Monthly Archives: May 2015

Poll: Have You Considered Being an Independent Contractor?

MOV_POLL-ICONWhen it comes to the workforce, there are a number of different job types available, including full-time, part-time, temporary, and independent contractor work. An independent contractor is a person that provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract or verbal agreement. They do not work regularly for an employer and are usually paid on a freelance basis.

Fortune Magazine reports that 42 million people in the American workforce are freelance or contract workers, and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that this number will grow to 65 million in the next five years. Given this growing popularity, we want to know if you’ve ever considered being an independent contractor. Let us know by voting in our poll!

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

4 Hot Summer Jobs

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s a great time to start searching for a job to fill your time off. Since summer jobs are important to build your resume and help you network, finding the right fit is essential. To get started on your job search, check out these four jobs that are popular during the summer months!

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

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Celebrate Memorial Day With These Facts

In the United States, Memorial Day is Monday, May 25. Established after the Civil War by Union veterans, the first Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) was celebrated in 1868. In 1971, the day became an official U.S. holiday and is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.

Memorial Day Facts

  • You may know that Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the military. But, did you know that Congress passed an act in 2010 that encourages everyone to stop at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day for a moment of silence? During this time, Americans are urged to observe a moment of remembrance for all who lost their lives in wars throughout the years.
  • Huffington Post reported in 2013 that there have been a total of 1.19 million war casualties. This equates to an average of 28 burials each weekday at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
  • The 3rdS. Army Infantry Regiment has placed flags on Arlington graves since 1948, and 220,000 flags were placed for Memorial Day in 2012.
  • The song “Taps,” the 24-note bugle call played at military funerals, was originally used as a signal to notify soldiers to cease their evening activities and return to their garrisons.
  • Many people wear poppies to honor America’s fallen soldiers on Memorial Day. The practice of wearing poppies originates from a poem written by World War I Colonel John McCrae titled “In Flanders Fields.” The poem had a huge impact on two women who worked to initiate the sale of artificial poppies to help those left orphaned or alone after the war.
  • On Memorial Day, it is customary to fly the American flag at half-mast until Noon before raising it to the top of the staff until sunset.

On this day of remembrance, Express reminds everyone to take time to honor our fallen soldiers and loved ones. We wish you a happy Memorial Day!

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

How to Tie a Bow Tie

windsor_knotLooking professional both in interviews and on the job is an important element of your professional life. To help add a professional look to your wardrobe, we want to share easy how-to instructions for wearing common tie knots.

Recently, we shared instructions for completing the Windsor knot and Kelvin knot. This month, check out how to tie a bow-tie knot below.

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Step One: Before you start, make sure that one end of the bow tie is longer than the other by a few inches.

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Step Two: Cross the longer end of the tie over the shorter end.

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Steps Three Through Five: Bring the longer end of the tie underneath the shorter end.

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Step Six: Lay the long end flat again.

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Step Seven: Place the long end over your shoulder.

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Step Eight: Fold the shorter end of the tie horizontally.

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Step Nine: Place the longer end of the tie over the shorter end.

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Step 10: Pull the longer end down.

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Step 11: Fold the longer end of the tie horizontally and begin to bring it underneath the shorter end.

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Steps 12 Through 14: Insert the longer end of the bow tie through the loop at the back of the shorter end.

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Step 15: Pull on both ends to secure the knot.

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Step 16: Check out your bow tie in the mirror. If it looks good, you’re ready for your interview or workplace!

Were you able to conquer the bow-tie knot? Share these how-to instructions with friends or on social media by sending them this article or by using the image below. Keep watching Movin’ On Up for more tie tricks!

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

Three Quotes to Keep You Motivated

It’s not always easy to stay motivated in the workplace, at home, or in your job search. Often, there are factors outside of our control that add stress to our daily lives and bring us down. If you’re struggling with a particularly tough job search, for example, you may feel like giving up. But, it’s important to remember your goal and the rewards you’ll receive for accomplishing it. To help keep you motivated on your journey, check out these three inspirational quotes and share them with anyone you think could use an uplifting thought today!

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How do you stay motivated to reach your goals? Share your tips in the comments section below!

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

Ask a Recruiter: How to Follow Up After an Interview

ask_a_recruiterNavigating the job search, acing interviews, and creating resumes can be challenging. We know there’s a lot to learn about these processes, and we want to help you by answering your questions. Our very own industry experts at Express Employment Professionals are posting their recruitment and hiring answers right here on the Movin’ On Up blog.

Question:
In the third installment of our series, “Ask a Recruiter,” we’re excited to feature a question from Movin’ On Up reader Sam.

Sam asks, “I always feel like I’m being too pushy when I follow up after an interview. When is the appropriate time frame for a follow-up, and what are the best methods for doing so?”

Answer:
This is a great question! Unfortunately, there isn’t one single strategy that will work for all instances. Some recruiters might find your follow-up instincts pushy, while others may be thankful that you’re staying in contact. That being said, setting appropriate expectations during the initial conversation is the key!

One good practice for establishing these expectations is to discuss the next steps with the interviewer before leaving the interview. By doing this, your call or email won’t come as a surprise. Instead, it will be clear that you’re simply following up as the two of you discussed. Ask the interviewer what their preferred method of communication might be, and what their timeline for filling this position looks like. You should also relay to them what your expectations for feedback might be, and discuss your communication plan should the process exceed that timeline.

If your expectations aren’t the same as the interviewer’s, this is the place where they can help re-align what will happen next, and when. Get their permission to follow up at a certain date and time, and then reference that permission when you speak to them again, or on any voicemail or email you send.

Another issue that can arise when proper expectations haven’t been set is that one party ends up doing all of the communicating. This is where that “pushy” feeling comes into play. Have you ever found yourself doing this? You call, leave a message, call back again, leave another message, send a couple of emails, and still don’t hear anything back from the recruiter. How frustrating!  I’m a firm believer that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but it’s also very easy to overdue your follow up. If you leave a voice or email message, give that recruiter time to follow up with you. If you try to reach out to them again, say within 24 hours, try not to leave a second voicemail. Recruiters often have many job orders they are working on at one time in addition to a very wide assortment of other tasks they must accomplish each day. If you’ve set expectations correctly, and followed up as you said you would, you’ll hear from them as soon as they’ve got news to communicate!

Thanks for asking, Sam! And thank you to Joe Paquette from Express for providing the 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!

Check out previous installments in the “Ask a Recruiter” series:

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

Congratulations to Our Second Round of Job Jackpot Winners!

job_jackpotAt Express Employment Professionals, we know our associates are what make us successful, and we’re privileged to have put more than 465,000 people to work in 2014. To show our thanks this year, we’re awarding 30 associates $1,000 each in our new sweepstakes, Job Jackpot.

As part of Job Jackpot, associates are given a scratch-off ticket. Game pieces can be returned to participating Express offices to be entered into a grand prize drawing to win $1,000.

Grand prize drawings are held bimonthly, and the second drawing took place on Thursday, April 30. Congratulations to the following Express associates:

  • Sami from Minnesota
  • Clemens from Iowa
  • Mariella from Florida
  • Drew from Nebraska
  • Christopher from Washington

If you’d like a chance to be our next winner, stop by your local Express office and talk to your staffing consultant today!

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