Leaving Afganistan Look Before You Leave!

Leaving Afganistan Look Before You LeaveLeaving Afganistan Look Before You LeaveLeaving Afganistan? Look Before You LeaveNow that the drawdown of Afghanistan is finally almost here, its time to think about your job search while you are still overseas. Many Americans who are living and working overseas would like to stay overseas and take advantage of the lifestyle and work in other countries. It could help your candidacy for another position in the Middle East or Europe if you are already in their country or overseas. So, looking for your next opportunity while you are overseas is a great idea.Things to Do Before Leaving AfghanistanUpdate your resume with your current position, projects, customer lists, duties, responsibilities, training, specific dates, and references. Create a second version with your military experience translated into civilian speak. Find your evaluations if you have any (contractor or military). Update and/ or platzset up a LinkedIn Account, so that you can link to this as you write to people for new positions. Think about your ideal employer based on industry, location, size, or mission- anything that appeals to you as an employee. Make a list of organizations that match as many of your criteria as possible and start researching them online. Get your network going. Connect with professional associations or other professional groups related to the work you are seeking, such as military alumni groups, old friends, and former colleagues. Let them know about your upcoming transition. Communicate with your references and get their non-work emails. Think about where you want to work next, so that you can set up job alerts. Hire a career counselor or resume writer if you do not have time to do the writing or match your resume toward a target position. If you are considering a position that has few federal job openings right now, such as logistics, supply, or IT, you might want to consider government contractor positions overseas.Suggested Websites for Overseas PositionsKuwaitAggregator of Kuwait Jobs Gulfjobsmarket.comgulfjobsmarket.com/jobs-in-kuwait.htmlHoneywell Technology Solutionshttps//honeywell.taleo.net/careersection/9/jobsearch.ftlBoeing Careershttps//jobs.boeing.com/ABMhttps//abm.mua.hrdepartment.com/hr/ats/JobSearch/indexGuamGuams Economy and Jobsguambusinessmagazine.comVSE Corporationhttp//careers.vsecorp.comCSChttps//csc.taleo.net/careersection/cscexternalcareersite/jobsearch.ftlSouth Korea https//www.justlanded.com/english/South-Korea/JobsCheck out our Veterans ServicesMilitary / Vets receive 10% off of all federal resume writing and application services.

6 Steps You Must Take Before Changing Employee Hours

6 Steps You Must Take Before Changing Employee Hours6 Steps You Must Take Before Changing Employee HoursReaders Question I am an administrative employee and my department is undergoing some major changes, one of them is thehours that we will be openand the task of titelseiteing all of those hours with limited staffing. I understand that in this position we work until the job is done, but also that should allow some flexibility for the employee also. My question is, is it appropriate to ask administrative employees to work additional hours on a regular fundament (to cover open office times)? I realize that this may be at the discretion of the employer but I would like some more clarification on the law. I would even appreciate some direction to resources that could help me with this question. Human Resources Response Anytime you ask employees to work more hours, it can become a bit touchy. They dont want to work more, but you need them to do more. Is it appropriate? Well, yes. Th e business has needs and its appropriate to ask your employees to meet those needs. How you go about that, though, can make all of the difference in the world. Here are the questions you need to know the answers to before you implement any changes. Are the Employees Exempt or Non-Exempt? Exempt employees can work as many hoursare you want them to without increasing their pay.You must pay your Non-exempt employees for every hourthey work. They also must receive overtime pay when they reach 40 hours a week (and in some states, if they work more than eight hours in one day). You cannot just say, I want everyone to be on salary. In order to pay people a salary without any overtime pay, their jobs must meet the strict criteria required by federal law. What Is Absolutely Needed? You need to cover additional hours, but do you need to have full staff on at all times? Lets say your current hours are 900 to 500 and you have five employees. Now, your hours are 800 to 600 with the same five employees. Can you have two people come in at 800 and work until 400, two come in at 1000 and work until 600, and have one stay at 900 to 500? Then everyone is working the same number of hours and someone is always in the office. There are numerous solutions. What Do Your Employees Want? You can spend hours and hours in planning meetings and come up with a solution that everyone hates, or you can ask your employees what they think. You may find out that Janewould love to come in early and leave earlyand that Steve would love to start later. Everyone may jump at the chance to work 10 hours, four days a week. You wont know if you dont ask them. What If Hours Have to Increase? While its true that an exempt employee can work more hours without an increase in pay, you will lose loyalty. For hourly employees, of course, youll have to sign off onovertime pay without any criticism or moaning about the cost. For exempt employees, youll need to come up with something to compensat e them. The easiest thing to do is increase salaries. If thats out of the question, youll need to come up with something else. Ask your employees what they are interested in. Make It Clear That the Changes Are Permanent Sometimes people are willing to jump in and do some extra while youre hiring a new employee to cover the extra hours. But, when it becomes clear that there is no one new coming, people become resentful. So, dont lead them on. If this is a permanent situation, you need to make that clear from the beginning. Have You Explained the Reasons for the Change? When youre making a big change, you need complete transparency. The employees need to understand the reasons and you need to listen to them. You are probably not going to have an easy transition, but if you address all of these issues, it should go smoothly. You may have an increase in turnover, but then when you bring new people on board, they will know from the beginning how the hours and schedule work.

Network How I learned the importance of keeping in touch with coworkers

Network How I learned the importance of keeping in touch with coworkersNetwork How I learned the importance of keeping in touch with coworkersI was recently walking in Manhattan when I saw someone who looked like Karen, a coworker from my first job, mora than a decade ago.Karen and I hadhelped plan a big launch partyfor our company. While reviewing the guest list, I had realized that while the entire staff was invited, my name wasnt there. When Karen found out I wasnt on the list, she raised hell and high-water and made aya that my name was included (which had been an oversight). I attended the party and had a great time.But on the street that day, I paused.Was it Karen?I had completely lost touch with her.The importance of maintaining connection is a lesson that I come back to over and over.I wish I had gleaned it during that first job. When youre early in your career, people are always telling you to network and to reach out to people.But they never tell you how (or why) to stay in touch.Countless people with whom I have maintained better contact over the years have helped me with my career. I had their help becauseI managed to send that second email, call someone back, or text duringthe holidays.Why is keeping in touchso hard?Now that Ive been working for many years, I have people who reach out to me for informational interviews or to ask for contacts or advice. Consistently, theyll email me, well connect,and theyll thank me for mytime. And then Ill never hear from themagain.For example, ayoung woman who was interested in working in an office like mine reached out. I wrote her a lengthy email about how I had gottenstarted, sent her resources, and then had a half-hour phone conversation with her. Then I never heard from her again.I completely forgot about her until my office was already weeks into interviewing for a new position. I sent her a note on LinkedIn, and she already had gotten a new job. I wonder if she had stayed in touch if she would have intervie wed in my office?Staying in touch isnt always easy - especially with the multitude of social networks.Sometimes just picking the way to follow up can feel overwhelming.But a wide net of people is an asset not just for my career, but to have people to listen to and learn new things. I wonder how much Ive missed out on and what great people Ive lost touch with because I neglected to keep emailing them.Here are my three goals for following up with people.Ask how they want you to stay in touchWhen you know youre making a transition - whether its moving across the country or leaving a job- askpeople in your network how they want to stay in touch.Not everyone likes spending time on Facebook, and some people are more into text than email. If you ask, then you wont feel like youre bothering someone or feel like youre sending messages and getting no response.Schedule time for follow-upSending notes to people doesnt always feel like its usefuland can feel like a chore.But the reality is th at a follow-up doesnt need to take a lot of time.Writing a thank you note or a quick text to say that you hope theyrewell shouldnt take you more than a few minutes.And if its someone youve met for networking, sometimes just updating them on what youre doingis enough.Build in failsafesSocial hacks canhelp you to start a more in-depth conversation with people.Facebook tells you someones birthday? Sent them an email or text instead of liking it.LinkedIn tells you that someone got a new job? Send them a note or forward some information you think would be helpful.Personal touchescan make a big difference.Ultimately, it doesnt take a lot of work to stay in touch.But as you progress in your career, its worth it.