Should You Stay or Should You Go? 4 Things to Consider Before Looking For a New Job 

How do you know when it’s time to move on? Sometimes it is an easy choice – you’re feeling underappreciated or overworked, your commute is horrible or the work isn’t fulfilling. But what if there’s nothing really wrong with your current job? It’s ok to want a better work situation, or to take a step in an entirely new career direction. Sometimes it’s the best way to move your career forward and grow as a person. 

If you’re up in the air about what to do, here are some things to think about before you send out that resume: 

1. You already have a job. The grass may not always be greener someplace else! Even if you feel like your efforts aren’t being fully recognized or fairly rewarded, at least you know the paychecks are coming in. 

2. You have great co-workers. Most people spend more time each day with their coworkers than they do with their families. If you are surrounded by people who make you feel comfortable and happy on a daily basis, that may be more valuable than the excitement of a new opportunity. 

3. You have a benefits package. As the number of contract jobs increase, fewer employees are being offered health insurance coverage and other standard benefits that come with permanent positions. Are you willing to take on the responsibility of researching and purchasing needed benefits?  

4. Your company is stable. Joining a startup can be exciting but it can also be risky. Thousands of companies are formed each year and not all of them survive. Are you the type of person who can handle the ups and downs of a unproven workplace? 

Bring a positive attitude to wherever you work and vow to learn and grow as much as you can, as an employee and as a person. If your efforts to create a new outlook still leave you feeling like you’re lacking in the “career joy” department, then start exploring new, potentially greener turf in the coming year.

Hey Jobseeker - When it Comes to Resumes, it’s the Little Things

Recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for each job they post and many of them have quick ways to weed through those that don’t stand out from those that are a good match for the job. While there are a lot of call-outs on your resume that will get you in the door for an interview, there are a few small things you can do to keep you ahead of the pack.

1. Title of your resume file. Your name and Resume. That’s it! Make it easy for the recruiter and hiring managers to find your resume. We get all sorts of resumes sent to us with file names such as initials, version numbers, ‘professional resume’, etc.  These can be distracting and take away from the important thing about the resume – you!

2. Match your skills to the job. Make sure the skills you highlight in the top portion of your resume are a match for the skills in the job description. It may be more time consuming to change it for each position but it will keep your resume from appearing generic.

3. Spell check! It’s easy, painless and will show that you paid attention when putting your resume together. This brings us to….

4. Attention to Detail. Make sure all your information, job titles and company names are correct. We recently received a resume that listed San Diego, IL at the top – a city that doesn’t exist. A small detail but it made us wonder if they would bring the same lack of attention to their job.

We see these mistakes more than you would think. These tidbits are easily fixed and are often just oversights. Take the time to really review your resume and fine tune it – it could help you get that next interview!

 

New Year, New Job. No Problem. Four things to keep in mind when starting a new job.

It’s the new year, maybe you’ve landed a new job?  If so, congrats!  We know that once you’ve set foot on unfamiliar turf, you might be feeling like a fish out of water.   It’s tough to leave a job where you know the spot for everything (paper, coffee, the quiet conference room, etc.) and know everyone (receptionist, manager & your favorite co-workers).  When you start a new job, that goes out the window.   You may be clueless about the day-to-day workings of your new job.   Let’s face it, you’re the new kid on the block.  You need to learn all the basics and who the players are.   Here are few things to keep in mind when starting a new job.

You deserve it.  This is an important one so we’ll say it again, you deserve it.   You’ve been hired because the boss believes that you can handle it. You have something to offer.  Feel the pride.

Relax.  Every day you will know more than you did the day before.  It sounds basic, but it’s true, it gets easier.   Most likely, on day one, you’re not going to have a calendar full of meetings and a list of projects to tackle.  Although it may feel weird, this is normal. Take the time to ease into your new role and company.   Set up your work space, record that dreaded first voice mail and, most of all, relax and enjoy it.

Recreate Yourself.  Chances are that most people in your new company are new to you… and you’re new to them.  You’re a blank slate.  It’s a great chance to work on those things that might be ‘developmentals’ from your previous job and make them your strengths.   For example, no one is going to know that you didn’t win a gold medal in follow up skills.   Now is the time to be the ‘all-time follow up champ’.   If you think about it, this is your chance to learn from the past and make these little career nuggets your strengths.  You’ll be surprised how easy it is.

Grow.  Let this new job take you in the direction that you see your career heading and find fulfillment in your new role.  We believe you should really like what you do.  If you do, it will fuel your career and make the days zip by.  You’re going to be spending a lot of time and energy in your new job.  Love it and it will nourish your career…. and you.