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#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -How Can You Make Yourself Sound Better on Your #Resume ?

July 9, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Your resume is your primary personal marketing tool in the job search. You very well may have the chops for whatever role you’ve set your sights on, but you can still come up short if your resume is missing the mark on reflecting your skill set.

These five tips will provide essential marketing flair while ensuring you never have to exaggerate or bend the truth when it comes to your career.

Convert accomplishment numbers

Decreasing spending by $10,000 in a quarter might sound like a lot of money in your current role, but you may be applying for a role where $10,000 is a fairly insignificant amount. However, updating your resume to reflect that you were able to reduce spending by 20% is a much more digestible statement, regardless of the sample size. Converting all dollar amounts, pageviews, or revenue gains to percentages that reflect growth or year-over-year change will make all of your accomplishments sound much more impressive to hiring managers.

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Don’t be afraid to brag

Think of your resume as an abbreviated quarterly report or project debrief that you’d deliver at work: It needs to provide context, details, and results to reflect the hard work that went into making something a success. Therefore, being your own cheerleader is essential. So is making sure your responsibilities or day-to-day tasks don’t outweigh the measurable accomplishments throughout your most recent roles. If tooting your own horn isn’t something you feel particularly comfortable with, hiring a professional resume writer can help take the pressure off.

Stand out from the crowd

Rewriting your resume is the perfect time to think about what makes you unique as a professional. Hiring managers see tons of cookie-cutter resumes with bland objective statements on a daily basis; identifying a few specific points about your individual skill set will set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool. Are you a marketer with HTML skills? An operations manager with a background at Fortune 500 companies? A multilingual analyst? Once you’ve found your specific edge, don’t be afraid to highlight it in your resume and cover letter (and LinkedIn profile summary, while you’re at it!).

Address specific points from the job posting

A common mistake job seekers make is not customizing their resume for every application they make. Remember that a recruiter or hiring manager is looking for incredibly specific qualities in a candidate, and if your resume doesn’t address those points, it’s likely to end up in an application black hole. For example, if a role will focus heavily on P&L or developing a loyalty program or managing a large team of cross-functional direct reports, make sure your experience tied to these focus areas are front and center on your resume when you send in your application.

Don’t leave gaps in employment

Periods of under- or unemployment are not uncommon in our current workforce, and there are several techniques to address them effectively on your resume. If you’re stumped on how to work with these gaps yourself, a professional resume writer can work to equip you with the tools you need for your specific set of circumstances.

GlassDoor.com | July 2, 2019 | Posted by Rachel Fletcher

#BestofFSCBlog : #Recruiting – Nine(9) Reasons to Hire a Candidate Without Experience. Focus on Skillsets vs. Experience.

July 8, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

With more and more candidates being hired who have little or no industry-specific experience, we need to think about why this is the case.

Here are 9 reasons you may want to consider doing it before you post your next job listing.

Inexperienced hires will require lower salaries than experienced professionals

Salary is one of the main hurdles when you want to hire someone with lots and lots of experience. From their point of view, they served their time, built up an impressive track record, and they should be compensated accordingly. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that you’ll have to pay out more money to get the person you want.

Inexperienced workers, on the other hand, are far more likely to be amenable to starting at a lower pay grade. What’s more, if you run a business for a young audience that often is on a budget, it may be reasonable to look for beginner employees. They will show greater readiness to do various kinds of work for moderate pay. For instance, best college writing services do just that. All you need to do then to sweeten the deal is talk about their prospects for progression and you’ll have them motivated from day one.

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Negotiation is likely to be a lot quicker and easier

There’s a lot more to signing someone from a competitor than matching or improving their salary. They’ll likely have a list of perks and demands that will take considerable time to work through. An inexperienced candidate won’t come with any such baggage, and you should be able to agree on terms in a couple of quick phone calls or emails. Ideal if you want to get your new member of staff onboard as quickly as possible.

People always remember the boss who gave them their first big break

When you start hiring for potential, you have the advantage of fostering loyalty with your new hire. They’ll be grateful for having been given the opportunity which means that they’re going to be considerably easier to retain over the long haul. Ideal if you want to create a long-serving team that you can rely on for years to come.

Inexperienced people will not be wedded to a particular way of doing things

If you hire someone who has worked at a competitor for the past 20 years, then they’re sure to be able to tell you a lot about how they used to do things. Whilst this can be insightful, it can also slow things down.

Someone who has no prior experience won’t be tied to a particular way of thinking, or keen to promote a certain way of doing things that they’ve done in the past. This is ideal if you want to get someone onboard from day one.

They can be easier to assimilate into your corporate culture

When someone joins your company and it’s their first ever position, it’s quite easy to get them to buy into your culture. They’re far less likely to question why certain procedures are done the way they are, and if you tell them you would like them to dress a certain way when meeting clients, they’ll just get on with it.

This isn’t to say that experienced hires would make for objectionable members of your team. Rather than it is particularly easy to promote uniformity and group identity with someone who has no prior experience.

Candidates without experience will bring new ideas to the table

New ideas for products, services, and improving throughput should be welcomed with open arms. If you want to be able to stay ahead of your competitors, you need to promote a culture of innovation and creativity.

By bringing in candidates with no previous experience, you’re inviting people with different backgrounds and mindsets to the table. This can be particularly useful if you want to be able to discover the next big thing by turning current thinking on its head.

Even the best and brightest will start with no experience

There was a time when the CEO of any company in the world was a new hire with no experience. This means that it’s wrong to dismiss people purely because they can’t demonstrate as much experience as some of the other applicants.

If you structure your application process so that it challenges people, then you’ll be able to see firsthand how each of the applicants approaches a problem. If you can create a practical problem they need to solve in the interview then this is a great way to see how their mind works. Not only that, but if you can make it a problem no one has tackled before, then you can ensure experience has a limited role to play. This is the secret uncovering the difference between intelligence and familiarity.

It allows you to recruit from outside your own narrow niche

Some people will think that by looking at applicants with less experience, you’re bound to get nothing but under-qualified new hires. Not only is this untrue, it also closes your eyes to the fact that you’re often recruiting from the same narrow talent pool.

In today’s world, the job market is awash with specialists. Each works in their own narrow sector, has its own jargon, procedures, and ways of doing things. Sometimes by going outside of your own immediate niche, you can connect with people who are extremely talented, but have been working in seemingly unrelated areas. Make a virtue of their different approach to doing things, and it’s your business that will reap the rewards.

They are more likely to work harder to prove themselves

You want your staff to be loyal, and you also need them to be motivated to do the best job they possibly can every single day they come to work. If you hire someone with little or no experience, and then tell them that they will progress quicker if they work harder and do a better job, they’ll produce an incredible level of output.

This is ideal if you want to create a culture in which everyone feels empowered to improve as individuals, and to make a telling contribution to the progress of the company as a whole.

About the Author: Daniela McVicker is a Career Coach and a major contributor to our FSC Career Blog & to RatedbyStudents . She’s also a business communication coach, helping future job applicants to write business emails to help them achieve success on their career paths.

FSC Career Blog | July 8, 2019 | Daniela McVicker- FSC Career Blog Guest Contributor

#CareerAdvice : #JobPostings -12 Companies That Will Pay You to Travel the World. Great REad!

July 8, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You’ve been bitten by the travel bug. But you don’t have to wait for your vacation days to kick in to travel the world; you can go global with your job instead. These companies are searching for employees who are willing to travel on the job.

So if you’re ready to travel the world, check out this list, polish your resume, and apply for a new gig.

Scopely

Where Hiring: Culver City, CA
What Roles: Director of Product Growth, Liveops Manager, Lead Technical Product Manager, User Researcher, Senior Server Engineer, User Acquisition Analyst, Customer Service Lead, Dev QA Tester, 2D Artist & more.
What Employees Say: “A lot of talented people who are driven Good perks including lunch, massages, company trip, etc. Focus on impact. If you are on a game that generates a lot of revenue, your promotions are set.” —Current Employee

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Advantech

Where Hiring: San Francisco, CA; Byron, GA; Irvine, CA; Fall Ricer, MA & more.
What Roles: Business Development Manager, Marketing Specialist, Help Desk Specialist, Help Desk Level 1 Support Tech, Inside Sales Representative, Key Account manager, Assembly Technician, Application Engineer & more.
What Employees Say: “1. Company trip (this year to Big Island, Hawaii) 2. Weekly Friday breakfast (company cooked to Catering Food) 3. Monthly Friday lunch (fastfood to catering Food) 4. Monthly/Quarterly bonus for sales related positions 5. 10 hour/month accruing PTO 6. Work from home policy after 1 years of employment (1 day per month to 4 days per month) 7. Annual $1500 education fund to spend on any educational purpose events/programs of your liking 8. Great health/dental/eye insurance plan ..there are more to come, company has pretty good benefits.” —Former Employee

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Schellman & Company

Where Hiring: Tampa, FL & San Francisco, CA
What Roles: Senior IT Auditor, Senior Penetration Tester, Contracts Administrator & more.
What Employees Say: “The work is challenging yet rewarding, great clients, the CEO is down to Earth and a legend, paid certifications and training, remote when not traveling, bonuses are great, competitive pay, welcoming home office, great work-life balance (if you use your vacation), company trip is always a blast.” —Current Employee

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Bain & Company

Where Hiring: Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA; Houston, TX; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Minneapolis, MN & more.
What Roles: Global Training Coordinator, Global Human Capital Analyst, Global Recruiting Associate, Product Analyst, Innovation Expert, Product Editor & more.
What Employees Say: “Fun and supportive culture, with strong focus on coaching and mentorship. Wide range of opportunities within the company (travel, transfers etc.)” —Current Employee

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Delta Air Lines

Where Hiring: Atlanta, GA; Minneapolis, MN; Denver, CO; Miami, FL & more.
What Roles: Global Engagement Manager, Customer Service Agent, Project Leader, Lead Supply Attendant, Business Intelligence Specialist, Senior Project Leader, First Officer & more.
What Employees Say: “Delta is always about safety, our customers, and our employees. I could not imagine working for any other company. I’m fortunate to have such a wonderful long career with them.” —Current Employee

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Travel Nurses Inc.

Where Hiring: Mesquite, TX; Austin, TX; Memphis, TN; Lebanon, NH; Orlando, FL; New Orleans, LA & more.
What Roles: Rehab Therapy, RN, Ultrasound Tech, ORT, Technician, Senior Clinical Nurse Manager, Tech in Surgery, PT, Sonography Nurse, Case Management & more.
What Employees Say: “Family atmosphere. Nurse owned and operated. The people in the corporate office, as well as the amazing nurses out in the field, are the best to work with hands down.”—Current Employee

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The Center for American Education and Culture

Where Hiring: China
What Roles: English (ESL) Teachers
What Employees Say: “Helpful with every process transitioning to teaching and living in China.” —Current Employee

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US Department of State

Where Hiring: Washington DC; Los Angeles, CA; White Plains, NY
What Roles: Foreign Service Officer, Medical Provider, Information Management Specialist, Security Technical Specialist & more.
What Employees Say: “Foreign Service Officers in consular work make decent money and work decent hours. You get opportunities to see the world, to be involved in policy decisions, and occasionally to work on high-profile issues with high-level people. Coworkers are often good company and the work environment is generally low-stress.” —Current Employee

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WeWork

Where Hiring: San Francisco, CA; Washington DC; New York, NY; Denver, CO; Mexico City, MX; Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China & more.
What Roles: Senior Program Manager, Private Events Lead, Experiential Marketing Manager, Program manager, Labs Manager, Director of Operations, Experience Associate, Senior Director of Program Management Office & more.
What Employees Say: “Flexible work arrangement, get to join events, alongside some free food on certain days when events are held. Staff benefits do pretty well. Allows remote working too. If you like company events, the summer camp and annual summit will excite you.” —Current Employee

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Glassdoor

Where Hiring: Mill Valley, CA; London, England; Chicago, IL; Dublin, Ireland & more.
What Roles: Director of Customer Success, Associate Product Analyst (Italy), Brand Designer, Director of Learning & Development, Creative Director of Brand Design, Sales Development Manager & more.
What Employees Say: “In the CS department, I really felt that he cared about the team’s successful, as well as my own personal success. My managers supported and empowered me, and the position of CS within the company became one where CSMs were respected for the work they did and looked up to as experts in a number of areas.” —Current Employee

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Dream Vacations

Where Hiring: Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Washington, DC; Charlotte, NC; Philadelphia, PA; Dallas, TX & more.
What Roles: Travel Agent, Vacation Specialist, Dream Vacations Franchise Owner, Personal Cruise Consultant, Vacation Planner & more.
What Employees Say: “I’ve made the right decision for me, and if you have a passion for travel I truly believe this company can help you achieve your dream. They are a large company that puts their own money up to help you promote business and every person I’ve dealt with there seems to have a unique interest in helping you succeed.” —Current Employee

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Boston Consulting Group

Where Hiring: Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Seattle, WA; Detroit, MI & more.
What Roles: Project Leader, Principal, Lead Machine Learning Engineer, Expert Principal/Associate Director, Pricing Expert Consultant, Expert Associate Director, Program Lead & more.
What Employees Say: “Extraordinary colleagues, high-impact work, access to world-class clients, great training and development, good salary and benefits.” —Former Employee

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GlassDoor.com | July 5, 2019 | Posted by Jillian Kramer

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer -5 Things I Wish My #Boss Didn’t Know About Me. A MUst REad for All!

July 5, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Recently, a friend of mine was fired from her job of 11 years. The reason was for a violation of a policy – a policy that had never been strictly enforced. Her evaluations during her first 10 years had been impeccable.

During that 11th year, her teenage son had developed behavioral issues and she was forced to leave work on several occasions, using personal and sick time to do so. She was honest with her boss about the situation. To this day, she is pretty certain that the termination was due to her rate of absenteeism and the fact that her boss knew her son had drug abuse issues. He was looking for a reason to fire her.

Of course we know that workplace discrimination is illegal. And companies are very careful about this. Other discrimination, however, can be very subtle and even occur at a subconscious level on the part of a boss. Knowing about my friend’s experience, I have assessed my own situation, and now wish my boss didn’t know certain things about me. And it’s not stuff like my online degree. It’s the more personal stuff.

Here are 5 things he(My Boss) knows that probably won’t get me fired but may color her perceptions when it is time for raises or promotions.

My Political Affiliation

My politics are no secret, as anyone who views my Facebook page knows. And I am pretty open about them with co-workers. My boss clearly knows, and that could influence her decision about a promotion, because we are not on the same side of the spectrum.

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My Wife’s Income

My wife holds a top executive position, and while my boss doesn’t know her exact salary, she certainly can guess the range. My boss might not think I “need” a big raise because we are doing well already, and a promotion might go to someone else who is struggling more than me financially.

My “Second” Job

I do some freelance work on the side, not because I need the money, but because it is nothing like the work I do during the day, and I enjoy it. Now I am wondering if my boss thinks I am not giving my “all” to the company. And if the company ever adopts a policy against moonlighting, she’ll have to address it with me. If I hadn’t opened my mouth, it would never become an issue.

I Was in Therapy Once

To me, going to therapy if there are personal issues is the smart thing to do. I now realize that there is still a stigma attached to this in the minds of many, and I wonder if that includes my boss. She could worry that I might become unstable.

My Religion (or Lack Thereof)

I am an agnostic, and am very open about this. And in the course of a few casual conversations during happy hours, my boss and co-workers now know this. This was probably not a wise move, since I now know that my boss is a strong Christian. Could this impact my future? I don’t know, but my beliefs should have remained private.

My friend’s experienced has wizened me. If I leave my current job for a new position, I know what I won’t reveal ever again.

FSC Career Blog | July 5, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #EmploymentLaw -When Is An Employer’s Reason For Firing You Actually A Pretext For #AgeDiscrimination ?

July 2, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In employment litigation, some of the most important evidence is centered on the question of whether the employer had a legitimate reason to terminate your employment or whether the reason was simply a pretext for unlawful discrimination. A federal appellate court recently tackled this issue and fleshed out how an employee can prove that the employer’s purported reasons were just a mask for illegal behavior.

In Westmoreland v. TWC Administration LLC, 924 F.3d 718 (4th Cir. 2019), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit found that the employee had shown that the employer’s reason for firing her was a pretext for discrimination. In this case, Westmoreland alleged that Time Warner Cable (TWC) fired her because of her age in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). After a three-day trial, the jury found TWC liable for age discrimination and awarded Westmoreland $334,500 in damages. TWC appealed the verdict to the Fourth Circuit, which affirmed the district court’s decision for the plaintiff.

LEGAL STANDARDS FOR AGE DISCRIMINATION AND PRETEXT CLAIMS

The ADEA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 621-34, prohibits an employer from discharging or otherwise “[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][discriminating] against any individual… because of such individual’s age.” 29 U.S.C. § 623(a). To win, a plaintiff “must prove by a preponderance of the evidence (which may be direct or circumstantial), that age was the ‘but-for’ cause of the challenged employer decision.” Gross v. FBL Fin. Servs., Inc., 557 U.S. 167, 177-178 (2009). Circumstantial evidence, as opposed to direct evidence of discrimination (which is less frequently available to plaintiffs), is analyzed under a three-part test created by the Supreme Court in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973). For more details about the McDonnell Douglas test go here.

The McDonnell Douglas framework for an ADEA claim for termination due to age discrimination is as follows:

STEP 1/prima facie case (burden on plaintiff)

They belong to a protected class (older than 40 years old)
They were qualified for the job and performing in accordance with the expectations of their employer
Employer terminated their employment
The employer replaced plaintiff with an individual who was comparably qualified to the plaintiff, but substantially younger. Note: certain courts hold that the plaintiff can also meet this factor by showing the employer did not treat age neutrally when making the decision to terminate.

STEP 2 (burden on defendant)

Employer must produce evidence that its actions were the result of legitimate and non-discriminatory reasons

STEP 3 (burden on plaintiff)

Employee must prove that the non-discriminatory reason(s) offered by the employer in Step 2 were not true reasons, but were a pretext for discrimination based on age.

In Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Prods., 530 U.S. 133, 146-7 (2000), the Supreme Court held that “it is permissible for the trier of fact to infer the ultimate fact of discrimination from the falsity of the employer’s explanation.” Also, Reeves allows the trier of fact to consider the evidence used to establish a prima facie case of discrimination (first prong of McDonnell Douglas) when they are deciding the final prong of McDonnell Douglas framework. Notably, the Supreme Court later held that “[t]he reason for treating circumstantial and direct evidence alike is both clear and deep rooted: ‘Circumstantial evidence is not only sufficient, but may also be more certain, satisfying and persuasive than direct evidence.’” Desert Palace, Inc. v. Costa, 539 U.S. 90, (2003) (quoting Rogers v. Missouri Pacific R. Co., 352 U.S. 500, 508, n. 17 (1957)).

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ANALYSIS OF WESTMORELAND’S PRETEXT CLAIMS

No dispute existed between the parties regarding the first two steps of the McDonnell Douglas test; thus, the case centered on the pretext analysis. TWC argued that Westmoreland had failed to present sufficient evidence to prove that TWC’s proffered reason for firing Westmoreland was pretext for discrimination, thus falling short on the pretext prong.

TWC’s only proffered reason for firing Westmoreland was “trust and integrity issues” that arose after TWC found out that Westmoreland had instructed a subordinate to change the date on a form. TWC claimed that this violated company policy, which stated that “[f]alse statements… may result in termination of employment.”

In addition to the evidence she presented to prove Step 1/her prima facie case, Westmoreland also relied upon the following evidence to show that TWC’s explanation was a pretext for age discrimination:

TWC fired her after 30 years of consistently satisfactory work;
Westmoreland’s supervisor who informed Westmoreland of her termination and signed her termination papers made a condescending and age-related remark to Westmoreland immediately after the firing;
all of the decision-makers at TWC were aware that Westmoreland was of advanced age; and
After TWC informed Westmoreland of her possible violation of company policy (but before TWC officials fired her), a TWC official told her that the offense was minor and would amount to nothing more than a “slap on the wrist.”

The court also cited the fact that Westmoreland’s otherwise positive 30-year employment record shows that this was an isolated incident for which lesser sanctions were available.

The Fourth Circuit found that, consistent with the Reeves standard, Westmoreland had sufficient evidence of pretext. For example, Westmoreland showed that she was fired when she was 61 years old, and her replacement was 37 years old. Likewise, she showed that TWC’s alleged concerns about her violation of company policy were actually not the reason for her firing because, at first, TWC told Westmoreland that the infraction was not that serious.

Each case will be reviewed based on its own facts and merits, so no “one size fits all” approach can apply when analyzing discrimination and pretext claims. But the Fourth Circuit’s decision helps employers and employees to better understand where the line may be drawn between a legitimate reason versus a pretext for unlawful discrimination.Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.

Eric Bachman Contributor

I am a Principal with Zuckerman Law, a U.S. News & World Report Tier 1 Law Firm for Labor and Employment, and have litigated employment discrimination and retaliatio…

Forbes.com | July 2, 2019

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#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer – Independence Day Is A Good Time To Free Yourself From An Oppressive Job And Pursue Your Dreams.

July 1, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

My grandparents emigrated to America fleeing persecution. At the time they immigrated, they did not speak any English whatsoever. However, after adapting to American culture, my grandparents learned the language and, ultimately, became a plumber, shoe salesman, seamstress and homemaker.

My parents were both teachers and my dad went on to become a principal at a vocational high school in East New York, Brooklyn. The school taught underprivileged, inner-city kids to work as mechanics for the MTA New York City Transit system, which enabled them to procure stable union jobs with a pension.

As a second-generation American, I started an executive search business, found jobs for thousands of people and earned a handsome living for my family. I’ve had the good fortune of writing this piece for the premiere, iconic business publication, Forbes, and recently founded a startup, WeCruitr.com, which will help job seekers connect with recruiters to assist them with their search. My family is a mix of whites, blacks, Asians, Jews, Christians, heterosexuals and LGBTQ people. What other country offers such endless opportunities and diversity?

America was founded by—and continues to be the home for—people seeking freedom of religion, speech and the chance to build a better future for themselves and their families. There are no immutable caste systems, monarchies or rigid hierarchies to stop you from pursuing your dreams.

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It is fashionable today to point out all of the failings of our nation and complain that everything is rigged against you. Sadly, many people feel that because of their color, gender or sexual orientation that they can’t succeed and attain the promised American Dream.

As messy as things can get in the U.S., I’m pressed to see another country that offers our vast opportunities for people to receive an education, start a business or succeed in the corporate world. It’s not easy—in fact, it’s incredibly hard—to succeed. There are always roadblocks, bad luck and people out to take advantage of you, but there is the opportunity for you to at least try your best.

We’re a country founded by pissed off people who didn’t want to bow down to kings and queens or contend with persecution. We argue, fight and disagree with each other. Often times, we’re angry at the status quo and demand changes. That’s what makes us great. The ability to openly disagree with each other and the government and pursue whatever the heck we want to do.

I’d suggest that you spend some time this Independence Day weekend to think about what you’d like to do with your career and life. We hold jobs that we hate, work for bosses that make us miserable, realize that a job or career was selected for the wrong reasons and are desperately unhappy. It’s easy to feel sorry for ourselves.

Look at all the hardships that people had to endure—and still continue to endure—to come to America for its opportunities. There are people literally dying to come into this country. You have no reason to settle for less than what you deserve. If you are dissatisfied with your current circumstances, start planning your independence from your job or career. Fight for the right to be happy and successful.

Despite the naysayers, America offers untold opportunities and that’s why people from all over the world want to come here. Block out all the negativity on social media and in the press and seek out a better and brighter future for yourself and your family. We’re a nation of fighters who don’t give up easily. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t stand up for yourself and pursue a life of wealth, success and happiness. Instead of celebrating, you should take the time to thoughtfully reflect just how lucky you are that you are given the freedom to advance and climb the corporate ladder.

Jack Kelly Contributor

I am a CEO, founder, and executive recruiter at one of the oldest and largest global search firms in my area of expertise, and have personally placed thousands of profes…

Forbes.com | July 1, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #Downsizing – 4 Ways to Protect Yourself From a #Layoff .

July 1, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Whether because of mergers, downsizing, or organizational shifts, each year, countless workers inevitably find themselves losing their jobs through no fault of their own. It happens to the most seasoned and dedicated among us, and that’s perhaps the scariest thing about getting laid off — no one is immune.

That said, there are certain steps you can take to minimize your chances of getting laid off, and reduce your anxiety along the way.

1. Have a unique skill

Though soft skills — those that apply to virtually any position — are always a good thing to work on, at the end of the day, you’re probably not going to get to keep your job in a round of layoffs by virtue of your solid time-management ability alone. That’s why it pays to work on honing one particular skill you know your company absolutely needs. If you’re an IT professional, maybe it’s a complex software that’s needed to keep the workflow going. If you’re a designer, maybe it’s that cutting-edge graphics program that’s been giving your company its competitive edge. No matter what skill you’re best suited to focus on, if you set yourself apart as the one person who’s an expert in that arena, your company might hesitate to give you the boot.

2. Know the business inside and out

Maybe you’re the best copy director your company has ever seen. But if your knowledge base is limited to effective sales pitches, and you’re not well-versed in market research, finances, or analytics, then you might still find yourself out of a job if your company is forced to slash positions. On the other hand, if you make an effort to educate yourself on all aspects of the business, your company will have a much harder time letting you go.

How do you get there? Sit in on other teams’ meetings, and ask to collaborate with various groups on recurring projects. The more exposure you get to different areas of your company and how they work, the more your management team might end up fighting to keep you.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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3. Keep up with your business associates

It’s no secret that networking has been proved to help countless searchers land jobs, but many people find themselves networking defensively — that is, they only start reconnecting with contacts once they’re out of a job and need help. But if you make a point to stay in solid touch with your associates regularly, you’ll protect yourself in the face of layoffs in two ways.

First, if you network extensively within your company, you’ll have more people around to speak highly of you, which might spare you from getting the ax. Second, if you have associates you contact regularly, you won’t come across as taking advantage by reaching out for help if you are indeed let go. Or to put it another way, it’s a lot easier to ask a favor of someone you’re in touch with regularly than to sneak up as a blast from the past wanting assistance.

4. Boost your emergency savings

Having more money in the bank won’t do a thing to help you avoid losing your job. What it willdo, however, is buy you some peace of mind that if you are let go, you won’t have to immediately resort to credit card debt just to keep up with your finances. Having that stress removed might, in turn, help you focus better at work, thus reducing your chances of landing on the chopping block. Plus, if you are laid off, you’ll be less pressured into taking the first job you find because you’re desperate for money.

Though layoffs are sometimes inevitable, there are things you can do to lower your odds when your company is going through them. If anything, working on the above suggestions will give you someplace to focus your energy so you’re not utterly fixated on the thought of losing your job.

GlassDoor.com | February 13, 2018 | Posted by Maurie Backman, The Motley Fool

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer -Why You Should Always Be Looking for Work….Best Advice You will Read!

July 1, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The new world of work is unstable in ways that previous generations could not have imagined. In fact, the structures have changed so significantly that the landscape is barely recognizable. So the adages that used to make sense — keep your head down, focus on excelling at what you do, work your way up the ranks — often don’t apply.

Today, to build a successful career, you need to always be looking for work.

To understand why, let’s start with the big picture. More and more businesses have entered the “gig economy.” While that term, for many people, conjures up images of Uber and Instacart, these types of platform-based businesses are only a small fraction of the overall gig economy.

Increasingly, all sorts of businesses are hiring temporary or contingent workers rather than traditional full-time employees with benefits. NPR reports that one out of every five jobs is held by a freelancer, and that within a decade, contractors and freelancers could make up half the workforce.

They often lack benefits. They’re also often the first to be laid off when an economic downturn comes along, and in most cases they cannot collect unemployment.

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Meanwhile, even people who have full-time jobs with benefits are often scraping by. A recent Bankrate survey found that 45% of workers have a “side hustle,” including 43% of full time workers. The most common reason is that they need the money to get by.

Meanwhile, in another survey, 78% of workers reported that they are living paycheck to paycheck.

As co-founder of Steady, a startup assisting people in creating a stable monthly income, I hear from users all the time who share stories of their struggles. Some are young workers who aren’t making enough to live and pay down their massive college loans. Others have been in the workforce for decades, and always thought they’d have a job until retirement — only to find that their jobs are being replaced by contractors or, in some cases, automation.

They come from a wide range of industries and report that their hours are cut back, their side hustle isn’t paying as much as it did, or they’re suddenly in danger of being laid off. Some are from high levels of a corporate hierarchy. In fact, a LinkedIn analysis found that traditional employees have lost their lock on managerial roles in an organization. Contractors now “work in higher seniority roles a year sooner than peers in non-contract roles on average.”

Stability is becoming a relic of the past. The deck is stacked against workers. And while we do need new laws and policies to help give people some guarantees and improve their pay, the most important step individuals can take to protect themselves from the tumultuousness of this reality is to always be looking for new, better opportunities.

I recommend making it a daily habit. Every day, take action toward discovering new opportunities.

For starters, get your profile up on any and all jobs boards that include the kinds of positions you may be interested in. Keep updating your profile with your latest achievements, accolades, and recommendations. Do the same with your resume. (Check out “the anatomy of a perfect resume” for ideas.)

Set up notifications for all the relevant jobs boards as well. Take five minutes each day to look at what positions have just been loaded up. It helps to move quickly if one interests you, and it’s also a matter of educating yourself. The more you look at the kinds of positions opening up at different companies, the clearer a picture you’ll get of the job market.

Perhaps most importantly, take the time to consider and analyze your skill set. Many people don’t realize the full scope of their skills, or how well those skills can transfer from one field to another. (See how an opera singer discovered that his skills could help make him a great sales leader.) Berkeley offers tools to help you determine yours.

Once you’ve done this, look into how other people with skills similar to yours have progressed in their careers. LinkedIn can be very helpful for this. Look at the skills of people in your network, and ask them about their career progressions.

And if there are any “dream jobs” that interest you, reach out to people who currently have those jobs and ask them how they got there. Often, you’ll find that people are happy to give advice.

You owe it to yourself to always chase a better professional situation — more hours, more security, better benefits, and higher pay. By taking a step in that direction every day, you’ll be on your way.

Author: Adam Roseman is co-founder and CEO of Steady, an Atlanta-based startup that assists workers and job seekers in creating a stable monthly income and a more solid financial future.

GlassDoor.com | June 28, 2019

#BestofFSCBlog : #ResumeWriting – Words to Watch in Professional #Resumes .

June 30, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In years of resume writing for folks in the commercial world, military transitioning to civilian, or for government services applicants there are certain words and phrases that are unnecessary or redundant.

Labels. Commercial resumes do not need labels for information in the point of contact section at the top of the resume. Everyone knows that 757-###-#### is a phone number. Everyone knows that FirstNameLastName@nameofISP.com is an email address, so why label them? Labels can potentially gum up the parsing engine in the Automatic Tracking System (ATS) when the system moves the data to a SQL database.

Jr., Sr., III, formal degree or certification initials (after name). Unless your son or father are looking for a job in the exact same industry at the same time, don’t bother adding the Jr. or Sr. after your name on the resume. You can add those initials to the official legal paperwork once you are offered employment. All the certification designations and formal degrees listed after the resume owner’s name may muck up the ATS’s parsing process. The exceptions to this general rule would be Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Juris Doctorate (J.D.), or Professional Engineers (P.E.), which are headhunted specifically for their degrees or certifications.

Stakeholder. This cliché buzzword literally means everyone that touches a business or entity – employees, managers, stockholders, clients, and vendors. No one has a task or responsibility that affects every single one of these with equal value. Instead of noting tasks affecting ‘stakeholders,’ mention the results for those directly affected, e.g., direct supervisors or employees within a specific department.

Initiative. If one was tasked with an ‘initiative’ – this is a subjective word, meaning you had intentions to do something – but did you do it? Instead, write that you directed, managed, supervised, or developed a project, and the “results were …”

On a weekly basis; on a daily basis. This phrase can be reduced to one word – weekly or daily. Resumes should not be focused on daily task minutiae – concentrate on the more important weekly or monthly task descriptions with direct relevance to the company’s strategic business goals and objectives.

Selected to serve. Requested by. Military use these phrases to highlight a person uniquely chosen above others. But, they are passive wording. Instead, use an active verb to showcase what was done ‘after being chosen’ for a specific task or responsibility, e.g., directed a (project) for (supervisor’s job titles) resulting in (name the goals reached of the task assigned).

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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In regards to. This is a wordy, space filler phrase. Don’t use ‘regarding’ as a replacement word, either. Alternatively, describe what was done specifically. For example: “Prepare memos for (ABC) in regards to …” can be replaced with: “Create reports for (ABC information) submitted to (XZY) for monthly subcommittee meetings.”

Executed. Avoid dangling modifiers. Once client had used the word to describe what she had done to support women via a project she managed. But, the words used after ‘executed’ indicated she had ‘killed them’ within the sentence meaning and structure. Ensure the words following the descriptor ‘executed’ are carefully constructed to indicate working relationships to a project or task.

Typing – XX wpm. I see resumes noting the job seeker’s speed for typing (XX wpm) or an ability to use 10-key calculators. This applicant skill is fine for clerical, receptionist, or data-entry jobs. For those with aspirations for supervisory or management jobs, these basic skills are assumed. The job seeker should be able to type fast enough to compile memos, letters, and write policies or reports at a productive speed. Avoid minor details and save the white space for more important and relevant information about skills and experience. It is better to describe unique technical and computer skills for a competitive advantage.

Be careful about over-wording your resume or demonstrating a lack of conciseness. The tighter the resume, the richer the wording, and the more impressive your experience and skill sets will read.

FSC Career Blog Contributor: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, editing, publishing, and print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.

Bio: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., has been an entrepreneur and business owner 20+ years, with a successful business in her own consulting firm (CEO) in Virginia Beach and Richmond, VA. Her background experience is 24+ years in the Human Resources field, of which 12+ years are within the Federal & Defense Contracting industry. She is the author of 750+ books on the topics of business, human resources research, career search practice, women and gender study, genealogy and family lineages, quotes for motivation and self-improvement, and Adult Coloring Books. Her books can be found on Amazon.com under Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D.

FSC Career Blog | June 30, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer -The 7 Deadliest #CareerMistakes ..Great REad!

June 28, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Whether you’re just starting your career or you’re a seasoned professional, we know that mistakes happen. We know the blunders that can potentially damage our careers, like the project that didn’t go as planned or the group email that we sent to people unintentionally.

We know we need to fix those problems. Sometimes though, it’s the career mistakes that we don’t know about and the things that we fail to do that end up having the most significant impact on our career. Here are seven of the deadliest career mistakes that you could be making and how to fix them.

The first set of mistakes occur when you learn the skills you need to do your job, but you fail to master the business of you.

1. You lack career goals

Many of us have a job, but we lack a bigger vision for our career. When we don’t have a bigger picture of where our career is headed, we often find that although we are good at meeting company goals, we feel personally directionless. When this happens, we must step back and take a broader view of our skills, talents and what is meaningful to us so that we can develop a clear career strategy.

2. You are stuck in a career rut

Without a connection to a bigger career vision, you might find that you are in a job that’s good, but not great. The pay might even be okay, but you just don’t feel engaged or have the energy that you once had. You might be bored, you dread Mondays, and your work might be suffering. The likelihood is that others have also noticed, but you’re hesitant to branch out because it’s easier to do nothing. The danger here is that you don’t want to tarnish your brand, so you must identify what’s behind your dissatisfaction and come up with a game plan to get out of the rut, whether it is staying at your current job or deciding to look elsewhere.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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3. The grass is always greener

Another sign that you lack a clear career vision is if you continuously go from job to job, role to role, without any rhyme or reason. While the job market has shifted such that workers now change jobs on average every three to five years, you could be derailing your career if you keep starting over without any sense of how your moves fit into your long term goals. Growth isn’t just about finding new opportunities; it is about finding the right opportunities.

The next set of mistakes occur when you fail to see that your career is not a hero’s journey so you can’t do it alone.

4. You fail to build a supporting team

Having good skills is an important start, but if you’re going to advance your career, you shouldn’t make the mistake of trying to figure everything out on your own. We all need people we trust that have walked the path we intend to walk. A mentor can provide us with candid feedback and connect us with the resources and experiences we need to keep moving forward, as well as redirect us when we are going off track.

5. You limit your network

We all know the importance of networking, but despite the benefits, we often give up too soon on building and extending our networks. The mistake we make is that we think growing our professional relationships no longer matters once we have secured the new job we hoped for, so instead, we end up limiting ourselves to building relationships mainly with the people we see day to day within our company. Some of the most important professional connections you will need throughout your career will be with people outside of your company. They are invaluable, particularly when you are considering your next move, so you should continue to invest in these relationships.

The final set of mistakes occur when you don’t pay attention to the rules of managing your career.

6. You stop investing in yourself

You’ve been in your role for a few years now, and you’re feeling comfortable. That may not necessarily be a bad thing, but it is a problem when you start to assume that your past success will automatically carry over to future projects. You start to become complacent and allow your skills to be out of date. When you stop pushing yourself to keep learning and growing professionally, that is when you risk becoming irrelevant. You must stay on top of what is happening in your field by keeping up with industry trends and events, and making sure you keep your skills up to date so that you can adapt as changes occur.

7. You burn bridges

We live in a highly interconnected world, so your reputation means everything. If things go wrong in your current position and you find it’s time to move on, make sure that you’re managing your career by also managing your emotions. You might feel like you want to walk away prematurely or be tempted to say things you might later regret. Given that there is a good chance you will run into some of the same people again sooner or later in your career, make sure you leave in a way that does not do lasting damage.

Making some career mistakes along the way is inevitable, but we can take better control of our future by being mindful of the missteps that can harm our career and by knowing how to recover and quickly get back on course.

Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

Author: Natalia Peart Contributor

I am a psychologist and career expert who has spent more than 25 years helping people and organizations achieve professional and personal success. Through my distinctive…

Forbes.com | June 26, 2019