My Campus Chronicles
Our college blog dedicated to helping students prepare for life outside of college.
June 2007 archive
Maybe I've discovered one answer to last week's post about the relatively small percentage of workers (34%) that say moving up the career ladder is a top priority. The latest stat I've found shows that many workers don't believe that a good option exists for them. In fact, only 31% are satisfied with their growth opportunities. The rest are not satisfied at all - that's nearly 70% of all workers. Yikes.
What does this say about employers and their job at providing good opportunities for workers? Of course, not everyone is going to be a VP or "c-level" executive and in many cases that's not what workers want anyway.
Growth opportunities could be as simple as expanded responsibilities, pay on par with performance, stretch assignments or participation on task forces, etc. I believe that it should be every manager's mission to find real growth opportunities for all people that work for them. It starts with finding out how people want to grow within the organization and helping them get there.
It all starts with a conversation. Have you engaged your manager or employees about this? If not, it's time to do so.
Q: I am looking for a part-time professional job and trying to get back a work/life balance. I have a MIS degree with over 10 yrs experience in IT and IT Audit. I can't seem to find the 'telecommute' or working from home jobs. Anyone have any tips or tricks?
- Comment posted by K.T.
A: Dear K.T.,
This requirement will limit your ability to find a job quickly, since these opportunities are less frequently available and it also depends on the local area in which you live as to the availability of these types of positions.
We see that most IT Analyst / Audit positions are primarily working in the office, while some may have the ability to telecommute for a portion of the time. You can source the local staffing agencies, employers, and even post your resume with that requirement, but be sure to be open to doing some work in the office.
Your job search may be much longer than necessary with that requirement, so it may be prudent for you to apply to part-time positions and discuss the potential possibility to move into a predominantly work from home / telecommuting role once the employer is comfortable with your work quality and capabilities.
Best of luck,
Seymour
Do ever wonder if greener pastures await you in another position at a different company? Chances are that one is available with your name on it, but are you ready to make the move? A recent blog post on Jobacle addresses the issue of an exit strategy, or how to leave your current position as seamlessly and organized as possible.
Spherion's most recent Emerging Workforce Study found that nearly forty percent of workers plan on changing careers within a year. Reasons for this varies from finding a job with more work life balance, to seeking more training and career growth opportunities from one's employer..
So how do you prepare to leave your current employer for another job? As the Jobacle post points out, you need to make sure that you stay in touch with your contacts, keep your resume up to date, etc. But you should also remember one very key point: Be sure that the new job/employer is right for you.
Some workers take job stability for granted. So if your current employer offers you that, be sure you are comfortable with making a move to a new company. You can always bide your time and continue working for your current employer until the right position comes along.
Also, never quit your job without having another one to go to. Even if you believe your prospects are good ones, it may still take weeks or even months to be hired.
If you decide to move on, remember not to leave your old employer in a lurch by not transitioning someone else into your place, or at least give the appropriate two weeks notice. This will give the company time to hire a replacement for you, or at least allow you to tie up loose ends.
All in all, making the switch to a new company can be very rewarding and beneficial to your career, as long as you prepare, are organized and timely when doing so.
Ah, technology. What would we do without cell phones, email and our PDAs? How about have a good weekend or vacation....
Recently on The Blogging Boss, a post alluded to how many workers are tied to their job, even on the weekend. But if you fall into this category, fear not, Spherion is here to share some insight in to how you can unplug for the weekend.
First and foremost, the more time you can spend catching up on a little R & R, the more refreshed you are to return to work on Monday, and the more productive you will be. If you never leave work, even at home, you will burn out and find yourself quickly disenchanted with your job.
Secondly, plan a fun activity or get involved with a hobby that you find relaxing and enjoyable. Regularly schedule this activity into your weekend plans. If you are someone who gets bored easily, pick out a couple of different activities that you can rotate from one weekend to the next.
Lastly, turn off the cell phone and laptop already! More than likely, you are one of only a few "weekend warriors" still tuned to the office on Saturday and Sunday. It's ok to work on tasks just to "get ahead" every once in a while, but you shouldn't make a habit of it.
Q: My family is on my case about myspace and facebook. They think that anyone can view your profiles, even if they are set so that only your friends can view your profiles. They think that my future employers can bypass the terms of agreement of the website and view profiles, even though they are private. Is this true? Is that against the law?
- Comment posted by Suzette
A: Dear Suzette,
If you believe there is a chance your profile may be viewed, we suggest you address that aspect directly with the Webpage. Furthermore, the issue regarding the legality of what may be viewed about you on the Web is best left to an attorney licensed in your state.
From our perspective, a prudent practice to follow would be to ensure that which you place in a public forum, such as the Web, should always be accurate and focused on accomplishing your goals. Don't risk being rejected as a potential candidate for employment, by engaging in discussions on sensitive topics regarding politics, religion or current events. Since your comments may be seen as controversial or insensitive regarding the subject matter being discussed and if viewed by employees or a future employers hiring manager, your reputation may precede you, which may then stifle future opportunities.
Seymour
Last week I introduced the new Friday Figures feature and reported that 1/3 of all workers say that they can't distinguish between their work life and personal life - a scary stat. This week, I am back with a new workplace statistic for you to ponder.
A recent survey found that only 34% of workers agree and 7% strongly agree that being successful at work and moving up the career ladder is a top career priority. So, less than 10% of workers are really saying that's a big motivator for them. Quite interesting, eh? Especially because of the stat above regarding the work/life balance that 33% workers say they can't find. I wonder how this number corresponds - are all the "ladder climbers" unable to find a balance? I seriously doubt that.
Back to this week's number -- although I haven't been surveying the workforce long enough to prove this, I am willing to bet this is a drastic drop from previous years and decades. We're all different, but I always assumed being successful at work or moving up the proverbial ladder was the general goal we all worked toward - some more quickly than others. Nowadays, more workers are choosing part-time, flexible work and work-life balance options, but this number still seems rather low to me.
If your goal at work is something other than being successful or moving up, what is it that keeps you going every day?
Q: I have very good skills but have jumped around quite a bit with jobs over the past 10 years, including working part time (because of kids). I have gaps on my resume and I know that I'm not being offered the better jobs because of this. What can I do with this Scarlet A on my resume in order to get a better job?
- Comment posted by Jean
A: Dear Jean,
Gaps in employment history are something many workers, of all ages, will have to address during their job search. But be assured, gaps in work history are not deal breakers when it comes to landing top notch job opportunities. There are many ways to tackle this situation.
First, consider writing a resume that highlights key functions or skills versus a traditional chronological version. This gives you the opportunity to draw attention to your key accomplishments over the years and not the specifics (i.e. dates) of your previous positions. This works particularly well for mature workers who have a wealth of employment history and skills to convey in their resume.
Even if you decide to go this route, prospective employers may still be interested in the types of companies you've worked for so you may want to simply list the employer names and industries at the end of your resume.
Second, be prepared to explain the gap in your career. There may be occasions where you are required to complete a job application which mandates specific dates of your previous employment. Or, your job history may not lend itself to a functional resume and you'd prefer to stick with a standard, chronological version.
A verbal explanation should be short, simple and most importantly, not defensive in nature. In your case, an example may be "I made a decision to exit the workforce for a brief time to pursue personal interests and am now anxious to reapply the many skills I've acquired during my career."
If you choose to include the explanation on your resume, again keep it simple, such as: Dec. 2004 to Present: Left work to pursue personal interests and spend more time with family. Now eager to return to the workforce.
Lastly, make sure your employment gap doesn't get the best of you. You should feel confident and assured in marketing yourself. Focus on the wealth of expertise and experiences you bring to the table, and don't allow a small needle in a large haystack undermine your job search process.
Seymour
There has been a lot of buzz about a recent Fortune article about Gen Y workers and the new confidence they bring to the workplace. But Spherion surveys show this confident and demanding mindset isn't limited to younger workers. In our latest podcast, Spherion president and CEO Roy Krause has his own take on what drives worker confidence in today's environment.
For a list of recent podcasts, please visit our pressroom.
Blogging has become a mainstay for communications, especially for job candidates. A recent article in Newsday profiles several diverse bloggers, and focuses on why and how they blog. One of the featured bloggers is Deb Dib, founder of a personal branding and career coaching business called Executive PowerCoach.
Dib provided a list of reasons for why she blogs. Some of the reasons she gave included:
- Blogging is one of the best ways to gain visibility as a thought leader.
- It's a way to stay current and leading-edge within your field and related fields of interest.
- It's a way to become the hunted and not the hunter when you're looking to change or build your career.
- Blogging keeps you on your toes, hones your writing and research skills, and keeps you aware of your branded voice.
- It creates a powerful on-line presence. If you develop a "following," it helps create a vibrant community with like-minded people who become a vital network.
Another article in Employment Digest talks about how recruiters are using blogs to place jobs and find candidates. Even further, job candidates are using blogs as resumes and to showcase their expertise in a particular field.
For some, the blogsphere might be an area they are not comfortable with, or don't quite understand. Others feel they don't have the time to keep up with a blog. If you find that you fall into one of these categories, there are ways to participate in the online community without taking on any risk or taking up too much time.
Being a casual observer and just monitoring and reviewing what others say is a good way to stay involved without taking the step of adding comments in an open debate or conversation. Then you can become more comfortable with the process and maybe eventually turn into an active blogger yourself.
Creating your own blog is a great way to be noticed, but it can be time consuming. So if you don't want to develop your own blog but still want to keep current on important topics, there are plenty of community blogs that you can participate in without having the strenuous daily commitment. Or, moniture feeds of interest to you through RSS engines such as Bloglines.
Whether you want to be a regular contributor, or just a casual observer, blogging can serve as a way to connect with others in your field of expertise or to get your name out there and bring the recruiters to you!
As many of you know, we conduct a lot of research on today's workers with our partner Harris Interactive. Since you don't get to see all of that data, I decided to create the Friday Figures series where I will provide a new and different workforce stat each week.
This research is representative of the entire U.S. workforce, so that means you have a part in all of this. So, I want to hear what you think about the data and if you feel you fit in with the majority, the minority or not at all...
This week's statistic is that 33% of workers say that the distinction between their work life and personal life is not clear. First of all, that's completely crazy to me -- 1/3 of us can't distinguish between our work and personal lives? Secondly, what does that say about how technology has impacted our lives? It's not all positive, is it? And third, unrealistic employer expectations are just furthering the problem.
However, we can't put the blame squarely on technology or our employers. We're the only ones that can allow work to take over our personal lives. It's really all about setting boundaries - for ourselves and our employers.
Some thoughts on how to create those boundaries:
- Simply turn off the phone and blackberry.
- Go on a real vacation - without the laptop.
- Tell your boss that you're just not available at 7 a.m. on Saturday.
- Schedule more outings or events after work so you have a reason to leave on time and separate yourself from the office.
As a former member of the 33% club, I can attest to all of this - setting the boundaries really does work. And I am more satisfied, more productive and much less stressed out. Have you been able to solve or prevent this problem? I would be interested in finding out what changes you've made and how they've helped.
On that note, get out there and enjoy your weekend...
I'm frequently asked questions about etiquette and procedure when working with recruiters. One question I field most often is whether it is acceptable to work with two recruiters at the same time. There are varying opinions on this topic but here's my two cents.
It depends. I don't mean to be vague here but that's the truth. Let me explain. If you are a "hot" candidate with skills that are in high demand and you are looking within a narrow job market (geographically), then you are best to stick with one recruiter. The reason is recruiters are generally paid on a commission or contingency basis. This means they only get paid when the person they present or recommend is hired. If you're working with two different recruiters, from different firms, and they both submit your resume for the same position, you've got a problem. Now the potential employer fears having to pay two fees if they'd like to hire you, and when (not if, but when) the recruiters find out, you will have burned a bridge with two valuable resources.
A great option for these types of candidates is to give a recruiter an exclusive. This means you give your recruiter an opportunity to represent you exclusively for a set period of time and in exchange you promise not to work with any other recruiters for the same time period. If you are working with multiple recruiters and one of them asks for exclusivity, make sure you are open and honest with all of them about your choice. Again, this scenario works best for candidates with skills in high, high demand.
On the other hand, if you are seeking employment in an industry or a position in high supply or looking in a number of geographic locations, then it is generally best to work with several recruiters and staffing agencies. One reason is that in the recruiting worlds, recruiters can only show you what they have in their portfolio of clients. Working with multiple recruiters makes more sense because it gives you access to the entire job market and can expose you to the broadest range of companies and options as possible. This will increase your chances of standing out among a large number of job seekers and candidates. Just make sure you know where your resume is being submitted in order to avoid the unlikely scenario above.
It’s ironic that modern technologies, created to help bring people together and keep them in constant contact, have resulted in a preference for remote communication rather than face-to-face talk. What is your experience with this phenomenon? Let us know
Q: I've worked for the same company for 15 years and have decided to expand my horizons. It's been a long time since I've job searched, and I'm not sure about using a cover letter when applying online.
- Submitted by Donna Martin, Memphis, TN
A: Dear Donna,
Applying online is as popular today as it was non-existent 15 years ago. Here are some pointers for workers who may have been out of circulation for a decade or more.
Even in today's electronic world, a cover letter can be vitally important. Regardless of how you send or submit your resume, a well-written cover letter can be the single most important differentiator in helping you land the job. So, brush up on the rules of writing a dynamic cover letter before you do anything else. Spherion's Career Center has some helpful tools to help you get started.
The ways in which a potential employer accepts applications for an open job vary widely. Some ask that candidates attach their resume and cover letter as two separate documents. Others ask for the resume, cover letter and references to be saved as one single document for submittal. Some only accept cover letters if they are pasted into a resume text field, while others don't even encourage cover letters.
To be safe, visit a potential employer's application Help or FAQ section before you apply. There you should find very specific instructions on what to submit for a particular job and how to do it (some specify rich text format; others portable document format and so on).
If you happen to have the hiring manager's e-mail address or are applying to a general email box, here are some tips on sending cover letters electronically.
- Use the subject line effectively. Many applicants either overlook the subject line or insert something basic like the job title for which they are applying. Use this brief space to sell yourself and provide incentive for the hiring manager to read your e-mail.
- Fancy is not your friend. Now is not the time to be fancy. Keep all e-mails and your cover letter in ASCII format or plain text. If you choose to upload your resume rather than cutting and pasting, be sure it's in a format accepted by the employer.
- Build "searchability" into your cover letter. Most likely, your cover letter will join hundreds of others in a database or repository maintained by the company. By using as many keywords or industry jargon as you can, you'll increase your chances of coming up at the top of the list in a database search.
- Proofread! Last, but not least, proof your work and your correspondence. In fact, have a friend or family member proof it as well-and do it before you hit that ‘Submit' key. Remember, you'll never have a second chance to make a first impression!
Seymour
My mature worker friends often ask me, "Why should I continue to work?" Truthfully, the reasons are so many that they won't fit here in this one post. So, I'll break it up into a few. Here's your first installment of compelling reasons to work throughout your maturity:
Reason #1: You are programmed to live longer, much longer, than your parents lived. The old rules when old was old (just like old benefits) no longer apply. In 1935 when Social Security benefits began, American men lived until 59 and women until 61. As you can see, few collected! Today's numbers are 79 and 81. A difference of 20 years is a very long time to sit on your duff.
Reason #2: You are likely to suffer from nasty withdrawal if you abruptly leave the world of work. A sudden change from full-time, demanding work to no work of any sort just may be your very worst option.
Reason #3: You may discover new and very bad habits if you don't work. Forecasts report that the numbers of older adults affected by substance abuse are soaring. Available studies suggest that substance dependency of abusing adults over 50 will increase from 1.7 million folks to 4.4 million by 2020. Some reports indicate that baby boomers have three to four times the rate of emotional disorders (depression, suicide, anxiety, as well as alcohol and drug abuse) than is found in today's elderly population (Koenig, George, & Schneider, 1994). Do you think depression gets better the longer you sit around doing nothing?
Reason #4: You may simply wish to perform a "death defying act" by working longer. People who work longer also live longer and live healthier. Google the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for all the supporting evidence you will ever need.
Reason #5: You may need a good reason to get out of the house. Does your spouse really want you at home around the clock? Will 24/7 prove to be the death of a good marriage? Do you enjoy cleaning the garage? And, how important is a continued sense of responsibility and structure in a lifetime when both were once central to every day?
Link to my new site http://www.agelessinamerica.com/ to see what I'm doing to educate organizations' leaders about the advantages they will enjoy when they engage YOU!
