Prepare for a Job Search

By Alison Doyle

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Sometimes, it happens by choice. Sometimes, you don't have an option. In either case, it's important to be prepared to change jobs - because you never know when it might happen to you. It's happened to me both ways. I've been laid-off and out-of-work at the end of a business day and had to turn in my company car the next morning. That was a tough one! I've also resigned and managed to stay on excellent terms with my previous employers. In the latter cases, it's been because I've always given plenty of notice, offered to help find and train a replacement, and offered to be available for questions in the future.

Take Care of the Basics

Whether you're about to hand in your resignation or you've just received a pink slip, it's important to prepare to leave and to prepare to conduct a job search. Take care of the basics first and check on eligibility for continuation of health and life insurance benefits, accrued vacation pay, unused sick pay, and other payments terminated employees may be entitled to. Keep in mind, that there may be a lag between when your current health insurance coverage ends and a new policy starts. If you've been terminated, ask your employer about eligibility for continuing cover through COBRA and file for unemployment immediately. You may be able to file over the phone or online.

When your work situation is unstable and you're not sure if you'll still have a job tomorrow, get ready to start, or even get going, on a job search now. Remember, you don't have an obligation to accept a new position if you get an offer. Plus, it never hurts to see what's available and, you never know, you just might get an offer you can't refuse!

How to Prepare for a Job Search:

Resumes and Cover Letters
It's important to have a well-written resume and compelling cover letters. Simply, resumes help get us interviews. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact with a potential employer, creating a critical first impression. Use our Resume and Cover Letter Guide to ensure that your job search correspondence is top-notch.

References
Plan ahead and compile a list of references and some letters of recommendations, so you're prepared when a prospective employer requests them. Get contact information for your co-workers, vendors, customers, etc. so you'll have it for future networking purposes.

Contact Information
Use non-work contact information for all your job search communications. That way, if your access is cut-off at work, you'll still be reachable.

• Phone - have a home phone or a cell phone with voice mail so potential employers can reach you
• Email - use a personal email account, not your work account

Reason for Leaving
If you've quit, or are planning on quitting, be prepared with an answer for interviewers who are going to want to know why you resigned.

Worried About Getting Caught?
Apply confidentially for jobs online. There are job sites that let you apply anonymously, plus will protect your identity from certain employers and recruiters.

Don't Leave Anything Behind...

• Clean-up your computer - delete personal files and email
• Bring home your personal belongings

Finally, if you are resigning, always leave on the best terms you possibly can and don't burn any bridges. Let the company know in advance that you're leaving, let them know why (as diplomatically as possible) and thank them for having had the opportunity to work there.

Employment Tests

By Alison Doyle


Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

I frequently get asked whether pre-employment tests and background checks are legal. The short answer is yes. Companies can test applicants for employment. The longer answer is that the tests must be non-discriminatory and the tests must be properly administered.

Why Employers Use Employment Tests

Employers often use tests and other selection procedures to screen applicants for hire. The types of tests and selection procedures utilized include cognitive tests, personality tests, medical examinations, credit checks, and background checks.

Companies can legally use these tests, as long as they don't use to them to discriminate based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, or age (40 or older). Employment tests must be validated for the jobs they are being used to hire for and for the purposes for which they are being used.

Online Pre-Employment Tests

Depending on the type of test, employment testing can be conducted online or in the employer's office. Online employment tests are often used for pre-employment testing and assessment. Utilizing online testing eliminates the need for the candidate to visit the company's office or for the company to have to administer the test.

Types of Employment Tests

Personality Tests
Personality tests assess the degree to which a person has certain traits or dispositions or predict the likelihood that a person will engage in certain conduct.

Talent Assessment Tests
Talent assessments, also called pre-employment tests or career tests, are used to help an employer identify candidates that will be a good fit for jobs. Talent assessments help predict a new hire’s performance and retainability.

Pre-Employment Physical Exams
Employers may require a pre-employment physical examination to determine the suitability of an individual for a job.

Drug Tests
There are several types of drugs tests that candidates for employment may be asked to take. The types of drug tests which show the presence of drugs or alcohol include urine drug screen, hair drug or alcohol testing, saliva drug screen, and sweat drug screen.

Cognitive Tests
Cognitive tests measure a candidate's reasoning, memory, perceptual speed and accuracy, and skills in arithmetic and reading comprehension, as well as knowledge of a particular function or job.

Emotional Intelligence Testing
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability of an individual to understand his or her own emotions and the emotions of others. Testing job applicants for their emotional intelligence (in the form of psychological-based tests) is a growing employment trend.

Physical Ability Tests
Physical ability tests measure the physical ability of an applicant to perform a particular task or the strength of specific muscle groups, as well as strength and stamina in general.

Sample Job Tasks
Sample job tasks, including performance tests, simulations, work samples, and realistic job previews, assess a candidate's performance and aptitude on particular tasks.

Background and Credit Checks
Criminal background checks provide information on arrest and conviction history. Credit checks provide information on credit and financial history.

English Proficiency Tests
English proficiency tests determine the candidate's English fluency.

Lie Detector Tests
The Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) prohibits most private employers from using lie detector tests, either for pre-employment screening or during the course of employment.

DISCLAIMER:
The private web sites, and the information linked to both on and from this site, is opinion and information. While I have made every effort to link accurate and complete information, I cannot guarantee it is correct. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct. This information is not legal advice and is for guidance only.

10 Steps to a Successful Career Change

From Mike Profita

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

1. Evaluate your current job satisfaction. Keep a journal of your daily reactions to your job situation and look for recurring themes. Which aspects of your current job do you like/dislike? Are your dissatisfactions related to the content of your work your company culture or the people with whom you work?

2. Assess your interests, values and skills through self help resources like the exercises in What Color is Your Parachute. Review past successful roles, volunteer work, projects and jobs to identify preferred activities and skills. Determine whether your core values and skills are addressed through your current career.

3. Brainstorm ideas for career alternatives by discussing your core values/skills with friends, family, networking contacts and counselors. Visit career libraries and use online resources like those found in the Career Advice section of the Job Search website.

4. Conduct a preliminary comparative evaluation of several fields to identify a few targets for in depth research.

5. Read as much as you can about those fields and reach out to personal contacts in those arenas for informational interviews.

6. Shadow professionals in fields of primary interest to observe work first hand. Spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days job shadowing people who have jobs that interest you. Your college Career Office is a good place to find alumni volunteers who are willing to host job shadowers.

7. Identify volunteer and freelance activities related to your target field to test your interest e.g. if you are thinking of publishing as a career, try editing the PTA newsletter. If you're interested in working with animals, volunteer at your local shelter.

8. Investigate educational opportunities that would bridge your background to your new field. Consider taking an evening course at a local college. Spend some time at one day or weekend seminars. Contact professional groups in your target field for suggestions.

9. Look for ways to develop new skills in your current job which would pave the way for a change e.g. offer to write a grant proposal if grant writing is valued in your new field. If your company offers in-house training, sign up for as many classes as you can.

10. Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would utilize the industry knowledge you already have e.g. If you are a store manger for a large retail chain and have grown tired of the evening and weekend hours consider a move to corporate recruiting within the retail industry. Or if you are a programmer who doesn't want to program, consider technical sales or project management.

Workers' Compensation

By Susan M. Heathfield

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Workers' compensation laws ensure that an employee who is injured as a result of an accident on the job or who contracts a disease as a result of performing his or her job, will receive compensation and medical benefits. Every state requires that employers purchase workers' compensation insurance to ensure that employees, who are affected by illness or injury, and their dependants, are protected against significant hardships in case of injury, illness, or death.

Workers' compensation was created to protect both the employer and the employee from the costs and hardships of employee injury and illness. The employee receives compensation and medical benefits. In turn, the employee signs off on the right to sue the employer. The employer benefits from immunity from law suits, for the most part.

As an employer, make certain that your employees and management staff know that accident reports must be filled out when an employee is injured or claims job related illness. Make available the claims filing forms from your chosen workers' compensation company. Work closely with your workers' compensation agent to ensure that both the employee's medical needs and your liability are covered. Work closely with your employees to make sure the claim is easy, timely, and correctly filed. Follow your insurance company guidelines.

Additionally, many workers' compensation companies offer the services of an occupational health and safety specialist who can audit your workplace and make recommendations about employee safety and ergonomics. This service is helpful as is the training available from most companies about accident reports and workers' compensation claim forms. You can also contact your state workers' compensation office for help.

Keep Company and Employee Information Safe

From Jeremy Wunsch

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Right now, someone within your company may be accessing confidential corporate information either dishonestly or by accident.

In the news virtually every week, you read about large, well-known companies suffering from the loss of sensitive corporate information at the hands of employees. Given that Human Resource departments often hold the key to valuable corporate and employee information, the risk of data breaches presents unique challenges for HR.

Fortunately, through simple and effective internal threat management procedures, HR can help prevent employee information leaks from happening to their company. These procedures will protect employees' most confidential and valuable information from being exposed to unauthorized parties.

• Be aware of where critical employee information and corporate data are located and who has access to them.

• Develop an acceptable use policy for all employees that outlines appropriate use of corporate assets and employee information. The policy should also outline the company procedures when a violation takes place.

• Consistently enforce policies and procedures.

• Regularly review and revise existing policies to ensure all necessary policy changes and additions have been addressed.

• Ensure your company has an internal incident response plan and the appropriate resources in-house to handle an incident of employee information or corporate data loss or access by unauthorized employees or outsiders.

What Not to Do if a Data Breach Occurs

If the worst should happen and your company does experience a situation where sensitive data is leaked or lost, don't fall prey to common mistakes such as turning on an employee's computer to check around. Turning on the computer or any electronic device involved may destroy potential evidence.

Here are ten common ways a computer forensics investigation is compromised. Company employees:

• Boot up the computer. Turning on a computer that's relevant to a case can overwrite sensitive files that may be important to your company's case and change important time stamps. Compromised computers should not be used at all and should be stored in a secure location until it can be handed over to a computer forensics expert.

• Turn off a relevant computer. If a computer is running at the time it is discovered to be relevant to a data breach or investigation, it should be powered down in a way that will be least damaging to potential evidence. The only person that should turn off a suspected computer is a certified computer forensics expert, or an IT employee under the supervision of such an expert.

• Browse through the files on a computer. Resist the temptation to snoop, even with the best intentions. HR may know exactly where to look, but it's the act of looking that causes problems for retrieving untainted evidence. Browsing through files may cause file times to change which may make it impossible to tell exactly when an important file was deleted or copied from your company's network.

• Fail to use a computer forensics expert. Your company's IT department is not a computer forensics department. In fact, asking the IT staff to conduct even routine checks into a system's files can destroy potential evidence. A professionally trained computer forensics expert should be retained for the handling of all sensitive data.

• Fail to involve all parties. In-house counsel, IT staff, and every business player involved with the case should be included when conducting electronic discovery. Failure to involve all parties can result in overlooked or lost data.

• Fail to learn the lingo. Even tech-savvy support professionals may become confused by the expanded vocabulary used by computer forensics experts. It pays to become familiar with the new language.

• Don't make a forensics image of the computer(s) involved. Imaging is the process in which you create a complete duplicate of a hard drive. This is done for the purposes of copying a complete and accurate duplicate of the original materials, with no risk of flawed or overlooked data.

• Copy data in "cut and paste" or "drag and drop" methods. It is true that you can buy an $80 external USB hard drive and copy your data to it. However, this process does not preserve the unallocated space (where deleted files reside) and will change the file times and other data on the files that have been copied out.

• Wait to preserve the evidence. The longer a computer is in operation without any preservation, the more likely that the data that is relevant to your company's situation may be permanently altered or overwritten. Always preserve your electronic data the moment you believe that litigation is possible.

• Fail to maintain a proper Chain of Custody at the time of collection. Not documenting who had access to the electronic evidence after the alleged incident can lead to problems down the road. Opposing parties can poke holes in the collection and preservation process. They can argue that the data could have been altered on the device while the computer was not securely stored and unused.

You can protect the integrity of your corporate data and employee information for purposes of litigation and restoring and protecting against data loss. Just follow the rules shared here to maintain the integrity and not compromise the usability of your electronic devices and their stored data.