Follow these tips to create a resume for returning to work, and use the sample resume below for inspiration as you position yourself as a standout candidate.

What to Focus on in a Return to Work Resume

Prioritizing your strengths

Your job-specific strengths should be showcased more prominently than your work experience if you’ve been out of the workforce for a long time. It’s vital to instantly convey to hiring managers how you’re qualified for the job they’re hiring for, which can be done by moving the skills section of your resume to the top or using a format that places less of an emphasis on previous jobs (more on this below).

Modernizing your old resume

Your resume from before you left the workforce probably has a lot of good material, and your prior experience is still relevant. There’s no need to trash it and build a new resume from scratch completely. Use your old resume as a starting point, then modernize it.

The professional world has changed significantly in the last several years. Resume design norms have evolved, as has the way companies hire. Your resume should be current for the year you’re applying and adjusted to the post-pandemic world.

Why Do You Need a Resume for a Return to Work?

It’s the first thing hiring managers see

Your professionalism and charm might help you land the job… but first, you need to get the chance to exercise them by landing an interview. Your resume is one of the first things hiring managers see when you throw your hat in the ring for an open position, so getting it right is crucial to making a good first impression and breaking back into the workforce.

Highlight your transferable skills

Since you don’t have a current job for hiring managers to go on as a reference point, you need to help them see how your skills are relevant. What makes you qualified to do the job? Your resume connects your background from your prior career and the skills you developed during your time away from the workforce to the position you want now.

When Should You Use a Return to Work Resume?

Use this resume to:

• Return to work after taking time off
• Change careers after a gap in employment 
• Build professional connections that will help you land a job

Common Return to Work Resume Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Accounting for a long gap in employment

You have two options for handling a long employment gap on a resume. Your first option is to cite it directly by listing what you were doing during that time as an entry under experience, i.e., ‘stay-at-home mom.’ This makes certain hiring managers know the reason for the gap and may keep them from making negative assumptions. Your second option is to downplay your employment gap by making other sections of your resume more prominent or using an alternative format where employment is a secondary focus, like a functional resume. 

Demonstrating impressive accomplishments

It’s much easier to show how you can make an impact on an organization if you have a recent track record of closing big deals or exceeding performance goals. Since you don’t have recent work accomplishments to show, however, you’ll need to sell yourself as a candidate in other ways. Use your resume to highlight achievements and qualifications you’ve gained in other non-work experiences, such as participating in volunteer work or completing a specialized training program.

Return to Work Resume Format and Key Components

A chronological, functional, or combination resume format is a good choice for returning to work.

Your resume should include these components:

1. Contact information
   Begin with your name, address, phone number, and email address.
2. Summary
   A summary section is useful for job seekers who are returning to work, acting as your “elevator pitch” for why you’re a great candidate. Use it to sum up one to two of your strongest skills and highlight what you’d bring to the specific position and company. 
3. Skills
   Zero in on a handful of your top hard and soft skills and list them in a prominent section. As often as possible, use skills that are mentioned as requirements in the job description. This will help your resume get noticed by hiring managers and automated applicant tracking systems used to screen candidates. 
4. Accomplishments
   Share your most noteworthy work achievements that are both measurable and related to the job you are applying for. It is important to show the hiring manager that you are results-driven and have a history of exceeding expectations.
5. Education
   List your degree and the school(s) you attended. 
6. Experience
   List your work experience in reverse chronological order. If you’re using a functional resume format, group your experience or accomplishments by type–i.e., technical experience, leadership experience, etc. Under each item, give specific, detail-rich examples of your accomplishments in that position or area, citing numbers and quantifiable achievements as much as possible. 

FAQs

If you’ve spent the last few years at home doing the valuable work of raising children and you’re now ready for a new challenge, keep reading. The thought of breaking back into the workforce may seem daunting, but a strong cover letter is the best place to start to get things moving in the right direction. Here’s how you can write one that showcases your skills, highlights your past experience, and helps a hiring manager see you’re an excellent candidate.

What Is a Stay-At-Home Mom Cover Letter?

First, a cover letter is a formal document that accompanies a job application alongside your resume. It provides additional information about your background and motivations for seeking the role to which you’re applying. 

Think of it as your personal introduction to the manager or recruiter who will read it. It’s an opportunity to let them know exactly who you are and why you’re applying while describing the skills and experience that make you a great candidate for the job. A well-written cover letter will tell your story in a manner that will compel the reader to take the next step and schedule an interview.

Why it’s Important for Moms Returning to Work

Taking time off to raise children is a valid reason for a gap in work history that hiring managers will embrace. Your cover letter is essential in conveying that you’ve been doing something worthwhile during your break in formal employment. Use being a mom to your advantage in the competitive hiring process.

Explains employment gap

In addition to being a father, I’m also a staffing company owner who knows all too well the look in a hiring manager’s or recruiter’s eyes when they see a gap in employment. Believe me – the bias is real. When you’re a stay-at-home parent, your cover letter serves as an important tool to preempt any negative assumptions about the employment gap on your resume. It helps a hiring manager understand the reasons behind your job search and what you can contribute to their company.

Highlights relevant strengths

When positioned correctly, your time as a stay-at-home parent can be an asset to you as a candidate. Your cover letter should demonstrate how you’ve been exercising skills that will serve you in the role, like time management, organization, communication, and critical thinking. 

Conveys confidence

Reentering the workforce is a major commitment. A hiring manager wants to feel certain you’re up for the challenge and secure in your decision to return to work. Your cover letter should convey enthusiasm for the job you’re seeking and confidence in your ability to succeed in this new career phase. 

When Should You Send It?

When you’re ready to announce that you’re returning to work

Use a cover letter to help you break back into a former employer or previous industry, or to follow an entirely new career path. It’s an opportunity to tell your story the way you want it to be shared. Send it to friends, professional peers, and new contacts alike. It’s a perfect networking tool for letting everyone know exactly what you’re looking for in a new role.

When you need to explain a long gap in your work history

A cover letter answers questions related to your employment history before a hiring manager or recruiter needs to ask. Use it to explain your motives for staying home, and reasons for rejoining the professional world. A well-written letter can be a powerful tool for displaying commitment as both a parent and a prospective employee.

When you’re looking for a part-time job

If you’re looking to supplement your household income with a part-time or contract role, a cover letter can position you as a capable, dependable candidate. Customize the letter for individual jobs and companies, letting them know why you’re a great fit for the particular opportunity.

What to Include

• Introduction: State your name, the job you’re applying for, and any relevant information about how you found the role, like if a current company employee referred you. 
• Background information: Briefly explain your employment gap and your motivations for reentering the workforce. 
• Strongest skills: Emphasize the qualifications that make you a strong candidate, giving specific anecdotes to illustrate these skills wherever possible. 
• Personalization: Your cover letter is different from your resume in that it’s written in your own unique voice. Use this strategically to show the hiring manager your passion, enthusiasm, and investment in the field. 
• Conclusion: Invite the hiring manager to contact you for further discussion and sign off with a professional closing. 

What You Should Omit

Excessive personal details

Don’t over-explain your employment gap or share too much information about your individual story as a stay-at-home parent, as this may set you apart from other candidates in a negative way.

Making apologies or excuses

Being a stay-at-home mom is never something to apologize for, especially when returning to work. Don’t undervalue the time spent at home with your child(ren). Instead, highlight the transferrable skills and lessons you’ve learned.

Lack of confidence

Avoid expressing doubt about your ability to hit the ground running when you return to work. Instead, express confidence in your experience and knowledge. Use the cover letter to show enthusiasm to prospective employers.

Sample Cover Letter for Stay-At-Home Moms

Mr. Gagliano, 

My name is Cindy Schumacher and I’m writing to be considered for your certified nursing assistant position. Deborah Minor in your rehabilitation department is a close friend who referred me to the job. 

For the past five years, I’ve been a stay-at-home parent to my two children. During that time, I served as my children’s primary caregiver while managing our household finances, coordinating schedules, preparing meals, and completing housekeeping duties. For the past two years, I’ve volunteered as a patient advocate for Taconic Nursing Center in my spare time, helping patients and their families understand their care and make informed decisions. 

Before having children, I spent six years as a CNA at Grand Rehabilitation Center, a job I was passionate about. Now that my children have entered school, I’m eager to return to the workforce and bring my skills as a dedicated, dependable caregiver to a new set of patients. I believe my commitment, organizational skills, and empathetic nature would make me an asset to your team. 

Please contact me at 999-000-1234 to discuss the position further. I look forward to speaking with you. 

Sincerely, 

Cindy Schumacher

Highlighting your relevant skills and experience in a personal letter tailored to the job you’re seeking will help alleviate any concerns about your employment gap and show the hiring manager why you’d be a good fit for the role. 

What to Focus on in a Mid-Career Resume

Specialized skills

At this point in your career, you should have a pretty long list of technical and soft skills to your name. The ones that earn a spot on your resume should go beyond the basics, which are a given if you’ve moved beyond an entry-level job. If you’re a mid-level accountant, for example, noting your skills in advanced accounting concepts like intercompany transactions and trusts is going to be more impressive than listing QuickBooks.

Quantifiable achievements

Show how you’ve made an impact in your current and previous roles, using numbers and supporting details as much as possible. Dollar figures, growth percentages, time spans and volume are all good ways to quantify your achievements, i.e. ‘increased customer satisfaction ratings by 46% over a 12-month period.’

Career progression

When you have a few years of work under your belt, demonstrating career advancement on your resume is more important than documenting every single job you’ve ever held. Your positions and the descriptions you include for each of them should convey increasing levels of responsibility and leadership roles where applicable. 

Why Do You Need a Mid-Career Resume?

Hiring managers are more discerning when assessing mid-level candidates than they might be when considering entry-level candidates who are still learning the ropes. At this stage, employers are looking for candidates with a proven track record of making meaningful contributions in their roles. You need a resume to showcase these contributions. 

A mid-level resume is also necessary to differentiate yourself from other candidates with similar job titles and years of experience. How do you stand out? Why should a hiring manager choose you over the other applicants? Your resume should answer these questions and entice them to schedule an interview to learn more. 

When Should You Use a Mid-Career Resume?

Use a mid-career resume when:

• Applying for a job at a new company
• Seeking a lateral move or promotion within your company
• Changing careers

Common Mid-Career Resume Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Setting yourself apart from other candidates

While no two professionals are alike, they can appear pretty darn similar when you’re comparing them on paper. To help your resume stand out, avoid cliche words and phrases that are overused by job seekers–‘dynamic’, ‘innovative’, and ‘team player,’ to name a few. Instead, use more descriptive language that captures your actual contributions. 

For example, instead of being ‘responsible for’ an activity, maybe you ‘overhauled’ a process or ‘pioneered’ a new initiative. Focus on the results you achieved and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible using specific figures, as we mentioned earlier. 

Accurately capturing your career trajectory

One of the most important objectives of a mid-level resume is to show upward career progression. If you’re struggling to make it clear how you’ve grown and advanced, take a closer look at the descriptions listed under each job you’ve held. They should show increasing levels of responsibility–taking the lead on projects, dealing with clients, training or managing other employees, and so on. 

At this point in your career, it might also be time to expand your resume from one to two pages to accurately capture your path.

Demonstrating experience when you’re changing careers

Creating a resume when you’re changing careers can present a catch-22. You need relevant experience to get a job in the new industry, but you need to work in the industry to gain relevant experience. Instead of trying to concoct experience you simply don’t have, connect your actual skills–perhaps from unrelated experiences–to the ones the job description calls for. 

Maybe you want to move into a project management role. While you may not have had any duties with this exact title in the past, there are lots of different activities that require related skills. Helping plan a team event, coordinating different people’s schedules or even heading up a volunteer group can all be positioned as relevant experience for a project management role. 

Find ways to connect the experience you do have to the requirements of the role, using exact words and phrases from the job description, to help hiring managers see your potential.

Mid-Career Resume Format and Key Components

A chronological resume format is a good choice for mid-career professionals since it helps hiring managers clearly see your progression from one job to the next.

Here are the components to include on a mid-level resume:

1. Contact information
   Include the basics: your name, phone number, address, and email address. Your LinkedIn profile, website, or online portfolio can be added here, as well. If you have any credentials like an MBA, put them after your name so they’re immediately visible. These titles quickly tell hiring managers you have the qualifications associated with the credentials.
2. Professional summary or objective
   This should be highly customized and specific to both your skills and the types of roles you’re seeking. Here’s an example: ‘Technology-driven sales leader seeking a management position in a real estate firm where I can leverage my creativity and negotiation skills to exceed targets.’
3. Experience
   The experience section is the main substance of a mid-career resume. You want it to wow hiring managers, so don’t rush through it. Spend time carefully strategizing the best way to position each job you’ve held depending on who will be reading the resume. If the companies you’ve worked at are not household names, consider adding a short blurb alongside each one that describes them, i.e. ‘The Flamingo Group – Commercial real estate development serving the hospitality field.’
4. Education
   Once you have a few years of experience in the workforce, your education can move to the bottom of the resume, the exception being if you have an especially impressive or lengthy academic career.
5. Certifications (if applicable)
   Use this opportunity to list any relevant certifications you have for the position you are applying for.
6. Skills
   These usually take the form of a bulleted list and include your strongest, most relevant skills. They’re sometimes grouped at the top of a resume with the objective statement.

Related: The Best Resume Guide to Get You In the Door

FAQs

Returning to the workforce after an absence can be stressful. Will hiring managers wonder why you haven’t been working? Will they doubt your skills? These worries are all normal, and you can help alleviate them with an effective cover letter.

What Is a Returning to the Workforce Cover Letter?

A cover letter should be used when a candidate is applying for jobs after a period of not working. Since your resume will have a gap between your last job and the time when you’re applying for a new one, your cover letter is useful for explaining the gap. It helps convey how your skills–both from previous jobs and that you’ve acquired during your time out of the workforce–make you a strong candidate.

Why Address the Gap in Employment?

Gaps in employment on their own aren’t a red flag. People get sick, move, have children and take mental health breaks–all of which are valid reasons for stepping away from your career. It’s unexplained gaps that can give hiring managers pause. Thus, your cover letter is an important tool for alleviating their concerns and ensuring them that your gap in work history has no bearing on your ability to do the job.

A cover letter for returning to the workforce can also help showcase skills you’ve acquired during your employment gap, like organization and time management if you were raising a family, for example.

When Should You Use a Return to the Workforce Cover Letter?

When applying for a new job, you should send a cover letter for returning to the workforce at the same time you normally would. You can also use it as a more general job-searching tool to let former colleagues and professional acquaintances know you’re back in the market and looking to be hired.

Related: What Is a Returnship and How to Find One

What to Include:

• An introduction: Explain who you are and what job you’re applying for.
• A brief explanation of the gap: Spend a sentence or two explaining that you’re returning to work, but don’t dwell on how long you’ve been away.
• Highlights of your skills: Your skills and qualifications should make up the bulk of your letter. Be sure to tie them to the employer’s requirements in their job posting.
• A confident tone: Your letter should have a tone of confidence in your abilities and excitement about the new opportunity the job presents.

What to Omit

• An attempt to downplay your gap in employment. Be straightforward and don’t try to hide it.
• An apologetic tone. A gap in employment isn’t anything to be ashamed of.

Sample Returning to the Workforce Cover Letter

Mr. Henson, 

I’m a creative, diligent worker who easily juggles multiple projects simultaneously, so I believe I’m a great fit for your marketing account manager position. 

I’m excited to return to the workforce full-time after being a stay-at-home mom for the last four years. During that time, I’ve perfected my skills as a master organizer and multi-tasker. I’ve also completed several online classes and certifications in digital marketing to ensure my skills are sharp. 

Prior to having children, I spent eight years on the marketing team at Schultz & Co. I began as an administrative assistant and worked my way up to account coordinator and, eventually, account manager. I helped our clients win customers and drive sales through creative marketing initiatives, including a content marketing campaign for a children’s apparel retailer that delivered a 51% year-over-year increase in organic search traffic and a 3x increase in new email subscribers.

I work well as part of a team but am also comfortable managing projects independently. I’m a strong communicator and have a passion for helping brands tell stories in a compelling way. I would welcome the opportunity to further discuss the contributions I could make to your team. 

I look forward to speaking with you. 

Maria Thomas

By focusing on your skills and infusing your cover letter with enthusiasm, you’ll help ensure a smooth and successful return to the workforce after time off.

Related: Tips for Restarting Your Career After a Break

While creating an up-to-date resume might feel like an afterthought or a poor expenditure of time and effort, it’s still an essential document for the executive or board who’s hiring you. So double-click that dusty old Word file because it’s time to create an executive resume that shines.

What to Focus on in an Executive Resume

Noteworthy achievements

When interviewing for executive and C-level positions, your resume should read like a highlight reel of success stories and case studies. It needs to be much more ‘show’ than ‘tell,’ using action-oriented language and impressive metrics to demonstrate the results you’ve achieved. It should also spotlight the recognitions you’ve earned within your field.

The value you’ll bring

Executive hiring requires getting the right fit–finding the person who’s going to be better at the job than all the other people who could’ve done it adequately. What will you bring to the role that other candidates don’t have? What about your background makes you unique? You also need to spell out, in explicit terms, how you’ll help the company, whether that’s increasing profits, establishing a reputation, achieving sustainability, or whatever else is most important to your potential employer.

Why Do You Need an Executive Resume?

Convey your most current qualifications

Your resume isn’t a static document. It should be a dynamic, frequently updated record of your achievements. You don’t want to appear outdated by submitting a resume from ten years ago. Creating a current resume highlighting your most recent accomplishments will ensure you come across as the knowledgeable, up-to-date professional you are.

Speak directly to the job you want

It’s always a good idea to customize your resume for the job you want, but at the executive level, your resume should be highly tailored and created for a specific role and company. By writing a customized resume, you’ll ensure there are no questions about your ability to succeed in this particular role at this particular organization.

When Should You Use an Executive Resume?

Your credentials should speak for themselves at this point in your career, right? While it’s true that your reputation may precede you, you should still use a resume to:

• Define your personal brand
• Convey your value proposition
• Network
• Meet the requirements of the application process when looking for a job

Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Showing your personality

When hiring an executive, personality, and chemistry is just as important as hard skills. Someone with the right technical skills but the wrong fit for the company can be a disaster, both operationally and from a PR perspective. Let your individuality shine through your paper resume by taking a storytelling approach. Use language and phrases you’d actually use when describing your accomplishments to friends, and avoid “resume speak” that comes across as cliche rather than impressive.

Summing up a diverse career

If you’ve taken a long and winding road to get to where you are in your career, you’re not alone. Few executives follow a straight and direct path to the top, yet capturing a diverse career in a couple of pages can be tough. Instead of trying to document every twist and turn in your professional life, use the above-the-fold space of your resume—the top half of the first page and the space that’s most likely to be read–to sum up your core competencies and most exceptional accomplishments. Then, use the rest of the space to go into greater detail for readers that make it that far.

Lacking C-suite experience

If you’re looking to land your first executive role, you’ve got to start somewhere. Build your resume the same way you would if you were a seasoned C-suite veteran. Emphasize leadership experience; department head and similar roles look great on an executive resume.

Executive Resume Format and Key Components

The functional or combination resume formats are a good choice for executive-level professionals. A functional resume showcases skills and accomplishments over work history, while a combination resume is a happy medium to showcase both relevant experience and prominent skills.

Here are the key components to include in your executive resume:

1. Custom header
   Expand upon the traditional contact info to create a resume header that makes a statement. Include any professional credentials (MBA, CPA, etc.) and a summary statement that encapsulates your key achievements and the value you bring. Here’s an example:
   
   ‘Accomplished international sales executive with expertise in multichannel product distribution, strategic partnerships, and growth marketing. Creative, decisive leader with a proven track record of managing multi-million dollar accounts, identifying new markets, and coaching sales teams to exceed targets.’
   
   Don’t be afraid to go a little longer than the one- to two-sentence objective statements that are customary for lower-level positions. This section of your resume is your best chance to make an impact, so use the space to its full potential.
2. Skills and competencies
   List your most prominent skills/areas of expertise here. This is not meant to be a laundry list of every single thing you can do; most well-rounded leaders possess dozens of strong skills. Instead, it should spotlight a handful of areas where you’re more knowledgable or it’s reasonable to say you’re an expert.
3. Experience
   It’s up to you whether to list your work experience in reverse-chronological order, like in a traditional resume, or group experiences by skill type, like in a functional resume. The key in this section is highlighting noteworthy accomplishments. Use metrics to quantify your achievements (i.e., ‘oversaw $40 million in contracts across 12 countries’) and show successes wherever possible.
4. Professional achievements, credentials, associations, and other awards
   Professional accolades, specialized certifications, leadership roles in industry organizations, and other relevant activities can be listed in their own dedicated section in bullet-point form.
5. Education
   Save this section for the bottom of your resume unless something makes it especially relevant to the position. Include the school and the degree you obtained.

Related: The Best Resume Guide to Get You In the Door

Executive Resume FAQs

Even if you’re excited about this new chapter, you might be nervous about breaking the news to your employer. This is to be expected. After all, you’ve been a loyal employee, and they’ll probably be sad to see you go. Letting your employer know you’re retiring isn’t easy, but it’s necessary to conclude your employment on a positive note and begin a smooth transition into this next phase of your life. 

Follow these tips for how to write a retirement announcement letter, and use our sample retirement letter below as your template.

What Is a Retirement Announcement?

A retirement letter is the formal notice an employee gives their company of their intentions to retire. It specifies a date for the end of their employment and outlines any important transition details. Additionally, it often includes expressions of gratitude for the opportunities and experiences gained during their tenure and well-wishes for the company’s future. It serves as an official document for HR purposes and can also be a platform for the retiree to share reflections on their career and hopes for the next phase of life.

Why Is It Important to Send a Retirement Announcement?

Though you may have already given your boss a vague idea that you’re retiring soon, sending a retirement letter makes it official. It’s important for the company to have documentation of your notice for their records and to kick off the official process for wrapping up your employment. Moreover, a formal retirement announcement allows for a smooth transition, giving your employer ample time to find a suitable replacement and plan for any necessary knowledge transfer. It also shows professionalism and respect for your role and the organization, leaving a positive final impression and maintaining good relationships for potential future interactions.

When Should You Make the Announcement About Retiring?

When it comes to sharing the news that you plan to retire, there’s a bit of a sweet spot you want to hit. Share the news too early, and you risk being pushed out or made redundant earlier than you’d planned. Share it too late, and you risk putting your employer in a bind and creating an awkward situation during your last days on the job. 

While two weeks is the standard notice period for quitting a job, most professionals usually opt to give their employer more notice when they’re retiring; three to six months is a standard time frame. As a more tenured staff member, you hold a lot of intellectual capital about your job, giving you plenty of time to transition to someone new. Now, let’s take a look at how to write a retirement announcement.

How to Write a Retirement Announcement

The top things to include in a retirement announcement are:

Date

Specify in your letter the date you’ll end your employment early. 

A thank you

Next, thank your employer for the opportunities they’ve given you. This is a good chance to cite some personal examples of how working there has advanced your career, like getting the chance to lead a team or work with creative, talented colleagues.

Some highlights of your employment

Depending on your role, you might consider touching on some of your accomplishments during your tenure at the company. This builds positive feelings and reminds your employer of your many contributions.

Your contact information

While it will be up to your employer to hammer out the specifics of how your position will be filled, it’s a nice gesture to offer to help in the transition (within reason). If you’re open to it, share how they can reach you after completing your employment.

A copy for HR

Your company will have its own list of boxes you need to check before you’re officially set to receive any retirement benefits to which you’re entitled. Be sure to put the notice in writing for them with a hard copy delivered to your human resources manager.

Related: How to Resign Without Burning Bridges

Sample Retirement Letter

Dear Mr. Swanson, 

I’m writing to announce my upcoming retirement from Swanson Enterprises, effective March 31. 

It has been an honor serving the company in various roles over the last 20 years, most recently as operations manager. I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given here. One of the highlights of my tenure was launching the annual managers’ retreat, which has grown into one of the most anticipated company events of the year. 

If I can assist during this upcoming transition, I can be reached at (987) 654-3210.

I wish you the best in all future endeavors.

Sincerely, 

Hillary Richards

Retirement Letter Template

Dear [NAME], 

This letter is to inform you of my upcoming retirement from [JOB TITLE], effective [DATE].

Thank you for the many opportunities you’ve given me as an employee. It’s been a pleasure to work alongside such a talented team. One of the accomplishments I’ll look back on fondly is [ACCOMPLISHMENT]. 

I am happy to be of assistance during the transition. You can reach me at [CONTACT INFO]. 

Sincerely, 

[NAME]

We’ll explain how to get a job as a stay-at-home mom and explore some of the best opportunities that pair well with your existing role of diaper-changer-in-chief. 

The Best Stay-At-Home Mom Jobs

1. Medical transcriptionist

Doctors see dozens of patients per day. One way they save time and keep their records from getting confused is by making voice recordings. A medical transcriptionist listens to those recordings and transcribes the audio into a written report. 

To be a medical transcriptionist, you’ll need a computer with reliable WiFi and a headset. How much you make depends on how many hours you work and your arrangement with your company. Some transcriptionists work full-time hours, while others complete recordings here and there as they have time. The average pay is about $25 an hour. 

2. Medical coder

When a doctor bills an insurance company for a patient’s visit, they do so by using a series of medical codes. But the doctor doesn’t sit down and put together the codes themself–that’s the job of a medical coder. It’s a job that’s perfect for doing remotely, and the persistent healthcare staffing shortage means medical coders are in high demand. 

To learn the coding ropes, you’ll need to complete a certification program, which can be done in as little as nine months. There are varying levels of certification that can boost your earnings. Typically, medical coders earn between $24 and $32 an hour. 

3. Copywriter

If you have a flair for the written word, you can earn a healthy paycheck by lending your voice to other professionals as a copywriter. Content writers help companies communicate their message in written materials like blog posts, emails and brochures. 

Since most of a copywriter’s work isn’t urgent, it can easily be completed while kids are napping, in school, or in the evenings. You can set your own rates and work with various clients, choosing projects that interest you. Freelance content writers may charge by the project, by the hour, or by the word.

4. Social media manager

These days, businesses must have a presence on social media, but many smaller companies don’t have the resources to manage the task themselves. You could excel as a social media manager if you have a smartphone and a knack for racking up likes. Depending on the company, it’s a gig that could be completed with just a few spare hours each week. 

Get started by offering to help a friend with posts for her small business or find freelance gigs on a talent marketplace. Freelance social media managers typically charge between $15 and $35 an hour. 

5. Nannying

Since you’re already keeping an eye on your own child(ren) during the day, why not add another into the mix? Your child will benefit from a new playmate while you’ll earn some extra cash for work you’re already doing anyway. 

Some moms offer nannying services in their home, while others bring their child along to a full-time nannying job at another family’s house. If you share parenting duties with a partner and can free up your afternoons, you can help other families bridge the childcare gap between when school lets out and when mom and dad get home.

Nannying rates vary widely based on where you live.

6. Administrative support

As a mom, you’re already a seasoned pro at maintaining calendars, coordinating travel, and planning events. Many companies would love to leverage your skills to help keep their offices running smoothly. 

Working as a virtual assistant is a similar role where you help a single professional with their job-related and personal needs, from conducting research to scheduling appointments with service providers to making dinner reservations. 

Admins and VA’s can work full- or part-time. Tasks will vary based on the specific needs of the company or client, and the average hourly rate ranges between $18 and $35.

7. Customer service

If you’re like many moms, you have some free time between the hours of about 7 and 11 p.m. You could make money using this time to answer customer service inquiries for one or more companies. 

Don’t want to spend your precious evening hours on the phone with needy customers? Not to worry. Some customer service roles, like technical support help desks, only require you to respond via email or live chat. Remote customer service reps can expect to earn around $20 an hour. 

8. Cleaning

If you live in an urban or suburban area, you could make extra cash cleaning office buildings after workers head home. Cleaning companies routinely hire moms with evening availability. 

If you’re in an area that’s not a big business hub, you could start up your own one-woman cleaning operation and offer your services to small businesses. At between $150 and $500 per cleaning, just a handful of clients could add up to a sizable monthly check.

9. Translation

Being bilingual has many perks, including making money! Companies in all industries hire translators to help them conduct their business activities across borders. Once you’ve built up some experience, you can easily earn $30 an hour as a freelance translator working on your own schedule. 

10. Tutoring online

Math, English, history… whatever your favorite subject was in school, why not reignite your passion by helping teach it to the next generation? Online tutoring has seen sky-high demand since the onset of COVID-19 and parents everywhere have seen the advantage of a little extra virtual help for their kids. 

Online tutoring rates vary widely, from $15 to $40 an hour, but the average online tutor earns about $25.

How to Find a Job as a Stay-At-Home Mom

Our virtually connected world means it’s easier than ever to find stay-at-home mom jobs that will exercise your skills and pay you well for your time. 

The best place to start is a service that’s meant specifically for your situation, like HireMyMom. HireMyMom was designed to help small businesses solve their hiring challenges by connecting with a talented and dependable yet underutilized segment of the workforce: mothers. Moms can access legitimate job listings from verified businesses, get help polishing their resumes, and expand their skills with virtual training. 

Outside of sites geared specifically to moms, there are plenty of remote work marketplaces like Upwork, where you can browse job listings that fit your skills and availability. 

There’s also likely a gold mine of opportunities right in your neighborhood; local Facebook groups and community bulletin boards in most towns are peppered with posts from people looking for help, from babysitting to house cleaning to administrative support. 

Start Applying to Work-From-Home Mom Jobs Today

This list is a great place to start, but today’s freelance economy makes it possible to translate almost any skill into a side hustle. Consider selling your creations on a site like Etsy if you’re crafty. If you’re a wonderful baker, post a few flyers around town and take orders for custom cakes. 

With a little ingenuity–which all moms have loads of–you’ll earn extra money and maybe even discover a newfound calling as an entrepreneur. 

These are valid concerns, but the recent talent shortage is on your side. Many employers are more than happy to welcome returning candidates back to the workforce, and one way they’re doing it is through returnships. 

We’ll explain how a returnship might be the perfect option to help you break back into your career while brushing up on your skills, building beneficial relationships, and more. 

What Is a Returnship?

A returnship is a formal, paid program hosted by an employer to help adults who have taken time away from their careers return to the workforce. It’s a play on the word internship, but unlike an internship, which is geared toward recent grads, a returnship is targeted specifically toward people who have already been in the workforce at some point. 

Returnships are growing in popularity, especially in the wake of the tight labor market of the last few years. Companies are doing whatever they can to attract great workers, and that includes using returnships as a strategy to bring back qualified candidates who’ve taken a career break and even lure older employees out of retirement. They’re a great way for employers to cast a wider net and reach more diverse audiences. 

Benefits of a Returnship

Reenter the workforce with a structure

Reentering the workforce can be a daunting undertaking. Participating in a returnship gives you a mapped-out path to make your comeback. 

Since it’s designed specifically for people rejoining the workforce, you don’t need to worry as much about whether you’re out of the loop on important technology advances or changes to office norms. A structured program will help you get back into the swing of things while filling in any gaps that have developed during your time away. This can be a welcome alternative to diving straight into applying for full-time jobs.

Leverage your niche skills

Many returnships are geared specifically to career returners with a particular skill set, like IT or finance. Such programs are a good way to capitalize on your most marketable qualities while simultaneously getting up to speed on what has changed while you were away. 

Plus, being around like-minded individuals in your field gives you a chance to develop new relationships and seek out a mentor, which can be an invaluable asset when you’re relaunching your career. 

Reignite your passion

When you’ve been away from your career for a while, those warm fuzzy feelings you used to have about it may have faded. It’s possible your ambitions have taken a backseat to family commitments or other concerns. A returnship can help light the spark anew. 

You’ll have the opportunity to compare notes with other returners in the same boat as you and connect with program leaders who can help breathe new life into your professional network. 

Access new opportunities

Not every returnship requires participants to have previous experience in the field. Some are set up as an option for those who are changing careers. This can give you a leg up in overcoming barriers to entering a new field, like if you have some DIY coding skills but don’t have any formal developer jobs to list on your resume. 

Returnships are also viable for non-traditional candidates, like people without a high-school diploma or retirees breaking into the workforce. 

Obtain a full-time position

While there are no guarantees, you’ll walk away from a returnship with a job offer, many times, that’s exactly what happens. Companies are obviously looking for the upside of hosting such programs, and if they can gain a qualified new hire out of it, it’s a win-win. 

Even if you don’t get a full-time job with the company right away, you’ll have made valuable internal connections and gotten a crash course in their way of doing things, which makes you a stronger candidate for future positions. It’s a viable way of making inroads at some of the most well-known employers, like Amazon and LinkedIn (both of which have returnship programs).

How to Find a Returnship

Research online

There’s no single database cataloging every company that offers returnships, so Google is going to be your best friend in finding one that’s a good fit. 

Many of the most prominent returnship programs have been written about by news outlets, and companies also typically put out a press release when they launch a returnship program. So, be sure to check the Google News tab in search results to discover relevant programs. 

If you’re just getting started and want to get an idea of what’s available, iRelaunch is a great resource. They have an excellent list of companies that offer return-to-work programs, including The Home Depot, Visa, PepsiCo, and NBC Universal, just to name a few. 

Search social media

Social media is another great place to learn about returnship opportunities. 

For example, a quick search on LinkedIn for the word ‘returnship’ produced a list of available returnship positions, a selection of posts from executives promoting their returnship programs, and a list of LinkedIn members with job titles like Returnship Director. This gives you plenty of avenues to go about pursuing different return-to-work programs. 

Work with a recruiter

If you’ve never worked with a recruiter (which is someone who specializes in helping candidates find jobs), now might be the perfect time to start. Look specifically for recruiters with experience with candidates reentering the workforce or those with connections at the companies you’re most interested in. 

Related: How to Connect With a Recruiter on LinkedIn

Brush up your application materials

Being out of the workforce for longer than a few months means your resume probably needs a refresh. Update it to reflect any valuable skills or experience you obtained during your time off.

Next, create a cover letter that briefly explains your career break and why you’d make a strong candidate for the returnship. Focus on your enthusiasm for getting back into the workforce and why you’re specifically interested in this program. Both your resume and your return to the workforce cover letter should be customized for every individual program you’re applying to.

Related: The Best Resume Guide to Help You Stand Out

Prepare for the admission process

This is no internship; it’s a full-time, paid position, so be prepared for a thorough selection process. You’ll likely go through at least one interview, so brush up on your question-and-answer technique. 

The questions in a returnship interview will be similar to those you’d face in a regular job interview but expect a heavier focus on why you’re getting back into the workforce and what your ambitions are for your career.

Also, if you’re not well-versed in the video interviewing tools that have become ubiquitous in the last five years, like Zoom, do a trial run ahead of time to help things go smoothly. 

Securing a returnship takes a little legwork, but it’s an excellent step in the right direction when you’re ready to resume or redirect your career.

Related: Tips for Restarting Your Career After a Break

The good news is that career breaks are more common than you might think. Today, there are ample resources available for job seekers reentering the market after time off. We’ll dive into the many legitimate reasons for taking a career break and share our expert tips for getting back into the workforce after a hiatus.

How Common Are Career Breaks?

Career breaks are becoming more common, especially in the wake of the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2020 and 2021. According to a LinkedIn survey of more than 20,000 workers around the world, 62% of people have taken time off from their professional career at some point. 

To help accommodate the growing number of people taking career breaks and to push for normalization of the practice, LinkedIn recently introduced a new ‘Career Breaks’ category. Members can use the tool to officially denote gaps in traditional work and explain what they did during that time.

Since it’s becoming more commonplace for people to take time out of the workforce, employers’ attitudes toward career gaps are also shifting. At a time when hiring is historically challenging, hiring managers and recruiters have started to recognize people reentering the workforce as a valuable talent pool. 

Half of hiring managers around the world say career breaks are becoming more common, while about 40% of the Fortune 50 have in-house career reentry programs that cater toward individuals returning to the workforce.

Why Do People Take Career Breaks?

A career break can last anywhere from a few months to several years, and there are countless reasons people choose to step away from their jobs. 

Workers take career breaks to:

• Start a family
• Care for a relative
• Go back to school
• Recover from an illness
• Focus on mental health
• Travel
• Take a sabbatical
• Re-evaluate their career path
• Pursue a passion project
• Volunteer

All of these are perfectly legitimate reasons for taking a career break and can be positioned in a positive light if you’re looking to go back to work. 

Tips for Successfully Restarting Your Career

1. Strategize your explanation

While the stigma around career breaks has subsided, you’ll still need to explain to prospective employers that you weren’t just sitting on the couch binging Netflix for a year. Before you begin job searching, consider how you’ll position the break to employers. It’s best to be honest, but you also want to cast your decision in a positive light. 

The second piece of your explanation is helping hiring managers feel confident that you’re not going to be leaving the workforce again any time soon. This is fairly simple; you just need to show them that whatever motivated the career break in the first place has either ended or is no longer a factor. 

For example, if you took time off to raise small children, you might give an explanation during your job interview like, “now that our family is complete and my kids are in school, I’m excited to devote my energy to a new challenge.” 

Don’t be apologetic about taking a career break. Instead, it’s best to speak about your break matter-of-factly and with confidence. 

2. Update your resume

As career breaks become more common, so does calling them out directly on job seeker materials. Depending on what you were doing during that time, you may choose to give the activities their own entry on your resume. 

Let’s say you took time off to care for an elderly parent. You might list your role as ‘caregiver’ and list duties like ‘provided full-time care for parent’ and ‘managed all medical, personal and social needs.’

Explain how the break strengthened you professionally, whether by learning new skills or acquiring valuable experiences. Write about your experience in a way that’s relevant to the jobs you’re applying for. Traveling the world, for example, could make you a prime candidate for a position that requires communicating across different cultures. Raising young children cements organization and time-management skills.

Related: The Best Resume Guide to Get You In the Door

3. Polish your online presence

If you’ve been busy focusing on life commitments outside of work, it’s probably been a while since you Googled yourself. Before you submit any applications, type your name into the search engine and see what comes up. This is a routine step for potential employers, so it’s important to know what they’ll be looking at. 

Optimize your LinkedIn profile and consider incorporating the a career break section we mentioned earlier. If you have a website attached to your name, make sure it’s professional and current. Give your social media profiles a once-over to make sure they’re fit for discerning eyes or consider setting them to private for the duration of your job search.

Related: How to Connect With a Recruiter on LinkedIn

4. Tap into your network

Your personal and professional connections are some of the strongest sources for leads when you’re reentering the workforce, so let the people in your life know you’re job searching. 

To avoid getting spammed with irrelevant job posts from well-meaning relatives, it’s a good idea to offer some context on what you’re looking for when you tell people about your search. You can also update the headline in your LinkedIn profile–that’s the blurb of text that appears just below your name–with an objective-style statement that summarizes your qualifications and conveys that you’re open to opportunities. 

Reach out to mentors, old bosses with whom you had a good relationship, and other well-connected colleagues. If there’s a company you loved working for in the past, it’s worthwhile to reach out to their internal recruiters to share your resume and learn about any open positions that might be a good fit.

5. Build your skill set

If you’ve only been out of the game for a few months, you might be able to move back into your old career fairly seamlessly. If you’ve been away for several years, though, you might need to brush up on your skills to make sure you’re a competitive candidate. This is particularly true if you’re in a field where things change rapidly from year to year, like social media.

If your skills are lacking in certain areas, consider taking an online course or pursuing a certification that will bring you up to speed. 

6. Brush up on your industry

Just as the most in-demand skills in your field may have changed, so might the field itself. The pandemic has turned many industries on their head, with companies folding and merging and business models shifting dramatically. 

Read industry publications and follow blogs to make sure you’re in the loop about the latest developments in your field. Browse LinkedIn to see if your connections have changed companies and roles. Consider attending a conference, which is a great way to quickly immerse yourself back into the hustle and bustle of your field.

7. Seek out career reentry programs

Reentry programs sometimes called ‘returnships,’ are structured programs offered by companies to recruit and develop people looking to rejoin the workforce after being away. They’re offered by the likes of Amazon, Wells Fargo, Netflix and more. 

If a company has such a program, it’s a strong signal that they’re welcoming of applicants with career breaks on their resumes. Check out iRelaunch and PathForward for lists of hundreds of companies that offer reentry programs. 

8. Prepare for interviews

It’s amazing how fast your interviewing skills can get rusty. Before you come face to face with a hiring manager, practice with a mentor or other trusted colleague. 

Think like a hiring manager: what questions are they likely to ask? Specifically, what will they want to know about your career break, and what’s the ideal way to address the topic? 

Spending some time thinking through common interview questions and the best way to answer them will help you feel cool and collected going into your first interview after your time off. 

9. Consider alternative options

Returning to the workforce doesn’t have to mean diving head first into full-time employment. You can also make the transition by freelancing, consulting, or negotiating nontraditional hours, all of which are becoming more common. 

Congratulations on your decision to return to your career! By keeping your skills at the forefront and positively explaining your break, you can confidently reenter the workforce whether you’ve been away for months or years.

As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, exhaustion and demoralization have taken a toll on the nursing workforce. When the world was forced to stay home, nurses made the sacrifice of going to work each day. Many nurses have already left their line of work or at least considered it, dreaming of opportunities with remote work and flexible schedules.

But a nurse’s sense of purpose and desire to care for people can extend far beyond just healthcare settings. These skilled professionals can redirect their devotion to many different industries, such as an insurance nurse.

Learn more about the duties and benefits of this important healthcare position below.

What is an Insurance Nurse?

An insurance nurse plays a vital role in accurately assessing patients. They use a combination of verbal questions and non-verbal clues to analyze a patient’s current health conditions and treatment plans. 

Insurance nurses will then provide and communicate insurance plan options to the patient based on their assessment. Their work gives insurance companies a firm foundation on which to build future medical treatment plans and determine claims eligibility. Because insurance nurses monitor their patients on an ongoing basis, they’re the go-to source for any changes in the status quo that may require medical intervention.

Unlike traditional nurses who work alongside doctors, insurance nurses are used by insurance agencies to check on the status of patients in the field. They may travel to assess patients in their homes, then report back to the agency on any changes to the patient’s condition. They will coordinate with these insurance companies and their patients to execute care plans and advise them on policies and loss claims. 

Some common duties of an insurance nurse include the following:

• Facilitating assessments in remote or home settings
• Asking questions about patients’ physical condition, medical history, and family history
• Understanding patients’ unique requirements and preferences
• Providing suitable insurance plan options to patients
• Advising patients on loss claims
• Creating enrollment and continued eligibility determinations 
• Reviewing previous assessments and collaborating with agencies to determine necessary adjustments or updates
• Offering guidance with wellness strategies such as prevention plans and self-care techniques 
• Monitoring patient information as it changes over time and communicating those changes to the insurance agency

Perks of Insurance Nurse Jobs

Work anywhere in the country

Insurance nurse jobs aren’t limited by geographic boundaries. People in every part of the country need reliable healthcare, so you’ll see strong job prospects everywhere you go. 

High salary

The healthcare industry offers some of the best-paying jobs around, and insurance nurses are no exception. The average salary for an insurance nurse in the U.S. is $80,000 annually. Since hiring qualified workers is challenging, many companies are offering sign-on bonuses in the thousands of dollars for new insurance nurses. 

Job stability

Insurance nurses play an indispensable role in the treatment process, enjoying consistent work with predictable hours. They typically work for established, reputable employers like life insurance providers and medical groups, which means a high level of job security and benefits such as health insurance and a 401(k). 

Flexibility

If it’s the flexibility you’re after, a job as an insurance nurse can offer that, as well. Many positions are on a contract-to-hire basis, which means you’ll have the opportunity to feel it out and see if the role is a good fit before mutually agreeing to long-term employment. 

Job growth

Nursing jobs won’t be drying up any time soon. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong job growth of 6% for registered nurses and 13% for all healthcare occupations from 2021 to 2031.  

Diverse opportunities

While many insurance nurses find it to be a rewarding and lucrative long-term career on its own, there is also a broad range of opportunities available to transition into other roles down the road if you choose to. In conjunction with the right education, a job as an insurance nurse equips you with relevant experience to become a nurse manager, nurse practitioner, or nursing administrator, among other careers.

Fulfilling career

How many people can look back at their work that day and say they made a difference in someone’s life? Not many, but it’s a feeling you’ll enjoy daily as an insurance nurse. Providing quality advice and policies on treatment plans, medication, and other health concerns.

Insurance Nurse Work Environment

Insurance nurses work for health and life insurance companies like Aetna, Humana, and Cigna. With these organizations, they assess patients one on one in a remote or home environment. 

Other insurance nurse jobs are a hybrid between working in the field and working remotely, making home visits to patients and then spending the rest of their time completing paperwork. With the rise of telemedicine in recent years, insurance nurses can use virtual visits and the additional benefits related to remote work. 

Insurance nurses typically work on a fixed schedule with routine hours. Though some jobs may require night and weekend shifts, insurance nurses don’t generally see the irregular, unpredictable hours that might be worked in a job like ER nursing. 

Requirements For Insurance Nursing Jobs

Being an insurance nurse requires you to look at the data available to you and draw conclusions from it, so you’ll need precise critical thinking skills. Good time management is also necessary to keep pace in a remote or hybrid setting. 

Insurance nurses must take the information they learn from patients and input it into their organization’s assessment system using a standardized format. So, you’ll need to have basic computer skills and be comfortable moving between different applications quickly. 

As an insurance nurse, you’re constantly communicating with people, patients, their families, or insurance company members. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, are a must. Having a compassionate attitude will go a long way in building rapport with patients that will help you get to the root of their medical problems. 

If you’re still in school, working with the elderly and other vulnerable groups, like volunteering at a nursing home, will help you gain valuable experience that makes you a strong candidate for an insurance nursing job. Being bilingual can also open up more job opportunities. 

How Do I Become an Insurance Nurse?

While many insurance nurse jobs require you to have your RN license, some require only an associate’s degree in nursing, which can be obtained in two years. Many two-year nursing programs also set you up to take the NCLEX-RN exam, which is the assessment required to get your RN license, so you’ll kill two birds with one stone. 

If you’re looking at a traditional four-year college plan, getting your bachelor’s degree in nursing is a great path. It will qualify you for insurance nurse jobs and equip you with additional, more specialized skills.

Ready to take the next step to become an insurance nurse and enjoy the high pay and benefits that come with it? Or maybe you need to build your nursing team with reputable, reliable candidates. Turn to the established, experienced healthcare staffing professionals at 4 Corner Resources. 

We support some of the nation’s largest and most successful medical organizations in finding skilled healthcare workers and can help you find your next great job or meet your company’s hiring needs. Browse open jobs now or learn more about our healthcare industry staffing expertise here. 

Whatever the case may be, turning down a job offer is something you’ll probably have to do at least once in your career. Whether it’s because you realized the position wasn’t a good fit, you got a better offer from another company or some other reason entirely, being able to tactfully decline a job offer will serve you well in your professional life. 

We’ll share the right way to turn down a job and some helpful tips for bowing out gracefully. 

Why It’s Important To Decline A Job Offer The Right Way

You should never blow off a job offer, even if you’ve got a better one in hand. You’ve presumably been careful to act professionally throughout the interview process thus far, and your behavior shouldn’t change just because you won’t be taking the job. Tactfully declining the offer is an important step in maintaining a positive reputation. 

The professional world is a small one, and it becomes even smaller when you’re interviewing at different companies in the same industry. It’s not uncommon for managers at competing firms to know one another or even be friends, and you never know when they’ll compare notes on who they’re interviewing. The last thing you want to do is to damage your reputation at the company you’ve decided to work for by acting poorly towards the one you didn’t choose. 

Don’t burn bridges. Instead, you want to decline a job offer in a way that leaves the door open for a relationship in the future if the situation or timing is a better fit. 

How To Decline A Job Offer Step By Step

1. Be Timely

Once you’ve decided that you won’t be taking the job, let the company know as soon as possible. This is a professional courtesy that will be much appreciated by the hiring manager, who’s likely eager to get a new hire up and running in the position. 

Share your decision with the person who sent you the offer before telling anyone else. If it’s been a long and/or intensive interview process, it’s a good idea to break the news on the phone. Otherwise, an email works for informing them of your decision. 

Related: How to Withdraw From the Interview Process

2. Say Thank You

Use a tone of appreciation for the hiring manager’s time. Yes, it’s part of their job to hire people, but they’ve likely invested many hours vetting your resume, scheduling and conducting your interviews, and potentially going to bat for you with their superiors. So, show your gratitude by saying thanks. If you made a personal connection with them, this is a nice opportunity to call it out. For example, ‘I really enjoyed talking with you about our shared interest in emerging AI technologies.’

Related: How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview

3. Give A Reason

Unless something went horribly off course during the interview process or the hiring manager mortally offended you somehow, it usually makes sense to give them some context about why you’ve decided to go in a different direction. 

Keep it short and don’t go into too much detail. This isn’t the time to share your feedback on how they could have made a better impression or to share that this was an agonizing decision for you. Instead, go with something brief and semi-generic, like ‘after careful consideration, I’ve decided to accept a position at another company that I felt was a stronger fit for my skills.’

4. Consider Keeping In Touch

One of the great things about professional relationships is their potential to evolve over time. Just because a position wasn’t the perfect fit for you right now doesn’t mean you need to write off the relationship you’ve built with the hiring manager. You might cross paths again in a few years. If you feel it makes sense, include an invitation to keep in touch when you decline the job offer. 

Sample Script To Decline A Job Offer When You’ve Accepted Another Position

Richard, 

It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and learning more about RR Steam Engine Company. I greatly appreciate the time you’ve taken to consider me for the role of chief engine operator.  

While the job seems like a great opportunity, I’ve decided to accept a different position that will offer me more of a chance to manage a team.

I wish you the best for this year’s travel season and hope our paths cross again in the future. 

Sincerely, 

Josephine

Sample Script To Decline A Job Offer When The Job Is Not A Good Fit

Sandra, 

Thank you for offering me the role of lion tamer at the Minneapolis Zoo. 

While it’s been wonderful getting to know you and your team, I’ve decided that the job isn’t the right fit for my broader career goals. 

I sincerely wish you the best in your future endeavors and look forward to visiting the renovated lion exhibit this spring. 

Best, 

Tony

Sample Script To Decline A Job Offer Because Of Pay

Alejandro, 

Thank you very much for the opportunity to work at 360 Marketing. 

While it sounds like an exciting position and I thank you for your willingness to negotiate, I must decline the job at the current salary. 

It’s been a pleasure working with you throughout the interview process and I hope we can stay in touch.

Sincerely, 

Diana

Helpful Tips For Turning Down A Job Offer

Be Direct 

Don’t use language that may appear to waver, like ‘I think’ or ‘I feel,’ which may risk giving the impression that you’re still considering taking the job. Use direct language that makes it clear you’re declining the offer. 

Don’t Criticize

Even if the interview process made you want to run for the hills, don’t use this as an opportunity to lay out everything that’s wrong with the company. If you can’t be totally forthcoming about your reasons for not taking the job, say something generic like ‘I’ve decided to move forward with another company.’

Be Prepared For A Counter Offer

While it’s rare for a company to come back and make a second offer after being turned down, it’s not unheard of. Perhaps you were in heavy negotiations about salary and they weren’t fully convinced you’d walk away if they didn’t offer the amount you asked for. Or, maybe they’re simply willing to meet whatever requests you have to get you to come onboard. 

When declining an offer, it’s helpful to consider this possibility and how you might respond to it. Are you declining, full stop, or is there something that could make you change your mind? Giving it some thought ahead of time ensures you’re not caught off guard if the hiring manager poses the question on the spot after receiving your response. 

Related: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

Set Yourself Up For Success With 4 Corner Resources

Having multiple job offers to choose from is a great position to be in. Increase your chances of finding your dream job by working with the staffing experts at 4 Corner Resources. Our team matches candidates with positions that are a natural fit, so they’re one step ahead on the path toward getting an interview and landing the job. 

To start working with us, submit your resume to connect@4cornerresources.com or contact us to learn more. 

Whatever your situation, the expert tips below will help you understand how to negotiate a job offer, determine an appropriate salary, and name what you’re asking for in a way that gives you the best chances of hearing ‘it’s a deal!’

Why Negotiate A Job Offer?

Negotiating is an important factor not just in the job you’re considering right now, but in determining your earnings over the course of your entire career. Since so many conversations about pay are based on what you’re making in your current job, failing to negotiate for even one position can set you back exponentially over time. Experts say not negotiating early in your career could mean you leave as much as $1 million or more on the table over your lifetime. 

What’s more, employers accept that a bit of haggling is an inherent part of the hiring process. Seventy percent of managers say they expect to negotiate over salary and benefits when they’re making a hire. The majority of them, however, don’t outright say that there’s wiggle room in the offer.  

The bottom line is that if you think there’s a better offer to be had, it’s always worth trying to negotiate. Remember, not all job offer negotiations are about money. Whether you’re wondering how to negotiate salary, want to ask for more robust benefits, or just want a little time off before you start the job, negotiating a job offer successfully will give you the best possible chance of getting the outcome you want before you say ‘yes.’. 

Now let’s talk about the big conversation: how to negotiate salary. It’s a discussion that comes with a lot of angst for candidates, but that shouldn’t be the case. When an employer makes you a job offer, they’re invested in hiring you. They’ve put in the time and resources to get this far in the process, so it’s in the best interest of both parties to come to a mutually agreeable figure. 

Tips For Negotiating Salary and Benefits With a Future Employer

Do your homework

You’ll need to be prepared to name a number early in the negotiation, and to do this, you can’t just throw out a figure you’d subjectively like to be making. Rather, the salary you put forward should be based on solid research of what other companies in your area pay similar candidates for comparable positions. If you already have a competing offer, even better. 

Also, be cognizant of what’s going on in the company. If they’ve just downsized, for example, going much higher on salary might be out of the question. If they’re looking to hire five people in the same position, they might have a locked-in figure they plan to pay all five people.

Name the right number

The first number you name in a salary negotiation matters, so it’s important to get it right. This is known as anchoring, and it’s a psychological effect that influences our perception of possible outcomes.

Here’s an example. If you were hoping for a salary of $75,000, but the interviewer says the range for the job is $55,000 to $65,000, you would probably adjust your expectations pretty quickly to make $65,000 your target number, based on nothing else but the interviewer’s words. It works the other way, too, when you’re naming your desired salary. 

Once you’ve done some research on the going market rate for your position, you probably have a good idea of a figure you’d be happy to accept as a salary. Your best bet is to go a little higher than this figure and use that as the first number you mention. This allows wiggle room for you to “compromise” if the employer makes a lower counteroffer and still arrive at a number you’re satisfied with. 

Finally, it’s helpful to name a specific number rather than a range, as a range makes it too easy for you to settle on the lower end. 

Know your value 

Confidence is key to negotiating well, and this step will help you make a solid case for why you deserve the number you’ve arrived at. Just as a salesperson comes armed with all the wonderful features of the product they’re pushing, so should you be prepared to list off the reasons you’re worth what you’re asking for. Share the results you plan to achieve for the employer in detail, citing specific numbers and past accomplishments where appropriate. 

Also, bear in mind what they’re hoping to get from you as a candidate. Is it hitting a certain sales target? Landing more clients? Unlocking creative new ideas? Tailor your selling points to whatever those desires are on the employer’s end.

One thing you should avoid doing at all costs during a salary negotiation is bringing your personal life into the conversation. Needing to make a certain amount of money per month to cover your rent, for example, isn’t a solid argument for why you deserve a certain salary. Limit your argument to the facts that are directly relevant to your ability to do the job well.  

Time it right

While salary talks may come up earlier in the interview process—in fact, we recommend talking about it early so both you and the employer are on the same page—it’s best to wait until you have an offer in hand to start negotiating. Ideally, you’ll have already discussed a ballpark that ensures the number you name isn’t way outside the range they’re able or willing to pay. 

Be prepared for tough questions

While you’re negotiating with a person, it’s important to remember that they represent a business—one that has a bottom line to protect. So, don’t be thrown if they ask challenging questions. For example: what other companies are you talking with? Are you considering other offers? If we meet your salary expectations, will you accept the job today? If we offer you X, will you compromise on Y?

While you by no means have to show your hand when it comes to other companies you’re speaking with or offers you may have, you’ll want to think through how you’d like to respond to these questions ahead of time so you’re not caught off guard. 

Keep it positive

While conversations about pay can feel tense, try to remember that they’re a normal part of the hiring process and it’s in your best interest to keep that process as positive and professional as possible. 

It’s also ideal for the person you’re negotiating with to have a positive impression of you. This is what’s known as liking bias; it dictates that people are more likely to say ‘yes’ to those they know and like. Even if the decision isn’t fully up to them, a hiring manager who likes you is more likely to expend emotional capital going to bat to get you what you want than if you rubbed them the wrong way by being rude or terse. 

Know when you’ll walk away

If your acceptance of the offer hinges solely on landing your desired salary, there has to be a point where you’re okay with losing the offer. If you can’t arrive at a mutually agreeable sum, be prepared to bow out gracefully.

Related: How to Withdraw Gracefully From the Interview Process

Consider the offer as a whole 

It’s important to note that a job offer is a package deal that includes more than just a named salary. Maybe they can’t come up to meet your higher wage expectations, but they can offer you an additional week of paid vacation or flex time to work from anywhere you want a certain number of days each month (more on negotiating these things in a minute).

Also, just because you can negotiate doesn’t mean you have to. Sometimes you’ll get a great offer that you’re happy with right out of the gate. If the first salary they name is within your desired range, consider expending your energy negotiating on other things that will sweeten the deal, like company-sponsored attendance to that industry conference you’ve always wanted to attend.

What Can You Negotiate in a Job Offer? 

When most people think ‘negotiation,’ they think salary. And it’s true that pay is probably the biggest factor candidates raise in discussions over whether they’ll take a job. In a 2018 survey, 68% of and 45% of women said they negotiated their salaries.

But as we touched on above, salary is far from the only thing you can negotiate, especially since in some cases there isn’t much room for employers to come up on pay. Here’s how to negotiate a job offer on items besides salary:

• Sign-on bonus
• First-year bonus
• Job title
• Start date
• Vacation time
• Flexibility 
• Tuition reimbursement
• Relocation expenses
• Professional development opportunities

Remember, your decision to take the job should be based on the full package a company can offer you, not just the salary, so be sure to consider how things like work-life balance and other incentives will influence your overall job satisfaction and negotiate accordingly.

Related: In-Demand Perks and Benefits

Sample Job Offer Negotiation Scripts

Is your stomach feeling a little queasy just thinking about the negotiation conversation? Take a deep breath, then practice with these job offer negotiation scripts for different scenarios. 

When you want more money than they’ve offered

If you’ve followed the steps above, you’ve done your homework and know what a competitive salary would be for someone with your skills and experience. Try this:

“I’m confident I’m the right fit for the role and excited about what I could bring to the team. Based on my market research, candidates with my level of experience are making about $70,000 for similar roles. Can we explore a starting salary that’s closer to that number?”

When you need time off for something you’ve already planned

This is a more common scenario than you might expect, but it’s still something you need to raise before you start your new gig. The best time to bring it up is during the final stages of negotiation or after you’ve already accepted an offer, otherwise you risk giving the impression that your time off is more important to you than the job. Be direct and phrase it as a statement rather than a question or an apology, like this:

“I’m looking forward to getting started with Acme Company. I wanted to let you know that I have a previously scheduled trip planned in January and will be out of town from the 25th through the 29th.”

When you reach an impasse

When you disagree with a work colleague about a shared project, you don’t simply walk away from the project. Rather, you’d explore all options to find a compromise and move things forward. Your job offer negotiation script should reflect this same level of commitment to finding common ground.

“I understand that being fully remote doesn’t make sense for what’s required of this position, but I’m wondering if working from home two days a week might be feasible. That would allow me to accommodate in-person meetings while still having some location flexibility.”

Leverage a Recruiter to Land the Best Offer

You may already know that working with a recruiter can help connect you with job opportunities. But did you know it can also help you land a better offer? A professional headhunter can be a trusted source of insider information like the market rate for certain jobs and the pay range for open positions. Launch your job search with the team of experts at 4 Corner Resources by sending your resume to connect@4cornerresources.com today. 

Since so many recruiters use LinkedIn for their recruiting efforts, connecting with them is invaluable, whether you are actively pursuing a job opportunity or not. Learning how to connect with recruiters can greatly enhance your job prospects and your job search. Recruiters know which companies are hiring in the location you are looking in. They know which companies are looking to fill permanent, full-time, part-time, or temporary positions in your industry. They also can give you insight on salary and benefits that companies offer in your desired area, as well as guide you in how to negotiate with a prospective employer. Here are 6 ways that you can connect with a recruiter on LinkedIn. 

1. Enhance Your Profile

Your LinkedIn profile is the first thing recruiters see. A professional-looking profile will go a long way in showing a recruiter that you are ready for job opportunities. Not everyone on LinkedIn has a profile picture. This is where you can stand out and get your profile noticed. Make sure you choose an appropriate picture, though. The photo should show your face, suit your profession (don’t have on a t-shirt if you’re looking for a management position), and have a simple background. You might even want to hire a professional photographer to take one for you.

Next, spruce up your headline. This is your story in a nutshell. Include here what you do, how many years of experience you have, what industry you work in, your areas of expertise or your specialties, your achievements, goals, etc. Summarize each point and keep it concise while showcasing your professional work and your personality. Cut overused words when describing yourself, such as responsible, strategic, passionate, driven, and other buzzwords. Instead, be specific and use action verbs that describe you. Your profile is a dynamic document. Update it frequently. When you learn a new skill or receive an award, include it. Make sure you also activate “Open to Work.” You can include here who sees this content, such as recruiters only.

Related: How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

2. Search for Recruiters 

The easiest way to find a recruiter on LinkedIn is to search for them. By simply typing “recruiter” in the search box and entering your current (or desired) location in the “Location” box, you’ll be presented with a list of recruiters that fit your search requirements. If you are searching for a specific recruiter, you can type their name into the search bar, and LinkedIn will direct you to their profile link. If you’re in one or more of the same LinkedIn groups as the recruiter, you can send them an invite.

LinkedIn InMail is another tool you can use to contact a recruiter. Be brief in your invitation. Introduce yourself, state your profession, and what type of position you are looking for. If the recruiter doesn’t respond with a LinkedIn message or does connect with you but doesn’t reply with an email, send a follow-up message thanking them for connecting with you and re-stating what you are looking for. Keep it short and professional. That last thing you want to do is turn a recruiter off.

3. Expand Your LinkedIn Network

Through LinkedIn, recruiters can quickly find and contact job seekers who they think are good candidates for a particular job opening. The key for job seekers is to leverage LinkedIn to be included in recruiter searches. If you want to be found on LinkedIn, you need to increase your network as much as you can. LinkedIn limits search results to a job seeker’s first, second, and third-level connections. If you aren’t connected to anyone on one of those levels, you most likely won’t appear in a recruiter’s search results. Recruiters have the option to expand their searches beyond the three levels, but most don’t. A good way to be on a recruiter’s search list is to invite them to your network. Many independent recruiters who don’t work for a single employer take advantage of these invites.  

LinkedIn offers many ways to expand your visibility. Expanding your visibility gives you a much better chance of connecting with the right recruiter for your situation. A good way to do this is to join as many LinkedIn groups as you can that are relevant to your profession, employer, and industry. Become active in the groups, sharing relevant comments in the group conversations. You can also share updates from your LinkedIn home page or any other information related to your industry that other professionals might benefit from.

Another way to grow your network is by utilizing LinkedIn’s People You May Know tool. You might find people you know, but you’ll more likely find those that you don’t. Even so, they might be good people to network with while searching for a recruiter. Networking is an excellent tool to help you find the right recruiters for you.   

Related: How to Network

4. Use the Right Keywords 

Recruiters focus on keywords when conducting searches, and knowing which ones to use so they will find your profile is important. List all your post-secondary degrees, the school(s) you went to, and your major(s). List any courses or minors that are relevant to the position you are looking for. You can even include your GPA. If you speak more than one language, list that. Specify the industry you work in or would like to work in, and don’t be too general. Instead of saying engineering, say civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering. The more specific you are, the better your chances of connecting to a recruiter who is familiar with your field. 

Current and former job titles are keywords you should include. They help narrow the search for recruiters who specialize in your industry. Always list your relevant skills, certifications, and licenses. Don’t leave anything out. The more keywords you have here, the higher your chances will be of connecting to the right recruiters. List any relevant tools, including software, hardware, computer languages, networks, etc., that you are proficient with. Add any major projects you’ve worked on, honors and recognition, and any related publications you have. The more keywords you have, and the more specific they are to your education, skills, industry, and accomplishments, the better the odds that a recruiter will find you in their searches.

5. Include References and Recommendations

Keywords are great, but it’s even better to back them up. Using LinkedIn Recommendations and adding references to your profile are good ways to show recruiters that you are a quality candidate. If you have others who will stand behind you, you will look better to a recruiter and they will be more willing to connect with you and work with you. Always be prepared with references you don’t include in your profile as recruiters sometimes ask for them.

If you publish a blog, include it in your profile. This is especially applicable if you write about things related to your profession. You can also publish your writing on LinkedIn’s blog. This can vastly raise your visibility as people read and share your articles. LinkedIn Posts is a good way to share relevant news about you and your industry. Also, you can check the “Notifications” stream, and “Like” or share information related to your work or industry that is shared by others.  

Related: How to Ask For a Reference

6. Include Your Contact Information

It sounds like a no-brainer, but if you don’t share your contact information, neither recruiters nor potential employers will be able to contact you. If they can’t contact you, they can’t hire you. LinkedIn allows you to safely include your email address and phone number in your profile. If you are contacted by a recruiter, make sure that you respond in a timely manner. Recruiters work with many clients, and they don’t typically have time to wait around for you. Always be prompt and professional in your communications with a recruiter, and you will get the best out of them.  

Related: How to Successfully Work With a Recruiter

Contact 4 Corner Resources Today

LinkedIn is the industry standard for professionals who are actively seeking employment and is utilized regularly by many recruiters. However, you don’t want to waste your time with a recruiter who isn’t looking for someone with your skills. With a little effort, you can set up your profile to best present yourself to the right recruiters, expand your network, conduct searches, get involved in LinkedIn groups, contact appropriate recruiters, and ensure that they contact you. This will present you with the best opportunity to find that job you’re looking for. 

If you’re looking to connect with a recruiter, we’re here to help. At 4 Corner Resources, we work with experienced recruiters that can help you find the job of your dreams. Contact us today to see how we can help you!

Starting a new job remotely adds another level of unpredictability, which can heighten the first-day jitters. Will you be able to pick up the job fast enough? Make a good impression on your boss? Get to know your coworkers? Balance all your work with the distractions of being at home?

Whereas the typical first day on the job includes an orientation, a bunch of paperwork, and people popping by your desk to say hello, the first day as a remote employee looks pretty different. Not only will you be working in the same space where you live–and possibly sharing that space with other family members or roommates–but you’ll need to pick up many things on the fly, as well. 

If you’re gearing up for a virtual onboarding, you might be unsure of what to expect, but you’re certainly not alone. As much as 30% of the U.S. workforce¹ is expected to be working from home multiple days per week by the end of 2021. Doing a little preparation ahead of time will help you feel more comfortable and make sure things go as smoothly as possible on your first day on the job. 

How to Navigate a New Job Working Remotely

Set Up Your Space

Working from your couch is one of the perks of being a remote employee, right? Well, not so fast. If at all possible, we highly recommend setting up a dedicated space where you’ll “go to work” every day rather than just lounging on a cushy piece of living room furniture. 

For starters, working from the couch can do a number on your back pretty quickly, and you want to feel your best in your first few days on the job. If you don’t have a dedicated work space, you’re also more prone to distractions, like answering the front door for a solicitor or meandering over to the fridge a few too many times an hour. 

Finally, having a dedicated place that you go to each morning and leave at the end of the day can help maintain the line between your work and home life, which is crucial for your sanity when both things take place in the same location. If you’ve already been working from home for a while, consider moving your desk to a new corner or maybe adding a houseplant to the space to signal to your brain that it’s a fresh start. 

Related: Tips on How To Successfully Work Remotely

Check Your Tech Ahead of Time

When you’re a remote employee, there’s no IT wizard down the hall to help you quickly troubleshoot tech issues. To make sure technical difficulties don’t slow you down before you even get started, get your gear set up and give it a test run in advance of your start date. 

If your company is providing a work laptop, fire it up and make sure it’s compatible with any other hardware you’ll be using. Make sure you have a fast, reliable internet connection and a quality headphone/microphone set. Find out what kind of credentials you’ll need to access the company’s shared workspaces and ask about getting them set up ahead of time so you can hit the ground running on day one. 

Gather Intel on Expectations

Good communication is important in any job, but it becomes even more paramount when you can’t see your coworkers in person. Take it upon yourself to ascertain what’s expected of you, even beyond what you’re told directly. Check in about the goals you should aim to accomplish in your first 30, 60 and 90 days so you can map a clear path to meeting them. 

Ask lots of questions, especially if something is unclear. Better to get the “newbie questions” out of the way during your first week than to wait and feel awkward asking later! Also, check in with your peers about your company’s norms for communicating with one another. Is email the preferred channel, or does everyone use another platform like Slack? Are phone conversations common, or would it be breaking some unspoken rule if you called a colleague? The more information you can gather about how things work, the better you’ll be able to transition smoothly into your new role. 

Take the Initiative To Make Connections

One of the downsides of working from home is missing out on all the informal workplace interactions that build camaraderie and help you learn by osmosis, like swapping weekend stories or getting to listen in as coworkers handle clients. These may seem like small things, but they can make a big difference in how engaged you feel with your job. So, it’s in your best interest to seek out opportunities to make these connections with colleagues. 

Ask new peers to hop on a quick video call so you can meet face to face. Participate in the non-work-related chatter on Slack. Join in on the office Zoom happy hour or book club. Building a circle of work acquaintances even when you’re not in the same place will ensure you don’t miss out on the important professional connections that can serve you for the duration of your career.

Be a Friendly Face

Literally! Add your photo to your email signature as well as your profile on Google Meet, Teams, Slack or any other collaborative platforms used by your new employer to help your new coworkers get to know you faster. 

When participating in a virtual meeting, introduce yourself before you speak (“Hi everyone, this is John,” followed by whatever you have to say). Since your new colleagues don’t have the benefit of stopping by to introduce themselves, this will make it easier to put a face and voice with your name. 

Err On The Side of Caution

Sending an email that contains only a thumbs-up emoji in response to a colleague’s question might be completely fine in many workplaces. In others, it might be viewed as wildly unprofessional. Until you know which camp your new company is in, it’s best to play it safe and err on the more formal side in your communications. 

The same goes for your language, like saying “good morning” versus “hey guys!” It may turn out that your new company’s culture is a texting-friendly, slang-heavy, emoji-loving one, but it’s better to make a first impression that’s as professional as possible until you know for sure.    

Looking for a Remote Job? 4 Corner Resources Can Help

If you’re looking for a remote job that provides flexibility while utilizing your skills and challenging you to grow, turn to the headhunters at 4 Corner Resources. We’re a team of experts that match hardworking professionals with great jobs at companies in healthcare, IT, administration, marketing, and more. 

Browse all jobs we’re currently hiring for, or submit your resume to resumes@4cornerresources.com to be considered for future roles. 

Resources and Sources

1. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/13/these-are-americas-best-states-for-remote-work.html

Although job loss numbers are slowly recovering as businesses reopen and industries grind back into motion, some sectors have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic’s broad reach—manufacturing, hospitality and transportation, to name a few. If you work in one of these industries, you might be questioning when—if ever—your job will return to normal. 

Whether you’re looking for something temporary to bridge the gap until your full-time position returns or you’re in the market for a new career entirely, a change may be on the table if your job has been one of the millions lost in Covid’s wake.

Alternative Career Options 

Construction

Government restrictions, onsite safety requirements and supply chain slowdowns have created a perfect storm of challenges for the construction industry. The sector lost nearly a million jobs in the first month after the pandemic hit the U.S. Even before Covid-19 took hold, the field was a risky one in terms of career longevity, with one in ten construction workers getting injured on the job every year.

If you’re a construction worker who’s looking for an alternate job, consider a career switch to the fast-growing field of IT. While on the surface these two career paths couldn’t seem more different, they actually require a similar set of skills. Both are project-focused and fast-paced, requiring you to work independently and think on your feet. Both construction and IT call for working effectively with a range of other positions—in construction, it might be plumbers, electricians and building inspectors, while in IT it’s network architects, system analysts and project managers.

Employment in the information technology field is projected to grow 11% by 2029 adding more than half a million jobs, much faster than the average for all occupations. 

Flight attendant

The airline industry has taken a massive hit as millions of travelers canceled flights and postponed trips, with more than a dozen airlines around the world restructuring or filing for bankruptcy. Even in early September as more travelers returned to the skies, passenger volumes sagged at 65% below their levels from a year prior. 

As experts warn it may be years before travel numbers return to pre-Covid levels, airline staffers are facing imminent furloughs and layoffs, if they haven’t happened already. Flight attendants who are out of a job may find a hot market for their unique combination of service skills and poise under pressure as a personal assistant.  

A personal assistant acts as the right-hand-man or woman for their client, who is typically an upper-level executive or another high-profile individual. Duties may include managing schedules, acting as a point person for outside contact, implementing administrative systems and taking personal tasks off the client’s plate. The job can be a lucrative one; executive personal assistants, for example, command an average salary ranging from $60,000 to $81,000 a year. 

Small Business Owner

Working with tight margins and limited resources, small businesses are especially vulnerable to disruptions in the market. A survey of nearly 6,000 small business owners found that the average company with $10,000 or more in monthly expenses had just two weeks of cash on hand. Within a few weeks of the pandemic’s spike, 43% of the small businesses surveyed had temporarily closed while 39% had reduced the size of their staff. 

The full impact of the coronavirus on small businesses remains to be seen, but the number of permanent closures is mounting the longer the pandemic persists. This leaves thousands of former business owners suddenly looking to jump back into the job market. 

If you’re in search of alternative career options after a stint in entrepreneurship, consider seeking out a chief operating officer position. Much like a business owner, a COO oversees the day-to-day operational functions of a company. They may be involved in hiring decisions, marketing strategy, company finances, creative leadership, or all of the above. 

As a former small business owner, your rich practical experience and willingness to “get your hands dirty” in the company’s daily happenings make you a solid candidate for COO. Plus, a silver lining: after spending so long in the precarious position of ‘owner,’ you may find comfort in the stability that comes with being an employee.

Hospitality 

Canceled vacations and hotel stays go hand in hand with canceled flights, and the hospitality industry has suffered the brunt of the damage. A travel-wary public has led to a market filled with open hotel rooms, empty event spaces and mass layoffs. 

Legacy hotelier Hilton cut nearly a quarter of its corporate staff in response to the pandemic, while Marriott, the nation’s largest hotel chain, furloughed two-thirds of the staff at its headquarters. The industry as a whole was down just over 100,000 jobs year over year in August, and research by McKinsey concluded that it could take until 2023 for hotel business to return to pre-Covid levels. 

Notorious for their strong work ethic and impeccable customer service, hospitality workers may find their skills dovetail nicely into alternate jobs in sales. From catering to demanding clients to keeping a smile on your face in stressful situations, the experience you’ve gained working in a hotel, restaurant, casino or cruise ship will serve you well in the fast-paced world of sales. 

The sales field is largely commission-based, so how much you earn depends largely on how much you’re willing to hustle. Sales roles in certain fields, like high-ticket items and pharmaceuticals, can be especially lucrative. The average pharmaceutical sales rep in the United States earns $92,000 a year, with the highest group of earners pulling in well over six figures. 

Teachers

Unlike other fields we’ve mentioned here, the demand for teachers is sky high as schools around the country scramble to adapt to a mix of in-person and virtual learning. Even before the pandemic, the education industry was in the midst of a critical labor shortage driven by lagging wages and a lack of professionals with the required certifications. 

But burnout, health concerns and low pay are three very real factors prompting K-12 educators to retire or change careers at an unprecedented rate. In New York, for example, the state saw a 20% jump in the number of teachers retiring in the summer of 2020 alone. The president of the American Federation of Teachers told Fox News that the shortage could increase by as much as 30% in the coming months. 

For teachers looking to leave the field, corporate training presents a logical alternative career option. The same patience, enthusiasm and strong communication skills a teacher uses to command respect and facilitate learning in the classroom can transition well into a corporate environment. Corporate trainers develop curriculum to teach workers in a certain industry a particular concept, from workplace diversity to labor laws.  

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, training and development managers earned an impressive average of $54 an hour in 2019, with projected job growth of 7% through 2029. 

Healthcare workers

With news of packed emergency rooms making headlines around the country, it might be hard to believe that healthcare workers are being laid off in record numbers. In fact, though, the healthcare industry lost 1.4 million jobs in April as hospitals halted elective surgeries and other procedures that drive revenue. Another segment of nurses have been driven to resign in the face of unsustainable workloads and mounting mental health concerns. 

As a nurse or other healthcare worker, you no doubt relied upon empathy, problem-solving and interpersonal skills to get through long shifts. These are some of the same skills it takes to succeed in human resources, which is a great alternate job path after leaving healthcare.   

Human resource managers tackle the various employee-related functions within an organization, from staff onboarding to conflict resolution. The average HR manager in the U.S. makes $104,000 a year. 

Reimagine Your Career Path with Help from 4 Corner Resources

Changing careers is daunting and comes with many questions. Which field should you pursue? What alternate jobs are you qualified for? What type of company will you be happiest with? 

The headhunters at 4 Corner Resources have more than a decade of experience guiding candidates into exciting new roles with top employers around the country. We’ll identify positions that are a fit your skills and background while helping you negotiate the salary, benefits and advancement opportunities you deserve. Candidates never pay to work with 4 Corner Resources—our interest lies in making employment matches that will stand the test of time and fulfill the needs of both the candidate and the employer. 

Get started by browsing our open positions now or submitting your resume to connect@4cornerresources.com. 

Regardless of how much experience you have – and no matter how exciting a new opportunity feels – it is unprofessional to announce you are leaving your current job and then immediately exit. Climbing the corporate ladder and pursuing a new job with more responsibility and better compensation is part of any profession, but it is important to exit your current position with grace and end your employment on a positive note that helps preserve connections that could be valuable in the future.

Multiple surveys illustrate that the manner in which you resign from a job has a monumental impact on your future career opportunities. A favorable impression is just as important when you depart a company as it is when you start your new job. So, it is important to think carefully about how and when you will resign. 

When deciding how to resign from a job in person, there are different things to consider:

• How much time do you give your existing employer?
• How do you know what to say when you resign? And
• Do you want to have the option of working for your current employer again in the future?

As a professional recruiting and staffing agency, we work with a variety of small and large employers across nearly every industry. Over the years, we have seen positive and negative examples of ways to resign from a job. 

First, we will cover a few recommendations for how to resign from your job gracefully. Then, we will share our advice on how to write a resignation letter that helps you leave on a high note. 

5 Professional Ways to Resign from a Job That Make a Positive Impression

1. Make a Plan

Much like other big decisions in life, it is essential to have a plan in place for how to resign from your job professionally. You have many things to accomplish before walking out the door for the last time. Such a plan can include (but not be limited to) the following considerations:

Confirm that your new job is 100% certain

 Do not quit until you have final confirmation from your new employer concerning when you will start your new position. You do not want to tell your boss that you are leaving, only to discover that your new employer reneged on their job offer at the last minute.

Know exactly who you are going to tell about the new position (and in what order)

There is no such thing as a secret in the workplace. Much like other juicy office gossip, news about employees quitting or being fired travels like wildfire among employees. Avoid the temptation to spill the exciting news to your office BFF and make sure your boss is the first person you tell.

Write and collect letters of recommendation for/from colleagues and management

Part of leaving a job on a good note is soliciting letters of recommendation for your coworkers and managers. Equally as important is writing letters for them, as well.

2. Provide As Much Notice as Possible

Taking a new job and telling your existing employer that you will not be coming into work the next day is not only unprofessional, but it shows a lack of respect. When leaving a position, it is customary for most jobs to provide two weeks’ notice; however, some industries and higher-level jobs may require more lead time.

For example, if you are a high-ranking employee within your organization, it may take additional time to extricate yourself — requiring two or three months’ advance notice. If you are planning to retire, you may want to provide ample notice. This allows your existing company to have the time they need to take appropriate measures to ensure that no work suffers until they can hire or promote your replacement.

Finally, consider allowing your manager to take the lead concerning what to say when you resign when informing your colleagues. They may have a crucial reason to hold off on telling other employees about the change.

3. Assist in the Handoff of Your Existing Duties

A professional courtesy we always recommend to candidates who are transitioning jobs is to make the process as easy as possible for their current employer. A few ways to resign from a job that will leave a positive impact include:

• Training your temporary replacement on some of your duties;
• Creating a guide or reference document for any helpful information (such as a full list of your responsibilities that may not have been included in your original job description, or a list of all client accounts for which you are responsible); and
• Offering to answer questions by phone or email for a brief period after you have left.

In addition to showing your character, it also may help you land references and help strengthen your relationships with your supervisor.

4. Do not Get Lazy at the End

Keep working hard right up to the very end — do not become complacent or lazy in the last few days. If you have always been a hard worker, it will reflect poorly on you if you suddenly stop putting forth the same level of effort you demonstrated throughout your time at the company. Remember, your last couple of days are the last impression your colleagues will have of you. Make them count!

5. Recommend a Replacement

While this may not always be possible, another idea for how to resign from your job while making a positive impression is to recommend a colleague or someone in your professional network who may be an ideal replacement. Pointing your existing employer toward someone who has the applicable knowledge or experience to perform your role can help them save time and money when hiring your replacement.

How to Write a Resignation Letter 

Even if you have an in-person conversation with your boss about your upcoming departure, you will still need to write a formal resignation letter. Resignation letters allow you to establish a pleasant tone and reinforce your appreciation for the company and your co-workers. These letters are a professional courtesy as well as an important document for HR departments to keep in their records.

Once you have a signed offer from your new company in hand, it is time to draft your resignation letter. Keep these points in mind.

1. Check Your Company Policy

Your employee handbook usually describes the company policies about the termination of employment. Your company might have guidelines on paying accrued benefits to departing team members. An established notice might also be required to receive unused vacation and/or sick time.

2. Consider Tasks in Progress

Your resignation letter should include the specific last day you plan on working; consider this carefully. 

If you have daily and weekly tasks that need to be wrapped up, and long-term projects in progress, leaving without a proper length of notice creates pressure and strain on your colleagues. Obviously, this can hurt relationships and burn bridges. 

As we discussed above, in some cases it is appropriate to give more than two weeks’ notice, especially if you are heading or are a key figure in a prominent project.

3. Remain Positive and Professional

To part on good terms and maintain a healthy professional network, remain positive and professional. Do not, under any circumstances, use your resignation letter as a forum to vent frustration and air grievances. 

Though you will soon begin a new chapter in your career, you will need to effectively work with your colleagues for the remainder of your tenure. Expressing negative comments in your resignation letter can lead to unnecessary tension.

What a Resignation Letter Should Include

When drafting a resignation letter, be sure to include:

• The time and date: This should be placed at the top of the page.
• An address line: Address the recipient by name. For example, “Dear Mr. Smith.”
• A statement of resignation: Clearly state that you are writing to submit your formal resignation from the company.
• Your last day of work: It is standard to provide at least two weeks’ notice; however, your company might have specific guidelines for leaving that require you to give more notice.
• A statement of gratitude: Write a paragraph about what you learned during your time there, and express your appreciation for your supervisors and your colleagues. That will help cultivate a smooth transition.
• Next steps and other important information: It is important to list key information that your supervisor should know regarding your final days. This includes both completed projects and projects that are in various stages. Assure your boss that you are glad to do whatever is necessary to create an easy transition.
• Your signature: Finish the letter by printing (or typing) and signing your name after a closing statement of perhaps “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” “Best regards.”

The resignation letter can serve as a guide and a script for what you will say when you talk to your manager in person. It is ideal to be direct with the news instead of a lengthy lead-in. “Thank you for taking the time to meet. I accepted a position with another company, and I am giving my two weeks’ notice” is an acceptable start. Be sure to emphasize that you are available to make the transition to the new team member as smooth as possible and that you appreciate the time you have spent at the company.

Keep in mind that your supervisor will likely have questions. Maybe he or she will want to know why you are leaving. An example of an appropriate answer is that you feel it is time to be in a job with greater responsibility that offers new challenges. Be prepared so you can respond in a way that keeps the meeting positive and preserves your relationship with your manager. If you stick to your talking points detailed in your resignation letter, chances are the conversation will remain positive.

Finally, be prepared for your employer to come to you with a counter-offer. In many cases, people accept new positions at other companies for reasons beyond compensation. Responsibility, morale, and a firm’s overall culture are important, too. If you choose to reverse your decision to leave for a new company, that can damage your reputation with that organization (in addition to the damage that may have already been done with your current employer), which is why it is important to be certain of your decision before submitting your resignation letter.

Close the conversation of announcing your decision and submitting your resignation letter by assuring your manager that you will remain fully dedicated during your remaining time. Offer availability to answer questions from your replacement, even after you leave. Reiterate your gratitude.

Accepting a new opportunity – especially one that allows you to fulfill your dreams and goals – can be exhilarating. Moving forward with the departure process can be daunting, even for senior-level executives. Demonstrating class, respect and consideration from the moment you craft your resignation letter and the time you meet your supervisor to your final weeks with the company and the moment you walk out the door will likely result in lasting career benefits.

Take the Next Step in Your Career with 4 Corner Resources

Ready to move on from your current role? Crave more responsibility or a salary that better reflects your level of experience? 4 Corner Resources can help you find the new job you have been dreaming of obtaining. 

We help match qualified candidates with businesses of all sizes – from startups to SMBs and large corporations throughout the United States. Our knowledge and passion for what we do combined with our flexible terms and conditions set us apart in the world of headhunting and recruiting.

If you are looking to take the next step in your career or simply wondering what working with a headhunter entails, we welcome the opportunity to connect. We are on standby to help you reinvigorate your career with new job opportunities and look forward to meeting you.

We’re a professional staffing firm with more than a decade of experience helping candidates like you find and win lucrative positions in a range of industries. We compiled our best tips to help you not only stand out when you’re vying for the job you want but more specifically, land the one that’s the right fit for you.

Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired with These Tips on How to Get a Job

Tip #1 for How to Get Hired: Keep Your Resume Up to Date

While this is an essential function for job seekers, it’s also an important task for people who aren’t actively searching for a job. If you want the best opportunity to get the job you want at any point in the future, it means keeping an up-to-date record of what you do in your current position and past jobs to showcase your knowledge, expertise, and experience.

Tip #2 for How to Get Hired: Network at Professional and Industry Events

Another method of working to get the job you want involves rubbing elbows with industry professionals and hiring managers to develop professional relationships. Sometimes, showing up is all it takes. It’s also vital that you dress and act accordingly for each situation (don’t wear a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to a professional event!). Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.

Some other things you should do include:

• Doing some homework ahead of time. Figure out who might be there so you can research the event’s participants and see if there is anyone you may want to speak with.
• Bringing business cards with you, as well as copies of your resume just in case someone wants to see it.
• Take the initiative to introduce yourself and do not wait for someone to approach you.

While these things may not outright land you a job offer at the event, it helps to keep you top of mind with recruiting managers and department heads. This way, when positions in your area of expertise become available within their respective organizations, they are more likely to think of you.

Tip #3 for How to Get Hired: Lead with Confidence

How you present yourself while searching for a new job can make a major impact on whether you become a serious contender for an open position. You need to put your best foot forward. This means presenting yourself in a positive, upbeat manner (e.g., be conscious of your facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, how you dress, etc.). This is all the more important as many interviews move from in-person to video conference. 

Even if you never expected to search for a new job and are feeling down on the inside, you need to put a brave face on and portray enthusiasm about locating your next career. Set yourself apart by expressing the value you offer to employers. Avoid discussing your “current situation” or mentioning the amount of time you’ve been unemployed. Employers want to see and hear confidence. They don’t want to hear a drawn-out explanation of how difficult life has been since you were let go.

Tip #4 for How to Get Hired: Brush Up Your LinkedIn Profile

Many recruiters and hiring managers utilize LinkedIn to review professional talent. This is why it is imperative that you are not only on LinkedIn but active. Make sure your bio page is filled out completely and includes unique facts and experienced in your background to help your profile stand out.

Tip #5 for How to Get Hired: Catch Up with Old Contacts and Connections

Getting the right job often has nothing to do with luck. One of the most overlooked ways to find a job exists within your realm of contacts. Dust off your old book of contacts and schedule a coffee meetup with previous coworkers, employers, or even old classmates. Take the time to catch up and see what is going on in their personal or professional lives. Then, be sure to let them know you’re interested in or are looking for a new job.

Your contact’s employer may be looking to hire someone with your talent or skill set, or they may know someone who is looking to hire someone with those key attributes. Either way, it helps put you on their radar.

Tip #6 for How to Get Hired: Listen to Others and Be Other-Centric

You can set yourself apart from others by simply listening to others. Go a step further and ask what you can do for others before asking for advice or help. You will be amazed at how other-centric individuals often wind up setting themselves apart and having many more doors open to them.

Tip #7 for How to Get Hired: Be Honest and Transparent

Be transparent and honest about your experiences, skills, and knowledge. Don’t mislead or embellish your qualifications. For one, this ensures that a hiring manager or recruiter will understand your professional skills and expertise. Second, much of this information will be verified as part of the hiring process, so it’s best not to lie. Being honest and transparent also helps to prevent you from getting hired to a position for which you are not qualified — which can result in you getting fired or laid off down the road.

Tip #8 for How to Get Hired: Find Opportunities to Volunteer

Unsure of how to get a job by volunteering? The truth is that a frequently overlooked avenue to get your dream job involves being selfless and volunteering your time with local, national, or special interest groups or organizations. 

For example, volunteering your time in a soup kitchen or building homes for an organization like Habitat for Humanity may place you in a situation where you find yourself volunteering alongside someone who may be your next manager or CEO. Furthermore, volunteering is also a great resume builder and shows that you are invested in others and the local community as a whole.

Tip #9 for How to Get Hired: Apply for Specific Jobs — Not Everything You Can Find

A common mistake that some job applicants make is applying for everything they can find. In some cases, it is a move of desperation because they need to find something — but that also means that they will end up finding something and not necessarily the job they truly want or one that is right for them.

Instead, focus specifically on the jobs for which you qualify and will provide value to the prospective employer. You’ll not only increase your chances of being selected for an interview, but you’ll also be happier with the end result because you’ll get the job you want rather than working a placeholder job.

Tip #10 for How to Get Hired: Target Your Cover Letter and Resume for Each Job Opportunity

Cover letters are often a key contributor to a candidate receiving a request for an interview. Your cover letter is your opportunity to tell a compelling narrative — to highlight the reasons why the employer will want to hire you and to answer some of the questions the hiring manager may want to ask.

Your cover letter should be tailored for each job and should answer questions about why you want to work at their company, what experiences help make you the best candidate, and even share examples and statistics from pertinent successful initiatives that you were responsible for or involved in achieving.

Tip #11 for How to Get Hired: Practice Your Interview Skills and Interview Question Responses

When you get your dream job interview, it’s essential that you are as prepared as possible. A professional recruiter can help you prepare for the interview by informing you about the position, what to expect of the interview process, and provide some insights about the employer. 

Beyond this, though, it’s essential that you take the time to exercise your interview skills and rehearse some interview question responses. While you may not know what they are going to ask, you can at least anticipate some of the questions and practice your responses so you aren’t trying to come up with answers to every question on the spot.

We highly recommend practicing your answers out loud, not just jotting down notes. Why is this important? For example, in a video interview (or especially a phone interview), the interviewer has limited cues to read how you’re responding—the majority of their impression of you comes from your spoken voice.  

Set yourself apart by being articulate and expressing your views clearly. Always think of how you can show value to a potential employer and include your relevant accomplishments in your conversation. Also don’t forget to include a call-to-action such as “When can I meet with the hiring manager at the company?” or, “It would be great to meet for coffee to discuss the position in more depth.”

Tip #12 for How to Get Hired: Passively Look for New Jobs

Even if you don’t need a new job right this minute, it’s good to keep your options open and to stay informed about open jobs within your industry. By following our previous recommendations of keeping your skills, certifications, and resume up to date, you’ll be ready should a recruiter reach out to you about a position for which they think you may qualify. 

And, should you find yourself in the unenviable position of being laid off or fired, you’ll already be in-the-know about some of the available jobs within your industry.

Tip #13 for How to Get Hired: Follow Up the Right Way

After a job interview, make sure you follow up with the company and show your appreciation for their time and the opportunity to be considered for the position. This is another simple action that many people ignore, yet can really help bolster your chances of landing the job.

Tip #14 for How to Get Hired: Work with a Recruiting Firm

4 Corner Resources (4CR) is an award-winning staffing agency headquartered in Orlando, Florida. We serve large and small businesses — including Fortune 500 companies — throughout central Florida and across the United States. Our professional recruiting and staffing solutions serve clients across a variety of industries everywhere from New York City to Los Angeles.

Discover how to get a job — or, more specifically, get the job you want — by partnering with a professional recruiter or headhunter. Contact our team of recruiting and staffing experts today to get started.

Others, like workers in fulfillment centers and grocery delivery services, have seen an uptick in demand with shifting consumer behavior. Still, other jobs simply did not exist before coronavirus, and conceiving them just six short months ago would have been impossible. 

Nine Jobs That Are Seeing a Surge in Demand

COVID-19 testers

The United States is currently conducting roughly half-a-million COVID-19 tests per day. Those that are not administered by a medical professional are conducted by a carefully trained testing technician. From hospitals to offices to tent-based setups in stadium parking lots, COVID-19 testers have set up show in droves all over the country. 

CNBC reports that the pay for testers can be as high as $45 an hour. In addition to the testers themselves, each site is supported by a fleet of administrative staff. Jobs for field managers who oversee multiple testing sites are being advertised with salaries upwards of $100,000 a year. 

Contact tracers

Another niche need that has sprung up in the wake of the pandemic is for contract tracer jobs. According to one labor market economist, contract tracing could create a quarter of a million new jobs in the U.S. 

The job itself is not new; contact tracers have been used for decades to help slow the spread of diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and STDs. Now, though, states are hiring them by the thousands. The state of California has partnered with the University of California San Francisco to train as many as 3,000 contact tracers a week through early July. New York has said it plans to add between 6,000 and 17,000 contact tracer jobs.

Working primarily from home, contact tracers aim to identify the people who have been exposed to an infected individual and alert them so they can take the necessary precautions. It involves a lot of time on the phone, answering questions and providing pointed guidance to help others avoid spreading the virus further. 

You do not need a background in health to be considered for the role. Interested candidates must take a free online course and pass a subsequent exam within 72 hours to be eligible for consideration. Once that is complete, you can begin the interview process. The average pay for contact tracer jobs in all states is around $21 an hour. 

Health screeners

From massive organizations like Amazon to your local dentist’s office, businesses of all types are hiring dedicated workers to screen staff and clientele before they enter the premises. 

Health screeners typically take temperatures via a touchless thermometer, ask questions to flag the presence of COVID-related symptoms, and educate customers on the processes they will need to follow during their visit. If you are applying for the job, expect to spend a lot of time on your feet and interacting with members of the public. 

Many health screener jobs are part-time or temporary, and on-the-job training is offered. According to job posting data from Zip Recruiter, the average pay for this position ranges from $14 to $24 an hour. 

Compliance monitors

Like health screeners, compliance monitors work to help customers properly navigate the new norms for any given business. Initially, as organizations scrambled to comply with the recommendations for social distancing, these duties were tackled collectively by regular staffers. Now, with more concrete reopening guidelines in place in most states, many companies have created new roles dedicated specifically to compliance enforcement. 

Most of the duties of a compliance monitor are specific to the place where they work. At construction sites, for example, compliance monitors watch to make sure workers stay six feet apart. Hotels are using them to enforce social distancing in shared spaces, like the pool deck. At big box stores, they might stand at the entrance and ensure all customers who enter are wearing a mask or remind people to maintain social distancing in the checkout line. 

Our research turned up compliance monitor jobs ranging from $10 to $24 an hour. 

Workplace sanitizers

The CDC’s guidelines for disinfecting public spaces are thorough and extensive, covering everything from offices and schools to bathrooms and vehicles. In New York City, for example, cleaners are working around the clock to ensure that public buses and subway cars are sanitized once every 24 hours.  

It is a massive and unprecedented undertaking, and as a result, the demand for professional deep cleaners has skyrocketed. MarketWatch reported a 75% increase in job listings for various types of cleaning positions compared to the same time last year. 

Most sanitizers work for a company that specializes in professional cleaning solutions. They use mobile disinfecting machines that emit a fine mist of cleaning agent directly onto the surfaces within a facility and manually scrub high-touch hotspots like doorknobs and handrails. They might also assist companies with implementing preventative measures like installing hand sanitizer stations. 

Lab workers

Experts have been warning of an impending shortage of skilled medical lab workers for years, and the coronavirus crisis has only made the need more dire. Commercial laboratories like LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics now say they do not have the capacity to keep pace with the growing volume of COVID-19 test orders, with demand for molecular diagnostic services increasing by 50% over the past three weeks. As a result, labs are advising clients to expect longer turnaround times. Companies like Amazon have even opted to begin building their own lab divisions to meet their internal testing needs.  

While it is bad news for patients waiting on test results, it is good news for lab technicians looking for work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of clinical lab technologists and technicians will grow 11% by 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. The average pay for lab technicians nationwide is $18 an hour.

Call center staffers

The pandemic has seen customer service call volumes increase exponentially across sectors, from state unemployment agencies dealing with millions of benefit applicants to airlines fielding change requests from panicked travelers. The field of phone support is particularly well-suited to remote work, with most staffers able to get up and running with just a computer and some basic gear. 

To meet the round-the-clock, call center employees often work non-standard shifts like late nights and weekends. This can be ideal for parents, caregivers, and others in need of non-traditional work hours. Part-time call center work can also serve as a supplemental income or help you bridge the gap while looking for new full-time work. 

Mask makers

With manufacturing operations shutting down en masse around the U.S., one product has proved to be a lifeline for apparel companies and independent makers alike: face masks. 

As early as March, athletic footwear company New Balance quickly pivoted its New England operations to begin producing PPE alongside running shoes. The company has since cranked out more than a million face masks. Major retailers like Banana Republic and Outdoor Voices have followed suit, adding masks to their regular apparel lineup, while listings for hand-sewn face coverings have soared on independent creative marketplaces like Etsy. 

An entry-level mask maker working on a production live can expect to earn around $13 an hour. If you are crafty and can create them yourself, you can bring in anywhere from $3 to upwards of $10 per mask. 

Technology consultants

As companies shift their operations to the cloud at lightning speed, they are looking to experts for help with setting up video conferencing, virtual onboarding, and implementing the infrastructure needed to coordinate activities among an offsite workforce. 

Zoom Communications has experienced explosive growth and is hiring for hundreds of positions like DevOps engineers, network administrators and technical support specialists to serve the growing user base. Pay for these jobs ranges from $29,000 to upwards of $100,000 based on skillset and experience level. Independent technology consultants are in demand, as well, with a search on the talent marketplace Upwork returning over 175 listings. 

Thrive in the Shifting Job Market with Help From 4 Corner Resources

COVID-19 has sparked a period of professional transition for millions of people. If you are in the market for a new job, turn to the staffing professionals at 4 Corner Resources to guide your search.

Our headhunters can help you refresh your resume, positioning your skills based on what employers are currently looking for in their job openings. If your industry has taken a hit as a result of the pandemic, we will help identify new and alternative opportunities that are a fit for your background and experience. Our staffing experts have placed more than 5,000 candidates, consistently producing a nearly 2 to 1 submit-to-interview ratio and a 1.4 to 1 interview-to-hire ratio. 

If you are looking to hire, we can help you identify the right candidates faster and in a more cost-effective manner. Open the conversation with our friendly team today by getting in touch now.

Do you wait it out for the company to regain its footing and hire you? Should you move forward with your job search like it never happened? What about if you accepted an offer, but now things have changed, or if the company has left you hanging regarding where things stand?

Advice for the Tricky and Taxing Job Search Situations Brought About by COVID-19

It is Happening to the Best of Job Seekers

While having a new job hanging in limbo is certainly stressful, take comfort in the fact that you are not the only one in this situation. Some of the largest and most reputable employers—including some who touted their hiring plans in the early days of the pandemic—have announced that new hires have stalled.

Google rescinded a job offer to some 2,000 temporary and contract workers as a cost-cutting move in response to slumping ad revenues. Some of the largest consulting firms, including McKinsey & Co. and Boston Consulting Group, have pushed back the start dates for thousands of new hires, staggering them throughout the summer and fall.

Though it does not ease the financial and emotional burden that comes from being out of work, knowing that you are not alone in this “new normal” should ease any concerns the situation has prompted about your value as a candidate or whether you could have done anything to prevent this from happening (nine times out of ten, you could not).

Many companies were still making offers well into March with genuine intentions to bring new hires onboard. Now that we see the full scope and impact the coronavirus has had on the economy, they are acting purely out of business necessity when shifting their plans.

So, what should you do if your job search or pending job offer has been impacted by Covid-19? Here are a few common scenarios we are seeing.

Your Job Offer Was Rescinded

As much as it stings, companies are within their rights to withdraw a job offer for any reason, even if the candidate has already accepted. If you already put in your two weeks’ notice at your previous job, this can leave you in quite a predicament.

The first thing to do is to file for unemployment just like you would if you were laid off. Yes—you are eligible, even though you never technically worked for your new employer. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that workers who quit their jobs in good faith only to have their new offer rescinded are protected by the Unemployment Compensation Law. It is helpful if you have an offer letter or email record documenting your employment conversations and subsequent offer withdrawal from the new company.

In some cases, companies may convey that they are still interested in hiring you, but they cannot promise when that will happen. Even if this is the case, the company is under no obligation to hire you and there is no guarantee that a job will materialize. So, it is in your best interest to push forward with your job search as if there were no offer on the table.

Your Start Date Has Been Pushed Back

Employers reserve the right to shift new hires’ start dates in response to coronavirus concerns. Depending how far off the adjusted start date of employment is, this can put you in a bind.

The first thing to do is to assess the length of the delay and how confident you are the new start date will hold firm. Is it a couple of weeks, where you can manage without a paycheck, or are they expecting you to sit tight for several months? Remember, there is always the chance your start date could be pushed back a second time as priorities and budgets continue to shift.

Your next option is to negotiate. Explain your situation and ask whether there is any flexibility for you to come onboard sooner, perhaps joining an earlier group of staggered start dates or coming on full-time or in a slightly different capacity on a temporary basis.

You can also ask about receiving a stipend to bridge the gap until your new start date. This is what is being offered by Boston Consulting Group and Accenture PLC, two of the firms we cited earlier that are delaying start dates.

Even if you have accepted the offer, you are under no obligation to wait it out until a new start date of employment. Just as a company can withdraw its job offer, so, too can candidates withdraw their acceptance. If you have signed a contract, read it over carefully. They sometimes contain stipulations about how long a candidate has to change their mind. Even if you’re outside the terms of your contract, many employers will be more forgiving of such terms given the unprecedented circumstances.

You Accepted an Offer but the Process Has Stalled

Even for companies that are still hiring, things are moving more slowly right now at many stages of the onboarding process. That includes things like pre-employment screenings, background checks and credential verifications that some companies require.

If your onboarding with a new employer has slowed to a crawl, begin by checking in with the hiring manager or your main point of contact for an update. There is a chance they have shifted timelines but have not kept you in the loop.

Are there items you need to take care of, like completing drug testing or following up with your references? If things are slow because the company’s offices are shuttered, is it possible for you to get started working remotely? Can they give you a firm date for when the pre-employment checklist will be complete?

If the answer to any or all of these questions is ‘no,’ it may be time for you to make a tough decision about whether to move forward with your acceptance of the job. You might decide you feel more comfortable continuing to pursue other opportunities until things become more certain with the initial employer.

You Signed A Contract But The Position Has Changed

What if you have signed a contract and have a start date lined up, but the position has changed from what you signed up for? Perhaps what was once an onsite role has become remote, or a job that appealed to you because of its ample opportunities to travel is now being done completely via Zoom. Is the company allowed to change the job after they have made an offer and are you still on the hook to take it?

On the employer’s side, they are allowed to make whatever changes are necessary to the position to accommodate their operations. Still, an employer should confirm that you are still interested in the position under the new terms before simply springing them on you.

If the new terms significantly change your interest in moving forward with the role, you may have room to push back. There might be an opportunity to meet somewhere in the middle between what you expected and what the job now requires, or to renegotiate the terms you agreed to since things have changed on their end.

You Have Been Furloughed

As of late May, some 18 million Americans had been furloughed. If it has never happened to you before, you might be wondering exactly what being furloughed means.

A furlough is a mandatory, temporary leave of absence with the expectation that the employee will return to work after a set number of days or hours. This is different from a layoff, which is a permanent reduction in the workforce.

The bad news about furloughs is that they do not entitle you to severance, which is sometimes offered during layoffs. The good news, though, is that you are still entitled to unemployment benefits. How much you can collect varies by state and depend on how many full weeks you will be out of work.

As with other scenarios we have discussed thus far, your employer’s intention to bring you back should not be mistaken for a guarantee. You retain the option to search for a new job elsewhere and some will decide this is the option they are most comfortable with pursuing.

Line Up a New Position with Help from 4 Corner Resources

Being out of work is stressful. It can be a challenge to get motivated to search and apply for jobs when you are worried about what comes next. Let the team at 4 Corner Resources do the heavy lifting.

Our headhunters will connect you with positions that are a good fit for your skills and circumstances, whether you are looking for something temporary to bridge an employment gap or a completely new full-time job. Browse our open listings now in our jobs bank, or submit your resume to connect@4cornerresources.com to be considered for future opportunities.

Some candidates view reference checks as a mere formality, certain their references will come through with glowing reviews, but this is a misstep. Most professionals take references very seriously and you cannot assume that having a good rapport with a reference automatically means they are going to put their credibility on the line and vouch for you as a great hire. This is why it is so important to choose your references carefully. 

Here, we will answer all the questions you have about how to ask for a reference, including who makes a good reference, what employers are looking for from references, how to ask for a reference by email, and more. 

What Do Employers Ask References?

References are not meant to dig up dirt on candidates (although you would be surprised at the stories some references choose to tell!). 

Rather, they are meant to help an employer verify that the information you have provided in your candidacy is accurate and to better gauge whether you are going to be a good fit within the organization. References can also raise potential red flags that an employer would want to know. 

Here are some example topics your references might be asked about:

• The dates of your employment and what your job was
• What your normal job duties looked like
• What you were like to work with
• How you approached your work
• Your strengths and weaknesses
• Your memorable accomplishments
• Any performance issues
• Why you left
• Whether they think this new role would be a good fit for you
• Whether the reference would work with you again if given the chance

Hiring managers often wrap up the reference check by asking, ‘is there anything I should know about the candidate that I have not asked?’ 

How your reference answers this question can be very telling; most people will either use it as an opportunity to give you their stamp of approval with some positive words, or they will waver on whether to tell the reference checker how they really feel (if their appraisal of you is negative). 

A good hiring manager can read between the lines and tell when a reference is not sold on giving a positive recommendation. Once again, this is all the more reason to choose references who explicitly say they feel comfortable recommending you. 

Who Should I Ask for a Reference?

A good reference is someone who can vouch for your ability to do your job and work well with others in the process. This should be someone who has worked fairly closely with you for a good amount of time. 

Not every reference needs to be someone who managed you, but it is good to have at least one current or former supervisor in the mix. An ideal set of references includes a mix of people from your professional background. For example, not all of them should be colleagues who are at your same level or who are all from within a single department. You want to give your hiring manager many different perspectives. 

Some people who make good references include current and former bosses, colleagues, clients and vendors. If you are new to the workforce, academic contacts like professors or internship directors can also serve as references. 

Perhaps a more important question, though, is who should not be used as a reference? It is never a good idea to use family members, friends, roommates, or employers where you left on bad terms. By no means should you ask a reference to pretend to be someone they are not; with LinkedIn and other social media, it is way too easy to get caught in a lie (not to mention that it demonstrates terrible moral judgement). 

Finally, you should never list someone as a reference without explicitly asking them first. Not only is this common courtesy and respectful of their time, but it also helps prevent surprises by giving people the chance to opt out of serving as a reference if they cannot recommend you in good faith. 

How To Ask for a Reference

Now that you have zeroed in on the ideal people to serve as your references, it is time to get their permission. 

Though it seems straightforward, requesting a reference can be daunting. After all, you are putting your future job prospects in this person’s hands! So if you are feeling a little nervous about asking for a reference, you are not alone. There is more to it than just getting a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

Take these steps to ensure that when the phone call comes, your contact is armed with the information they need to give a detailed and effective reference. 

Ask in person or via phone call whenever possible 

A face-to-face or phone conversation is more personal than an email or text message for such a big ask. It gives you a chance to catch up and fill the person in about your job search, which is helpful if it has been a while since you last talked. 

Plus, a phone call is faster and more direct than an email, which might go unanswered for days or get buried in a cluttered inbox. If you do not get a timely response, you are left wondering if they just missed your email or if they actually do not want to be a reference. For these reasons, a live conversation is your best bet. 

Tell them about the role you are applying for

Give them the Cliff’s Notes version of your job search—why you are job searching, what roles you are applying for, and what kind of responsibilities you would have. If you are applying for many different roles, give an overview of what you are generally looking for in a role. 

If you are like most people, your job search probably includes a number of applications with different companies. A lot of candidates wonder if they have to ask permission from every reference for every job they apply for. 

The answer is no. Generally, people understand that being a reference might entail several different conversations with multiple hiring managers. Asking once should cover you for the duration of your job search. 

The exception is if it is taking a while to land a job or if you are casually applying over time when you come across opportunities that interest you. In these cases, it is a good idea to touch base with your references every few months or so to let them know you’re still looking. 

Tell them why you are choosing them

Remind your prospective reference what you worked on together and share the specific qualities you think they can speak to when they worked with you. This is especially important if it has been a year or more since you worked together.  

For example, you might say, ‘I thought of you because you and I worked together on several successful design projects, and you’d be able to speak to my skills with Photoshop and client communications.’

Offer examples of things they might talk about 

Your references are doing you a favor; it is in your best interest to make it as easy as possible for them to say yes and give you a great review. Help them out by offering several concrete examples of skills, situations or accomplishments they can discuss in their conversations as your reference. 

Some ideas include:

• Projects you worked on together 
• Things you accomplished while you were colleagues
• Times you were able to solve a problem
• Skills that are relevant to your new role
• Qualities that set you apart from other candidates

It may also be helpful to share a copy of your resume so they can see how you are positioning yourself as a candidate. 

Follow up with your thanks

Once your job search draws to a close, it is a must to circle back with your references to say thank you. If you got the job, let them know! Managers, for example, typically take pride in seeing their former reports advance professionally. 

A warm thank-you email is usually sufficient. If appropriate, offer to reciprocate by helping your contact out in the future when you can. 

Can I Ask for a Reference Via Email?

Many candidates consult with us about how to ask for a reference by email. While it is not ideal, sometimes email will be the most feasible way to reach someone. 

In this case, condense the above tips into a straightforward message, being sure to verify that you have the person’s current job title and phone number, which you will need to give to your prospective employer. 

When asking for a reference via email, it is a good idea to close with a line that asks for a response one way or the other so you’re not left hanging. For example, ‘If you are not comfortable serving as a reference or do not have the time right now, I completely understand. Please let me know either way.’ 

Ace Your Next Interview with Help from 4 Corner Resources

From finding good jobs to narrowing down references, job searching is stressful. The staffing professionals at 4 Corner Resources can ease some of the pain. We are skilled at matching candidates like you with lucrative positions around the country in fields like finance, marketing, IT, customer service, and more. 

Begin your search by browsing our open jobs or send us your resume to get connected with one of our headhunters today.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at one type of work you might be thinking about if you’re out of a job: contract work. We’ll compare the differences between contract work and full-time employment and discuss some pros and cons of contract work to consider if you’re thinking about trying it. 

Contract Vs. Employment: What’s the Difference?

The main difference between the classifications of contract vs. employment are what the company can control. For a full-time employee, the company has a lot more say in not only the work that’s done, but how it’s done. 

In addition to dictating job duties and deliverables, an employer can set their employee’s hours, determine where the work will be done (i.e. an office) and direct which tools or applications will be used to complete the work. An employer can also dictate what employees cannot do, like doing outside work for a competitor or posting about the company on social media. 

A contractor, on the other hand, has full control over how the work in a project is done. The only thing the employer gets to dictate is the deliverable. The contractor has the final say on what tools they use to accomplish the work, how long and when they work, where they work, etc. 

The second major difference between contractors and employees is how they are paid. Employees of a company receive a W2, while independent contractors receive a 1099. The employer is not responsible for withholdings like federal income taxes and FICA taxes for a contract employee as they are with full-time employees. We’ll talk more about the implications of these financial classifications in the pros and cons. 

Pros of Contract Work

It comes with a lot of flexibility

Contract work is great for trying out a job to see if you like it. You can choose whether to carry on after the contract is up based on how it goes. Working on a contract can be an ideal way to fill a gap in employment while you look for something more permanent. You can also build a full-time income by taking on multiple contracts at once. 

It’s a guaranteed paycheck

Because you sign a contract before any work is done, you’re guaranteed to get paid (assuming, of course, you uphold your end of the deal). If you negotiate certain terms, like getting paid 50% upfront, it can bring in a lump sum of cash that’s a nice cushion when your finances are uncertain. 

It’s enjoyable

Contract work allows you to try new things that might be outside the scope of your “normal” profession. It offers the opportunity to work on creative projects and pursue work in areas where you have a passion. Working on diverse contracts can increase your technical knowledge, sharpen your skills and help you learn new ones you might not be exposed to in the confines of a 9-to-5 regular job.  

You have the potential to earn more money for your time

If you have a knack for working efficiently, you can potentially earn a lot more on an hourly basis than you would working for a fixed salary. For example, let’s say you land a contract that pays $2,500. If you can complete the work in 10 hours, you’re essentially making $250/hour. It’s unlikely you’ll command that kind of hourly rate in any part-time job. 

It can be a foot in the door to full-time work

 This is known as contract-to-hire. Under such an arrangement, the contract serves as a “trial period” of sorts. At the end of it, the company will decide to either hire the contractor full time or end the contract. We’ve seen a lot of companies moving to a contract-to-hire model during the pandemic, since it’s a way for them to postpone the costs of onboarding and benefits while still kicking off the working relationship. 

It can earn you experience with industry heavyweights

Major companies frequently work with contractors to save on overhead costs, cover staffing gaps and access niche expertise. A contract gig with a company like Coca Cola, Amazon or Nike looks great on your resume and can be easier to land than a full-time role. 

You get to skip out on office politics

Politics come into play in even the healthiest of workplaces. As a contractor, you’ll be mostly removed from office cliques, gossip and pettiness.

You’re your own boss

The most universal benefit to contract work is that at the end of the day, you answer to yourself. If you’re an independent, conscientious worker who likes to be in charge, contract work might be the perfect arrangement for you. 

Cons of Contract Work

You’re responsible for your own benefits

As an independent contractor, you won’t enjoy an employer-sponsored health insurance policy or retirement plan. You’ll be responsible for covering these things on your own, and depending on your situation, this can be pricey. 

You’ll have to cover additional taxes

As we mentioned above, independent contractors aren’t subject to withholding, which means you’ll need to keep track of what you make, calculate the taxes you owe on your earnings and submit payment to the IRS yourself. You’re also responsible for an additional portion of your federal income taxes (which, if you’re a full-time employee, are paid by your employer) and self-employment taxes, which account for your contributions to Social Security and Medicare (if you’re a full time employee, you’ll typically see these deducted from your paycheck with the term FICA).

Independent contractors often charge rates that, on the surface, seem incredibly lucrative, but you have to factor in all of the additional financial responsibilities mentioned above to determine the actual take-home pay. 

The end of the contract means no more paycheck

Even if the client likes working with you, there are no guarantees after the current contract is completed. They might not need any more work done beyond the initial scope, or they might decide to bring in someone internally to tackle similar projects moving forward. One common mistake contractors make is going into a project with the assumption that it will lead to an employment offer; while this sometimes happens, it’s usually the exception rather than the rule. 

When you don’t work, you don’t get paid 

This might seem obvious, but it comes with some unexpected mental hurdles. When you’re a salaried worker, you probably don’t think twice about staying home when you’re feeling sick or taking vacation days a couple times a year. As a contractor, though, that time away from work translates directly to dollars not being earned. It can be a challenge to adjust to this new mode of getting paid. 

You miss out on the team experience 

Some people thrive working as part of a collaborative team. If you’re one of these people, you won’t get that experience in most contracting roles. Depending on the project, you might have phone calls or video conferences that pertain to the work and in some cases might even complete your work onsite, but your job will largely be done independently and without that same “team experience” you have when you’re a full-time staffer. 

There aren’t the typical opportunities for professional development 

As a contractor, you won’t receive the same type of coaching you would get when working in-house somewhere. In fact, you might find the lack of direction challenging. You’ll have to seek out your own mentors and professional support system and if you want to advance in your career, create the opportunities to do so on your own rather than climbing a predetermined corporate ladder.  

There’s an earning ceiling

As a contractor, your earnings are directly tied to the work you produce. No matter how lucrative a contract role is, there are only so many hours in the day and thus, only so much work that can be accomplished. This means at some point, you’ll hit an income ceiling. Thousands of people make a very comfortable living doing contract work, but it can be a challenge to find the payment sweet spot that is both reasonable for clients and sufficient to support you financially.   

Find a Contract Job with 4 Corner Resources

Think contract work might be a good fit for you? We can help you land a position that capitalizes on your skills and fits your personality while bringing in a paycheck during an uncertain time. We work with some of the top employers in the country and can make the connections that will build your resume and open doors in your career. 

We handle contract staffing, contract-to-hire recruiting, and temporary hiring and can talk you through the nuances between them to decide which is the best fit for you. Browse our open positions now and apply for any you’re interested in on our Jobs board, or send us your resume to be considered for future openings.

Yet for some industries, the coronavirus has brought about an unprecedented wave of new business as our way of living has shifted virtually overnight. If you’re looking for a job right now, don’t lose hope; there are dozens of large companies and hundreds of smaller regional ones who are hiring en masse to meet the sudden increase in demand. 

To make the list more manageable, we’ve grouped companies adding new jobs by industry. Wherever possible, we have included the number of new jobs available along with a link to more information. 

9 Sectors Currently Hiring During the Coronavirus

Grocery

Grocery stores around the country are living up to their designation as ‘essential’ businesses, scrambling to stock shelves and manage supply chain challenges while keeping their doors open to serve their communities. National grocery chains like Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods have all reported a hiring surge. Notably, all Whole Foods positions start at $15/hour and offer double for overtime. 

While people still need groceries, many are hesitant to leave home to get them, creating an unmatched demand for delivery services like Instacart and Shipt. Instacart alone announced it would add a whopping 300,000 new jobs for on-demand shoppers. 

Being an Instacart shopper is an on-demand gig that allows you to sign up with your smartphone and accept shopping trips on your schedule, which could be ideal if you’re balancing childcare duties or looking to pick up a side hustle while you search for a new full-time position in your field.  

• Walmart: 200,000 jobs
• Kroger: 10,000 jobs
• Whole Foods: 5,000 jobs
• Instacart: 300,000 jobs
• Shipt: 70,000 jobs

eCommerce

Between March and April, eCommerce giant Amazon hired 100,000 new full and part-time staffers to meet the surge in demand and invested $350 million globally to increase employee pay. Now, the online giant has announced the need for 75,000 more employees for additional support. To help compensate for long hours, the company has extended double overtime pay.

• Amazon: 175,000 jobs

Pizza Delivery

One sector that hasn’t seen a downturn as a result of the pandemic? Pizza. Americans spend an estimated $10 billion a year on pizza delivery, with 83% of consumers eating it at least once a month. Little has changed with pizza buying habits during this pandemic. 

Pizza powerhouses like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and Hungry Howie’s have all announced upticks in staffing. Most of the available positions are for delivery drivers, but there’s also a need for pizza makers and CDL drivers to work in supply chain centers. Pizza Hut, in particular, notes that it expects its new positions to be permanent.  

• Domino’s Pizza: 10,000 jobs
• Pizza Hut: 30,000 jobs
• Papa John’s: 20,000 jobs
• Hungry Howie’s: 2,000 jobs

Online Education

With schools in most states opting to extend closures for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year, parents are faced with a double whammy: find childcare during the workday and attempt to make sure kids are getting some semblance of schooling while they are stuck at home. As a result, online education platforms have seen soaring demand. 

Many online education platforms have less rigorous requirements than teaching in a regular K-12 school, so if you have some background in teaching and a reliable internet connection, a position as a virtual teacher may be a fit. One major upside is that unlike other new jobs created by the pandemic, you don’t have to leave home, which minimizes your health risk.  

• Outschool: 5,000 jobs
• Varsity Tutors: 10,000 jobs

Technology

Digital tools for conferencing, messaging and collaborative work have been invaluable in helping companies transition their staff to remote work environments while allowing loved ones to stay in touch. The virtual meeting has become ubiquitous, with sheltered-in-place Americans using it for everything from job interviews to family get-togethers to childcare. 

Major tech players like Google, Apple and Facebook made big recruitment pushes during the 2008 recession, and this job crisis seems to be going on a similar route. All of the below companies have job listings available for engineers, data scientists and designers, among other tech positions. These may be a viable option for employees who’ve been laid off from cash-strapped startups. 

• Apple
• Google: 3,000 jobs
• Facebook: 10,000 jobs

Manufacturing

Manufacturing has been one of the more resilient industries in the face of the pandemic. Because it’s expensive to re-hire and retrain manufacturing workers, employers in this sector have been more reluctant than others to conduct layoffs. In January 2020, jobs in the service industry outnumbered those in manufacturing by five to one. In March, job losses in the service field outnumbered those in manufacturing by twelve to one. 

Adding to this is the fact that manufacturing has been tapped to be one of the first industries to come back online as states reopen, putting employees back to work well ahead of many other fields. For these jobs, your best bet is to check your local and regional news outlets for the latest plant reopenings near you, or check in with a qualified staffing agency, which can give you intel on who is currently hiring.

Call Centers

With brick-and-mortar locations closed and supply chain issues mounting, call center volume is off the charts in many industries. Call center employment lends itself to both full and part-time work, and temporary positions are also common.

Call center companies are specifically looking to hire people with disabilities to help fill staffing gaps. The National Telecommuting Institute, which works to connect disabled Americans with call center jobs, reports a 30% increase in job postings over the past month. 

Finally, many state and local governments are hastily assembling teams to staff new call centers to field unemployment inquiries as the surge of applicants overwhelms online portals.  

• Alorica: 8,000 jobs
• State and local government: check where you live (there are 1,500 in Florida, for example)

Pharmacies, Dollar and Convenience Stores

With grocery store shelves picked clean in many regions, shoppers have turned to alternate sources to stock up on essentials like toiletries, housewares and cleaning supplies. Pharmacy chains, dollar stores and convenience stores have all reported an uptick in shoppers and as a result, hiring. 

CVS Health, which owns CVS pharmacies and Caremark pharmacy benefits manager, says prescription delivery orders are up 300%. Dollar Tree and Dollar General stores are looking to onboard full and part-time managers, cashiers and stockers at their retail store locations along with fulfillment workers, equipment operators and warehouse associates in their distribution centers. Dollar General also said it’s beefing up its staff, though the number of positions was not specified. 

• 7-Eleven: 20,000 jobs 
• Walgreens: 9,500 jobs
• Dollar Tree/Family Dollar: 25,000 jobs
• Dollar General 

Home Improvement Stores

For some non-essential workers who find themselves homebound, the pandemic has turned into an opportunity to tackle home improvement projects they’ve been putting off for years. Stores report a surge of interest in supplies such as paint, appliance parts and even gardening supplies from people who are looking to start growing their own food. Plus, these stores often stock essential household goods that have become hard to find in recent months, like toilet paper and cleaning supplies. 

Ace Hardware says 75% of Americans live within 15 minutes of an Ace location, and demand has been high. Lowe’s announced $80 million in employee bonuses as part of its response to the pandemic, with amounts ranging from $150 for part-time workers to $300 for full-time workers. Workers who are most susceptible to infection are eligible for up to four weeks of paid emergency leave. 

Both home improvement chains are making big hiring pushes to keep up with the influx of shoppers. 

• Lowe’s: 30,000 jobs
• Ace Hardware: 30,000 jobs

Get Expert Help Finding A New Job

Getting laid off is stressful, but having a plan in place to find a new job can alleviate some of the anxiety. 4 Corner Resources connects top employers with candidates who are a good fit for their open positions based on skills, experience and personality. 

Never worked with a headhunter before? No problem. Here are the basics: employers turn to us when they’re looking to hire, and we find, screen and deliver candidates that meet their needs. We are paid by the companies that hire us; working with us doesn’t cost any money for candidates. 

Our staffing experts will work to find positions that not only bring in a paycheck, but will help advance your career. Get started by sending us your resume or setting up a call with one of our recruiters now. You can also browse our open positions 24/7 in our jobs portal and find more resources for job seekers on our blog.

Here, we’ll show you how to write a cover letter that will help you stand out among other candidates and make a strong case for landing an interview. We’ll also share an effective sample cover letter you can use as a guideline to write your own for your job application.

Step by Step on How to Create a Cover Letter

Step 1: Introduce yourself

A great cover letter introduction cuts right to the chase of who you are and why you’re a fit for the job.

Remember, the clock is ticking on your first impression. Don’t waste time stating the obvious or saying the same bland thing a hundred other candidates are going to say, like ‘I’m John Smith and I’m applying for the role of head candlestick salesman at Acme Candle Company.’

Instead, dive right in and make a statement that sets you apart. You might begin, ‘My name is John Smith and for the last three years, I’ve been the number one candlestick salesperson in my division with gross sales totaling more than $5M.’

Boom—you’re off and running. If you were referred by someone, your introduction is a great place to include this potentially important detail, as well.

Step 2: Tie your experience to the job you’re applying for

The meat of your cover letter should be focused on tying your experience to the specific requirements of the job to which you’re applying. Too many candidates spend it regurgitating their past work experience, but that’s what a resume is for.

Your cover letter is not simply a narrative version of your resume. Rather, it’s a chance to show the hiring manager how your skills and experience empower you to excel in their open position and solve their pain points. This is why a truly effective cover letter is unique for every job you apply to.

For example, let’s say the position calls for you to juggle multiple responsibilities with shifting deadlines. You might say, ‘In my role as a candlestick sales coordinator, I prioritized orders from dozens of client accounts based on volume and timeline to maintain a manageable production schedule.’

Rather than simply saying you’re organized and can meet deadlines, you’re showing how you’ve excelled at these things in the past.

Step 3: Share noteworthy wins

We often say that your cover letter is like your professional highlight reel on your job application.

If you had to pick one or two moments where you really shined at what you do, what would they be? Find a way to work these career wins into your cover letter. To differentiate from what’s on your resume, think of this part as if you were telling the story of your win to a friend or colleague.

If you’re not used to positioning your achievements this way or if you’re in a field where tangible “wins” and “losses” aren’t as common (say, academia versus marketing), this can be tricky. However, that’s why it’s all the more important to do.

To help identify your cover-letter-worthy wins, think about impact. What have you done that benefited your organization, your clients, or the public the most?  Here are a few examples to get your creative juices flowing:

• Did something that helped your company save or make more money
• Led a training to help your colleagues get better at their jobs
• Solved a problem for a customer
• Made your organization look good in the public eye

If there’s one thing we can’t emphasize enough, it’s to use specifics rather than generalizations. Saying you improved customer satisfaction ratings by 26% is a whole lot more impactful than simply saying you improved customer satisfaction ratings. Don’t leave the recruiter or hiring manager wondering. Tell them in plain detail how you made a positive impact.

In this part of your cover letter, you may choose to break from the typical paragraph format in favor of bullet points.

Step 4: End on a high note

Once you’ve made your case using the compelling details we discussed above, your closing can be as simple as a polite ‘Thank you for your consideration’ or ‘I look forward to speaking with you further.’

If you want to end with a bit more flair, though, you might use your closing as an opportunity to briefly touch upon why you want the job or what drew you to the organization. For example, ‘I greatly admire Acme Candle Company’s commitment to becoming the number one provider of sustainably sourced candlesticks, and I would welcome the opportunity to join your team.’

Leave your closing open-ended. In other words, the ball is in their court. Don’t make statements like ‘I will call you to follow up’ or ‘please contact me to schedule an interview.’ These not only come across as presumptuous but show that you’re out of touch with professional norms on how the application process works.

Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid

Now that we’ve covered what you should do to write an effective cover letter, let’s discuss a few things you shouldn’t do.

Failure to customize

We’ve said it already, but it bears repeating: your cover letter should be tailored to the position you’re applying for. A generic cover letter that directs the reader to your resume isn’t worth any more than the sheet of paper it’s printed on.

Read the job description carefully and find ways to connect your unique skills and work experience to the qualities they’re looking for in a candidate and the duties you’ll be performing.

Taking the wrong tone

A cruise ship is a different work environment than a law firm. The company culture, professional expectations, and general atmosphere are going to be wildly different. It stands to reason, then, that the tone of your cover letter would be different for a job with each of these two organizations, as well.

When crafting your cover letter, it’s important that the tone A) sounds like you and B) is appropriate for the company. If it’s too casual, you’ll sound unprofessional. If it’s too formal, you’ll sound like you lack an understanding of the organization.

To get a feel for the right tone, look at the language used on the company’s website and social media channels. When in doubt, err on the side of formality.

Oversharing

90% of the time, you should keep the content of your cover letter purely professional. Your prospective employer doesn’t need to know that you’re looking for a job in the same city as your boyfriend or that you have a collection of unique historic memorabilia.

The exception to this would be when personal details are directly relevant to the role or the company, for example, if you have prior experience volunteering in the field where you’re now job searching or if you saw the CEO speak at an event ten years ago and have been an admirer of the company ever since.

Failing to proofread

Before you send your cover letter off into the hands of a recruiter or your prospective future boss, proofread it. Then, if at all possible, ask an eagle-eyed friend to do the same.

Running it through spellcheck is a must. Newer apps like Grammarly and Hemingway are also great options for catching grammatical and contextual mistakes that your standard word processor can miss.

Effective Cover Letter Template

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

[PARAGRAPH 1: Introduction]

Begin with your name and a detail or two about who you are.

[PARAGRAPH 2: Tie skills/work experience to job description]

Show the reader how your unique experience translates into success in their position. Cite responsibilities and/or qualities you’ve sourced directly from their job description. Don’t simply repeat what’s in your resume.

[PARAGRAPH 3: Highlight impactful wins]

Use specific details to demonstrate how you made a positive impact on your company, its customers or the public. Bullet points may work well here.

[PARAGRAPH 4: Closing]

End with a polite and concise closing. If you choose to, you might end by summarizing why you want to work for the company.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Take the Next Step with 4 Corner Resources

At 4 Corner Resources, our headhunters are passionate about helping match candidates with companies where they can learn, grow and excel. We bring more than a decade of experience connecting recognized leaders in technology, finance, marketing, legal, and healthcare with the top professionals in their respective fields.

We’re more than just your average recruiting firm. In addition to our established industry relationships, we offer our clients access to proprietary sourcing and hiring tools that help you hire better, faster and at a lower cost.

Our clients always come first; we pride ourselves on having the best customer response rates in the industry without sacrificing the quality of service. If you’re ready to take the next step in your job search or need expert recruiting assistance to fill your open position, contact us today.

We are a recruiting firm that is dedicated to providing candidates with the best information and recommendations to help them stand out to prospective employers. To do this, we offer resume writing tips to help our candidates understand how to write a resume that grabs (and holds) a hiring manager’s attention. For our clients, this means that only high-quality resumes will be presented for consideration.

Because we see simple yet significant mistakes on resumes nearly every day, we decided to put together our best resume guide as a resource to help candidates understand what they are doing well or, perhaps, need to improve. Not only will this enhance your professional brand and image, but it also will increase the likelihood that you will receive an interview, thus greatly improving your chance to be hired.

10 Resume Writing Tips to Help Put Your Best Foot Forward

In the section below, we’ll discuss some of our best resume writing recommendations about what you should include as well as what not to include in a resume:

Best Resume Guide Tip #1: List Only the Accolades You’ve Actually Achieved

The first of our resume writing tips is a simple rule that we teach children from a young age, yet some professionals still choose to ignore it: Don’t claim credit for something you haven’t done. According to a survey from CareerBuilder, “3 in 4 HR managers (75 percent) report having caught a lie on a resume, and only 12 percent of HR managers are more likely to consider calling a candidate that does something unusual or outrageous in for an interview.”

When writing your resume, be honest; only list degrees and certifications that you have completed — and include only those that are pertinent to the job for which you are applying. If your degree or certification is in progress, you can list it with the date you anticipate it will be completed. Remember: This information will be reviewed and verified by a recruiter and hiring manager, so if it isn’t accurate, they will find out, and your application will likely be removed from consideration.

Best Resume Guide Tip #2: Avoid Generic Job Descriptions

At the most basic level, the purpose of a resume is to paint a vivid picture of your professional life and career progression in a way that is easy to understand and follow. Considering that the CareerBuilder article mentioned above states that HR managers spend “less than a minute initially looking at a resume” and that “nearly 1 in 5 (19 percent) spend less than 30 seconds,” you have very little time to grab their attention.

For the best resume writing, provide specific, detailed information about what each job entailed and highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience you picked up along the way. This means you should avoid writing generic descriptions and should include statistics or numbers showcasing your success with initiatives whenever possible.

Best Resume Guide Tip #3: Only Include Relevant Information

Your resume should contain only the most relevant information that serves a purpose. As such, this means you should remove anything that is unnecessary or does not provide value to your candidacy. For example, if you were captain of your high school volleyball team, that’s great, but it isn’t relevant for the resume of a 56-year-old IT security professional or a 29-year-old paralegal.

Best Resume Guide Tip #4: Clearly State Your Intentions & Goals

If you only want to work in an office environment, just want contract work, or need to work remotely, you should specify that on your resume up front. By clearly stating your intentions, there is no confusion or wasted time on the part of a recruiter or hiring manager who is looking for someone to work a position that does not meet your needs.

Best Resume Guide Tip #5: Tailor Your Resume & Cover Letter

One of the most essential recommendations we can make for best resume writing is to ensure that your resume and cover letter are tailored to the specific job for which you are applying. If your content sounds like it is for just any employer, a recruiter or hiring manager is going to be significantly more likely to move on to the next applicant without so much as a second glance.

As a bonus for our resume writing tips, we also suggest that if you can find out the name of the hiring manager or recruiter, be sure to address your cover letter to them directly. Not only is it a nice touch that will help grab their attention, but it shows that you made an effort to find out who they are.

Best Resume Guide Tip #6: List Your Jobs in Chronological Order

As we mentioned earlier, your resume serves as the roadmap of your career path. As this is a form of navigation, it’s vital that you list information in chronological order (listing your most recent position first and concluding with your oldest job) with specific dates. Being vague about your past employment is a giant red flag for employers. Making a recruiter or hiring manager jump through hoops to find out information about you is a great way to ensure that your resume and application will take a one-way trip to the filing cabinet.

Best Resume Guide Tip #7: Check Spelling/Grammar & Use Consistent Style

Using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style should not just be an afterthought. Using consistent font, style, and formatting throughout your entire resume not only helps make a strong first impression with recruiters and hiring managers, but it also makes your resume easy to read and understand. A resume riddled with typos, missing words, and punctuation errors is not only distracting, but it also shows a lack of attention to detail on the part of the candidate.

Best Resume Guide Tip #8: List Current Contact Information

While this should go without saying, we often find ourselves having to remind candidates of the importance of checking the basics — such as making sure your contact information is up to date. If you include an old email address or phone number, a recruiter or hiring manager won’t be able to get in touch with you and will move on to another candidate.

Taking it one step further, it’s also essential to ensure that you list a professional-sounding email address on your resume. A stellar resume with an email address of “ironmanwannabe@gmail.com” or “partyanimal@yahoo.com” will not bode well with prospective employers and falls in the “what not to include in a resume” category.

Best Resume Guide Tip #9: Be Prepared to Talk about Anything on Your Resume

When you include something on your resume, you’ve made that information a potential talking point with a recruiter or hiring manager. As such, you should be prepared to speak about any of the listed topics, projects, or experiences in depth and be able to discuss why you included it on your resume.

For example, if you say you are fluent in speaking German, don’t be surprised if the hiring manager asks you to speak in that language — particularly if speaking that specific language is relevant to the position. Or, if you are applying for a front-end developer position and claim to be an expert, be prepared to talk about JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and other templating languages (such as PHP) if applicable.

Best Resume Guide Tip #10: Show a Clear Career Progression

Among the chief considerations for your resume is showing a clear progression in terms of holding positions that involve increasing levels of responsibility. The recruiter or hiring manager needs to be able to easily understand how your career has taken you from point A to point B. Not only does this help them gain a better understanding of your experience, but it also helps them answer any questions before they come up,

Speak with One of Our Professional Recruiters

We hope that you’ve found these resume writing tips helpful and informative. As part of an award-winning staffing and recruiting firm, the team at 4 Corner Resources is dedicated to helping candidates connect with the right client and vice versa. We take into consideration everything from each candidate’s specific knowledge and skill set, to their level of experience and career progression, to the client’s company culture. It’s our mission to place the right candidate with the right employer every time. Considering that 4CR has a 92% client retention rate after placing more than 5,200 candidates with our clients, it goes to show that our team is doing something right.

To speak with one of our technical recruiters, contact us today by clicking on the image below.