Ann Miller

Finding Employment as a New Grad

After all the long hours of studying, the term papers, the tests and projects, you are now a college graduate with one goal …. to find a challenging entry level position with great pay and benefits, and one that will provide you with the experiences necessary to attain higher paying and even more fulfilling roles in the future.

Not Always That Easy
Finding that perfect job is what every 2016 graduate is seeking. But recent graduates are facing some frustrating uphill battles. For instance, it’s becoming more common for companies to post an entry-level job, yet require 2-3 years of experience.

Every year millions of university graduates enter the workforce; yet, even with an improving job market, the number of open jobs for new graduates is not keeping up. The unemployment rate for millennials is around 14 percent and millennials make up approximately 40 percent of the U.S. unemployed population.

Some Suggestions to Help Land that First Job

Emphasize Your Experience
Demonstrating that you have experience that relates to a position carries a lot of weight in hiring decisions. Most of you have completed internships, but it doesn’t hurt to point out other experiences that can add to your resume. This includes taking part in clubs, organizations and volunteer groups. Demonstrating that you have exhibited leadership and organization skills adds to your marketability.

Get Out and Network
Rubbing shoulders with those in the types of jobs you are looking for can open doors. Attend Chamber of Commerce functions and other networking groups in your community. Utilize your online LinkedIn profile to showcase your personality and varied experiences. Make sure your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts show you off in a respectable light.

Temp Jobs Can Lead to Future Opportunities
Filling a temporary position provides a new grad with several pluses. Temp jobs give you valuable experience to add to your resume and to your skill set. You also acquire exposure to different industries and job responsibilities while taking home a steady pay check as you continue your search for more permanent work.

Stay Positive
It can be hard to stay positive when you apply to 50, 60 or more job postings and never hear back. But when you do get that interview, be positive. Show your future employer that you are willing to work hard and take responsibility for your contributions. Although sometimes finding that first job can be a challenge, staying positive will assure you that when the right position comes along, you’ll be ready to take it on.

Adecco Can Help
At Adecco we have job opportunities from engineering to clerical positions. Let us be a resource to you as you search for that first job. Give us a call at 765-423-1798.

Adecco Employment Services, Lafayette, IN is a NWBOC certified Woman Owned Business.

Do Workers Really Not Want Your Full Time Positions?

Contract Employee Workforce Growing
It’s hard to imagine, but there are a growing number of “contract” workers who are choosing not to sign up for long term roles with many companies. This seems so contrary to what many used to think was the goal of finding a job. Which was … to find a position that provided long term security, benefits, and a chance to move up the ladder.

Greater Work – Life Balance; Expanded Skills
What is taking place is that more workers are shunning full-time traditional employment and instead are working on a contract basis and jumping from project to project. This is being driven by a desire to have greater work-life balance and the employee’s distrust of employers whose track records with layoffs leaves them skeptical. It is also based on the need and desire to continue to expand a person’s skills and experience base, making them more valuable to their next employer.

“Gig Economy”
In his book Labor Rising, The Past and Future of Working People in America, Richard Greenwald refers to this growing trend as the “Gig Economy” where workers “jump from job to job, career to career, project to project working as consultants.” He contends that this could be “the most fundamental economic shift of the past 50 years”. Greenwald estimates that 50% of all workers will be working on a contingent basis by 2020.

Employers have long recognized the value of using contingent workers as a component of their workforce management strategy. The trend to staff using temporary employees continues to grow today as The Fordyce Letter predicts that the all-time record of 2.66 million temporary workers (set in August 2006) will be surpassed this summer.

Improving Their Market Value
What is changing is that today’s workforce is recognizing the benefits of taking a variety of contract/temporary positions. By doing so they are finding ways to improve their market value and create a life style that offers them more flexibility and personal rewards.

Adecco Employment Services Can Help
Challenged with finding the right people for your job openings? Let Adecco Employment Services help. Just give us a call at 765-423-1798.

Adecco Employment Services, Lafayette, IN is a NWBOC certified Woman Owned Business.

What are the top HR issues facing your managers today?

Each company has its own challenges, but there are common trends.

Top Employees Are Leaving
One trend that companies are starting to see is their top employees are leaving for other opportunities. With the economy improving, many of your top people are beginning to look, or are being recruited by other firms.

Employers will need to identify key employees from entry-level to upper-level management and take the appropriate steps to retain these individuals. Sometimes its money, but more often than not, many employees just feel under-appreciated.

Requests for Nontraditional Benefits
Another challenge is that more employees are requesting nontraditional workplace benefits, such as flex time and telecommuting. As today’s workforce seeks to build flexibility into their schedules to accommodate work and other obligations, allowing employees to work from home and more flexible schedules is appealing. But as we saw with Yahoo President Marissa Mayer’s decision a couple of years ago to eliminate working from home, there is a feeling that too much flexibility can hinder corporate effectiveness.

Finding Skilled Workers
We continue to hear that finding skilled workers is a challenge. And as our more experienced workers reach retirement age, finding capable replacements is critical. Some reports have Baby Boomers entering retirement at a rate of 6,000 to 10,000 people a day for the next 16 or 17 years. Regardless if it is 6,000 or 10,000 this leaves a large number of positions to fill. If our incoming workforce lacks the proper skills and education that our businesses require, we will all struggle to find sufficient qualified workers.

Common Challenges
There are certainly other challenges out there. Implementing the Affordable Healthcare Act, dealing with immigration reform, and keeping up with technology are just a few more. As you address these issues, recognize that many of these challenges are shared by others in the HR profession.

Adecco Employment Services Can Help
At Adecco we have job opportunities from engineering to clerical positions. Let us be a resource to you as you search to find those employees who fit your organization. Give us a call at 765-423-1798.

Adecco Employment Services, Lafayette, IN is a NWBOC certified Woman Owned Business.