Although business and consumer confidence took a hit this past year with the partial government shutdown, the news for 2014 is not all doom and gloom.
A study on the job market by Forbes anticipates moderate growth for 2014. Job opportunities are expected to start perking up towards the middle of next year.
With 2013 coming to a close, we want to know your thoughts and what you expect in the 2014 job market. If you have your own prediction, share it in the comments section below.
This Thanksgiving Express is very thankful for our dedicated and hardworking associates across the nation. We feel so blessed to get to do what we love everyday – making a difference in people’s lives by helping them find work.
If you’re curious about how we can help you, watch this short video from some of our associates to learn more.
If you’re looking for a job this season, you don’t have to do it alone. Contact an office near you to find out how we can help.
To all of you, we wish a very happy Thanksgiving!
As we plan for 2014, we want to know more about you. To ensure we continue to provide content that is useful for you in 2014, we’d like to know what topics you want to hear about, where you are in the job search, what made you visit our blog, and more.
Your answers are important and beneficial to us as we look forward to 2014.
A recent CareerBuilder study shows three out of five companies use social media to screen potential candidates during the hiring process. Of those companies, 43 percent said they have found information that factored into their decision not to hire a candidate. This information shows just how important your social media profile is in the job searching process. From the moment you start looking for a job and throughout your career, your social media profiles can be important in finding and keeping a job.
Secure Your Facebook
With 1.2 billion active monthly Facebook users who can easily use the new Graph Search tool to see every picture you’ve posted or learn about you, it’s smart to make sure that what you post is seen only by who you want to see it, not by the world. If you click the privacy button in the top right corner of your Facebook home page you can customize your security and privacy settings, which lets you share your life and all your information with friends and everyone else, or keep it all private.
Clean Up Your Facebook
View the updates you’ve recently shared and remove anything that could be controversial or questionable if viewed by a potential future employer. If you have inappropriate content, remove it, because it can affect whether or not you’re considered for a job.
Keep it Professional
Maybe this whole concept of using Facebook and social media in the job search is foreign to you, or maybe you’ve been using social media for a while for personal use, staying in touch with friends, or to further your career. For whatever reason, it is in your best interest to keep your social media sites as professional as possible, because you never know when an interested employer could be researching you.
Has Facebook helped you land a job, or has it hurt your job search or worse, got you fired? Share with us in the comments section below.
LinkedIn encourages its users to provide a highly professional look to their profile and one way to do that is through your profile photo. In fact, some believe it’s one of the most important parts of a profile, because it helps people identify you and can immediately present a professional image.
If you’re looking for a new job or trying to improve your online presence, LinkedIn is a great place to start. This social network is built to help you find a job and help employers find you. Here are three important tips to remember when updating your LinkedIn photo.
1. Keep it Current
Don’t use an old photo. When you meet someone for the first time after making a connection with them on LinkedIn, it’s important for them to be able to recognize you. If your photo does not depict how you currently look, then it needs to be changed.
2. Convey Your Role
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what is your LinkedIn photo saying about you? If you can show yourself in action, do it. If you have a speaking engagement or event and someone snapped a photo of you, use it. A photo can convey passion, energy, charisma, and show that you’re approachable. Make sure your photo conveys your role in your industry. Get a headshot of yourself with your desk in the background or have someone take your picture in front of your workplace. It doesn’t have to be a professional photo, but make sure it is of good quality.
3. Fly Solo
The photo you choose should be of you by yourself. Family photos or crowd shots aren’t appropriate. Don’t ever keep it blank or use a logo. That’s not attractive to potential employers or connections; it’s also against LinkedIn rules. Besides, in an interview with Forbes magazine, LinkedIn career expert, Nicole Miller explained you are seven times more likely to be viewed if you have a photo on your profile. Also, your profile picture should not be cropped out of a larger picture.
For more insight on LinkedIn profile photo choices, take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of your co-workers and see what they have chosen. Lastly, don’t forget to smile, you want to look approachable.
Have you had any experiences on how a LinkedIn photo helped create a professional image? Share with us in the comment section below.
The overall unemployment rate for veterans has steadily declined according to a recent article in USA Today. It currently stands at 6.5%, under the 7.2% rate for the entire country. The jobless rate for younger veterans still remains high. For veterans ages 18-24 the unemployment rate was 19.5% in the third quarter of 2013.
The decline in unemployment for veterans overall is due in part to initiatives like a national campaign to hire veterans supported by the White House, state run programs, as well as private businesses like Starbucks and Wal-Mart setting up their own hiring programs.
The franchising community is also working together to help simplify the job searching process for veterans. There are many programs and organizations that are established nationwide that are helping returning veterans learn about the opportunities available to them. Some franchises, including Express Employment Professionals have even waived franchise fees, reduced royalty payments and guided veterans through business plans to become business owners.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s program, Hiring Our Heroes, joined efforts with Capital One Financial Corporation and found 108,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses as part of the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign. This campaign will continue through the end of 2014 and hopes to have 500,000 jobs filled by United States veterans.
Military Experience Can Help You Find a Job
Veterans have unique and highly valued qualities that employer’s desire, which can give them an advantage in the job search. In fact, according to a recent survey by Accenture, veterans say their military service is the top factor in landing a civilian job. Whether it be technical, or leadership traits, the experiences, values and skills veterans have gained in the military can be beneficial in the civilian workforce.
3 Out of 4 Employed Veterans Had Additional Training
Veterans who are still struggling to find work might consider seeking additional training. In the same Accenture study, 69% of employed veterans reported receiving additional training or education following their service.
Career tech schools could be a good place to start, especially with more than 3 million skilled jobs still unfilled in the U.S. If you’re a veteran seeking additional training be sure to find what education benefits you quality for.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
In an interview with NPR, Carrol Stripling, who retired from the military after 37 years in the U.S. Army, shared that it’s hard for veterans to say they need help. “We’re taught from the very beginning to be self-reliant and so it’s difficult to say, I’m failing at this,” Stripling said.
If you can relate, don’t be afraid to ask for help wherever you can. Reach out to friends and family for support or try contacting a local staffing firm to see how they can help. The truth is when it comes to the job search, we all need a little help from time to time.
This Veteran’s Day, Express would like to thank and commend veterans and service men and women for their hard work and dedication to our country and today we celebrate your sacrifices that have given us all life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
As a veteran, what are some ways you’ve used your military experience to help your job search? Share with us in the comment section below.
Searching for a job can feel overwhelming at times, but a little inspiration can help take away the pressure and bring motivation to help you keep looking. More than likely, you’ll experience rejection before landing that dream job, but keep your spirits high and press on. During the job search process, it’s important to keep a positive attitude. Here are five quotes that will help inspire and motivate you to continue searching.
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson
“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell
“Every experience in your life is being orchestrated to teach you something you need to know to move forward.” – Brian Tracy
“Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.” – Marva Collins
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”
– T.S. Eliot
Do you have any encouraging quotes that help motivate you during your job search? Share with us in the comment section below.
