The State of Tech Recruiting in 2017

The State of Tech Recruiting in 2017 The tech world is progressing rapidly, with new devices, software programs, and technological advancements emerging all the time. As with any fast-paced industry, the flourishing job market of tech is in a state of constant change and development. Consequently, IT hiring managers are closely monitoring the employment landscape, keeping an eye on fluctuating factors that will affect the decisions of hiring companies and potential employees. Given the fluidity of the tech job market, it can be difficult to keep track of everything at once. Modis  has provided us with a comprehensive infographic on this topic. Modis surveyed 500 IT decision makers responsible for hiring within their companies, then collated this data to reveal some interesting findings. The key focus areas for this survey included rehiring policies, high-tech hotspots, salaries, future technologies, and diversity challenges. Notable findings: Finding good interpersonal skills is the toughest recruitment challenge, with a third (31%) saying that soft skills, such as teamwork and great communication, were the hardest to find among candidates. Most tech workers are more concerned with the total compensation than they will receive rather than company stability. 41% said the biggest challenge, in terms of diversity, was age, followed by 28% for gender, and just 21% for ethnicity. This may be partially down to the fact that people are now working until a later age in life. The most prized benefit for employees is flexible working hours, followed by the ability to work remotely. A flat corporate structure is the least important benefit. Over half (60%) of men currently working in the tech industry agreed that benefits such as free fruit and flexible working are more appealing than salary. 42% expect a higher salary than the 2017 market average. When tech talent leaves, companies aren’t too keen to take them back, with a third (33%) of companies refusing to take back employees that have previously left, no matter how long ago it was. Employers will pay a higher salary for top talent, with a third (33%) that said they were prepared to offer a 6-9% increase and just under a third (32%) willing to offer 10-15% more. Over half (58%) said that candidates with a tenure of five or more years at their previous role were the most attractive applicants. Interestingly, hiring managers who have worked in IT for 10 or more years viewed a tenure of less than one year in a role, most negatively. Whereas, young people are more comfortable with a short tenure â€" as respondents age 25 and under were less likely to see this an issue, than the hiring managers who were age 55-64. In terms of online vs. brick and mortar education, 27% were more concerned with the quality of the institution rather than its type and one fifth (20%) view both types of degrees equally. Modis also predicted the cities that were due for a tech boom, which included Chicago, Houston, and Omaha. The thriving tech sector has made the job market for top talent more competitive than ever before, and with so many mitigating factors that come into play, it will be interesting to monitor what challenges will arise for both potential employees and hiring managers in the coming year. Perhaps one of the most unsettling findings is that artificial intelligence will likely have the biggest tech impact in coming years, potentially meaning the loss of jobs with the replacement of computers that can complete tasks in half the time at a fraction of the price. About the author: Araminta Hannah  writes marketing, business and career advice and work with a wide range of people across the globe.

Resume Writing Firms

Resume Writing FirmsAre you considering the use of resume writing firms for your resume? It is hard to believe that many companies are not offering these services. However, many of these firms make a quick sale to people that use their services, making them easier to get than any business on the Internet.Do you think you can buy the same products you can get in a big box store for a couple of dollars more? It is true that you will be paying a little more, but you may find that using a company such as this allows you to save money while also giving you the quality of service that you want. The advantage of using a firm such as this is that they have the knowledge that other companies do not have.This does not mean that the firms will give you the same skills that other companies have. These days, it is not good enough for a resume to simply state a person's skill set. Instead, a firm will take a detailed look at the skills that are relevant to your position.Not only will a firm go ove r all of the information that you submit, but they will make sure that the information is correct. This can be especially important when applying for jobs at different companies. One wrong information can cost you a job offer.One problem that some people have when they are writing their resumes is that they are too vague. Instead of using your skills and qualifications, you will only be able to say things that the company may not hire you for. If you are unsure of your own skill set, then you should consider using a firm that will guide you through the process of writing a resume that will show your best qualities.As you are preparing to submit your resume, you may want to take a look at the various companies that are available. These firms may be able to help you get the best possible deal on a resume. Make sure that you give them plenty of time to answer your questions, since there may be plenty of them.There are many things that you should consider when trying to choose a company to help you with your resume. You will want to make sure that they offer the type of services that you need. You should also make sure that you give them ample time to get all of the information that you need, including when the review will be finished.Once you get the feedback from the services of resume writing firms, you will know what information is needed for your resume. This will give you a better idea of how much time you will have to work on the document. This is crucial, since it is impossible to know how long the entire process will take without knowing the time frame of each step.

3 New Years Goals that Will Increase Your Happiness

3 New Years Goals that Will Increase Your Happiness Do you hit the snooze button multiple times because you dread going to work, or do you jump up every morning screaming, “Woohoo! I look forward to the beautiful surprises that will increase my happiness  today!” If you are like most Americans, you’re hitting the snooze button at least once before getting upâ€"and this is delaying your happiness.  According to The Harris Poll Happiness Index, a series of questions used to calculate the overall happiness of adults aged 18+ in America, 31% of Americans were very happy in 2016 compared to 34% in 2015 .” Additionally, a study by French tech-firm Withings revealed that 58% of Americans confess that they stay in bed for more than five minutes every morning. Those are five important minutes that could be used to jumpstart your day. If you revise your goals for the New Year, you could actually increase your happiness. Next time you think about hitting the snooze button, consider taking advantage of these New Year goals  instead: 1.  Exercise Your Way to  Happiness Lets face it. You dont wake up early enough to do your  Focus T25 Workout  or P90X Power 90 Extreme exercise regimen. When you go home, your list of to-dos are so long that all you can think about is sleeping. How do you expect to get that fit and fabulous body  if you are always busy and tired? Dont worry. There are quick exercises you can do throughout your day. In less than 10 minutes, you can take advantage of the  10- minute calorie-burning workouts or the Squat and Push-Up 31-Day Bootcamp. Dont be tempted to walk this fitness journey alone. You can hire a personal trainer, find an accountability partner, or you can participate in step challenges with your friends if you purchase a Fitbit. 2. Develop Habits that Increase Happiness Do something that will boost your happiness before you leave the house in the morning. Meditation is the perfect way to prepare your mind for success  before starting your day. If you are new to meditation, Davidji has tons of resources that will get you started. You can also download the Insight Timer app to gain access to over 3,000 free meditations. You can wake up to motivational messages by signing up for the  notes from the universe. These notes are brief reminders that we all have been given dominion over all things. As a bonus, some days you’ll receive a customized message that includes your unique goals. Reading your goal as if it was already accomplished can set the tone for an incredible day. If you dont want to sign up for external motivation, you can always start your day with affirmations. Affirmations  keep you focused on your goals and force you to speak what you seek. 3.  Make Your Happiness a Priority Some people may be frustrated and depressed because they are doing the same thing everyday and its not what they want to do. Whats worse is they  are still wondering why they havent achieved different results. Does that even make sense? One wise soul by the name of Albert Einstein classified these actions as insanity. You have to be willing to do something different to spice up your relationship with life. That means making your happiness a priority. Maybe you want to  be more like those dreamy-eyed 20- year olds who travel the world at least once a month. Dont worry about what others think about your nontraditional goals. Just do it! If you are a creative entrepreneur  seeking to connect, create, and collaborate in world-renowned destinations, check out Unsettled. You can learn a new language  by participating in a short term program with  Don Quijote. If you have the urge to prove to yourself that you have the courage to try new things, consider signing up for for the  Ms. Corporate America (MCA) pageant? It’s a pageant that celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding businesswomen between the ages of 21 and 55. Who you become on this journey to the crown far exceeds any material possession that you can win from this competition. Thats not to say that taking home the coveted prize of the crown and sash wont  leave you on stage in a frozen state of bliss! . Image credits. Main.  Happiness.    Goals.

How an intense workout session can be damaging your body

How an intense workout session can be damaging your body It’s typical with overcompensating. You say to yourself: Right, I’ll go for a run this week, fit in a yoga class and some Pilates, and take the bike out for a spin on the weekend. When other things inevitably get in the way however, it can be easy to miss out on most of what you had been intending to put into practice, and you end up overcompensating with an intense workout to make up for lost time. This isn’t always the best idea though, for a number of reasons. If it has been a while since you last put yourself through your paces, the body is much less used to heavy physical exertion, and you will notice the difference. It is similar to a lot of things in life where your aim to teach yourself new tricks. If you wanted to learn a new language for example, it is much more beneficial to try and spend a few minutes a day practicing and getting used to it, rather than cramming it all into one day. It is much more likely that you will end up forgetting more of the new material if you do this, as opposed introducing it to yourself gradually. It works much the same way for your body during a workout, and by fitting high-intensity training into your schedule without making adequate preparations, the body will not be able to cope as effectively. The workouts that typically lead to injuries and side effects from a heavy regime are those that involve particularly strenuous, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) routines, as these are the exercises which do not give your body appropriate time to recover in between all of these hardcore sets. Other problems stem from the general fact that when you rush something, you will usually spend less time considering what you are doing, and just go ahead and do it. This is an issue because it can lead to form and technique being nothing more than an afterthought, and inevitably, if you follow a workout that doesn’t allow you to align your body correctly, it can cause all sorts of chaos for your muscles. If the muscles are not properly stretched out before you start your workout session, they have more work to do trying to stay in shape. If your muscles are not particularly flexible and feel stiff, this only increases the chance of pulling a muscle â€" or even worse â€" tearing one. It isn’t all bad news though, of course. There are many ways to successfully carry out these workouts on a regular basis and end up with great results â€" but this is only possible if you prepare your body beforehand. Warming up is key to all of this, and something you have no doubt constantly heard of without necessarily heeding the warnings. By engaging with something as simple and relatively quick as a 10 minute warm up, where you perform stretches with all the key muscles and loosen them up enough, it can help a great deal when trying to prevent problems such as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which will help you to feel a lot better the day after! Muscle problems are obviously incredibly annoying, and even painful, but they can pale in comparison to some of the really nasty injuries you can contract with a high-intensity session should your body not be ready for it. Spinal injuries and trapped nerves are some of the sharpest, most debilitating issues you can unfortunately end up with if you push yourself too hard and too fast. If you have been unlucky enough for this to happen to you though, it isn’t going to afflict you forever. Plenty of recovery methods are around to relieve these types of problems before they go too far, such as non-surgical procedures available from Healthquest Chiropractic and other injury specialists who have developed effective methods to aid recovery. Other ways to aid your recovery after a heavy workout session may seem like some of the most basic, but this often leads to them being overlooked. Water is a great example that many forget about. Listen to your body and make sure you hydrate when feeling thirsty to help your body function at its best. So remember, before you set off on some serious quests to attain fitness as quickly as possible, if you don’t prepare yourself for what is to come, you could end up with the kind of injury that just won’t go away â€" and this might mean that it will take even longer to reach the fitness levels you are looking for. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

5 Common Resume-Writing Mistakes

5 Common Resume-Writing MistakesIn order to help you to write your own resume, here are five of the most common resume-writing mistakes you should avoid. By making these mistakes, you will lose a significant amount of the respect that you might otherwise get in the job market. In this article, I will show you how to avoid these mistakes and what you can do to make a strong resume.This is a common mistake that many people make. When they create their own resume, they often do not keep a version of it for reference. This means that they make a copy of their resume in one format and they keep it in another format. While it makes sense to keep two copies, keep your copies in two different formats. You will have an easier time reading them when you look at them both in their original format.Another common mistake is using an incorrect format for your resume. Even if you do your best to make your resume unique, you are still competing with hundreds of other resumes in the same position. Ma ke sure that you use the correct format for your resume. It makes a difference.This is also a common mistake that many people make. They include their education information in the resume. This includes your GPA and all of your college work experience. Although your experience is valuable, you should leave your college experiences out of your resume.This mistake is made when people make the mistake of including the wrong type of experience in their resume. If you are seeking a position with the U.S. Air Force, for example, you should leave out your military experience. Instead, you should include only your work experience. The Air Force requires employers to only look at your military experience and not your work experience. This is true regardless of the position that you are seeking.You may include information about your job history in your resume. However, if your job history consists of only one year of employment, you should never put it in your resume. The reason is because you will only be able to provide this information to one employer. You will have to be more specific when you are looking for a position that will require two or three years of experience.This is also a common mistake. Many people think that they can write a great resume by simply writing their resume in 'plain English.' While this is true, you should be careful to keep your resume as simple as possible. This is the only way that you will be able to convey a very clear message to the hiring manager.These are five of the most common mistakes that most people make when they are trying to write their own resume. Although you can use your common sense and make smart decisions about your resume, you must make sure that you are not going to make the mistakes that I mentioned above. Using these mistakes can leave you with a poor resume and no interview.

Your Online Portfolio Influences Hiring Decisions

Your Online Portfolio Influences Hiring Decisions Employers search and research candidates  in a variety of different ways. Some use LinkedIn, but not everyone. Owning an online portfolio or personal website is one of the smartest long-term career moves you can invest in. When you have  a personal website, you own your domain name and its content. This is a basic SEO (search engine optimization) best practice.  Have you ever heard of a company without a website? How would you perceive a company that didnt have one? Thats the world we live in today. Every employee is now considered a free agent or a business of one, responsible for managing what people can learn about you online. Im always looking for evidence to support claims and trends in job search, especially those that have to do with online visibility. So this study, though small, still helps prove my hypothesis. The Quality of Your Online Portfolio  Matters- A Lot Hover, a company that provides services to  manage domains, conducted research  to test the importance of an online portfolio. Study: Will Quality of Portfolio Site Influence Hiring Decisions? 121 people were surveyed from various job levels including: specialists, coordinators, managers, directors, VPs, and C-Level execs. Only 12% of the respondents said  they were NOT involved in the hiring process. It is important to note that most of the responses were from Hover customers, which could mean they probably already see value in  websites. But what they found was it  isnt enough just to have an online portfolio. The quality of a site influences  the viewers perception. This means you better make sure you create a high-quality site. 71% of employers Agree or Strongly Agree that a portfolio’s quality will influence their decision on whether to hire a candidate, Hover reports. Image via Hover Though what constitutes quality of a website is not defined in the study, it can be subject to personal interpretation. However, to put some definition around quality, Quick Sprout uses these are 10 elements of a high  quality website. Relevance Context Both humans and computers need to understand whats on the page. Content Length Top websites have 900+ words per  page Images Video Pages with images are more engaging Grammar Spelling Theres no excuse for errors. It hurts your credibility Readability The easier to read the better. Shorter sentences and eliminate adjectives/fluff. Formatting Scannable page with good headers to break up content Expertise Shows your expertise/authority on the subject Social Media Shares Make your content easy to share and help increase search rankings Google Internal External Links Link to content on your own site and to other valuable sites Quality of Comments Good comments help build authority. Now that you  understand  what quality  means, why does it matter? Yes, Your Online Portfolio Will Get Looked At Humans are curious creatures. And people investigating candidates are no different. If they can uncover information about you that will help make an informed decision and eliminate risk, theyll take the bait. It makes their lives easier. 86% either Agree or Strongly Agree that they will visit a portfolio when given the option, according to Hover. You should know that  if you provide a link to your personal website, odds are, it WILL get looked at. (Addit to your resume, your LinkedIn summary and your email signature!) Where should you include a link to your personal portfolio? Everywhere! Put it in your email signature, on your resume, in your LinkedIn profile summary section, in your Twitter bio (or bio section of every social network), and on your business card. Ready To Build Your Personal Online Portfolio? A Website Makes You More Human A resume is a sterile document, often void of personal information that shows your interests, how you process information and what motivates you. Due to limitations on how long a resume should be â€" either one or two pages â€" the resume also lacks the space necessary to tell your full story, unlike the personal website. Hiring professionals are  looking for personal qualities that aren’t easily evident on a resume. Use These Ideas When creating your online  portfolio/personal website, consider adding these types of pages to organize your information. About/Bio Resume/Experience News/Blog Specialties/Services Portfolio/Projects Contact And here is more help Learn how to Use Pictures, Images Video Get ideas on what samples of work you may want to include. Get started by writing content (blogging) Become A Go-To Resource Secrets To Managing Your Online Visibility Write a great Bio Provide proof you have great written and oral communication skills Free tools for a better online presence And why not convert your career into a visual story this way.

Business Advice For Small Construction Owners

Business Advice For Small Construction Owners So, you’re thinking of becoming a construction contractor, huh? Well, to slap you with a little bit of great news, contractors are absolutely necessary. They are a huge contributor to the economy without whom homes, businesses and constructions of every kind would literally fall apart. Basically, what we are saying in a rather long-winded way is, starting your own construction business can be a super-lucrative decision. But you have to get it right. That’s the flip side of the coin. Getting yourself set up to be a success in the long-run takes more than just a website and some experience in contracting. So, before you go and get yourself too involved in this dream, we have pulled together a list of ways you can give yourself the best chance of growing a construction company that will pass the test of time and lasts just as long as the projects you get stuck into. Know The Best Business Practices If you have any ounce of experience in contracting, then you will know firsthand just how problematic it can be to improve your efficiencies and boost your business, and that’s because everyone has a different idea of what are the best practices in this industry. It’s just one of those sectors where everyone has their own sort of systems in place; systems they’re used to and think are working okay. The good news is, you can use whatever systems you prefer using. This can be applied to your bookkeeping, your invoicing, the way you schedule a project, how you go manage a deep foundation situation, the way you train your employees and the way you delegate your tasks. The trick is making sure each system understands the basics of each task and is easily understood by each of your employees. The reason for this is simple: the more efficient your systems are, the better you will be able to grow and that’s because you will have everything in place to scale up with any instabilities arising. Take A Peek Inside Your Business Another absolutely critical assessment you need to make is of your company. After all, you can’t hope to survive or thrive if you don’t understand a few things about your company, such as your financial stability, how much repeat business you’re getting, what your referral rate is like, how much people appreciate your customer service efforts, what your employee turnover rate is like and things like that. The best way to answer all these questions is to open your eyes more. Look at your books more frequently, take a look at your online reputation and talk to your customers. If you do find room for improvement, then you need to remedy this before you focus on growing too much. Get Into An Industry Association There are plenty of options out there for you to choose from, so pick one that suits your type of contracting an where you are based and get involved. Not only will you find this to be really beneficial from a networking point of view, you will also find it is extremely useful in your marketing to have this sort of social-proof in your locker. People are getting more and more wary of cowboy builders, which is why you need to fill new-clients with confidence. Of course, the other major benefit of joining an industry association is our chance to develop as a business leader. That could be something as complex as knowing what to charge a client for a specific job or something as relatively straightforward as knowing how to write a contract, not to mention which materials should be used here and there and where to find sub-trades. Marketing Means Everything All too many business leaders think successful marketing strategies are all about landing new clients. But that’s not the case. Marketing campaigns are actually your chance to secure more profitable projects while simultaneously keeping your current client base more than satisfied. In today’s world, that means more than just having an Ad in the Yellow Pages. You need to have a solid online presence (yup, that means a snazzy website like this one), interacting with your clients through social media, sending out an email newsletter and even having a blog, all of which will boost your ability to demonstrate just how you can solve their problems. That said, don’t just focus on the online thing and that’s because you’re not just an online business. Instead, make sure your company address and phone number is easily found online and back this up by having a presence in your local newspaper and town. Hire Top Talent Boosting your business is on you. It has to be. You’re the business leader, the owner, the boss. However, you’re only going to be as successful as the guys and girls you have working for you. Not only will this get rid of any micromanagement issues you may be facing as you rush between different projects, you will be able to trust them to handle any and all projects you assign them too and that is going to make your business more attractive to customers. You’ll have the best people doing the best work and that will produce referrals and repeat business. Best of all, though, is the amount of time you’ll save yourself; time you can spend on growing your business. Of course, attracting top talent isn’t easy, which is why you should check out this article for some ideas. Staying Small Is A-Okay The reason we’re saying this is because a lot of small construction businesses find themselves caught in a weird middle ground where they have to bring on more employees to manage the extra workload, but their profits aren’t any bigger just their headaches. That’s when staying small can be really beneficial. It is the answer to a higher cash flow with lower overheads, and even lower stress levels. The opportunity may come to grow, but you don’t need to force it and put that extra dollop of risk on your shoulders.