Sunday, January 5, 2020

4 Things to Consider Before you Resign

4 Things to Consider Before you Resign A new friend of mine came to me over the weekend in a panic. Shed been interviewing for a new job and was unofficially offered the position. I say unofficially because, as of that date, she had yet to receive an offer letter. My friend and the hiring manager had previously discussed a start date. And after a few weeks passed without receiving an official letter and confirmation of the start date, she was beginning to worry.Now, it wasnt so much that she figured the company had changed its mind (as I began to wonder after hearing zu sich story) but because of zu sich resignation letter.She needed to put in her two weeks bedrngnisice, but when? The discussed start date seemed to be getting closer and closer without a word from the employer, and as my friend explained, she did not want to run out of time to put in her resignation.This led me to think about the p roper way to resign does such a thing truly exist?A February 2014 CNBC article referenced the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, which revealed that roughly 2.4 million employees quit their jobs at the end of 2013.And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 4.5 million total separations quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separationsin June 2014. With the quits rate at 1.8 percent, that means roughly 81,000 people resigned from their jobs last month.With the number of employees voluntarily leaving on the rise, Im sure many have asked themselves the question, Is there a best way to resign?What I (and fruchtwein people I know) learned was to always put in a two weeks noticeso much so that Ive been under the impression failing to do so was somehow illegalor at least a sketchy business practice, like beginning a job without the employer first giving you a written job offer.But according to findlaw.com, employees dont necessarily have to give tw o weeks notices unless theyre employment agreement specifies a specific contract, which in that case it may help to do so.The article explainsMost workers in the United States are whats called at will employees. That means their employment contract can be ended at any time and for any reason.That right goes both ways. Just like your employer can fire you at any time, you can also walk in and quit at any time without giving any notice at all. Doing that wouldnt violate your agreement.Then again, there are also employees who are hired for a specific period of time. In that case, leaving early would likely break your contract. Depending on what your contract says, two weeks notice may not be enough to keep you out of trouble.With the rise of telecommuting, remote working and the contingent workforce, it just may be a good habit for all types of workers to draw up a notice before resigning. But, before you do, here are four simple things to considerDont put in your notice before you hav e received an official offer letter. In my friends case, although shed verbally been offered the job, she had yet to receive a written offer. Dont run and tell your boss youre quitting before you not only have a written offer for a new position but have accepted it. You dont want to quit your job in a rush, and unfortunately, your new job fall through.This, however, does not apply if you are not quitting your job because you have a new role lined up.Determine the best way to deliver the news. Telling your boss face-to-face that youre no longer going to be working for him/her seems like common sense, right? Yet, with how and where we work evolving, believe it or not, some people have never honigwein their boss in person.In a U.S. News World Report article, 8 Ways to Graciously Quit Your Job, Aaron Guerrero writesThe type of organization you work for and position you hold may dictate a different approach to how you break the news, says Sue Fox, author of Business Etiquette for Dummie s.Fox went on to say, Guerrero writes, that its generally best to schedule a meeting and let your boss know in person. It just makes a better impression, Fox says, adding that it shows respect, self-confidence and that you have strong interpersonal skills.If youre a full-time remote worker or cannot meet in person with your boss or the company that has contracted you, at least schedule a Skype call with your boss before sending him/her the notice.Calculate estimated time between paychecks to ensure youre covered financially.If you for sure have to start a new job by a certain date, this step may not apply. But, if your new employer has given you some flexibility, ensure you look at your finances before deciding when to put in a two weeks notice. There will most likely be a gap between your last paycheck and your first check from the new job make sure you give yourself enough time to cover the costs.Be prepared for a counter offer.Also consider that your employer may present a counte r offer once you put in your resignation. Are you certain nothing will keep you at your current job, or do you have a list of demands that, if granted, could change your mind about leaving? Consider a possible counter offer and how you would handle it before turning in your notice. Think about the reasons youve decided to quit and be firm in your decision to leaveor to still leave if XYZ isnt included in a counter offer. You dont want to jump on a bigger number from your current employer without considering your other initial reasons for resigning.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Resume Makeover Sharpens Details for IT Director

Resume Makeover Sharpens Details for IT DirectorResume Makeover Sharpens Details for IT DirectorWhen the senior director got laid off after 11 years with his employer, the details of his experience were fuzzy until a certified resume writer helped him discern fluff from fact.It took only 11 years for the eager professional who came in at the ground level to work his way up and become a senior director of global IT infrastructure and operations management.When the senior director, in his 40s, welches laid off a year ago, it was difficult to look back on his long tenure and succinctly sum up his experience. Like most professionals fresh out of a long-term position, he was unclear on the details his work history encompassed.As (the company) grew, I had increases in responsibility, said the executive, who requested anonymity. Over time, you sort of lose track of details in terms of your experience.After taking some time off, he got serious about the job hunt and realized the state of the economy was in dire straits. He knew hed have problems competing with the legions of unemployed.Details that stand outKnowing he needed a competitive edge, he had his resume appraised by Ladders.My focus was on having a good enough product to send out to someone to convince them I had the right skills. I wasnt highlighting my skills enough (in the original document), he said. Just going through it, I was thinking more of highlights, bulleted comments.Indeed, the primary problem with the original document was that it highlighted responsibilities that were lifted from his job description rather than highlighting how he benefited his former employer.I was focusing more on the resume comments, he said. What I did was grab from my responsibilities that were, well, my job description, but I wasnt highlighting what I actually did and I wasnt using appropriate key terms.Rather than listing vague, pre-written job-description details, his resume now drills down into specifics that could appl y only to the exemplary job experience he accumulated. It also uses appropriate key terms that jump out at resume readers and are picked up by ATS (applicant tracking system) software. Finally, they state, in hard facts, what he accomplished in terms of increased efficiency and cost savings.Heres an example, taken from the bulleted list of accomplishments that his certified professional resume writer, Carol Anne Braswell, who works with Ladders, compiled to describe his job role as senior director of strategy management and engineeringSaved company $700K in maintenance expenses by upgrading network infrastructure to host subsidiary Internet access, installing Payment Card Industry (PCI) processes for compliance measures, and renegotiating maintenance contracts.Decreased enterprise site-to-site traveling and entertainment expenses by $350K through deployment of Video Conferencing solution throughout subsidiaries.Braswell rendered in bold, exact figures how much the director saved the company and in what operational areas it realized the savings. In addition, she mentioned relevant details that also make for powerful key terms, such as Payment Card Industry processes and Video Conferencing solution. Companies facing these major technology initiatives are extremely likely to search for candidates with these keywords as a result, the directors revamped resume should shoot to the top of a pile of applications.An investment pays offShoot to the top it did. With the new resume, the director was contacted by three interested companies. The director said he thinks the overhauled resume was absolutely instrumental in his job-hunting success. He went on a number of interviews, and there he always received positive feedback on both the structure of the new document and how comprehensive it was.Presentation was a big theme, he said.Out of 300 applicants, he was offered, and accepted, a position as a data-center manager for a 9,000-employee technology company and started wo rk July 13. My current employer was looking for a data-center manager, and they were able to hone in on the skills I offered in terms of my background, he said.The director credits his new resume as well as the advice he read about never to giving up on the search. The reality is, we dont know the processes a lot of companies go through when we send in our resume, the director said. We dont know how many people were competing with, and theres a tendency to get frustrated. Every company has internal processes, and we just have to keep going. I was fortunate. You really have to invest in yourself in terms of putting out a good product, and going through a professional writing program would be a good way to go.