Search Results for: myth

What to Do When an Entry-Level Job Requires Three Years of Experience

How can you have experience when it’s your first job?

Applying to entry-level positions is strange. Some of them are less than great and don’t mention experience at all, and others are amazing, claim to be “great for recent grads!” and then ask for three years of experience. How can a recent graduate have three years of industry experience? The answer is complicated.

As noted by TalentWorks, after analyzing a random sample of 95,363 jobs, they “discovered that 61% of all full-time ‘entry-level’ jobs require three plus years of experience.”

And that’s not all; the study goes on to note that, “for entry-level jobs, the amount of work experience required to get a job has been steadily increasing at 2.8% per year.” That means in the next half-decade or so, recent grads will find entry-level jobs asking for around four years of experience.

So then, what is a recent grad supposed to do to get one of these mythical entry-level jobs? Let’s dig in. (more…)

The Role of Staffing Agencies In Your Career Path

This week was National Staffing Employee Week in the United States, and Express is proud to work with so many outstanding associates every week.

If you’re a temporary or contract employee, you probably already know the many benefits of temporary work, including flexibility and the opportunity to try out different job fields. To further shed light on these benefits, we’ve compiled six Movin’ On Up articles that highlight the role of staffing agencies in your career path.

Thank you to our Express associates for your hard work and dedication.

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

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Job Search Advice From This Year’s Oscar Nominees

oscar_lessons_webDo you equate applying for a position to actors and actresses who are in search of that famous golden statue? You should. In fact, searching for a job is a lot like being in the running for an Academy Award. As we prepare for the Oscars on Sunday, take a look at the following facts about your job search and the lessons you can learn from Hollywood’s finest.

Myth: Going for an audition is not the same as going to a job interview.
Fact: An interview is an audition. The interviewers, just like movie directors, know what is needed for a job, and they want to make sure you have it.

Myth: People with a reputation in the acting industry are given the roles, and new actors are looked over.
Fact: Everyone has different talents, and sometimes it’s good for a company to shake things up a bit. People with the highest level of experience aren’t always the greatest fit. Just like actors, you have to prove you’re the right person for the job through your resume, references, and interview skills.

Myth: Anyone can act.
Fact: Saying anyone can act is just like saying anyone can write, sing, weld, or perform any other job. Everyone has their own sets of skills and experiences, and that is what shapes them as a job candidate. The actors who take the stage at this weekend’s Academy Awards have proven their skills, and you can learn from them, too.

Lesson: Do what you’re passionate about.
Oscar nominee Bryan Cranston has been in the acting business for a number of years and is probably best known for his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad. His goal was to do something he loved and was good at, rather than something he might learn to like.

Lesson: Sometimes you have to take risks and learn from the experience.
Eddie Redmayne has made a splash in Hollywood with a short, but successful career. Last year, he apologized to the Academy for rising to the top in such a short time and stated that he knew he was very lucky. According to Eddie, you don’t want to let people down while also realizing that you can’t please everyone. So, you have to ask yourself what is worth doing and what isn’t, and that sometimes means taking risks and pressing your luck.

Lesson: You can’t do it alone.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated for an Oscar five times, and he has earned the recognition in part due to those around him. In a recent interview, he stated that The Revenant was the most difficult job he has ever had. It was cold and he was in the water a lot, but what made it worthwhile was that everyone on set worked as a team.

Lesson: Embrace the challenges and learn from the opportunities.
Brie Larson is the new girl in Hollywood. The star of The Room stated that she has had to step out of her comfort zone for her role and she wasn’t expecting all the public attention she has received. As a result, she’s had to learn how to navigate her career one step at a time. Sometimes, it’s better to go into things without expectations so you can adapt as you go.

Lesson: Utilize your strengths, build on your weaknesses, and be yourself.
45 Years star Charlotte Rampling is sometimes seen as aloof or unapproachable, but she states that there is nothing wrong with being private about her life. In fact, it can sometimes be detrimental to your career and personal life if you put everything on social media for the world to see. Instead, play up your strengths and improve your weaknesses. Most of all, be yourself. Employers want to know who you are when they consider hiring you, and only you can show them.

What additional lessons can the Oscars teach us? Let us know in the comments section below.

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

What You Don’t Know About Career Technical Education

CTEwhitepaperAs the first college graduate in my family, I realized college really isn’t a good fit for everyone. There are other, more affordable options, and in today’s economy, affordability is key. Throughout the four years I spent in college, many of my peers chose to further their education through Career Technical Education (CTE).

What is Career Technical Education
According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, “Career and technical education (CTE) prepares both youth and adults for a wide range of careers and further educational opportunities.” CTE offers certifications, licenses and degrees in various trades and industries. “A stable career doesn’t always require a four-year degree. Career Technical Education can deliver what so many Americans want – a promising career at an affordable price,” said, Bob Funk, CEO and Chairman of the Board at Express Employment Professionals. CTE, previously known as vocational-technological education, provides skills and training needed for a variety of careers.

CTE offers industry-specific training in highly skilled trades, including:

• Mechanical Drafter
• Welder
• IT Technician
• Physical Therapist Assistant
• Biomedical Equipment Technician
• Legal Secretary
• Aircraft Mechanic
• Real Estate Appraiser

CTE also offers students the opportunity to earn a variety of credentials, including:

• Post-secondary certificates
• Certifications
• Licenses
• Associate degree

Another great benefit of CTE is that it doesn’t require tens or hundreds or thousands of dollars in student loans. “Many students find their passion in CTE programs and, in turn, develop substantially better academic performance that results in more life options for them,” said Robert D. Sommers, Ph.D., Oklahoma Secretary of Education and Workforce Development State Director, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

CTE Workers Are in Demand
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 14 of the 20 fastest-growing occupations in America require an associate’s degree or less. These are exactly the types of careers that CTE provides training and credentials for. This is great news for high school students wanting to further their education somewhere other than a university. It is also encouraging for those who want to change their career path.

For more information on this hot topic, check out Express Employment Professionals latest white paper, The Hard Truth About Higher Education.

 

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

Being Right Doesn’t Always Get You Ahead in Your Career

Being RightWhen starting a new job, we all want to impress our co-workers and supervisors. That desire and initiative can be a good thing, but if you’re not careful, your need to impress could be seen as selfish energy. One way new employees try to impress their co-workers is by proving that they are right on a project.

New workers can get that incessant inner voice that screams, “People must agree with me! I must convert them to my point of view.” It could go as far as giving advice on a project, and then you secretly hope the project fails so you can flaunt the warning emails to managers. At this point, it’s no longer about the work – it’s about being right.

“There are three musts that hold us back: I must do well. You must treat me well. And the world must be easy.” ― Albert Ellis

Give up the need to be right. The need to be proven right is usually not in the best interest of company goals. It’s good to share your knowledge and advice when there’s an opportunity, but it’s important to listen, too. Sometimes that means coming to a compromise. Learning to work with your co-workers and not against them will help you get ahead faster than by just “being right.”

How do you provide value to your co-workers and managers instead of always being right? Let us know in the comment section below.

Who Would Hire Cupid? Take Our Poll!

Job Seeking and Career Advice PollWith the start of February comes flowers, chocolates, and candlelight dinners. But, nobody will be working harder this month to make these acts of love happen than a certain mythological character – Cupid.

Starting with his ancient Greek roots as the mischievous god of desire, Eros, he was known as the son of Aphrodite until he was given his Roman name, Cupid, and has since became a cultural icon in modern times as a winged child whose arrows can make two people fall head over heels in love with each other.

Cupid is often featured playing games, pranks, and politics among the Pantheon and lesser mortals. But in modern times, Cupid is just a symbol of Valentines Day. With Cupid working so hard only one day out of the year, it makes us wonder – what would Cupid be doing the other 11 months of the year? Let us know in the poll below!