Commuting to a New Job Opportunity
Posted: February 22, 2011 Filed under: Career Development | Tags: Job Search Tips and Strategies, Job Security, Resume and Career Articles Comments OffCan I get there on time?
How far is the commute to your new job? Do you have dependable transportation or are you utilizing public transportation? Is your work schedule or shift variable or fixed?
A long commute may seem reasonable during the honeymoon period of your new job or when you are considering accepting the job offer. However, do consider the long term challenging affects a long commute may have throughout your employment with your new company. Are you prepared to make a long or difficult commute every single day? Will inclement weather introduce any unforeseen challenges? If you are unable to utilize public transportation, which is often common for US based employment, consider additional items such as parking, tolls, and fuel expenses. Is carpooling or ride sharing an option?
Consider all of these and any additional potential issues before you accept a new job offer. Simply speaking, if you can not guarantee that you will have a way to get to and from work every single day, then you should consider not accepting the job offer until you have your transportation issues resolved. You do not want a new job opportunity to end because of transportation challenges.
Using a Salary Calculator for Hourly and Annual Pay
Posted: February 21, 2011 Filed under: Job Search | Tags: Job Security, On the Job News, Resume and Career Articles, Writing Advice and Recommendation Comments OffAm I getting paid fairly?
After job hunting, submitting job applications, and interviewing you may be willing to accept any job offer that is presented to you. Depending on the current status of the job market, the competition in your specific industry, your professional experience, job skills, education or degrees; choosing the right career opportunity will often encompass the issue of financial compensation as part of your decision. Am I getting paid fairly? What are my other coworkers in my field earning and can I expect to earn the same pay?
If your industry or the current job market is highly competitive or the overall national unemployment rate is high you may be willing to accept any job offer with little consideration give to the market salaries. However, if you have an opportunity to enter into negotiations, look at your long term career opportunities as a whole. Is the job offer comparable to the average salary your industry pays? If you are unsure about your industries pay rates, talk to others in your career field by asking them a range of salary expectations you could expect. Never ask a coworker what they earn, always refer to any hourly pay rate or salary in terms of a range. Use Google and other online salary calculators to obtain a guideline what your potential earnings should be for your industry. A note of caution, be sure any salary calculator or hourly pay rate apply to the specific city or state, regional location, and level of employment. There are significant differences in salary compensation based on the geographical location, cost of living index. The cost of living index determines whether or not salaries should be higher or lower depending on the overall cost of residency in a specific location. You can not necessarily assume what a coworker in one state earns is exactly comparable to another state or region.
Having received a job offer can be an exciting moment at any career level, more so in a challenging job market. Do consider all your options, especially the compensation package being offered. In the long run, you may regret accepting a salary that is too low.
Responding to a Job Offer Letter
Posted: February 19, 2011 Filed under: Career Development | Tags: Career Success, On the Job News, Writing Advice and Recommendation Comments OffNext week, we will begin a five part article series on responding to a job offer letter. Before accepting a job offer or declining a job offer there are many questions you need to consider. What room do you have for negotiations if the job market is challenging. Will you get paid what your skills are worth? How do you compare several offers? What compromises if any will you be faced with and how should you respond to value conflicts? In this series we will examine several job offer letter questions and responses for various situations.
2011 Technology Career Outlook
Posted: February 18, 2011 Filed under: Job and Resume News | Tags: Career Success, Job Security, On the Job News, Resume and Career Articles Comments OffInternet technology or IT careers are the focus in 2011 and will remain throughout 2012. Hiring trends across most technology fields are significantly flat compared to those in the IT fields as the majority of US based corporations and government agencies firm up their internal technology infrastructure.
This move to internet technology careers are in stark contrast to the 2001 technology dotcom bubble where tech careers were viewed as toxic after the internet bubble burst. In 2001, most software professionals, computer science and software engineers experienced mass layoffs. Now, ten years later we are experiencing a massive reversal in the IT career sector as nearly all tech jobs are calling for all levels of IT network professionals, network security, data security, and data storage specialists. Other technology, scientific, and engineering careers sense 2009 have seen a substantial decline in job openings across all defense and commercial sectors. Technology hardware and physical product design and development careers have stalled in the wake of corporate and defense cutbacks flooding the job market with an overabundance of highly skilled technology labor. Many MS and PhD advanced degreed applied science and engineering professionals have found themselves pushed out of the job market for the first time in their professional careers. As one unemployed senior electrical engineering put it, “I’ve been in the workforce for over 20 years, with a BS in EE and an MBA. I am told that I’m over qualified and no one will even hire me for junior level positions because they called me a Flight Risk”. [Speaking to the company's position where this employee would potentially leave after their job market improves].
While the technology trend throughout 2011 and 2012 appear to center on IT related careers, one note of caution should be considered. Similar to the cellular industry throughout the late 1990′s, the longevity of IT careers, specifically to network infrastructure and broadband access will experience a rapid decline in career options once the IT networks foundation is established. Careers in network or internet technology support will still remain, but the bulk of the high paying jobs will most often focus on network security and data manipulation.
Resume Templates
Posted: February 14, 2011 Filed under: Featured, Resume Writing | Tags: How to Write a Resume, Writing a Resume, Writing Advice and Recommendation Comments Off
Using standardized resume templates, either a free template or a general step by step resume software product, can simplify the resume writing process. However, many sample resume templates are only as good as the examples they provide.
A free resume template is a great way to initially begin the resume writing process, but they are only the first step in how to write a resume. Resume templates are just as their name defines a box template that your information is placed into. Very little concern is given to the order and flow of your information, and specific qualifications you can provide to your employer.
For example, many resume templates will use a resume objective, often displayed right up top. Although, in nearly all cases we highly recommend not using a resume objective, but rather use a summary of your qualifications and skills that best matches the job position, career field, or your professional industry. We put together a free resume writing video specifically on this topic here.
Overall, any resume writing templates or examples should be used as a basic guide in helping you pull together your professional experience, education, and skills. But to compete in this highly competitive job market you will often be required to further develop and customize your resume to uniquely fit your specific qualifications and employment situation.