Would you like to change jobs or change the path of your career?  If you would, you are definitely not alone.  In the United States, millions of Americans wish that they could be working for another company or even working for themselves. Although many Americans wish that they could switch jobs, not everyone actually needs to. That is why you may be wondering if it is really in your best interest to find a new job.  To get your answer, you will want to continue reading on.

One of the many signs that you may want to consider looking for a new job is if you if regularly find yourself working overtime.  Although a little bit of overtime here and there is okay, as it can be considered a part of the job, you shouldn’t have to work overtime each and every single week or even everyday.  It is also important to mention overtime pay.  Do you receive time and a half or other compensation for your overtime hours?  If you are in a salary position, you may be being taken advantage of.  If you are putting in a ton of hours, but not receiving compensation for those hours, a new job may be in your best interest.

Another one of the many signs that you may want to consider searching for a new job is if you find it difficult to get time off from work.  Of course, when examining time off, it is important that you do not take advantage of the situation.  Regularly requesting time off from work because you “just don’t feel like working,” is not acceptable. With that in mind, if you need to take time off for medical illnesses or a family emergency, you should be granted that time off. Work is important, but you shouldn’t be asked to compromise the health of you or your family for it.  If you are being asked to do so, you may want to consider finding a new job.

The inability to move up the company ladder is another sign that you may want to think about finding a new job.  If you are interested in advancing in your company or have been trying to do so for some time now, but unsuccessfully, you may want to consider seeking employment elsewhere.  In today’s society, there are some situations where you can work as hard as possible and never receive a praise for your hard work, see a pay raise, or see a promotion.  You will want to try and avoid or get out of these types of situations at all costs.

Speaking of money, if you aren’t making enough money to support yourself or your family, you may want to consider searching for a new job. With that in mind, if your only choice is to make more money, you may want to first consider speaking with your supervisors.  It wouldn’t do any harm, especially if you are already interested in leaving the company, to ask for a pay raise. If you are able to see an increase in pay, you may want to consider staying at your current job.

In keeping with money, you will also want to examine the commute that you must make to and from your current job.  If you have a long expensive commute, it may be within your best interest to at least search for a new job.  Unfortunately, when accepting a new job, many individuals do not consider the commute to and from work.  If you are not careful, you may find yourself spending a large percentage of your time on the road or a large percentage of your income on gas.  If you are currently doing so, you may want to seek employment closer to home.

The above mentioned signs are just a few of the many signs that you may want to consider seeking employment elsewhere. To be honest, you really do not need a reason to quit your job.  With that in mind, should you wish to do so, it is advised that you use your best judgment.  This involves not quitting on impulse or without a solid plan in place.

As the search for potential workers becomes nationwide and international for even small businesses, many smaller companies are using on line verification tools such as an employment history search or college verification.  This trend has been somewhat slow, since there is a cost associated with each type of search you choose to include.

As such, employers, and especially small employers, need to make a careful analysis of how important each position is and whether it warrant the precaution of an employment history search.  Often, small employers will hire employees on a trial basis into positions of less importance to give them careful analysis.

Of course, simply paying an on line employment history search service to do the checking on someone’s references for you can save money and time, though most prefer to actually contact a prospective employee’s former employers directly to get the sort of information about past performance that a simple report can’t provide.  A typical employment history search usually costs less than $50.

When the position is a very public one or one that immediately puts a new hire in a position of some authority to make major decisions, as is the case when hiring an executive for a mid-sized corporation.  However, among most small businesses in the US, which average just a few employees when they have any at all, such positions are almost always held by the proprietors alone.

The employment history searches that are available usually make use of public records such as tax forms and census data.  They don’t often include much more data that the most basic confirmation of employment, though they can turn up jobs that your applicant would rather forget for whatever reason.  This is especially useful to the employer who wants to investigate a gap in an applicant’s history that he or she doesn’t seem forthcoming about.

Of course, there is little that an employment history search alone can tell you about an applicant that you can’t learn from some phone calls an some very careful questioning.  Of course, if you work for the HR department of a somewhat larger company, an existing subscription to a company that performs such searches can prove invaluable in selecting only valid candidates to continue on to the more in-depth interview process.

If an employment history search does yield an inconsistency in an candidates resume, you’ll be in a position to make a decision about how you’ll deal with the information.  Mistakes can be made in public records, and you need to give people a chance to defend themselves.

Regardless, the limited use of employment history searches in small business is entrenched and a great time saver for particularly busy companies that want to spend less time in the job search and don’t have the time or inclination to make mistakes.

In today’s society, it seems as if layoffs are increasing in popularity.  Lay offs are something that you can regularly hear about in the news.  As more businesses are forced to downsize, you may find yourself laid off from your current position. This layoff may be permanent or temporary; it often depends on the needs and current state of your employer.  Either way, should you find yourself laid off, you will want to continue reading on. 

When it comes to layoffs one of the most commonly asked questions is “what should I do?”  In all honesty, there is actually a lot that you can do.  For starters, you will want to first examine your state’s laws on unemployment.  While there are some variations, you will find that most states award unemployment compensation to those who are laid off from their jobs.  This may be able to help you and your family out financially in the short-term run.

In keeping with unemployment, it is important that you examine it.  Unfortunately, there are many individuals who view this money as a handout or money that they do not need. What you need to remember about unemployment is that it is designed for individuals just like you.  If you are laid off from work, you should find that you are entitled to unemployment, especially if you did not receive any severance pay or compensation in another form. 

Even if you do seek unemployment payments, it is still important to remember that they will not last forever.  Unemployment compensation is designed to work as a temporary fix.  That is why you will want to start taking action to help you find a new job, possibly the sooner the better.  The first step in doing this involves creating a resume for yourself.  You can either create your own resume or you can hire a professional resume writer to do the job for you.  Either way, you will want to ensure that your resume is one that will turn company heads.

Once you have a resume in hand, you should then start examining all open job positions in your area.  When doing so, you should either use your local newspaper or the internet.  Career job searching websites are a nice and easy way to find and apply for jobs online. For your own safety, you will want to refrain from giving your personal information, especially your bank account information or social security number, to any companies that you have never heard of before or companies that you are unable to research online.

If you were employed at your last position, before being laid off, for two or more years, you may be a little bit nervous about finding a new job. If this is a feeling that you are experiencing, you should know that you are not alone. Finding a new job can be a stressful process, especially when it comes time for a job interview. That is why you may want to consider doing a few practice interviews with your friends or family members.  They can ask you common interview questions, such as your strengths and weaknesses, as well as why you want to work for that particular company.  This practice, if done enough, can help to reduce the nervousness often associated with job interviews.  You may also find that you are able to give better answers, as well as answer all questions in a timely matter at your next interview.

If you are unsuccessful in your job search, you may want to consider seeking professional assistance. This assistance can come for your state’s labor department or a professional recruiter or career agent.  Of course the decision is yours to make, but you may want to try and avoid your local temporary employment agencies.  If you are able to secure unemployment compensation, you will want to spend your time looking for and applying for secure, long-term job openings.