Employment Gaps Cause Career Trouble,

Especially for Former Stay-at-Home Parents

from southernmarylandchronicle.com

​

Understanding how employment gaps can affect careers is especially relevant given the recent policy discussions around paid family leave and childcare access in the U.S.

    I am a sociologist whose research examines what happens to people’s careers after they take time out of work. I find that gaps in employment can negatively affect future career prospects in multiple ways, particularly for those who left work for childcare responsibilities.   MORE
 

On this podcast we learn the difference between soft skills and hard skills, why they are important, and how we can sharpen our skills.

    Learning a new skill can be hard, especially if it is not something we are naturally good at. However, there is research that can help us understand what parts of the brain need to be activated in order to learn, and what we need to do to activate them.
 

Older adults have recently emerged as the fastest-growing labor segment, both in the United States and around the world. A number of factors explains this trend, including low unemployment and difficulty recruiting and retaining talent. Less quantifiable is the notion that our generation is arriving at retirement age with higher expectations and less financial hardiness. Job hunting has morphed into the new senior hobby.

10 Job Search Tips to Help You

Find Your Best Opportunity Every Time

by Nina Zipkin at entrepreneur.com
 

If you’ve found yourself on the hunt for a new job a few weeks into the new year, you’re far from alone. According to job search platform Glassdoor, in 2018, 38 percent of U.S. adults were currently planning or actively looking for a new gig. The two central questions that are often at the top of people's minds during this process are: Is this job the right fit and how do I set myself apart from the crowd?

    The company developed a series of strategies to help make the job hunt process as productive and successful as possible. Check out the top 10 tips below.
 

New AI Hiring Tools Are Helping Recruiters Peak Under the Surface of a Resume

10 Signs It’s Time To Consider A New Career Path

3 Things You Need To Know About A February Job Search
 

Pass it Along

If you attend networking events and go to jobs clubs, you’ve been meeting other job seekers just like you. Mention the Nifty50s to them and encourage them to visit as well. You’ll be helping them and you’ll make an appreciative friend for yourself.
 

Many job search experts advise job seekers to do a complete self-evaluation before earnestly beginning their job searches.

    Take a hard look at yourself, they say. What are your skills? What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? This is especially helpful for those over 50 job seekers who have been in the workforce for some time.

    At this stage of your work life, do you want to continue with what you were previously doing, or is it time for a career change? There is no right answer. But an answer is imperative. You need to know where you are going before you start your trip.

    Fortunately, here in the 21st Century there is help all around. A simple Google search of “free self assessment tests” will yield any number of websites and other services that will help you find yourself.

    There are dozens and we hesitate to recommend (or disparage) any specific test. That said, Jobscan is one of the most popular tests out there. Although they do charge a fee, you can get up to five scans for free.

    While you may think that you know precisely what you want, one of these tests may in fact validate your perceptions. And, there is considerable value in knowing that.