Tag Archives: career advancement

Poll: What’s Holding Your Career Back?

MOV_POLL-ICONAt some point in your professional life, you may feel like you’re stuck in a rut, held back by something that keeps you from advancing or moving on to a new role. While many people experience this, these career path obstacles are different for everyone, and we want to know your thoughts! Tell us what’s holding your career back by voting in our poll.

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

Why Volunteering Is Good for Your Health and Your Career

Helping sort canned goods at a local food pantry or building a wheelchair ramp for a house can leave you with a sense of accomplishment, but volunteering actually has many other long-term benefits, including better overall health and improved teamwork skills.

In fact, about a quarter of people who have volunteered in the past year say that volunteering helped them manage a chronic illness, while almost 50% of people new to volunteering say that volunteering helped with their career.

Check out this infographic to see more health and work-related benefits to volunteering:
Volunteering infographic

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

Touch Down! 4 Game-Changing Career Moves

touchdown_career_moves_webWith fall comes one of the most beloved American pastimes – football!

Beyond the joys of tailgating, catching up on your Fantasy Football team, or getting together for chilly games, football can also teach us a lot about business success. What we learn from one of America’s favorite sports demonstrates that serious training, making plays in overtime, and judging strategy are as easily applied to your career as it is on the 50-yard line.

So suit up, put your game face on, and check out these tips on how to apply football strategies to your career advancement.

1. Change Strategies Mid-Game

In 1940, the Chicago Bears were the underdogs in American football. They faced the superior Washington Redskins, and much to everyone’s shock and awe, beat them 73-0.

That game was one of the biggest upsets in football history. So how did a team with no shot of winning absolutely crush the more talented team? Did they cheat? Were they just lucky?

Neither. The Bears realized their current strategy wasn’t working, and they made adjustments. The team created the now-famous “T formation,” representing the first time a team created a new strategic formation in the middle of a game.

Like the Bears, if your strategy isn’t working in your favor, consider trying something new. Feel like you’ve earned a raise, but just putting in the hours and doing a job isn’t getting it for you? Re-strategize, collect supporting materials, and consider openly asking your boss for a raise.

If your management style isn’t inspiring your employees, change tactics and research different management techniques to get the results you want. If your resume and cover letter aren’t getting the responses you need, rewrite and reword it to highlight your abilities.

Today, coaches constantly look at which strategies work for their team and which are no longer effective. As an employee, you should do the same.

2. Never Stop Training

Every team from the little leagues to the NFL knows that consistent training is vital to the success of an organization. So, identify your key strengths and find ways to regularly improve them.

If your company offers training seminars or opportunities to cross-learn, take advantage of that offer. If you can take a night class to better your chances for a promotion or raise, invest in that education. If you have a weakness, work with coaches or teachers to increase your skill in those areas. In a team setting, you must also learn to trust co-workers and management to do their jobs in order to allow for the win.

By focusing on training and skills, you can create the best opportunity for team success and personal achievement both on and off the field.

3. Pick the Right Team, Play the Right Spot

In football, the right players have passion and drive. In business, passion and drive are just as important, but you need to find the right team for your skills.

What sets top performers apart from other team players? They’re excited, passionate, and invested in what they’re doing every day. You can’t fake passion, so if you have a career you love, you’ll help bring in the win for the organization. But, if you aren’t in a position that allows you to make the big run or go for the down, find out what you need to learn or accomplish in order to move up.

Your management team wants you in the right position too, but they won’t know where to put you if you don’t speak up.

4. Make the Big Play On the Fourth Down

Going for it on the fourth down is a gamble in football games. According to some analysts, being more aggressive on the fourth improves a team’s chance of winning, but coaches rarely make that call.

If you’re in a situation where you can make a big move, especially with a lot on the line, you might want to take the chance. Sure, you may be guaranteed a few points by playing it safe and taking the easy route, but working hard and having faith that a big move may win the game could pay off.

For instance, say you aren’t going to meet your sales quota this month. You have enough sales to slide by, so should you run the risk of making a big push on cold calls to gain a few more?

Absolutely. Of the 10 or so calls you make to companies, you might just score that touchdown and land your biggest client.

You’ll never know if you don’t go for it on fourth down.

What are some business lessons you’ve learned from football? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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

Are You a Job Hopper or a Job Shopper?

Job-shopper-1 Job hopping and job shopping – there is a debate on what these two things mean and if one is more significant than the other.

As the economy continues to show improvement, many people are either looking for first-time employment, wanting to get back into the job market, or looking to change careers. There’s no denying that the job market has changed over the years, and it’s definitely not the same one where loyalty reigned supreme or many employees spent their entire career at one company. Today it has become more acceptable to switch jobs – even several times – during one’s career.

With more employers now looking to hire top candidates, it’s a great time to know the difference between a job hopper and a job shopper, and the impressions that could be associated with each. 

A Job Hopper.
A job hopper is usually someone who doesn’t stay at job for a long time before they are on to something new and exciting. This individual has had many different jobs that aren’t necessarily related to the same field. Once considered to be something that only younger generations would do, job hopping has become a more widespread practice among all workers. After experiencing a recession where jobs were lost or where employees saw friends get let go, many have changed their mind on loyalty to an employer.

From an employee’s perspective, job hopping can have its benefits. It can allow you to gain new skills and invaluable experience in a variety of areas. It can also allow you to identify what jobs you do and do not like to do, helping you find your true career calling.

From a potential employer’s perspective, they might wonder why you’ve job hopped so much. If you’ve had several jobs in a short amount of time, an employer might be concerned about your commitment level. Also, they will probably want an explanation for all of your hopping.

So, before your next leap, take time to think about whether or not you can make your current job more challenging. And if it does turn out that you need something new, what might be a better option than a job hopper?

A Job Shopper.
According to an article on Yahoo! Finance, job shopping differs from job hopping because it is more structured and planned. Whereas a job hopper might just blindly jump into a new career without doing any research, a job shopper does the necessary homework before making a decision.

In addition, a job shopper has a direct goal in mind for what they want in a career and only transitions to new jobs that will help them achieve that goal. If you are planning to change careers, think about how a change can add to your skill set and improve the work-history story, better known as your résumé. And remember, it’s important to do your homework on your personal time rather than on your employer’s time.  

When it comes to your job search, you want to make sure that you stand out from other applicants for all the right reasons. Take time to think through what you want to do for a job and a career, and what it’s going to require to get there. Be strategic with your search. The sky’s the limit in what you can achieve.

Top Blog Posts and Polls from 2010

1223590_notebook_wih_spiral_and_red_cover Whether it’s been information on building a résumé, tips on interviewing, advice on job hopping or anything in between, we had you covered in 2010. We’ve provided you with the resources to help you with your career needs. So, here’s a quick recap of our top five most read Movin’ On Up blog posts and polls during the past year.

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2010

1. After the Interview’s Over: Advice Most People Ignore and Why It Hurts Them – Following up after an interview is a big part of the job search process, but many choose to skip this vital step. Follow these easy steps to work your way to a second interview.

2. The Silent Clues – How to Make Your Nonverbal Signals Send the Right Message – What do your nonverbal cues say about you? Make sure you send the right messages at work or during your next job interview.

3. 5 Steps to a Brilliant Reference List – Along with a standout résumé, you also need a top-notch reference list to accompany it. Employers want to see who you know and what those past supervisors think about you. These reference list tips can help you outshine the competition.

4. Hold the Phone: The Line Between Personal and Business – Today it seems like everyone in the workplace has a cell phone. Companies may or may not have policies on cell phone usage during business hours, but there is etiquette you should follow to make sure your phone isn’t a distraction.
 
5. 5 Common Words You Don’t Want On Your Résumé – Competition in the job market is tough. To help keep you ahead of the pack, make sure your résumé catches an employer’s attention. Check out these words you should avoid on your résumé.
 
Top 5 Blog Polls of 2010

1. How Bad Are Awful Co-Workers? – You know about bad bosses, but what about bad co-workers? From gossiping to not doing their work, just how bad are they?
 
2. What Kind of Résumé Do You Need? – Do you need a functional, chronological, or combination résumé? Take this quiz to find out what style works best for your needs.

3. Are You Looking for a Second Job for the Holidays? – To find out what people think about the economy, we asked who was looking for a second job for the holiday season. Based on the results, 49% of respondents said they were looking for a second job to earn more income. See the final results.
 
4. The Networking Wars: Does Online or In Person Work Best? – When it comes to getting a job, sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know. Networking is an important tool in the job search process, but is in person or online networking more effective?

5. Text Messages Crossing the Line? – Texting is a quick and easy way to communicate, and it’s changing the way we do business. But, it can also cause some problems in the workplace. See the results of how many people said they received an inappropriate message from a co-worker.
 
These are just a few examples of the job advice we’ve provided in 2010 – and the best thing is this advice can help you as you move into 2011! Apply these tips to shine as you advance in your career and your job search. Best wishes for a happy and bright new year!