Career & Job Search Advice

The hybrid work model has become the new normal across many industries. Covid-19 forced industries to change how, when, and where their employees did work. A hybrid work model can maximize both in-office and remote working benefits. One of the best ways to find hybrid jobs is to get familiar with job board websites.

What Are Hybrid Jobs?

The hybrid work model is a people-first work model that provides employees with greater flexibility to work between their homes and offices. The autonomy given to employees to choose what works best for them creates a sense of trust between employee and employer. Companies rely heavily on video conferencing platforms for in-office and remote meeting attendees.

Benefits of a Hybrid Job

• Improved employee mental health and well-being
• Work when and how you’re most productive
• Reduce exposure to illness
• Reduction in travel
• Employees feel trusted and respected
• Spend more time with family and friends

View Hybrid Jobs

Six Industries Offering Hybrid Jobs

1. IT
2. Healthcare
3. Marketing
4. Accounting
5. Human Resources
6. Insurance

Industries offering flexible work arrangements are attractive to job applicants. In recent years, coding, information security, cloud computing, quality assurance, and data collection jobs have increased exponentially because they’re easy for employees to work from home or the office.

After the onset of the pandemic, the healthcare industry adapted to online technology in order to stay connected with patients. These positions include everything from online therapists and doctors to roles that help people navigate insurance claims and billing. Whatever your position within this large field, you can find many hybrid job opportunities, both part-time and full-time.

In addition, insurance, marketing, accounting, and human resources have seen an influx of hybrid jobs. Now is the perfect time for job seekers to look at hybrid job opportunities and build a career within industries that have adopted this work style. If you’re looking for more information on how to find a hybrid career, contact Avenica or apply for a role!

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Are you searching for your first job? Or maybe you’re just looking for a new job? Either way, it’s important to let your network of friends, family, and colleagues know that you’re looking!

Your network can be a powerful tool for your job search, as some 80% of jobs are acquired through personal and professional networks.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn account yet, do it now! Trust us on this one. Creating your profile only takes a few minutes and allows you to get your name out there and start making connections. LinkedIn is also the perfect platform to announce that you’re searching for a job. Making a simple post announcing that you’re searching allows your network to refer you to potential opportunities that you might not hear about through typical job boards. It could even get you one step ahead with a personal recommendation depending on your relationship with your connection!

With all of this in mind, here are a few tips and a basic template that will tell others that you’re looking for a new job and put you on the right track towards finding your next role. Feel free to make any edits to adapt to your specific needs and goals.

How to Create the Perfect LinkedIn Post to Announce Your Job Search

Posting on LinkedIn is a solid way to make a connection that can lead to finding your next role. Because of the nature of LinkedIn, your post will show up on the feeds of anyone in your network, as well as their entire network if they interact with your post. While it won’t automatically guarantee you get noticed (you’ll have to do some direct networking as well), it’s a great start to get your name out there.

Here’s what you can include to create a solid job announcement post on LinkedIn:

1. Why You’re Looking for a New Job: (common reasons include graduating, moving to a different city, switching industries, or returning to work after a period of not working).
2. Accomplishment Highlight: Hype yourself up to your network by sharing a professional achievement
3. Relevant Skills and Interests: Share what you’re good at or what you’re looking to leverage in your new role. Also, include the industry or industries you may be interested in.
4. Call-to-Action: Be specific with your goal. Do you want people in your network to reach out with links to job ads or only directly with referrals? Or maybe you just want to be connected with someone at a company you’d like to work for.

Job Search Announcement Template if You Have Experience

Hi everyone! I am currently living in [LOCATION] and looking for a job in the area. I come from a background in [INDUSTRY]. I have [NUMBER] years of experience in [SPECIFIC SKILLS RELATED TO YOUR ROLE] and at my previous employer, [PREVIOUS EMPLOYER], I [YOUR ROLE + AN ACCOMPLISHMENT]. Some of my other skills include [SKILL], [SKILL], and [SKILL] that I’m hoping to leverage in the [INDUSTRY] industry.

If anyone knows of a job opening at a company where I would be a good fit, I’d appreciate if you could send them my way! If you have any recommendations on who I could speak to, I would be happy to connect as well.

Job Search Announcement Template if You Have No Experience

Hi everyone! I am currently living in [LOCATION] and looking for a job in the area. I have a degree in [DEGREE] and I’m hoping to gain experience in [SPECIFIC SKILLS RELATED TO YOUR DEGREE OR CAREER INTERESTS]. Through my education and previous experience in [PREVIOUS JOB THAT HAS TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS, IF APPLICABLE], I learned [TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS ex. Customer service, communication, leadership] that I’m hoping to leverage in my career.

If anyone knows of a job opening at a company where I would be a good fit, I’d appreciate if you could send them my way! If you have any recommendations on who I could speak to, I would be happy to connect.

Networking is a powerful tool in your job search, and these templates are a solid start to getting connected to some great opportunities. Don’t forget, we at Avenica are happy to help you with your job search. Just apply to one of our open roles and we’ll help you get your foot in the door at a company you’ll love.

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If you’re looking for information on how to kickstart your career, contact Avenica or browse jobs today! We help our entry-level job seekers find positions that fit their expertise and career goals.

You have officially nailed the interview(s) and landed the job! Congratulations! Next comes reviewing your formal job offer. For most, this is an exciting time, and your first instinct may be to accept the first offer you get outright. But it is best to fully understand what the offer entails before you attempt to negotiate higher or accept as-is. Let’s break it down.

A Job Offer Letter often includes job title, position type (exempt, non-exempt, full-time, part-time, project based, etc.), reporting/team structure, an anticipated starting date, salary, benefits, and an acknowledgement to sign. It may also include additional agreements to sign including noncompetes, contingencies (passing a background, drug, or credit check), confidentiality agreements, and other compensation information.

The job title is fairly self-explanatory. But it’s important to note the difference between some types of employment. “Exempt” means that the position is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor and Standard Act (FLSA). In other words, they would not receive overtime pay or are exempt from other FLSA requirements. These are often salaried positions. “Nonexempt” positions are protected by FLSA regulations. This means non-exempt employees must be paid at least the federal minimum wage for hours worked and have access to overtime pay beyond 40 hours worked per week. These are often hourly positions. There are additional factors in these types of employment that are worth spending some time researching.

Your offer may come in right at the salary that was noted during your interview or as noted on the original application. Though it may also be different because it was “commensurate with experience.” This means that the salary offered might be impacted by the amount of experience you come in with; for example, the more experience you have the higher the pay. Regardless, it’s good to review any notes or information that was provided to you about the role as you were going through the application and interview process. If the pay is less than suggested, it’s a good idea to ask why.

In addition to the salary offered, your benefits (401k, healthcare coverage, dental, vacation, etc.) are not to be swept under the rug. These benefits often have a significant cost to the business you are considering joining. Often, these expenses can be approximately 30% of the salary suggested on top of your salary as a total employee compensation package. It’s not explicitly stated in that way, but it’s important to understand that your paycheck is only one piece of the total offer.

So, what’s normal for benefits? It depends. Companies all do this differently. Some may put out more vacation time or flexible time off for employees, and some may offer higher 401K matching programs. Depending upon what your priorities are, either of these can be viewed as better or worse for your own needs.

Moving on to the team structure. In case no one mentioned it to you during your interview process, this may be the first time you’re learning who you would report to and potentially who would be on your team. Do some digging! Search LinkedIn for the company you’re applying to and see if you can find any employees listed as working for that company with a title like yours or within the same area of the business. Peeking at their profiles may give you a better idea of your teammates and the culture of the workplace. You can also do this for your boss! It’s not snooping, it’s investigating for your future.

Finally, look a bit deeper into the additional documents that are requested. Is the employer looking for you to sign a noncompete? A noncompete is a legal document that tells you where you can and cannot work in the future for a given period. Often noncompetes are in place to ensure you don’t share industry or company secrets to a competitor that may put that company in jeopardy or lose any market share. They may only be enforced in a specific geographic location, or they may only be for a particular industry or client of theirs. Regardless, it’s good to check it out. Then seek advising on it from trusted mentors or even an attorney.

Now that you’ve reviewed everything from your offer, it’s time to sign and accept the offer or go back to the hiring manager with your counteroffer. It’s important to note that not all situations would be accepting of a counteroffer. Especially if you’re working with a recruiter, agency, or career launching platform like Avenica. Often the roles they’re placing have salaries and packages that are locked in with little wiggle room. They will also share this with you up front. If you’re going it alone, that may be another story and a topic for another blog post.

Good luck on your job search; we’re cheering for you!

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If you’re looking for information on how to kickstart your career, contact Avenica or browse jobs today! We help our entry-level job seekers find positions that fit their expertise and career goals.

A gap in employment has for a long time been considered a bad mark on your resume. However, because of the Pandemic, many individuals (including parents) were forced into a gap. For those individuals, a return to work may seem impossible.

For parents who have a gap in their employment due to the Pandemic or otherwise, we’ve pulled together three tips to get you started on your search.

Determine Your Career Goals

The first question to ask yourself is, “What do I want to do?” It might seem too simple or too vague, but this is the first step to ensuring that you’re doing something that fulfills your needs and your goals. For some this may mean returning to an old industry or your last role, but for others this may mean exploring new career paths or industries that get you closer to your career goals. Is it a certain salary you want to reach? Perhaps a title? Or maybe you’re just looking to do a little good in the world. Determine your career goals and put them on paper.

Identify Your Non-Negotiables

Your non-negotiables are essentially the things you cannot sacrifice when it comes to your career. For example, a “no go” for working parents could be that you need to be at pick-up for your children at 3:15pm each day. It could also mean that you need access to mental health support and resources. Create your own list of all the things you won’t compromise on. This tip is incredibly important for parents and will shape what options you take a closer look at.

Explore The Market

Resources like this blog and others are available to you as you begin your search. Block out time in your day to explore the job market and get an idea of what’s out there. While there are many jobs available right now, finding the right one for you still takes time. We recognize that for parents, spare time is one of the most rare and valuable commodities. Prioritize your exploration, dedicate one or two hours to this, and check out our current job postings to get started.

For more general tips on returning to employment after an employment gap or how to talk about an employment gap with a potential employer, check out the full interview below with WCCO | CBS Minnesota featuring our very own Lauren Olson.

 

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About Avenica

If you’re looking for information on how to kickstart your career, browse our current job openings! We help entry-level job seekers find positions that fit their expertise and career goals every day. To learn more about us, visit our About Us page.