Job Seekers Blog - Express in Gresham, OR

If you are following this blog, you already know how to create a resume from scratch. But what if you already have a resume that doesn’t fit the new career path you want to pursue? Even though changing jobs is not an easy thing to do, you can handle it excellently. It is even possible […]

Gone are the days of salarymen and women who join and retire at the same company after 40 years; retaining today’s generation of talent over the long term is much more difficult. Employers in 2019, 2020 and beyond are doing everything they can to retain top talent, and part of that involves getting creative with […]

Once upon a time, all you needed was a fair amount of education to secure a job. A college degree equated a guaranteed reputable career. Nowadays, high school students are at each other’s throats to see who can rack up the most titles, AP credits, scholarships, and best grades. And college graduates are finding themselves […]

Your workspace is as important as your home as you spend a significant amount of time there. So, it has to be a perfect one with the right balance of good ambiance, technologies, amenities, and people. In fact, there are six effective strides you can take right now to increase the size of your workspace […]

You’ve been looking for a new position to apply your skills. And you came across a company that sparks your interest. Their company culture is exactly what you’re looking for, and they have a position that is perfect for you, so you apply. They email you with next steps, asking you to complete this thing […]

As we’re growing up, we’re often asked what we want to be. As small children our answer is obviously always incredibly basic and typically influenced by the careers we are frequently exposed to: doctor, police officer, trash collector, etc. Even after we’ve reached adulthood sometimes our ideas of career opportunities can be pretty narrow. For […]

Often times when we look at our lifestyle in an attempt to assess our health, we tend to focus on the physical aspects. We ask ourselves questions regarding our diets and amount of exercise, which in an office environment, can be difficult to keep at a healthy level. Maybe because of that we choose to […]

Finding a job that suits your personality and long-term career desires can be exceptionally difficult, especially right after college graduation. But getting hired by an organization that you actually care about with a work environment you enjoy is the key to a happy work life. After all, the average American will spend 8.9 hours per […]

While on the hunt for a new marketing job, you will likely find it a competitive market. If you want to stand out amongst other marketers, you should consider broadening your sales expertise. Sales training will help you… 1. Create Better Presentations When you understand how sales works and what customers are looking for, you […]

No matter how experienced you are professionally, networking events can be overwhelming. You’re thrown into a room with dozens and dozens of people you don’t know, and you have a limited of time to make an impression. While it’s tempting to stand in the corner and sip your drink nervously, here are some tips on […]

The first quarter of the year is almost over, and the job market is still doing very well. Express surveyed business owners, decision makers, and human resource professionals about the overall hiring trends in their markets and how they impact their hiring decisions. Optimism for a strong 2019 continues into the second quarter as recession concerns remain low for the year. Forty-one percent of survey respondents said their employment markets are “trending up” in the second quarter of 2019, and only 11% forecast a downward trend in employment activity. Additionally, 95% of respondents reported that they do not currently live in an area in recession and do not expect the country to enter into a recession within the next year. However, it is notable that nearly half (48%) said they foresee a recession within the next two years. The top segments hiring in the second quarter of 2019 include: General Labor (Industrial): 39% Skilled Labor (Industrial): 33% Administrative/Office Clerical: 18% Accounting/Finance: 8% Engineering: 8% Segments creating the most NEW positions …

Tomorrow is Administrative Professionals Day. A day to celebrate admins of all types, from front office managers to assistants, data entry professionals to payroll pros, to bookkeepers and more. And what better way to celebrate than to see how far we’ve come? Secretaries No Longer Think back to 40 or so years ago. Admin professionals weren’t really a thing. Instead, people in this position were known as secretaries. Although they worked hard, long hours, there was a certain notion that these individuals were lower in status than others. The position wasn’t seen as something with any career trajectory. The term “secretary” still carries connotations of pencil skirts, sharp reading glasses, and a certain word-per-minute typing ability, but today’s admin brings so much more to the table. There are many businesses that can’t function without their admin. Admins keep the lights on (literally, when they come in the morning, and figuratively in all other ways), make coffee (nobody else knows how the machine works), greet clients, set meetings, coordinate between departments, …

Is it Worth It? You like where you live. Maybe you’ve already bought a house and your kids are enrolled in a great school. But you don’t like your job, the people you work with, your boss, or some combination of all three. You could also use a pay raise. You’ve tried searching for a different job locally, but nothing seems right. But then you hear about a great job opportunity. The problem? It’s in a totally different state. It can be hard to decide if a new job is worth moving for. Here are a few things to keep in mind before accepting that out-of-state job offer. What will you gain? The first thing you need to figure out are the benefits that moving offers. For instance, you’ll like your job more, you’ll work at a company with opportunities for advancement, you’ll get higher pay, etc. Consider neighborhoods and, if you have kids, school districts, too. It’s important to think about not only your career, but also your family …

How Do You Choose? This question differs from “tell me about yourself” in that the interviewer expects a specific, targeted response related to one specific project. Interviewers ask this question for two reasons: they want a better picture of your abilities, and they want to learn about you personally by seeing what you think is your biggest accomplishment. But it can be difficult to choose just one accomplishment, especially if you haven’t prepared a response ahead of time. Here’s how to make sure you’re ready for this question. Write (or type) your accomplishments out on paper. Regardless of where you are in your career, you’ve accomplished things. Write those things down. If you just graduated high school and don’t yet have on-the-job experience, include things like participating in sports teams or school clubs.  If you went to college, include final term papers, group projects, and internships. And if you’ve been in the workplace for a long time, take your top one or two projects from each job you’ve worked at …

You thought you got your dream job but it turned out to be a nightmare. Can you quit? You researched a company and loved what you read. You get through the interview and learn about killer benefits, your own parking space, and free food on Fridays. When you get the job offer, it’s a no brainer—you say yes. But then the situation sours. Maybe it’s a poor relationship with your boss. Perhaps your coworkers loved the guy or gal you replaced and sort of resent you (that’s not the way Barry did it). Or you just get buried in work, have a cubicle in the basement (or workstation deep down the line), and kind of forget what sunlight looks like. Whatever the reason, it’s bad, and you want to quit. But can you do that without damaging your career? It depends. Ask yourself these questions. Is the problem fixable? Before you do anything else, try to figure out what you can do to make your situation better. If it’s a …

Congratulations! You make more money and things are awkward. You work incredibly hard, and truly care about your company. When a big management position opens up, you’re ready for it and submit your resume. You ace the interview (perhaps thanks in part to our handy tips), and now you’re a manager! There’s only one problem: that means your previous boss is now just a regular co-worker. How do you act? What can you say? Is it all right to ask them to meet deadlines? Here are our tips on turning a former boss into a colleague. Before: Tell Them You’re Interested in the Position If you’re interested in applying for a management position, let your manager know before you submit an application. Even if they aren’t your favorite person, it’s important they know you might be moving on (since that will mean, among other things, filling your old position). This is also a chance to talk about your plans for the new job, and to leave things on good terms. …

Clean up your job search by applying for this type of position! Despite already having experience with several jobs, many working adults are unable to answer that age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Our Job Spotlight monthly blog series is designed to help you answer that question. In this series, we review all the basics of specific jobs, from salary and duties to why people do the jobs they do. Grounds/Maintenance In this month’s Job Spotlight, we’re clearing the air with some information on grounds/maintenance positions. Competition for grounds/maintenance positions is low, as employment is projected to grow at 11% from 2016 to 2026, a rate higher than most occupations. Responsibilities include assisting with general tasks, such as clean up, light construction, and some mechanically inclined occurrences. Required Education No formal education required, although a high school diploma is a plus. Pay Although pay varies depending on a variety of factors (e.g. experience, industry, geographic area, etc.), grounds/maintenance workers can make as much as …

You’re a great employee. You like your job. But what would it take for another company to steal you away? Currently, there are more job openings than there are qualified applicants to fill them. This means that it’s a job seekers market. So, we want to hear from you. What would it take for another company to snag you? Let us know by voting in our poll! If you were offered a new job opportunity with another company, how much of a pay increase over your current salary or wage would it take to stay with your current employer? If Offered a New Job, How Much of A Pay Increase Would it Take to Stay With Your Current Employer?

The Japanese concept of “Karōshi” can almost literally be translated as “death from overwork.” The term first came into common usage in Japan during the 1980s after rising concern following the sudden death of several high-ranking business men who showed no signs of previous health issues. “Karōshi” has been attributed to a wide variety of stress-related medical issues, such as high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke, to name a few. There have been extensive studies on the effects of stress on a workforce’s overall health and well being. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 54% of workers are concerned about health problems due to stress. And, Express Employment Professionals’ recent Hiring Trends survey showed that 88% of company leaders say their current work stress is as high or higher than last year. It’s a serious problem that companies and their employees are being forced to address. So, how do you reduce workplace stress? There are a wide variety of techniques and countless books about eliminating stress in your …

Here’s what you had to say. The economy is doing well right now and there are more open jobs than there are potential employees to fill those jobs. As a result, companies must compete to get the best talent. And that means employee retention is incredibly important. Whether it’s a generous vacation plan, flexible hours, or great benefits, employers want to keep their employees happy for years to come. We wanted to check the barometer and gauge retention trends by asking how long you’ve been at your current company. We also wanted to know how many employees your company has in total. Here’s what you had to say. How Many Years Have You Been with Your Current Company? 5-10 years: 23% 1-2 years: 12% 20+ years: 11% 2-3 years: 11% 3-4 years: 10% Less than 1 year: 9% 4-5 years: 8% 10-15 years: 8% 15-20 years: 7%   How Many Employees Does Your Company Have: 1-25: 29% 501+: 26% 251-500: 14% 101-250: 11% 26-50: 9% 51-100: 9% As you can …