Everyone knows that it’s a difficult choice, as well as a difficult path, to change to a new career. It’s not easy to know what to do during such a transition.
 
Why? Because changing careers means that you’re choosing to adjust to a new working environment and consequently redefining your professional identity.
 
However, it’s not as difficult as you might think to make a change. Below are five steps for making a mid-career transition:
 
Step #1—Figure out what you really want.
 
The first thing to do is make sure that you really need to change jobs, can take charge in the new field, and can take the potential risk caused by the change. Ask yourself questions such as, “Am I going to be able to leverage my skills and experiences to make a successful transition?” Only when you’re sure that you won’t regret your decision is it time to prepare for the next step.
 
Step #2—Research the new careers.
 
You need to do your homework. It’s natural to feel insecure when nothing is certain, but researching can help you feel more safe and sure of yourself. You can find some useful information about your new career on the Internet, in books, or from other people. The more prepared you are, the greater your chances of success.
 
Step #3—Create a plan.
 
Write down your final goal first and then break it down. Draw a timeline and divide all of your work into clear daily or weekly tasks. What skills do you need to acquire? What things do you need to deal with in your current job? How much money do you need to support yourself or your family until you have a new job? Who you are going to meet with who can help you? Write out your plan and review it often. After you complete the plan, you’ll notice how small steps tend to have a “snowball effect.”
 
Step #4—Network.
 
One of the keys to successfully changing jobs is networking. You can get information and advice about your new career or be introduced to others who can help you with these. Don’t be afraid of not having anyone to network with, because you must have—open your contacts and see the list of your family members, friends, former classmates, and colleagues. You can also try to connect to related professional organizations or alumni groups from college to broaden your network.
 
Step #5—Get what you need for finding a new job.
 
In your plan, you should have figured out what you’re lacking in your new career field. If what you need is experience, which is the easiest to obtain, just look for a part-time or volunteer job to get that experience. If what you need is skill or education, then make the decision of whether or not you’re willing to make that investment in your new career. It could be a simple matter of taking an online course, or it could be the difficult choice of leaving your family to study far away.
 
Just make the choice that you believe is the right one for you.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field!

Employees who have a passion for what they do are practically self-engaging. In other words, they seek out reasons to stay engaged in their job and with the company.
 
But what about those employees who aren’t quite as passionate, for whatever reason? The fact of the matter is that you can lead them down the road to engagement just by providing opportunities for them to do so.
 
Many times, employees don’t need a reason to become engaged. What they really need is the chance to become engaged.
 
Below are five ways in which you can provide opportunities to do just that.
 
#1—Recognize the accomplishments of employees and celebrate them.
 
Both parts of this initiative are important. By both recognizing and celebrating, you not only increase engagement and retention, you also build a greater sense of camaraderie among the members of your team.
 
#2—Celebrate traditions within the organization.
 
This is another way in which to increase both engagement and camaraderie. This could be an annual awards dinner, or it might be something as simple as a summer picnic or Christmas party.
 
#3—Initiate a mentoring program.
 
Once again, you’re accomplishing two goals at the same time. With this initiative, you’re facilitating a knowledge transfer between employees, in addition to bolstering engagement and retention.
 
#4—Create a cross-training program.
 
Most employees want to sharpen their skill set and increase their abilities. They also want to know that they have room for advancement within the company. This will accomplish both objectives.
 
#5—Involve employees in decisions (whenever possible).
 
Of course, this might not be feasible in all situations. However, by involving them in the decision-making process, they’ll feel more a part of the company.
 
Evaluate your company and the culture that it offers. Are you providing opportunities like the ones listed above? Are there areas in which you should improve or make a more concerted effort?
 
By simply providing opportunities for your employees to become engaged, you might be surprised by how readily and easily they do so—with no further prompting from you.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers!

A mentor can play a very important role in growing your skills and enhancing your career.
 
That’s because they should be willing to provide unbiased advice and expertise in the areas in which you’re seeking to improve.
 
While actually finding a mentor can prove to be a confusing process at times, it might be easier than you think.
 
With that in mind, below are four steps for finding a mentor:
 
#1—Determine your weaknesses and your goals.
 
There’s no point in actually searching for a mentor if you don’t know exactly the areas with which you’d like the mentor to help you. If you want a particular job, list the qualities that you’ll need and identify any gaps. You’ll know where you need improvement, and it will be easier for you to search for someone who possesses the required skills.
 
#2—Define your expectations.
 
It might help to write them down, including the role that you’d like for your mentor to play in the growth of your career. Clarifying your expectations, goals, and objectives will help ensure that you find the right mentors and that the relationships benefit your professional goals.
 
#3—Identify mentoring candidates.
 
Great mentors can be found in a variety of places, so try looking outside of your current workplace. Seek out mentors at business associations in your area, non-profit organizations, your college or university, within your family, church groups, and even community groups such as business chambers of commerce.
 
#4—Meet with your potential mentor (or mentors).
 
You must have a good reason why you want that person to advise you. For example, if they’re a good speaker in meetings, then ask them to give you tips on presentations. You must also compliment your potential mentor. For example, you could say, “The reason that I’m hoping you’ll mentor me in this one area of my career is because I love the way you handle yourself in meetings.”
 
Remember, you might not find everything you need in just one person.  If that’s the case, think of having two or more mentors with different strengths and qualities and try to sharpen your skills even more.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field!

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your title is, networking is a critical skill for professional success and career advancement.
 
Building powerful relationships with others in your field can help you to stand out, both as an individual and as a company.
 
If you’re an employee or candidate, those relationships might help you to land a great new job. If you’re a hiring manager, those relationships could allow you to identify and hire the company’s next great employee—or perhaps help you find a new position, as well.
 
So, how can you get started? Below are five tips for improving your networking skills.
 
Tip #1—Don’t rely on your computer.
 
Sure, (just about) everybody is participating in social media these days, and maybe you’re a LinkedIn whiz. However, the Internet will only take you so far. To truly maximize the effectiveness of networking, it will eventually have to be conducted on a face-to-face basis—in spite of the pandemic.
 
Tip #2—Make networking an acquired behavior.
 
For some people, networking does not come easily, and that’s okay. As with everything else, you’ll become better over time. The key is to not become discouraged to the point where you quit. However, if you’re persistent, not only will you improve, but networking will also become a habit.
 
Tip #3—Prepare your personal “elevator pitch.”
 
Your “elevator pitch” is your 60-second speech about who you are, what you do, and the unique value that you offer. The best way to hone this speech is to practice, practice, practice. The good news is that if you follow tip #2, you’ll already be doing this.
 
Tip #4—Understand the people with whom you’re networking.
 
If you’re attending a networking event, be sure to conduct some research beforehand if you can. There is usually plenty of information online about people (including on LinkedIn), and this information will better prepare you to engage them in a meaningful way.
 
Tip #5—Pay more attention to influential contacts.
 
Networking is like anything else: you must focus your energy on those areas most likely to provide the results you’re seeking. It’s advisable to segment your contacts into different categories based upon their influence and then interact with those groups differently in a way that makes sense.
 
Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%.
 
Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field!