Job Search Archives - Page 4 of 10

Looking to Relocate Your Job to Another State? Here Are Some Tips!

Leave a Comment / Blog, Job Search, Set Yourself Up For Success

If you are looking to relocate your job to another state, you’ll most likely need to get a new job. Don’t assume this, though—if you are currently employed, consider checking with your employer to see whether it might be possible for you to work remotely.

If you can’t work remotely or if you’d prefer not to, then the hunt for a new job begins. That can be challenging; you may not be familiar with local companies, and you may not have as strong a network of connections in the area, either.

Below are strategies you can use to search, apply, and interview so you can prepare to relocate your job to another state.

Talk About How to Relocate Your Job With Your Current Employer

If you are currently employed, reach out to your Human Resources department to see whether any offices are located in your future locale or if there would be an option to work remotely.

You’ll only want to do this if you feel comfortable alerting your company to the fact that you plan to move.

If you don’t wish to share this information, this strategy is not recommended. Instead, you could start by looking on the company intranet for any potential job postings.

Where Do You Want To Find A New Job?

Are you moving to northern Connecticut, for example? Jobs in Hartford, Worcester, Boston, and other cities may be feasible—even though only one of those cities lies within the state of Connecticut. When you enter locations in job search engines, go beyond the new state to neighboring ones if they are nearby.

If possible, spend a weekend in your new destination to determine which cities and nearby company locations may be an option. Think through where you’ll want to live, and how long of a commute you can handle.

If an in-person visit isn’t an option, take to the internet—online maps can be helpful and you can also use social media to gain insights into commute times and favorable work locations that may be hard to discover using a map alone.

Inform Your Network

Reach out to your contacts to tell them about your planned move—this includes friends, family, and current and past colleagues. If you’re still in the exploratory stages and haven’t yet given notice, hold off on telling your current colleagues.

Ask contacts whether they know of any open jobs or have connections in the new location. If they do, ask for an introduction and set up informational interviews with these new contacts.

On LinkedIn, look for contacts who are working in your future state. A friend from college might wind up being a good lead. You can also use LinkedIn to learn more about companies in the area.

Looking to Relocate Your Job to Another State? Here Are Some Tips! Read More »

MUST HAVE Leadership Skills for Workplace Success

Leave a Comment / Blog, Job Search, Set Yourself Up For Success

What Makes an Effective Leader

Effective leaders have the ability to communicate well, motivate their team, handle and delegate responsibilities, listen to feedback, and have the flexibility to solve problems in an ever-changing workplace.

Employers seek these skills in the candidates they hire for leadership roles. Strong leadership skills are also valuable for all job applicants and employees because they can lead to workplace success.

Whether you’re starting out in an entry-level position and looking to move up the career ladder or you’re seeking a promotion, your leadership skills will be among your most valuable assets.

Workplace Success Leadership Skills

Here are some leadership skills that can help lead you to workplace success.

1. Communication

As a leader, you need to be able to clearly and succinctly explain to your employees everything from organizational goals to specific tasks. Leaders must master all forms of communication, including one-on-one, departmental, and full-staff conversations, as well as communication via the phone, email, video, chat, and social media.

Leaders should establish a steady flow of communication between themselves and their staff or team members, either through an open-door policy or regular conversations with workers.

A large part of communication involves listening. Leaders should make themselves regularly available to discuss issues and concerns with employees. Other skills related to communication include:

Active listening
Clarity
Facilitating group conversations
Public speaking
Reading body language

2. Motivation

Leaders need to inspire their workers to go the extra mile for their organizations; just paying a fair salary to employees is typically not enough inspiration (although it is important too). There are a number of ways to motivate your workers: you may build employee self-esteem through recognition and rewards, or by giving employees new responsibilities to increase their investment in the company.

Leaders must learn what motivators work best for their employees or team members to encourage productivity and passion. Skills related to effective motivation include:

Allowing employee autonomy
Asking for input
Mentoring
Open to employee concerns

3. Delegating

Leaders who try to take on too many tasks by themselves will struggle to get anything done. These leaders often fear that delegating tasks is a sign of weakness, when it actually can be a sign of a strong leader.

Therefore, you need to identify the skills of each of your employees, and assign duties to each employee based on his or her skill set. By delegating tasks to staff members, you can focus on other important tasks. Some skills that make a good delegator include:

Allotting resources for employees
Assessing employee strengths and weaknesses
Defining expectations
Teamwork

Ream More: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-leadership-skills-2063782

MUST HAVE Leadership Skills for Workplace Success Read More »

The Pros and Cons of a Commercial Real Estate Career

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Job Search

When it comes to happiness and job fulfillment, a commercial real estate career can be quite rewarding. But it’s not for everyone. If you’re considering a switch to find your dream job in CRE, you’ll want to know everything you can to ensure you’re making the right move.

Let’s explore some of the many reasons people fail or succeed in a commercial real estate career, and whether or not this is the right job for you.

Finding Your Fulfillment

Fulfillment in your career is the prize to win. And the recent slowdowns and shakeup of our world as we know it have offered us a chance to step back and evaluate what we want out of our lives and work. It’s a perfect time to reflect on your ideal career path.

But maybe you’ve already identified commercial real estate as the field you want more than anything to dive deep into. You’ve analyzed your key skills, experience, passions, and values. But do you know what you’re getting yourself into?

While many find CRE a highly stimulating and fulfilling career path – whether in the investor or brokerage side – some prefer a more traditional and predictable career path. CRE isn’t for everyone.

But for those who crave more control over their time and finances as well as the potential for a healthier work-life balance, a commercial real estate career may be just right.

Why People Choose a Commercial Real Estate Career

Yes, CRE can be a challenge. And we’ll get into the cons of this career path. But when you interview people on this road and ask them what drives them, you’ll find some common denominators. Among the most common motivations are:

Money: Always high up on the list for any career path, the potential for a lucrative future is high for focused and driven professionals in CRE. From being a property manager to a role on the investor side, there are several paths to making a better paycheck in CRE.
Time: While there may be occasional 10- or 12-hour days, the flexibility in how you spend your time is greater in CRE than in many other occupations. You’re generally not chained to your desk, and you will have more availability for the things that matter most in your life.
Freedom: You truly are your own boss in many CRE roles. A commercial real estate career can be substantially liberating – particularly for brokers, those focused on leasing, and those who work their way into upper management positions.

Pros and Cons

CRE is a double-edged sword. There are pros and cons. While you may make more money and have greater control over your time and decisions, you’ll also be called on to problem solve and be at the mercy of investor or tenant schedules more often than in other careers. Some find they just can’t handle the ups and downs of this high-energy field.

Teamwork and relationships management is highly valuable in commercial real estate. Not good working with others? You probably won’t do well in CRE. There is a high level of reliance and interconnectivity in this space that enables good networkers and collaborators to thrive, while lone rangers tend to fail.

When considering if a commercial real estate career is right for you, it’s helpful to know there is high potential for specialization. The diversity of roles is one of CRE’s greatest advantages.

You can utilize your analytical side to work in a financial capacity through support acquisitions, asset management, development, etc.
You can feed your inner social butterfly in working more on the person-to-person side, building relationships, managing properties and closing deals.
Or you can unleash your creativity to scale operations to new markets an employ cutting edge strategies and technologies.

One thing is sure. If you don’t have patience, drive, and a high tolerance for change, don’t consider this field. But if you thrive on long-term investments and excitement from the ups and downs, you’ll love a commercial real estate career.

And if you’re wondering where to start, here’s a quick guide to beginning your job search in these changing times.

Sources:

· Now’s the Time to Reflect on Your Ideal Career Path | Building Careers (buildingrecareers.com)

· 7 Practical Tips for a Healthier Work-Life Balance | Building Careers (buildingrecareers.com)

· 3 Biggest Reasons People Pursue Commercial Real Estate Careers | Massimo Group (massimo-group.com)

· Building Career | How to Choose the Best CRE Investing Career Path (buildingrecareers.com)

· How to Begin Your CRE Job Search in this New Environment | Building Careers (buildingrecareers.com)

· Is a Career in Commercial Real Estate Right for You? – Verity Commercial

The Pros and Cons of a Commercial Real Estate Career Read More »

How to Land Your First Job

Leave a Comment / Blog, Interview Tips, Job Search, Set Yourself Up For Success

As you’re about to enter the work world, you might be so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead you haven’t given much thought to, well, actually landing one of those possibilities. A job search — especially your first one — can be tough work, wading through the unfamiliar waters of resume writing and job search sites, plus intuiting exactly what a potential employer wants while sidestepping interview landmines.

Relax! This is a totally doable task with this first-job guide at your side. Here are a few tips on how to land your first job:

Where to Start

Before you even think about submitting your resume to a prospective employer and land your first job, you have got a lot of work to do. You’ll need to tailor your resume to the job, reconnect with your references, come up with keywords to help you hone your search, create some business cards, and so much more.

How to Look for a Job

It’s not enough to search for an entry-level job. To find the right job for you — and to increase your chances of scoring an interview — you have to employ some job search strategies. For example, did you know that Monday is the best day of the week to look for a job? Or that you should always schedule interviews for the morning? Networking can prove to be very helpful as well! These tips and tricks will get you in the door and land your first job.

How to Discover the Right Keywords to Include in Your Resume

Have you ever heard of applicant tracking systems? It’s when a company uses a computer program to filter through applications and resumes, weeding out the candidates who aren’t a fit — simply because they didn’t use the right words. That’s right: your resume could be chucked in the proverbial trash before it ever reaches a human’s eyes, all because you didn’t use a word the system was searching for. How do you know which words to use? A good place to start is the job description.

Determine What Employers Are Looking For

Depressing statistic: recruiters and hiring managers only spend an average of six seconds reading your resume. (We know, it hurts.) That’s not a lot of time to capture their attention. That’s why it’s so important to know what potential employers are looking for in those few precious seconds, and put them in your resumes. Consider: technical skills, soft skills, examples of impact, certifications, and quantifiable success.

How to Land Your First Job Read More »

3 Soft Skills You Need to Land a Remote Job

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Job Search

The pandemic has permanently changed the professional culture. While many companies offered some flexibility and remote work options before the COVID-19 crisis, the pandemic accelerated that trend.

What that means for employees, job seekers, and soon-to-be grads is that remote work skills are key abilities to master. Here are three soft skills you need to land a remote job.

Soft Skill #1: Improve Self-Management Abilities

Even if you have an excellent manager directing your big picture moves, you must be organized and self-directed to be a strategic remote operator. That means procuring the supplies, tools, resources, and work environment that it takes to feel comfortable and focused.

If you want to land a remote job, it’s on you to make the arrangement work-troubleshooting challenges and manage them deftly so they don’t interfere with your ability to produce. Making this work means navigating the unique challenges to the arrangement and managing those as they surface.

Soft Skill #2: Expand Your Communication Skills

When you’re a remote employee, communicating clearly, concisely, and comprehensively is a “must-have.” Part of this awareness understands when a written message will get the job done and when you need to grab the phone and talk something, through.

When you are preparing written correspondence, recognize that those grammar rules that our high school teachers emphasized are not just an exercise in fussiness. They’re all about clarity. They show your reader how to make sense of the ideas you’re shaping.

Because remote operators rely so heavily on written correspondences, it pays to take a refresher course so that you can communicate with confidence. Grammarly and Grammar girl are a couple of helpful resources. Land that remote job and go the extra step in investing in on of the platforms.

Soft Skill #3: Be a Self-Advocate

When you telecommute, and the rest of your team is in the office, sometimes you can feel less visible than your colleagues, even when you’re doing great work. It’s on you to make yourself, and your needs are known. Working remotely benefits both you and your employer, so you don’t have to feel sheepish about your set-up. Expect to be treated just like any other employee.

3 Soft Skills You Need to Land a Remote Job Read More »

A Guide to Job Hunting While You’re Still Employed

1. Explore Options Where You Are

A big thing you want to consider first is why you’re thinking of leaving, and explore options for improving your situation where you are. Doing so will depend on the level of trust that exists between you and your manager; don’t go overboard and start telling everyone at the office.

Think about what’s frustrating you at your current job and consider whether or not some changes could make things better. Would remote work or a few days of telecommuting improve your outlook? Could you move to a different department? What can you do to make your current work situation more enjoyable and rewarding? If the answer is no, or if changes aren’t an option, it’s okay to start looking elsewhere.

2. Consider Being a Boomerang Employee

If you left a previous job on good terms, it’s worth getting in touch with former coworkers to see whether there are new opportunities available. You won’t need as much time for onboarding, are already familiar with the company’s technology and culture and can often contribute much more quickly.

It’s also possible to “boomerang” with companies that didn’t hire you. If you’d interviewed with an organization in the past, or received an offer and turned it down, it’s worth revisiting those connections.

3. The Right Timing of Job Hunting

If you’re trying to land a job while you’re still employed, you need to minimize the competition for available roles; that means getting the timing of your search exactly right. Towards the end of summer is a prime time to start your search.

A Guide to Job Hunting While You’re Still Employed Read More »

How to Stay in Touch Professionally with Your Dream Company

Leave a Comment / Blog, Job Search, Set Yourself Up For Success

When you absolutely know where you want to work next, but you’re not hired yet, it pays to know how to stay in touch professionally. After all, if you want something, you’ve got to work for it, right?

But what are some good ways to keep that steady drip contact without coming across as a stalker or something? What’s the etiquette in play here?

Whether you are actively in the interview stage at a favorite development company or strategizing a future move to a really great CRE investment firm, you’ll appreciate these tips for keeping in touch. Let’s dive right in.

Keep Your Eye on the Goal

Over the past year or two, people have had an opportunity to stop and reflect on their ideal career path. The commercial real estate (CRE) space is always evolving. But even within that greater evolution, there are numerous career paths that may appeal to some more than others.

Maybe you’ve had a chance to realize what it is you really want to do in CRE, and you’ve even identified a dream company you are branding yourself to work at in the near future. Now what?

How do you get on and stay on their radar? Maybe you’ve already interviewed for the role, but didn’t get the job. Don’t give up! This one may take time and perseverance. Keep your sights on the target, your eyes on the goal. And implement some of these helpful tips and tricks to stay in touch professionally over the long term.

Networking

Your professional network is your professional net worth. Let that sink in.

It’s all about who you know. So, leverage networking to get that job with your dream employer.

Discuss your goals with friends and family who might have connections there. Check your alumni networks. Did any of the leadership at your target company go to your alma mater? Perfect that elevator pitch, and put yourself out there. Talk to anyone from that company you can get on the phone with.

Follow Up

If you’ve interviewed or connected with a hiring manager there, invest in that relationship. Follow up a few days after an interview and again ten days out. From there, check in two or three times a year.

Keep your emails or messages brief. Remember to ask about how they are doing, and when possible, discuss their interests. Always use their preferred channels of communication, whether that’s meeting for coffee or messages in LinkedIn. Show interest in their life and deepen the relationship.

Whatever you do, don’t let the conversation turn stale. But of course, give them space. If they stop responding to your communications, wait a few months before trying one last time. Then move on to another contact at that company.

Ask For Interview Feedback

Again, assuming you’ve already interviewed with your dream company, a great way to stay in touch is by asking for interview feedback.

Drop the hiring manager a simple email stating your desire to better understand how the interview went. Acknowledge that they may have chosen someone else, and ask what areas you might improve in your interview skills or past experience.

Keep in mind that, while many companies have the expectation of hiring in a couple weeks or so, the process often takes 60-90 days. That being said, top priority candidates are often hired during the process. If this happens, and you were a close runner up, asking them to re-examine their interview notes for feedback is a great way to subtly remind them that you are a) still in the running, and b) a great candidate.

Keep in Contact with Recruiters

It goes without saying that recruiters are your best friend. If you have something to offer a particular company, staying in touch with their preferred search firm is as good as hanging out in the hiring manager’s lobby (and less creepy). Here are some tips for making a good impression and keeping in the wheelhouse of recruiters on your way to that dream job:

Talk at networking events, then send a personalized LinkedIn message and connection request.
Occasionally comment on their LinkedIn posts.
Send them a quarterly update email to mention something you’ve recently accomplished and remind them of your interest.

Remember Etiquette

Of course, remember to keep it classy at all times. Follow common-sense rules of business etiquette. For example, remember to be considerate of their time and interests. Don’t always ask for favors; sometimes send them an interesting article to read or a holiday card or a congratulatory message about an acquisition they just closed.

In your communications, keep in mind what you can do for the company and those involved in hiring. When meeting in person, always make eye contact and take notes. Speak positively about previous employers and colleagues. Keep a grateful tone in all messages.

The power of asking nicely cannot be overstated!

How to Stay in Touch Professionally with Your Dream Company Read More »

The Best Salary Negotiation Tips

Leave a Comment / Blog, Interview Tips, Job Search, Set Yourself Up For Success

Are you negotiating a job offer or a raise in pay in your current role? If so, a lot depends on what you do right now, before you even begin salary negotiations. Do your homework and learn about these salary negotiation tips, and you could wind up with more money in your pocket and maybe some life-changing perks and benefits, too.

How Much Are You Worth?

Especially if you’re negotiating with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much your skills and experience are worth in today’s job market. Take the time to research salaries long before you even begin discussing pay. That way you will be prepared to make your case and land a job offer that’s realistic and reasonable.

What Are Salary Negotiations?

Salary negotiations involve discussing a job offer with a potential employer to settle on a salary and benefits package that’s in line with the market (and hopefully, that meets or exceeds your needs).

The most productive salary negotiations occur between people who realize that they have a common goal: to get the employee paid appropriately for their skills and experience.

Negotiations can include all aspects of compensation, including salary, bonuses, stock options, benefits, perks, vacation time, and more.

How to Calculate Your Take-Home Pay

When you’re considering a job offer, it’s important to know the bottom line. How much will you be bringing home after taxes, FICA deductions for Social Security and Medicare, and contributions to health insurance and retirement benefits?2 That number is your net pay.

You can use free salary and paycheck calculators to estimate your net pay and figure out roughly how much you’ll bring home in your paycheck. It’s important to get a ballpark figure before you negotiate or compare job offers.

Salary Negotiation Tips

1. Know Your Responsibilities: If you are negotiating for your current role, you should review your current job description and note what you are doing above and beyond that.

2. Wait for the Appropriate Time: Once you know what you should be earning, how do you go about getting it? Start by being patient. When interviewing for a new position, do your best not to bring up compensation until the employer makes you an offer.

3. Resist Throwing out the First Number: If you’re asked what your salary requirements are, say that they are open based upon the position and the overall compensation package. Or tell the employer you’d like to know more about the responsibilities and the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary.

The Best Salary Negotiation Tips Read More »

Hate Networking? Try This!

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Job Search, Set Yourself Up For Success

Before you say it, I know. You hate networking. Networking really can suck sometimes. Even the most extroverted and outgoing among us feel a pang of anxiety, distaste, or resistance when it comes to the idea of milling around an event, seeking the important connections, and grasping for business cards or, even worse, trolling the internet (LinkedIn) for strangers who can help you and then trying to quickly ingratiate yourself so as to elicit a favor in your job search.

Hating Networking is a Mistake

It’s a mistake not because it is critically important to the rest of your career. It is critically important to the rest of your career, by the way. The more senior or entrepreneurial you get, the more your opportunities will depend on who you know and who knows you than on your resume or accomplishments. Having a robust cadre of friends and associates who like and want to help you is key.

But if you are anything like me, knowing that something is good for you makes no difference.

I know that hitting the snooze button on my alarm 5 times every morning makes me groggier and less enthused to start my day when I eventually do grudgingly put my feet on the floor.

But, oh! The heaven of just 10 more minutes in that sweet cocoon of blankets; I can just shortcut my shower. I can just take out the trash tonight after work instead. I can drink the crap coffee in the break room instead of stopping for a latte. I always find new and creative ways to hit that button.

And so do you sometimes! Because we do what we want in any given moment, not necessarily what we think is good for us. This is why there is so much attention to creating positive habits in the recent self-development literature. Because the only way to make sure you do something regularly is to turn it into the thing you want in those moments. We are genius at getting what we want!

So the reason not to hate networking isn’t because it’s good for you. The reason not to hate networking is because you have misunderstood what it is in the first place and you are throwing out the baby with the bath water. Let me explain.

Hate Networking? Here’s Why:

Standing around possibly trying to balance a plate of appetizers and a glass of wine while still keeping a hand free for shaking and business card collecting, wondering if you look stupid or if there is spinach from the mini-quiche in your teeth.
Trying to strike up conversations with strangers – some of whom could potentially make or break your career – without having any obvious common ground.
Asking for someone’s business card knowing that it will either end up in a useless pile in the corner of your desk or that you will soon be reaching out as a supplicant for a huge favor because you want them to help you get your next job.
Following up with those important people and then trying to worm your way to that favor: “I’d love for you to refer me for this job!” Or “Could you please help me get an interview?” knowing full well it is too soon to ask a relative stranger for something like this.
Or if you didn’t meet someone at a live event, cold reaching out to them via LinkedIn or email with the extraordinary burden of trying to prove your value AND convince them to help you in the 150 words or fewer recommended word count for such emails.

Hate Networking? Try This! Read More »

How To: Present Leadership Skills on Your Resume

Leave a Comment / Blog, Job Search, Resume Ideas, Set Yourself Up For Success

Leadership is an essential function of successful management that helps to maximize work efficiency and to achieve organizational goals. Regardless of the type of the job you’re looking for or a company’s size, leadership skills are paramount. They belong to the group of the most sought-after soft skills that employers look for in candidates.

Your first contact with a hiring company or organization is through the job application and resume, so how can you demonstrate leadership skills without speaking with an employer or recruiter? It all comes down to the way you write the resume. Here are some top tips on how to optimize your resume with enhanced leadership skills.

Supply Examples of Leadership Skills

An average employer or recruiter gets hundreds of resumes for any given job position. The chances of getting an interview increase for those who stand out. The most important thing you can do when showing off leadership skills on a resume is to provide specific examples. It’s common for applicants to state they have great leadership skills without providing evidence. To stand out, mention some leadership-related accomplishments from a previous job. Ask yourself two questions: what did I do and how did I do it.

Here are a few examples:

Coached my team and to adopt a new business strategy (mention details about the strategy)
Successfully organized seminars, meetings, team-building activities, and collaborations with other companies
Had to quickly adapt to changes (include specific example) and prepare for unforeseen circumstances

Quantifiable Results

Qualities of a good leader don’t stop with the ability to motivate and lead others, they also extend to work efficiency and specific, measurable results. When writing about achievements from previous jobs, always quantify your results with statistics and hard numbers. In fact, avoid vague descriptions entirely. Employers appreciate concise writing and resumes that get straight to the point.

How To: Present Leadership Skills on Your Resume Read More »