Thursday, July 26, 2012

Earn Extra Money for the Holidays


There is a noticeable spike in demand in certain industries as the holidays rapidly approach. Many businesses start looking for temporary staff now to help ease the burden of seasonally increased workloads. For college students and any individuals looking for additional employment for the holidays, this spike in business can translate into extra money in the bank. Staffing services are an excellent resource for finding temporary positions during the holiday season.

Seasonal Jobs

In the fall, many businesses begin to look for seasonal help, particularly in the retail industry. Many business owners trust staffing services to help them find the qualified applicants they need to join their staff, and this includes seasonal positions. Staffing services are able to check references, test qualifications and interview the applicants before the company ever sees a resume. This means that both the company and the applicant are able to find the best match possible. Applicants can trust staffing services to find positions that cater to their unique talents and help them earn extra money for their holiday expenses. Recruiters will only submit applicants for positions they believe best suit the applicant's qualifications.

Temporary Positions

Seasonal jobs have a set timeframe, but applicants may want additional streams of income throughout the year in order to save up for the holiday season. Proactive applicants may seek employment in spring or summer, when they have more time to devote to additional employment. Staffing agencies can help applicants throughout the year, and can even help applicants find work to help pay off those holiday bills too. Temporary positions are similar to seasonal jobs that call for an individual to be employed at a certain time, for a certain length of time, for an agreed upon pay rate. With temporary positions, there may be a chance for permanent employment opportunities as well further down the line. If the company is impressed by your work during your temporary assignment, they may be inclined to offer you a full time position.

Whatever your reason for seeking temporary or additional employment, one of the best ways to find a position during the holiday season is through a staffing service. Staffing services can target your best skills and market you to appropriate companies in order to help you find employment with an appropriate company or business.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

How Using Project Planning Tools Well?


You will need upfront planning if you want to achieve this. You also need good project planning tools for this. These can help you formalize your management plan. Here are some important things you need to know about planning tools.

How They Work

You can match the three main duties of a project manager with three categories of project management planning tools: documenting requirements, developing and tracking of budgets and project scheduling. The process depends on the size of the project and the standard procedures of the company. You can find many tools that can help the manager assemble and organize according to each category.

Different Types

Write down requirements and confirm them before work begins. The requirements can be a list of outcomes for simple projects. You can get requirements from design drawings, specifications or concepts, or operation for more complex projects. The requirements document details the desired product's capabilities. In many cases, it is the basis of a contract between you and the client.

You should know that budget and schedule go together. The schedule shows the order in which you should perform the tasks. The budget, on the other hand, shows expected expenses for labor and materials also overhead and indirect costs.

Time

You still have to update these planning documents during the course of the project's execution even if you develop a good schedule and budget before work begins. You may need to make updates because of changes in customer requirements. Try to evaluate compliance with the schedule and budget on a monthly or quarterly basis and make formal updates as required.

Useful Features

Project planning tools have different functions. Make sure you choose one that is sufficient to complete planning. This will show you can plan with confidence in their ability to predict performance. You do not need to get a costly tool or one with the greatest capability if that is more than needed to get the job done right. You should get a tool the gives enough detail to predict your ability to meet cost and schedule restraints and deliver the needed product or service.

A good requirements document should have information on the capabilities on the product, any constraints placed on the product due to the operating environment, and the desired look-and-feel of user interactions.

You should use a good project-scheduling tool that has enough detail to assess status against schedule. This allocates sufficient resources so you can meet your deadlines. This kind of tool show dependencies between tasks and update dependent tasks right away when it slips a deadline. A scheduling system must also study the level of allocation of certain resources so individuals and assets are not over committed.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

How Get Back in the Job Market With a Seasonal Job?


Breaking into the job market can be difficult, but one way to get noticed is through seasonal work. A seasonal position with a company not only shows your willingness to work, but also broadens your network and increases your chance of finding long-term employment.

How Can a Seasonal Job Help Me?

Seasonal jobs do in fact help people find permanent placement. Businesses have busier times of year, and when their busy season occurs, they will need additional employees to ease the workload. If your resume is outdated and you haven't been in a job for an extended period of time, accepting a seasonal position may be the best opportunity you have to help re-establish yourself as a viable candidate. Companies are weary of individuals who have not been employed for an extended period of time. It can read as unemployable or a perhaps a risk that the company may not want to take on. However, seasonal positions will show that you are eager to work. In the business world, even a seasonal part-time job can show you have integrity and ambition, which are important and desirable commodities for any employer. It shows that you are willing to work and get the job done, which companies like to see in their employees.

The Road to Success

Working with a staffing service to find seasonal positions can in fact open many doors for you. As recruiters get to know you and your skill sets, they can better gauge positions that fit your goals and experience. If you seek out seasonal employment through a staffing service recruiter and your performance is strong, there is a reasonable probability that you will be a consideration for other employment opportunities. Recruiters want to make both the company and the applicant happy, so as you demonstrate your best abilities in a seasonal position, your recruiter is likely to take notice and keep you in mind for other temporary positions, or even full time employment.

No matter the season or time of year, there is always a demand for seasonal help in various industries. If you find yourself with gaps in your employment, a seasonal job can help build up that resume so you become a viable candidate for future positions. Don't take seasonal positions lightly. Many individuals in high paying positions started out in seasonal or part-time jobs, in an attempt to build their resume and network. Every position you hold will impact your career in some way. Before giving up on your job search, seek out the guidance of a staffing service for seasonal employment.


Thursday, July 5, 2012

How Bring on the Video Interview?


The use of platforms like Skype to conduct video interviews has grown significantly over the past several years. One recent study found that more than 60% of mid-size company HR managers were conducting video interviews, up from just 14% twelve months earlier.

Technically, a video interview should be fairly similar to an in-person interview. They do, however, differ in some rather significant ways that you should be aware of in order to prepare. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind before you sit down and begin a video interview:

Make Sure Your Tech Tools are Working. Most video interview platforms don't require a lot of complicated technical tools. Usually a computer (of course), a web-cam, and a microphone are all you are going to need. These tech toys are things that many people have already but if you do not, a decent web-cam can be purchased for under $30. Most have a built in mic feature.

Before the interview, it is very important to make sure that your web-cam is working properly and that your computer is compatible with the video platform your potential employer has chosen to use.

If the chosen platform is the very popular Skype, you are in a good position. Skype functions with all the major operating systems. It has a web-cam test feature so that you can be certain that you will be seen and heard once the interview begins. It is advisable to do this test well in advance of the interview so that you have time to make any adjustments.

If the interviewer has chosen a different platform - and there are a growing number of them out there - then take the time to check out the platform to make sure that you have all the right hardware and software to be able to join the 'meeting'. Often, you will need to download and install a program in order to be able to use the service. This is something you should well ahead of time.

Try to chose the right location. If at all possible, clear the room you will be interviewing from of all distractions, including people and pets, and position yourself in a place that is as clean and uncluttered as possible. The lighting should be adequate enough that you can be seen easily and you should have the camera positioned so that you are looking into it. Appearing to be staring down can be very strange to look at from the 'other end'.

Practice. If possible, enlist the help of a friend with a web-cam and conduct a 'dry run' interview. This way they can tell you exactly what they are seeing and what you might need to change to make the view more professional and presentable when the 'real' interview begins.

Take it Seriously. Just because you are not meeting with your interviewer in person does not mean that you should be 'overly' relaxed. Dress for success in the same way that you would if your were going to their office. Remember to make eye contact and watch your body language once the interview begins.