Tag Career Opportunity

Constructive criticism and feedback are vital in every aspect of your life, especially professionally. It isn’t always easy to receive, however. One of the most essential skills you need is to develop the ability to accept constructive feedback. Even when we know that the feedback is valid and necessary to stimulate growth, it is instinctive to respond with resistance. If the idea of receiving constructive criticism makes you uncomfortable, you’re not alone. In this blog, we’ll look at ways to maximize constructive feedback and ensure success moving forward.

How to Accept Constructive Feedback

It’s easy to feel defensive when we hear seemingly negative things about ourselves, especially if they may be true. Even if you think it isn’t true, listen actively to it. Consider what is being said and how you can translate it into actions and behavior that improve your performance.

Ask Questions

An essential part of listening actively is asking questions that help you understand more deeply. To be genuinely open to constructive criticism, you must ask questions that help you understand the criticism more deeply. This enables you to fully absorb the feedback and be able to put it to good use. Simply saying, “Tell me more about that,” is a great way to demonstrate your desire to understand the other person clearly.

Take Notes

It is hard to remember everything you’ve heard when receiving feedback on the job. Our emotions and thoughts can hinder our retention and reduce our absorption of information. Don’t be afraid to take notes when receiving feedback. If possible, focus on one area and take notes so you can revisit the discussion later and review the feedback.

Foster a Growth Mindset

When you have a growth mindset, how you think about feedback changes. Instead of being defensive and resistant to change, you focus on improving. A positive growth mindset helps you move forward and makes you more receptive to constructive feedback opportunities. Being open to feedback also results in a more positive reaction to others giving feedback. This creates an environment of trust and positivity that encourages constructive feedback and growth for everyone.

Conclusion

Hearing constructive criticism can be challenging, but feedback is intended to stimulate growth and inspire change. If you can foster a growth mindset, take notes, and ask questions, you can put constructive feedback to good use.

Are you looking to move forward in your career? ABBTECH can help you secure your next role.

You work hard at your job. Regardless, you have questions about whether your job offers a rewarding career. At this point, you may be on the fence about whether to pursue a job. But, there may be many signs that indicate now’s the right time to find a new job. Here are 5 signs you’re ready for a new job:

1. You Have Not Moved Forward in Your Quest to Achieve Your Career Goals.

If you set professional goals but don’t feel you’re making progress toward achieving them, find out why. This requires you to evaluate your goals. From here, you can identify any roadblocks in your career. If you discover these roadblocks are related to dissatisfaction with your job, you may want to start looking elsewhere for a new career opportunity.

2. You Feel Exhausted at Work.

There can be times when work burnout takes place, and you may not realize they’re happening.  In these instances, you may feel tired and worn-out at work. In addition, you may dread the thought of going to your job. If you find your job is overwhelming, you can meet with your manager to discuss your concerns. Furthermore, you may want to pursue a new role so you can feel great about your job once again.

3. You Are Worried About the Direction of Your Business.

Ideally, you should feel confident in your company’s ability to grow and thrive. Yet, there can be instances where a company falls behind its rivals and lacks a clear path to recovery. For instance, a company may struggle to update its work policies to accommodate its workers. If the business remains stuck in its old ways, it cannot meet its workers expectations. Meanwhile, if you find your company is unwilling to change and adapt, this does not bode well for its long-term success. In this scenario, you may want to start a job search.

4. You’ve Been Approached About New Career Opportunities.

The top businesses are always on the lookout for exceptional job candidates. As such, a company may reach out to you to see if you’re interested in a role, even if you have a job. If you have frequently been approached about new career opportunities, now may be a good time to pursue them. This gives you a chance to see what other companies can offer and potentially find a role that aligns with your requirements.

5. You Are Ready for a New Challenge.

If you are feeling bored at work, a change of pace can be beneficial. Therefore, you can pursue a new job and embrace a new challenge. This can help you feel reinvigorated in your career. It can lead you to find a job where you can realize your full potential, too.

Start Searching for a New IT Job Today

If you want to kick off an IT job search, ABBTECH can help. Our professional recruiters can put you in touch with the leading businesses in your industry. We can also make it easy to land your dream job in IT right away. Check out our IT job board today!

Getting a security clearance can increase your opportunity as an IT professional.

A security clearance can help whether you’re looking for a temporary contract position or long-term employment. Acquiring a security clearance can broaden your job opportunities, raise your earning potential, and allow you to gain access to high-profile positions.

What is a Security Clearance?

A security clearance is a status granted to select individuals by the federal government that permits them to access classified information or locations.

In general, security clearances measure whether an individual is a loyal U.S. citizen who is honest, trustworthy, mentally sound, and not involved in criminal activity or foreign intelligence efforts.

Individuals cannot start the security clearance application process on their own. A government agency must sponsor an individual to begin the process.

When Do You Need a Security Clearance?

Federal and state employees, military personnel, and government contractors are some of the kinds of workers who typically receive a clearance to do their jobs.

An active clearance may be required to be considered at all for certain jobs. Many positions require you to obtain one as soon as you have a conditional offer in hand.

What Are the Types of Security Clearances?

There are three tiers of security clearances: confidential, secret, and top secret.

• Confidential security clearances permit access to information that, if disclosed, may cause damage to national security.
• Secret security clearances allow access to information that could cause serious damage.
• Top secret security clearances are the highest level: they permit access to information that could cause exceptionally grave damage to U.S. security.

How Do You Get a Security Clearance?

You will be invited to fill out an application to seek a clearance, once you are sponsored by a government agency.

If the application is accepted, it triggers the investigation stage. Government agents will conduct a background check. This check includes a close examination of current and past relatives, employers, neighbors, friends, and other contacts.

Agents will evaluate the findings for approval and next steps.

Get Cleared for Your Next Job with ABBTECH

Working with ABBTECH can be an easy step in the right direction. ABBTECH can help you gain the clearance you need and access the best employment opportunities possible.

ABBTECH is a staffing agency in the Washington, D.C. area that connects IT personnel to jobs in government and other industries. We are prepared to help you get cleared for your next position.