6 Signs Its Time to Look for a New Job

6 Signs It’s Time to Look for a New Job How long has it been since you met someone who started and ended his or her career at the same company? The days of working 40+ years for the same employer and retiring with a generous pension after years of company loyalty have been replaced with a new norm â€" changing jobs every few years in constant pursuit of knowledge, challenge, and career satisfaction. According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics news release, those born between 1957 and 1964 held an average of 12.3 jobs between the ages of 18 and 52. Similarly, the median tenure for U.S. wage and salary workers is only 4.2 years. While numbers will vary depending on age, industry, and location, chances are that nearly everyone will change jobs at least a few times in his or her career. So barring layoffs and company closures, how should you know when it’s time to make a switch? Though the job market remains strong, competition is fierce and many employees may be reluctant to abandon the familiar for the unknown. While leaving an old job for a new one always involves a bit of uncertainty, there are some factors that make it worth the risk. Let’s look at a few situations that warrant taking a leap of faith in your career. You’re Overworked As a business grows, so does the number of tasks that need to be completed in order to keep it running successfully. However, sometimes, in an effort to maximize profits, employers don’t grow their staff as quickly as new tasks pile up, leaving them to be completed by current staff. When this happens, employees may find themselves taking on more and more duties outside their job description, leaving them feeling frustrated, overwhelmed or disengaged. Of course, some added job duties can be expected in any role. However, if months or years pass and responsibilities continue to add up, the employer’s unwillingness to increase headcount and assign realistic workloads may prompt a job search. Your Salary Hasn’t Increased As your workload increases and you continue to prove your value to your employer, your salary should increase accordingly. The U.S. inflation rate typically fluctuates between 1.9 and 2.1 percent annually. Therefore, employees who don’t see at least this increase in their paychecks each year are actually making less than they did in previous years. Obviously, most employers want to know that employees can handle their job duties and make a positive contribution to the company before handing out raises. However, if you continue to receive positive feedback on your performance, yet your salary has not kept pace with your assigned responsibilities or the cost of living, a job change may be in order. You Don’t Feel Challenged Job hopping doesn’t have the same negative stigma it once did, mainly because most employers now prioritize a progressive record of responsibility and challenge over multiple years of tenure with the same employer. If you’re not being challenged regularly at your current job, it’s up to you to seek out a role that will push you to accomplish new goals, acquire new skills and exceeds expectations on a regular basis rather than simply performing the same tasks day in and day out. You Don’t Feel Appreciated According to a recent study, 66 percent of employees said they would likely leave their job if they felt unappreciated, while 76 percent of millennials said the same. There are a number of different motivators that drive employees in their careers. Some seek money, some seek challenges, some seek work/life balance, but everyone wants to feel appreciated for the work they do. Employers that fail to recognize workers for work well done will struggle with employee retention as employees gravitate to companies that foster a culture of appreciation. You Lack of Job Satisfaction The average employee spends 13 years and two months of their lives at work, or around a quarter of their time during their working years. This is a frightening statistic when combined with the fact that 80 percent of employees are dissatisfied with their jobs. Do you really want to spend 13+ years doing something you find unsatisfying? The first step is to determine the source of your dissatisfaction. Is it your manager, your job duties, your industry, a lack of work/life balance? All of these can be changed, though some may take longer than others (i.e., changing industries may be more difficult than finding a new manager). Life is too short to spend years in an unfulfilling career. Your Work Environment Is Toxic Probably the most urgent reason to change jobs is a toxic work environment. Unfortunately, there are managers and companies that employ harsh language, abusive behavior or threats as a means of motivation. While this may achieve short-term results, it inevitably leads to high employee turnover, disengagement, indifference or apathy to work quality, and a work culture so stressful that it can cause a number of health issues. Most employees who have the misfortune of experiencing a toxic work environment will say that any sacrifice is worth escaping. Few people claim their job is perfect. There’s always room for an employer to improve, just as there is for an employee. However, most organizations aren’t subject to an employee evaluation like employees are to a performance review. If an employee is given the opportunity to provide feedback to a manager, issues may take time to resolve or may require changes from company leaders. As a shorter job tenure becomes more widely accepted, employees are finding less reason to wait months or years for their job situation to improve. Instead, they are actively seeking out better opportunities in order to further their career. Employers must now offer much more than just a paycheck to attract and retain top talent. For those currently employed and on the job hunt, what other reasons have you experienced that prompted your search?

Tips For Writing a General Resume

Tips For Writing a General ResumeWhen it comes to tips for writing a general resume, there are many types of applicants that you might meet. The tips for writing a general resume is for those who have some relevant work experience as well as recent education. The things you have to remember when creating a general resume are as follows:Education. As mentioned above, the education you have is very important in determining how you will apply for jobs. So if you have no education whatsoever, then you are probably wasting your time applying for jobs as a graduate or someone who has recently graduated from college. What I mean is, you should be aware that you need to apply for jobs even if you don't have any relevant work experience.Work Experience. If you have work experience, then make sure you list that too. It will help you better understand what kind of job openings you will be looking for.Interests. Think about your interests and relate them to the job that you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a job as a designer, then include designing related hobbies such as fashion design, interior design, sculpture, etc.Skills. Be specific with your skills as well as abilities. You want to be able to highlight your relevant skills and experience.Format. The format of your resume should be organized and professional. Try to avoid including any acronyms or abbreviations as this can cause you to not be as attractive. Always follow a regular format.More Tips for Writing a General Resume A generic resume may just not be enough for some jobs. Try to be flexible and make use of all the tips for writing a general resume you can find. It will definitely make you stand out from other applicants.As you can see, the tips for writing a general resume for each job opening can vary depending on the position. The important thing is to focus on your strengths and what you can offer the employer in the particular job opening. You can get a lot of satisfaction knowing t hat you have filled in a gap in the job market.

Recruiters 6 Ways to Build Real Relationships with Virtual People

Recruiters 6 Ways to Build Real Relationships with Virtual People When I started recruiting a little over ten years ago, I always looked forward to meeting candidates in person as they arrived for interviews. It was mostly curiosity, but I also wanted them to feel welcome and begin building a relationship regardless if we were destined to become colleagues. Today, as our geographies continue to expand and technology connects people instantaneously, I no longer see my candidates in person. And it has drastically impacted my relationships â€" for the better. What was once a handshake and few minutes of small talk about the candidate’s ability to find a good parking spot has transformed into long-term, interactive relationships. Social media and web technologies give us the ability to communicate and build real relationships with people we’ve never met. Much like with in-person relationships, trust can be built, mutual interests recognized, and bonds formed without ever meeting an individual face-to-face. These aren’t just “relationships” in the sense that we’re connected on LinkedIn and see each other’s updates on a daily basis, but people that I consider friendsâ€"I know their kids’ names, their birthdays and all that we have in common. In fact, I once co-owned and operated a company with a business partner I had never met in person. We had 25 employees, none of whom we ever met in person, and we ultimately sold our business to a publishing company whoâ€"you guessed itâ€"we never met in person. These people, my former colleagues, have become close friends of mine. As recruiters and talent developers, our business is inherently about building relationships; but our daily work is increasingly being completed online. Instead of user groups or conferences, candidates are registering for webinars. They are spending more time online and expect to be engaged this way. And yet, many recruiters struggle with forming strong, online relationships. For those looking to turn a corner, here a several tips for forming  real  relationships in an increasingly virtual world: 1) Be personal: Self-disclosure is a fine line, particularly in professional relationships. But common ground is so essential to even professional relationships that your connections need to truly get to know you in order to give you their trust. It can be something as simple as your love for cats (or dogs), your favorite soccer team or even your passion for cooking; being personal can go a long way in relating to your connections and knocking down barriers or hesitancies. 2) Be helpful: Small, unexpected acts of kindness can act as a building block of virtual relationships. In person, it can be simple acts like holding open a door, picking up lunch or buying treats for your colleagues (You can’t lose with Thin Mints). Online, it might be taking someone’s survey, re-tweeting a unique Twitter post, or donating a small amount to a person’s meaningful cause. Be helpful, but also be sincere. 3) Be rich: Using rich media like posting pictures and videos instead of just text messaging, for example, helps increase emotional connection with your audience. The more you showcase your ‘realness, the deeper the connection you’ll have with your network. 4) Be yourself: Just like in real life, your online persona can’t be all things to all people. The honesty and transparency will be appreciated. 5) Be consistent: Using social media to recruit is a journey, not a destination. Too many recruiters simply throw out LinkedIn status updates with jobs and wonder why they’re not successful. You can’t disappear from your connection’s consciousness then reappear when you need a candidate. Your goal should be to always stay in their consciousness, so when they realize it is time for a career change or need a change in scenery, you are the resolution that comes to mind. 6) Be engaged: Although tweets and status updates connect you to your network, they merely set up the ability to connect with someone one-on-one; direct, personal engagement lays the groundwork for a relationship built around trust, honesty and openness. Interact with your network on an individual level, not just an aggregate one. As a recruiter, you’ll likely have to initiate direct, personal conversation; if someone posts on Twitter about cats, direct your next cat-related tweet at them. Silly perhaps, but relationships won’t develop if built solely around, “Looking for a new career opportunity? Apply here today!” As technologies improve and people become more accustomed to building virtual relationships, recruiters need to master the techniques of building them effectively. With frequently changing technologies, this isn’t a natural process for anyone. But by transitioning offline relationship-building techniques to the online world, you can grow your virtual network into one filled with valuable relationships. Author: Adam Godson can be contacted via Twitter  @adamgodson  or LinkedIn.

Modernize Your Recruitment Marketing for Gen Z

Modernize Your Recruitment Marketing for Gen Z Every generation to enter the workforce has influenced recruiting strategy, and Gen Z is no different. What’s the new competitive edge with these diverse, tech-savvy candidates entering the workforce? Recruitment marketing. Why Recruitment Marketing Is Nonnegotiable Recruitment marketing involves developing and communicating a value proposition to candidates much like marketers do with consumers. It’s a 30-year-old concept whose time has come. Here’s why: More so than any other prior generation, Gen Zers (ages 7 to 22 in 2019) approach the world as consumers. They’re digital-age kids, both in their own use of technology and in the way the modern world works around them. A recent study found that in their daily conversations, they talk about products, services and brands 33% more than people over age 21. To be candidate-centric with your Gen Z hiring, you need a recruitment marketing approach. Today’s candidate-driven talent market gives Gen Z lots of choices. Capturing talent depends on creating engagement quickly, then building an emotional connection, and finally, trust in you as their best choice for employment. Recruitment marketing creates a differentiating hiring experience. It also creates the foundation for trust by building an emotional connection. Recruitment marketing helps recruiters build higher ratios of qualified candidates in the talent pipeline. It supports improvement in key hiring metrics like speed to hire and new hire retention. Recruitment marketing began when TA professionals started using multiple points of contact and targeted messaging to help candidates understand their employer brand and value proposition. Many of these strategies have become baseline best practices in recruiting. Today’s recruitment marketing approaches need to evolve to capture the attention of modern young candidates. Modern Recruitment Marketing Essentials Modern recruitment marketing is about personalization, continuous candidate engagement, and a digital hiring experience.   Here’s how you can align with Gen Z candidates: Personalize your EVP for Gen Z. Your employer value proposition (EVP) describes the experience of working for your organization, and what’s in it for potential new hires. In this age of targeted, personalized outreach, your EVP should speak to Gen Z. It needs to answer questions such as Why would you, Gen Z candidate, choose us? and What does our employment experience offer that Gen Z candidates want? Start with your EVP for all employees â€" the elements that are already part of your culture and employment experience. Then, bubble up aspects that are a priority for Gen Z.   Data points like these can help inform your work: 74% of Gen Z strongly believes work should have a greater purpose. 84% of Gen Z identify the potential for career progression and growth as their top priority when looking for an employer. 8 in 10 Gen Z job seekers would like employers to help them develop job-specific and soft skills. 70% of Gen Z say they are motivated by money. Sources: Monster, EY, Staffing Industry Analysts Don’t stop with “Apply”.  Old-school recruitment marketing focused on getting candidates into the funnel. In the modern, candidate-centric environment, strategic recruitment marketing continues through every stage of the hiring cycle. Arguably, the interview experience is the most important step in this journey. Remember, in today’s candidate-driven market, candidates are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. According to Talent Board research, 32% of candidates say they exited the interview process because of poor recruiter rapport. Up from just 11% one year ago. The top candidates are on a journey through your hiring process. Their experience should be consistent from application to onboarding. Adjust the emphasis of your messaging at different stages: Focus on your employment experience and what candidates can expect from your recruitment process in the early stages of engagement. During the interview process, show them you care about them by offering the type of high tech, high touch experience they expect. As candidates move from offer acceptance through onboarding, emphasize the long-term employment experience, and what they can expect as they start working with their manager and team. Choose the right technology. A digital hiring experience is what this digital generation expects, but simply being online won’t drive hiring results. Gen Zers approach communication and technology differently than their older colleagues. They prefer video over text content when they’re looking for answers. They would rather text than pick up the phone most of the time. And they’re way past Facebook. Gen Z’s social platforms of choice are YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram.  You can share your EVP messaging with Gen Z more easily by using video interviews and on-demand text interviews in your workflow. Finally, keep in mind recruitment marketing is one part of the equation. Candidate engagement has its roots in your messaging and communication strategies, but Gen Z needs to feel your personal attention for that engagement to grow.  Savvy recruiters weave recruitment marketing and relationship-building together to create a modern, candidate-centric hiring experience. About the author: Terri Herrmann is the VP of marketing at Montage, the single solution to engage, interview and hire better candidates faster. Terri believes that behind every great brand is an even better story. As VP of Marketing, Terri is responsible for evangelizing the Montage brand story and continuing to build its reputation as the industry leader in interviewing technology. She also defines and drives demand generation for the company. Terri spent her entire career advancing b2b brands. Prior to joining Montage, she served as VP of Marketing for a WI-based technology company. Terri also spent over 12 years at ManpowerGroup in a variety of sales and marketing roles, finishing her tenure as director of integrated marketing for North America.

What Qualifications to Look For in a Technical Resume Writer

What Qualifications to Look For in a Technical Resume WriterIf you are looking for a good, qualified technical resume writer, it is important to know that these people come in all different shapes and sizes. Each of them has their own unique talent and expertise when it comes to writing resumes. Some can write a resume in under thirty minutes while others have to spend a lot more time on the writing process.While the abilities of the different potential technical writers can be varied, there are some basic requirements that you should take into consideration when choosing one. First, they should have years of experience in the field they will be writing for. While experience is not a requirement in order to choose a writer, experience gives an impression of reliability and competence.Resumes are usually written for different purposes. They can be for getting a job or for continuing employment. A good resume should give employers a sense of how the candidate will fit into their compan y. If a new hire is to be hired, they must have a detailed description of their previous work experience.It is also important to know what the particular employer is looking for when they read your resume. This is because you want to make sure that you do not give them an unappealing description of your career or your education. This will only make your life more difficult as an applicant.Next, make sure that they understand what is expected of them. While they will be writing the resume, they should be prepared to answer any questions the employer may have. By having this ability, they will be able to give the best possible resume that will stand out from the rest.Technical resumes should include information about skills and education that make the person an asset to the company. If the applicant has skills that are necessary, it is important to make sure that those skills are included. This will help todetermine if the job is in fact a very good match for the applicant.The writer should also be able to summarize the main points of the resume. For many employers, it is not enough to simply read the whole thing. They want a summary that they can review in order to get a quick idea of what kind of candidate the company is looking for.A technical resume writer can help to identify the kind of skills the employer is looking for. The skills they should highlight include any experience that relates to the job. They should also mention any qualifications that relate to the position. This can help to make sure that the skills and knowledge that are being presented are accurate.

The Most Valuable Languages for Your Career - CareerMetis.com

The Most Valuable Languages for Your Career Source- theodysseyonline.comThe US is a melting pot of culture and language.Having any language skills beyond English, is and continues to be incredibly valuable, but which is most worth mastering? Which is most marketable and hopefully profitable?Options to ConsiderAlthough the United States does not have an official language, English is unsurprisingly the most spoken dominant language spoken by far. There are more than six times the amount of people that speak English than the second most spoken language, Spanish.evalA surprising addition to the list, however, is Tagalog, the language spoken in the Philippines. Tagalog has over million people that speak it in the US, nearly twice as many as those who speak Russian.Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US as well as the most in-demand in the job market, most likely due to the number of immigrants from countries to the south.Spanish speaking healthcare professionals and nurses dominate the available jobs for Spanish-speak ers but there are plenty of other industries that would like their employees to speak the language. Teaching and IT jobs also have many openings that require or prefer employees that speak Spanish.Chinese languages, such as Mandarin, also have the same spot on both the most spoken and the most in-demand language lists, number two. China has loads of business ties with the US and their economy is growing faster than any other country.Learning the language now could increase your employment opportunities greatly! The dominant industries for chinese-speakers are teaching and healthcare.According to aWorld Atlasstudy, after English, these are the top 10 most spoken languages in the US:SpanishChinese LanguagesFrench and French CreoleTagalogVietnameseKoreanGermanArabicRussianItalianVacancies MatterNotably, Italian dropped five places on the list of most in-demand languages from last year. It went from fifth most in-demand to only tenth. While Italian saw a major decline, for a few languag es, there has been a huge spike in demand.evalPolish, Japanese, and Portuguese all were not even in the top ten last year and now hold the third, sixth, and seventh spots, respectively. The demand for different languages changes frequently because of the world economy as well the relations certain countries have with the US. There are also spikes in specific language jobs when there are an increase to the number of immigrants from different areas of the world.Keep these things in mind when you are deciding what language to learn. Picking a language from a country you never intend on going to may be a waste of your time and energy.Consider learning a language that lands high on the most in-demand languages. These are the ones that employers are looking for right now and could help you get a competitive edge in the job market.evalKnowing another language is a skill that many Americans do not have, and learning one will open up new opportunities to advance your career and expand your j ob prospects.Based on live job advert data from Adzuna, these are the top 10 most in-demandlanguages:SpanishChinese LanguagesPolishFrench and French CreoleGermanJapanesePortugueseRussianArabicItalianMoney TalksThe most in-demand languages may give you the greatest chance of landing a job, but what about a job that pays well?Data shows that German is actually the highest paying non-English language in the US, followed by Japanese, french and french creole, Portuguese, and Arabic. These results are from jobs that operate solely in that language or require it as a second language to English.German had an average salary increase of 12% from last year, bumping it to the top spot on this years list. Korean, last years top spot, saw a huge decrease in pay and job vacancies, not making it in either of the top ten lists.Although last year Asian languages dominated the highest paying languages, this year it is a mix of European and Asian. Portuguese had the largest increase in salary and job vacancies.Which languages are the highest paying?German â€" avg. $109kJapanese â€" avg. $95kFrench and French Creole â€" avg. $92kPortuguese â€" avg. $89kArabic â€" avg. $85kBear in mind, ability to speak these doesn’t guarantee you that payday. Let’s hope your other skills match up too.Choose WiselyevalThe most in-demand industry for German speakers is IT. This plays a role in how lucrative learning German is.For Japanese, French and French Creole, and Chinese, the highest number of job openings is in teaching.Portuguese had the most business-centered jobs available, the highest amount coming from sales, followed by customer service and social work.The highest paying languages may not be the best languages to learn, however, because the demand for employees that speak them are not as high.When choosing a new language or skill to learn, consider how it could help in your career realistically. Are you looking to move to a new country that speaks another language? Would you like t o work at an international company?evalBe mindful of how learning a new language could help you in your career and talk to people who have done it before.Learning a new language is not just a skill that can help your job prospects, it is a life tool that will broaden your mind and allow you to connect with more people around the world.Studies have shown that learning a new language improves people’s mental capabilities and ability to learn new information. Studying a new language is very difficult as an adult, yet it can be totally worth and fun! Learning a new way to communicate with people is exciting and will be something you can be proud of for the rest of your life!

When Is The Best Time To Change Career

When Is The Best Time To Change Career As an achiever, you are going to have many choices to make about career moves. And when it comes to the ones about changing course, I want to share the following with you, because I think it will really help your strategy when you get to that point. It’s all about timing. This came up earlier this week when I was talking to a friend of mine, let’s call her Laura. In Laura’s case, she was making a choice between staying the course where she was, versus taking on a new role that had just been presented to her. She acknowledged that both of those choices would mean deferring her longer-term goal of making a move into a completely different sector. Since she’s early career, she figured, “Well, I have plenty of time.” Well, this reminded me of some excellent advice I got when I was in mid-career. My “Crossroads Moment” I was in investment banking, and I’d gotten approached by a recruiter while I was on maternity leave to make a big shift into the Treasury Department of a consumer products company. He said to me, “May, this is the time to make the move, if you’re ever going to make that move, because if you stay, you’re going to stay for another 5 to 10 years.” I was an Executive Director, and he was right. I was going to want to make Managing Director and then stay on and enjoy being a Managing Director, which is exactly what I did. But I’m really thankful to him, because he pointed out that I was actually at a crossroads moment, which I hadn’t realised. I thought I would have that option to make that bigger jump every single year, but it really wasn’t like that. That’s what I said to Laura. I said, “When you’re making these course changing type of career choices, then it is a bit of a discontinuous function; you’re not always going to have that option.” Three Optimal Times To Change Career In fact, what I’ve come to realise is that there are, in my experience, about three natural times when you can make that course changing move the most efficiently. The first is when you’re early in your career because then you’re just raw material. People always feel that they can train you to be whatever they need you to be in their company. That’s generally the first three to five years, maybe a little longer, maybe a little shorter. Then the next juncture is in the mid-career, which is when I was approached. That’s because you’ve built up enough skills that are leverageable and transferable that you can make a leap. And sometimes you bring a new perspective in, and everybody else who is already in the organisation is also making a shift from being an individual contributor to being more of a team leader, and people leader. Then the third time is when you’re super senior. So, we often see people moving from CFO of one company to be CFO of another one in a completely different industry. Same with CEO type roles. The Elevator Analogy So, I drew this analogy for Laura about thinking of it as being in an elevator, and in the early years you’re on a local, and the elevator doors open at every floor and you can change elevator banks very easily. But then, all of a sudden, it becomes an express and it’s very hard to get over to the other elevator bank, until you get to that middle point again. Then, again, the doors seem to open on one or two or three floors think one or two or three years in the middle and you can get over to a different elevator bank pretty naturally. Then, again, it becomes an express until you get to a very senior level, and then the elevator banks connect again. Now, you can, obviously (as an aside), make a move in-between but it’s just a lot more difficult. It’s less natural and you often have to go down and across to get up, so it just takes more effort. Takeaways In conclusion, when it comes to making choices about changing your course, here are two takeaways: First is that staying where you are option is actually a choice. Yes, it’s a choice. And, in fact, it’s a decision that you are making every single day, probably without realising it, right? Just us showing up to work means that we are choosing to stay the course it’s a decision. On the other hand, if you want to change course then, all other things equal, don’t leave it too long. Don’t leave it too late, because you never know when you’re going to be on an express and it’s going to be more difficult to change elevator banks. Just have that awareness and make sure that you’re thinking about it consciously. So now I’d love to hear your experiences and your wisdom and your insights about making these kinds of course changing decisions how you made them, your experiences with them and any wisdom to share, particularly around this timing point.

Yes, you can use Facebook for job seeking. 5 steps to get started -

Yes, you can use Facebook for job seeking. 5 steps to get started - How can you overlook a social network with more members than most countries? With more than 500 million active users; its likely that just about anyone you might want to find has a profile on Facebook. There is a reason we hear more about people losing their jobs based on what they do on Facebook than about those finding jobs as a result of their activity there. Lets face it (no pun intended!) it was intended as a social network; its a place where people go to unwind, unload and vent. Its where they go to show off their vacation photos or share a video of their infants latest sneeze. That in mind, you can still create a professional-looking profile on Facebook that may very well be the link you need to land your next job. If youre looking for a new job, you will want to take advantage of every useful tool. Ive suggested five steps to help you get started on the right foot on Facebook. Read them on my Social Media and Job Search column at Job-Hunt.org. If you want to learn how to look for a job today, check out The Career Summitmore than a dozen online presentations (including mine) to help you land that next job! photo by laikolosse