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Hot Fields Hiring Non-College Grads

By leidson on Monday, September 9, 2013

Matching personal skills and abilities with open jobs can be a frustrating task for job seekers. But if you’re curious about what your top options might be without a college degree, read on.

A recent survey of Express Employment Professional’s franchises uncovered the top hiring fields for workers without college degrees. The industrial job category topped the list, followed closely by office services. This aligns with an announcement in July citing the top 10 hardest jobs to find people for that included CNC programmers, welders, machinists, and administrative roles. The survey is part of a series of reports titled America Employed, a look into who is currently getting hired and why.

Before you make a job switch to a field with current open positions, do some investigating into your career options. With 1/3 of your time spent at work, and your work determining your income and lifestyle factors, how are you investigating and planning your career? One tool you may consider is the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which allows you to search job projections and growth rates by education level, training, and pay.

There are many paths toward your career future, and they don’t all include college. Experience in the workplace and your attitude can make a huge impact. So look for ways to get your foot in the door and become a trusted team member. It’s not just your degree – or lack thereof – that determines your job prospects!

Let us know what your biggest asset is in your job search in the comments section below.

Career Options The Job Search

3 Tips for Finding a Holiday Job

By Job Journey on Wednesday, September 4, 2013

With a little more than a hundred days until Christmas, CNBC reports that retailers are already gearing up for the holiday season. To some, this may seem too early – after all, school just started back and most people probably haven’t even started planning their Halloween costumes. But, the end of the third quarter is when businesses begin implementing their holiday season game plan, and if you want to get a holiday job, this is your time to starting planning too.

Whether you want a seasonal position to supplement your current job or just need a job, period, there are some ways you can help your search along. Check out these three tips to ensure you make the most of this year’s holiday hiring season.

Start Now
If businesses are already thinking about the holidays, then so should you. Right now is when you should brainstorm places to apply and get your application turned in. Don’t wait until November. Most employers want their seasonal staff trained and in place before the shopping rush begins. By applying at the beginning of the holiday season, you are also more likely to get the type of position and schedule you want.

Think Beyond the Big Names
As you make your list of places to apply, don’t just focus on the big name retailers. The super stores aren’t the only ones who need holiday help. Local retail shops and boutiques also normally increase their staff for the Christmas shopping season. Shipping companies, restaurants, customer service centers, flower shops, caterers, and event centers usually hire additional workers as well.

Another place to apply for holiday work is with a staffing company. Filing out a single application with a staffing company will actually put you in the running for many different positions with a variety of businesses. Often, when companies hire multiple new employees for holiday seasons, they work with staffing providers who are better equipped to find, screen, and hire large numbers of workers. Just make sure you do your homework and only apply with a reputable staffing company.

View It As a Springboard
While it’s always a good idea to try and find a job that you’ll enjoy, you may need to take the best seasonal position available and view it as a springboard. You can learn something new and take away at least one or two valuable skills from any job, so keep a positive attitude. Being dependable, communicating with customers, and multi-tasking are just a few examples of good qualities you can take away from a holiday job. So don’t overlook or turn down a position just because it’s not the perfect job for you.

At the same time, once you get the job, don’t over step your bounds just because you think you’re underemployed. For instance, if your background is in marketing, don’t presume you can take a cashier position and immediately start giving input into the company’s marketing practices. Show your new employer that you can excel at the job they gave you by effectively and efficiently completing your duties. There is always the chance that your employer will like what they see and your seasonal job could turn into the professional, full-time position you were hoping for.

A holiday job is a great way to earn some extra cash, add more experience to your resume, or even make your debut into the workforce. This is the perfect time to start your search and land a good seasonal position, so don’t delay. What experiences have you had with holiday jobs? Has one of your seasonal positions ever turned into a good, full-time career? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

Are You Missing a Step in Your Job Search?

By Job Journey on Friday, August 23, 2013

So, you’re looking for a new job.

Did you update your resume?
Outline an easily customized cover letter?
Find the perfect interview power suit?
Make a list of jobs to apply for?
Compile a list of quality references?

If your answer to that last question is no, then you’re missing a step in the hunt for your next job. Most employers will ask for references, and, while it’s debatable how many actually check the list, to not have a list is a serious no-no. But creating a list of references is really fairly simple, especially if you follow these five steps.

Decide who to ask.
There are three types of references: professional, academic, and personal. Employers are most interested in the first, which can include former managers, co-workers, and vendors. Just keep in mind – the higher the ranking, the better. Only include academic references if you’ve been out of school for less than 4 years and personal references if you’ve played a significant role in volunteer projects or you are new to the working world. If you’re having trouble thinking of people, check out this top ten list.
Determine the best way to communicate.
Each person on your list and the relationship you have with that individual is unique, which means your method of communication may not be the same for everyone. Asking in-person or over the phone are more personal, but an email can be just as effective. Think about it from the perspective of the person you’re asking – what would they prefer?
Craft your message.
The basic question really is simple – can I list you as a reference? But it’s also a good idea to preface your question with a brief explanation of why you’re on the job hunt and what types of positions you’re seeking.
Help them prepare.
Make your references’ lives a little easier and send them your resume. Depending on how long it’s been since you’ve worked together, they may need a refresher on your work experience and abilities. Plus, they will be better prepared to answer any questions the hiring manager might have.
Follow up.
Your references are doing you a favor, so it’s considerate and professional to send them thank-you notes expressing your appreciation. It’s also a good idea to stay in touch and keep them informed of possible employers that could be contacting them. And, once you land a job, let them know about your new position and say thank you one more time.

You’ve invested a lot in your job search, so it’s well-worth the little bit of additional effort it takes to compile a reference list. What’s been your experience in asking for references? Have you ever had a reference that was the deciding factor in whether you were hired or not? Let us know in the comments section below.

Career Advancement Career Options Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

The Three Best Hard Skills to Have

By Rachel Rudisill on Monday, August 19, 2013

While soft skills, including dependability, motivation, and communication, were cited recently in a report from Express Employment Professionals as the most important skills employees possess, hard skills still play a vital role in today’s job market. In fact, one could argue that even if your soft skills are perfect, at the end of the day, there are certain critical hard skills needed to succeed. Because Express hires and employs more than 376,000 people per year, we have great insight into what is important in landing the job. Let’s take a look at the top hard skills ranked by Express franchises as important to employers.

Experience
Work experience ranked highest on the list of hard skills. Education is great, but there’s still the need to prove that you can do the job. And if you have trouble getting a job in your career field, find a job within the industry, even if it isn’t your ideal role. Being able to list a related industry on your resume can show correlated work experience. Check out this recent post on unemployment versus underemployment supported the value of getting work experience to your overall career.
Technical ability
To best showcase your technical abilities on your resume or LinkedIn profile, use specific versions of software you have experience with or qualifying descriptions. Be specific about your ability, not just that you have skill, but how fast or at what level you can do the job. Understand the numbers in your job and be able to market yourself with specific results.
Training
Whether it’s conflict resolution, goal-setting training, or a continuing education event, keep a record of the training you’ve received and what you’ve learned from it. Be able to explain what you’ve taken away and how you’ve applied it. Additionally, have a plan of your own on how you’re going to stay informed on changes and advancements in your industry to stay on top of your game.

What hard skills have been your biggest asset in your job search? Share with us in the comments section below.

Job Interviews The Job Search

Top 3 Interview Sins

By Rachel Rudisill on Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Landing an interview can thrill and chill you at the same time. It’s your gateway to landing the job and moving forward with your employment goals. But there is no doubt that the high pressure of the situation can cause stress and bring out some unsightly behavior.

Express Employment Professionals employs more than 365,000 people annually, and interviews people regularly. In a recent survey, Express investigated the biggest faux pas about interviewing and uncovered the top interview misgivings. Here are the three biggest interview sins:

Lying about your experience.
Naturally, you want to present yourself as the best and most qualified candidate for the job. But are you really? Lying about your experience is dangerous for many reasons. Employers are looking for ethical and trustworthy employees. Once your lie is discovered, your character will be damaged, not only for that job opportunity, but word can spread among reference networks for future job opportunities. More than that, your safety, or those of your co-workers, could be at risk. If for some reason you are able to land a job and you don’t actually have the knowledge you proclaimed to have, your mistakes could result in injuries or create serious shortcomings within the business.Be honest about your qualifications and experience. If you’re asked to detail the experiences, tell the truth. You can also ask for examples from the interviewer on what the expectations are for the position. By asking questions and gaining a better understanding of the job description, you’ll be able to determine if your qualifications are a match.
Arriving late.
If a company is interviewing, they’ve got a talent shortage and business is busy. Interviewing is one more thing on a packed to-do list and being late can be unforgivable. Obviously, there can be circumstances beyond your control that can make you late, but try to think of everything and prepare to be on time. You may even want to make a trip to your interview destination the day before to estimate exactly how long it will take to get there. This allows you to determine what bus or train to take, or even where you’ll need to park. You’ll be stressed enough the day of your interview, so eliminate worrying about these matters by easily addressing them in advance.Just like being late is a frustration, being early can be seen as annoying. The interviewer probably can’t see you until your appointment time and there may not be a good place for you to wait. With full schedules, and possibly back-to-back interviews, the best advice is to get there 10 to 15 minutes early. If you find yourself earlier than that just hang back and don’t check in until closer to your set time.
Answering a phone call.
Your interview is important, and it’s crucial that you treat that time with respect. This means not answering your phone during your interview, which was number three on our list. Beyond answering the phone, the sixth interview faux pas on our list was checking your phone. If there is someone who may need to reach you, let them know about your interview. Give them the name of the person you are meeting with, the company name, and the phone number, as well as the date and time of the interview. If there is a true emergency, they can contact the company you are interviewing with, this way you won’t feel the need to answer or check your phone.And even if you don’t plan to answer it, make sure you’ve turned it on silent and off vibrate, you don’t need the noise distracting you. You can even leave your phone in your car or keep it out of reach during the interview so you aren’t tempted to pick it up.

Check out our post on the 7 Must Do’s Before Interviews to help prepare you to do your very best. Be honest, be on time, and keep that phone turned off, and you’ll be well on your way to impressing your interviewer.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in an interview? Share your story in the comments section below.

Job Interviews The Job Search

Lack of Job Offers is Biggest Frustration to Job Seekers

By Rachel Rudisill on Monday, August 5, 2013

This summer, Express Employment Professionals asked job seekers what the biggest frustration is in the job search via a poll on our Movin’ On Up blog, which received over 1,000 responses.

While not receiving job offers is notably the largest frustration, lack of feedback during the application process and struggling with online applications systems were the largest majority of responses within the “Other” category. 15% of respondents found the pay inadequate or unexpected and another 10% cited that the positions available weren’t jobs they wanted.

This survey corresponds with a deeper look at the employment situation by Express in a series of reports titled, America Employed.

The Job Search

Top Cities Express Jobs are Looking for People

By Rachel Rudisill on Monday, July 15, 2013

Job seekers often ask about how Express Employment Professionals finds jobs. Express is a network of locally owned staffing franchises that helps job seekers find jobs with good, local companies.

When you work for Express as an employee, you’ll be placed on assignment at one of our client companies, but you’re employed by Express. So, our jobs are a reflection of the talent demand in the local market.

In 2012, Express Employment Professionals put more than 330,000 people to work across North America. It’s our mission to help people find good jobs at great local companies, and right now, Express has more than 16,500 jobs looking for people.

The top 10 cities in which jobs are looking for people:
1. Nashville, TN – 559 jobs
2. Napa Valley, CA – 235 jobs
3. Dallas, TX – 222 jobs
4. Eau Claire, WI – 220 jobs
5. Oklahoma City, OK – 197 jobs
6. Portland, OR – 175 jobs
7. Austin, TX – 168 jobs
8. Indianapolis, IN – 162 jobs
9. Tacoma, WA – 153 jobs
10. Terre Haute, IN – 143 jobs

If you’ve applied for work at Express through our online application process, you should know your application was only submitted to the locations you requested. It’s important to take a look in the job search function on ExpressPros.com to see which location is hiring for the position you’re interested in and make sure to apply to that location. Express franchises work with clients in their local market, so if you’re looking to work in a certain part of town, apply at the location in that area.

If you’ve already applied at Express, make sure to check in with your staffing consultant to see if there are open positions right now that match with your skills.