October, 2016 | Journey

The Haunting of a Bad Career Decision

By Job Journey on Monday, October 31, 2016

You’ve been seeking employment for a while and you’ve become desperate enough to accept the first opportunity that comes along. Now that you have accepted the position, it has proven to be undesirable and doesn’t match your skills. You may be miserable and feel as though you are in a career rut, but don’t let this mistake steer you from your ultimate goal. Instead, build upon the opportunity and look at the failure as a catapult to move forward into the career or a new position with your current employer. This could end up being the break you’ve been waiting for.

So, take a step back and look at your options; you may consider staying and making it work for you. Create a plan with a timeline to help keep you focused on your next steps, whether your decision is to stay or seek employment elsewhere. Having a strategy in place will help shift your mindset away from panicky thinking and give you a clearer vision as to whether the job is doable or not.

Here are some questions you may want to ponder:

How long will you try for?
Are you sure you can change the situation for the better?
What has to be in place for you to stay and feel satisfied?

However, anxious you may be to escape your current job, keep in mind what makes you the professional you are. A single choice doesn’t have to define your entire career. Even if your successes don’t occur in your current position, don’t negate earlier achievements just because they are from previous years—use them to draw upon. Sell your expertise. Experience goes a long way.

We’ve complied four Movin’ On Up articles that you may find helpful while overcoming a bad career decision:

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Reader Surveys

Poll- How Do You Wish Your Company Showed Appreciation?

By Job Journey on Friday, October 28, 2016

Why wait for Employee Appreciation Day or a generic pat on the back with a scripted, unenthusiastic ‘great job’ one-liner? The truth is employees enjoy being appreciated year-round. In fact, those who are recognized for their work feel valued and part of the company.

Some companies have gone above and beyond the norm to recognize and reward their top performers and overall staff. Consequentially, they gain employees who have a personal interest in the success of the company. These companies understand a few basic ideologies concerning employee retention and motivation, and recognize the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work—simply by saying, thank you.

The Business Daily News recently asked owners for their best tips on how to show appreciation to employees. Their advice ranged from small gifts, group outings, giving employees more responsibility, and allowing their input on company decisions.

Whether a company has displayed gratitude to an individual or the entire staff for exceptional work, we want to know what you’ve personally experienced or witnessed when a company has shown employee appreciation. Let us know by voting in our poll.

How Do You Wish Your Company Showed Appreciation? (Select all that apply.)

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

New Job Tips

Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Holiday Job

By Job Journey on Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Holiday hiring is here, and many people have been or will be working a seasonal job this year. While some of those workers will use these jobs as a way to bring extra income, many hope that this will be their jumping off point into full-time work.

If you’re one of those workers wanting your holiday job to become permanent, there are a few things you should know to set yourself up for success. (more…)

Job Interviews

Ask a Recruiter: When to Disclose a Disability

By Job Journey on Monday, October 24, 2016

When it comes to the workplace, we know there’s a lot to learn. We want to help by answering your questions, so our very own industry experts at Express Employment Professionals have offered up helpful answers right here on the Movin’ On Up blog. Here’s our next installment!

Question: When should you disclose a disability?

Answer: The simple answer is— you are under no legal obligation to disclose a disability. In many cases, it may never be necessary to do so.

The best time to disclose a disability is at the point that you see a need for accommodation. Your resume or cover letter is not the place for this information, unless it is central to the organization or to illustrating your benefit to the company.

If you will need an accommodation during the interview, such as an American Sign Language interpreter, wheelchair access, or other assistance, it’s best to inform your interviewer prior to meeting for the first time.

During the interview, you may wish to disclose if your disability is visually obvious or explains a gap in your employment history. If your disability is not immediately visible, you might wish to inform your employer after you’ve been hired and had some time to build rapport.

When you do let your new employer know, be prepared to propose an accommodation, focusing primarily on benefits and solutions. Just as with any conversation with your employer, be sure you have prepared yourself with information and a plan.

Thank you to Amy from Express for providing the above answer!

Do you have a question about the job search, hiring, or recruiting process? Now’s your chance to have your question answered by industry professionals who find, interview, and hire people every day. Ask your question in the comments section below and check back soon to read what our experts have to say!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

The Job Search

EXCLUSIVE INSIDER INFORMATION: HOW TO SCORE AN INTERVIEW AND GET YOUR RESUME NOTICED!

By Job Journey on Friday, October 21, 2016

If you’re looking for a job, you’re well aware that the competition is fierce. With so many applicants competing for a single job, standing out from the crowd is a daunting task. You may be the most qualified, best educated, highly trained, hardest working people-person to ever apply for the position. But if you don’t catch the eye of the hiring manager, he or she may never know what a fantastic employee you would be.

“Sometimes it can seem like there’s no rhyme or reason for why an applicant does not get an interview, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances. And clearly, the most important thing to do is to submit a formal application in the first place,” said Bob Funk, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Express Employment Professionals. “As our survey also shows, cleverness can pay off. Be careful though, as not every hiring manager wants a resume in a gift box. But in a crowded field, creativity can make the difference.”

Express surveyed nearly 400 businesses to help you learn how applicants secure job interviews, some of the cleverest ways job seekers submit applications, and why some applicants do not get interviews. Read on for insider information that just may give you the winning edge in your job search.

Getting the Interview
Hiring decision makers in our survey were asked, “What are the best ways for an applicant to get a job interview with your company?” Overwhelmingly, the top response was simply, “applying and submitting a resume” offered by 23% of respondents. Another 12% said a referral was the top way to secure an interview. “Apply online” was the third most popular method recommended by our experts with 10%. Finally, 8% of respondents recommend making a phone call.

Get Creative
In past articles, we’ve shared tips on how to make your resume stand out from the crowd. But some job applicants take things a step further. We asked our business leaders to describe a clever way in which someone submitted a resume. Here’s a list of the most memorable and creative.

A binder with a portfolio of projects
A PowerPoint presentation with audio and video
A YouTube video
A resume folded into a paper airplane
A gift package containing the resume

Other respondents mentioned an applicant walking in as a customer before revealing their interest in a job. Another manager received a call recommending someone for the job—only to find out the caller was recommending herself.

Interview Deal Breakers
On the flip side, survey respondents were asked, “What are the main reasons an applicant does not get a job interview with your company?” “Lack of experience” topped the list at 16%, followed closely by “lack of skills/qualifications” at 15%.

If your sights are set on a particular job or career path, explore ways to get the training necessary to be considered a qualified applicant. Do some research to find out what it will take to get where you want to be and investigate entry level jobs that are good stepping stones on your career path. You may not be where you’d like to be today, but with effort and determination, you will get there!

Have you ever tried a unique way to get an interview or get your resume noticed? How did it go?

Share your experience in the comments section!

score_an_interview

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work

Overcome Your Job Nightmare

By Job Journey on Wednesday, October 19, 2016

In 2016, the average working American will spend eight hours a day at work for 249 days. With a good portion of your day spent at work, why would you continue to stay in a miserable environment?

Lea McLoud coaches people in their jobs when the going gets tough. The more she works with clients, the more convinced she is that challenges we face in the workplace are of our own making.

Liza, a client of McLoud’s, was miserable in her job because her boss often publically called out her mistakes. But she was terrified to confront her manager about the situation.

Or Teresa, another client, who found herself in a tough position after feeling overwhelmed in her new job. She assumed she’d made a big mistake by accepting the position.

“Each one of them was in severe pain—pain so bad they were ready to walk away from what were frankly great jobs! The pain of those situations kept them frozen in one of the biggest workplace adversaries: fear,” McLoud said.

So how do you confront that fear and overcome your job nightmare? Start with following this easy three-step plan.

Step 1: Analyze

It doesn’t do any good to stuff your fears in the back of the closet until you are ready to confront them head on. They will just continue to be a weight on your shoulders and cause anxiety throughout the day.

To start conquering that fear, grab a journal and complete these sentences:

I’m afraid of: (ex. Losing my job, not having any income)
This fear is caused by: (the need to provide for my family)
As a result of not dealing with this fear, I am: (miserable and anxious)
If I take constructive steps to address this fear: (I will not dread going to work)

Step 2: Make a Plan

McLoud recommends exposure therapy to rewire your brain around your fear and move past it. In Liz’s case, she should take small steps to tackle the larger issue and start by asking her manager for a weekly meeting. Then, she determined that the meeting should include a recap of her accomplishments and any guidance Liz may need from her manager.

Finally, there should be a designated time to exchange feedback in the meeting where she could work towards addressing the issue of being called out in public.

“By using concepts from exposure therapy, you can drop the ultimatum-making (‘I’ve got to quit that job’) and instead, design your own exposure therapy regimen to confront your fear and take action,” McLoud said.

Step 3: Execute

Once Liz acted on her plan, she was able to resolve the issue, which was a much better plan than running away.

What job nightmare is keeping you up at night, and how do you plan to overcome it? Let us know in the comments below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Events

Hoo Rah! It’s Boss’s Day

By Job Journey on Monday, October 17, 2016

It’s not a federal holiday, but Boss’s Day is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada. A day dedicated to all employers, it’s a time to appreciate bosses and thank them for their work throughout the year. It’s easy to overlook everything supervisors do to keep their employees working, and this day can be used as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship you have with your boss.

How do you celebrate Boss’s Day? Let us know in the comments section below.

Monthly Archives: October 2016