Save Money by Thrift Store Shopping For What to Wear For a Job Interview

Interview AttireWhen it comes to finding appropriate professional attire for a job interview, the cost of what you need could be a challenge. Shopping online or in person at malls and suit stores can rack up the dollar signs and quickly go beyond most moderate budgets.

Luckily, that doesn’t have to be an issue. In a news segment from Triad Area North Carolina news station Fox 8, fashion designer and motivational speaker Craig Stokes gave an overview of classic job interview attire and how he was able to find a professional wardrobe in a thrift store for less than $20.

Depending on your area, you might not be able to find perfectly fitted attire at your local thrift store. But if you consider some of his advice, you might be able to save a pretty penny for your next job interview while still looking fashionable and professional.

Whitepaper: Don’t Fall Off The Tightrope of Work/Life Balance

Increase your Work/Life BalanceOverworked? Finding time for family and personal activities while meeting the increasing demands of your job can feel like walking a tightrope in the circus we call life.

Check out this informational whitepaper to learn about the risks of burnout and stress, and how you can schedule time to focus on your personal interests without sacrificing your career goals.

Walking Along the Tightrope of Work/Life Balance

With today’s workplace constantly changing and workload quickly growing, finding the right balance between job duties and free time is more important than ever. That balance can not only bring peace between your two responsibilities, but also provide you with peace of mind.

The 10 Most- and Least-Common Jobs in the US

Least and Common Jobs in U.S.Did you know that there are more than 4 million retail sales workers in the U.S.? That’s enough people to populate some of the smaller states in the country. There are also only 310 prosthodontists in the U.S., which is probably smaller than your high school graduating class.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released a survey outlining the most and least common occupations in the U.S. The survey also lists jobs by median wage, public and private sector, and geographic location. If you don’t want to scroll through pages of information, check out the multimedia news site The Atlantic for a quick summary and analysis of the information.

What do you think? Do you know of a job that is scarcer than a cosmetic dental surgeon? Let us know in the comments section below.

The 10 Most-Common (and 10 Least-Common) Jobs in America Today

Do You Know What to do When Severe Storms Hit Your Workplace?

Storms at the WorkplaceWhile April showers bring May flowers, the threat of severe storms is present all year long. Unlike working in bitterly cold or dreadfully hot environments, sometimes severe storms can strike at a moment’s notice.

Job duties demand most of you time, energy and attention. But, if caught unprepared for a severe storm, serious injury can occur to you, your co-workers, clients, or customers. According to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), there were more than 450 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,600 injuries in 2012.

The more you know about how to prepare, and protect yourself from severe weather, the more likely you are to avoid serious injury or death. Check out these guidelines to keep yourself informed, so you’ll be ready for any oncoming storms.

The Preparation
The most important thing to have ready for any weather related disaster is a plan. Be familiar with your employer’s weather disaster plan to know the proper escape routes or safest rooms to take shelter in during severe weather.

If your workplace doesn’t have a disaster plan, talk with your managers about developing one. Organizations like The Red Cross have checklists and recovery guides for major disasters that can be a great starting place for building a severe weather action plan. It’s always a good idea to be informed on local weather conditions by monitoring media reports by radio or phone.

The Action
If it’s too late to evacuate, stay indoors and limit travel to only necessary trips. Tune in to the radio or television for updates while keeping an eye on the sky for darkening skies, flashes of light, or increasing wind. During a storm, close outside doors and window, blinds, shades, or curtains; stay away from doors, windows and exterior walls; and remain in the shelter location until the danger has passed.

You should also listen for the sound of thunder, because if you are close enough to hear thunder, you’re close enough to be struck by lightning. Remember the 30/30 Lightning Safety Rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.

If the rain continues to pour for hours or lightly over several days, there could be a possibility of a flood. In case of flooding, do not walk through flowing water. Six inches of swiftly moving water can knock you off your feet.

The Aftermath
When severe weather has passed, remember to analyze overhead hazards such as broken tree limbs, wires and other debris. Be cautious walking around as well. There could be hazards like broken glass, leaking gas lines, damaged sewage systems, flooded electrical circuits, submerged appliances, or structural damage.

If your workplace has flooded, avoid the water as much as possible, because water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw sewerage. That’s why it is vital to thoroughly clean anything that came in contact with the flood water. If working with food, medicines, or cosmetics that have gotten wet, use your best judgment and throw out if in doubt.

You have no control on when and where severe weather will happen. But, you do have control on how prepared you will be when it does. With these guidelines, you’ll be ready to show the forces of nature that you’re a force to be reckoned with.

Infographic: How Does an Applicant Tracking System Read Your Resume?

Last month, the PDF vs Word Resume whitepaper gave you the ins and outs of how different electronic resume formats affect applicant tracking systems (ATS) and your job search. But, how exactly does an ATS read your resume?

Check out this infographic from the resume building software site Résunate that takes you through the process of how an ATS takes a resume, breaks it down, and files the information into a relevancy score.

What do you think about these programs and how applications are being handled? Sound off in the comments section below.
Applicat Tracking System

Maximize Your Freelance Experience on a Resume

Freelance on a ResumeThe Great Recession and its aftermath has made it difficult for many people who have been trying to start a career in the past few years. Because of that, eager job seekers, like me, turned to freelancing to hone their skills and gain experience while looking for more stable work.

One challenge I always struggled with is making it work on a resume. How do I explain consulting for two companies, doing contract work for a major retail chain, and event coordinating for several nonprofits without looking like a job hopper?

Here are some simple ways you can use your freelance experience to your advantage on your resume and carry it over into an interview.

Condense or Attach
The easiest way to include your freelance work on your resume is to file it under its own section labeled “Freelance Work” or “Freelance Experience.” If you’re freelancing full time, consider putting it at the top of your experience list since it should have some of the most relevant and current experience in your career. If freelancing is a side project or a part-time endeavor, consider placing it under any current part-time jobs you have. This way, employers know you’re still working somewhere while you’re furthering your career. If you have more relevant information on your freelancing experience than the part-time job, you may consider putting it at the top of your list.

If you’re a young worker, still have a few years of solid work with an employer, but your freelance work doesn’t apply to the jobs you’re looking for, consider putting the experience on a resume addendum – a separate piece of paper with additional information about your experience. This will put the focus on your professional work instead of the freelancing. Once you have an interview, you can bring the addendum to show your commitment to self-improvement.

Results Over Variety
Your resume shouldn’t be the same for every potential employer or job opening. It should be tailored to best match the requirements needed for the job. That’s why including all the details of your freelancing experience might be a bad idea. Choose projects that have results that best reflect the job you’re applying for. You might even showcase specific clients who best represent the industry you’re interviewing in. Showing measurable achievements with a few projects is better than displaying generic job duties from a laundry list of big name clients.

If you want to use the names of your clients to your advantage, consider including them as references. Having an employer hear from someone else about the quality of your work is far better than the text included on a resume.

Consider Your Cover Letter
There’s a chance employers could see your freelance history in different contexts. Some may interpret it as your way of being an ambitious go-getter who made work for yourself between jobs. Others may be concerned that your entrepreneurial spirit means you will jump at the chance to own your own business or a job opportunity with more variety and flexibility. Depending on how much freelancing you do, they might wonder if it will conflict with your full-time responsibilities for them.

Consider including the reasons why you freelance in your cover letter so you can help clarify your goals and objectives. Understanding what you plan to do with your freelancing can help ease any potential worries an employer may have with your history.

How have you used your freelancing experience during your job search? Let us know in the comments section below.

Celebrate International Update Your References Week

International Update Your References WeekThe first full week in May is International Update Your References Week. Now is a great time to make sure your contacts maximize your candidacy and their information is current. It’s also a great time to touch base with any references you haven’t talked to in a while.

References are important because outside opinions can provide a positive testimony to your skills, ability, and commitment. To help build, update, or fine-tune your reference list, here are some Movin’ On Up articles that can help.

Top 10 Go-To People For Good Job References
Getting a Good Job Reference After You’ve Been Laid Off
5 Steps to a Brilliant Reference List
3 Tips on How to Ask Someone to Be a Reference
What Makes a Good Reference a Great Reference?
What to Do With Your Job References After you Get the Job

Do you have any questions about your reference list? Let us know in the comments section below and your question could be featured on our blog.