Pick One of These 7 Ways to Quit a Job

Dominique Rodgers

If you're wondering how to quit a job, think of it like dating. Quitting your job is like breaking up with a partner. Sometimes you feel terrible about it; other times you feel pretty darn elated to be moving on. Alternately, you could feel overwhelmingly neutral.

Do you find yourself contemplating jumping ship? Listen up. Harvard Business Review outlined seven different methods of quitting that employees use. Monster took a look at the quitting methods and is here to help you understand when it's appropriate to use each one—and when it's not. (For the record, going out in a blaze of swear words is never a good idea.)

How to Quit a Job: Your Options

1. The By-the-Book Quit

What HBR says it is: You meet with your manager to explain why you're leaving, and you give them a standard notice period.

What it might sound like coming out of your mouth: "I've accepted a position with XYZ. It's a step up for me, and I'm looking forward to a new challenge. My final day will be two weeks from now."

When you should use it: Consider this your default approach. It ticks all the boxes: It's respectful, professional, and gives your employer time to prepare for your grand exit. Choose this route when your workplace relationships are generally positive and when you have respect for your job.

When you should not use it: Avoid this method if your time at the company was filled with negative experiences or if you fear retribution from your supervisors. (If that's the case, see further down this list.)

2) The Grateful Quit

What HBR says it is: Similar to a by-the-book quit, giving notice by this method focuses more on how grateful you are for the opportunity to have worked at the company, and sometimes includes an offer to train a new person.

What it might sound like coming out of your mouth: "I can't believe I'm saying this, because I've loved every second of my time here and I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've been given...but I've accepted a position elsewhere. I will happily help train my replacement."

When you should use it: Use this approach when you want to end your job on a positive note and acknowledge that your supervisor or co-workers have gone above and beyond to make your time at your job really excellent. Offering to train your successor lessens the disruption and makes your manager's life easier. Not to mention, it makes you look super-professional—you don't necessarily have to be this nice, but it sure doesn't hurt your reputation.

When you should not use it: Skip this option if there's any negative vibes between you and your boss. You don't want your show of appreciation to be perceived as disingenuous. That could make your exit more tense than it needs to be.

See all 7 ways to quit and the complete Monster article

 

A self-made millionaire and CEO shares 5 ‘quick tests’ he always uses during job interviews to decide when to hire

Robert Reffkin

I never did that well on tests in school. But there are a number of simple tests that I’ve found helpful throughout my journey as the founder and CEO of a billion-dollar real estate technology company.

Having these quick tests in your back pocket helps you make smarter business decisions. Why? Because the more we think about something, the more our minds will try to play tricks on us. We second-guess, we let doubt and fear creep in, we hesitate, we overthink. The purpose of the five tests below is to get past all of that and get back to the truth that you’ve known deep down all along.

This is especially true regarding two of the most important decisions that managers at my company, Compass, make: When to hire someone, and when to pass on them.

1. The ‘good person’ test

Is this a good person?

If you have to take a long pause and struggle to answer this question, then they shouldn’t be on your team. Lots of people think goodness doesn’t matter at work — and some even think it’s a liability in business. Not me.

I always want to know: Do they live by the Golden Rule? Is their heart in the right place? Are they kind? Do they genuinely care about others? Do they want to give back? If everyone we work with is a good person, we’ll all be better off.

3. The ‘another offer’ test

If this person came to me tomorrow and told me they had a great offer from another company, would I fight to keep/win them over?

This test helps you admit that someone isn’t excellent, and it originated from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. He believes that excellent people are much better than “pretty good” people.

As the motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” So if you want to be better — like I know all of us do — one of the best ways is to do that is to make sure you’re surrounding yourself with exceptional people.

Read all 5 quick tests and the complete CNBC article

 

 

The 10 Best Remote Career Fields For New College Grads

Mark C. Perna

As companies ramp up their hiring, college grads are entering a job market replete with opportunities—especially in remote work. Here’s who is hiring and what you need to do to land that first job.

Let me extend an early congratulations to the graduating class of 2021. You’ve all persevered through an incredibly trying time in order to cross this threshold. So what’s next? The good news is that, while hiring isn’t quite back to pre-pandemic levels, the overall job market is building steam. According to a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers are projecting that they’ll be hiring 7.2% more new college graduates from the Class of 2021 than they hired from the Class of 2020.

“While hiring isn’t yet back to pre-pandemic levels,” said Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs, “the overall job market is gaining momentum, and that includes a stronger remote job market as well.”

What’s interesting is that when FlexJobs surveyed soon-to-graduate workers about their job preferences, some 32% of participants reported that they would give up some vacation time for the opportunity to work remotely as much as they wanted to, while 24% said they would take less pay for the chance to work outside the office. As the world of work evolves, being willing to work remotely can help a new grad land their first job.  

“Remote work can remove the geographic limitations to a job search, so focusing on work-from-home jobs can also significantly increase access to potential job opportunities,” says Sutton.

That means members of the 2021 graduating class (unlike those from a year earlier) have a great shot at starting their professional career sooner rather than later. 

10 hot remote job categories

FlexJobs has identified the top 10 career categories that currently have the greatest number of remote entry-level positions. Among these categories, HR & Recruiting, sales and call center entry-level remote listings have grown at least 25% since January 2021.

6.    Bilingual 

7.    Sales 

8.    Data Entry 

9.    Computer & IT 

10. HR & Recruiting

4 tips for landing that new job

When it comes to getting hired, the FlexJobs Career Coaching Team suggests the following four tips:

 1. Make time to focus

The best way to get hired is to get focused and organized. For example, make daily to-do lists that might include tasks like: Revising a cover letter, sending out three applications and spending a half-hour on LinkedIn exploring connections. 

2. Update your resume

If you’ve been making the time to update your skills, update your resume to reflect that. Don’t forget to include any internships, volunteer activities and school-based activities you engaged in as well. And, if you want to work remotely, add any experience you’ve had with remote classes, remote group projects or remote internships and jobs.

See all 10 job categories + all 4 tips for landing the job AND the complete Forbes article

 

 

 

 

6 Tips to blow them away within the first few minutes of your tele-interview

Sarah Dillon

Interviews can be a daunting event that can cause even the most confident person to begin wiping their sweaty palms on their pants. To ease some of the pre-interview anxiety it’s best to know the qualifiers hiring managers look for in potential candidates.

For a step-by-step guide on how to make the best impression for your next interview held over Zoom, I’m happy to share an interview I held recently with the CMO of Hibob, Rhiannon Staples.

Rhiannon Staples has a demonstrated background in marketing and she has a few tips on how to best market yourself via the realm of telecommunication tools.

1. Interviews now that they are remote have different qualifiers for how to make a good first impression. What do you notice first when that Zoom screen pops up?

“People have just a few seconds to make a first impression, and on Zoom, it’s not just about you but also about your background. The first thing an interviewer will notice will be the person on the other end’s surroundings, as well as their appearance. To prepare, an easy suggestion is to log on early to ensure your camera and microphone are working in order to avoid tech glitches and be ready on time. You can also ask yourself the following: can the interviewer see you clearly? Is the background clear of any mess?”

“Job candidates should make sure they have good lighting, in addition to a clean-looking backdrop. Dressing nicely and in a polished manner should also be kept top of mind for job seekers. If possible, previewing yourself before joining the Zoom call is suggested.”

4. What kind of things should you have in the background of your Zoom call to come off more professional?

“The less distraction in your background, the better. Having a blank wall behind you is best, however, consider a simple, clean virtual background to avoid distractions. You can also consider a preprogrammed Zoom background or use the blurring feature. People realize that everyone is at home and – in many cases – will have less control over their surroundings.”

5. Should you start the interview with casual questions or should you get right down to the interview? Is it better to let the interviewer start first to feel the tone of what kind of interviewing style they prefer so you can fall in line with that cadence?

“It is best to have the interviewer start first since they are ultimately guiding the conversation and asking the questions. This also sets the tone surrounding what kind of casual questions will be okay to ask throughout the interview, and what kind of overall experience the interviewer will cultivate. When the interviewer asks what questions you have at the end, feel free to ask any questions that will help you better understand if the job, the culture and the company are a good fit for you. The questions you ask can leave an impression when a hiring manager is considering multiple candidates for the open role.”

See all 6 tips and the complete The Ladders article

 

 

10 Inspiring Career Podcasts to Add to Your Playlist

By Adrianne Bibby

Podcasts with a focus on building a great career can be inspiring, insightful, and timely resources.

So, which career podcasts out there may be of interest to you? We’ve surveyed the landscape and come up with a variety of options that may help you plot your job search strategy and build a flexible, rewarding career.

10 Career-Focused Podcasts

 

1) Bossed Up

Tackling “a new career conundrum” in each episode, Bossed Up works to offer women and marginalized professionals the tools and confidence they need to move forward in their careers, on their own terms. Founder Emilie Aries is the host, exploring data-driven, tactical, and pragmatic insights in weekly sit-downs with industry experts.

2) CareerCloud

Downloaded more than 2,500 times a day, CareerCloud has guests like career coaches, resume writers, hiring managers, recruiters, and everyday job seekers. Topics include interview tips, networking strategies for recent grads, advice for seasoned professionals on how to get promoted, and more. CareerCloud is a resource to help listeners “build a career and a life of your choosing.”

7) Repurpose Your Career

Targeting people in “the second half of life,” Repurpose Your Career is a podcast offered by Career Pivot, an organization that helps professionals make changes later in their careers. Host and author Marc Miller, who’s made six career pivots over three decades, provides actionable strategies to help people who may feel overwhelmed by late-career shifts.

8) Side Hustle School

Ready to start your own side hustle? This daily podcast teaches you how to start a side job with just 20 minutes a day to help you explore new career opportunities, bring in more income, learn new skills, and provide employment security.

See all 10 Podcasts and the comlplete Flexjobs article

 

 

 

 

The 10 Worst Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Peter Vogt

You’ve been applying to jobs like crazy, but it seems as though all of your applications have disappeared into the black hole of the Internet. Wondering why your resume isn’t getting you any interviews? We’re willing to bet it’s not because you’re unqualified or just not good enough (which, for the record, you are good enough). It’s likely because resume mistakes are causing one or more fatal errors.

Job seekers, beware! All it takes is just one to strike your job search dead in its tracks. Definitely something entry-level workers need to be on the lookout for when writing your first resume.

Think your resume is perfect and bulletproof? Even the most experienced professionals still find themselves guilty of making resume mistakes. Plural.

With only a mere six seconds to “wow” a recruiter, having any kind of mistake on your resume is not a risk even the most daring of job seekers should take. After all, your resume is the first point of contact you make with a potential employer, so you want that first impression to be a strong, clear demonstration of just how awesome you are at what you do. That’s how you get an interview—and then once you rock that, a job.

As you write your resume—or give your resume its six-month update—make sure it doesn’t include any of these common resume mistakes listed below.

2. Lack of Specifics

Your resume shouldn’t simply state the obvious to a hiring manager. Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. For example:

A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting
B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales

Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer's attention.

3. Attempting the "One–Size–Fits–All" Approach

Whenever you try to develop a generic resume to send to all job ads, you almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin. Your lack of effort screams, “I’m not particularly interested in your company. Frankly, any ol’ job will do.”

Employers want to feel special and want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.

4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments

Your resume needs to show how good you are at your job, but it's all too easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing your duties. For example:

• Attended group meetings and recorded minutes
• Worked with children in a day-care setting
• Updated departmental files

That’s more or less an echo of your job description. Employers, however, don't care so much about what you've done as what you've accomplished in your various activities. One of the most basic resume tips is to go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. They're looking for statements more like these:

• Recorded weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference
• Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared them for a 10-minute holiday program performance
• Reorganized 10 years worth of unwieldy files, making them easily accessible to department members

Need help? Ask yourself these questions:

• How did you perform the job better than others?
• What were the problems or challenges faced? How did you overcome them? What were the results? How did the company benefit from your performance?
• Did you receive any awards, special recognitions, or promotions as a result?

See all 10 mistakes and the complete Monster article

 

 

 

How to ace the 50 most common interview questions

Travis Bradberry

Most people’s biggest job-hunting fear is being put on the spot by oddball interview questions such as these (which are real):

“Describe the color yellow to someone who’s blind.” – Spirit Airlines

“If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jelly beans, what would you do?” – Bose

“Who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman?” – Stanford University

Offbeat questions are nearly impossible to prepare for, and they don’t achieve the interviewer’s objective—to test out-of-the-box thinking and the ability to perform under pressure. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that companies are moving away from them. Recent research shows these questions do little more than boost the interviewer’s confidence. Even companies famous for oddball questions are abandoning them. In the words of Laszlo Bock, Google’s former HR chief:

“If you’ve heard that Google likes to pose brain-teaser questions to candidates—like why manhole covers are round—your information is out of date. There’s no evidence that they suggest how people perform on the job.

A Glassdoor study of tens of thousands of interviews found the 50 questions you’re most likely to be asked in your next interview:

1. What are your strengths?

2. What are your weaknesses?

3. Why are you interested in working for us?

4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

5. Why do you want to leave your current company?

See all 50 questions

Though these questions may be less exciting to prepare for than “Spiderman vs. Batman,” they are what you need to be ready for.

Most interviewees are only prepared for about 10 questions, so this list alone can give you a leg up. Study the list carefully and have answers ready—but not robotically rehearsed—so that you can speak comfortably, flexibly, and confidently about each of these topics.

If you want to make a great impression and stand out from the crowd, preparing for these 50 questions is not enough. Follow the 9 strategies below and weave the knowledge they impart into your responses. Then you’ll truly ace your interview.

1. Identify Your “Hook”

Most hiring managers interview a lot of people. So many that they generally have to go back to their notes to remember candidates—the exception being candidates with a strong hook. Sometimes these hooks are how people dress or their personality, but the best hook is a strong story that’s work-related. When you can wow an interviewer with a memorable story that shows what a strong candidate you are, you’ll rise to the top of the list.

3. …And Know What Makes You A Great Fit For It

Know exactly what makes you fit into the position perfectly and speak to it during the interview. What you makes you special? It could be that you’re an idea machine, or a statistical fanatic. Whatever it is, know it and prepare to fit it into your responses.

For example, when an interviewer asks, “What are your strengths?” skip the clichés and go right into qualities about you that are unique to the job. You’ll make it clear that you’re the perfect fit.

6. Practice, Practice, Practice

You, and everyone else interviewing for the job, already know many of the questions you’ll be asked. The difference lies in preparation. Preparing unique and position-specific responses will give you the competitive edge over everyone else. You don’t need to memorize answers, but instead know certain points of reference about yourself that you can apply to different questions.

Make sure to “mock interview” yourself. Video your responses until you’re able to speak comfortably and flexibly—as opposed to rotely regurgitating answers—about your prepared topics. Videoing yourself may feel awkward when you do it, but it will pay off during your interview.

Read all 9 tips for answering the top 50 questions