Tag Archives: education

The Results Are In: What Is Your Biggest Roadblock to Finishing Strong in 2014?

roadblock_poll_webWith the new year just around the corner, we’re entering the home stretch of 2014 and many job seekers are feeling the pressure to finish 2014 on a strong note. In a recent poll, we asked Movin’ On Up readers what they anticipate being the biggest obstacle in their path to landing a job and getting a strong start in 2015.

According to the results, competition is the number one obstacle standing in the way of landing a job. The survey revealed that 37% of readers feel there is too much competition in the job search, while 12% believe there just aren’t any jobs available.

Adding to the education versus experience debate, 19% of readers revealed that a “lack of experience” is holding them back in their job search, while only 4% chose “educational roadblocks.” According to 6% of readers, “currently being in school” is the biggest obstacle for their career outlook this year.

The second highest majority of readers, 21%, selected “Other,” adding responses that included:

  • Career change
  • Funds to pay for more training
  • Overqualified
  • Lack of self-discipline to complete a strong resume
  • Not enough technical training

Of those who chose “Other,” 40% added that “age” was a current roadblock in their job search.

Whether you’re struggling with a lack of education, training, or too much competition in the job market, don’t give up on your search. Continue to enhance your resume, interview skills, and job search techniques. Though this year may be nearing its end, 2015 will offer a fresh start to your search. Treat it as a blank slate to overcome any obstacles you may feel are holding you back.

Have you overcome any of the roadblocks on this list? What advice do you have for overcoming them? Share with us in the comments section below.

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

Want a College Major That’ll Get You Hired?

college_major_webIf you answered yes, you may want to consider studying business, engineering, or nursing.

According to a new report released by Express Employment Professionals, college graduates who have a business, engineering, accounting, or nursing degree will have a much easier time finding jobs than graduates in other professions.

By the Numbers

More than a quarter of the survey’s 115 respondents said business was the best major for finding employment, followed by engineering, accounting, nursing, computer, and information sciences.

“Business is still a good bet for a college major, according to our survey,” said Bob Funk, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Express. “Once again, our findings tell us that if you earn a degree that’s associated with a particular skill set, you will do better in the job market.”

In the second year of the survey, business remains the top answer.

“I advise people deciding what to study to consider both what they’re passionate about and what the market demands,” Funk said. “If those intersect, they’re in good shape. The most important thing is to be informed about and aware of which degree can give you a competitive advantage, both in the short term and the long term.”

A Closer Look

For college-bound students, here are the full results of the survey:

What college major makes someone the most employable?

2014

2013

Business

27%

26%

Engineering

20%

16%

Accounting

14%

14%

Nursing

6%

3%

Computer and Information Sciences

5%

13%

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities

5%

2%

Engineering Technologies

4%

3%

Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences

3%

8%

Marketing

3%

3%

Education

1%

1%

Math and Statistics

1%

1%

Science Technologies

1%

1%

Communications Technologies

0%

1%

Finance

0%

3%

National Numbers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salaries for these jobs are also competitive. Consider this: the second most in-demand major is engineering, which averages a median starting salary of $51,700 to $97,900. Computer science has a median starting pay of $56,000 while nursing’s median pay is $65,470 per year.

Do these in-demand college degrees surprise you? Have you had success with these jobs? Share your stories in the comments section below!

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

Jobs Worth Going Back to School For

going_back_to_school_webAre you looking for a job or thinking about changing careers? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a recent survey by CareerBuilder indicated that 21% of full-time employees plan to make a job change. This averages to one in five workers making a switch! In March, CareerBuilder also stated that more than half of all employers have open positions but can’t find qualified candidates, while 35% of employers said their organizations have had positions open for an average of 12 weeks before filling.

So, what’s the deal?

Training vs. Already Trained
Companies today are no longer seeing the value of on-the-job training for new employees like they once did, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek. This is credited to employees changing jobs more frequently today than in the past. Instead of training employees themselves, companies are hiring for certain pre-existing skill sets and want employees to hit the ground running.

If education and experience are musts for landing the job you want, what industries are worth going to back to school for?

Future Top Industries
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top occupations expected to experience growth between now and 2022 are:

  1. Healthcare Support (28.1%)
  2. Healthcare practitioners and Technical occupations (21.5%)
  3. Construction (21.4%)
  4. Personal care (20.9%)
  5. Computer and mathematics (18%)

To see the complete BLS report, click here.

Today’s Top Jobs
According to US News Best Jobs for 2014, the top 20 current jobs are:

  1. Software Developer
  2. Computer Systems Analyst
  3. Dentist
  4. Nurse Practitioner
  5. Pharmacist
  6. Registered Nurse
  7. Physical Therapist
  8. Physician
  9. Web Developer
  10. Dental Hygienist
  11. Information Systems Analyst
  12. Database Administrator
  13. Physician Assistant
  14. Occupational Therapist
  15. Market Research Analyst
  16. Phlebotomist
  17. Physical Therapist Assistant
  18. Civil Engineer
  19. Mechanical Engineer
  20. Veterinarian

For a complete list, click here.

If you’re not satisfied with where you are professionally, there is still time to change and plenty of opportunities waiting. From traditional education to career technical education, your options are limitless. Seize the day!

How has your education impacted your career path? Share your story in the comments section below.

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

Think: Tips for Living a Peak Performer’s Life

walterbond_webAre you so busy with the day-to-day tasks of your life that you aren’t taking time to think about what you’re doing, or if you even enjoy doing it? For job seekers, the monotony of filling out applications, emailing resumes, and perfecting your interview skills can eventually take a toll on how you think about your life each day. The same is true for those new to the career world as they try to work their way up in a company or learn the ins and outs of their work environment.

According to former professional basketball player and motivational speaker Walter Bond, “We work so hard that we don’t have time to think. We don’t have time to use innovation and creativity…We are so busy ‘doing’ that we don’t leave time to think.”

If this sounds like you, don’t panic. Finding yourself so busy that you don’t take time to really think about what you’re doing is something that happens to almost everyone, and it can be reversed with a little effort.

In the first of a year-long series of motivational messages, Walter Bond discusses the importance of making time to stop and think in order to focus on where you are, where you’re going, and where you want to be.

Do you sometimes find yourself so busy with work or in your job search that you don’t allow yourself time to think? Let us know in the comments section below!

About Walter Bond
A former American professional basketball player, Walter Bond’s NBA career included 153 games with the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons. Now, Walter takes what he learned from his life on the court and translates it into motivational and educational messages for thriving businesses and careers. With entertaining and dynamic messages, Walter has spoken to companies and associations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe.

For more information about Walter Bond, visit WalterBond.com.

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

Poll: What is your biggest roadblock to finishing strong in 2014?

MOV_POLL-ICONThe beginning of fall means we’re entering the home stretch of 2014. And with 2015 just around the corner, many jobseekers are feeling the pressure to finish the year on a strong note. So, for our October poll, we want to know what you anticipate being the biggest obstacle in your path to landing a job and getting a strong start in 2015.

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

Three Skills You Need to Land Your Next Job

3_most_important_skills_webIf you’ve experienced struggles and rejection during your job search, you may feel like you’ll never be able to understand what employers are looking for in job applicants. Thankfully, new survey results reveal the top three hard skills that hiring managers believe candidates should posess. Rather than “soft” skills like etiquette, communication, and time management, hard skills are teachable abilities or skill sets that can be measured, like typing speed or proficiency in computer programming.

In a survey of 115 Express Employment Professionals offices, the three most important hard skills for applicants to have are experience, technical ability, and training.

1. Experience

For the second straight year in this survey, experience not education, was ranked as the best hard skill to have. Employers want to know that a job candidate has a background in and knowledge of an industry or a field before hiring them. A survey earlier this year by career website Glassdoor supports this, finding that three out of four college educated workers agree that “employers value work experience more than education.”

“While education is still valued as one piece of the puzzle for a successful career, we’re seeing a shift in the workplace in which most employees feel gaining the latest skills relevant to their job and industry is more valuable to help advance their careers,” said Rusty Rueff, Glassdoor career and workplace expert.

2.  Technical Ability

Want to show a potential employer the skills or knowledge you have? Highlight any technical abilities you have by showcasing them in your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. If you can give specifics about the programs, software, or equipment you are proficient in, you’ll set yourself apart from candidates who focus on traits that employers find less important in the hiring decision.

3. Training

Have you taken a secondary education class on a word processing program or personal finance? Did you earn a Certified Technical Education (CTE) that provided you the training needed to be a welder, IT technician, or legal secretary? If not, you may want to consider the training opportunities available to you, as employers ranked “training” as the third best hard skill an applicant can have.

If you want to learn why CTE may be the right path for you and why some of the fastest-growing jobs are in fields that require a CTE, check out the white paper “Caution: College May Not Be For Everyone.”

How do you showcase these important skills to potential employers? Share with us in the comments section below.

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

The Results Are In: How Has Your Education Affected Your Career Path?

poll_education_webIn a recent poll, we asked if your education has had an impact on your current job or career path. Our results found that the majority of Movin’ On Up readers don’t feel their education has played a defining role in their career path. In fact, 41% of respondents said that their education hasn’t been a factor, while only 22% percent agreed that “I wouldn’t be where I am today without my degree.” Nearly 20% of readers stated their degree “helped land my first job, but really hasn’t been a factor since.” And, 11% of respondents answered “Other,” with mixed opinions including:

  • “It has helped as far as showing potential employers commitment and potential.”
  • “You need experience plus a degree.”
  • “My undergraduate degree was the stepping stone to my law degree.”
  • “Nothing but four pieces of paper on the wall.”
  • “My lack of experience has kept me from getting an ideal job.”

Finally, 5% of readers answered “I’m still in school, so we’ll see!”

Education vs Experience
Based on our results, many jobseekers don’t think a typical path of higher education has helped their job search. Furthermore, respondents seem to believe that experience is worth the same as, if not more than, education. But, the statistics on the subject are mixed.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the unemployment rate for young adults in 2013 was 29.2% for those who did not complete high school, 17.5% for those whose highest level of education was high school, and 12.2% for those with some college education. For those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, unemployment was 7%.

Yet, in a recent edition of the “America Employed” survey of 115 Express Employment Professionals franchises across the nation, respondents were asked to rate various traits on how important they are when evaluating job applicants based on a scale of one to five. The results showed that education received the lowest amount of points at 2.67. Experience, on the other hand, received a vote of 3.73.

Diverse Opportunities
Whether or not education plays the most important role in your likelihood of getting hired, there’s no doubt that taking opportunities to learn and grow in your career is a beneficial piece of the puzzle. And, you don’t necessarily have to follow a typical four-year degree path. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 14 of the 20 fastest-growing occupations in America require an associate’s degree or less. Career Technical Education provides the skills and training needed for many career, including welding, physical therapy, and mechanics, and is an alternative to a university. If you’re hoping to further your education without following a four-year plan, check out this article for more information.

What do you think is more important – education or experience? Let us know in the comments section below.

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