Tag Archives: career

How to Deal with Workplace Gossip

Stay positive and dodge the drama.

Humans like to gossip. It’s fun to talk to your co-workers about managers that might be less-than-perfect, or project members that just aren’t carrying their weight. You get a certain buzz from feeling like you’re “in-the-know” on a juicy situation.

It’s something we all do. But there are plenty of reasons to minimize gossiping in the workplace, especially if you want to grow your career. Let’s dig in.

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Keep This in Mind Before Turning Your Passion into a Job

It isn’t impossible, but you have to be prepared.

Maybe you love to brew coffee. Perhaps embroidery is your favorite thing. It’s even possible you want to dedicate your life to raising alpacas.

Whatever your passion, if it results in a product or service, there’s someone out there making a living off it.

However, before you quit your job to paint or to open your own clothing boutique, there are a few things to keep in mind.

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Will You Get a Job this Winter?

Here’s what the employment scene looks like.

To get a better picture of how the economy is doing (and how that affects your chances of getting a new job this winter), we surveyed business owners, decision makers, and human resource professionals about hiring trends in their markets and how they impact hiring decisions.

Business leaders predict an optimistic end to an overall strong year.

Forty-eight percent of survey respondents expect an upward trend in employment for the fourth quarter. This is up 14% over the first quarter of this year. On average throughout the year, less than 9% of survey respondents said they expected a downward trend in employment activity. Even more encouraging, 92% of companies do not plan to eliminate positions in key segments during the fourth quarter.

Jobs you may want to consider:

The top 5 segments hiring in the fourth quarter of 2018 include:

  • General Labor (Industrial): 37%
  • Skilled Labor (Industrial): 30%
  • Administrative/Office Clerical: 21%
  • Accounting/Finance: 10%
  • Engineering: 9%

The jobs are there, but access to top talent continues to plague businesses.
There are jobs available, but the competition among businesses to recruit workers with the right mix of skills and expertise needed to fill them is fierce.  In fact, 65% of survey respondents reported a “lack of applicants with experience” as the primary reason their open jobs are not filled—a 37% increase over first quarter of 2018. Only 16% of survey respondents said all their positions are filled.

According to the survey, top reasons jobs go unfilled include:

  1. Lack of applicants with experience – 65%
  2. Lack of applicants in general – 65%
  3. Lack of applicants with hard skills – 43%
  4. Lack of applicants with soft skills – 27%
  5. Pay is not competitive – 24%

What this means for you.

Employers are looking for qualified applicants, and jobs are going unfilled because they can’t find people with the right mix of skills. This means that you can get those jobs if you acquire those skills. Look into training programs or night classes and strengthen your resume to be the best employee you can be.

Poll Question: How Much Influence Did Your Parent(s) /Guardian(s) Have on Your Career Path?

Have you ever said or done something and realized that you’re slowly morphing into your parents or guardians?

It happens. But that doesn’t mean you’re a direct copy. For this month’s poll, we’re trying to see what type of influence your parents or guardians had on your career. Maybe your dad was a police officer and you enrolled in the academy to follow in his footsteps. Or perhaps your mother was a nurse but you pretty much faint at the sight of blood and never considered that as an option.

Some take over the family business or go to college at their parent’s insistence. Others rebel, choosing career paths that make sense to them but are hard for their parents to understand.

Whatever your situation, we want to hear about it. Let us know your thoughts in our poll!

Poll Results: Achieving Your Career Dreams in 2018

Last month we conducted a Movin’ On Up poll asking readers which part of their career they plan to focus on this year. Check out the results below!

Getting Hired

Just over 18% of respondents indicated they want to get hired in 2018. How do you get the job? Hard work and dedication.

If you are not currently employed, the job search should become your new full-time job. First, create a career development plan to organize your thoughts about the job search and where you want your career to go. Next, update your resume. Then, contact anyone in your network who might be able to help. Attend professional groups in your area that are related to your industry.

Once you prepare all your tools and leverage your network, start the job search. Remember, you are one of many applicants. Your goal is to stand out above the rest. When you have interviews, ask pertinent questions to show interest. Do your research and know who the company is and what they stand for. Find out how you fit into the company culture. After the interview, write a handwritten thank you note. Not everyone does, and it makes you stand out.

Getting a Raise

Coming in second place with 17% of the vote was aiming to get a raise.

The hardest part of getting a raise you feel you deserve is figuring out when and how to ask for one. To eliminate the ‘when’ part of that equation, think about a raise the second you walk in the door. Set goals and track your progress toward those goals. Have metrics handy. Once you’ve met your major goals (and made sure the company isn’t floundering and the economy isn’t spiraling), ask. Odds are, given your incredible work history, your boss expects you to pop the question anyway.

And as for the how? Be confident. Know what you want, and have a presentation planned that shows why you deserve it. Be kind and smile, but also get your point across. Bring visual aids that prove your success.

Updating My Resume

Coming in third with 16% of the vote, “Updating My Resume” was another top choice.

Everything starts with your resume. Do the words on the page paint an accurate picture of your experiences as they apply to the specific position and company you’re applying for? If not, it’s time to make some adjustments.

Focus on meaningful accomplishments rather than a list of what you did. How did you benefit the company? Did you increase ROI? Cause a surge in viewers? Free up time in your managers schedule so they could make their deadline? If you don’t have any relevant experience, share your accomplishments and how they apply to the position.

The Rest

“Getting a promotion” came in fourth with just under 14% of the vote, while “More interviews,” “Quitting my job,” and “Other” all tied for fifth with 9.5% of the vote. “Updating my cover letter” rounded out the group with just over 6% of the vote. “Other” included responses such as “Improving my results in total,” “Gracefully retiring,” and “Training.”

Anything else you plan to accomplish in 2018? How do you plan on doing it? Let us know in the comments section below!

Poll: What Career Goals Will You Accomplish in 2018?

It’s January of 2018, which means an opportunity for a whole year of professional accomplishments. Deciding what goals you want to achieve now and creating a plan to get there will ensure you meet them.

Whether you choose to focus on getting a promotion or more interviews, we want to hear about your goals!

Let us know by voting in our poll!

How Has Work Changed Your Life?

Share your stories with us!

Many jobs provide a whole new work family, a new culture, and a new experience. Work can truly change our lives. We can learn new skills, meet new people, and go to exciting new places.

What about you? Has a job or any step on your career path ever changed your life? Maybe a degree or certification opened new doors, or perhaps you met a mentor in your first job that set you on an entirely different career path. It’s even possible you met your spouse on the job!

If you have a life-changing story to share about your career, let us know in the comments below. Or, if you’d prefer to let your social media friends know, use the hashtag #LifeChanging on Facebook or Twitter. We’re encouraging people across the nation to share their stories, and now we want to hear from you.

Has any step on your career path been #LifeChanging? Let us know in the comments below!