Berks & Beyond Blog

The countdown is just around the corner.

As we head into 2012, many of us will vow to make the new year better by changing something about ourselves.  Unfortunately, most of us will not follow through.

Before you make your 2012 New Year’s resolutions, take a look at this list of the Top 10 Most Commonly Broken New Year’s Resolutions, courtesy of Time.com:

1. Lose Weight and Get Fit.  After a season of cookies, candies and holiday parties, it’s only natural to want to shed a few extra pounds and get into better shape.  But research shows that by February, 60% of gym memberships go unused.
2. Quit Smoking.  E-cigarettes, nicotine patches and chewing gum are all designed to help newly motivated smokers kick the habit.  But after just six months, only an estimated 15% of quitters are still cigarette-free.
3. Learn Something New.  If you’re thinking of taking up a musical instrument or learning to cook French cuisine, know that you’ll face an uphill battle.  Resolving to learn something new is exciting, but it’s also hard work.
4. Eat Healthier and Diet.  Many dieters are full of resolve on January 2nd.  Unfortunately, they force themselves into restricting diets they can’t possible keep.  Try using some common-sense moderation, instead, and you’re much more likely to succeed.
5. Get Out of Debt and Save Money.  After the budget-unfriendly month of December, many consumers try to halt their spending and manage their debt more effectively.  Rather than announcing sweeping changes and setting unattainable goals, however, financial planners advise making specific budget-friendly rules (like packing lunch, shopping for cheaper insurance/lower credit card interest rates, etc.) to improve your financial situation.
6. Spend More Time with Family.  The beginning of the year is an ideal time to reconnect with family whom you’ve not seen in awhile.  But work pressures, physical distance, strained relationships and even messy divorces make this resolution particularly hard to keep.
7. Travel to New Places.  The new year awakens within many of us a desire to travel.  The financial realities of the Great Recession, the headache of planning and the difficulty of finding help to tend to your home and pets can quickly put this desire to rest.
8. Be Less Stressed.  While it’s not a bad idea – less stress can make you healthier and happier – stressing less is likely to be the very first resolution you’ll break.  Case in point?  Just thinking about tackling any resolution will raise your stress level!
9. Volunteer.  This year, you may resolve to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate than you.  While this is certainly a noble gesture, even the most compassionate among us can fall back on commitments.  Finding time to give to a worthy cause is often harder than finding money.
10. Drink Less.  After a seemingly endless barrage of parties filled with beer, wine, champagne and cocktails, it’s not surprising that many of us vow to drink less.  But after a few days or week, why do we start drinking again?  The Greco-Roman ancients may have said it best when they proclaimed “In vino veritas” (in wine, there is truth).

From all of us at Berks & Beyond, have a safe, happy, healthy and successful New Year!

U.S. workers are working longer – and retiring later.  Why?

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s Retirement Confidence Survey (as reported by Workforce.com):

• about 36 percent of respondents cite the poor economy;
• 16 percent say their lack of faith in Social Security is forcing them to postpone retirement;
• 13 percent claim they simply can’t afford to stop working.

As a result, workers say they are more than twice as likely to work up to age 70 or older – a 25 percent increase from just a decade ago.

Rising numbers of older individuals remaining in the workforce creates both challenges and potential benefits for employers.  On the one hand, workers delaying retirement adds pressure to companies already struggling to reduce payroll as profit dwindles.  A glut of older workers also threatens to clog the talent pipeline for organizations who want to bring in new employees – at lower salary levels.

On the other hand, companies for which knowledge loss is a concern stand to gain a welcome benefit from a more mature workforce – less “brain drain.”  Key managers have more time to plan for the departure of older workers, and therefore can be more strategic in retraining or transferring institutional knowledge.

As older workers continue to delay retirement, HR needs to respond by reevaluating the way they manage human capital.  Instead of paying older workers to retire, HR should look for creative ways to take advantage of the shift in workforce demographics:

• Create cross-mentoring relationships. In a traditional mentor relationship, older, more experienced workers share knowledge with their less experienced counterparts.  When it comes to technology, however, younger employees are often more savvy.  Organizations can foster reverse mentorships, in which younger workers share their knowledge in areas like online social networking.
• Find new ways to attract younger workers. In a time when career advancement is likely to become more difficult, organizations should focus on new ways to bring top performers on board.  When HR can’t necessarily offer rapid upward mobility to new talent, they can offer lateral movement.  Lateral moves can help younger employees broaden their knowledge bases, become more valuable to the employer (increasing job security) and become more marketable overall.

Berks & Beyond can help your organization proactively manage its personnel needs as our workforce changes.  We provide temporary, temp-to-hire and direct placement services to employers throughout central and southern Pennsylvania.  We are able to recruit and assess candidates for the following types of positions:

• Office/Clerical
• Light Industrial
• Accounting/Finance
• Engineering
• Human Resources
• Management
• Agricultural
• Skilled Trades

How will your organization address the shifts in workforce demographics?  We at Berks & Beyond would like to know.  Please leave your comments below.

How’s business?  The ASA Staffing Index can help you answer this question.

The ASA Staffing Index, developed by the American Staffing Association, provides a current measure of staffing industry employment trends.  Published weekly, the index estimates the weekly changes in the number of people employed in temporary and contract work.

Index numbers are reported just nine days after each work week ends, making it a virtual real-time measure of staffing employment trends.  ASA research shows that staffing employment is a coincident economic indicator and leading employment indicator – especially when the economy is emerging from a recession – making the index especially relevant right now for businesses across the nation.

The ASA Staffing Index also serves as a valuable resource for economists, journalists, analysts, researchers and policy makers who are interested in current trends in staffing employment.  Participants account for more than one-third of industry sales offices.

Two numbers are reported weekly.  The first is the weekly percentage change in staffing employment.  The second is the index itself, which shows staffing employment trends over time.  Both numbers are normally posted on the ASA web site on Tuesday mornings.

This Week’s Staffing Index:

Follow this link to view current ASA Staffing Index data.

Monthly Report – April 2011

Staffing employment in April is 7% higher than in the same month last year, according to the ASA Staffing Index.  The index for April is 92, up one index point from 91 in March, suggesting that U.S. staffing employment has increased 1% over the past month.  Staffing employment is typically lowest during the first few months of each year and grows during the subsequent months.

Berks & Beyond – In-Step with Central and Southeastern PA Employers’ Changing Needs

Berks & Beyond delivers customized recruiting services, temporary staffing and workforce solutions to help companies like yours achieve sustained business success as the economy recovers.  What can we do for you?  Contact Berks & Beyond today.

Looking for work?  Then you know that it’s tough out there.

But fortunately, you don’t have to conduct your job search alone.  Staffing specialists are committed to your success and can facilitate your job search in a number of ways:

• Career guidance.  Re-entering the workforce?  Just out of college?  Laid off?  If you fall into one of these categories, you may be unsure of exactly how to best use your talents.  A staffing professional can help you critically examine your skills, training and experience to identify the right opportunities for you.
• Access to unadvertised opportunities.  When working with a staffing service, many businesses do not advertise through traditional means.  They trust staffing specialists to quickly identify the right individuals for their temporary, temp-to-hire or direct hire needs.  As a result, many great job opportunities are available exclusively through the staffing firm.
• Résumé and interview skill feedback.  As an employment expert, a staffing professional can help you polish your résumé and build your interviewing confidence so that you can land the job you want.
• Confidential and anonymous representation.  If you’re currently working, you probably don’t want your current employer to know you are in the job market.  A staffing professional will market and represent you anonymously, so you can continue working until a prospective employer expresses an interest in your credentials.
• Keep your morale up.  Being out of work can take a toll on you – emotionally and financially.  A staffing specialist can provide interim contract and temporary employment opportunities to help you:
  - Earn money while you search for direct employment;
  - Keep your schedule flexible so you can continue your job search;
  - Network with new co-workers to uncover additional employment leads;
  - Keep your job skills sharp and up-to-date;
  - Avoid gaps on your résumé;
  - Stay positive and productive.

You’re More Than Just an “Applicant”
At Berks & Beyond, you’re more than just a résumé, a certification, or a set of skills.  You’re a critical component of our success.  Our staffing specialists want to help you achieve your career goals, by matching you with an opportunity that suits your skills, needs and interests.  Contact us today to learn more about employment opportunities for job seekers in Harrisburg, Allentown, Reading, Pottstown and York.

The following top candidates are highly skilled, motivated and ready to go to work for you:

MECHANIC

Candidate Initials:  V. M.

Skills and Experience:  This candidate has over 20 years experience working as a mechanic.  Skills include, but are not limited to:  assembly/disassembly of aircraft wheels and brakes, pre-paint inspection, chemical treatment qualification according to FAA regulations with frequent inspections and audits – completed necessary written and practical exams.

Education and Certifications:  H. S. Diploma, QA Inspector Certification, NDI Inspection Certification, Forklift Certification.

Desired Pay:  $13/hr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Katie in our Allentown office at Katie@berksandbeyond.com or call 610.435.9270.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Candidate Initials:  J. M.

Skills and Experience:  This computer-savvy professional worked as a Senior Account Specialist in customer service and has 6 years of experience in financial services.  Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Money and Access, as well as Quicken and QuickBooks.

Education:  Graduate, Consolidated School of Business.

Desired Pay:  $35,000

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Bonnetta in our York office at Bonnetta@berksandbeyond.com or call 717.843.0031.

WELDER

Candidate Initials:  D. E.

Skills and Experience:  Mig, Tig and Stick Welder with over 12 years of experience.  Specializes in metal fabrication by welding, Mig, Stick, Tig and Flux-Core.

Education:  York Vo-Tech for Welding.

Desired Pay:  $22/hr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Bonnetta in our York office at Bonnetta@berksandbeyond.com or call 717.843.0031.

You found out about a dream job.  You know you’re perfect for it – you have the right experience, all the required skills, and the personality to excel in this position.  But then again, so do about 50 other candidates.

So how do you make sure your resume doesn’t wind up in the “circular file”?  One way to get a leg up on the competition is by crafting an effective cover letter.  A strong cover letter allows you to:

• personalize your resume
• emphasize your strengths and assets
• set yourself apart from others with similar qualifications
• interest employers in interviewing you

Here are a few tips for preparing an effective cover letter:

1. Review sample cover letters.  Visit your local library or conduct an online search to access examples.
2. Personalize the cover letter for each employer, so it specifically relates to the job for which you’re applying.  Address it to a particular person by name.
3. Make sure your cover letter looks good and is easy to read.  Pay particular attention to spelling, grammar, spacing, paragraph length and margins.
4. Limit the cover letter to one page.
5. Include something in the first paragraph that piques the reader’s interest.  Try to tie in company-specific information, to show you’ve done your homework.  Research the company online for ideas.
6. Put yourself in the employer’s shoes.  In the body of your cover letter, focus on what you can do for the company.  Highlight your ability to make or save money, assume or delegate responsibility, achieve measurable objectives and conserve time.
7. Communicate your interest, motivation and strengths.  Briefly describe your assets and qualifications, without duplicating your resume.
8. Express your enthusiasm for the job.
9. Emphasize your achievements.  Conversely, do not stress weaknesses such as a lack of experience.
10. Include a call to action.  Ask for an interview and state specifically when you will call to follow-up (allow at least three business days from when you send the letter).

Looking for more job search information?  Visit Berks and Beyond’s Candidate Resource Center.  It’s full of articles and links to help you land that perfect job.