How to Research your local Job Market Building Your Future Now

How to Research your local Job Market Building Your Future Now Before diving full throttle into your job search it might be a good idea to do a little research on your local job market. Doing this can give you some insight on the biggest industries that are hiring in your local area as well as future trends of employment. It also gives you a perspective of what you can expect for your future especially if you are hired by a trending industrythere is a greater possibility of a job turning into a career! Access info on your local job market via Google One of the best references will be your business and employement development resources pages that are available on your city/county websites. It might be a hassle going through those websites, so just try Googling it. For example, try imputting Employment Trends in the Greater Toronto Area. Of course substitute Toronto for your town, region, or county. More than likely you will either be given a few pages that will give you what you need. Another resource that might appear is a short downloadable pdf booklet with a breakdown of local business and job/employment trends. Even if the report wasnt released recently dont fret: job and employment trends dont normally fluctuate drastically within a few years. Looking Around your Area Although the industry/ job report is a great tool for understanding your areas employment and future career opportunities, doing some leg work can add to finding out more about who is hiring. Look around for Were Hiring signs and inquire within. If you get a chance talk with a hiring manager or Human Resource professionalits a great way to get an idea what they are looking for. Be sure to ask about their industrywhat has been employment like? Is their industry growing? Reading reports are great, talking to those who work within the industry gives you an amazing personal perspective though. Business Development Resource Centre These places are sometimes under different names in the community and can either be private or public enterprises. They offer resources to small or medium businesses and entrepreneursreports, loan information, market analysis etc. Pop in and see if they can offer any unique prospectives of your local job market via growing businesses and industries within the region. Employment Job/Career Centres This is always a great place to seek more information in regards to the current job market in your local area. These places are often non-profits thus offering most resources, workshops and consultations for free. See if you can book some time with a job specialist and come prepared with questions! Chamber of Commerce Although you typically have to pay to be a member as well as being employed or being a business owner in the community. If you can fulfil both of these requirements, then your local chamber of commerce is one of best places to gain a unique protective of your areas job market. You will meet managers, executives and business owners from different industries in your area when you attend network meetings or special events. Ask them what they expect from their company or industries in the next few years. If they have been constantly hiring in the last few years for example there is clear demand for products or services they offer and perhaps a great place to land a job and build a career.

RECRUITERS Heres How to Source New Business When Your Pipelines Dried Up

RECRUITERS Heres How to Source New Business When Your Pipelines Dried Up Agency recruitment is full of really high highs and seriously  low lows. Consistency of workload is a sought-after luxury that very rarely eventuates; one minute you can be run off your feet, the next youre sat twiddling your thumbs wondering why no one in the whole world is hiring. Consultants  are constantly answering to monthly  and quarterly targets, that always forgiving of random quiet patches and stressful dry spells. In an ideal world, youd  have a constant flow of live jobs to work on, a network of quality candidates that continues to grow steadily each day, and multiple interviews happening each week. The placements would drop like dominos, one after the other, when theyre supposed to. Reality tells a different story though, and  sometimes the going gets really tough. Roles are cancelled after final interviews, candidates reject offers, businesses go on hiring freezes The list goes on. To top it all off, your bad luck snowballs into a huge mess right before the weekly sales meeting. John, how many live roles are you working on? None How many interviews have you got happening this week? None What is your pipeline looking like this month? What is a pipeline? When your pipeline  is hitting rock bottom,  you know its time  to exhaust every possible avenue for job leads. Where should you start? Reference checks When you need to find our whos hiring,  pick up the phone and reference check some of the candidates you are currently representing. Gain permission first from your candidate, and call the people they used to work for. Why? Because  these people  have hired in the past; your candidate is proof of that. Who knows, they might need your help filling a new hire? Even if they  arent currently growing their team, they might have a colleague who is. Candidate calls If youve got great relationships with  the candidates you are representing, or have done so in the past, give them a call to see if theyve heard of any leads. Ask them if they are being approached by any headhunters with specific roles (which they arent interested in applying for). Your candidates are living and breathing inside the industry you recruit for, they are often the ones who hear about open roles and might be able to point you in the right direction, to tell you which companies are hiring, and who you should be contacting. Social media ad chasing Its a tedious task, but searching the web looking for relevant ads can be a good place to start looking for new vacancies to work on, and new clients to attempt to develop business with. Use hashtags on Twitter and Facebook to search for companies who are recruiting in your industry, and search job boards to hone in on where the activity is online. Client calls Try calling old clients of yours, to check in on how things are going in their world, and whether you can help them with anything. They might have a colleague they know is recruiting someone in their team, or they might give you a heads up on a new position that will go out to agencies in the near future. If you give your clients a good service, they should be happy to help you out when you are in a time of need. Placement calls So youve placed a lot of candidates into their dream roles and while your clients put money in your pocket, your candidate got the service for free. The likelihood is that you are your placements favourite person, after all, you helped make their dreams come true. Why not give them a call, and ask if they know of any live vacancies you might be able to try get on your books? They will no doubt be well connected in your industry, and will most likely be super happy to help you out and point you in the right direction. Industry events Attend town halls or networking events relevant to the industry you recruit in. Actually meeting people face to face will give you the chance to strike up conversations with a load of potential candidates and clients. Youll be able to tell them that it seems to be rather quiet in the jobs market at the moment, and theyll tell you what they think. You should be able to ask them for a few leads, and share information that is useful to them, about the market in general and what their competitors are doing. People are likely to be more receptive to a face-to-face introduction, rather than to a random cold call. Image: Shutterstock

How to decide if you need a therapist

How to decide if you need a therapist I receive about fifty career questions each week. The questions have a predictable diversity, but not my answers. My answers are almost always the same advice: Know yourself better. Watch: Problem: My boss is a jerk. How can I fix it? Advice: Understand what you can do differently to make people act differently around you. Problem: My coworker got promoted instead of me but she does not work. Advice: Understand why you are not as likable as your coworker and make yourself more likable. Problem: Ive been out of the workforce for three years and I want to reenter. Whats the best way? Advice: Understand the unique things you can offer your network and an employer, then craft a resume that shows those things. Do you see the pattern? Self-knowledge is what helps you solve your problems. Sometimes we can get it on our own. But if your problem persists, and you cant solve it, go to therapy. Therapy speeds up the process of gaining self-knowledge. I can tell you that in my own experience, people who have been to therapy are more interesting than those who havent. (Which is the genesis of todays poll I have a hunch that many of you have been to therapy.) I will admit that I am probably biased about therapy. I have been going since I was five. My parents knew I was weird but didnt know what to do about it, so they took me to a therapist, and we sat at his desk, because play therapy had not been invented, and I wondered how he could have had such a boring job, and then he told my parents I didnt need therapy. But they kept sending me. Sometimes it worked: like when i was throwing up five times a day, on purpose, and I was in the mental ward with a great psychologist. And sometimes it didnt work, like when I was depressed in college and my therapist made a pass at me, in his office, while I was paying him, and I couldnt tell him off because he had prescribed me what was then an experimental dose of Prozac and I was hallucinating and I needed him to fix it. Sometimes you dont know if it works. Like when I went to marriage counseling with my not-now-husband. That counts as therapy even though you go together and usually there is not someone else in the room to distract you. Counseling worked because it forced us to look at what we would need to change to save the marriage, and my husband said forget it. He didnt want that change. So therapy helped us face the inevitable, faster. Thats what I mean by speeding things up. Of course, in business, you dont always want to work with those interesting, in-therapy people. My favorite people to do business with are actually the types who would never go to therapy unless their wives dragged them (a common reason for men to be in therapy, by the way). But in NYC and LA, going to therapy is something to brag about. Its like going to the gym. You are telling everyone, Look! I take care of myself. Really, going to a therapist serves like a good personal ad: Look! I understand how to be with myself and other people. But now that I live in Wisconsin I realize that most of the world thinks therapy is only for people who are messed up. Understanding why there is widespread misunderstanding about the usefulness of therapy is easy, though. Just think: in general, the people who do well in therapy are very interested in understanding themselves and interesting in changing themselves to more effectively meet their goals. Then it makes sense: people in big cities are generally optimizers wanting things to be better and better and not generally content. People in smaller cities are generally content with whats in front of them. So look at your weaknesses and ask yourself how much they bother you. If you have not been able to overcome them (and you want to), then see a therapist. Remember those men I love to do business withthe steady, strong performer types? Theyve always had coaching. So if you dont want therapy but you dont know where your weaknesses are to begin with, see a coach. But know that the people who cannot implement a coachs recommendations should see a therapist next. Of course, maybe not everyone needs therapy. Maybe lots of people would prefer a more relaxed pace of self-discovery. In this vein, Ill leave you with a great poem by Hal Sirowitz, who writes about therapy: Taking a Slow Train You shouldnt keep telling your girlfriend, my therapist said, that she needs to be in therapy. You might think that youre trying to help her, but she sees it as an insult. Not everyone needs therapy. Just like not everyone likes to take planes, Some people prefer to take their time travel by train. And she may not want to get rid of her anger right away. It seems like shes getting too much enjoyment out of it by directing it at you.

Balancing Family and Work Commitments with a Home Business

Balancing Family and Work Commitments with a Home Business Although many parents feel as though, after the birth of a child, that it’s their duty to stay at home and leave the world of business behind, many other parents feel like part of the role of a parent is to be able to be financially successful, enabling their child to be who they want to be and to do what they want to do. Despite this, the idea of leaving your child at home while you go out to work is too much for some parents, and so a great middle ground might be to run your business from home. This means that you’ll be able to earn money while taking care of your baby. SO, how do you set up your business at home and how do you balance your work and family commitments? Creating a Work Space The first thing you need to do is locate a space in your home where you can work from comfortably, in piece and quiet, but that is also close enough to your child so that you can attend to their needs. One of the main problems with working at home is being able to define when it’s work time and when it’s play time with your child. A way to get around this sort of issue is to create a “work zone” â€" essentially your home office â€" where you can do you work without distractions. Play Time Of course, the idea of a work zone isn’t to necessarily lock yourself in your room without distractions, as this defeats the purpose of moving home to look after your child. To ensure you spend plenty of time with your little one, have regular intervals of play time â€" perhaps once an hour or longer ones every couple of hours â€" that allow you to take a breather from your work, but also to dedicate yourself to the wants and desires of your little boy or girl. Adapting Your Business You might find at first that running a business from home isn’t the easiest thing in the world to adjust to. This is because there could be a reasonable number of elements of your workflow system that you’re going to have to re-configure for your home setting. This includes small tasks like changing your business address and your bills over to your home address, to larger tasks like figuring out how you’re going to ship products to global locations across the world. Thankfully, on the topic of delivery, there are a number of large courier services such as TNT Direct that can collect your products from your home address and ship them across the world in a timely fashion, so this obstacle doesn’t need to worry you too much. With more and more of the population shopping online, it’s now more important to be able to take advantage of those customers, from the UK or from around the world. This good news is that with some minor adaptation, your business can be selling to customers across the world â€" all from the comfort of your home and within the reach of your child. So there you have it: how to balance your family and work commitments with a home business.  

Does A Shorter Workweek Boost Workplace Productivity CareerMetis.com

Does A Shorter Workweek Boost Workplace Productivity The proposal of a four-day working week is a progressive idea as since 1926, employees in Britain have been working a five-day working week with Saturday and Sunday marked as the ‘weekend’, allocating a two-day break from working life.During the 1900s, pioneering car maker, Henry Ford, cemented the above measure by closing his factory doors on Saturday and Sunday. Factory work was prevalent during this period as the motor industry began to boom and staple its position in the British economy.evalIn 1998, the Working Times Regulation was introduced into UK legislation limiting the average maximum hours in a week to no more than 48 hours; however, you can opt-out of the 48-hour limit if your career path doesn’t require you to abide by this. Prior to the standardization of the five-day working week, the norm was to work six days a week which shows a gradual shift in mentality and consideration towards the way employees live their lives.Microsoft Japan Trials Four-day Working WeekOv er 100 years later, selective household names are pushing the tide towards a shorter working week with no decrease in pay to test if this boosts productivity and improves wellbeing. Microsoft, the multinational, technological corporation recently trialed a four-day working week in their Japan office throughout August by giving employees consecutive Fridays off, without a decrease in pay, as part of their ‘Work-Life Choice Challenge’’.The typical working week in Japan is made up of six days with workers carrying out 12-hour shifts, however, this can vary from five days to well over six days. Worlds apart from the working practices followed in the UK, Japanese labor law actually states that employees should only work 40 hours a week.Many employee cases of sudden death are attributed to ‘Karoshi’, meaning ‘death from overwork’ in Japanese. Exhaustion and stress following uncapped overtime is often the leading cause of heart attack and stroke in Japan, as illustrated in th e case of the broadcaster, Miwa Sado.She worked over 150 hours in the month leading up to her death, taking off just two days before dying of congestive heart failure.45 hours in overtime is allowed in one month but as this is only a recommendation, it is therefore non-binding. The toxic work culture in Japan is one of concern, as in many cases, the norm is to work unpaid overtime to fulfill employer expectations without kicking up a fuss.Microsoft Japan found that after trialing a four day week, sales per employee rose by 40 percent across their 2,300 person workforce. Following the trial, it was found that 92 percent of employees responded positively to the shorter working week. This also contributed to a decrease in resource-related costs, such as electricity, which is financially beneficial for the business. As face time with employees decreased following the reduction of one day, meetings were limited to 30 minutes, encouraging team members to work more efficiently and construc tively with one another. The Downfall of a Four-day Working Week evalIn reality, compressing five days’ work into four days can pose a great deal of pressure on your physical and mental health, triggering exhaustion, demotivation and a lack of gratification from your job as a result of heightened expectations. However, if you’re more satisfied, happy and less stressed, this improvement to your wellbeing could outweigh the compression of five days’ work into four.As your business adapts to this forward-thinking strategy, will others follow suit? It’s vital to question whether your customer base will understand this approach or reject it and turn to a traditionally operating competitor which better suits their needs. This brings into question how the business integrates into the market alongside key competitors offering longer opening times and greater exposure to staff and key account holders.In an age of digital storytelling, consumers are increasingly buying with a purpose from ethically, eco-friendly and moral conscious brands.The first step to granting customers the opportunity to shop ethically is to work in a transparent manner which also includes the fair treatment of staff. As an active promoter of flexible working, this has the power to attract new talent and bolster the reputation of the business.evalFor example, following the revelation in 2008 a fast fashion market leader, Primark, used child labor practices to produce clothing and Nike produced big label products in sweatshops, concerned consumers led a series of boycotts which contributed to the reputational damage of the business.In reverse, promoting workers’ rights and introducing modern working methods can improve your reputation and perception of the brand, possibly resulting in stronger financial performance.Why Boosting Morale Is Better for the Business?By boosting employee morale through flexible working, this encourages employee productivity which contributes to cost savings for the business and reduces the carbon footprint as fewer resources will be used.A white paper produced by Henley Business Schoolon adopting a four-day working week found that there are major cost savings for businesses that adopt this operational strategy. The white paper found that businesses operating on a four-day basis made the ‘combined savings…as high as £92 billion a year, 2% of total annual turnover.’In conclusion, the decision to take this step ultimately depends on your sector, client expectations and the effect this will have on business operations. As popularity garners for the non-traditional working week, the Labour party went a step further to propose a four-day working weekto ‘lay the foundations of a new society’ in their election manifesto last year. By reducing work-related mental strain and enforcing a shorter working week, this can improve employee wellness, reduce retention levels and standardize a new way of working.Source â€" Pexels.comTackling Unem ployment With a Shorter Working Week A reportby the think-tank, Autonomy, on the radical approach of a shorter working week was endorsed by John McDonnell, Labour Shadow Chancellor, who commented:“This is a vital contribution to the growing debate around free time and reducing the working week. With millions saying they would like to work shorter hours, and millions of others without a job or wanting more hours, it’s essential that we consider how we address the problems in the labor market as well as preparing for the future challenges of automation.”A shorter working week can help reduce unemployment and unlock numerous jobs for those without jobs, further cutting employment levels which were last recorded at 3.8% for the period between September and November 2019. This future proofs the UK economy by nurturing a nation of happier workers who are more satisfied having achieved an improved work-life balancethrough a shorter working week. evalAs the challenges relating to auto mation loom closer, the displacement of jobs is an inevitable associated result which will force job losses due to the economic shift. There is clear evidence which indicates this; however, this may also pave the way to the creation of a different line of jobs.A McKinsey reporton ‘Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained’, found that ‘between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world. Of the total displaced, 75 million to 375 million may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills.’ The report looks at the opportunities that arrive with automation, in addition to the jobs that will be dissolved following the arrival of automation.As John McDonnell pointed out, a loss of jobs as a result of automation may result in a surge in unemployment; however, this could be balanced by switching occupations or re-educating the workforce so they can acquire a new set of skills which complement automation. This could help faster-growing countries; however it could also stall the development of slower-moving, poorer countries as would have less investment to spend on education, upgrading equipment to allow for automation and operational flexibility for a shorter working week initiative.Maintaining Personal Wellbeing With a Shorter Working WeekOn the topic of mental health, personal satisfaction and wellbeing, Labour MP, Clive Lewis, commented on the study by Autonomy:eval“As this report demonstrates, working less may actually be the key to better distributed, sustainable economic prosperity. Working fewer hours, reducing consumption for its own sake, expanding our free time, improving ourselves and moving towards a more post-material society may be all that stands between a prosperous future and a dark, dystopian one.”In a world where there is more awareness around mental health, the integration of openly talking about mental health in the workplace is happening steadily. There are ded icated charities that can assist you in balancing your work-life pressures with personal life, such as MIND, who also offer training.A shorter working week is a universal measure that could relieve many of mental pressure, therefore increasing retention rates and productivity. As a result of increased satisfaction at work, this could reduce absences, both long term and short term as staff could take sufficient breathing space outside of work, helping to destress and motivate.Economic Effects of a Shorter Working WeekStrategies mitigating climate change, global warming and protecting the natural environment are increasingly moving higher up the agenda for businesses. It’s no surprise that countries are gearing up their environmental strategies in an attempt to act in a more eco-friendly manner.As the start of 2020 was marked by the devastating Australian Bushfires, the record-breaking wildfire was responsible for the death of millions of animals, raising the air quality level in Sy dney to 11 times the hazardous level, an event that puts the climate crisis into perspective.Looking closely at the carbon footprint of UK businesses, many have put strategies in place to achieve carbon neutrality or significantly reduce carbon emissions.For example, Lloyds Banking Group recently pledged to half carbon emissions that it finances over a period of ten years. As the UK economy takes a deeper interest in cutting emissions, the first port of call is an action for businesses.A shorter working week can help cut emissions due to reduced office opening hours and the drop in electricity and heating usage. By implementing an eco-friendly initiative in the workplace, this can encourage ethically conscious employees to emotionally invest in this area of the businesses, providing opportunities for them to work collaboratively by sharing new initiatives and developing a stronger, more personal connection with the business.On the whole, if employees have a reason to emotionally inv olve themselves with the business, their compassion and motivation could rub off on other employees, creating a pleasant work environment. By promoting a team effort and feeling a general likeness for the business, this could help attract clients due to the enthusiasm and strong belief that this represents in the leadership.On the other hand, if there’s negativity, this can easily cause friction between employees, dropping retention rates which could affect the financial performance of the business and team morale.Boosting workplace productivity with a shorter working week is an instrumental tool that can increase the happiness of your workforce, shining into their personal life. The benefits can spread widely across the business; however business owners should take into consideration the extra pressure this puts on employees if the expectations achieved within a five day week are applied to a shorter four-day working week.If the results show that productivity rises as shown in th e Microsoft study, this supports your argument for a four-day working week, however, you may decide to set a trial period before considering enforcing it full time.

3 tips to stay motivated during a prolonged job search - Sterling Career Concepts

3 tips to stay motivated during a prolonged job search 3 tips to stay motivated during a prolonged job search by Betsy WeberMorale can dip from the stress and uncertainty that comes along with job search activity. Being proactive is critical to minimizing it. When I talk with clients, I remind them of three ways to stay positive and focused: 1. Focus on short-term wins. If your only focus is on the end goal of getting a new job, youre setting yourself up for disappointment and periods of low morale. Celebrate your small victories along the way! 2. A job search is similar to running a marathon. The process of securing an offer for a new position does not happen overnight even in stronger job markets. You have to pass through the same stages. Nowadays, they are just spaced further apart. Along the way, give yourself permission to stop and recognize the important mile markers as you pass them. 3. Set an attainable weekly goal such as 5 new contacts for the week. Then reward yourself when you achieve it. And a fourth bonus tip is to share your news. Positive energy is contagious. You’re excited â€" let your family and friends be excited for you as well! Be proud that you got a call back for a second round interview! Recognize and celebrate your advances and know you are one or two steps closer to your end goal.

How to Write a Resume For University

How to Write a Resume For UniversityIf you're searching for tips on how to write a resume for university, then this article was written to give you that information. This is a long-standing strategy in the job search arena. And it's still considered the first step to landing the job.Most college and university work experience are included on the application. But your length of service and hours worked is often omitted. This omission should be more than just a big surprise. It doesn't do much good for you if a prospective employer asks 'Did you have any work experience at this school?'In order to have all the details spelled out for you in one short spot, you can take advantage of using an online job and college search service. A job and college search database will give you access to lists of employers by name. You don't even have to type your search anymore because it automatically finds the job you're looking for. It saves time, as well as gives you a better chance of finding the p erfect job that matches your profile.A career advisor or an academic career counselor can also provide you with helpful career advice, but they probably won't be the best resource you can turn to when trying to figure out how to write a resume for university. With any luck, these professionals have some experience in the job search arena. But still, they're not the right place to learn about writing a resume for university.All of the major online services that offer job searches also offer employment and resume writing help from professional resume writers. Why take the time and trouble to send a resume to hundreds of employers when you can contact just one expert at one place? You can often save yourself the time and hassle of submitting countless resumes yourself and get a quick response that lists the requirements of every hiring company.The easiest way to find a professional resume writer to write a resume for a university is to go to your school's school page. You may even want to submit a resume for each school in your area. Every time you complete a job search, send in a resume, or even visit your school's website to apply for admission, you're becoming an active part of the job search and putting yourself in the driver's seat of where you'll be positioned after you get accepted into the school.While you're still learning how to write a resume for a university, it's important to remember to remain organized and never, ever include any personal information on your resume. If you have to write a 'family history'first grade teacher', that's too personal and inappropriate. You're no longer applying for the same position so you shouldn't mention your old school just because.When it comes down to it, just remember to list your educational achievements, but remember to never include any personal information such as your former names, your high school teachers, your class schedule, etc. Any information that you might put on your resume should be eliminated for now, but you can use this time to think about how you'd like to present yourself when applying for a job.