Job Seekers Blog - Express in Gresham, OR

For many companies, the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to hiring — or worse, employees had to be let go. In fact, an April study by Pew Research Center found that 28% of the 4,917 U.S. adults surveyed said they or someone in their household was let go as a direct result of the pandemic. […]

How we work and look for jobs has changed due to increased connectivity from the Internet. The worldwide lockdowns because of the Covid-19 pandemic have only sped things up and the dynamics of looking for a job have changed for good. One’s online profile has never been more relevant. If you are looking for a […]

COVID-19 has created an extremely unique job market where remote recruiting and hiring has become the new normal. There are definite advantages of hiring through video recruiting, but since it’s new to many job seekers, you may feel you’ll struggle to shine in this digitized recruiting process. Here are the steps you can take to […]

No shame in admitting it, this feels like the worst time to be looking for a job. With many organizations pivoting to remote work, hiring may be put on the back burner. Besides that, with most offices being closed, you’re not about to show up to your interviewer’s house in a suit. Video Interviews to […]

Congratulations! You’ve been asked to complete a one-way video interview. This is a big step towards your next job. You’re used to the “normal” hiring process, with phone screens, in-person interviews, and the like. But, maybe this one-way video interview is a new thing entirely. Or maybe you have done a one-way video interview before, […]

Congratulations! You’ve been asked to join a live video interview. This is a big accomplishment, but it’s important to get it right. You’re used talking to a recruiter over the phone and then meeting for in-person interviews so this live video interview might be a new thing entirely. Or maybe you have done a live […]

When an organization reaches out to connect with you over the phone, you might find yourself replying “Yes” before you’ve even thought about it. Advancing to the next step in a company’s hiring process means some of your nervousness searching for a new position disappears.  If you aren’t expecting it, a video interview invitation instead […]

In the workplace, most people want to be productive. You want to be able to finish your work within the day so you don’t have to bring it home or finish the next day. However, there are a lot of factors that influence the level of productivity that people have in the workplace. Some of […]

There’s a lot to consider as you search for a job. While the first thing to look at should be the job description, it is also important to think about what type of working environment the company has. In your search for compensation, don’t forget to consider company culture. A company’s culture speaks to the […]

It’s kind of crazy how quickly your life shifts between graduation, and post-celebrations. You have tossed your cap, waved your farewells, and accepted all the wishes from professors you got on the good side of… But what comes next? The scary thing is almost 1 in 5 graduates do not go after the job they […]

There’s a lot of advice out there for folks who are writing their seventh or eighth resume, but what about writing your very first one? You might think you don’t have anything to put down since you’re looking for your first job, but there’s plenty you can do. It Depends on the Job If you apply for a job at your favorite fast-food place, they probably aren’t going to focus as much on your skills. You can opt for a list of related hobbies and life experience. But if you’re applying to a job as an accountant or a programmer, skills will absolutely be important to the prospective employer. Detail Your Accomplishments Ok, if you don’t have any job-related experience; what kind of experience do you have? Employers like to see you’ve been out and about in the world doing something. School clubs, student council, professional organizations, participation in the Boy or Girl Scouts, anything you’ve done for nonprofits; all of that is viable experience to a recruiter. Are You …

Facebook is a great way to stay in contact with friends and family, but the social media site is also a useful tool for your job search. And we don’t just mean networking; Jobs on Facebook is here, and it just might change the job search game. So, what exactly is Jobs on Facebook? As noted by the website itself, Jobs on Facebook allows employers to “reach qualified candidates where they’re already spending their time—on Facebook. Job postings appear on and link to your Facebook business Page. Potential employees have the chance to learn more about your business and the job opportunity before applying, ensuring you get informed job applicants.” So, Jobs on Facebook is another job search website you can visit to find interesting positions to apply for. However, there are a few easy-to-make mistakes unique to the platform you should avoid. DON’T: Neglect Your Resume Facebook has a profile feature built in, but it’s likely to be missing a few things since you haven’t been using it to …

  Working from home gives workers more flexibility but can also be more distracting. Kids, pets, chores, lawnmowers—there’s just a lot going on. We wanted to check in with our readers and see whether they are having difficulties holding themselves accountable when working remotely, so we held a poll. Here’s what they had to say. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they did not have an issue holding themselves accountable. That means only 26% found it hard to manage their time at home. For those who find it difficult to hold themselves accountable, we asked what the toughest challenges are. Here’s a summary of that information, as well as our take on how to overcome those challenges. “Time management: I start off by doing chores, dealing with the dogs, and relaxing, and then it’s hard to find time to start working.” If this sounds familiar, don’t worry! You’re not alone. Managing your work-from-home schedule isn’t easy, especially when you factor chores and pets into the mix. Start things off by writing …

Contact Tracers help support the efforts in stopping the spread of respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19. Contact Tracers contact individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and those who may have come in contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to collect and provide information. This job may work remotely or on-site. But what is it really like to be a contact tracer? To find out, we interviewed a contact tracer team supervisor to better understand their role, the challenges they face, and which skills help them and their team be successful in their job. Providing a Public Health Service in Her Community Inderjit from Carol Stream, IL, serves her community as a contact tracer team supervisor. Her background is in science and health technology and she has a passion to help others. Inderjit explains, “I have a deep sense of commitment to be a positive part of the program.” Her team consists of eight contact tracer specialists. As a supervisor, Inderjit underwent four weeks of full-time training to prepare …

Learn about a career in Accounts Payable/Receivable Despite already having experience with several jobs, many working adults are unable to answer the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”   Our monthly Job Spotlight blog series is designed to help answer that question. In this series, we review all the basics of specific jobs, from pay and duties, to why people do the jobs they do.   Accounts Payable/Receivable In this month’s Job Spotlight, we’re crunching the numbers on what it takes to be in Accounts Payable/Receivable. Key qualities include attention to detail, organizational skills, and general math knowledge.   Required Education: Typically, at least some college.   Pay This varies depending on a variety of factors (e.g. experience, geographic area, industry, etc.), but those working in Accounts Payable/Receivable can make as much as $19.82 an hour.   What You Do in Accounts Payable/Receivable They deal with a variety of tasks, including: Sorting information and documents Paying invoices and verifying transaction information Computing refunds and …

2020 has been a wild ride of a year! Nobody is quite sure what work will look like in 2021, and the way we experience work is constantly changing. One thing that’s likely to look different this year? The annual holiday party.   Depending on where you work, it might not be time to break out the eggnog and holiday ham just yet. We want to know what your circumstances look like; is your company planning to host their annual holiday party this year? Let us know by voting in our poll!      

When a hiring manager wants to decide whether to bring you in for an interview, your resume is the first thing they’ll check. That’s why it’s so important to keep your resume updated, use strong action words, and list any relevant certifications, However, even if you’ve done all that, a great resume can still be rejected due to mistakes hiring managers see as red flags. Let’s take a look. Resume Formatting for Job Boards Websites like Indeed and Jobs on Facebook are a great way to find local opportunities in your area. However, these websites sometimes change how your resume information is displayed to employers. On Indeed, you can choose to “Easily Apply,” for certain jobs, where Indeed pulls information from your profile, as well as an uploaded resume and sends it to the hiring manager. However, when employers get this information, the formatting can be less than ideal. That’s why we usually recommend finding the original job posting, even if Indeed provides the “Easily Apply” option. Jobs on Facebook …

When you’re job searching, you might find a job that seems perfect for you. The description is exactly what you’re looking for, the experience requested lines up with your own, and the company has a great reputation. But after an interview, you never hear back. What happened? When it comes to the job search, there is no such thing as a “perfect fit.” This applies to job seekers just as much as it does to employers. You might think you fit 100% of the qualifications, when in reality you actually fit 80%, and another applicant fits 90%. But on the employer side, they aren’t necessarily always looking for a 100% match. If you’re limiting your job search only to jobs you think you’re perfect for, you might be missing out on great jobs that would accept someone who matches 70% or less of the qualifications. Still confused? Here’s a bit more to why a “perfect fit” doesn’t really exist. Companies aren’t just hiring based on hard skills. As defined by …

What to do when you’re faced with an angry customer or client The phrase “The customer is always right” has been used as early as 1905. Quote Insider attributes the saying to the Chicago retailer Marshall Field, although it’s possible he heard it from someone else. The meaning of the phrase is that companies and their employees should treat complaints seriously to avoid customers feeling ignored or cheated. However, for anyone who has worked in a customer or client facing job, or even just peeked at some of the angrier folks on social media, the customer is in fact NOT always right. Customers should be respected, but when their behavior starts to get out of hand, what can you do to deescalate the situation? Keep Calm and Carry On When a client or customer starts yelling at you, whether in-person, on the phone or on social media, odds are you aren’t the one they’re truly angry with. It’s mostly likely your product or service they have a problem with. So, …

As local economies slowly recover from the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, some business leaders are looking to start bringing jobs back to meet anticipated demands in their markets. Hiring managers have a large talent pool to choose from these days. But with so many qualified individuals, how can you make sure you choose the right employee? Poor hiring can cost an employer up to 150% of a workers’ salary, so before you decide to hire your next employee, it’s important to know what to look for in a perfect hire. Organizational Needs The most obvious focus you should have when hiring is aimed at specific organizational needs. Just because your business has the capital to bring back employees, doesn’t mean that hiring for the same positions you once had is the best move going forward. The world has changed, and businesses are changing with it. Analyze your current needs and decide the best way to fill them. For example, some businesses are deciding to add more of a …