Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Get Your Dream Job With a Resume Writing Consultation

Get Your Dream Job With a Resume Writing ConsultationOne of the best ways to give a resume that you are proud of is to hire an experienced resume writing consultant. There are many advantages to hiring one of these professionals.First, you will find that you have the expertise to create a professional resume with no problem at all. You will also be able to write resumes faster than you would do it on your own. These professionals will understand all the legal issues that surround resume writing and job searching.Second, the resume writer that you choose can review your resume in detail and then write a quality introduction to your work history. This can help to establish you as an employee rather than just a job seeker. This can help you receive your first interview much quicker. Of course, these consultants work from the point of view of someone who has written many resumes.Third, the resume writing consultant will make sure that your resume stands out from the others on the job. He or she will be able to put the most important information into the section of the resume that you are most likely to remember. They are trained to use templates to give your resume the professional look that is necessary for this job.Fourth, the professionals will review your resume after you have submitted it and make suggestions as to how you can improve your resume. They will find any errors and provide you with advice about how to correct them. This will help you save time and money on future resume writing projects.Fifth, the resume writing consultant is prepared to handle your questions about the kind of resume you want. They will be able to explain exactly what it takes to write a resume.Sixth, you will be provided with job and education information, which can help you get the most out of your resume. It will help you find your way into the interview much easier.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Employer Stopped Its 401(k) Match. What Do I Do Now

Employer Stopped Its 401(k) Match. What Do I Do Now My company told me it will no longer match a portion of my 401(k) contributions starting next year. It had been contributing 3% of my salary. Should I begin looking for a new employer that offers a match or should I stay where I am? â€" Mark, Silver Spring, Md. You’re smart to at least entertain the idea of getting a new job. After all, matching contributions are a form of compensation. So by eliminating its 401(k) match, your employer has effectively cut your pay. For example, if you pull down $50,000 a year in salary and your company kicks in 3% of that amount to your 401(k) account, you’re essentially earning $51,500 a year ($50,000 plus a 3%, or $1,500, match). By doing away with the match, your employer has reduced your compensation from $51,500 to $50,000, a 2.9% hit. But losing the match doesn’t necessarily mean you should jump ship. When you’re evaluating a job, you need to take a very broad view. You want to consider not just your salary and 401(k), but your entire compensation package, which includes any other retirement benefits, health and life insurance and other monetary perks (stock options and the like). You also have to factor in non-financial aspects of the job: vacation time, how your employer treats you and your fellow workers and the satisfaction you derive from your job. And, of course, you don’t want to forget about the opportunity for advancement. In short, you need to assess the whole enchilada and then decide whether, on balance, you’re better off staying or taking a job with a new employer. That said, the timing of your company’s move strikes me as a bit unusual. Many companies cut or suspended matching funds to save money during the financial crisis. But the trend lately has been for employers to reinstate matches, not get rid of them. Indeed, when Charles Schwab recently surveyed companies that offer 401(k) plans it oversees, it found that the percentage of plans providing matching funds was on the rise, climbing to 73% last year after dropping to 67% in 2009. Ideally, you’d like to find out why your company is going against the grain â€" and whether it envisions this move as temporary or permanent. If jettisoning the match is a response to financial difficulties that could lead to layoffs or less robust salary increases down the road, that’s something you’d want to factor into your decision. Getting a definitive answer on this may be difficult. But if your company is large enough to have a public profile, plugging its ticker symbol into the Search box at the top of this page will give you access to the latest news and financial information about the company. If you work for a company that’s too small to have a public profile, some discreet inquiries among fellow employees might shed some light. You’ll also want to take current conditions in the job market into account in deciding to stay put or leave. Although things have been improving lately, the recovery in the job market is still tenuous and the economy overall remains somewhat fragile. So you have to weigh whether you would be better off embarking on a job search now or waiting until the economy and job market begin humming again. Related: How much should I save if I want to retire early? While you’re mulling these issues, you should also address a more immediate concern: how to prevent the loss of matching funds from undermining your retirement prospects. You can do that by boosting your own 401(k) contributions. If you’re already socking away the maximum 401(k) contribrution allowed by the federal government for your plan, you can always pick up the slack by doing an IRA or even throwing some extra bucks into tax-efficient index funds, ETFs or tax-managed funds in a taxable account. Granted, kicking in more out of your own pocket could force you to make unwanted cutbacks in your spending. But to the extent you’re funneling this extra savings into a regular 401(k) account or a tax-deductible IRA, you can at least take comfort in knowing that you’re also trimming your tax bill. So by all means start scouting out other job possibilities. Who knows? Even in these uncertain times you may find a new position that’s attractive enough to warrant a switch. As you’re doing that, though, scour your budget for ways to set aside an additional 3% of salary. That way your current pay cut won’t also translate to a cut in your retirement income down the road.

Friday, April 10, 2020

3 Painless Networking Tips For People Who Hate To Network - Work It Daily

3 Painless Networking Tips For People Who Hate To Network - Work It Daily Do you see networking as too complicated, too time-consuming, and too fake? That’s understandable. We’re all way too busy, and we’ve all seen the slimy schmoozer who’s given networking such a bad nameâ€"we don’t want to be like that. Related: 10 Tips For People Who Hate Networking The problem is that networking really is essential to your career success. With a great network, you’ll hear about job leads or opportunities you’d otherwise miss. You’ll be more successful in your job because you can tap into the collective knowledge and experience of a lot of smart people. So, if you hate networking but you know you need to, start here: 1. Focus Less On “Networking” And More On Building Relationships If you hate networking, it may be because you don’t want to feel as if you are only in it for what you can get from someone (a few people who do that very thing have given networking a bad name). The truth is that good networking isn’t about racking up a body countâ€"it’s about building relationships. If some of these relationships turn into great friendships, that’s wonderful, but if most of them are simple friendly acquaintances, that’s great, too. When you think about networking, remember: not every meeting needs to have a goal. The important thing is to establish or refresh a connection. 2. Offer Help To Others One way to get over the feeling of being a networking parasite is to try to give more than you get. When you email or message your network, try to send them something you think they might enjoyâ€"a link to an article, the name of a great book, or some news you heard. It doesn’t have to be big or profound. It will still make a big impact. 3. Do A Lot Of Your Networking Through Email One of the things that may make you anxious about networking is the feeling that you have to talk to everyone in person. That’s not always true. Some of the most effective networking you can do is sending a regular email (or Facebook message or LinkedIn message) to everyone you know. Status updates won’t workâ€"direct, purposeful contact is the key. It’s super-easy…every six months or so, send each person a quick email (or message) that says something like, “Hi, how are you? It’s been a while. I’m [wherever you are, doing whatever you’re doing]. If you need anything, give me a call. My phone number is ____. Feel free to pass it along if you know of someone I could assist. Keep in touch!” While it’s true that sending these messages and nourishing those connections does take time, it probably doesn’t take as much as you think. Think of the time you spend networking as an investment in your career success. You probably went to school to do your job, and maybe you’ve gone to continuing education classes in one form or another. Those things are investments, too. The investment you make in networking will pay off for you throughout your career in countless ways. Use these tips to make it a little easier. Discover more easy, valuable ways to network in Networking Effectively: How to Build Your Network for Career Success, available on Amazon. This post was originally published at an earlier date. Related Posts How To Manage Without Being Mean (Is It Possible To Not Be Pushy?) 5 Things To Consider Before You Take That Management Job #1 Key To Becoming An Effective Leader About the author Career Coach - Peggy McKee is an expert resource and a dedicated advocate for job seekers. Known as the Sales Recruiter from Career Confidential, her years of experience as a nationally-known recruiter for sales and marketing jobs give her a unique perspective and advantage in developing the tools and strategies that help job seekers stand head and shoulders above the competition. Peggy has been named #1 on the list of the Top 25 Most Influential Online Recruiters by HR Examiner, and has been quoted in articles from CNN, CAP TODAY, Yahoo! HotJobs, and the Denver Examiner. Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!