The difference between finding a job and finding the best job for you often takes a well-defined strategy. Identifying how your personal ambitions, goals, and needs align with a particular job opportunity is no easy task. But outlining these factors is essential when searching for a job that’s the right fit for you. Below, you’ll find the most up-to-date information on Indeed’s features and guidance on how to find a job you’ll love.

How to find a job that’s right for you
Here are some tips to help you identify if a job is a good fit for you:

Decide what you want in a job
At the start of your job search, spend some time reflecting on what has prompted you to look. Are you interested in doing the same job for a different employer? Do you want to change career paths? Are you entering the job market for the first time? Are you returning from an employment gap?
Each of these circumstances presents a different way of narrowing in on the jobs you want.

Research job titles and descriptions
There are several resources on Indeed to help you explore your career options. You can review different job titles to get a better understanding of what a certain role entails and what skills may be required. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also provides up-to-date information on a comprehensive set of occupations.

Review salary trends
Salary trends is an Indeed tool that lets you see the trends in compensation for specific jobs in different locations. Enter a job title and you’ll see the salary range in various cities and with different employers.

Identify your must-haves
Another method of finding the jobs that are right for you is to identify your non-negotiables and areas where you may be more flexible. Each individual will have their own distinct list, but here are some examples that you might consider:

Examples of non-negotiable factors:
The industry or discipline you want to work in
A wage or salary you can’t go below
Benefits such as health insurance or paid time off
Location and commute time

Examples of negotiable factors:
Job title (associate, specialist, or another designation)
Added benefits, such as the ability to work from home
Working at a small business versus a large company
Amount of travel
Deciding which factors are must-haves and which are negotiable will help you move forward with confidence.

Experiment with different job searches
The best way to get a feel for the jobs that are available to you is to try out different search terms. As you search, you’ll get better at recognizing the jobs that feel right and those that don’t.
If you’re not sure where to begin, it’s a good practice to start with broad search terms and steadily narrow it down.

For example:
You begin a search with “Customer support” in Austin, Texas.

The result: There appear to be thousands of job posts
Next, search for “Customer support specialist” in Austin, Texas.

The result: Total job posts are in the hundreds
In the search results, certain titles may jump out at you. You can now conduct new searches for each of these. If you really like the results you’re getting with a particular search, you can set up a job alert. You’ll receive new matching jobs in your email on a daily or weekly basis, depending on your preference. You can create multiple job alerts and pause or delete them at any time.

Use advanced search tools to get specific
The next step is narrowing down the job search posts by using advanced search tools. Some of Indeed’s tools that you can use are:

Filters
Filters can narrow down the number of job postings by salary, company, location, posting date and more. With this advanced job search option, you can potentially turn a results page with thousands of jobs into a few dozen.
If you’re using Indeed on your phone, you’ll see the filter button on your search results page, just to the right of the search bar. On a desktop, these filters are on the left side of the page.

Apply with your Indeed Resume
Keep an eye out for jobs that have the “Apply with your Indeed Resume” option. These are job posts that enable you to upload your Indeed resume and submit your application in just a few clicks, giving you back valuable time in your job search.

Company reviews
Where you’ll work is just as important as the job you’ll do. Use Indeed’s Company reviews to see reviews from current and former employees, getting a real sense of what it’s like to work at different companies.

Determine if you meet the requirements
When you find a job posting that you think is a great fit for you, be sure to read the entire job description and follow directions.

Watch for notifications from employers
You’re putting in the effort to submit carefully prepared job applications—you certainly don’t want to miss any updates from employers when they respond. Be sure to regularly check your email inbox and your Indeed inbox to see if employers have contacted you. You’ll also want to check your email spam folders in case messages have landed there.

The post How To Find the Best Jobs for You appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

You’ve spent the last three months searching for a job and company that not only interests you, but that you’re confident you can excel in. Unfortunately, you’ve only been able to find one or the other.

Finding the right job fit isn’t always easy. The job search can be a painstakingly long process defined by constant hills and valleys (seemingly a lot of the latter).

In fact, job seekers report increasingly longer hiring times, with the job interview process taking an average of 22.9 days in the U.S., according to a June research report by Glassdoor. The reason? Glassdoor’s report found that labor markets in some countries simply do a better job at matching job seekers and companies.

When it comes to finding the right job fit, you have to be your own advocate. You’ll have a much better chance of success if you take the time to understand your goals, values, and skills — and how they apply to various positions and organizations.

So, here are six questions to ask yourself before beginning your job search:

1. Why am I job hunting?
What led you to begin your job search? Are you looking for your first job out of college? Are you unhappy in your current position? Identifying why you’re looking for a job is the first step in finding the best possible job fit. Let’s say you are, in fact, unhappy in your current role. Spend some time figuring out why you’re not satisfied. Maybe there’s a lack of development or advancement opportunities. Now you know to look for those opportunities during your job search. Answering this question before beginning your search will ensure you don’t fall into a similar situation.

2. Where do I see myself a year from now?
Goals give you something to actively work toward and be excited about. Establishing short- and long-term goals is a necessary step in developing a solid career path and finding a job that you’ll enjoy and be good at. An easy way to set career goals is to determine where you see yourself a year from now. What do you hope to accomplish in that time? To better set long-term goals for yourself, where would you like to be in five years? These questions can help you figure out what you’d like to accomplish and what it’ll take to achieve those goals.

3. What path do I have to take to make this happen?
Now that you’ve established your short- and long-term career goals, it’s time to figure out how to make those dreams a reality. Discover exactly what it’ll take to achieve your goals. That can mean pursuing further education or training, getting involved in professional development and networking events, building your knowledge and experience through lower-level jobs — you get the idea. To establish a clear direction, try looking at job ads for positions you’re working toward. What skill, experience, and education levels do those jobs require? This information can give you a better idea of what path to take.

4. What do I have to offer employers?
Whether you’re fresh out of school or have some professional experience under your belt, you have something to offer employers. List out your experiences — in and out of school — and what you learned from each. Next, determine how those lessons, skills, and experiences can be applied to the workplace. This is something you absolutely want to figure out before being asked “Why should we hire you?” in a job interview.

5. What skills would I like to acquire/expand on?
While you need to know what value you can bring to a company, you also want to know what the company can offer you — this is where you really have to become your own advocate. Determine what skills could use some work and what skills you’d like to acquire. This will help you find a position that will provide the necessary resources to help you grow and develop as a professional.

6. What type of company do I see myself in?
Last, but certainly not least, find out what type of company you see yourself in based on your personality. When it comes to finding the right job fit, skills and experience aren’t all that matters. Your personality and interests are equally important, as they can help you determine whether you’d fit within a particular company’s culture. For instance, if you work best independently, you might be more open to working in a traditional cubicle, whereas someone who enjoys collaborating and isn’t distracted as easily might enjoy working in an open office space. Or maybe you want a position that will allow you to make a big impact on the company. If that’s the case, maybe it’s the startup life you seek. Whatever the case, strive to find a company that fits your needs, skills, interests, and future goals.

The post 6 Things To Think About Before You Start Your Job Hunt appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

When you’re deep in the midst of your job search, it’s easy to feel like you’re on your own – just you and your resume, against the millions of other job-seekers.

But you actually have an ally out there: Recruiters. Some recruiters work with hiring managers at companies, others work as headhunters at a third-party firm — but their goal is the same: to fill an open position with the right person.

And if they think you’re that person, they can be a huge help in getting your resume to the top of the hiring manager’s pile. Here’s everything you need to know about recruiters — from what they do to how to find them — to make the most of that relationship.

The Corporate Recruiter

Who They Are

A corporate recruiter is tasked with screening candidates and filling open positions at the company for which she works. Larger companies often have multiple recruiters for all types of positions and levels of experience, while smaller companies may only have one.

How to Find Them

Typically, a corporate recruiter will find you, either after you submit your resume to the company or by coming across your profile on a professional networking site.

You can also contact a recruiter directly to inquire about an open position or to request an informational interview — many job postings will list the name of the recruiter working on the position, or you can search for people on LinkedIn. (But keep in mind that this is everyone’s approach — so try to find recruiters that you have some sort of connection with, and don’t expect a response from all of them.)

How it Works

If a recruiter thinks you might be a fit for a position, she’ll contact you to ask some basic questions or conduct a pre-screening interview, usually over the phone. Then, if she thinks you’re a good candidate, she’ll pass your application along to the hiring manager.

If you’re selected for an interview, the recruiter will often coordinate the meeting, follow up with you as the process continues, and even send you the official offer.

How to Make the Most of It

Assume that any contact with a corporate recruiter is part of the formal interview process. So, show up on time, dress the part, and if she asks you specific questions about your background and what you’re looking for, target your answers to the specific company and position.

Also make sure that you follow up with her regularly. If she asks you for any materials or work samples, get them to her right away. Send her thank-you notes after each interview. And if you haven’t heard from her in a while, or aren’t sure where things are in the hiring process, don’t be afraid to check back in.

Finally, don’t lose hope if you’re not immediately placed within the company. Most corporate recruiters will keep your resume on file and contact you if a future position matches your skills.

The Contingency Recruiter

Who They Are

Unlike the corporate recruiter, the contingency recruiter — aka “headhunter” — works independently of the hiring company, often at a staffing firm. They’re contracted by a company to fill a position, but are only compensated if they find the candidate who’s hired.

How to Find Them

Similar to the corporate recruiter, they’ll often reach out to you via professional networking sites (and they’re usually more receptive than corporate recruiters to being contacted directly). If you reach out, make sure you choose someone who specializes in your field or industry, as she’ll have the best connections and openings. And you can definitely work with multiple recruiters at the same time — don’t choose one who wants an exclusive agreement (or money!) from you. The company that hires you — not you — will pay their fee.

There are many great staffing firms out there. For example, Robert Half International places seekers in accounting, finance, information technology, marketing, legal, and administrative jobs, and Maxim Staffing works with people in the healthcare professions. There are plenty of others — ask your contacts or do a quick Google search, then, give them a call, asking if you can be put in touch with a recruiter.

How it Works

The recruiter will call you in for an informational-style interview, either in person or over the phone, to get a sense of your background and career goals. After the interview, she’ll contact you if she’s hiring for positions that might be a good fit.

At this point, you can decide whether or not you want to be considered. Once you give her the green light, she’ll send your resume on to the company and help coordinate any interviews. If at any point the company rejects you from continuing on in the hiring process, she’ll pass on their feedback.

How to Make the Most of It

As you’re going through the process, be honest and open about your background, goals, and how you feel about the positions the recruiter sends your way. It’s in both of your best interest that you end up somewhere that will be a good fit, so if the position doesn’t sound right to you, ask more about it or let her know your specific concerns — the earlier, the better.

Also, stay in close contact with your recruiter. Follow up with her every few weeks if you haven’t heard from her. And if you find a job on your own, respect her time by letting her know, so she can stop considering you for positions.

Which One Should You Choose?

Wondering which type of recruiter you should work with? If you have your eyes set on working at a specific company, reach out to a corporate recruiter. If you have a couple companies in mind, but are open to other opportunities, too, contact corporate recruiters, but also meet with a contingency recruiter, too. If you have no idea what companies would even be a fit for your area of expertise, a contingency recruiter will definitely be your best bet.

Of course, working with a recruiter isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get hired — but it can help you out by giving you insider information, finding job openings you don’t see elsewhere, and landing your resume to the top of the pile. And at the very least, it’ll make the job search process a little less lonely.

The post How Recruiters Can Help Your Job Hunt appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Researching a company is like researching a new city. It has its own unique history, quirks, and culture. And there’s probably more info about it available than you have time to sift through. With so many criteria to judge from, what are the most important? We’ve prepared a comprehensive list of everything you need to look for when you’re researching a company — with tips on how to find the information, as well. Get ready, get set, go research!

1. Locations

Just when you think you’ve pinpointed the perfect company to work for, you find out that they only have offices in… Omaha, Nebraska. For those who aren’t ready to pick up and move to Omaha, grounding your search in location is extremely important. Luckily, websites like Glassdoor allow you to search jobs by location, so you can easily see if the company you’re interested is hiring in a place you can see yourself living. Alternatively, the company website often gives a picture of where offices are located.

2. Company culture

Does the company have the free-flowing ethos of a startup, or does it hold a rigid corporate structure? Are employees treated more like peers or subordinates? Understanding what the company culture is like is critical to your full assessment of the company — after all, it’s the environment where you’ll be spending 8 hours, if not more, of your life every day. “Culture is the only differentiator that can’t be copied,” writes Derek Irvine, VP of Client Strategy and Consulting Services at Globoforce. As in: company culture can vary widely from company to company, in completely unique ways. One of the easiest ways to assess company culture is by reading employee-written reviews, or by talking to folks who have worked at a company — that kind of first-hand knowledge is irreplaceable.

3. Awareness

What kind of values is the company known for? Do they have robust diversity initiatives, a strong commitment to sustainability, a charitable donation track record you can stand by? More importantly, how do these values fit in to your own? These are crucial questions when looking for a company that you feel you can confidently stand behind.

4. The company’s history

Knowing the big events in a company’s history is important — especially if they’re related to scandals or bankruptcy. You want to make sure that whatever caused problems in the past isn’t a factor that’s still in play today.

5. Who you’ll be working with

Is there a specific project or team at the company that would suit your interests — even if it’s not directly related to what the company formally does? “Quite possibly the best advice I’ve ever heard about selecting your next career is to pick your boss, not the job,” says Michael S. Seaver, executive coach and consultant. In the same vein, the project you’re placed on or the department you’re in can make all the difference at a company.

6. Their competitors

While this is more of an in-depth research item, it’s important to think about the company’s long-term trajectory in the market. Especially if it seems clear that another competitor might soon overtake them. Additionally, it can be helpful to compare and contrast the benefits, environment, and culture that similar companies offer for the same position.

7. Financial picture

Knowing detailed financial information about a company will not only allow you to make your own judgments about their future success, but will also give you an impressive background in the nitty gritty aspects of their business if you do decide to interview there. For larger companies, you should be able to gain a sense of their financial health from financial news articles and information like an annual report from their website.

8. The vacation policy

While this may not be posted on the front page of the website, a bit of sniffing around — whether it’s through reading Glassdoor’s “vacation & paid time off” reviews or calling up current employees you know there — will give you information about vacations, options to work remotely, or take paid time off.

9. Employee community

When you’re joining any sort of team — like the team of people you work with — it’s important to get a sense of what the community dynamics are like. But how do you learn about a community before you join? You can tell a lot about a company’s commitment to community by taking a quick swipe around their social media accounts. Did they post on Instagram with pictures of their last holiday party? Does their Facebook page give profiles on their new hires? Just a bit of sleuthing can give you a picture of how the company’s community really functions.

10. Healthcare benefits

Does the company cover your health insurance premiums, let alone the premiums of your spouse and children? If not, what percentage are you on the financial hook for? What is their policy on dental, optical, prescription drug subsidy, and mental health? While there are many reasons to choose working at a company, having a robust healthcare package can be a huge incentive to pick one company over another.

11. Recent news

Was the company recently embroiled in a headline-making scandal? Did they just announce a hiring freeze? These are things you might want to know before rushing headlong into the application process. Just a quick pass of recent news related to the company can draw out the red flags.

12. General benefits

Yoga classes after work, employee discounts, 401K Plans, charitable gift matching — what benefits are most important to you? On any company review page on Glassdoor, you can find reviews of benefits as diverse as mobile phone discounts to pet-friendly workplaces. These very specific reviews can be an important way to compare the benefits that matter to you at two different companies.

The post What to Look for When Researching a Company: A Complete Checklist appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Very few of us will retire from the same employer that gave us our first job out of school. While some of those job changes might be involuntary, due to a layoff or termination or other circumstances beyond our control, eventually, we’ll be the ones to say goodbye.

That means knowing when to stay and when to go – and being aware that it’s not always easy to tell the difference at first glance.

10 Things to Consider Before You Say Yes to a Job Offer

If you’re contemplating a job change, here’s what you need to consider before you make the leap:

1. Will you make more money? (Are you sure?)

Money isn’t everything, but you can’t enjoy much of anything without it – constant worry about finances has a way of taking the joy out of life.

While a higher salary isn’t the only reason to take a job, most people want to see a steady increase in salary over time. If your present employer doesn’t offer much in the way of regular raises (and if they don’t, they’re not alone – in one survey, only about 20 percent of employers said they planned to offer cost-of-living adjustments in 2015) your best bet might be to move on to greener pastures.

Of course, before you take the cash and run, you better make sure it adds up to as much as you hope. Compensation isn’t just a matter of what’s printed on your paycheck. Make sure you aren’t trading higher contributions to health insurance or other before-tax benefits for a slightly higher paycheck… which will go to pay for those self-same benefits.  Use these free paycheck calculators to figure out what your net income will be.

2. What are you giving up by leaving?

Unless your job is truly wretched, there are probably a few things you like about it, even if it’s just the people you work with or an easy commute. Make sure you’re looking at all the pros and cons of leaving and staying before you make up your mind – even if, in the end, it’s a pretty easy call.

3. Is there room for growth in your new position?

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t want to change jobs every year for the rest of your life, but you need to know that you’ll meet new challenges and learn new skills, even when you stay put. Ideally, your new role should come with the possibility of growing into another, higher position at the same company. Nothing like moving up the corporate ladder without having to roll over your 401(k).

4. Does the corporate culture feel comfortable for you?

Everyone has their own idea of a good time, and that’s as true professionally as it is personally. While you might look at an open-plan office and see one big party of creativity and collaboration, another person might cringe and go running back to their cube. If possible, ask to take a tour of the office during your interview process. Pay close attention to the physical space, noise level, demeanor and behavior of the staff, etc. Do you see yourself working well there, and feeling comfortable? There’s no perfect company, but there is a perfect company for you.

5. Do you respect the people you’ve met so far?

You can’t tell everything about your future co-workers by what you see during your interview, but you can get a general vibe of what kind of personality shines at the company. Can you see yourself working well with people, respecting them, learning from them?

6. Will you learn something new?

There’s no way to be 100 percent sure that you’ll love your new job, but if you can learn a new skill while you’re there, you’ll have moved the needle on your career, no matter what.

7. If you had to get a new job next year, would it be easier or harder than it is right now?

Let’s say the worst happens, and you hate your new job – or your new boss foolishly decides you’re not a good fit. Will moving to this new position put you in a better or worse place than you’re in right now? Ideally, you’re leaving your current role in order to move to a situation in which you’ll gain experience, knowledge, skills, and a positive brand association that will help you in your career long after you’ve left your next job.

8. Why do people leave jobs at your prospective employer?

You hate stress, but this company is famous for making grown men weep in the middle of the office. You value diversity, but everyone who stays long enough for their stock to vest hangs out at the same alumni club. If you want to know whether you’ll be happy and successful at a job, look at the folks who left… or were forced out. If you resemble them more than the people who stayed, you could be in trouble.

9. How’s the company doing?

Your new employer could be the perfect place for you, and your new job the ideal role – but if the company isn’t around long enough for you to get your first review, it won’t matter. Do your due diligence before accepting an offer. If the company is public, you may be able to glean some information on their financial stability from public filings and reports.

You can also dig up some information with a simple Google search and perusal of their social media mentions. Bearing in mind, of course, that electronic gossip is likely to be as complete a picture as the old-fashioned kind that takes place around the water cooler – which is to say, it isn’t. That’s OK, though: you don’t need to know everything. You just need to get a sense of whether there might be trouble ahead.

10. Where will you go after this job is done?

Just as your last job wasn’t, well, your last job, neither is this one likely to be. Make sure that your next step leads in the right direction, and not into a corner. Careers can and do zigzag, but you need to be able to keep moving.

The post 10 Things to Consider Before You Say Yes to a Job Offer appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

As part of Glassdoor’s online company review survey, employees voluntarily and anonymously share what their job and company is like when it comes to work-life balance. The following 25 companies stand out for both high work-life balance ratings and insightful reviews.

SAS Institute
4.5
“Customer-focused, employee-focused and innovative…. Amazing workplace culture, flexible work environment, challenging/stimulating work, customer-focused.”

National Instruments
4.3
“A pretty good place to work…. I make my own hours, don’t put in much over 40 hours a week…”

Slalom Consulting
4.1
“Great company, but monocultural…. Local model guarantees evenings at home with family.”

MITRE
4.1
“A very easy place to work, as hard or as little, as you want…. Outstanding quality of work/life balance. Supportive and easy going…”

Orbitz Worldwide
4.1
“Youthful spirit…. Flexible working hours, cutting edge technologies, challenging assignments, constant learning.”

Scottrade
4.1
“Great company, low stress, team environment…. Branch locations offer small teams of good people, clean break between work and social life…”

Mentor Graphics
4.1
“Great Company – Old School Approach…. For a person with a family, the work life balance and onsite childcare are absolutely stellar.”

FactSet
4.1
“Engineer-driven culture with a strong emphasis on work-life balance…. Working 8-hour days is the norm…”

Agilent Technologies
4.1
“A laid back culture and great people…. Agilent offers great options to balance your work and home life…”

Nokia
4.1
“Work Culture is Good…. Flexible working hours and work from home options. Good work culture overall.”

MathWorks
4.1
“Nice place to work…. Lots of culture, good work life balance, flexible hours, good senior management.”

Autodesk
4.0
“Great place to work…. They have a very flexible schedule, with ability to work remotely, required vacation time…”

AOL
4.0
“A great place to work…. Company sincerely cares about employee welfare as well as helping out in the community…”

Citrix Systems
4.0
“Great Company…Fantastic Work/ Life Balance…. Incredible amount of time-off. Great Culture. Best products in market.”

GlobalLogic
4.0
“Good company to work with for good people…. Flexible work timing. Work from home policy. Lots of emphasis on training and mentoring people…”

Yahoo
4.0
“Great for Work/Life Balance, flexible working hours and great people….”

Tieto
4.0
“Tieto offers challenging jobs and great atmosphere…. Flexibility. Work-life balance. Every place is a workplace = office is only one…”

MasterCard
3.9
“A good place to work…. It is family oriented (but not to a fault!), good benefits, most people are nice…”

Morningstar
3.9
“Great place to build a career…. Work with incredibly smart people. Great work/life balance – opportunities to work remotely…”

Shell Oil
3.9
“Great employer…. Respect to people, lots of opportunities to develop, decent pay, good work/life balance…”

Robert Bosch
3.9
“Good work life balance…. No pressure or strict deadlines to employees. Enough time provided to work. Quality is ultimate…”

Chevron
3.9
“Satisfied…. Flexible work hours, promoting work-life balance, challenging worldwide opportunities.”

REI
3.9
“Would recommend! … Flexible schedule, employee discounts, incredible co-workers, company values.”

STMicroelectronics
3.9
“STM is employee friendly, not too aggressive in either work pressure…. Provides an opportunity to balance work and life…”

NetApp
3.9
“Great people, great technology…. Company gives a lot of flexibility. The work is very very good and the people are extremely good…”

The post Top 25 Companies for Work-Life Balance appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

The post “Fortune” 100 Best Companies to Work For appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Introducing the 2013 winners of the AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 award, cosponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management, a biennial program that recognizes employers with exemplary practices for recruiting and retaining mature workers.

1. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
2. Scripps Health
3. Atlantic Health System
4. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
5. Mercy Health System
6. The YMCA of Greater Rochester
7. West Virginia University
8. Bon Secours Virginia
9. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
10. WellStar Health System
11. Cornell University
12. West Virginia University Hospitals
13. George Mason University
14. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
15. Monongalia General Hospital
16. S&T Bank
17. Virginia Commonwealth University
18. FCCI Insurance Group
19. TriHealth Inc.
20. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
21. Stanley Consultants Inc.
22. Southern Company
23. Yale-New Haven Hospital
24. Michelin North America Inc.
25. Department of Veterans Affairs-Veterans Health Administration
26. Saint Vincent Health System
27. Cianbro Corporation
28. SSM Health Care
29. Solix Inc.
30. Mountain States Health Alliance
31. Central Florida Health Alliance
32. Securian Financial Group
33. One Nevada Credit Union
34. Swarthmore College
35. MEI Technologies Inc.
36. School Board of Brevard County
37. Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center
38. Tufts Health Plan
39. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
40. Coconino County
41. Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind
42. BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina
43. Ochsner Health System
44. University of Pittsburgh
45. American University
46. Lee County Electric Cooperative
47. Massachusetts General Hospital
48. Pinnacle Health System
49. Perkins Coie LLP
50. CheapCaribbean.com

The post Best Employers for Workers Over 50 Winners (2013) appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a company that doesn’t value your skills, then you’ll appreciate the discussion on finding the right corporate culture for the skills and talents you bring to an organization. In this post, we’ll take a quick look at how you can overcome a very common barrier for moving your career to the next level.

A big issue for many working professionals is in finding a good fit for success within a company. Fit is usually broken up into two factors: job and organization. Job fit is fairly easy for the company and the individual to figure out; that is, you have the skills for the job or either the company feels they can teach you what you need to know. Organization or culture fit is much more difficult. It is essentially the alignment of beliefs and values of you and the company. Yes, the company has their own set of values. Why? Because companies are usually run by people and these people have values.

When companies interview candidates for hire, one would hope that they are asking questions that will assess both fits. Unfortunately, many companies don’t know what their values are. It’s fairly safe to say that many people that get involved in the interview process don’t fully understand their own company’s culture. Assessing whether you will fit or not is too difficult for most interviewers and usually doesn’t happen. The problem is that the interviewer will assess you with their own values. If there is a gross mismatch, they won’t recommend you. Even if there is a match, the interviewer’s values may not be the same as those in higher levels of the organization. This is important if you want to move up in an organization.

Defining your values. It is useful for you to have a good understanding of why you work. Sure, we all work for the money. But do you work for increasing technical challenge, higher levels of authority, or high visibility? One thing most highly educated professionals value is graduate degrees. I know you are saying to yourself, of course they do. They’ve spent a lot of time and effort into obtaining the degrees so they want to get a good return on it. The advanced degree is a tool for supporting the desire to do higher level tasks.

Other values that professionals seek are affiliation, autonomy, intellectual challenge, managing people, power, influence, prestige, recognition, security, variety and so on. If you want to achieve higher levels of success within someone else’s organization, you have to know your values and how you will use them. For example, I have a highly technical background. No matter what position you put me in, I will use analytical methods to resolve issues and perform my work. Now, consider putting me in a management position. Will my analytical skills be necessary? Maybe, but I will use them anyhow because it’s who I am. I can’t turn that off.

To know what type of environment that you would thrive in, you must first understand what you value. If your values are not present in your environment, you won’t be happy. You’ll become restless and will make a change. Sometimes this change is a conscious move to another company or it can be a subtle transformation to self-defeating behavior that drives a wedge between you and the company, forcing them to remove you.

Aligning your values. As mentioned earlier, ascertaining the values of a company from an interview is a big challenge. So maybe it isn’t the best place to look. You should consider your career goals to define the location for a values assessment. Let’s say you just completed your MBA and are looking to leave your current company to find a middle management position in another company. How do you determine if management will value your MBA? The best way is to evaluate their backgrounds. If management doesn’t have graduate degrees but possess many years of work experience, they most likely won’t see much value in your advanced degree.

At all levels of management, values are different, but most managers strive to be similar to the managers at the highest levels of the organization. Henry Mintzberg defined the Ten Managerial Roles in 1973, outlining the typical behavior for CEOs. Later on, Pavett and Lau (1983) performed similar studies of lower and middle level managers and found that they emulated the higher level managers. One might think that managers desiring to be part of the executive groups will mimic their behavior so that they resonate with them and will increase their chances of being accepted into the group.

One of my clients struggled with achieving even the smallest levels of success in his organization because of a misalignment of values. My client held three advanced degrees, mostly because he wanted to differentiate himself from his competition. Unfortunately, with such high levels of education, he differentiated himself from his management. He appeared more as a threat to them. Management is about competitive advantage, to some extent. Those that sit at or near the top won’t value things that they don’t have. No one would intentionally rule themselves out of the competition. Therefore, to align your strengths and skills with an organization, you need to align them with the values of higher level management. If they value what you have, you will be more successful. If they don’t value it, you’ll have a difficult time becoming extremely successful. After all, people don’t like to change, especially if they value security.

Reaching your career goals in someone else’s organization is a difficult task. We often find ourselves in groups that don’t appreciate our unique skills and abilities. Of course, we don’t know what kind of culture we are in until we are neck deep in it. At that point, it can be painful and waste a lot of time trying to get out of the company and into a new one. You are better off taking the time to align your values with those that will be promoting you to higher levels. You can do that by aligning your values with their values.

The post Finding a Culture for Success appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Business Week’s CEO Guide to the Tech-Job Outlook raises hopes for an industry turnaround by 2010, with senior executives reporting that hiring at small, VC-funded firms is increasing.

According to the article, these are the 10 best and 10 worst cities for salaries in the Tech Sector (averaged across at least 15 reports from each company surveyed).

BEST CITIES (1 being the highest average salary):

1. San Jose
2. San Francisco
3. Seattle
4. San Diego
5. New York City
6. Washington, DC
7. Boston
8. Raleigh
9. Los Angeles
10. Austin

WORST CITIES (1 being the lowest average salary):

1. Kansas City
2. Cleveland
3. Pittsburgh
4. Madison (WI)
5. Orlando
6. St. Louis
7. Columbus
8. Cincinnati
9. Minneapolis
10. Philadelphia

This has been the worst tech sector recession since the dot.com bubble burst. Among the first fields to begin job recovery are cloud computing, computer security, business analytics, and IT services for government and health care. CEOs indicate that they are gradually and carefully lifting hiring freezes in an effort to bring in the best-of-the-best employees before the economy recovers and the competition for talent heats up.

A piece of good news is that after elimination of more than 118,000 tech jobs in the first half of 2009 (the highest number in 7 years), “two-thirds of senior technology executives recently surveyed by audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG said they thought their industry would fully recover from the current economic crisis ahead of the overall U.S. economy.”

After a long and dismal dry spell, this may be the time for technology executives to polish up their executive resumes and begin testing the waters.

The post CEOs: VC-backed Tech Firm Sector on Road to Recovery appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.