Simply Hired Blog

6 Keys to Determining If a Job Commute Will Work

During a difficult job search you may find yourself considering a commute. Before taking a far-off job there are questions to carefully consider before committing to a big commute that will cost you time and money.

 

That said, remember that if you live in metro area, a willingness to commute may open up a variety of great job opportunities. You can use Simply Hired’s job search radius filter to set how far you are willing to travel and track down jobs within a distance that will be suitable to you.

Once you determine a good travel distance, evaluate potential commutes with the following criteria:

1. How will you pull off the commute?

Will you drive to the office? Catch a bus, train, or commuter shuttle? (I actually use all three each day to get to my office). Will traffic be a problem? Will you be able to do this every day? Each of these logistical issues can make a commute impossible to maintain, so before you take a job figure out how exactly you’ll make it work.

2. How much will it cost?

If you are serious about a job with a commute you should also have the approximate cost in mind. You want to be sure the projected take-home pay will cover the cost incurred by commuting, whether it’s driving or taking public transit. If you’ll be driving, use Google Maps to give you the total distance and use your car’s average miles per gallon and the price of gas to calculate how much you will spend on a weekly basis. If taking public transit, look into whether the company offers any commuter benefits.

3. How flexible are your work hours?

Sure, you want to be at work on time. But if you are commuting every day, there are going to be times when you don’t make it in at the prescribed time. Therefore, if you are commuting you need your employer to be flexible. You don’t want to lose your job because of bad traffic or an accident on the train tracks.

4. What opportunities will the new job bring?

With a costly commute, either monetarily or time-wise, you want a job to be a great opportunity. If the job won't offer much besides a paycheck, you should keep looking.

But also, think about how permanent the job will be. It's much easier to tolerate a long commute for a part-time or temporary job than a full-time one you’d hold for 10 years.

5. How likely are you to find a job closer to home?

Use the availability of a job to gauge how willing you should be to take on a commute. If your job search has yielded a great number of jobs in your immediate area, you might not need to commute. Furthermore, if you’ve interviewed for a number of relevant jobs in your area you know you don’t have to take something 50 miles away.

It comes down to how long you have been job searching. If you've found nothing after months on the job hunt you need to be open to a commute. 

6. Is relocating an option? 

If you are thinking about a commute, is relocation also an option? If a move would save money and time, why not at least see if it is possible? Of course a move can be difficult for a host of reasons--available housing, moving expenses, change of lifestyle. But it might also make what would be a difficult commute the beginning of a new chapter in your life.

When you are thinking about a taking on a commute, don't forget these key questions that will help you determine whether traveling to a potential job is worth it or not.

The Four P’s of Job Interviewing

We all know that the interviewing process can be a nail-biting, stressful time for some. Particularly if you are applying for entry into a coveted position with a highly sought after company, you might get put “through the wringer” in multiple rounds of interviews.

Interviewing however, can be a gratifying experience if you are ready for the process. The 4 P’s of interviewing have gotten me through many interview processes successfully.

1.  Preparedness:

This might seem the obvious answer to the interview pro, but I have also been on the employer side of the table where people come to an interview unprepared, as if they are doing it just for the experience or as if they are desperate for just any job. Don’t waste an employer’s time in this way! It is impressive when a candidate is well prepared (if not over-prepared) for an interview. Preparedness demonstrates your level of interest in the position, and your commitment to work in order to get the job - which an employer would hope is indicative of your commitment to your work once hired. It pays to be prepared!

2.  Passion:

When you go into an interview with passion, it can separate you from other candidates who are nervous and less enthusiastic. In my own experience, I have had interviews in which I was not always the strongest candidate on paper. However, my passion and enthusiasm always seems to give me an edge. So how exactly do you use your passion in an interview? The catch here is it must come through naturally. If you are not genuine, it will show, and you will likely not get the job regardless of how your qualifications stack up against the competition. I once landed a job where I told the hiring committee, “I love career development…and whether you hire me or not, I will be doing this type of work somewhere.” This was a risk… I’ll admit that, but it was my third interview with this committee and I had a good sense of who was in the room. When I made this bold statement, I could tell by the body language of some of the committee members that it resonated with them. Needless to say, I received an offer for this position and accepted. My advice is to not just say you have passion, but demonstrate that passion with your language. It would also help if you spoke about examples of other times you were passionate about your work. 

3.   Personality:

I have been in interviews where candidates had great resumes an all-around qualifications, but lacked personality and those candidates were one thing….FORGETTABLE!  After an interview experience is over, you definitely want the person or people you’ve interviewed with to remember you for more than what your resume states. I caution you to be careful here as well; this requires a delicate balance of a sense of humor, interesting and relevant stories, charisma, as well as confidence. Your personality is equally as important as your ability to do the job in many situations. If a hiring manager cannot get a feel for how you will interact with the team members, they may not be comfortable hiring you over the other candidate who seems to be a better fit.

4.   Professionalism:

One might think this is understood but you might be surprised to know that many people underestimate the value of professionalism. This gets tricky when you have to interview in a “non-traditional” office environment. The point to remember here is always keeping your interview hat on! Your interview may require that you give a brief presentation, go out to lunch with potential co-workers, or take a tour of the office; in all these scenarios remain professional. These additional components of the interview are like tests, and everyone involved is grading you. One major interview faux-paw that people tend to make is letting their guard down. Although I’ve suggested that you show your passion and personality, you should never do this at the expense of professionalism. You should always be polished and poised because like it or not, you are being evaluated. It should also be noted that sometimes a candidate may be chosen for a position for their level of professionalism especially when the final candidate choices are equally qualified.  Be sure to refrain from jokes and sarcasm as to not offend your potential employer. Whatever situation you find yourself in while interviewing, be sure your demeanor is appropriate for the environment.  To ensure you demonstrate professionalism when communicating focus on explaining and illustrating your knowledge of the position, organization and industry. And let’s not forget being professionally dressed. In interview situations, it is better to err on the side of caution. 

Interviewing can be daunting but it can be handled with ease if YOU THE CANDIDATE, remembers that YOU are an essential part of the process. One of the most widely touted interview tips is to remember that YOU are also evaluating the employer. Think of your interviews as an important conversation. Take the Four P’s (Preparedness, Passion, Personality and Professionalism) with you to guide your interview experience.    

Stephanie D Reed received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Johnson C. Smith University and her Master of Arts in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Stephanie has 15 years work experience in career counseling. Follow Stephanie's blog.

Become a Restaurant Manager by Receiving a Culinary Degree

Interest in the hospitality field, particularly restaurant and culinary careers, has been rising in recent years. With steep competition for well-paid restaurant and culinary work positions, a culinary degree will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge that will help you succeed in this field. 

Today, Simply Hired is indexing over 500,000 restaurant jobs. 

Restaurant Jobs

Restaurant Management Jobs

Pastry and Baking Jobs

Chef Jobs

Cooking Jobs

Culinary and restaurant degrees cover several areas of the hospitality discipline. Once enrolled, you can take on general management programs or choose to focus on other areas of expertise. Because this field is vast, you have to analyze and decide carefully which course you feel most strongly about. To make it easier to decide, ask yourself, “What job position would I most enjoy after graduating?” After coming up with a definite answer; register for the culinary courses/program that will allow you to apply to that position upon graduation.

Take note that depending on the major that you select, you can end up being a chef, a manager in hotel or a restaurant, or simply be an owner of a restaurant or café that you set up.

It is important to know that different schools offer different culinary programs. If you have decided to start a career as a restaurant manager, there are different degrees that can be completed.

1. Diploma and Certificate Degrees

This degree is the first step, and is the quickest way to become a professional in the culinary field. To be qualified to enter this program, you have to have a high school diploma. You will focus on these areas while working towards a degree:

•           Culinary Arts

•           Beverage and Wine

•           Culinary Management 

•           Pastry and Baking

2. Associates Degree

Normally, it takes 2 years to complete this degree. For most people this is a reasonable time to learn basic techniques and foundational understandings of management and hospitality. At the end of the coursework you will have the tools required to be competitive in the field of hospitality focusing on:

•           Baking and Cooking

•           Nutrition

•           Management

•           Sanitation and Safety

3. Bachelors Degree

If your goal is to be a future manager of a restaurant or other hospitality establishment, this is the best degree for you. Earn this degree by completing 4 years of study. The coursework will include:

•           Business Management

•           Management and Finance

•           Foundational culinary baking and cooking courses

Find fully accredited schools that offer culinary degrees where you can receive a quality education. Numerous career opportunities are waiting for you in the culinary field so if you focus and commit to your future then you can achieve your dream job. A culinary degree will prepare you to have a successful career in the exciting world of culinary arts and hospitality.

4. My Experience with Culinary Industry:

As a Restaurant Manager, I have to take care of many things to make my customers happy - including hiring, supervising, and scheduling my employees for shifts. I started working as a bartender in a small restaurant that gradually grew my interest in the field and motivated me to enroll in a four-year degree to study Business Management. It’s been seven years of satisfied journey in the hospitality industry, and I’m grateful I made the investment in my education.

Zac Parker is an active blogger, who loves to write about culinary education and career. Here he discusses culinary degrees required to become restaurant manager. Follow him for more updates in culinary education and career.

What Color Is Your Parachute? Tablet Edition

The average person changes careers seven times in their life. Since we’re becoming an increasingly mobile society, apps are becoming a popular job search tool for those seeking a new career. Oh, but where to begin? To help those that are having trouble finding a path, Ten Speed Press has released What Color Is Your Parachute? Job-Hunter’s Workbook Tablet Edition to the iPad and Nook stores this week.

 

This best-selling career exercise has been helping job seekers find their strengths and passions for the last 40 years.

The interactive workbook allows job hunters to complete the Flower Exercise steps without having to read their messy handwriting and scribbles later. The tests ask you to reference past results, so this is super important! The workbook compliments the book,What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles, but it’s not a required read to complete the exercise. The instructions are detailed and you can stop and start the exercises at any time.

What Color Is Your Parachute? Job-Hunter’s Workbook Tablet Edition is available for $5.99 on iPad (http://bit.ly/13XX8Y6) and NOOK and NOOK HD (http://bit.ly/148rdnH).

The Importance of Honesty in Employment Background Checks

One of the most important aspects of job hunting is being honest on your resume and application. Falsifying information in order to help your chances of being hired will only cause a great deal of trouble for you. Since many employers utilize background checks, it’s possible that you could be disqualified from employment if the truth is discovered.

Lying to your potential employer could show him or her that you are not an honorable person and could be damaging not only to your own reputation, but to the organization. Employers want someone they can rely on with good work ethics. Being dishonest about your past history can cause repercussions that you may not realize.

Here are the topics you must be completely honest about:

1. Education -

Your education in a specific field is a great asset to your resume. However, proof of your attendance at colleges or trade schools is easily obtained through a background check and can reveal if you were actually enrolled. Employers are looking for more than just education most of the time--they are looking for someone with education and experience. Internships are a good way to gain experience even if the pay is low or non-existent.

2. Reason for Leaving -

The circumstances surrounding your dismissal from your previous job could damage your desirability as an employee. However, you should never lie about the reasons behind it. As long as you learned from your mistakes of the past, you could still be in consideration for the position. For instance: if you've been fired for excessive tardiness at a job, explain to the potential employer how it affected you as a person and why you are aspiring to improve yourself. If you lied about your reasons for leaving a specific position within a company, the potential employer is sure to find out when they contact your previous employer. Be forthcoming and admit your mistakes. Employers love it when an employee takes responsibilities for his or her actions.

3. Felony Convictions -

This is probably one of the worst things to try and cover up. While some employers may decide to hire someone without a felony record, hiding this information can be very detrimental. As long as you explain yourself surrounding the circumstances, it may play in your favor. If the employer is going to toss your application in the trash anyway, you might as well be honest about your past.

If for some reason you are hired without including your felony record, the employer is sure to fire you if and when they find out. And this could start a domino effect as your next potential employer may call your previous one whom fired you for lying about your record. This process makes it exceedingly difficult to find employment of any kind.

4. Work Experience -

As most employers want someone who has some kind of work experience, many feel the need to pad and add as much as they can on the application and resume in order to look good. You want to be careful with what you add, however. The prospective employer will most likely verify your qualifications.

If you are lacking professional experience in your specific field, why not put your talents to good use? Become a freelance professional while you are looking for a full-time job. Experience as a freelancer is far better than none at all. Whether it is local employment or using online services, freelancing could be a great benefit to your resume and application. It shows that although you were unemployed, you are still doing what you can to make ends meet, and demonstrates dedication and determination.

5. Explaining Yourself in Detail -

Never be ashamed of your past. Even the worst cases can be viewed as learning experience - as long as you corrected the behavior. An employer wants honesty in his or her employees. They want to know that your current aspirations are above and beyond any negatives your past may bring to light. As long as you show remorse for any wrong doings and strive to be a better person, you could find yourself gainfully employed regardless of previous dismissals. It is always safe to assume that your potential employer already knows the circumstances surrounding your dismissal by performing a background check. It would be senseless to lie about it.

A background check will reveal a great deal about your history depending on the type of check the employer is going to conduct. There are some employers that will even run credit checks as a way to determine if your financial needs surpass your employment ambitions. Although this kind of a check doesn't reflect the kind of worker you may be, some will conduct these searches anyway. Be honest with yourself and your potential employer as he or she may still be impressed with your skills and knowledge, regardless of your past.

Jack Meyers is a regular contributor for www.nannybackgroundcheck.com. As a detective he wants to spread the knowledge of terrible things that can happen when people don’t fully verify the credentials of a caregiver or any employee. He also writes for various law enforcement blogs and sites.