Express London Job Seekers Blog

The interview is flowing nicely, you’ve aced your answers, and the future looks bright. Until this question pops up: “What three words would your co-workers use to describe you?” You haven’t thought about it before, so you stumble. You’ve been thinking from your own perspective this whole time, so switching gears to someone else’s point of view is tough. Avoiding this awkward interview situation is simple: just prepare beforehand. Not sure how? We’ve got you covered. Ask Your Co-Workers What They Think of You This is the simplest place to start. One of the reasons interviewers ask this question is because they want to know how you could fit into their team. And the easiest way to figure out what people think of you is to go straight to the source! Find a few co-workers or friends you’re close with (and your boss if you’re comfortable with that) and ask them what they think of you as a teammate. You don’t have to use these responses verbatim, but they should …

Interviews. You have an hour, maybe less, to make an incredible first impression. But that’s tough! There are so many ways you could mess up, from arriving late to wearing the wrong clothes to sharing too much of your personal life. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered. As a staffing company, we have plenty of experience with interviews. That means that we know what works and what doesn’t. Using Your Cell Phone That text, email, or social media update is right there, buzzing in your pocket. Resist the urge to check it! Interviewers are trying to get to know you, and that can’t really happen when you’re staring at a screen. Consider turning your phone off before walking into your meeting. Give your interviewer your undivided attention. If you don’t, they might think you lack focus and choose another candidate. Not Asking Any Questions (Or Asking the Wrong Ones) At the end of the interview, most interviewers ask if you have any questions. You should always have a few …

When we think of workplace injuries, our thoughts turn to accidents on construction sites or unfortunate incidents involving warehouse fork-lifts. However, plenty of injuries happen in offices every day. From tripping over electrical cords to slipping on someone’s spilled lunch, you never know what could cause an injury. Here’s a handy flyer to make sure you end up safe and sound.  

Connections make the world go ‘round Very few people enjoy professional networking events, and according to a study put out by Administrative Science Quarterly, there’s a reason for that. These events don’t work. Ninety-five percent of attendees hope to make new contacts, yet spend over 50% of the event talking to people they already know. Another study from the same journal shows that networking to advance your career can actually make you feel uncomfortable. Turns out folks don’t like using people for their own nefarious  career-furthering purposes. All of that is why Natasha Lyonne, star of Netflix’s Russian Doll and Orange is the New Black, has a simple two-step approach to networking. She spoke of her approach at The Cut’s “How I Get It Done” conference in New York, covered by Quartz. Get Out of the House “You gotta leave the house in this life,” Lyonne said. “I don’t want to do anything ever … If you give me a day off, my dream is to stay in bed all …

Spruce up your career with a housekeeping 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 pay and duties to why people do the jobs they do. Housekeeper In this month’s Job Spotlight, we’re polishing our skills with some information about housekeeping positions. Responsibilities include a variety of cleaning activities, such as sweeping, mopping, dusting, and polishing. Required Education Short on-the-job training, sometimes a high school degree Pay Although pay varies depending on a variety of factors (e.g. experience, industry, geographic area, etc.), housekeepers can make $11.84 an hour on average. What Housekeepers Do: Housekeepers handle a variety of responsibilities, which may include: Ensuring all rooms are cared for and inspected according to standards Protecting equipment and making sure there are no inadequacies Notifying superiors …

June is safety month, and we’ll be sharing useful graphics all month. Today we focus on industrial safety hazards. If you work in industrial environments, you know that workplace injuries are far too common when safety isn’t prioritized. From minor slips and trips to major injuries and worse, there are plenty of possibilities. In order to reduce workplace accidents, we created a graphic designed to remind workers of the best ways to protect themselves.          

Interviewers tell us about disruptive behaviors all the time. People that don’t make eye contact, never stop talking, or show up late. But today we want to turn the tables and see what interviewers have done that you found less-than-stellar. Whether they came in the door 20 minutes late, spent the entire time texting, or showed up completely unprepared, we want to hear about it. Let us know in our poll! View Survey Let us know more in the comments section below!

Check out the latest episode of Express Employment Professionals’ On the Job podcast! Five Loaves & Two Fishes: Filling the Hunger Gap Linda McKinney is an Italian woman in McDowell, WV, who runs the Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank with her husband. In a down-and-out coal town, she is single-handedly responsible for feeding 150 families each week. An interesting and eccentric character, Linda McKinney is a wonderful example of the goodness of humanity against all odds. Linda does her job with humility and without a need for thanks—because she does it for the people she knows and cares about. Where you come from and what’s happening around you drives you to do the job you need to do. Don’t miss an episode! Jobs give us a connection to our communities and the ability to provide for ourselves and our families. Your work may be your passion or it could just be the way you make ends meet. Each week, On the Job will share stories about the pursuit of work …

Here’s what you had to say. People like to hack things. If you don’t change your passwords often to protect your information, you’re putting yourself (and your company) at risk. But changing passwords and keeping up with them is tough. And, honestly, more than a little annoying. To find out whether our readers are changing their passwords enough, we put out a two-question survey earlier this month. Here are your responses: How often do you change the passwords for your work devices (computer, mobile, phone, apps, etc.)? Only when I’m told to: 49% Quarterly: 24% Monthly: 12% Every 6 months: 5% I never change my work passwords: 4% When I’m notified that my account is compromised: 3% Yearly: 1% Weekly: 1% Daily: 1 person (not percent, only one respondent changes their password daily) Ok, so nearly half of you only change passwords when your employer tells you to. That’s fair; how else would you know that your password needs changing? Twenty-four percent of people change passwords quarterly, while 12% change …

Many jobseekers spend hours a day filling out job applications online. In today’s world, would-be-employees need to treat the job search itself like a part-time job to get the position of their dreams.   Moving on isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In a study by Workopolis, 75% of applicants for a given role aren’t actually qualified to do it. “98% of job seekers are eliminated at the initial resume screening and only the ‘Top 2%’ of candidates make it to the interview,” says Robert Meier, President of Job Market Experts. However, being able to do a job isn’t just about the listed requirements. The Harvard Business Review surveyed more than a thousand people, both male and female, and asked them the following: “Why didn’t you apply for that job?” 4% of men and 40.6% of women said, “I didn’t think they would hire me since I didn’t meet the qualifications and I didn’t want to waste my time and energy.” 20% of men and 13.1% of women said it was …