Careers & Recruitment Blog

Another strategy for you to consider if you are considering a move to a new career is to work with temp agencies for a short period of time. Temp agencies are essentially contracted by wide range of clients who are seeking help that may last anywhere from a few hours, to a few days, or even a few months. As the agencies receive requests for manpower from their clients, they comb through their databases and match particular jobs with resumes that match the qualifications needed for an assignment. The candidate then goes out on their own to perform the work, and receives paychecks for work done through the agency itself. For those still in school, temping can provide opportunities similar to internships. But since not all internships are paid, temping is a surefire way to get paid, while also building up a resume - when you don’t have a full-time gig. Often times the temp gigs themselves become full-time opportunities, but this happens very rarely. At the very least however, the gig can certainly be a source of referrals. At the other end of the spectrum, citing the variety of jobs that are potentially always available, some have even made full-fledged careers out of temping. There are drawbacks such as being mismatched for assignments, no benefits, and being treated very impersonally by agencies, especially in large cities such as New York and Chicago and making a full-time career of temping can also mean less likelihood of being hired permanently. However, for some, it can be a great way to build skills in an industry they want to break into.

Although the official job reports that the government and private economists put out every few weeks or so may sound like there is a lot to be desired in our economy of late, in fact there are job opportunities that abound in many sectors including ones such as healthcare . The key is to not get caught up in the headlines but to do your homework in the job listings (or online). The reality is that the job losses that have occurred over the last decade and more, and that still are occurring, are mainly manufacturing jobs. Meanwhile the service-sector of the economy continues to expand. In particular, jobs continue to abound for healthcare professionals including many entry-level positions. The health-care industry actually dominates in terms of creation of new jobs. The reasons for this are not hard to decipher: one need only examine demographic trends to notice the continued aging of the general American populace as well as the bumper crop of baby boomers now moving into their golden years. Health assistants (including physician assistants and health aides), physical therapists and their aides, and also medical/hospital administrators are all areas that projected to grow strongly over the next 5-10 years. In addition, it is to be noted that all these hot careers are not only places with the brightest openings these days, but also among the most well-paying ones as well.

A resume is more than a snapshot of your professional life. It is a document that instantly communicates your worth as a candidate, but which only has at most a minute to do just that. It is very important that you present as clean and clear a resume as possible in terms of its appearance and what it conveys. In order to achieve such cleanliness and clarity, keep in mind the following few tips. When applying for a specific position, assess what specific qualities you have that complement the position you are applying for and make sure you highlight them in your objective. In turn, good advice is to definitely have an objective. In wading through reams of resumes, a hiring manager’s attention is going to hone in on those with objectives listed. It definitely stands out for they highlight a purpose-driven candidate. When it comes to listing your work experience, write in a first-person active voice as that comes off stronger. Also, first prioritize your job responsibilities and if your resume is getting long, leave out less important duties. It is preferable to keep your resume concise, which means no longer than one page. Finally, try to have another set of eyes edit your resume, in addition to the spelling/grammar checker on your word processor. It’s easy to overlook an “a” which should be an “and” or “an”.

Given that men and women in today’s workforce change careers an average of 2-4 times over the course of their working lives, the statistics appear to imply that the probability of breaking from one’s current career path is as high as a marriage dissolving, if not more. In both cases, it is easy to see that one must be financially prepared to weather the loss of income or loss of financial support from a partner. If you are considering changing careers, it is advisable to have cash reserves of anywhere from 6-8 months. This recommended time frame only increases as one is considering acquiring any needed education before embarking on the process of looking for a new job in their new career, or if one is considering opening up their own business. For the latter, experts advise having a cash cushion of at least 2 years. In addition to cash reserves, take stock of your insurance coverage. For health insurance you may look into extending your coverage with COBRA for example. In addition, pay attention to the status of your retirement savings plan with your employer. If you are on the cusp of having plans vest then you actually may want to consider delaying jumping ship. And even after you have left, consider rolling over your plans so that you can keep tabs on them. As with any gradual changes in life, planning goes a long way. So with career transitioning, be prepared well in advance with your finances so that you can concentrate on making yourself happy in your eventual new position and career path.

Recruitment agencies are similar to the specialists on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange who match buyers and sellers. The agencies for their part serve to match job posters and job seekers. In doing so however the agency can be expected to go through a type of life cycle wherein it is either working with a business on openings, identifying applicants, or placing candidates. These general areas of the recruitment timeline serve to demarcate the tasks that an agency is most focused upon. For example, in working with a business, a recruitment agency would be most focused upon marketing their search services to employers. Then, in identifying applicants, the agency would move to combing through its database of candidates to identify ones who best fit openings they are working to fill. The identification process involves not only interfacing with a candidate but also prepping interested candidates for interviews and subsequent debriefings on their candidacies. And finally, in placing selected candidates, the agency is focused upon working with businesses to draft offers of employment including pay and benefits specifications, as well as helping both the business and the candidate to transition smoothly into the new job.