Back in the day, 10 years ago or so, work from home jobs had a “dirty” feel to them.  There were opportunities to be a Mystery Shopper or a Payment Processor for an African Prince, but it didn’t feel like they are “true” work from home opportunities.  Times have changed. . .

The economy is obviously stronger and the gig jobs (Uber, Lyft, Instacart, etc) have created opportunities for people on part-time, full-time or bridging roles.  But the true Work From Home job has also blossomed.  These work from home jobs have unleashed opportunities for mothers and fathers to stay home with their children.  It has provided a career for those who are also trying to take care of their aging parents.  It has provided jobs for people who might not have had access to careers because of the location that they were in.  And there are many other situations where the working from home option allows more capable citizens the ability to have a job.

Work From Home Opportunities Growing

If you are searching for a job, Work From Home opportunities aren’t something to avoid if you want a “real” job.  Approximately 3.7 million or 2.8% of the entire US workforce work from home for at least half the time.  According to Fundera, people working from home has more than doubled over the past decade. More employers are offering work from home has grown by 40% in last 5 years.   If you want to work remotely, you should feel confident that there are plenty of opportunities – ranging from teaching, to sales, to customer service and many other fields.

StartWire interviewed Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs.  Learn more on how to find work life balance with a flexible job.

Savings for Everyone

From an employer standpoint, there are great savings by allowing workers to work from home. Over $11,000 in savings for each part-time employee each year.  In addition, if you work from home full-time, you can save $4,000 each year in tax breaks, commuting costs, professional clothing, food, etc.

Work From Home Resources

Glassdoor – 10 of the Best Companies For Working From Home

Forbes – The Top 100 Companies For Remote Jobs

Flex Jobs – Find A Better Way to Work

Writing a resume can be tough.  Formulating all of your accomplishments into clear and concise sentences can take many revisions.  One of the best ways to give your resume the extra spice it needs to stand out is to include a good variety of resume action verbs.  Just like adding lots of spices and herbs to your favorite dish, you need to keep the reader (recruiter) interested in your profile by adding lots of resume action verbs.

These action words should speak to all of your hard work and add the “flavor” needed to set you apart from the pack.  If you use the word “manage” over and over again throughout your resume, you may not get the attention you deserve.  Add some spice!

Take a good look at each word that starts each bullet on your resume.  All bullets should begin with resume action verbs and there should be variety on every line.

Use a Variety of Resume Action Verbs

Below are some examples of solid resume phrases using resume action verbs.

• Launched multiple new customer requested features including …
• Built go-to-market strategy for …
• Directed, coached and mentored a team of 5 people

Highlight Key Metrics

Another key item that recruiters look for are metrics.  Show off your accomplishments by showing true measurable growth stats that you can speak to clearly.

• Achieved and exceeded increasing annual quotas: 2015 (140%); 2016 (121%); 2017 (125%)
• Built lead generation program that contributed to the company’s growth goal of reaching 1,000 clients in 18 months
• Wrote and published over 150 articles in 12 months

Take a look at these examples of sample resume templates as well to get ideas about formatting options. See more tips on updating your resume.

Resume Action Verbs

Utilize many of these resume action verbs and add some more punch to that stale resume!

·       Achieved

·       Acquired

·       Advised

·       Analyzed

·       Built

·       Campaigned

·       Coached

·       Consulted

·       Convinced

·       Coordinated

·       Counseled

·       Created

·       Cultivated

·       Defined

·       Delegated

·       Delivered

·       Designed

·       Developed

·       Directed

·       Documented

·       Educated

·       Enforced

·       Engineered

·       Enhanced

·       Established

·       Evaluated

·       Examined

·       Executed

·       Forecasted

·       Formed

·       Fostered

·       Founded

·       Generated

·       Hired

·       Illustrated

·       Implemented

·       Improved

·       Increased

·       Informed

·       Instructed

·       Introduced

·       Launched

·       Led

·       Managed

·       Measured

·       Mentored

·       Monitored

·       Negotiated

·       Operated

·       Organized

·       Outpaced

·       Overhauled

·       Partnered

·       Persuaded

·       Pioneered

·       Planned

·       Presented

·       Published

·       Recruited

·       Redesigned

·       Restructured

·       Saved

·       Screened

·       Shaped

·       Shipped

·       Simplified

·       Surveyed

·       Taught

·       Tested

·       Tracked

·       Trained

·       Transformed

 

Upload Your Resume to StartWire

After fine tuning your resume as much as you can, you should definitely send it to family and friends to review and check for spelling, grammar, and any comments on anything you may have forgotten to include.   Once you are ready to share your resume with recruiters, you should upload your resume to StartWire.com and you’ll have multiple options to send it out for possible call backs for opportunities.

 

(c) Can Stock Photo / profotokris

StartWire.com took a look at its website traffic and noticed that these top 10 companies are in the most demand by job seekers right now.  These top 10 companies hiring all across the country so it’s time to take a look at your options and apply now to these employers.

Are you looking for a position in restaurant or retail?   These are the 10 companies that are attracting a lot of candidates – so we suggest you check them out!  The links below go to recent job listings in your area.

Top 10 Companies Hiring Restaurant and Retail Positions 

1. CVS Caremark – check out CVS Caremark jobs
2. Chick-Fil-A – check out Chick-Fil-A jobs
3. Old Navy – check out Old Navy jobs
4. McDonald’s – check out McDonald’s jobs
5. American Eagle Outfitters – check out American Eagle jobs
6. Panera Bread Co – check out Panera jobs
7. Whole Foods – check out Whole Foods jobs
8. Taco Bell – check out Taco Bell jobs
9. Pizza Hut – check out Pizza Hut jobs
10. Wendy’s – check out Wendy’s jobs

Employee Benefits for Top Restaurant and Retail Companies

Taking a look at some of the perks of working at these top 10 companies hiring – we found great benefits for employees.

Whole Foods Benefits – access to healthcare, dental and vision insurance for both part-time and full time employees, along with many other outstanding benefits

McDonald’s Benefits – provides world-class training and McDs perks which are employee discounted food, and many more benefits

Chick-Fil-A Benefits – provides leadership training, ability to earn college scholarship, and no working on Sundays, and much more

Working Life in Restaurant and Retail

Working in a restaurant or in a retail store can be challenging and rewarding at the same time.  Here are some life lessons of working in restaurant industry.  More restaurant jobs.

Also, if you are considering the retail industry, there are also pros and cons to working a retail job.  Some of the perks are the employee discount, flexible hours and interesting career path opportunities. More retail jobs.

Consider these top 10 companies hiring and many of the other top companies on StartWire.com.

 

A common question you’ll hear when interviewing is – “Do you have any questions for me?”  You should ALWAYS have a list of interview questions prepared.  If you have ever been in that situation and feel ‘stumped’ you need to change that right away!  Start thinking about what is important to you and what you want to know before the interview concludes.

Also, by asking questions, you are showing your interest in the company, the role and the person who is taking time out of their day to interview you.  Take this opportunity to show that you care and are curious about working at the organization.  You will learn a lot and they’ll get a better understanding of what’s important to you.

Whether you are interviewing with an executive, your potential new manager, or a possible co-worker/team member – you must be prepared with appropriate interview questions.

Below is a list of great questions to memorize or bring with you when interviewing.  No company is perfect so by asking the candid questions, you’ll get a better understanding of the challenges that you might face if you do join the organization.

Review these questions and ask them in your own way.  You want to come across as genuine – so ask questions in your own words.  Always be truthful and remember job searching basics.

 

Big Picture Interview Questions (Ask the Executive/VP level):

• What is your company’s long term vision for its products/services?
• What divisions are getting the most investment right now (dollars, people, expansion, etc)?
• What is the focus – to grow fast or become profitable?
• What is company’s plan for attracting and retaining a diverse team?

 

Interview Questions Specific to the Position (Ask the Hiring Manager):

• What are the 2-3 traits that the ideal candidate must have?
• Are there any concerns about my background that I can help alleviate?
• What are the 1-2 challenges that you think this role needs to be prepared for?
• What is the team structure and how does this role fit in?

 

Individual Focused Interview Questions (Ask the Team Member):

• Why do you love working here?  What do you think could be improved?
• What surprised you most when you started working here?
• What is your biggest accomplishment here?
• How would you describe the company culture?
• When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

 

There are also questions that you should not ask.  The main rule is don’t ask questions that you can find answers to on the Internet.  Take a look at this guide on questions to avoid asking.

 

Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo / photography33

 

The StartWire Team recently attended some of the largest HR and recruitment technology events in our industry.  We were in Las Vegas for the HR Tech Show and in New Orleans for the TATech Fall Congress. 

A lot of the talk in our industry is around Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and how it will transform recruitment.  If you are interested in these topics, I would suggest reading the following articles.

• How Artificial Intelligence Is Reinventing Human Resources – Entrepreneur Magazine
• How AI Makes Recruiting More Human – Forbes
• Your next job interview could be with a robot – CNBC

We are at the beginning of a new phase in recruitment technology.  This phase will have profound impact on the industry, but . . .

The basics are still the basics.

People want to work with great people.  One often spends more time in a week with their co-workers than their family or friends.

Recruitment technology can help in many areas, but if you stick to “Grandma’s Wisdom,” you will be successful in finding your next career opportunity.

What is Grandma’s Wisdom for Job Searching?

• Be on Time — If you have an interview, don’t be late. Actually, you should arrive 15 minutes early.
• Look People in the Eye – Eye contact matters.  Trust and understanding are learned through eye contact.
• Say Please and Thank You — Ask how you can help an organization and thank them for their time.  Write a thank you note, even if it is an e-mail.
• Dot Your I’s and Cross Your T’s – Take your time to thoroughly proofread your applications and communications.  Mispelings matter. Poor gramar look bad!
• Trust Your Instincts – If an organization doesn’t feel like the right fit, it probably isn’t.  Ask about the company culture and try to meet as many people at the organization as you can.

Read more about Job Search in the Digital Age: Keeping Up with the Changes

We’re looking for a talented front-end developer to join our global team of engineers. Right from the start you will be one of the primary developers building the next, cutting-edge iteration of our core product and platform. You must have strong hands on experience developing highly interactive and dynamic user interfaces for multi-platform applications with React, Javascript, HTML5 and CSS3.

Reporting to the CTO, the qualified candidate will work closely with product development and business leaders throughout the product development lifecycle to develop and test new and existing software solutions.

If you’re interested email your resume to apply@startwire.com!

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Junior to Senior Level Candidates will be considered
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
Demonstrated experience with React and state management with Redux
Experience building responsive web applications
Experience interacting and optimizing front-end UI when working with large sets of API-provided data
Experience working in an agile development environment
Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively communicate technical issues to non-technical and management groups
Ability to work on multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
Problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
HTML5
CSS3
ECMAScript 6 (ES6)

PREFERRED SKILLS

Working knowledge and understanding of Angular
Knowledge in other programming languages like Ruby
Experience and familiarity building progressive web apps
Understanding of relational and NOSQL databases
Experience working with AWS
Experience working with Express and NodeJS
Experience writing technical design documentation
Experience designing front-end UI a plus

Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship opportunities are not available.

Location: Atlanta, GA or New York / New Jersey preferred. Telecommuting is available for the right candidate.

Salesforce is #1 for 2017 best places to work

Job seekers spend a lot of time thinking about what employers would be willing to hire them, but it is important to consider both sides. Would you enjoy working for the companies you are applying to?

To help job seekers make that important decision, Indeed released its list of the Best Places to Work in 2017. They based their listing on employee reviews shared on Indeed. The biggest factor? Company culture. Employees respond to companies with a strong, positive company culture centered around a shared goal. Check out the top 10 below:

 

Top 10 Employers 2017

1. Salesforce (search salesforce jobs)
2. Southwest Airlines (search southwest jobs)
3. JetBlue Airways Corporation (search jet blue jobs)
4. Facebook (search facebook jobs)
5. Google (search google jobs)
6. CenterPoint Energy (search centerpoint jobs)
7. DTE Energy (search dte jobs)
8. NIKE* (search nike jobs)
8. Apple* (search apple jobs)
10. The Walt Disney Company (search disney jobs)
*indicates a tie

Read more about it this list on Indeed.

New Solution from Recruiting Technology Leader Populates Talent Communities with Opted-In Job Candidates

LEBANON, NH–(Marketwired – Apr 5, 2017) – StartWire, America’s number one job search organizer, today announced the release of Talent Community Xcelerator. Designed for organizations with existing talent communities or candidate relationship marketing programs, StartWire Talent Community Xcelerator creates a new acquisition channel for targeted candidate leads by integrating the employer’s opt-in with StartWire’s registration process.

StartWire is already used by more than 11 million job seekers. The award-winning free service has been lauded for advancing the candidate experience by providing them with automatic status updates from thousands of employers regarding their job applications.

With the launch of Talent Community Xcelerator, StartWire enhances its employer-side tools. Talent communities are major investments in time and money and are often only promoted on the employer’s owned assets such as the career site and social media channels. Now, organizations can leverage Talent Community Xcelerator to target job seekers by location, occupation, education or salary, and offer an easy way to join the employer’s talent community with just one click. This approach presents a win-win for everyone, as job seekers get connected to employers they are interested in, and employers increase the reach and value of their talent communities.

CRM and talent community software providers can also partner with StartWire to offer Talent Community Xcelerator to their clients who may be looking for additional ways to grow their candidate databases. Talent Community Xcelerator can easily be integrated into most platforms and provides another tool for technology vendors to improve the ROI of their software and deepen relationships with their clients.

StartWire president Andrew Katz commented, “StartWire’s unique registration process allows us to interact with candidates who are interested in learning about new opportunities. With StartWire Talent Community Xcelerator, employers can detail the skills they anticipate needing for current and future openings — from warehouse workers to electrical engineers and every discipline in between — and receive only those candidates matching their criteria.” He continued, “StartWire has earned the trust of candidates and employers alike through our continual communications to confirm alignment.”

Heading StartWire Talent Community Xcelerator is Harold Levy, vice president, Business Development. Levy has more than 30 years of recruitment marketing experience, having held executive roles at TMP Worldwide, Bernard Hodes/Omnicom, Bayard and Korn Ferry. Given his expertise, Levy is able to guide StartWire clients’ talent community acquisition strategies and ensure measurable results.

Levy shared, “StartWire Talent Community Xcelerator solution addresses the requirements of multiple audiences: the candidates who want to learn about relevant openings; the employers that need to build communities of qualified candidates; and other vendors — such as CRM and TRM providers — seeking high quality data services to augment their technology solutions.”

To learn more about StartWire Talent Community Xcelerator, please contact Harold Levy by emailing harold.levy@startdatelabs.com.

About StartWire
StartWire is America’s number one job search organizer with more than 11 million members. Job seekers across the U.S. turn to StartWire to close the “resume black hole” by receiving automatic status updates from thousands of employers. Since its inception, StartWire has received rave reviews and coverage in US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, TechCrunch, Mashable, ERE, and Human Resource Executive. StartWire is headquartered near Dartmouth College in Lebanon, NH. For more information, visit https://www.startwire.com.

Email Marketing Manager
Location: New York/New Jersey area

 

The Email Marketing Manager job will drive all facets of the StartWire’s Email Marketing program from conception through creation to launch and post campaign analysis and optimization.  You will work in a team environment to execute daily and ad hoc email deployments with an overall goal of driving revenue and user acquisition.

The ideal candidate will have an accomplished history of executing & optimizing email campaigns, will be analytics driven and be an expert in adhering to CAN-SPAM laws with a goal of  maintaining the organization’s stellar reputation. You will be responsible for creating and maintaining engaging email template designs as well as coding responsive HTML.

 

Additional responsibilities include:

• Developing new communication strategies to optimize our email program.
• Overseeing list segmentation strategies to increase engagement and retention and to get the  right message to the right person at the right time.
• Managing and implementing an e-mail marketing calendar.
• Pro-actively identifying and implementing opportunities for program and process improvements.
• Optimizing existing campaigns with frequent multi-variant A/B testing of subject lines, click thru, time of send, & content.
• Daily tracking, analyzing and reporting on email campaign results including audience, content, messaging, creative, deliverability, open rates, click through rates, conversion as well subscriber list growth and health.

 

Desired Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or similar field
• At least 2-4 years of Email Marketing/ Digital Marketing experience.
• 2-4 years experience creating and launching email campaigns using a leading ESP (SendGrid preferred)
• 2+ years experience coding in responsive email HTML development.
• 2+ years graphic design experience
• Collaborative spirit with the ability to work with all levels of management as well as various  internal/external teams.
• Proficiency in Excel (including creating Pivot Tables/formulas), Word and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with CRM or some other form or database management.
• Experience with A/B testing.
• Ability to multitask and balance an intense attention to detail with swift execution.
• Experience with analytics tools such as Google Analytics.
• A go-getter with the ability to make an impact

 

We offer a competitive compensation package along with a great work environment. For immediate consideration for this job, please email your resume to Rockstars@startdatelabs.com

 

 

About StartWire

 

 

I’m tired of the job search. Nothing is working. This job search is taking too long.

Are these your thoughts? Unwilling unemployment is stressful, tiring, and discouraging. For those struggling with long-term unemployment, here are some tips that can help you change your job search tactic and outlook.

1. Choose a functional resume over a chronological one.

This type of resume takes the focus out of the years you’ve worked and instead puts the focus on relevant skill sets. For example, if the position is looking for someone with strong writing experience, a functional resume will list “Writing/Editing Content” at the top of the resume. Then all work experience related to writing will follow. This type of resume takes the focus away from years worked and instead addresses how your skills match the prospective position. To view a sample of both functional and chronological resumes, here’s a guide on resume construction.

2. Fill in those unemployment gaps with activity.

It’s important to show that you’ve been actively pursuing other ventures and strengthening your skills during your time of unemployment. Find yourself a project to get involved in, whether it be a charity you’re interested in or a non-profit company that’s looking for volunteers.

Do something that shows you are self-employed and assertive. This can help fill in those resume gaps and show employers that you’ve been productive with your time, giving them the assurance that you can smoothly transition from your current project to the ones within the new role.

3. Don’t over explain.

If employers ask about your unemployment, keep it short and simple. Over-explaining tends to give away more information than necessary. You want to address the employer’s question on your unemployment, but the key is to take the conversation away from the past and bring it to the future. To do this, talk about projects you’ve been involved in, then link that to how skills acquired from the project can transition to fit your new role.

4. Strive for efficiency. Quality over quantity.

Don’t apply to any available job listing, thinking that casting a wide net will cause one of them to eventually bite. This is wasting precious time and resources. Instead, use your resources to apply for targeted job listings. The general rule of thumb is, if you meet 70% of the job description, apply.

5. Pitch yourself to old employers.

Your old employers are the ones who may know your background and work style better than new ones. If you left the company on a good note, it’s okay and can be strategic to just go back to that company and ask for a contract or freelance position. Frame it in a way that shows your expert knowledge of the company and use your previous experience working there as leverage to market yourself as a safe hire. Most companies see newer candidates as risky investments because they lack familiarity in the candidate and their overall work ethic. However, previous candidates that have been successful, but let go due to budget constraints, may be good investments for contract or freelance openings.

6. Change your outlook

Don’t blame yourself and don’t be discouraged. Being long-term unemployed can be stressful, but this stress fuels a vicious cycle where you enter an interview feeling stressed and anxious to get the job. Employers pick up on this anxiety and therefore, become less likely to hire you. Clear your mind, stay positive, and learn how to manage job search frustration. Look within your community and join a job group with people in your similar situation. You might be surprised to find that this can be a great space of mutual support and advice sharing.