6 Tips for Getting Your Job Search Started

6 Tips for Getting Your Job Search Started6 Tips for Getting Your Job Search StartedWhether youre looking for your first job, or youve been in the game for a while and are considering a change in careers, you may have better opportunities now than in the recent past. According to Gallup, the National Jobs Creation Index recently reached its highest point in the last six years. Instead of just basking in the good news and hoping the market does the work for you, adopt a proactive attitude in order to beat the competition. To help get on the company dime faster, check out unterstellung six job-search tips.1. Review your online reputationBegin your job search by preparing your resume and online presence. Google yourself and look for any negative information. If you find any, check out the website Reputation for ways to push that information down in the search results.2. Make your resume stand outThere are plenty of ways to make your resume stand out from the competition. You should have a few resumes specifically tailored to the different industries in which you are applying. Instead of simply stating your qualifications, back them up with data. If you improved sales by 10 percent in a particular year, mention that. And it goes without saying Make sure your resume is error-free and grammatically correct.3. Streamline your jobs listInstead of hopping on a job board and applying for every posting thats remotely related to your skill platzset, take some time and form a list of the top companies youd like to work for. Target those first to see if there are jobs available for you, and, if nothing pans out, you can always go back and add more. Using a blast application strategy is typically a waste of time.4. Use mobile appsThere are many mobile job-search tools available so you can search wherever you are. Ladders has a free mobile app which can help match your skill set with currently available jobs. Other helpful apps include Bump, which allows easy exchange of busin ess cards and can be helpful in your networking efforts. Finally, Interview Buzz PRO offers tips on how to nail your interview.5. Interview betterStart all interviews off with a firm handshake. As for the tone of the conversation, be confident but not arrogant there is a difference. When given the opportunity to ask questions at the end always do so. Prepare a list for easy reference. Inquire about how the process may move along after the first interview, then tailor your follow-up strategy accordingly. If youre told not to call or email, abide by that. If follow-up is encouraged, dont forget to do it.6. Take advantage of tax breaksGenerally, the tax breaks associated with your job search only apply if youre looking in your current industry and first-time job seekers are ineligible. But if your job search qualifies, keep track of resume preparation expenses and postage, travel expenses, and any fees paid to employment agencies. For more guidance, check out IRS Publication 529.Fin ally, as an overall tip for your job search, be patient and dont give up. Rome wasnt built in a day, and you wont find the perfect job the moment you begin your search. Stay the course, keep working hard, and eventually good things will come your way.

Insurance Career Job Overviews and Profiles

Insurance Career Job Overviews and ProfilesInsurance Career Job Overviews and ProfilesInsurance companies have two principal functions underwriting and investment. Underwriting involves the measurement and calculation of risk. The premiums charged by an insurer reflect this risk. Theyre appropriate and commensurate with the degree of likelihood that the insurance company will have to pay a claim if it writes a given policy. The investment function is equally important. A well-run insurance company will have, at least in the long run, a surplus of income from premiums over actual payouts of claims. This surplus must be properly and equitably invested, so insurance companies have substantial staffs dedicated to earning good returns on this money. The Three Categories of Insurance Companies Insurance companies fall into three major categories. Life insurers promise payment at the time of the insured persons death and they can do much more. Property and casualty insurers write polici es that protect individuals and businesses against a variety of risks such asauto accidents, fire, storm damage,wind damage, injuries, and theft. Health insurerswrite policies that cover medical expenses. Some insurance companies engage in multiple types of policies. Career Paths in Insurance The insurance industry employs a large number of people over a range of positions. This is hardly an exhaustive list but it includes some of the more significant and better-paying lines of employment in this industry. As in any industry, theres always an underlying support staff, andjob titles and responsibilities can vary somewhat from employer to employer. Actuary Anactuaryholds an important technical job. Shestrained in statistical analysis and the scientific determination of insurance policy terms and premiums. Its the actuarys job to measure and calculate risk factors so that premiums can be charged accordingly.Insurance appraiser This position involves evaluating claims that come into an insurance company from the angle of assessing the value of damaged property. He gauges the likely cost of repairing or replacing the property. This helps to determine whether the insurance company will pay the claim and, if so, how much the company will pay. Claims Adjuster This role is similar to that of an appraiser. Some insurance companies employ both while others might rely on one or the other. An adjuster typically has broader duties, however, including research such as interviewing witnesses and analyzing police reports.Claims Examiner This position also entails much of the same responsibilities and duties as an adjuster or an appraiser. Its something like an appraiser and an adjuster rolled into one position.Insurance investigator An investigator is charged with preventing and containing incidences of insurance fraud. This position is most commonly available with companies that insure against bodily injury, property damage, and liability. Sales Agent An agent might work for either the insurance company itself or for an independent insurance broker. Its her job to sell the companys policies to consumers.Underwriter Underwriters evaluate the risk an insurance company is likely to take onwhen it issues a policy and recommend appropriate premiums. Money managersand securities researchprofessionals ansicht employees oversee the investment side of the business, ensuring that premiums paid to the company are invested and maintained to the companys best advantage.

How to Get Through a Demotion Transition

How to Get Through a Demotion TransitionHow to Get Through a Demotion TransitionGoing through a demotion can be a traumatic experience. Whether the demotion is voluntary or involuntary, demoted employees often feel embarrassment and some sense of failure. This is natural. No matter what the true reasons for a particular demotion are, many of the demoted employees co-workers see a demotion as inherently negative, so the employees embarrassment is somewhat justified. Not succeeding at a higher position brings the sense of failure. In time, the employee may see the demotion as the best career move he or she ever made, but at the moment, it is a challenge. Making a smooth demotion transition is key to long-term success. Assess What Caused the Demotion Demotions are caused by many things. Some of those causes relate to an employees actions. Others are completely outside an employees control. Some demotions are caused by several contributing factors. Employees are often demoted for poo r performance. This tends to happen after an employee is promoted within the organization. The employee would elend have merited the promotion had that employee not had outstanding performance in the previous position. Once assuming the higher-level role, the employees performance slips. The employee turns from a productive lower-level employee to an unproductive higher-level one. A demotion reverses this, but the demotion is a blow to the employee. The pre-promotion situation can never be completely replicated. Demotions can also happen because of situational factors. Budget cuts and reductions in full-time equivalent positions compel organizations to shuffle their staff around. Government organizations have strict policies on carrying out these management-directed demotions. Employees tenure and documented performance evaluations often come into play. Knowing what happened is the first step in the learning process. When bad things happen, the least you can do is learn from them. L essons learned can be implemented to prevent future mistakes. Process Your Emotions Once youve gained an intellectual understanding of what happened, the next thing to do is process your emotions. Depending on just how emotionally impacted you are, you might have to address is partly before moving onto intellectual understanding. Processing your emotions allows you to be strategic when you communicate your version of the events leading up to your demotion. Be Tactfully Honest About the Demotion Whenever people are hired, fired, promoted, demoted or transferred, others in the organization speculate about what went into those decisions. As a demoted employee, youre the only one who can set the record straight. Your manager is limited in what he or she can say, and people will be skeptical because the manager has a duty to protect confidentiality. The demoted employee has an obvious bias, and intelligent people recognize that, but this persons story is the closest thing to the truth others can reasonably expect to get. Even if the demotion was a horrible experience, you can play up the positive aspects. Instead of saying, for example, that your manager had unrealistic expectation that no one could have lived up to, you could say that you felt like you could not meet the expectations of the position. The latter statement deflects blame from your manager and shows you recognize why the demotion happened. Tact and honesty show maturity. You show the organization that you can be disappointed yet refrain from insubordination and subversion. Honesty helps you retain credibility with your colleagues. Be careful not to go overboard with the honesty. Brutal honesty is tactless and shows a lack of discretion. Keep a Positive Attitude You dont have to like the demotion, but you do have to maintain a positive attitude. No one expects a demoted employee to be whistling through the halls the day after the demotion is announced. On the other hand, no one wants Oscar the Grouch or Debbie Downer permeating the office culture. A positive attitude in a bad situation shows grace and gratitude. Like with honesty, you can go overboard. Others perceive unrealistic positivity as phony and evasive. Head off Gossip People are going to talk. They are going to speculate, and those speculations will become rumors. You may not hear the rumors since they are about you. Tactful honesty and a positive attitude go a long way in squelching rumors. If you find out about a rumor, address it head-on. You dont have to address it in front of everyone. If you address it with one person, that story will spread as fast as the rumor. End the Transition People expect a transition when someone is demoted. What they dont expect is for the hurt feelings and awkwardness to last forever. Make sure the transition actually ends. Put an end to your old role and embrace your new one.