What to Do When You Cant Find a Job

What to Do When You Cant Find a JobWhat to Do When You Cant Find a JobIn a difficult job market, you may have a tough time finding a job. Whether youve just graduated, were recently laid off, or you are ready to change jobs, looking for a new job or being unemployed can be difficult. But its important to keep things in perspective as you continue your job hunt. Read on for our top tips on how to deal with being unemployed. Make Finding a Job Your First Priority First, you should make finding a job your top priority. Its important to set goals daily, weekly, and monthly. For example, you can set a goal of applying to five jobs per week and setting up one networking coffee date per month. That way, you can stay on task even if you are not employed in a traditional workplace. It can be discouraging if you are applying to jobs and not getting any offers. In this case, you may want to have someone look over your resume, and consider getting help with the interview process. Also, dont underestimate the importance of networking. Go to events or job fairs in your city, or email old bosses or others in your field to meet for coffee or for an informational interview. Be sure to use every connection you possibly can. Other tips to consider when searching for a job Set a goal for the number of strong applications you send out each week.Get help with your resume.Practice interviewing with a professional. Widen Your Search You may need to widen your job searchto include jobs outside your preferred field or in other cities. For example, you may need to consider applying to jobs that are not in your preferred city or consider working in a rural area or moving across the country in order to find a job. Its also wise to take advantage of your network when searching for a job. Ask for help from your friends, family, and acquaintances. If you hear of an opening at a company, try to find someone who works there that can reach out and make a connection for you. Try the belo w when widening your job search Consider looking in other geographic locationsBranch out in your field for other optionsUse your network to find jobs that you may be qualified for. Expand Your Qualifications If you cant find a job, you may be applying to jobs that are underqualified for. Remedy this by taking on freelance work, an internship, or a part-time position in your preferred field. This can open doors to full-time work. Even if they do not directly lead to a job, it will give you more experience to include on your resume. Additionally, you may also consider getting additional certificationsin your career field if possible. You should also comb through your personal history and make sure that there isnt an extenuating circumstance that is preventing you from getting a job, such as poor credit history. Read on for more tips on what to do if you are underqualified for a job Seek out additional certifications in your fieldLook at part-time work to gain real job experience i n your fieldIf you are freelancing, ask clients if they will be references for you Work Your Plan B If you cannot find a job you need to have a plan to fall back on. There is no reason not to be working, especially if you do not have unemployment benefits because you are a recent graduate. There are always part-time jobs available. The pay may be low, and the hours not that great but it is better than not making any money at all. A job with evening or nighttime hours will leave your day free so that you can continue to look for work. Waiting tables, delivering pizzas, working at UPS or a similar company or stocking shelves are all options that pay well and can help tide you over while you can continue to look for work. Other tips to consider when you are unemployed Work a part-time job while you are unemployedA job with nighttime or weekend hours might be preferable, so you have time during the day to look for work.Dont get discouraged. Consider Your Expenses Finally, you sh ould consider your expenses to avoid running up debt while you are looking for a job. You may want to reconsider your living arrangements if you are unemployed consider moving back in with your parents or getting roommates. While moving back home or getting roommates may not be ideal, it can prevent you from running out of money and going into debt while you are unemployed. In addition, you should also keep your expenses as low as possible. Do not spend tons on new clothes or video games. You can do this once you find a job. Other tips to survive unemployment Stick to a budget while you are looking for a job.Be creative in finding ways to cut back on your expenses.Consider selling items to avoid going back into debt. Be Cautious About Heading Back to School Many recent graduates are considering attending graduate school in the hopes that the job market will be better when they graduate with an advanced degree. If you are considering doing this you should carefully consider the c ost of the degree. Make sure the cost will be worth it,meaning it will increase your salary exponentially. You should also avoid accumulating any more debtbecause there is no guarantee that the market will improve a great deal in the next two or three years. If you are unemployed and considering going back to school Make sure that there are jobs in the field you are studying.Check the average salary for a masters degree in your field and make sure it is worth it.Look for scholarships and assistantships to help pay for graduate school. Updated by Rachel Morgan Cautero.

Jeff Bezos told execs to consider 3 things before hiring someone

Jeff Bezos told execs to consider 3 things before hiring someoneJeff Bezos told execs to consider 3 things before hiring someoneAmazon is always looking to fill a ton of jobs.But before you can land a corporate role with the online retail behemoth, you have to tick three particular boxes in the minds of the hiring managers and executives vetting you.At least, thats the process CEO Jeff Bezos recommended to his team 20 years ago. In a 1998 letter to shareholders, customers, and employees, Bezos described his 2,100 employees as smart, hard-working, passionate folks who put customers first and credited setting the bar high in ur approach to hiring for the teams strength.He added that hiring policies and practices would be the single most important element in ensuring Amazons continued success.To identify standout candidates, Bezos told executives to mull over three questions before extending a job offer1. Will you admire this partie?Bezos wrote that life is definitely too short to work with colleagues you dont admire.For myself, Ive always tried hard to work only with people I admire, and I encourage folks zu siche to be just as demanding, Bezos wrote.Before founding Amazon, Bezos worked at the startup Fitel, the former banking institution Bankers Trust, and the hedge fund D.E. Shaw Co. (Business Insiders Shana Lebowitz reported that Bezos actually based Amazons hiring process on his experience at D.E. Shaw.)In 1998, he encouraged his team to compare candidates to people they admired in their own lives.2. Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group theyre entering?Bezos didnt want candidates who were just good enough.We want to fight entropy, Bezos wrote. The bar has to continuously go up.Bezos asked his employees to visualize the company in five years.At that point, each of us should look around and say, The standards are so high now - boy, Im glad I got in when I did he wrote.Five years later, in 2003, the company posted its first ev er full-year profit, The New York Times reported.3. Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?Bezos has a penchant for enjoying unique meals hes partaken in the occasional sliver of iguana and has even ordered octopus for breakfast.In 1998, he revealed that he also likes to work with unique people, writing that its important to hire candidates with unique skills, interests, and perspectives that enrich the work environment for all of us, regardless of whether those traits are related to their jobs.Bezos gave a shoutout to an unnamed Amazon employee who he said was once a National Spelling Bee champion.He speculated that the person won the 1978 championship, but it was most likely Barrie Trinkle, who won the 1973 competition and worked for Amazon from 1996 to 2001.I suspect it doesnt help her in her everyday work, but it does make working here more fun if you can occasionally snag her in the hall with a quick challenge onomatopoeia Bezos wrote.This article first appeared on Business Insider.

February 2018 Jobs Report Summary

February 2018 Jobs Report SummaryFebruary 2018 Jobs Report SummaryThe hot labor market in the U.S. shows no signs of slowing. Employers added 313,000 jobs in February, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Thats the largest monthly gain since July 2016.February marked the 89 consecutive months of U.S. job growth. Over the past three months, job gains have averaged more than 242,000 per month. That figure reflects revised numbers for December and January According to the BLS, employment gains during those months were 54,000 more than previously reported.Job growth by sectorThe construction sector saw the biggest increase in job gains last month, with employers adding 61,000 positions. The BLS noted that this sector has added 185,000 jobs over the past four months.Another sector that experienced solid job growth last month welches professional and business services, which added 50,000 positions. Over the past year, that sector has created about 495,00 0 new jobs.Other highlights from the February jobs report includeThe manufacturing sector added 31,000 jobs.Employers in financial activities expanded payrolls by 28,000 jobs.Job growth in healthcare trended up by 19,000 jobs.Temporary help services created 27,000 new jobs.Unemployment rate steady at 17-year lowThe national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent for the fifth consecutive month. Thats the lowest level since December 2000. The unemployment rate for college-degreed workers who are 25 or older edged up slightly to 2.3 percent after holding at 2.1 percent for three months straight. These are the workers most highly sought-after by employers.The unemployment rates for many occupations are trending well below the national average, according to the BLS. Some examples, based on fourth-quarter figures from the agency, includeFinancial analysts 0.8 percentAccountants and auditors 1.8 percentSoftware developers 1.8 percentAdministrative assistants 2.8 percentWhat employers need to k nowDemand for specialized workers continues to run high, and these candidates are hard to find. One important tactic for hiring top talent in this highly competitive market is offering competitive compensation. Make sure your business is paying at least market rates - and, better yet, above market rates - to attract in-demand professionals.Robert Halfs Salary Guides can help you set starting salary ranges to land top talent. Get your Salary Guides nowNow is also a good time to re-evaluate compensation for your existing staff members to confirm these valued employees are earning a salary that is competitive for your market and industry. This exercise can help reduce the risk of turnover.Also, move swiftly to make job offers to promising candidates. Taking too long to decide on a potential hire could result in missing out entirely on the opportunity to recruit a great employee. Many highly skilled candidates have the luxury of weighing multiple job offers, particularly in top hiring markets. When competing for those professionals, be prepared to negotiate salary and benefits.What job seekers need to knowIts still early in the new year, which means many businesses are continuing to staff up for their 2018 initiatives and have hiring budgets to spend. Recruiting activity is brisk for many occupations right now, and professionals with specialized skills often receive multiple job offers.If you have in-demand skills, be sure your resume makes this clear to employers. The skills you emphasize should align with those mentioned in the job deutsche post ag youre responding to. And you want to clearly explain the outcomes of contributions youve made to previous employers. Even in a hiring market where the demand for skilled talent exceeds supply, a thoughtful and well-crafted resume can have a big effect on the interest you receive from hiring managers.