About Avery Partners

Avery Partners provides affordable knowledge and expertise in the IT, Finance / Accounting, and Healthcare sectors. Services include: Project Management, Human Capital Outsourcing, Management Consulting, and Staff Augmentation. The company has national capabilities and currently operates in over 20 states. We can reduce costs, eliminate hassles, increase service levels, and add value to each function we touch.

October 5th, 2012

Applying for Temporary Jobs

Should You Take a Temp Job?

Not everyone has the same vision of a dream job, but you will find that most people want flexible hours, steady work, and high pay.  Unfortunately, in today’s economy not every job seeker is able to land their dream job or even a permanent job if that.  With many people finding it tough to find employment, many are beginning to examine the possibility of temporary employment, but is it right for you?

When determining if you should apply for temporary jobs, there are a number of factors that you will want to consider.  These factors can help you make the right employment decision.  Some of the many considerations you will ant to examine when searching for temporary employment are outlined below.

One of the many factors to consider when looking at temporary employment is your current employment status.  Speaking of your current employment status, are you currently employed or are you unemployed?  This answer is important, as it can have an impact on whether or not temporary employment is right for you. As you likely already know, temporary jobs can last for as little as one week or as long as a few months.  If you are currently employed, you may want to consider staying at your current job and searching for a more permanent job in your spare time.  This is particularly important if you regularly find yourself having financial difficulties.  It is important to remember that nothing is guaranteed with temporary employment.

In keeping with your current employment status, if you are unemployed, you may want to place a focus on temporary employment and temporary jobs.  This is ideal if you are unemployed and not receiving any financial assistance, such as unemployment.  If you are in need of money, it is important that you do just about anything possible to find a job to help you support yourself and your family. This also includes examining temporary jobs in your area. What is ideal about temporary employment is that most employers understand that their temporary employees are searching for more permanent jobs.  This makes it easier for you to cease your working relationship with a temporary employer, should another job offer greet you at any point in time.

When it comes to temporary employment, one of the most commonly asked questions is “how can I find temporary jobs?”  This leads to another important factor to take into consideration, when examining temporary employment.  While there are some variations, you will find that employers who are looking for temporary employees turn to staffing firms that specialize in temporary employment. These staffing firms are also commonly referred to as temp agencies or temporary agencies.  Depending on where you reside, you should have access to one or two different temporary employment agencies.  The assistance of a temporary agency should be free of charge; however, you may also be required to pay a small monthly service fee, depending on the agency that you choose to seek assistance from.

Another one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when examining whether or not temporary employment is right for you, is health insurance.  If you are currently employed, but looking for a new job, do you have health insurance?  If you do and if you are unable to acquire health insurance through your spouse, should you have one, you may want to consider holding off on seeking temporary employment. This is because almost all temporary employers do not offer health insurance to their temporary employees.  Unfortunately, this is a factor that many job seekers do not take into consideration.  It is also important to mention that you may not gain access to other job benefits, such as sick pay, vacation time, and so forth.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when examining temporary employment.  Of course the decision is yours to make, but, for the most part, you will find that temporary employment is ideal for those who are currently unemployed and need money right away.

October 3rd, 2012

Should You Start Your Own Business?

Are you unsatisfied with your current job?  If you are, you may be interested in changing employers.  While it is more than possible for you to find, apply for, and be awarded a new job, did you know that is not your only option?  Have you ever thought about starting your own business?  If this is a thought that has yet to cross your mind, you may want give starting your own business some serious consideration.

As nice as it is to hear that you should examine starting your own business, you may be curious as to which points you should take the time to examine.  If you are serious about starting your own business or at least learning if running your own business is something that you are capable of doing, you will want to continue reading on.  A few important points that should be taken into consideration by those who are interested in leaving the traditional workplace to start a business are outlined below.

One of the many points that you will want to take into consideration, when looking to start your own business, is the startup costs associated with doing so. Whether you would like to open up a gift shop or if you would like to sell your professional writing services, it is likely that you will need to make some startup purchases.  The startup costs associated with starting your own business will all depend on the opportunities that you choose.  Although there is likely to be some variance, it is likely that you will need to purchase a computer, internet service, a business phone, business phone service, a fax machine, a copier, an office desk, and other office furniture.  If you have an ideal credit score, you may be able to receive financial assistance to get your business up and running.

Another factor that you need to take into consideration, when looking to determine if you should leave your current job and start your own business is time.  Should you be interested in starting your own business, it is important to remember that you will likely not see success right away.  Many businesses, no matter what the type, take time to see profits and success.  You have to market your business to the general public, set up your online website or your storefront location, and do so much more.  That is why it is important that you not only have enough money to get your business up and running, but you will also want to make sure that you also have enough money to support yourself and your family until you are able to start making a profit with your own business.

Another one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when trying to determine if you should start your own business, is insurance.  At your current position, do you have health insurance?  If you are married, would you be able to get health insurance through your spouse?  If you would be unable to do so, health insurance is something that you will want to take into consideration.  Even if your health is fine right now, you never know what could happen, especially if your health insurance is also used to help cover the rest of your family. Should you decide to start your own business, you should be able to purchase insurance for yourself or for the rest of your family.  With that in mind, it is important to remember that insurance costs money, quite a bit of money to be exact.

What is nice about starting your own business is that you, literally, have an unlimited number of options. For example, did you know that you can sell a product or a service?  Popular startup businesses include gift shops, cleaning services, accounting services, and so forth.  In addition to the type of business that you would like to start, you also have a number of different options when it comes to operating a business. Many entrepreneurs run online businesses, storefront businesses, or even both.  In all honesty, the decision is yours to make.  With that in mind, the decisions that you do make can have a huge impact in determining whether or not your business, should you decide to start one, is a success.

September 30th, 2012

How to Make Your Own Job Opening!

If you’re searching for a job today, you certainly are not alone.  Many people are finding themselves out of work and the market is very competitive and tough to navigate.  Unfortunately for every job opening there is, there are literally hundreds of applicants that reach out for it.  This can be discouraging to someone that is out of work as it seems as if an opening is swamped with other applicants before you can even get a chance to put in your own application or resume.  However in today’s tough job market the best thing to do might be to consider making your own job opening.  What do we mean by that?

Many people that are out of work are finding that it’s very advantageous to start their own company or to become self-employed.  This might mean doing something like office cleaning, house cleaning, babysitting or daycare, landscaping, snow shoveling, or catering.  When you consider starting your own company for these things you’re making your own job opening and aren’t relying on a corporation or company to have an opening for you.  It also means that you’re responsible for each and every client and customer that you get.  If you build up enough of a client list you may find that your new business venture is just as profitable as any job you had in the past.  By making your own job opening this way you may be in a better position financially than you ever were.

Of course when you make up your own job opening this way you still need to work hard to get and to keep those customers and clients.  If you clean or do snow clearing you’ll need to work hard during every visit so that your customer keeps you as their service provider.  You also need to be receptive if they have problems or concerns and be willing to work toward a resolution, just as you would when working for another corporation.  Remember, just having a job opening is only half the battle.  Keeping any job once you have it is going to require effort, and this means when you’re self-employed or in business for yourself.

And when you want to make a job opening for yourself in this way you need to be sure that you’re complying with any legal requirements there might be for your chosen line of work.  Sometimes you need to get a license or be bonded or will need insurance for being self-employed.  You can’t simply create a job opening without being informed of these things and complying with the legal requirements as this might hurt you more in the long run.  Usually your state’s website will have these regulations outlined for you, as well as having instructions on how to get certain licenses and so on.  But if you’re industrious and work hard, you can usually have great success with making up your own job opening and with being successful after you get your own clients as well.

September 22nd, 2012

Important Tips to Remember During Your Sales Job Search

If you’re conducting a sales job search, you may already have an advantage over your competition.  Working in sales gives you good training for how to “sell” yourself to an interviewer or hiring manager.  You’re probably already skilled at stressing good points and advantages of a product; now you simply need to use these skills for yourself as if you are a product being sold.  Unfortunately even very experienced salespersons forget this during their sales job search, so let’s make sure we understand how to do this so that you can apply these points to your own search.

Stressing the positive is imperative during your sales job search.  Resumes today usually have a section that emphasizes a person’s traits that might not be communicated in other areas of the resume.  For instance, good communication skills, problem solving ability, and open and engaging personality, or strong interpersonal skills can all be mentioned directly on your resume.  When conducting a sales job search remember that a hiring manager wants someone with these personality traits as well as their sales abilities and experience.  Don’t be shy about mentioning these things, as chances are other applicants won’t be!

During a sales job search you need to remember that those hiring for a sales position are often very interested in actual numbers more than anything else.  On your resume, you can certainly state the type of product you represented as well as the company and number of years, but numbers are really going to impress the hiring manager.  State sales figures, percentage of increase in sales, increase in profit margin, and so on.  A sales job search must emphasize what you’re able to produce in terms of dollars and cents, and especially when it means increases as well.  If you can demonstrate an increase in sales and profit then definitely you want to make this stand out as much as possible!  And as with a sales job, your sales job search might mean some persuading down the line as well.  Be sure to follow up with your interviewer, sending a thank-you letter and stressing your positive qualities.  Remind them of the work that you can do for them and the results that they’re sure to see. 

And of course it’s important to remember that your interviewer is like one customer; you can’t pin all your hopes on any one person.  During your sales job search make sure you send out a number of resumes and browse as many online job boards as possible.  Even if you’ve had a good interview, keep searching because you don’t know what will happen.  Like selling a product, your sales job search will mean some hard work but of course it’s worth it in the end when you finally make that “sale,” that is, when you finally get that dream job.  Keep up a good attitude and remember to persevere and you’re sure to finally land the sales job of your dreams!

September 15th, 2012

The Benefits of Mock Interviews

Are you currently unemployed and looking for a job?  Even if you are employed right now, are you looking to change jobs or careers?  If so, you may soon start examining all available job openings in your area, as well as submit job applications or resumes for those openings. With luck, you will soon find yourself with a number of scheduled interviews.

Speaking of job interviews, when was the last time that you had one?  If it has been awhile since your last job interview, you may want to consider doing a few practice runs. These practice runs are commonly referred to as mock interviews. Although mock interviews may seem a little bit silly, there are a number of benefits to doing them.

One of the benefit to doing mock interviews before a real job interview is your options.  Most job seekers try to use their friends and family members for practice.  If this an approach that you would like to take, you will want to have your partner ask you common job interview questions, such what your strengths and weaknesses are. Be sure to answer with professional responses, just as if you would in real job interview.  You can also do a mock interview in front of your mirror. While this approach isn’t as realistic, it can help you practice your intended interview questions.

Another one of the many benefits to doing mock interviews, before you have a real interview, is the practice that you will receive.  It is no secret that job interviews can be nerve-wracking.  Even if this isn’t your first job interview, they can still cause you nervousness. Many job seekers find that holding mock job interviews with their friends or family members helps to ease the nervousness often associated with job interviews.  In fact, many also have reported a slight increase in confidence.

Preparation is another one of the many benefits of mock interviews. The goal of a mock or practice interview is to help you prepare for an upcoming job interview. This preparation may include answering common interview questions in a timely matter, giving a proper greeting, as well as departing properly from a job interview.  If this is your first job interview or if you haven’t attend a job interview in awhile now, you may be unsure as to how the process will proceed.  Mock interviews are not only a great way to calm your nerves, but they can also give you guidance, which can help you sail through your next job interview like a breeze.

If you are able to do a mock interview with a close friend or family member, you may get a number of pointers.  Using other individuals, especially those who are known for their unbiased opinions is the best way to examine your job interview approach.  If your friends or family members have any suggestions, like tips on how you can improve your answers, you may want to consider their suggestions. In, fact, you may learn something new or important by doing a mock interview with your friends or family members.

As outlined above, there are a number of benefits to doing a mock interview with a close friend or family member.  As a reminder, it is also possible for you to practice in front of a mirror, but you may have the best luck with someone who can give you feedback or provide you with helpful suggestions.

September 5th, 2012

To Ask for a Raise or To Not?

Are you currently satisfied with your job, but unhappy with the pay?  Do you need an increase in pay to support your family?  If you do, you may be interested in asking your supervisor about a raise.  If that is the case, you may want to continue reading on. A few of the many factors that you should take into consideration, before you decide to ask your employer for a raise, are outlined below for your convenience.

One of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when trying to determine if you should ask for a raise, is your duties.  Have you recently taken on more duties at work?  If you have, were you compensated for those additional duties?  If you were not, you may be within your right to ask for pay raise.  With that in mind, you also need to examine the other aspect of duties.  If you recently had your workload reduced, you may want to refrain from asking for a pay raise, as it may give off an unpleasant impression of yourself.

Seniority is another factor that you will want to take into consideration, when trying to determine if you should ask for a pay raise.  Your length of employment can play a large role in whether or not you are able to receive the raise that you were hoping for.  Generally speaking, the longer you work for a company, the more likely it is that you will be able to get a raise.  In fact, before asking for a raise, you may want to refer to your employee handbook, as your company may already have a pay raise plan in place.

The minimum wage for your state is another one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when examining pay raises.  In recent years, may states have made the decision to increase their minimum wage pay rates. In fact, some of these wage increases have been quite high.  You will first want to make sure that you are making more than minimum wage.  If your state recently increased its minimum wage, your employer should have done so as well, but there is no harm in checking.  You may also want to see about requesting a pay raise that will increase your wage in conjunction with any state minimum wage increases.  For example, you will want to make sure that you are making at least a few dollars more an hour than all new hires.

Speaking of the starting wage for your company, you may want to verify this information.  Generally speaking, long-term employees should be making more money than new hires, especially in similar positions.  You may be able to examine the average starting pay for new hires in your company by examining any company job listings that you are able to come across. You may also be able to get information from other employees about their salary. With that in mind, many companies require confidentially when associated with pay.  Therefore, if you are aware of a coworker’s income, you will want to refrain from citing that as an example with your supervisors.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many factors that you will want take into consideration, before you make the decision to ask for a raise.  Should you decide to ask for a raise, you will want to take a positive, friendly approach when doing so.

August 25th, 2012

Where to Find Hidden Job Opportunities

Even in the toughest of economic times, there are usually many job opportunities available for those that are willing to work hard and who have the right skills and experience.  However, a good part of the problem is finding those job opportunities in the first place; once you do that, then you can worry about the interview and your resume and all those other things.  But if you can’t find the opportunities, you can’t even get started with your job search!  Often it’s just a matter of knowing where hiring managers are posting their ads for these positions and how to create your own job opportunities in certain circumstances.  Let’s take a closer look at what we mean.

For one thing, many hiring managers these days use monster.com and hotjobs.com but also have expanded their outreach to include sites that are specific to their industry.  For other job opportunities you might even check craigslist.com and local websites such as these.  Employers who need temporary work, entry level work, or just local workers might use these sites that are free to post an ad.  Those other sites and boards usually charge a fee to those who want to post an ad.  You might not find executive or management job opportunities on free sites but if you’re looking for general work or something in the interim, you may do well to check these places.

Sometimes you do need to consider about making up your own job opportunities.  While cold calling on different companies won’t always yield the best results, it can open some doors to you.  Most companies will post job openings on their own website but sometimes they’re just thinking about or considering an open position, and when someone calls up and talks to the hiring manager about positions available, they can be persuaded to consider that person and that position.  Sending in a resume through the mail is also helpful as hiring managers typically don’t want to take time on the phone to talk to people about what job opportunities they may or may not have.

Creating your own job opportunities also means starting your own company or going into business for yourself.  Many people find that cleaning, painting, landscaping, lawn care, snow shoveling and plowing, daycare, and services like these are good ways to get them through the interim while they search for a job that is a closer fit to their abilities.  Or they may find that they like running their own company and stick with this particular service!  Creating your own job opportunities in this way makes you responsible for your own situation and circumstances and you don’t need to rely solely on job openings, interviews, and this entire process.  By making jobs for yourself you are also out there working and earning an income for yourself which can help ward off depression, boredom, irritation, and frustration, all of which are common during a job search and especially during long periods of unemployment.

August 23rd, 2012

Should You Follow-Up On a Job Interview?

Are you in the process of finding a new job?  If you are, you may have job interviews already lined up. In fact, you may have already had a number of job interviews take place.  If that is the case, did you follow up with the interviewer or the employer in question?  If follow-up contact, such as a telephone call, is an action that you have yet to take, you may want to examine your options.

When it comes to determining whether or not you should follow-up on all job interviews that you have had, like with a quick office visit or telephone call, there are many job seekers who are unsure as to how they should proceed.  Since many are unsure of the action that they should take, many just do nothing.  If you would like help in determining what you should do after attending a job interview, you will want to continue reading on, as a number of advantages and disadvantages to job interview follow ups are outlined below.

As for the advantage to follow-ups with the employer or interviewer in question, you will find that there are a number of them.  One of those advantages is the impression that you can create of yourself.  Checking to see how the selection process is coming along or if you can answer any additional questions is a great way to show that you are truly interested in the open job position.  It also shows initiative on your part.  This is something that many companies look for in their new hires.

Another one of the many advantages to following up after a job interview is the answers that you may get.  If the employer in question has yet official make a decision, but your name is still in the running, you may be told to call back later or wait for a phone call, which should arrive when a decision has been made.  On the other hand, if it has been determined that you are not the right candidate for the job, you may be notified of this when you make your first contact attempt.  This notification is ideal as it encourages you to explore your other options without wasting any precious time.

Although there are a number of advantages to following up after a job interview, you will also find that there are a number of disadvantages to doing so as well.  As previously stated, an interview follow-up may help to create a good impression of yourself. What you need to know, however, is that this impression can work both ways.  Some employers view follow-up phone calls as unnecessary distractions.  If you were told to wait until you heard from the company, you will want refrain from making any follow-up contact, as your actions can have negative results.

The above mentioned advantages and disadvantages are just a few of the many to job interview follow-ups. As previously stated, you will want to try and make sure that you follow the advice or instructions given to you by each employer or interviewer.  This means that if you are asked to refrain from making contact, you will want to do so. It is also advised that you avoid calling during known busy times, such as lunch or right before the workday ends.

August 19th, 2012

Seize the Opportunity and the Job: The Interview

So, you’ve submitted a killer resume and supporting documents. You’re ahead of the pack and have just received a call for an interview. What do you do next?

The interview is the most stressful and important part of job hunting. This is where the employers make a decision based on his or her impression of whether to hire you for their job. You will want to do your best in this part because here lays the culmination of all your job hunting efforts. Flub it here and all your efforts from application to examinations will go down the drain.

1. Make a Great Impression
Always dress in your best attire for the interview. Your attire should be appropriate.  No matter what the company may require for their employees, the first impression for applicants should be conservative business attire.

2. Do a Little Research
One of the best ways to make a good impression on your interviewer is to do a little research on the company you are applying for. This will equip you with material to answer many of the questions the interviewer will ask. One of the main points of the questions you will be asked is how your skills can benefit the company. If you know a thing or two about the company, you will find it a lot easier to answer this question. Plus, dropping a few meaty tidbits about how much you know about the company will go a long way in impressing the interviewer.

3. Watch Your Body Language
Many of the interviewers are well versed in body language, and you will find that, throughout the interview, they will be looking for hints about your personality from the way you act, talk, and move. It would be abnormal to assume a different set of body language during the interview. What you should do is to take note of your body language so that at least it communicates openness and honesty.

Avoid telling lies or embellishing your answers. Experienced interviewers will notice this in an instant. Always keep your palms open and avoid crossing your legs or your arms together. Do not be afraid to make eye contact while speaking; just make sure that you do not come across as intimidating.

4. Confidence
Walk in with a purpose. Answer with a purpose. Try not to be too self-conscious. Make sure you are confident in what you say. If you hit a snag and find yourself in a compromising situation, make sure you handle the situation confidently – even when saying that you do not know an answer to a question.
Confidence reflects competence. Employers always look for competent people to fill their ranks.

August 9th, 2012

Work Related Credit Checks: How to Handle Them If You Have a Poor Credit Score

When many of us think of credit history, credit scores, or credit ratings, financial loans are often the first things that come to mind. While financial lenders are known for their regular use of credit checks, did you know that employers are also starting to perform credit checks on their new hires?  They are and if you are looking for a career change, this may have a negative impact on your ability to obtain the job of your dreams.

When it comes to employment and credit checks, you are either concerned or not concerned at all.  If you have a poor credit score, you may be unsure as to whether or not you should even apply for certain jobs. In the past, many financial institutions and insurance companies required credit checks, but now more and more employers are starting to do the same.  In fact, if you are looking to work in a fast food restaurant or even as a stocker at one of your local supermarkets, there is a good chance that you may still have a credit check performed on you. 

If you are interested in avoiding all jobs that check your credit, you will want to keep a close eye on all of the applications that you fill out.  Many employers will outline their hiring practices, such as whether or not credit checks are performed, on their job applications.  If you are not filling out an application, but rather sending in a resume, you may be able to find what you are looking for one the company’s website, should they have one.  If you are still coming up empty handed, you should be informed of all credit checks before they are performed. 

Although your first impulse, as mentioned above, many be to avoid applying for jobs where your credit will be checked, you may want to rethink your decision to do so.  What you need to remember is that more and more employers are starting to check the credit history of all new hires.  By avoiding these types of companies, you may seriously hinder your ability to get a new job.  Instead, there are a few steps that you may want to take and these steps are outlined below for your convenience.

If you are currently employed and just looking for a career change, you may want to consider holding off on that career change. Until you are able to repair your credit, even just a little bit, you may want to refrain from apply for new jobs, especially those that will check your credit. What many individuals do not know is that if you pay off only a couple of your debts, your credit rating will improve. When looking for new employees to hire, employers are realistic. They know that they will rarely be able to find employees with perfect credit scores.  That is why any improvements that you can make, no matter how large or small, should help you.

Although controversial, there are many who state that you should openly discuss your credit history with potential employers, especially if they ask you about your credit or ask you to okay a check on your credit history. If your debt is due to an unexpected emergency, like a medical emergency, you may want to state so. As previously mentioned, most employers are realistic; they know that not everyone is perfect. Of course, you will want to take every step to improve your credit, but having a good, verifiable excuse may help your case.  If you have a poor credit rating, you really don’t have that much to do lose, do you?

The above mentioned points are all points that you will want to take into consideration, when encountering a company who wants to check your credit.

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