any financial problems such as filing for bankruptcy

Some employers may do a license plate search to indicate any past driving issues. Once again, always be ready to address any potential hot topics about your background.

By being ready to answer about any past or current issues in your life, you will come across as better prepared. If you seem unprepared, it could prove to be your downfall.

Do Your Own Research

As companies will research you, it behooves you to do the same with them. Nothing is worse than an interview where one has no knowledge about the company they could work for.

By doing a little research before your interview, you should be able to answer the following:

  • What does the company do?
  • Approximately how many people work there?
  • How long has the company been in business?
  • What specific skills are they looking for in the position you are interviewing for?

Exude Confidence Each Time Out

Though many people are nervous before and at a job interview, exuding confidence is key.

Do your best to show the interviewer you are confident in your abilities to do the job if you get the position.

Given costs to rehire for positions, show a potential employer they’d make a great choice in hiring you.

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

Are You Ready to Move into the Flexible Jobs Market?

/ nancyrubin

2017 might be the year when flexible jobs explode. For many looking to wrest some control back over their working lives, this could be the year. Flexible jobs give people the ability to have more control over when and where they work. For some this means cutting down from full-time, 9 to 5, Monday to Friday working, while for others it means taking their job and moving it to the spare bedroom. Initial results are showing higher levels of job satisfaction and higher rates of engagement and productivity within the work itself.

Flexible Jobs with Potential

According to Forbes.com, there are 20 jobs above all others which are primed to be the top flexible jobs of 2017. These are:

  1. Statistician
  2. Product Manager
  3. Physical Therapy Assistant
  4. Operations Manager
  5. Operations Analyst
  6. Office Manager
  7. Occupational Therapy Assistant
  8. Nurse Practitioner
  9. Nurse – ICU
  10. Medical Director
  11. Information Security Analyst/Manager
  12. Genetic Counselor
  13. Front-End Developer
  14. Financial Analyst
  15. Data Scientist
  16. Client Services Coordinator
  17. Business Process Analyst
  18. Business Development
  19. Account Manager
  20. Account Executive

With 63% of employees believing the 8 hour work day will soon be a thing of the past, it is worth considering if flexible work is right for you. The main considerations are financial and practical. Can you afford to work less? And can your job be done from home? Or can it be shared? Then you have to see if your company is willing to enter into flexible working arrangements. Reduced work, for example suits those with savings, stable income from a partner, or a second job/side hustle to fall back on or build up. Those on low wages with financial insecurity cannot afford the less work option, but may be able to wrangle a work from home remote position if it improves productivity for your employer.

Can You Go 100% Flexible?

For the above, it is mostly about reconstructing or renegotiating jobs you are already in. For many, this is not an option. The first decade of the 20th century saw an explosion of jobs relating to the Internet. So far, the second decade has seen working patterns fracture and become more flexible with more jobs being related to servicing online needs or performing everyday business tasks and services online. The so-called gig economy has been around for a long time, but it seems more prevalent now and has allowed many people fired from work to instantly get back up on their feet and move forward with their lives. Instead of applying for a steady stream of jobs, many people are able to brainstorm how to turn their situation into a job or at least a steady income be it driving people around or delivering items.

Make no mistake, the flexible lifestyle of a freelancer can be stressful. You do have the ability to work when you want, as you want, but each gig is not always well paying, and they may be hard to obtain too. You need tremendous self-discipline and the ability to go out there and make things work for you. Furthermore, whether a freelancer or a remote worker, flexible work needs a lot of organization and an ability to ignore distractions. Strike the right balance, work hard, and it can be a very rewarding lifestyle.

Jenny Holt is a former HR executive turned freelance writer, who now spends more time with her young family and ageing, but ever eager Labrador, Rover.

Executives Need Resumes, Too!

/ nancyrubin

When you are looking for a new job as an executive, you need a resume that will stand out from the competition.

That said do you feel like you alone have the ability to craft a stellar resume? If not, where will you turn for assistance?

If you are thinking that help is needed, turning to an executive resume writing service could be the best call you ever make.

For those in this position, how do you know you’re hiring the best executive resume writers to handle the job for you? Do you go with those having the most experience? What about those coming in with the most affordable rates? Lastly, how can you separate one from the other?

With all these questions to answer, be sure to take the time in sorting through a number of executive resume writing services, ultimately deciding which one has your best interests in mind.

The days of simply dropping a resume in the mail and waiting by the phone for a call are all but gone.

In today’s digital age, the majority of resumes go via computers and mobile devices, with both substance and design at the top of the list of winning resumes.

Spread the Word About Your Talents

So that you can ultimately get your foot in the door for an interview, keep these pointers in mind:

  1. Experience – First and foremost, your executive experience is what needs to come across on your resume, along with when you are granted interviews. Separate yourself from the competition by showcasing how you can be trusted in such an important position within the company. Being able to pinpoint certain times you were asked to lead at your current or former employer is certainly noteworthy, along with how you have been able to get results in whatever executive position/s you have held over the years;
  2. Drive – As great as your experience may be, having the drive to succeed in a potential new job is critical too. Prospective employers want to see candidates who come to interviews with a passion for the job. If you show up without asking any questions about the company, show little or no enthusiasm about your career, and seem like you are just there to gain some more interviewing experience, you are all but a goner when it comes to consideration. As someone who has been an executive at some point in your career (past or present), showing employers a passion for a position will oftentimes get you to a second interview or even the job itself;
  3. Personality – Given executives are oftentimes tasked with running meetings, rallying the employees together, and breaking down how each employee under their management will best assist the company, executives need to have a personality that paints them as both leaders and trustworthy. If you have a personality that is more introvert than extrovert, you could find yourself facing rather difficult hurdles in an executive role with a new employer. Employers want to see someone who can take control of a situation, giving direction to each and every worker. When it comes right down to it, employers want executives who can come up with solutions, not lead to more issues and/or problems to be solved. It is all a matter of being willing to take the bull by the horns, not stand in the background. As you interview with different employers, show them that you are able to step up and be noticed.

When the time comes for your executive resume to shine, don’t hesitate to reach out to a service that can do just that.

In a day and age when jobs can be difficult to come by, it is important that you do all you can to make your resume stand out from the crowd.

In doing so, you will position yourself for an executive job, one that may very well keep you employed for years to come.

Just remember that your resume says a lot about you in terms of your experience, personality, character and more.

Turning to professionals to help you highlight those traits is your first step.

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

What Can My Recruiter Do for Me?

/ nancyrubin / 1 Comment

shutterstock_142813183Perhaps it’s time to find your first job, or you are looking at a career/job change later in life. Maybe you’ve unfortunately been let go and need some immediate help.

The job search is not always easy, and a big part of finding the right job is connections.

But what if you don’t know all the right people or have those right connections? It may be time to seek a recruiter.

Advantages Do Add Up

Working with a recruiter has huge advantages as he or she will have solid connections with companies and know the openings that would work for you.

When you find the recruiter you want to work with, some certain actions on your part will help the whole process go smoother and win you that job sooner.

And finding the right recruiter is part of that process. You can find even more tips by taking a quick Internet search; some articles like “Top tips for working with a GDH recruiter” offer even more expert advice.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

  1. Be honest and straightforward with your recruiter – This applies to your background as well as your search. Let your recruiter know of any stumbling blocks you’ve previously had. He can probably help you with the right way to discuss this with a potential employer. For instance, if you’ve been laid off or have had time away from work, a recruiter can help put it in perspective for discussion if it comes up in an interview. You’ll also want to keep your recruiter abreast of interviews and offers you may have outside of their help.
  2. Understand that not all recruiters are for everyone – Just like you, recruiters have specialties (at least you want to work with one that does). If your neighbor says they have a friend who is a recruiter, see if he works in your field. If not, you won’t get much help. You want to work with someone who understands your field, the job openings in it and successful strategies for getting those jobs.
  3. Look in the right places – When you’re looking for that specialized recruiter, make sure you look in the right places. That means ask trusted colleagues, keep your ears and eyes open for recruiters contacting you, and check out some websites related to your field. LinkedIn is a great source for this as well.
  4. Stay in touch with the recruiter – If the recruiter has been good to you (even if you found a job on your own), keep in touch. You never know when you may need his help again. You can keep a strong relationship by recommending other reliable candidates to them.

Working with a recruiter can be the way you find your dream job.

Whether you have a job right now or not, a recruiter can help you. Be willing to work with them, be honest and let them do their job.

They can take a lot of the pressure off of you and let you do what you need to do on your end – buff up your resume, research companies, perfect your interview style.

And when you find a great recruiter, hold on to them even past the point of landing that job.

About the Author: Heather Legg writes on a variety of topics, including small business, the job search and social media.