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4 Tips for Finding Seasonal Work This Year

By Job Journey on Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The holiday gift-buying rush is upon us, and with it comes a perfect opportunity to find a seasonal job to bring in a little extra money.

Consumers spent more than $626.1 billion dollars during the winter holidays in 2015-2016, according to the National Retail Foundation, continuing an upward trend since 2008. In 2014, employers hired more than 700,000 employees to help offset the holiday rush, creating an almost 6% increase in employment during that time.

So what’s the best way to go about searching for a seasonal job? Follow the four tips below to get a jump start on your competition.

Look in the Right Places

Large retailers, such as Walmart and Target, offer the best opportunities for seasonal workers because of the variety of products they offer. But don’t neglect other niches outside of retail. Shipping companies also experience a large increase in volume during the holidays, allowing for several contract positions.

Beat the Competition

Start pounding the pavement now to look for that seasonal job. Companies are already planning for holiday hiring, and it pays to get on their radar early. You might also consider using a staffing company, such as Express Employment Professionals, as they often work with client companies that hire extra holiday help.

Be Prepared

When shopping around for jobs, be prepared to interview or fill out an application on the spot. Bring a pen, copies of your resume, proof of citizenship, and contact information for your professional references. Don’t forget to block off plenty of time to talk with a supervisor if you get the chance.

Be Flexible

Seasonal workers must be flexible to accommodate for extended store hours, and you don’t want to knock yourself out of the game by demanding a specific schedule.

Do you plan to look for seasonal work this holiday season? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The Job Search

How to Beat the Interview Competition

By Job Journey on Monday, August 22, 2016

Landing an interview is a big step in your job search. With all the hard work you’ve put into looking for a job, it’s natural to feel anxious about an upcoming interview. One thing you shouldn’t worry about, however, is your competition. Not only is it distracting, it’s not beneficial. To beat the interview competition, the only thing you should concentrate on is doing your best and being as prepared as possible.

Dress the part
No matter the job, you want to do your best to look professional. Does that always mean a suit and tie? Some people would say yes, while others would say no. The key is to know the company and what they would expect. If you’re unsure, just call the recruiter ahead of the interview. They’ll be able to tell you what’s expected. For more tips on what to wear to an interview, check out this Movin’ On Up article.

Fit the job description
Several days before the interview, take time to thoroughly review the job description. Find key points that line up with your strengths and be sure to focus on them in the interview.

Practice, practice, practice
Grab a friend or family member, or even videotape yourself going over possible interview questions. This helps you work out the kinks in what you might say and gives you confidence to answer correctly. You don’t want to sound too rehearsed, but organizing your thoughts ahead of time is never a bad idea.

Prepare examples
Most interviewers will ask candidates behavioral questions like, “What would you do if…” and “Tell me about a time when…” By having examples ready for these kinds of questions, you show that you’ve put in work ahead of time and you’re less likely to draw a blank in the middle of the conversation. For more tips on how to prepare your responses to interview questions, check out these Movin’ On Up articles:

Don’t think about the competition
Remember, you have zero control over what the competition says or does in their interview. You can only control your own, and you don’t need the additional stress of worrying about how they’ll perform. Focus on being the best candidate you can be and what unique skill sets you bring to the table.

Send a thank you
Stand out from the competition by taking the time to write a thank you note after your interview. Not everyone will do this, and it’s a great way to demonstrate your desire to work for the company and your professionalism. If you need some guidance on writing one, follow this how-to article on Movin’ On Up.

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

Resumes and Cover Letters

Outperform With These 5 Resume Tips

By Job Journey on Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Everyone knows that your resume is an important part of landing an interview, and ultimately, a job. But, with so many qualified candidates going after the same jobs, how do you stand out? Take a look at these five resume tips to help you outperform the competition.

1. Customize
When you apply for a job, tailoring your resume to the specific qualifications can help you stand out and position yourself as an ideal candidate for the job. In order to tailor your resume, start by creating a master resume you can easily alter. Include all experience, skills, volunteer opportunities, and education you’ve obtained. When you apply to specific jobs, read the descriptions carefully and adapt your master resume accordingly. If the job you’re applying for requires customer service experience, highlight any experience you have and consider removing skills that don’t apply. According to the Huffington Post, “Focus all your information on what they want to see, not what you want them to see.”

2. Spell It Out
When possible, add details to the experience you list on your resume. For example, if you increased customer satisfaction by 35% in a previous job, state it on your resume. “I was responsible for customer interaction and increased satisfaction by 35%” speaks louder than simply mentioning that you worked with customers. According to Dan Ogden, principal of Omnibus Consulting, an executive search firm, “The resumes that stand out are the ones that show what the candidate did with the responsibilities they were given. Not just what they were responsible for, but what they achieved.”

3. Keep It Simple
According to Tony Beshara, author of Unbeatable Resumes, the average resume gets read in 10 seconds. In order to stand out, you must keep your resume simple and short. Avoid making your resume span more than two pages, and keep the content easy to read and understand. Beshara also suggests avoiding fancy layouts or special effects, and recommends using Microsoft Word for formatting.

4. Proofread
It may seem obvious, but don’t forget to proofread your resume before sending it to a recruiter or heading to an interview. Your resume needs to be free from grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, or you may be counted out before you even have a chance. According to Monster.com, having a less-than-perfect resume may lead recruiters to draw the conclusion that you don’t care or don’t have the skills necessary to fill their position.

5. Let Social Media Help
While a traditional resume is printed on paper, today’s social media advancements are making it easier than ever before to get noticed. When you update your traditional resume, you should also make sure your social profile is up to date. Joshua Janicek, director of talent acquisition for the advertising agency Arnold Worldwide, says job seekers need to build a personal brand to compete for the jobs they want. According to Joshua, LinkedIn is the place to start. “LinkedIn is the standard and the core platform for recruiters looking for talent,” he said. Include your volunteer experience, interests, and educational background to give recruiters a better picture of who you are and what you can bring to their company.

How does your resume outperform the competition? Share your tips in the comments section below.

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

Millennial Monday

Millennial Monday: The Interview Process

By Job Journey on Monday, May 9, 2016

Express Employment Professionals recently teamed up with the School of Media and Strategic Communications at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, OK, to conduct research about Millennials and their attitudes toward the American Dream. Also known as “Gen Y,” Millennials were born between 1979 and 1995 and make up 30% of the population. As they enter the workforce and establish career paths, it’s important to understand the motives and desires behind this robust generation. To help you get to know “Gen Y,” Movin’ On Up is bringing you an eight-week series titled “Millennial Monday.”

In this week’s installment of “Millennial Monday,” Express and OSU students surveyed Millennials, the majority of whom are working full or part time, to examine how this generation approaches the interview process.

Interview Dress Code
When it comes to the attire you should wear for an interview, the majority of Millennials agree that “business professional” is the most appropriate. In fact, the general consensus among all generations is that this attire is the best choice for interviews. Sixty-eight percent of Millennials and 65% of Non-Millennials selected this answer, followed by 29% of Millennials and 35% of Non-Millennials who selected “business casual.”

Interestingly, the majority (55%) of Millennials reported they would wear business professional attire to an interview even if they found out the company has a business casual dress code.

Interviewer Profile
The survey results suggest that Millennials don’t have a preference when it comes to whether their interviewer is male or female. Fifty-six percent of Millennials reported no preference, along with 71% of Non-Millennials.

When it comes to the age of their interviewer, Millennials reported that they would prefer to be interviewed by someone older than they are. Sixty percent chose “older,” 6% selected “younger,” and 34% reported “no preference.”

Interview Preparation Interviews can be stressful, and Millennials aren’t immune to the anxiety that often comes with landing an interview. When asked about the hardest part of preparing for an interview process, answers included:

Research
Confidence
Nerves
Preparing for questions

When preparing for an interview, there are several steps to make sure you put your best foot forward. According to the survey results, Millennials already practice many of those steps. When asked how they prepare for interviews, answers included:

Research the company
Print resume
Get a good night’s sleep
Look at the job description
Select an outfit
Practice answering possible questions

What to Bring
According to the survey, Millennials believe the number one thing to bring to an interview is your resume (98%), followed by business cards (66%), cover letter (64%), and brief case (21%). While 18% of Millennials think a cell phone is okay to bring to an interview, none of Non-Millennials surveyed selected this option.

Difficult Interview Questions
Interview questions can often be difficult to answer. When asked to select the hardest interview question, Millennials chose:

What are your strengths and weaknesses? – 47%
Describe a difficult challenge you’ve faced and how you overcame it – 30%
Where do you see yourself in five years? – 16%

Interview Follow-Up
Following up after an interview is vital in order to stand out from the competition. When asked whether or not they are comfortable following up with a potential employer after an interview, 73% of Millennials said they are comfortable. And, 73% of Millennials reported sending thank you notes after an interview.

What do you think is the most difficult part of preparing for an interview? What tips do you have? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Keep checking Movin’ On Up every Monday for more insight on this important generation.

Miss a week? Click the links below to check out previous topics in our series.

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

The Job Search

St. Patrick’s Day Tips for Your Job Search

By Job Journey on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, which means it’s a great time to brush up on a few magic tricks that may help you land the job. To assist you as you go for the job search gold, we’ve rounded up some of our best lucky tips.

Lucky Breaks in the Workplace
Do you ever feel like some people are just lucky, especially when it comes to their professional life? Somehow they get all the attention and wind up getting promoted, all while you faithfully show up every day, do what’s asked of you, and are still in the same position you started out in.

Turns out, getting a promotion rarely has anything to do with luck and everything to do with hard work. Check out these tips to advance your career.

Resume Tips from St. Patrick
When you’re trying to catch a potential employer’s eye, your resume has to stand out from the crowd. It has to have something extra, a little bit of magic that no other resume has. But, sometimes magic is hard to come by, and it can be difficult to find ways to make your resume distinct.

To help you stand out, take note of these seven tactics and add some luck to your job search.

Lucky Words for Your Resume
On average, a hiring manager will look over a resume for only six seconds, and if they don’t see something that stands out, you may not end up landing an interview. Knowing this fact can add even more stress to the job search process, but it doesn’t have to.

In fact, resume writing is easier than you think, and these lucky words can help your resume get a hiring manager’s attention.

What lucky breaks have you experienced in your job search? Share your story in the comments section below!

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

Job Interviews

The Power of the Interview Follow-Up

By Job Journey on Wednesday, November 18, 2015

When it comes to landing a job, never underestimate the power of the interview follow-up. In today’s world, the interview follow-up should be a powerful marketing tool designed to sell your skills and accomplishments while reminding an interviewer why you are perfect for the position.

A well-written and sincere thank-you letter can be one of the most powerful selling tools to convince recruiters that you’re the perfect fit for the job, even after the interview is over.

Because following up is so important, here are five tips to help you harness the power of the interview follow-up.

Address specific problems or challenges in the organization.

After thanking the recruiter for his time, share how your experience and skills fill a need in the organization. For example, if a company has a problem with work flow, describe how your past experience included implementing a workflow solution that led to greater efficiency.

If lagging sales are the issue, remind the recruiter of your sales background and successes. Providing a solution to challenges discussed in the interview can be an effective way to stay remembered.

Revisit key points from the interview.

If you were one of many candidates for the job, your interviewer may have trouble remembering the key details of your particular conversation. In your follow-up letter, emphasize the important points of your skills and background, and expand upon those skills as they relate to the business’ current needs.

Give them something new to think about.

It never fails. Once you leave an interview, you beat yourself up about something important you forgot to share. A follow-up letter is the perfect time to bring up achievements, ideas, successful projects, or additional qualifications you may have forgotten about during the interview. In addition, this adds something new for the interviewer to consider when making a final decision.

Offer solutions to any objections.

If the interviewer brought up any hesitation about hiring you, use the follow-up to address those issues. For instance, if you’ve never worked in media relations, but the position requires that, bring up previous experience that shows you can adapt. Talk about your public speaking skills and any media training that you’ve had. Express a desire and the ability to learn new tactics quickly and enthusiastically.

Follow up the smart way.

If you haven’t heard back from the recruiter in the time they said they would make a decision, send a quick note asking if they need anything else from you. Don’t bug them, but asking this question shows that you’re still excited and interested in the position. You can even ask them questions like “What skills can I improve on for this position?” or “What does your ideal candidate look like?” This tactic implies that you picture yourself in the job and that you are thinking of the future.

A powerful follow-up to an interview can be as compelling as the interview itself. The valuable information you include in this process is important, so carefully read and edit all the material you send.

The power of a follow-up letter can tilt the scales in your favor, especially if the note contains substance that builds upon the interview.

What kind of thank-you notes or follow up actions have you done after an interview? Did it help? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

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

Uncategorized

Headed to a Job Interview? Don’t Do This!

By Job Journey on Friday, November 13, 2015

Do you have a job interview soon? Have you prepared for the big day by reviewing popular interview questions, researching the company, cleaning up your resume, and gathering your references? All of those steps are important parts of ensuring a successful interview. But, what should you avoid once you’re in the job interview?

Survey Reveals Mistakes
In a new survey from Express Employment Professionals, business owners shared several real-life mistakes job seekers have made in interviews. These examples include:

Answering the phone
Asking to step out for a smoke break
Asking at the end of the interview, “What am I interviewing for?”
Badmouthing their former employer
Bringing a baby, pet, or parent
Chewing tobacco and/or vaping
Falling asleep
Wearing pajamas
Listing their own cell phone number and pretending to be their own reference
Listening to headphones

Among those employers, 61% agree that the worst thing an interviewee can do is answer a phone call during the interview. Other answers included arriving late, drinking alcohol, or lying about their experience.

“Your interviewer should have your undivided attention,” said Bob Funk, CEO of Express. “If you can’t make it through an interview without answering a phone, texting a friend, or smoking a cigarette, I can pretty much guarantee you that you won’t be landing the job.”

Clever Tricks From Interviewees
The survey also revealed the most clever ways job seekers have submitted resumes and attempted to land jobs. Those responses include:

Typing the resume like a movie script, menu, radio commercial, or video presentation
Delivering the resume with a box of doughnuts
Delivering the resume in a box via a mail carrier
Bringing a portfolio and giving a presentation of their work
Creating a business plan
Providing referrals from someone known to the employer
Bringing lists of potential clients and ideas for the position

According to Bob Funk, “When you’re competing to win a new job, it can pay to be creative. The ability to stand out can be the difference between a job offer and a rejection, provided you’re standing out for the right reasons.”

What are some clever ways you’ve landed the job? Let us know in the comments section below!

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