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We're well into 2023, and if you've been thinking about looking for your next career move, there is no time like the present to refresh your resume. But what can you do to stand out from the crowd when searching for a job? Here are the five best practices to consider for 2023.

Limit Your Resume to One Page

Whenever possible, keep your resume short. Try to limit it to just one page. Having two pages is okay, but anything longer than that is too much. Keeping your resume short increases the chances of the reviewer absorbing more information. Imagine it like a google search, and you're not as likely to click on the second page of results.

Keep Formatting Simple

There are many options for resume templates, including MS Word and design programs such as Canva. While these templates can be fun, they can also be distracting. Keep the formatting simple for two reasons. First, it makes it easier for the reviewer to skim, and second, it's compatible with their applicant tracking system.

Call Out Skills and Experience

You want to make your most critical skills and experience accessible at a glance. Make sure to provide your skills in a summary statement. Choose only relevant experience to include on your resume, and you only need to go back for about ten years on your resume.

Use Keywords from the Job Description

As a bonus, review the job description and see how you can incorporate some essential keywords into your relevant experience. For example, if you use specific software and the job description uses a more general name encompassing that software, change it on your resume to match. Never add keywords that don't apply to your experience.

Focus on Accomplishments with Data

While you want to create a resume that can pass the ATS, you also want it to make a good impression on the reviewer. Share your accomplishments and how your skills and experience benefitted your previous employers. Add data, such as dollar amounts or time spent, to emphasize these.

For help finding your next role, turn to itec group!

Are you still struggling to attract the talent you need to build your team this year? Many organizations are seeking creative solutions to their staffing concerns, and plenty of innovative ideas exist. Adding perks to your hiring package, on top of a good employee culture, can help bring great team members to your door. Here are five creative bonuses that you should consider offering new hires.

Student Loan Repayment

It's a well-known fact that many younger adults, including Millennials and Generation Z, are swimming in pools of student debt. The cost of education rose significantly while they were attending school, and many carry immense debts nearly impossible to pay off without drastic measures. Offering a student loan repayment perk can attract these highly skilled and educated applicants to your door.

Home Office Set-Up Allowance

Providing an allowance for employees to set up a dedicated workspace can go a long way for companies that offer work-from-home arrangements. This is beyond issuing a laptop or setting it up with your company's software. The allowance can help them buy a suitable desk and chair, create a space in their home without distractions, and make them feel like you respect their ability to be productive at home.

Flexible and Expanded PTO

Time off is more valuable than money these days. So, along with a robust and fair salary package, offering additional PTO days and flexible schedules can attract top talent to your business. Some companies are opting for an unlimited PTO model with the expectation that people won't abuse the system. Others allow more flexible schedules, so employees don't need to take time off for things in their lives, such as doctor appointments or children's activities.

Top-Up Benefits

New Canadian parents, through birth or adoption, can qualify for paid parental leave, but that doesn't mean employers can't provide additional benefits. Employers can "top up" or offer supplemental benefits to maternity, parental, adoption, and other caregiving leave. These benefits are not considered earnings and don't have to be deducted from EI.

Pet Insurance

Other families, such as those without children or those with older children, may appreciate your recognition of their furry companions. Recognizing that pets are as important as any other household member, you can offer pet insurance programs for your employees. These policies are not generally that expensive, but they often go overlooked.

If you still can't find the people you need, let our itec group team lend you a hand!

Organizational skills are essential. If you're considering leaving your current job to pursue something new, you want to get as organized as possible to make that happen. We'll break down the top tips to help you prepare for your job search, including what you need to do before quitting your current role.

Update Your Resume

Step one is to update your resume. If you haven't been regularly updating it, you want to review what you have and add anything new to help employers see your value. Focus on accomplishments that will demonstrate how your skills led to success in the workplace.

Review Your Online Presence

Next, take some time to review your social media and other online resources. If you have a portfolio, such as for a design job, ensure it's up to date. Review your public social media profiles and make sure they are professional. Lock down any profiles for personal use, such as Facebook. Companies review social media, so you want to start on the right foot.

Prepare Your References

Next, prepare your references. It doesn't have to be a current employer. Talk to former managers or people you worked with. Make sure you let them know you will use their name and contact information as a reference so they're not blindsided. And reaching out to them again will get your name in front of them.

Plan for Transition

If you're leaving a current position, it's helpful to consider your exit strategy. Don't go public with your job search until you have an offer because that can cause other problems, but do think about how you will transition when you do. Plan for your notice period. Two weeks is standard, though you can make other arrangements as necessary.

Consider Benefits and Retirement Accounts

The one thing most people don't consider when transitioning jobs is benefits and retirement accounts. How long will you be without healthcare coverage? How will you transfer your retirement accounts from your current employer's program? Making a plan will help reduce the stress of the transition.

If you're ready to start your search for a new job, consider searching with itec group!

Is your company suffering from unnecessary turnover? For the last two years, many businesses have faced The Great Resignation, and it's critical to find out why employees are leaving your organization and stop the flow of the turnover tsunami. Attrition happens for many reasons, including terrible employee experiences and a lack of good leadership. Here are things you and your leadership team can do to retain top talent.

Hire Additional Help

Much of the reason for high turnover is burnout. If your employees feel they have no more left to give because too much is on their plate, they will quit. You can prevent this by hiring more help rather than expecting your employees to shoulder additional work. This can be in the form of temporary employees handling extra work or a new team member distributing the workload better.

Lead By Example

Another concern among employees is that they don't feel safe taking time off or making requests because it will make them look weak. If they don't see management doing the same things, they will think there will be retribution if they do it. You must lead by example and encourage your team to take time off or set boundaries.

Employee Feedback

Giving and getting feedback should also be a priority for your team. Make sure that when you're providing feedback, it isn't always critical or negative. Offer praise or gratitude whenever possible. And encourage your team to give input on management and take action to improve the environment.

Culture of Employment

This boils down to creating a culture where your team is excited to work. Focusing on the employee experience, providing flexibility and opportunity, and ways for your team to get involved. This is partly your reputation, which will help you find new employees in the future as well.

If you need help hiring, get in touch with itec group!

We've turned the calendar to 2023 and are ready to push up our sleeves and get to work. But how do you create a positive plan for your career-based New Year's resolutions? If you want to take your career to new heights this year, consider making these changes your top priority.

Work/Life Balance

If we learned anything over the last three years, uncertainty is the only sure thing. We know life is short with everything that happened, and working until you're burned out at a job is not healthy. Take time this year to plan for a better work/life balance. Focus on setting boundaries and taking PTO time this year.

Time Management

Good time management will also help set boundaries and accomplish your tasks when and how you want to. Use organizational software or a calendar app to track your work and progress. You can even use a desk calendar to write down immediate tasks and feel the satisfaction of crossing them off.

Landing a Promotion

Do you think that 2023 is your year for a promotion? If so, now is the time to build that foundation. Determine what opportunities are available in your company and how to position yourself to take advantage of them. What do you need to improve? What skills should you pick up? How can you talk to management about your interests?

Network More

For many people, networking is a top priority. Online networking has become even more commonplace, so start there. Update your LinkedIn profile and interact on the platform. Join industry organizations and consider attending events in your area. Take classes offered in new skills.

If getting a new job is one of your career goals for the year, turn to itec group!

Our experienced recruiters will get you your dream job asap!

If you've worked with engineers, you know they aren't always the most receptive to constructive criticism. Many focus on linear thinking, which can be perceived as a challenge when something disrupts that thought process. Managing engineers isn't always easy, but it is critical to success. Here are some of our best tips and tricks to help improve your feedback and how you can work together optimally.

Tactful and Private Feedback

No one likes to be called out in front of their peers, even if it might be justified. Tact will be essential to providing feedback. Management should always talk with employees privately about performance or behavior issues. And always have action items your engineer can take on to improve.

Consider All Employee Input

Your engineers are intelligent and thoughtful people, but they may not be comfortable sharing ideas if they don't think anything will happen. Make sure you provide an avenue for sharing feedback and, more importantly, a way for management to act on them in service to the team.

Take a Poll

If you're concerned that your employees aren't willing to provide candid feedback, or any feedback at all, consider a poll. A survey can help you get to the root of problems but allow your employees to provide anonymous feedback without fear of retribution. Once you gather the data, you can see the primary concerns and take action.

Improve Communication Overall

Management's responsibility is to ensure that communication is effective across your departments. Improving communication skills on your end, including composing emails or sending texts when necessary, will help everyone perform better. You can also provide communication training to your team to improve the experience for everyone.

Struggling to build up your engineering team? Turn to itec group!

s it ever okay to include your hobbies in a resume? The engineering industry expands across many fields, so there may be some overlap in your free-time activities. If you have some engineering-related hobbies, it could round out your resume and make you a more attractive and exciting candidate to employers. Here is what you might consider including. 

Product Design and Invention  

Do you like to tinker with things in your garage? Have you invented things like Arduino robots or programmed anything with Raspberry Pi? If you have done product designs or inventions in your spare time, these are well worth showcasing on your resume, especially if you can point in the direction of the product or concept in action.  

Engines or Motorized Vehicles 

Tinkering doesn't have to be about invention. Working with mechanical machines, like car engines or other motorized vehicles, can also give you skills that will benefit an engineering employer. Feel free to put your car enthusiast experience on your resume if you've worked with engines, assembling, or other aspects of automotive technology.  

Interest in Med Tech Advancements 

Med tech has also been a hobby that can lead to a career in engineering and advancements in the industry. One such example was a cyber security expert who wanted to see if the insulin pump he was using was safe. He was able to hack into his own device and took this experience to conferences, eventually improving the security of these kinds of medical devices. Something like that is a great resume builder.  

Computer Programming and Languages 

Or maybe you love to geek out on computer programming or learn coding languages. If you've learned to work with computers, maybe to design a game or play around with websites, it can be a great introduction to your skills to include it as a hobby on your resume.  

If you're looking for ways to stand out against your engineering competition, these are a few jumping-off points! For help finding your next engineering role, turn to itec group! 

It might be cold and blustery outside, but there is also a raging storm in the employment market. Does your current candidate pool have you feeling less than hopeful? Do you keep getting unqualified candidates for your open job postings? You could be making several hiring mistakes, and now is the time to course-correct them before an avalanche comes. Here are potential mistakes and how to improve going forward.  

Not Being Where Talent Is 

One key issue with finding new talent is not being present where candidates already are. Many companies have embraced social recruiting by using social media platforms to find the talent already on those sites. You should always be looking to expand your reach into underrepresented communities in your workforce.  

Not Building Your Employer Brand 

Your employer brand is made up, in part, of the candidate experience and your reputation as an employer. Social media is also the best place to reinforce the idea that you are an employer of choice and demonstrate through employee reviews and engagement.  

Not Being Clear in the Job Description  

When job descriptions are vague or give the impression that you're obscuring information, talent won't apply. It's time to be transparent in your description. Use it to describe the job, how it fits into the company, and what the candidate can expect from their experience working with you, including salary and benefits.  

Letting Your Unconscious Bias Make Decisions For You  

We all have unconscious biases. The key is learning to look past them and evaluate every candidate fairly. Your unconscious bias can lead to you hiring only people with the same educational background or who have a similar experience that you had coming into the industry. But this can limit the quality of people you hire and cause you to overlook incredible talent.  

If you're ready to hire top talent in 2023, let the team at itec group kick off the year right.  

It's hard to believe we're about to turn the calendar to a whole New Year. As 2022 ends, evaluating your professional progress over the last year is essential. Did it lead you closer to achieving your career goals? Knowing what questions to ask yourself as you evaluate your year is helpful. Here are a few to get you started.  
 

Did You Learn a New Tool or Software?  

Now is a great time to take inventory of the skills you've learned in the last year. There may even be things you've picked up that you didn't even realize could benefit you long into the future. Take a look at the technology or software that you learned. Think about how these things can apply to your career goals.  
 

Did You Level Up in Your Role?  

Did you receive a promotion or change in title in the last year? Was this increase in experience consistent with your long-term goals? Take stock of what you have leveled up on in the previous year to refocus your goals and determine the next steps.  
 

Did You Take on Any New Responsibilities?  

Were you able to take on any new responsibilities? Not all new tasks result in a promotion, but they are always worth evaluating. What could these new responsibilities mean for your career development? If your current employer isn't prepared to provide a promotion, could these skills help you find a new position?  
 

Did You Get a Raise? 

Were you able to receive an increase in compensation? While many people receive cost-of-living raises each year, what you want to focus on is a pay increase commensurate with your experience or new responsibilities. How can you reflect on money to plan your next career goals?  
 

Did You Build Your Professional Network?  

Of course, not all career goals are explicitly met on the job. What about your professional networking? Did you connect to more people on LinkedIn? Did you attend industry events or conferences and meet new people that way? Who have you added to your address book who might be able to help you in the future? Who can you help today?  
 

If you're ready to take your career to new heights in 2023, let our recruiters at itec group lend you a hand! 

We know that core values are an essential part of organizational culture. At itec group, we respect our extended team and clients and want to live by our values every day. We have six core values that allow us to create a company where people enjoy coming to work. We want to introduce our core values to you so that you may better understand us, our culture, and what you can expect.  

Mutual Accountability and Trust 

We are experts at what we do and want to work with experts in other fields. We build that mutual accountability and trust by being transparent, respectful, and dedicated. When you work with itec, you'll find that you can trust our representatives, and we will always be accountable for our actions.  
 

Quality over Quantity  

We will always value quality over quantity. Many people can promise a lot for a little, but can they promise consistent, effective results? We will always strive to provide the best quality service for our clients. We challenge convention and reject mediocrity.  
 

No Bullshit 

Pardon our language, but we'll never give you half-truths and misrepresentations. We always do what we say. Our team is what we make it because we love what we do and pass that on to you without much pomp and circumstance.  
 

Obsession with Consistency and Following Up 

Innovation, collaboration, and best practices are always at the top of our minds. We believe that being proactive and consistent follow-up is the best way to ensure this. We are what we repeatedly do, and consistency builds positive habits that are passed on to the businesses that work with us. 
 

Work Hard; We Work Smart 

We set ambitious goals and work hard to reach them even if you don't see them behind the scenes. Significant results require big ambitions. We are game-changers, and we are proud of the work we produce and the company that we represent.  
 
Hopefully, this blog will inspire you to work through your own core values.    
 
 

Contact itec group today to learn more.