On the Job: From Hired to Retired—Episode 7

ACO17_OnTheJob_GraphicBHere at Movin’ On Up, we’re excited to share the final episode in a podcast series brought to you by Express Employment Professionals—On the Job: From Hired to Retired and Everything In Between.

Each week through the end of June, On the Job shares stories about the pursuit of work by looking at the employment situations people from all walks of life face each day.

Episode 7: Hidden in the Hills  

In Duchess County New York, a woman who formerly ran the local tourism bureau has taken over a distillery that has a storied history—gangster Dutch Schultz once reigned there. She’s turned the distillery into a local attraction and has used skills from all parts of her earlier careers to make the enterprise a success.

Start Listening Today!

Download On the Job: From Hired to Retired on iTunes or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Must-Have Skills the Future Workplace Will Demand

poll_results_highly_skilled_work_webA popular storyline in science fiction, the concept of technological singularity states, in a nutshell, is that there will eventually come a point in time when society will become so technologically advanced that machines will no longer need humans to “survive.

Luckily, we’re not quite there yet. However, it is true the pace of technology advancement is moving quickly, which means big changes—both positive and negative—for the way we live and interact with the world around us.

In business, the ability to stay ahead of the curve and respond to changing technological and social trends is a key differentiator. The difficult task of positioning yourself to stay competitive requires skills that will become even more in demand in the not too distant future.

Global Communication skills
With the ongoing evolution of communication technologies, the world is only becoming more connected—and it’s a trend that isn’t slowing down anytime soon.  As the barriers to doing business on a global scale continue to come down, the ability to communicate with people from around the world and from all walks of life will be more important than ever.

Remote work discipline
The advancement of technology isn’t just changing the way we communicate; it’s redefining the way we work. Today, it’s easier than ever to work remotely. The traditional model of going to an office every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. is changing as many workers now have the freedom to work from anywhere they can connect to the internet. Of course, with this freedom comes great responsibility. The discipline to stay organized and on task away from the structure of an office setting will be an increasingly important soft skill.

Interdisciplinary expertise
Knowledge is already at our fingertips, and will only become more attainable in the future. To stay competitive, workers will need to be masters of multiple disciplines within their organizations. It’s not going to be enough to just know your job, at least some working knowledge of other roles will be necessary. With the growing recruitment war, those who develop a broader range of skills will be in a better position to help fill the gaps in the workforce that are becoming more difficult to fill.

Interpersonal communication skills
With all the promise social media brings, one of the major pitfalls can be seen in restaurants, sporting events, concerts, and even schools— everyone is staring at their phones instead of interacting with each other face to face. What effect this will have on interpersonal relationships and social skills is yet to be seen, but being able to connect with other people in real life may become one of the most important skills that job seekers can bring to a potential employer.

The classics will still reign supreme
Soft skills in many ways transcend advances in technology or changing work environments. In a 2016 survey, Express Employment Professionals asked business leaders what they believe the most important soft skills a job applicant should have. The results revealed that although the workplace is constantly evolving, some skills will always be in high-demand, including:

  • Dependability/Reliability – 72%
  • Motivation – 48%
  • Verbal communication – 44%
  • Teamwork – 39%
  • Commitment – 39%

No matter how the workplace may change in the future, people will always be the heart and soul of the business world. Some of the most important qualities of great employees can’t be programed into a machine or easily expressed via a virtual meeting space. Investing in great people is the single best strategy for any business to prepare for the future.

 

 

Brand It Blue Day 2017 Recap

On Saturday, June 10, in communities across North America, Express Employment Professionals offices came together to serve and give back as part of the fourth annual Brand It Blue Day.

More than 180 Express offices, from California to North Carolina to Ontario joined with more than 1,000 volunteers to provide tens of thousands of meals for those in need. If you were able to be a part of this amazing effort in any way, thank you for your support and hard work.Volunteering and serving in your community can do a lot for your career or job search. From an increase in networking opportunities to gaining leadership skills, serving others is a great way to improve your professional life.

Volunteering and serving in your community can do a lot for your career or job search. From an increase in networking opportunities to gaining leadership skills, serving others is a great way to improve your professional life.

But, did you know it can have an incredible impact on your health and well-being? A survey of more than 3,000 adults found that the majority of volunteers felt mentally and physically healthier after serving. Nearly 80% said volunteering lowered their stress levels, while 76% said serving made them feel healthier. And, a report by the Corporation for National & Community Service found that those who serve have lower mortality rates, more functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life.

Hunger Has a Familiar Face

Giving back in your community, whether it’s through a group volunteer effort over the weekend, or by doing pro bono work from your home for a nonprofit, can have a positive impact on your attitude on life and hopes for your future.

We hope Brand It Blue Day gave you an opportunity to serve in your community, increase your happiness, and possibly make some new connections that will help you soon find a new job or further your career. If you didn’t have a chance to join Express for this year’s event, make sure to check back with your local office for information about Brand It Blue Day 2018 and how you can be involved.

Through the hard work and service of Express offices, we’ve been able to donate more than 300,000 meals to nonprofit organizations across North America through the efforts of Brand It Blue Day. Think of all the meals we can provide next year with your help!

Check out some of the photos from Brand It Blue Day!

On the Job: From Hired to Retired—Episode 6

ACO17_OnTheJob_GraphicBHere at Movin’ On Up, we’re excited to share a new episode in a podcast series brought to you by Express Employment Professionals—On the Job: From Hired to Retired and Everything In Between.

Each week through the end of June, On the Job shares stories about the pursuit of work by looking at the employment situations people from all walks of life face each day.

Episode 6: Legislator and Rancher  

A cattle rancher in rural Colorado is also a state representative. We learn about the two sides of her work life, and listen as she does chores on her ranch.

Start Listening Today!

Download On the Job: From Hired to Retired on iTunes or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Check back next week for Episode 7: Hidden in the Hills: Prohibition still echoes in rural New York

5 Tips to Stay Safe Around Mobile Equipment

Prevent disaster with these quick tips.

Forklift truck in warehouse or storage loading cardboard boxes.If you’ve never worked around moving equipment before, orientation at your new warehouse job should teach you about the dangers of walking alongside these workplace monsters. Just as with cars or trains, moving equipment can put you at risk of injury or even death.

And mobile equipment isn’t just a problem for new hires. Those of us established in our routines may forget to take proper precautions, which can result in tragedy.

Looking for a safety checklist? The graphic below should help.

RSK17_AM309P_Machinery_Poster

How Working Dads Achieve Work-Life Balance

As a father, how do you juggle your responsibilities?

Busy Father Working From Home With SonBalancing your work and home lives can be a challenge. Can you coach your son’s little league game and still nab that promotion? Does taking time off for your daughter’s play make you less likely to get a raise?

Traditionally, moms (even working moms) were expected to handle most of the child-rearing responsibilities. However, times are changing. More fathers are involved in their children’s lives than ever before. The Pew Research Center’s Modern Parenthood Survey revealed that 50% of working fathers found achieving work-family balance to be “very/somewhat difficult.”

How can you, as a dad, achieve work-life balance?

1.       Share the Workload

Working dads frequently have to manage multiple responsibilities: parenting, their job, finance management, future planning, and more. The first step on the way to achieving work-life balance is to share some of these responsibilities. As far as parenting is concerned, it’s a good idea to sit down with your partner and coordinate schedules far in advance. That way at least one of you should be able to attend any school events that might come up.

You can also get in touch with any other potential caregivers, such as parents or other relatives. See if they can take care of the kids once in a while so that you can spend an evening out with your partner or go on a vacation out of town. Parents’ day out programs are also an option.

Finally, if you are able to afford it, you may want to look into hiring a financial planner. Such a person can help cut down on your time spent organizing your finances, freeing up that time for your partner or children. At the very least, an expert’s opinion on your current investment strategies can’t hurt anything.

2.       Embrace the Give and Take

No matter how well you plan, something can still come up that throws all of those plans out the window. Perhaps you promised your wife that you would make little Molly’s ballet recital on Wednesday so she could attend a conference, but the boss needs you to stay late to finish a huge project. You can’t say no because that could mean saying goodbye to any sort of raise or career advancement. Instead, you have to call your wife explaining that you actually won’t be able to make the recital. Your daughter’s feelings might get hurt as well.

Is there anything you can do to avoid this? Probably not. Being a working dad is all about balance. As horrible as it sounds, there are moments where you will have to prioritize work over your child’s event in the short term in order to better provide for them in the future.  Make sure to communicate as much as possible with your spouse and children to ensure that they understand why you have to skip the event.

Hope isn’t lost, however—you just have to accept that work-life balance is all about the give and take. If you stay late one night to complete a career-defining project instead of attending that ballet recital, you’ll need to skip out on a smaller project or networking opportunity in the future. Find an employer that allows you to have flexibility—if you feel like you’re constantly having to choose your career over your kids, you might want to look into a different job.

3.       Unplug at Home

And when you are home? Try to unplug from work as much as possible. Spend time with your kids, kick a soccer ball around, go to the park, or just watch cartoons together. Even if you can’t dedicate your entire weekend or day off to the kids, try to schedule at least one or two fun activities.

You can even declare an hour or two each night as “no-screen” time, where everyone engages in a fun family activity that doesn’t involve phones, computers, or the TV.

4.       Fight for Flexibility

Once you’ve moved up in a company, you may have the ability to negotiate for more flexibility. The worst thing they can say is no—they’re not going to fire you for asking, especially when you’ve made significant contributions to the company.

Such flexibility may come with a reduced raise, but if that’s worth the flexibility to you then you’re golden. If your position allows for it, you could even ask about working from home occasionally.

However, do make sure to gauge the climate at your company first, just as you would before asking for a raise. If layoffs are happening and everybody is running around like their hair is on fire, it’s probably not a good time to ask for more time off.

Hopefully this helped you working dads out in one way or another. Happy Father’s Day!

Have any tough experiences as a working dad to share? Let us know about it in the comments below!

Poll Results: How Do You Cope With Workplace Stress

stress_poll_March2014Toward the end of April we asked Movin’ On Up readers how they coped with workplace stress. Stress can cause a variety of health problems, from slight headaches to major anxiety, so we wanted to see what our readers were doing to get through it.

Results

The results were fairly close across the board. Just under 22% prefer to listen to or play music, 17.5% work through their problems by talking to others, and 14% exercise. Thirteen percent turn to hobbies, while an additional 12% take time to meditate or practice breathing exercises. Seven percent opt for a relaxing massage, and only 4% choose to look at cute animal pics. Just under 10% selected “Other,” with responses ranging from watching Netflix or TV to playing video games or praying.

So how can job seekers use this information? Everyone has their own “thing,” their own way of dealing with stress. That’s the first thing job seekers need to do—figure out what their “thing” is! Look at all of the survey options and figure out what really calms you down. And if that doesn’t work, invent some of your own. Everyone has different levels and types of stress, so the way each person deals with it is going to vary too.

Anything else you want to tell us about how you deal with workplace stress? Let us know in the comments below!