McMinnville Job Seekers Blog

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 […]

As the world advances, positions, departments, even whole companies and industries are replaced with new, more technologically advanced businesses. Getting laid off is a natural consequence of progress; you’re not to blame. And you’re not alone, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 1.5 million people are laid off each year. Suddenly being without your main […]

Planning for a new job? Well, there’s a lot more you should think about then just getting a high salary. Salary is important but shouldn’t be the only deciding factor for you to accept a job offer. Your paycheck might cover your monthly bills but all the employee benefits, perks and other non-tangible things matter […]

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 […]

With more than 500,000 call center job openings across the nation annually, employees are in high demand for this field. From inbound to outbound, customer service to sales, and everything in between, calls center jobs fit most personalities. If you’re looking for a job that has flexible hours, equitable compensation, and requires little to no experience, becoming a call center representative might be the right fit for you. When you think of a call center, the first image that comes to mind might be a a huge room filled with dozens to more than hundreds of people lined up dialing frantically like drones. In reality, there are a variety of settings in which call centers function. Some call centers can be part of a larger organization or stand alone, while others are virtual, allowing employees to work from home. And all shifts are covered within different call centers, you name it, there’s a call center operating no matter the time, day, or even holiday. And technology always plays a big …

It’s November, which means the holiday season is about to begin. Odds are you’ve already seen commercials and advertisements full of happy families joyfully carving turkey, co-workers chatting while wearing festive hats, and children politely opening presents. Unfortunately, real life is often a whole lot more hectic than that. While Thanksgiving and Christmas can be delightful and full of happy memories, getting there can be a struggle, especially at work. You have to worry about requesting time-off, schedule changes when co-workers go on storybook vacations, buying gifts for work pals, and, of course, the frequently awkward company holiday party. We want to know what stresses you out the most at work during the holiday season. Let us know by voting in our poll! Share more: What’s your craziest holiday story?

Hundreds or even thousands of applications enter the ring; only one will prevail If you’ve ever been discouraged during a job search after weeks of sending out applications only to see zero responses, you’re not alone. As noted by Robert Meier, President of Job Market Experts, in an article for Workopolis, “98% of job seekers are eliminated at the initial resume screening and only the ‘Top 2%’ of candidates make it to the interview.” Those numbers are grim, but you can increase your personal success rate by making a few tweaks to your job search strategy. Go Outside No, seriously. Networking is the single most important thing to do when it comes to the job search. There are plenty of jobs that are never posted online, and you’re not going to hear about them if you spend all your time on online job boards. This can be as simple as meeting up with friends for coffee or as complicated as going to a job fair to meet recruiters in person …

Businesses generally optimistic about the fourth quarter employment market; recruiting skilled workers and employee retention remain top challenges.  To provide accurate and timely employment forecasts for business leaders, Express Employment Professionals International Headquarters conducts an ongoing Job Insights survey to track quarterly hiring trends across a wide range of industries. Express surveyed business owners, decision makers, and human resource professionals about the overall hiring trends in their markets and how those trends impact their hiring decisions. Employers remain generally optimistic about the employment market for the fourth quarter of 2019 Eighty-nine percent (89%) of survey respondents said their employment markets are either “trending up” (40%) or “staying the same” (49%) for the fourth quarter of 2019. Only 11% forecast a downward trend in employment activity. Additionally, 93% do not plan to eliminate any positions within key segments in the fourth quarter. The top 5 segments hiring in the fourth quarter of 2019 include General Labor (Industrial): 34% Skilled Labor (Industrial): 28% Administrative/Office Clerical: 18% Accounting/Finance: 7% Engineering: 6% In a …

Here’s what you had to say. We work to make money so that we can afford bills and live our lives. However, employers pay us in more than just dollars—many also provide perks and benefits, the biggest of which is insurance. We asked you if employer-provided benefits and/or health insurance were a factor in your decision to work for a company, and 91% of you agreed that employer-provided benefits are incredibly important. More than three-fourths (77%) said that you would quit working at your company if benefits and health insurance were no longer provided. Since competition is fierce for top talent, employers are compelled to offer their employees attractive benefit packages. Don’t stop at questions about salary—make sure the company offering you a job has a great health plan and employee perks, too. As we found in another poll, popular perks other than pay raises and traditional benefits include remote work opportunities, flextime, student loan repayment/college tuition assistant, and a relaxed dress code. Review your options and choose a company …

Everything is perfect, except for one lil’ thing Nearly half (49%) of employees are unsatisfied with their jobs. They don’t feel like they’re making a difference, or it’s just not where they thought they’d end up in life. But you? You love your job. Maybe it’s the company culture, the work itself, or a really nice paycheck. The only problem? Your boss is a nightmare. This happens to workers all over the world. They like their jobs, or are paid well, so they can’t afford to quit. But that less-than-great boss makes things difficult. Thinking about quitting? Not so fast—you’ve got options. Talk It Out Yeah, sitting down and having a heart-to-heart with a troublesome boss isn’t the most fun prospect in the world, but it’s a place to start. Before asking your boss for a meeting, sit down and list their troublesome behavior. Be as blunt as you want—this part is just for you. After that, take another look and clean things up before chatting with your boss. Be …

Prove you’re looking for more than a paycheck We work to get paid. That’s a fact. And interviewers know that—but what they’re really looking for is genuine interest in the job. An interviewer wants to see an applicant engaged with the position and company, an individual with a certain expertise who understands the company’s mission, brand, and values. But how do you show you know all about those things if your interviewer doesn’t ask you? By asking the right questions! Here are a few ideas: I’m really interested in this position because of XYZ reasons. What does a typical day look like? Asking this question shows your interviewer two things. One, that you’re organized and want to be prepared on your first day, and two, that you want to know about the less glamorous, day-to-day moments of the job you’re applying for. This is also important information for you to know to gauge whether the job is a good fit. I was researching online and noticed that you recently completed …

That degree is shiny and new, but uh, now what? If you’re graduating this fall, congrats! If it’s not ‘til May, still, congrats! And if it’s in a few years? Yeah, congrats are still in order. Regardless of when you’re graduating, you’d probably like a bit of help with the whole job search thing. Many grads don’t end up with their dream job right after earning their degree. It takes a bit of learning and experience to get there, which means you might not end up in a job related to your major (at least not at first). Luckily, there are plenty of jobs out there that just require a bachelor’s degree, but nothing super specific. Let’s dig in! Financial Planner “AGH MATH! NO!” That’s probably what you’re thinking right? But being a financial planner is about so much more. Many financial planners have degrees totally unrelated to finance. A bachelor’s degree gets you the general know-how you need, while most of the job-specific stuff is learned on the job, …

Keeping your spirits high when interviews are down. Interviews are tough. Not getting an interview is even tougher. You can spend hours and hours just searching for jobs to apply for, then spend several more hours filling out applications. And all that work doesn’t even guarantee an interview. It’s natural to feel down; to want to give up. But you have to dust yourself off, roll up your sleeves, and dive into the job search again. Easier said than done right? Here are a few tips to keep things moving. Do Things You Enjoy Don’t let every day be a 24/7 job search. Concentration and drive are great, but you can only last so long before you burn out. If you like to bake, make cookies once in a while. Watch a TV show you love or take a trip to the movies. Go see a football or basketball game. Make sure you still have a life outside of the job search. Get Used to Hearing “No” HR people aren’t …

The truth, the whole truth, or something a bit less than the truth? Plenty of folks freeze up when interviewers ask what they thought about a past job. Should you reveal how bad it was (if it was bad)  or embellish to make it sound a bit better? Do they need to know what you REALLY thought about your boss? The answer? Keep things positive! Not sure what that means? A few of our top interviewers are here to help in this handy video.         For more interview tips, check out our Answering the Interview Question series: Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? Tell Me About Yourself What Are Your Top 3 Strengths and Weaknesses? Why Should I Hire You? Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job/Company? Answering the Hardest Interview Questions What’s Your Most Impressive Accomplishment? How Would Your Co-Workers Describe You in Three Words? Why Do You Want to Work at Our Company? Do You Like to Take Charge of Projects and Situations? …