Cowlitz County Express Job Seekers Blog

Fall is quickly approaching, and as we enter the final few months of 2021, companies will be looking to bolster their workforce to meet the production needs for what is generally the busiest time of the year. One way to ensure your company has the workers necessary to navigate the fourth quarter is to build your workforce by utilizing staffing firms. Meet Production Demands While industries across the world experience supply-chain bottlenecks and lack of manufacturing materials, one thing that we know is that these issues will continue to increase market demands for services and goods. To meet those rising demands, companies will need to not only maintain, but increase their workforces in expectation of rising consumer consumption. Regardless of your industry, a staffing company can help provide qualified professionals to work side by side your core employees to ensure your business maintains productivity and stays a step ahead of the competition. Navigate COVID-19 Needs With rising cases of COVID-19 and the highly transmissible Delta variant moving through communities, more …

You’ve had several jobs in three years. It wasn’t because you were fired; maybe you were just finding your way, or the pandemic caused consecutive layoffs. Whatever the reason, your resume makes you look like a job-hopper. Traditionally, this has been a red flag to employers; they want to know you’ll stay dedicated to their company so they don’t spend time and money training you only for you to leave a few months later. However, job hopping is much more common now than it was in years’ previous. It can be beneficial for workers to work under a variety of leadership styles and industries. Nevertheless, there is still a stigma attached to job hopping. If the topic comes up in an interview, you’ll want to both explain the benefits of your job hopping and detail how this company is different. You won’t be leaving in a few months. Here’s how to do that. Explain Your Short-Term Jobs When your interviewer asks about your experience, take the time to explain all …

You just got a new job and are excited to see what the first day brings. But once there, you realize that things aren’t as organized as you thought they’d be. You were introduced to your team, but then your manager just started to assign things to you. You didn’t get any formal training on how the company works or how to use certain programs or devices. What do you do? Unfortunately, this situation is all too common. Although companies should have new employee onboarding to train new hires on how the company and their position works, there isn’t always time set aside for that. Some companies just throw you in the deep end and hope you learn how to swim. Here’s how to find your way without a life preserver. Review Any Materials You’ve Been Given Although your employer didn’t provide any formal training, did they give you any manuals or other materials? If they did, make sure to read those cover to cover. You might be able to …

By Julie Neal, Corporate Communications and PR Specialist for Express Employment Professionals International Headquarters Few things in life are guaranteed, but change is one of them. When you get your foot in the door at a great company and envision a career of longevity, your job will likely require further training throughout the years to gain skills needed for the future workforce. In a recent survey from The Harris Poll, commissioned by Express Employment Professionals, 72% of employers would actually rather invest in current employees through reskilling than hire new ones from outside the organization. And this desire increases by company size. Three-in-five hiring managers (60%) say their companies plan to reskill employees by the end of 2021 with larger companies the most likely to offer reskilling opportunities: 2-9 employees: 26%, 10-49: 45%, 50-99: 63%, 100-499: 76%, 500+: 79%. To accomplish this, they plan to offer company-led training sessions or programs (67%), partnering with a third party that offers training or courses (51%) and providing on-the-job training by other employees …

The past year and a half has been rough. For many of us, the pandemic changed the way we worked. Even if you loved working from home and had family around and dogs to hug, you still experienced a life-changing event. Regardless of your work environment, we all experienced some level stress adjusting to our new routine. The Results In fact, we held a poll here on Job Journey asking our readers whether 2020 was more stressful than the previous year, and 27% described their current work stress level as significantly higher than the same time last year. Another 22% said somewhat higher, with just 20% responding with somewhat lower. And only 16% saw no change. Why Stress It? We also asked readers about the key factors impacting their current work stress level. The most common challenges were: Figuring out transportation during a pandemic. Communicating remotely is a challenge. Balancing remote work with child care. I lost my job. Ways to Reduce Pandemic Work Stress Keep a Routine The pandemic …

Interviewers are there to test whether you’re the right pick for the job. They want you to be the right fit so they can stop interviewing folks. You know that. It makes sense. But that doesn’t make their questions any less nerve-wracking or the experience any less awkward. We can’t be there with you during the interview, but we want to help by spotlighting a few of the most popular interview questions. For even more detailed info, check out our  Job Spotlight eBook: Are You Ready for a New Career?  It’s full of helpful tips and interview hacks. Today’s focus is one of the most dreaded interview questions of all: why are you leaving your current company? You can’t really say it’s because you hate your job, your boss is the worst, or your coworkers keep stealing your yogurt. Instead of being brutally honest, keep thing things optimistic and professional. Don’t Lie It can be tempting to gloss over this question with something like “we just didn’t see things the …

Patch together your career with an embroidery position! Despite already having experience with several jobs, many working adults are unable to answer the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”   Our Job Spotlight monthly blog series is designed to help answer that question. In this series, we review all the basics of specific jobs, from pay and duties, to why people do the jobs they do.   Embroidery Machine Operator In this month’s Job Spotlight, we’re following the seam to see it means to be a embroidery machine operator.   Required Education: Generally a high school degree.   Pay Although pay varies depending on a variety of factors (e.g. experience, industry, geographic area, etc.), embroidery machine operators can make as much as $15 an hour.   What Embroidery Machine Operators Do: Embroidery Machine Operators deal with a variety of responsibilities, including: Analyzing and understanding project specifications and clients’ needs before starting each project. Selecting the thread, fabric, hoops, and designs appropriate to each project. …

The pandemic changed what work looks like across the world, and many job seekers are encountering new barriers to their job search. We could make this into a multiple choice question, but we want to know your specific barriers to employment. Maybe you can’t find job openings that match your skillset, or you want remote work and can’t find it in your industry. Whatever your job search challenges are, we want to hear from you! Let us know by filling out the short answer section below.

By Julie Neal, Corporate Communications and PR Specialist for Express Employment Professionals International Headquarters With “Now Hiring” signs on every corner, businesses are desperate for workers, and this is the prime time to go after that dream job or level up in your career. However, with the recent spike in the Delta variant of COVID-19, it’s understandable if you’re a bit hesitant about taking a job where you will be working closely with colleagues.   Many businesses pivoted to remote work in March 2020, and certain industries still haven’t brought employees back. According to a recent survey from The Harris Poll, commissioned by Express Employment Professionals, roughly 3 in 4 workers go to their company’s physical workspace at least once a week currently. Office and administrative support employees (e.g., accountants, HR professionals): 74% at least once a week, 33% every day Skilled trades employees (e.g., carpenters, electricians, hairdressers, or specialize in other consumer services): 72% at least once a week, 30% every day Professional employees (e.g., lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers): …

You took yourself out of the workforce years ago. Maybe you were a stay-at-home parent, had to deal with a personal injury or illness, or you were taking care of a sick loved one. Perhaps you couldn’t find any job opportunities and decided to live on your savings for a bit. Regardless of the reason, you’ve decided now is the time to re-enter the workforce. Getting back into the job search can be tough, but it’s totally doable! Here are a few of our tips for rejoining the workforce. What Kind of Work Do You Want? Before you even start interviewing, you’ll need to figure out the type of career you’re interested in. What are you passionate about? This doesn’t necessarily have to be the same career path you were on before your hiatus. Your experience could be useful in different industries you might not have thought of before. Prepare Jumping back into the job search without any sort of prep can be daunting. You want to make sure you’re …