The Skills Employers Are Looking For – Stacy Rapacon

Feb 152016
 

Looking forIf you’ve heard talk about a “skills gap” in the labor force lately, it was likely in reference to the short supply of potential employees with the right technical skills. But another kind of skill is in even greater demand.

Employers are increasingly seeking employees with so-called soft skills, or baseline skills, such as writing, communication and organization.

A recent study from job market research firm Burning Glass Technologies analyzed 25 million online job postings from more than 40,000 sources over the past year and identified the most sought-after skills.

“We tend to focus on technical skill requirements, but the reality is employers are very vocal about the need for people to have foundational or baseline skills,” said Matt Sigelman, CEO of Burning Glass. “Even in jobs that are really denominated in technical terms, it’s still very important to employers that people have the right soft skills.”

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Report: Kansas Tech Workers See Second Largest Salary Increase in Nation – Oliver Morrison

Feb 082016
 
Average salary increased to $87,000 in Kansas, according to survey
Kansas increased by almost 20 percent compared to 8 percent nationally
U.S. tech workers earn more: $96,000 on average

Tech Worker Salaries in KS

While the average worker’s salary has stagnated for decades, tech worker salaries continue to boom and nowhere are they rising faster than in Kansas, according to a new report by Dice, a career site for technology professionals.

The average salary in Kansas increased 20 percent between 2014 and 2015 for tech workers, according to the report, the second biggest increase in the nation behind North Dakota.

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  •  February 8, 2016
  •  Posted by at 2:51 pm
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  •   Career Success, IT Trends, News

4 Traits That Hiring Managers Want in a New Employee – Vicki Salemi

Feb 012016
 
Certain characteristics, such as enthusiasm and an ability to work well with others, are important to employers.
When a hiring manager schedules a lunch interview, he might b assessing your ability to get along with others.

When a hiring manager schedules a lunch interview, he might be assessing your ability to get along with others.

Technical skills: Check. Education: Check. Qualifications: Check. Soft skills: Womp womp.

Hiring managers seek a certain “je ne sais quoi,” a certain “it” factor, when evaluating candidates. When soft skills are clearly absent, or don’t get appropriately emphasized during a job interview, it could be game over for your candidacy.

Yes, some industries and roles put more weight on this than others. But when I worked in financial services corporate recruiting, and candidates had nearly identical resumes, education and work experience, those who highlighted soft skills were hired.

They emphasized their incredible people skills, work ethic and overall positive presence. Here are four things hiring managers look for in a stellar hire:

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Eight Career Skills You Need To Be Competitive in 2016 – Stephanie Vozza

Jan 252016
 
The mix of hard and soft skills it takes to get hired change as quickly as business does. Here’s what it will take this year.

Good help is hard to find. At least that’s what one-third of hiring managers say, and the talent shortage isn’t just in technical fields. Good sales reps, managers, executives, and financial professionals are among the most difficult to find, according to a 2015 survey by Manpower Group.

Sought-after people have a good mix of hard and soft skills, and those skills are always changing because today’s business climate is in constant flux. If you’re looking to get hired, hire someone new, or grow your company, here are eight skills that will help you do it in 2016:

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Interviewing? Don’t Bring Along Your Pet Bird – Diane Stafford

Jan 212016
 

A new job hunter is born every second, so it doesn’t hurt occasionally to review the most basic guidelines for starring in a job interview – such as don’t bring your pet bird in your shirt or sing your answers to questions.

Yes, these have happened in real life.

But before we even get to face-to-face interviews, a reminder: Many screening interviews are conducted on the telephone. Be prepared. Treat it as if you were sitting in the same room. Do not under any circumstance chew gum, eat, blow your nose or flush the toilet while you’re on the phone. Now on to in-person interviews. I’m compelled to review because surveys of human resources professionals repeatedly reveal candidates behaving badly. A new Harris Poll for CareerBuilder unearthed some truly weird encounters, such as the job hunter who felt the interviewer’s chest to “connect heart to heart.” Ew.

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  •  January 21, 2016
  •  Posted by at 1:29 pm
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  •   Interviewing, Social Skills

4 Surefire Ways to Win Over the Interviewer – Hannah Morgan

Jan 122016
 
Engaging with the interviewer and demonstrating knowledge of the company’s goals will earn you points.

SurefireAfter researching your interviewer’s hobbies, interests and alma mater on LinkedIn or the company’s website, you’ll be able to start the interview with some friendly chitchat.

 

 

Today’s workforce is constantly multitasking and overwhelmed by information. Your future interviewer has a thousand things running through his mind as he conducts the interview with you. These circumstances may seem beyond your control, but there are surefire ways to win the interviewer’s attention.

Rather than plop yourself in the chair and prepare for the barrage of interview questions, have some of these tricks up your sleeve to entice and engage your next interviewer.

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No Matter How Tech-Savvy You Are, You Have To Get Along With People – Diane Stafford

Jan 042016
 
A recent article in the Harvard Business Review cited a National Bureau of Economic Research study that argues that “high-skilled, hard-to-automate jobs will increasingly demand social adeptness.” Bigstock

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review cited a National Bureau of Economic Research study that argues that “high-skilled, hard-to-automate jobs will increasingly demand social adeptness.” Bigstock

 

Automation and self-service have replaced a lot of jobs. Computer programming and technology skills are requirements for others. But the ability to interact well, person to person, remains vital for career success.

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review cited a National Bureau of Economic Research study that argues that “high-skilled, hard-to-automate jobs will increasingly demand social adeptness.”

In other words, you can’t hide behind a keyboard and expect to prosper.

The experts in no way downgrade the importance of technology skills. You must have command of your field — cutting-edge command is even better — but you also need to get along with others. David Deming, an associate professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said it this way in the Harvard Business Review:

“If it’s true that work is becoming more team-based, and there’s a lot of evidence that it is, then it ought to be true that people who are more able to work with others will be more valuable. Because the thing about computers, technology and machines is that they’re very good at the specific things they’re programmed to be good at, but they’re not flexible.”

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  •  January 4, 2016
  •  Posted by at 3:24 pm
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  •   Career Success, Social Skills

How Millennials Can Succeed At Their First Job – Lynn Perkins

Dec 072015
 
Here are six tips for early career development:

The MPW Insider network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question: What should every 20-something do to set themselves up for success? is written by Lynn Perkins, CEO of UrbanSitter.

Entrenched in Silicon Valley’s startup arena for years, I’ve learned a thing or two about working alongside millennials and helping them “manage up” to ensure success in their careers. Research from the 2015 Deloitte Millennial Survey shows that more of the millennial generation aspires to be the boss than any other generation, so it’s critical for today’s 20-somethings to make the most of their first job, setting the stage for a successful future. Here are my top six tips for early career development:

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Job Advice: Just Be Cool – Gillian B. White

Dec 012015
 

The secret to a successful career may be good social skills.

What does it take to get ahead in today’s job market? While it might seem like specialized technical skills are the only way to compete in an increasingly difficult economy, that’s not the case. To really get ahead, what a worker needs is social skills.

How’s that? Over the next two decades, nearly half of U.S. jobs may become obsolete due to automation, one recent study found. What are workers to do? Become more human, suggests David J. Deming of Harvard. Deming argues that social skills have already become increasingly important in recent decades, especially for those looking for high-wage, competitive positions. Continue reading »

In A Job Interview, Bring Questions – Diane Stafford

Nov 232015
 

It’s OK to ask questions of your job interviewer 
Answers may reveal information about the workplace
You might learn if you really want the job

 

The interviewer doesn’t get to ask all the questions.

If and when you’ve nabbed a job interview, you’re going to be nervous. You’re going to practice your answers to “tell me about yourself” and “tell me why we should hire you.” You’re going to dress nicely and mute your cellphone.

But are you going to prepare questions to ask the employer? You should.

Your answers to the interviewer’s queries aren’t the only way to show you’re a good fit for the job. The answers you get to your questions could help you decide if the job (or place) is right for you. Continue reading »

  •  November 23, 2015
  •  Posted by at 10:34 am
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  •   Interviewing
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