Listen in to learn the difference between an objective and a headline, and how a headline will help you get noticed! Please let your Career Specialist know if you have questions or need assistance!
Timely Progress Reviews and Why They’re Important
Anyone participating in the Ticket to Work program is expected to meet the Timely Progress requirements established by Social Security. As long as your Ticket is active and Timely Progress is being made, Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) will be waived as long as one wasn’t previously initiated before assigning your Ticket.
While there currently isn’t a set schedule for Timely Progress Reviews (TPRs), it’s important to keep these requirements in mind as you progress through the program.
The following is drawn from the article on the SSA website.
What is a Timely Progress Review?
- SSA’s system for tracking the progress of the Ticket Holders.
- Based on the Timely Progress Guidelines that Social Security established under the New Regulations effective July 2008.
- Conducted about every 12 months by the Ticket Program Manager (TPM)
- Used to determine if progress is being made towards self-sufficiency.
- A pass decision extends protection from selection from a medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR) for about another 12 months.
- A failed decision discontinues the protection from CDRs.
What are the TPR Guidelines?
- Consists of work and earnings requirements, educational or training requirements, or a combination of both.
- These requirements change annually as a beneficiary progresses through the program
- For example, in the first 12-month Review, the beneficiary must have worked three months at the Trial Work Level (TWL) amount in order to pass the review; or have completed a GED, or high-school diploma, or have completed 60% of a full-time course load for an academic year in a college or technical, trade, or vocational training plan; or completed some combination of this work and education requirement.
To get the full picture, including the remaining yearly Timely Progress requirements for 2019, please review Your Ticket to Work: What You Need to Know to Keep it Working For You.”
(https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10062.pdf).
If you have any questions or need help figuring out where you are in the program, your Career Specialist is always available to help. Please feel free to contact them with your questions!
The Yellow Pages—How Retro Meets Modern
Instructions for using the online Yellow Pages to generate a list of employers for company research and job search!
Use O*Net Autocoder to Optimize Your Resume!
In this video tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the O*Net Autocoder to optimize your resume and increase your chances of landing an interview!
Online Virtual Job Club curriculum
We are in the process of revamping our online Virtual Job Club curriculum.
As part of this, beginning in May we will be hosting a monthly Question and Answer (Q&A) session that is available to ALL of our Ticket to Work clients.
When?
Thursday
Duration: 1 hour
10:00 am Pacific Time
May 16, 2019
Location: https://zoom.us/j/6934185838
Mark your calendar!
This call is open to anyone looking for work or who is currently working.
You can "drop in" any time to ask questions and get answers:
- Want to discuss disclosure during a job application or interview?
networking strategies? - Need some tips or practice answering interview questions or on
- Need help asking for a raise or negotiating a salary?
- Do you want to know how to make your resume more keyword rich?
Have a more specific question you'd like to discuss? No worries! We've got you covered. We have the capability to break off into virtual "rooms" so you can get your questions answered privately.
To join this virtual session, please use the link below. You do not have to enable your video, unless you'd like to. Once you log in, there are options to listen and talk via your phone in the event you don't have a microphone/speakers on your computer.
Join Zoom Meeting
hhttp:// https://zoom.us/j/6934185838
We look forward to seeing you there!
2019 Job Search Trends – The Future is Now
As we enter 2019, changes are happening as it relates to conducting a job search. This is partially due to a tight labor market, companies seeking specialized skills, the rise of the Gig Economy, and frequent technology advances. So, what does this mean for job seekers?
Customer Experience: With so much digital noise these days, candidates and companies must work much harder to capture each other’s attention. Companies see the need to build a better “candidate experience” that captures and cultivates job seekers. To embrace this trend as a job seeker, it is necessary to set yourself apart as a candidate. Companies will be looking for evidence that you can deliver beyond just your resume. This can be demonstrated through building an e-portfolio, developing a consistent presence on LinkedIn, and being ready to go beyond to demonstrate your expertise.
Social Media: Within the social media landscape, LinkedIn continues to be the dominant connection platform in many sectors for both companies and candidates. For both active and passive job seekers, LinkedIn is in excellent, almost imperative, professional networking resource for most industries. It has the ability to connect job seekers and recruiters so your profile needs to be professional and up to date should you be scouted by a recruiter. It’s also a great place to do company research!
Video & Voice: LinkedIn has integrated both voice messaging and video into its platform. Forward-thinking candidates are posting videos of themselves, their accomplishments, and/or their industry participation to help build their personal/professional profiles.
Chatbots, Texting & IM: Although the majority of job search activities still happen via email, recruiters are experimenting with newer, faster forms of communication with job seekers, such as LinkedIn’s InMails, chatbots, texts, and other forms of instant messaging. While the components of the job search process will be increasingly moving to chat instead of in-person, it won't replace real human to human contact throughout the job search process.
Personal Branding: This isn’t a new concept for 2019, but it’s more important than ever. Candidates need to stand out with a distinct, clear message of their value to potential employers. This may take the form of a resume, LinkedIn profile, website, social media presence, and/or digital portfolios. Given the emerging dominance of the Gig Economy, it also means having an exceptional bio and personal profile that you can deploy on contract-work sites like Upwork and Fiverr.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Previous hiring methods focused on job searches using online job boards and email communication. In the pre-Internet era, the job search was limited to a local network of open positions found in places like newspaper classified ads. Primarily established in 2018, the year 2019 will build off of the AI such as machine learning-assisted job matching as a method to generate a smaller set of job recommendations tailored to individual candidates. Additional tools include AI-driven interviews, emotional scoring of candidates' facial expressions during conversations, chatbots, predictive career paths, and more.
Successful job seekers will need to embrace and engage whatever tools and approaches a company uses to find talent. It’s a shift that is guaranteed to be a win-win for both candidates and employers in 2019 and beyond.
Who Doesn’t Love a Good Fair!
Attending job fairs is a great way to get exposure to many potential employers at one time, in one place. Whether live or virtual (online), there are a few critical things you need to do in order to put your best self out there when attending a job fair.
First, make sure your resume is current and polished! This will be the go-to resource for potential employers to use as they consider you for a position at their company. It needs to highlight the skills that are needed for the job they’re looking to fill.
Next, practice your “elevator speech.” This is your 30-second introduction to let them know who you are and what you can contribute to their organization as an employee. It’s important to be clear and confident, so it’s a good idea to practice what you’ll say beforehand.
And finally, dress the part! If you look successful, you’ll feel successful! You may think your wardrobe won’t matter if you’re attending a virtual job fair, but many companies use online tools such as Skype or Zoom to have video interviews. Don’t get caught unprepared!
Additional tips on preparing for live and virtual jobs fairs can be found in these two articles:
https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/how-to-succeed-virtual-job-fair
https://www.recruiter.com/i/preparing-for-a-career-fair-follow-these-13-tips/
In one of their recent Weekly Digest Bulletins, the Social Security Administration included the article, “Attend a Career Fair in February.” It contains tips for finding the right job fairs for your skills and career goals, along with a brief listing of upcoming fairs. The summary below gives you an idea of what you’ll find in the full article.
Virtual Career Fairs
Many organizations list their events on CareerEco. Check out one of the virtual events listed below or find other events by looking at the full calendar. During February, there are a variety of career fairs taking place online.
City Career Fairs (In Person)
City Career Fair's Diversity Employment Day (DED) career fairs provide the chance for local and national employers to meet and interview qualified candidates from diverse communities.
Choice Career Fairs (In Person)
Choice Career Fairs organizes job and career fairs throughout the United States. Check out their website for a full list of career fairs happening in February.
Coast to Coast Career Fairs (In Person)
Coast to Coast Career Fairs holds numerous in-person career fairs across the country each month. To find a full list of career fairs by region, check out their calendar.
Diversity Career Group (In Person)
Diversity Career group focuses their career and job fairs on connecting employers and jobseekers through sit-down conversations and even first-round job interviews. Check out the full calendar.
RecruitMilitary (In Person and Virtual)
RecruitMilitary seeks to tap into the extensive talent pool that veterans represent for employers. For a listing of all RecruitMilitary career fairs, visit their calendar.
National Career Fairs (In Person)
National Career Fairs holds free career fairs in over 130 cities each year. Check out the full calendar to discover a career fair near you.
I hope this information is helpful as you prepare for and seek upcoming job fairs to attend. If you need any help navigating the job fairs, please reach out to your Career Specialist at Human Solutions. That’s why we’re here, and we’re always ready to help!
How Not to Lose Your New Year’s Job Search Mojo
As we move into the New Year, you may be thinking about what lies ahead with your job search and what steps you need to take to meet your employment goals. During the past year, you may remember times of feeling unmotivated and hopeless during your job search. Regaining motivation for the New Year often involves doing things to boost your confidence and shaking things up a bit.
The job search is a process that takes time and effort. It is easy to lose your way, get discouraged and want to quit. So, let's talk about a few ways to stay motivated and upbeat during your job search.
See Everything as an Opportunity
It’s easy to become tired of customizing your resume, writing cover letters, going to interviews, and networking. Try to reframe your thinking and look at each activity as an opportunity that will prepare you to be the next best candidate or employee, and to meet your employment goals.
Focus on Your Positives
During your job search, it is useful to make a list of your best qualities, skills and accomplishments. This list will help you when tailoring your resume, crafting a cover letter, and during an interview. Remembering what makes you a successful job candidate and a talented, unique person will help boost your confidence throughout the job search process.
Set Measurable Goals
Setting small, measurable goals will help you stay motivated during your job search. By focusing on small, achievable goals, you will feel more accomplished throughout the process. You can set daily or weekly goals, but make sure they are as specific as possible so you can track your progress. Your Career Specialist is there to help if you need it.
Celebrate Small “Wins”
It is easy to focus on the negative during a job search, such as the interview you didn’t land or the job you didn’t get. Instead, focus on even the smallest wins. Celebrating the small wins will help you focus on the positive and stay motivated. Feel free to email your weekly wins to wins@human-solutions.net so we can celebrate with you! Remember, no win is too small!
Focus on What You Can Control
You may find yourself worrying about circumstances that are out of your control, like being called for an interview after sending in your resume and eventually receiving a job offer. When you start to feel like this, do something that you can control like updating your resume, preparing for an interview, gaining relevant experience or updating your qualifications. By focusing on what you do have control over during your job search, you will worry less about what is out of your hands.
Take a Step Back
If you have experienced frustration and lack motivation during your job search, take a step back and remind yourself of all the other important things in your life. Take a moment to breathe, because when you inhale confidence, you exhale doubt. You’ve got this!
The ABCs of Success!
With the new year just beginning, the topic of many articles and newsletters has to do with one of two things—setting goals for the year or adopting a plan for a healthier lifestyle. If you have one or both of these on your list for the new year, I say Good for You!
Rather than follow suit, I want to branch off a bit from the norm. Yes, it is important to set goals and work toward accomplishing them throughout the year. I’ve written numerous articles on the subject myself and shared my best tips with you in previous years. Today, I want to talk to you about Success. What does it take to be a success in your job search, in your career, and in your life?
Thinking through it, I’ve come up with what I call the ABCs of Success! Three little words or attitudes that will help you accomplish your goals–whether that be finding the right job or settling into a satisfying career. Developing these attitudes or philosophies will help you create a positive mindset, allowing you to move forward and make great things happen this year!
A is for Adaptability. This is so important. As you begin the year with your goals in place, be adaptable. Envision the bigger picture. A job that may not look just right on the surface may very well be a good starting point for a better position within the company; look for the potential for growth and promotion. Don’t limit yourself to looking for the “ideal job” going in. A solid career path is built of many stones; don’t be too quick to skip over them.
B is for Brilliance. We all have a brilliance that is unique to each of us. Your brilliance may come from your ability to easily learn a new skill, your passion for organization or your knack for engaging others as a team. Look for your brilliance and be sure to let it shine in your interviews and on the job! Help prospective and current employers see the light that shines within you and how it will be an asset to their company. And, don’t stop there; shine your light in all things, every day!
C is for Confidence. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Dance like nobody’s watching.” It’s confidence that allows you to do this! Develop a sense of confidence that shows employers that you are the right person for the job. Focus on what you want to project about yourself—your talents, your brilliance, and then be confident in doing so. You offer skills and knowledge in a way that is different from everyone else. Let that confidence carry you through!
While the ABCs of Success are directed primarily to your job and career goals, you can easily apply them to all areas of your life, including adopting that healthier lifestyle. I wish you much success this year as you practice your ABCs!
How to Keep the Joy in This Joyful Season!
Thinking of all that this holiday season brings, I was reminded that while this is a joyful time of year, it can also be a time of stress. The days can quickly become so busy that we forget about the joyful part.
We came across this great holiday article entitled, “11 Ways to Experience Holiday Joy” by Elaine Bergeson Becco at ExperienceLife.com. The article offers ideas for hanging on to that joy and it’s really pretty simple stuff! It suggests that you—
- Make Gifts Instead of Buying
- Donate to a Good Cause
- Go caroling
- Have a classic movie night
- Play games—the old-fashioned way!
- Be Kind to Yourself
Be kind to yourself for a few minutes right now and read the rest of the article. Select some (or all!) of the ideas and try them out this holiday season. You might find yourself enjoying a season full of renewed hope and memory-making moments!
