9 New Years Resolutions for Job Seekers

9 New Years Resolutions for Job Seekers9 New Years Resolutions for Job SeekersCue the long-awaited New Years resolution list filled with fantasies of achieving agoal weight, saving for a down payment on a house, or finally kicking that nasty smoking habit. But, have you considered yourcareergoals for the year? With the glitz and glam of these common resolutions, its easy to overlook the changes you could make in your professional life. Thats why weve written up a few New Years resolutions for job seekers in 2017 that are easy to remember and stick to.Here are a few New Years resolutions for job seekers that should be considered for 20171. Update youreverything.Nows the time toevaluate your titelseite letter, resume, social media profiles, websites, network, portfolio, and business cards to make sure they are the best they can be. Make sure there arent any typos and that your information is accurate and up to date.You also want to ensure that your best impression is being made through your work. Having an old address on your documents and a portfolio can mean missed job opportunities.2. Open yourself to possibilities.When youve associated your professional life with a specific industry or title, it can be easy to have a closed mind when it comes to the opportunities that are available.Dont limit yourself in this way. Explore different industry and research various job titles that might be a good fit. Also, dont limit yourself by geographical boundaries either. With flexible work, the world is your oyster.3. Master a new skill.Put the energy of a new year to good use by taking your professional development into your own hands. Give yourself a one-up on the competition by honing a desirable industry skill- one that is pertinent to your profession.Or, if youre looking to make headway in a new area, pick up a skill or two to get your foot in the door.4. Work that networkNetworking is a tedious activity for most job seekers, but dont let your lack of enthusiasm for i t stand in your way. Employ thepower of your networkby reaching out to those you are already connected to, while also working to gain new connections.This is a great time to reconnect with old classmates, mentors, or colleagues re-activate your memberships with networking sites and update your online social networking profiles.5. Jump on the work flexibility bandwagon.Traditional employment is making its way out the door. This year it is time to consider flexible work arrangements- part-time, remote, temporary, or freelance work- into your search.In addition to greater work-life balance and the multitude of other benefits, flexible work can lead to some interesting new roles and career paths.6. Solidify and live yourprofessional brand.To stand out from others and make an impression, you need a solid and consistent personal brand.Evaluate your professional goals and aspirations, and then start to build something that shows who you are as a professional and why others should want to e mploy you. Remember to keep it consistent as an inconsistent brand can mean trouble.7. Create a long-term plan to grow your career.Knowing where you will be in five years is likely mora of a bad joke than a real assessment of where you are going.However, that doesnt mean you cant make a long-term plan for where you want your career to go this year. Once you have your plan in place, create measurable and reachable goals so you can find success throughout the year.8. Dont forget social media.Whether you love it or you hate it, social media has become a necessity to really dig into a job search.Not only can you grow your virtual network through social media, but you can also connect with recruiters, get your name on a hiring managers radar, and gain access to information that will help propel your job search and career.9. Stay positive and findways to lose the stress.Last but not least, dont lose hope. The worst thing you can do for your job search is allow the stress and possible let down of job searching bring you down.To avoid getting bogged down, set daily or weekly job search goals, allow time to participate in activities that lift your spirits, and remember to reward yourself for any success, no matter how minuscule it may seem.Seek support from your professional network, friends, and family, and enter this new year with your head held high and with a newfound faith that this will be the year you score your dream job.Find a Flexible JobReaders, what New Years resolutions for job seekers are you adding to your list in 2017? Share your tips with us belowBrie Weiler Reynolds contributed to this post.

21.8% of Millennials say a friend referred them for their first job

21.8% of Millennials say a friend referred them for their first job21.8% of Millennials say a friend referred them for their first jobRecent research from CreditLoan.com found that21.8% of Millennials say a friend referred them for their first job, compared to 26.1% of Baby Boomers and 24.8% of those in Generation X. To arrive at these conclusions, Credit Loan surveyed 1,003 people who have worked before (from the ages 18 to 82) with Amazons Mechanical Turk.Heres how Americans found their first positionsWhen it comes to finding their first position, most people say that they were referred from a friend. While 19.5% of Millennials think that securing their first one was difficult, just 13.9% of Baby Boomers and 12.4% of those in Generation X felt the same way. Parents have also played a role in the job hunt.Heres why Americans started working for the first timeThe overwhelmingly popular answer was to earn money for discretionary purchases, with 75.7% of Baby Boomers, 74.1% of those in Generation X and also 74.1% of Millennials saying so. To save money for a house was the least popular reason why people started working, according to 1.7% of Baby Boomers, 2.6% of those in Generation X and 5.1% of Millennials.While the average age of people who started working because their parents made them was 16.5, the average age of people who did so to stash away cash for a home was 21.5.Scratching your head at that last part? Credit Loan addressed this in the blog post, reporting The major outlier in this survey comes from respondents who got their first job to save for a house. On average, they started working at age 21.5. People in this situation could be from mora affluent families and are entering the workforce later on average.How much average credit card debt people havePeople who started working to save up for a car have the most current average credit card debt at $5,062. But for those who did so for discretionary purchases, the number is $4,570. On the other end of t he spectrum, those who did so to put away money for a home have an average of $1,777.

LinkedIn Easy Apply What Employers See When You Apply on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Easy Apply What Employers See When You Apply on LinkedIn LinkedIn Easy Apply What Employers See When You Apply on LinkedIn When browsing job listings on LinkedIn youll notice that some jobs have an Apply button while others have a LinkedIn Easy Apply button.Whats the difference between these two vorkaufsrechts?LinkedIn Easy Apply (left) vs. normal apply (right)What is LinkedIn Easy Apply?While the Apply button will typically take you to a companys job site, Easy Apply lets you apply without leaving LinkedIn. When you click Easy Apply, a popup like this will appearLinkedIn Easy Apply applications are usually pretty straight forward. They typically feature a dropdown to select your preferred email address, a distributionspolitik to enter a phone number, and an option to upload your resume.Occasionally youll be taken to a new page that will include a few extra fields, like work authorizations.What an employer sees when you apply through LinkedInIf you apply for a job via Linked In Easy Apply, your first impression will probably be thisBefore they review your completeLinkedIn profile, you have to grab their attention here with just a few pieces of information.Have a great photoThis should go without saying.Opting not to use a photo could get you passed over, so upload a photo and make it a good one. That means something professional, in focus, well lit, and not too grumpy.Write a strong LinkedIn headlineYourheadline stands out throughout the LinkedIn application process.By default, LinkedIn creates your headline based on your current job title and company. For example Web Developer at Jobscan. But with 120 characters to work with, stopping there is a wasted opportunity.Add in other details that describe what you can do for the company. Check out theseLinkedIn headline tips and examples here for more information.Align your location and industryEnkoranvers that your location aligns with where youre looking for jobs, not necessarily where you currently live or work. Same thing for industry. Think about where youre trying to take your career rather than where its historically been.Optimize your LinkedIn profile to matchView critical match shows the recruiter a breakdown of how well your profile aligns with the job description.The skills section is made up of the keywords you entered into your Skills Endorsements profile section as well as words you used throughout your profile.Recruiters and hiring managers can also sort their applicants byMatch Score, which appears to be based mostly on job title match, experience level, location, and industry.While you dont need to tailor your LinkedIn profile for every job application the way you would your resume, you do need towrite a complete, keyword-rich LinkedIn profile that matches the types of jobs you want.Try LinkedIn OptimizationJobscan has a tool that analyzes your LinkedIn profile against three or more jobs at a time.LinkedIn Optimizationscores yours profile and shows you the exact skills missing from your profile based on the job descriptions.Try it today to get your profile score and dozens of other checks covering everything from your headline to your network to your industry relevance.Attaching your resume in LinkedIn Easy ApplyWhile LinkedIn Easy Apply applications typically include a place to upload your resume, its often marked optional and is deemphasized within the recruiters dashboard. LinkedIn sees itself as the evolution of resumes, so its not surprising that resumes are merely a supplemental part of many LinkedIn applications.In the recruiter dashboard, the resume you upload is hidden within a couple obscure menus, like thisThey can also find it by scrolling down near the bottom of your profile in an Additional Info section.In these cases, yes, upload your resume to LinkedIn, and yes, tailor it to the job. But dont submit your LinkedIn application hoping your resume will do the heavy lifting. Your candidacy will likely live and die with your LinkedIn pr ofile so needs to be in tip top shape.Learn more about creating a killer profileTry LinkedIn OptimizationJobscans LinkedIn profile writing guideHow to write a LinkedIn headline (with examples)How to write a LinkedIn summary (with examples)Easy Apply variationSome Easy Apply applications, particularly with big money companies, are a little different.Nike Easy Apply application on LinkedInWhile a Nike recruiter will take applications through LinkedIn, they probably arent doing much within the LinkedIn Recruiter platform. Nike accepts applications through a number of different channels and they need to keep everything uniform within their applicant tracking system (Nike uses Taleo). Thats why they need to require a resume here.If you dont have one handy, LinkedIn can convert your profile to a resume, which is used for the Submit a PDF version of your LinkedIn profile option.What you need to know about the voreingestellt Apply buttonIf Easy Apply is not shown as an option, you will like ly be taken away from LinkedIn to complete your application.Applicant tracking systemsTypically, this application page is part of the companys applicant tracking system, or ATS. These systems are used to collect, filter, search, and rank incoming resumes. When applying through an ATS, its important to strategically optimize your resume based on the job description. This will help you rise to the top of the ATS algorithms and avoid what has become known as the resume black hole.Learn more about ATSWhat you need to know about ATSHow to write an ATS resumeTest your resume with JobscanYour profile was shared with the job posterAfter clicking Apply, you might notice a message that says your profile was shared with the job poster.Even if you do not follow through with your job application, the job poster now knows that youre interested. This likely wont make a difference in your job search, but recruiters sometimes sort through these shared profiles when theyre not getting enough quality applications.Here is what these profiles look like from the recruiters sideHopefully this peek behind the curtain helps you become a better applicant and write a stronger LinkedIn profile. For more information like this, check out our Job Seekers Guide to LinkedIn Recruiter Search and be sure to check out Jobscans leading LinkedIn optimization tool.

Reduce Your Tax Liability With These 9 Tax-Free Benefits

Reduce Your Tax Liability With These 9 Tax-Free BenefitsReduce Your Tax Liability With These 9 Tax-Free BenefitsSmart employees take advantage of pre-tax savings plans, retirement savings, and other ways to stretch their dollars, but they might not be aware of a host of other tax-free benefits because their companies dont currently offer them. Most companies look for ways to boost their benefits packages without going overboard on costs. Many are hoping to find ways to save money, too. You can add some of these perks to your employee benefits package to provide the maximum value in a total compensation strategy without breaking the bank. Your employees can take advantage of them tax-free, and so can you. Company Vehicles You can deduct the mileage of company vehicles on your annual tax returns if your company offers a fleet for use by employees. Employees pay nothing for this benefit and its completely tax-free for them. The only real issue can be the high tax paid for gasoline t o power the vehicles, but this can be offset by using a fuel discount program. Company-Provided Equipment Electronics, mobile devices, and other technology perks are also tax-free for employees. Many enjoy being able to use the latest in software and hardware, particularly those who work offsite. Not only is this a tax-free benefit, but it can be claimed on corporate taxes as depreciated value over one to four years from the date of purchase. Frequent Flyer Miles and Travel Points Employees who must travel for business purposes can enjoy a number of tax-free benefits. Frequent flyer mile programs give the company and its employees free airline miles for future trips and discounts. Hotel chains offer rewards programs that let employees rack up points for gift cards and free hotel stays. Meals and Lodging Likewise, its a tax-free employee benefit under IRS rules when employers provide lodging and meals for employee events or as part of their terms of employment. Many emplo yers offer free meals as part of their wellness programs, and this is also tax-free. Communication Bills Your company can reimburse employees on a monthly basis, completely tax-free, if employees are required to furnish their own cellphones, internet service, or other communication solutions as part of their jobs. The services must be used exclusively for the business and not for personal enjoyment, however. Dependent Care helfende hand When employees are forced to care for dependents or aging family members, a portion of their dependent care benefits is tax-free each year. These contributions were limited to $5,000 a year as of 2018. Corporate Wellness Programs Leading companies understand the importance of maintaining a healthy workforce, and corporate wellness programs are a popular choice. This isnt just a tax-free benefit- it can reduce health insurance premiums over time. Non-Cash Rewards and Swagger Companies that want to maximize their incentive programs but remain taxs include gift certificates for local restaurants and sporting events, T-shirts, hats, and koozies. Employees love them and they dont cost the company much to obtain. Corporate Learning and Development A well-educated and trained workforce is a strong and productive workforce. One of the best tax-free benefits a company can offer is a learning and development program for employees to enhance their skills. Tuition reimbursement is also tax-free up to $5,250 a year per employee as of 2019.

Why Everyone Is Mistaken About Deans List on Resume

Why Everyone Is Mistaken About Deans List on Resume Service ideas from reading volunteer resume samples and taking a peek at the examples given below. Recommended Reading Land mora interviews having the fruchtwein comprehensive resume review service on the planet. Resume Writing Tips Ex-offenders gain from resumes that show how theyve been rehabilitated. Finding the Best Deans List on Resume Its a means of showing your academic ability and giving you an advantage over countless different candidates with similar resumes. If you believe its pretty cool you know the way to use standard applications, I am likely to worry you dont know a lot about computers. You ought to understand how to navigate an application process which requires you to exercise discretion while at precisely the same time highlighting your accomplishments. The practice of getting a C-Suite position differs from any other. Deans List on Resume and Deans List on Resume - The Perfect Combination Most people t oday play more than 1 role. You might not have anything to hide, but you still ought to distinguish your personal from your professional life. Before you list someone for a reference, make sure to call them to ask permission, make them know the kind of work youre pursuing and, if needed, refresh their memory about your work. Some people believe that they can lie their way to acquiring a job, including lying on their resumes about awards and honors theyve received. Choosing Deans List on Resume Is Simple What You need to Do If you havent any work experience, then you need to stick to the exact same format. A format thats commonly used with student-athletes who are simply going into the workforce is whats known as a behavioral resume. Based on how much space youre given, the response might be everything. Elect for a chronological resume format. The 30-Second Trick for Deans List on Resume Employers normally search for an array of hard abilities, which youll be able to demons trate by listing your work experience and qualifications. Adding academic achievements is a significant part of the way to compose a high school resume but you only ought to include them until you have sufficient professional work experience. If it is a teaching job, I have to continue to keep my teaching experience. Highlight abilities and activities related to a particular career. Your grad school resume is among the crucial elements in your grad school application procedure. Dont list high school if youre a college graduate. Your accomplishments need to be significant. Your education and academic accomplishments must be easy-to-read like the remainder of your paper. After youve been in the workforce for a couple decades, your work experience gets more important than your GPA. If you anticipate continuing your education to the next level, you are going to need the dedication necessary to make a postgraduate level. For instance, instead of saying, higher school student wi th superior grades, its much better to say, higher school student named to the honor roll three years in a row. Most serious college students understand the value of attempting to create the deans list. While it is necessary to make the most of them, you might think that its really hard to find one suited particularly for athletes. You only have to list accomplishments that pertain to the kind of work youre applying for. The perfect way to figure out which accomplishments and qualities companies value is extremely easy. Be factual, obviously, but dont neglect to include certain examples of your contributions to a work well done. Make sure you choose courses that are related to the job for which youre applying. An official record of earning a collegiate Deans List may also act as a favorable add-on to any future resume or job application. DO CHOOSE THE RIGHT RESUME FORMAT If youve been in the exact same industry for your whole career then a modified functional format may be best. Make certain that you analyze the work description carefully and choose keywords that youre able to relate to you accomplishments. Explain why you desire the job without sounding whiny. Of course you desire the job. Each job has a particular set of requirements. A flight attendants job has long been among the most highly-coveted work in the aviation business and in the work market at large for people that love to travel. The Dos and Donts of Deans List on Resume Following that, youll certainly need to include it. Professional awards function as a beneficial reference for your ability. Find out how to use your resume. If you are feeling this would just be a valuable supplement to the remainder of your resume for an employer, it may be best placed below list education section of your resume. The education section is an excellent place to include list degrees together with supplemental certifications. If you would like to education extra info, you can. This guide wi ll reveal to you just how to place the deans list on your resume and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of including it.

Claim Your Tax Credits From 2014 What Employers Need to Know About WOTC#8217;s #8216;Transitional Relief Period#8217;

Claim Your Tax Credits From 2014 What Employers Need to Know About WOTC8217s 8216Transitional Relief Period8217 The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal income tax credit available to employers for hiring individuals from certaintarget groupswho have consistently faced significant barriers to employment, per the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.Target groups include certain veterans, recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), ex-felons, and people who reside in certain designated communities, among others. For a full breakdown of the target groups, see the Employment and Training Administrations website. Normally, employers looking to claim WOTC tax credits have 28 days to file the proper paperwork with their State Workforce Agency (SWA), following the hire of an eligible employee.Normally, the WOTC is a one-out opportunity, explains Ez rie Yellin, product manager at Equifax Workforce Solutions.If you hire someone and dont screen them, you can never screen them again even if you rehire them.However, the WOTC often enters periods of vokalzusammensto. During these periods, Yellin says, the rules of screening are still enforced, but SWAs dont certify any submitted certification requests.Essentially, what SWAsdo is receive the requests, stamp them as Received Timely, and then they hold them, pending an end to the hiatus, Yellin says.The end of a WOTC hiatus requires congressional action. brde year, WOTC was on hiatus from January 1, 2014 until December 19, 2014, which meant that employers could elend receive WOTC credits for most of 2014.Now, the IRS has issued Notice 2015-13, which opens a Transitional Relief Period. This relief period suspends the traditional 28-day filing rule and allows employers to retroactively screen and file paperwork for any employees hired between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 as l ong as employers file their paperwork by April 30, 2015.Essentially, whats happened now is the 2014 year is reopen, Yellin says. Normally, you cant go back in history and screen for WOTC, but the IRS has offered that, for anyone who was hired in 2014, you can go back, re-screen them or screen them for the first time, identify them as eligible for the program, and submit the forms to the State Workforce Agenciesfor certification, so you can get that credit.Yellin calls Notice 2015-13 an amazing development, as it basically allows employers to go back in time and resubmit 2014 hires even if they did not submit paperwork for those hires in 2014 for WOTC.Yellin is also careful to note that, even though WOTC reentered hiatus on January 1, 2015, Notice 2015-13 only applies to people hired in 2014.According to Yellin, this chance to retroactively screen new hires from 2014 is perfect for two kinds of employersEmployers who usually participate in the WOTC, but who were unable to submit ce rtain eligible employees last year.Theres always going to be some people who they missed, people who either didnt finish the screening or didnt sign their forms on time, Yellin says. Those people are no longer lost credits. So for a company that participates anyway, this is a great way to catch up on some of these screenings.Employers who didnt screen anyone in 2014 This is essentially a free year for them to go back and recoup that credit, Yellin says.Best Practices for WOTC ScreeningAs noted above, some employers miss out on WOTC credits when new hires are unable to complete paperwork and/or the screening process on time. To mitigate the risk of losing out on tax credits for that reason, Yellin offers a couple oftips on the best WOTC screening practicesScreen where your employees are That means you should screen them on paper if you do your hiring by paper, Yellin explains. If you use an zugnglich system or an ATS, integrate the WOTC screening into that. If you use far-flung remot e workers who dont have access to computers or to whom you cant send paper to many consultants offer screening by IVR interactive voice response.Utilize e-signature when availableThe e-signature has been allowed in the WOTC program for a couple of years now, Yellin says. If you can offer your applicants or employees an e-signature option, that dramatically increases participation and credit capture and realization.WOTC is available to all employers in all 50 U.S. states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.You dont need to apply to be able to take the credit, Yellin says. You dont need to be identified as an employer who uses the credit by an agency. All you have to do is screen applicants and send the form to the State Workforce Agencywithin 28 days of the persons start date.Now that Notice 2015-13 has reopened screening for employees hired in 2014, employers have no excuse not to take advantage of WOTC as long as they can submit their paperwork by April 30, 2015, that is.Fo r more information on WOTC, Notice 2015-13, and how to apply,click here.