How To Decrease Your Chances Of Getting Laid Off

Many people are struggling these days. The economy has been in the pits for a long time, and unemployment is high. Most people who are employed aren’t really making what they are worth. And many other people have simply stopped looking for work, and have started receiving benefits from the government. Once you get laid off from your job, it can be tough to get back on your feet. Especially if you don’t see it coming. One day you think everything is fine, and then next thing you know you’ve got no job. But the truth is that by being proactive, you can take measure to keep this from happening. In this article, you’ll learn just what to do.

The first thing to realize is that you’ve got to take a two prolonged approach. One is to do what you can now to help you find a job should the worst happen. There are several steps you can do. Another is to make every effort to not be the one who gets laid off. There are steps you can do for this as well. Most people simply show up every day, do their job, and then go home. You’ve got to take it one step further.

First of all, you should always be looking around at what’s out there. Always keep an updated resume, and always be sending a couple out every week or so. This can be a great way to see what you’re really worth, as well as make some valuable contacts.

Another thing to protect yourself is to increase your skills. Always be learning new things. This can help two ways. One is that it will keep you valuable on your current job. Another thing it will do is to make you more marketable. So you should do whatever it takes to keep your skills sharp. Take seminars, read books, take classes at night, whatever you can do.

Be proactive in your current job. Ask your boss how you can do your job better. Volunteer to do other things you aren’t trained for. Let your boss know you can count on him or her when the time comes. Never turn down a request for extra work. When the time comes to lay people off, they lay off those that are least productive, and who contribute least to the bottom line. Make sure you are important and necessary to the company.

These steps will help you out quite a bit when it comes to protecting your source of income. Keep building your contacts and your skills, and you should do fine.

Tips To Be A Superior Resume Writer

When someone loses a job, there are a lot of challenges that lie in the future. There are many tools needed to win a new position, and one of the most paramount is an effectively written, attention-getting resume. It is hard to be a good resume writer. Lots of things resume instructors taught a decade ago are frowned on now, and vice versa. One should not shoot oneself in the foot by using an insufficient resume.

There are several things a resume should NOT do:

* Be boring, or a “carbon copy” of thousands of other resumes

* Be negative

* Highlight education and job experience without including accomplishments

* Explain skills which are not needed for the role in question

* Discuss the applicant’s interests, hobbies, or personal life

* List references, or say “references furnished upon request”

* Be greater than two pages

* Not be proofread

Many resumes look exactly the same. They furnish the applicant’s name, address, and phone number. Then, they touch on “seeking to obtain experience,” “I do not have experience but am prepared to learn,” or other such negative statements. Then, they specify the applicant’s education and every single job the job seeker has ever had. They mention a few skills which may, or may not, have anything to do with the job in question and wrap up with an extensive list of the candidate’s own personal interests and hobbies. This presents the recruiter with three or more pages of fluff that is quite often completely immaterial to the job in question. The recruiter could not care less if the applicant collects coins. The recruiter wants to know “can this individual work with us within our company culture and help us make a profit?” The recruiter also knows that job applicants will supply references when requested, so there is no need for detailing them on the resume. Also, if job seekers point out that they are detail-oriented and have many spelling or grammar mistakes, they have taken themselves from consideration immediately.

Here is what a resume SHOULD do:

* List a core set of talents important to the job in question

* Be positive. The applicant is the hero

* Highlight value-add talents as they will help the company

* Show a list of achievements from work experience and the job applicant’s education

* Be to the point and limited to two pages.

* Include no errors

The applicant should promote him or herself with the resume, illustrating to the recruiter how the job seeker will benefit the company. If the candidate merited rewards for performance, dedication, or other work related topics, the resume should state that. If the applicant was acknowledged for teamwork and ability to meet deadlines, the resume should cover that, as well. The resume should only relate skills essential to the job in question. Employment help centers keep a standardized list of skills for many jobs. Pick their brains to get the needed text. They are there to aid with finding employment. Thin the skills down to groupings that are no more than two lines long each and therefore easily grasped. Present the skills in bullet form. The work experience and education should be very brief and merely highlight the facts. As top resume writers know, the applicant should make absolutely sure there are no errors. EVERYONE says he or she is detail oriented. Those who show it will definitely succeed.

Career Advice On Changing Your Career After Redundancy

Redundancy can definitely knock off confidence; however do not let it stop you from getting another job. In fact, this can be a good opportunity for you to look for a better career. Changing career after redundancy cannot be too hard by not letting the negatives delay your progress. If you are one of the people who are declared as redundant, do not assume that it is your fault.

Listed below are useful advices from professional career advisers, which you can get ideas on how to move on, in terms of changing career after redundancy.

Inform and connect with network – Your network can be composed of your old colleagues, former co-workers, people you meet from seminars, clubs and religious organizations, commercial contacts, self-employed individuals who may potentially teach you on starting a business, and even your previous employers. Your best plan could be telling your colleagues and friends about your job hunting. Surely, you will have a positive feedback from the people who have been well acquainted of your potential value. If you have been redundant due to some changes in the company, your previous employer may refer you to another job, which can also be a match to your skills and experiences.

Update your contacts – Aside from your previous contacts, give yourself a break and meet new people. Among the many people you can meet in a vacation or petty business meetings, you can meet some potential employers or good people who can give you some job ideas. Do not forget to save their contact numbers and emails and keep in touch, however do not be too pushy on your interest to change career after redundancy. 

Sort out your finances – Before you run out of cash while looking for good opportunities, settle your debts, ongoing bills, and many other liabilities. Allocate a little money for your savings and budget your disposable income just good enough to save you until you get a new job or support you in case you decide to train.

Get training or consider re-training – You can take your redundancy as a good opportunity to attend a training that will advance you to changing your career. Using a little money from your savings or if you have received a payout from your redundancy, use it to join workshops and seminars or enroll into a new course or classes that will enhance your skills and experience to be able to reach a higher level. Once you finish your training, you have a higher chance of landing a job that is better than your previous job.

Expand your horizon – Do not allow yourself to get stuck into the situation. Move on and settle for a new job, for instance you may want to work abroad or venture another field of interest, which you know you can be happier. You can work in a new company, which can be farther or nearer to your place, assume bigger responsibilities and earn a bigger pay, and surpass whatever accomplishments you have had with your previous work.  Raise yourself to the top and give room for yourself for improvement and be recognized.
 

Tips On Finding Yourself A Better Career In A Demanding Job Market

Finding a better job today is tough, considering the fact that the job market is getting more demanding and the number of potential applicants is also increasing. However, if you are not satisfied with your current job anymore or if you want a shift in career for the better, do not be afraid to try and get the job you deserve.

Listed below are some positive actions that you can take in order to find a new career in a demanding job market.

Be smarter and faster – In opting for a new job; do not forget to update your resume by including samples of your previous work and appraising your skills, experience, and other achievements. Attend one networking activity in a week, rather than once a month and make more phone calls a day to potential networking contact, rather than not making an effort at all. As soon as you find a better opportunity, send your resume right away, return calls if ever you receive some, and send a thank you email for every job opportunity while also stating that you are willing to attend for an interview.

Get out from the box and try new strategies – Seek for greater opportunities and challenge yourself in applying for a job in larger cities or go out of town to attend seminars, workshops, and other networking activities in a totally new industry. Instead of mingling with the same people every day, join some new circles and welcome changes. Try to search for jobs from sources that you have not tried, such as newspapers, job boards, magazines, and many more. If you have gotten used to working in small companies, level up by applying trying to move to bigger corporations, or vice versa.

Avoid sounding too desperate – Look for some ways in which you can gain extra money. At some point, you should understand that looking for a job may take time and you would not be in the best frame of mind to find a better career if you are so stressed out about paying your monthly bills and other liabilities. Employers would also sense if you are only applying for a job to make a living or applying because you can make a big difference. Try some freelancing jobs and get self-employed or do some part-time jobs like working as a tutor.

Move to a city with jobs – If you have been thinking about relocating, move to a city with greater job opportunities. Your chance of getting a better career is always higher when you live in a city. In contrast with the jobs in rural areas, the monthly job wage big cities are also higher.

Help other people – One of the best ways to earn good offers is to help other people find ways for their own. Forward job listings that you know is good for your friend or invite a colleague for a cup of coffee. Barter your strength, such as volunteering to be a speaker in public seminars, workshops, and other training activities. The more you pay it forward, the more things are bound to come back.

Top 5 Attention Grabbers to Start Your Cover Letter

Imagine yourself as an HR manager on a typical Monday morning. You have a cup of coffee and a stack of applications that you have to look through. Almost each and everyone are very close to being the same, but all of a sudden one stands out with an attention grabber. All of a sudden you are wake and very interested in this person. Now hopefully if you weren’t the HR manager at that time that it would be you that stands out. Nothing to worry about because we are going to give you the top five attention grabbers to make that HR manager interested in you!

1. Dropping the name of the person who referred you:

Nine out of ten times you are very likely to get a call for an interview if you drop the name of the person that referred you. The reason for this being is that if they hired that person; why not hire someone that is very closely alike.

Example: “At the suggestion of John Doe, I am contacting you to express my great interest in the open position of;..

2. Research the HR Manager:

If you know who the HR manger is, and you really want the job, you should do some research on the individual. See if there were any articles written by them and if so, quote something from their article. Flattery can sometimes go a long way with employment.

3. Research the Company:

In almost every article that I have written, you should ALWAYS research the company. Keys to find out are their mission statement, future, and products that they make. Quote a recent statistic about the company or relevant article to show that you know your information.

4. Lead with one of you most relevant successes that apply to the position:

State astounding achievements that are recent in your career, but make sure they are relevant to the position you are applying for. Stating information that is irrelevant to the position can lead the reader in a different direction.

5. Use Higher Level Words:

Get out your thesaurus because HR managers love it when a cover letter applies the English language to the greatest extent. What I mean is that you should use words like “amazing”, “enthusiastic”, and “astounding” in your cover letter. These words add that spice to your cover letter and will show the HR manager that you are highly educated. Other lingo that you should research is the business that you are going into. The lingo in banking is very different than that of a mechanic.

Using these top five tips when learning how to write a cover letter can come in very handy and will help you to stand out and say “Here I am!”
 

4 Ways To Get A Promotion

Decades a go, the only thing you really needed to do to get ahead in a company was be there for a certain number of years. Your quality of work didn’t have to be outstanding, but just your simple sustained presence there would eventually earn you a promotion. Today, you could be the employee who is single handily bringing in the most money, but your employer might never notice it unless you point it out yourself. Here’s how.

Show them the money

If your particular work or ideas have brought the company lots of money, show your boss the proof. Example a woman worked for years for a music school giving singing lessons. However, the academy decided how many students each teacher could take on, so the woman’s income was greatly determined by the committee. When she wanted a promotion to be on the board as well as being a voice coach, she showed the board proof of all of the new clients that had come to the school specifically because they heard how good she herself was at teaching people how to sing. With those numbers proving she had tactics to bringing in more clients, the woman was made vice president of the board.

Create the job you want

Maybe the skills you bring to the table are very useful to the company, but don’t fit your current job description, but you’ve been putting them to use anyways. Explain to your employer how a new position, created just for your skill set, would benefit the company. It demonstrates that you closely evaluate the company’s needs regularly and it lets you stay away from the word “promotion.”

Ask at the right time

Your boss arrives at work already with a full workload, full schedule and head full of worries. Your rushing up to him as he is hopping in the elevator to say, “I wanted to talk about a possible promotion” just makes you another problem he has to deal with that day. Wait for the opportune moment, like at a casual office party where your employer is feeling more laid back and enjoying a glass of wine, or as a business dinner is winding down. Everyone is more receptive to new ideas when they are feeling laid back. Think about yourself when you’re in a rush to catch a bus and somebody tries to talk to you and you get so annoyed. If you are taking a relaxing stroll down a shopping street in no rush at all, you’re more open to hear out somebody who approaches you to talk.

Be ready

Learn whatever you need to learn in order to fulfill that position before asking for it. If you need to master a computer program, speak a second language, get a certain certification, do it ahead of time. This makes you practically a shoe in for the job as no time will have to be spent on training you or integrating you into the position.
 

Self Rediscovery With A Mid Life Career Change

There can be several reasons why people suddenly opt to changing careers at middle age. Some people are forced to make late-life career change because of the increasing demand of the job market. Other people are also moved by their passion to find better careers and settle for a job that could make them happy. Mid life career change is normal especially with women, according to Forbes woman magazine.

It is not easy to move into a different industry when you are already at 40, however it can be an opportunity for you to rediscover yourself. At some point in your current or previous job, you may have lost track of who you are. After working so hard for many years have you found out your strengths and weaknesses? Have you discovered the real purpose of your life? Have you determined what you love to do? Do you really know what motivated you on moving forward?

According to some career advisers, making mid life career change is a good opportunity to explore what you really want to do in life. Perhaps you have already bought properties, put up a family, and have made great accomplishments in life. However, you can view the mid life career change as a chance to personally grow, something that you can call a self fulfillment or self enjoyment. Rediscovering your full potential may take time, however the result could be very rewarding. Listed below are some tips from career experts on how to start rediscovering yourself.

- Consider seeking for a career that you like most regardless of its pay. Think of a career in which you can share your talent and be the best of you.

- Read books about career assessment and self development in order to be guided n choosing your second career. Be open to the possibility that this could be you retirement career as well, hence make the best of it.

- Write a journal to exercise your thoughts. You can keep a daily record of your thoughts, including your doubts and indecision until you finally get to know yourself better.

- Sign up for some online classes and workshops which you can attend as you stay at home. This can give you a new perspective, especially if you enroll into a course that is related to your specific field of interest. You can also take an online career assessment test or personality test, which can aid you in taking the right path.

- Join some groups or set up for a little such as joining retreats or spending a little vacation on your dream place and reflect. Listen to yourself and take time recollect your thoughts and dreams.

It is never too late to change career at middle age. When you have finally realize your full potential, settle for what you prefer to do and do not be afraid to make decisions.
 

How to Deal with Job Stress

Most of the time, people confuse pressure with stress.

Are you one of them?

Nearly everyone faces pressure in some way or the other. There are no exceptions. But this should not cause you to feel anxious because a small amount of pressure can motivate and inspire people to perform at their best.

It is when this pressure becomes too much to manage that it becomes unhealthy because if experienced regularly, it can result to work stress.

Dealing with work stress the proper way does not mean that you have to make drastic changes in your lifestyle or work life. Things can appear very difficult, sometimes even too overwhelming. But when you take responsibility for improving your overall well-being, dealing with work stress can be a breeze.

Understanding and knowing that there is a problem is a very important first step when dealing with work stress. If there are excessive tasks at work that overwhelm you, try to reflect and determine if you’re getting close being burnt out. Irritability, depression, and social withdrawal can all be side effects of work stress.

Once you have realized that you are under stress, try to manage your stress condition by taking care of yourself, and that includes your state of mind and emotions. Increase your physical activities, embrace a healthy diet, get enough sleep, and avoid excessive intake of alcohol and nicotine.

Also, remember that being a good employee does not mean that you always have to say yes to everything that your colleagues ask you to do, especially when you feel that the workload given to you is already too much to handle.

Learn to manage expectations. If your manager is giving you too many responsibilities that need to be completed within a short period tell him the truth. Make constructive suggestions to your boss, especially about fair delegation of tasks. Do not make a commitment if you think that things will just cause you to be unproductive, ineffective, and sleep-deprived because just like everyone else, you need to get enough sleep at night in order to perform to at your best the next working day.

Dealing with work stress the right way is an important skill that you have to learn. By simply recognizing your problems, taking care of yourself, and communicating your thoughts and feelings tactfully with the people around you, you can be assured of a better, more productive day in the office.
 

Choosing The Perfect Resume Guide

A resume guide is something that you can use for your resume and this can help you to get all of the right tools.

The first thing you want to do is to explore all of the information that you can find online for your resume.  You do not want to complete your resume and then locate useful information that might have helped you.  If you look at all of the information ahead of time, this can help you to find the things that you can apply to your resume. 

Resume samples are a great place to start and you will find an assortment of samples on a resume builder site.  There are many things that you can gain from a sample resume.  You will be able to gain some ideas from a sample that you will want to apply later.  You might be able to find the right format by looking at samples as well. 

Templates can be a great resource also.  Templates can help you to have a place to put all of your information and the format will be provided for you.  You will have many different types of templates to choose from and this will allow you to find something that is best for your information. 

You do not have to choose the first template that you find and this is something that you can take some time to decide about.  You will want to view your information on different formats to help you make a decision.  Even if a format does not look like something you would use, you may find that your information fits perfectly and this is why it is important to explore different templates. 

Using a resume creator will help you to eliminate the struggle with the creation of your resume.  You will enter your information and your resume will basically be created for you.  This will allow you to choose the information that you want on this document and you will not have to become frustrated with the actual creation aspect. 

There are many ways to use a resume guide online and this will only improve your resume.  When you choose professional help it will show on your resume and this is a document that you want to make sure that professionalism if your top priority.

Looking for Employment in Law Enforcement (US Marshall, Police, Bureau of Prisons) are Now Hiring!

PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPT. HIRING!

Philadelphia Police Dept. is hosting an Open House Career Day this Saturday February 18th 
Located: Police Academy
8501 State Road
Philadelphia Pa.

If your looking for employment in law enforcement come out and fill out application, you have  until the deadline on March 16th. For more info go to www.phillypolice.com and click on www.phila.gov/personnel to fill the application on line only . If u have any questions contact the recruitment unit @ 215 685-3026, 27, 28.

US MARSHALLS HIRING!

The applications for the Deputy U.S. Marshal (DUSM) position will be submitted using the www.usajobs.gov website. The announcement will be posted on March 5, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. EST. The announcement will remain open for 5 days, or until the day on which 5000 applications have been received. We encourage all applicants that meet the minimum qualifications to visit the site and establish an account profile prior to the opening date of the announcement.    

ASSESSMENT:All applicants will be initially evaluated for the DUSM position based on their ability to meet the established minimum qualifications. The candidates that meet these minimum qualifications will be scheduled for the two-part OPM examination. Upon successful completion of the exam, applicants will be scheduled for the structured interview process. Categorical ranking will be used to determine a candidates’ eligibility for selection as part of this announcement. The entire evaluation process may take as long as 10-12 months to complete.

Minimum Qualifications
Two-Part Examination
Structured Interview
Be a U.S. Citizen
Between ages 21 and 37
*Age waivers may be considered preference eligible veterans and current/prior federal law enforcement employees
Valid motor vehicles license
Specialized experience or education to qualify at the GL-07 level.
Part 1. Situational Judgment
Part 2. Writing Sample
Both parts of the assessment are standardized. They will be administered by OPM in 15 different locations across the nation
Testing will last approximately 2-3 hours at the locations listed on the job announcement.
There is no study guide for the examination
Locations for the structured interview will be disclosed to applicants upon receipt of an invitation

All applicants must meet the eligibility requirements by the closing date of the DUSM announcement.

BUREAU OF PRISONS IS HIRING!

Actively Hiring: The BOP’s standing register for correctional officer (CO) positions has reopened. These are accessible through USAJOBS.

FCI Mendota, presently under construction, is expected to come on line during 2011. The medium security institution is located in the City of Mendota, CA, near Fresno. Hiring has begun in preparation for activation. Interested parties may read about employment options available in the Bureau by visiting the Careers section. To apply, visit USAJOBS and enter “Bureau of Prisons” as keywords in the “What” box.

BOP Jobs Video: View the video in its entirety or by specific job type:

How to Apply: Search USAJOBS for vacancies.

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