Tag IT Staffing

The economic downturn has taken its toll on the job market, especially in the tech industry. Since the start of 2023, 127,000 tech sector employees have been laid off worldwide. If the current rate continues, another 900,000 jobs could be lost this year. The fear of recession has forced more than 350 tech companies to layoff workers, including Amazon, Google, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Netflix, Salesforce, Spotify, and Twitter.

If you’ve recently been laid off, you’re likely not sure what to do next. Let’s look at some valuable tips that can help you change your mindset, look for new opportunities, and bounce back in no time.

5 Tips to Help You Navigate a Layoff

1. Take Time to Recover, Relax & Reflect

While you don’t want to waste too much time before starting your new job search, it’s also important to mourn the loss of your job. Job loss can be traumatic, and you have to work through the stages of grief before attempting to look for new work.

Even if you knew layoffs were possible, the effect of being laid off can be shocking for your physical and mental wellbeing. Use this time to take care of yourself as you work through grief and recovery. Relax and use the time to heal, maintain a positive mindset, and reflect on what you liked and disliked about your old job.

2. Reach Out to Your Network

Your departure from work may have been sudden, so reach out to friends and colleagues from your former job. Let them know how to get in touch with you. Also, reach out to professional connections who would be willing to provide references for you.

3. Update Your Job Searching Materials

Review all of your job search materials, including your resume, your online portfolios, social media accounts, and cover letters. Highlighting your accomplishments and skills rather than job titles can position you better for interviews. It also lets hiring managers see your layoff wasn’t performance-based.

4. Learn New Skills

The time following your layoff is an ideal time to take skills related classes. Experience and certifications in new skills can help your resume stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. Improving your knowledge and expanding your skills can also improve your outlook and boost your confidence as you move forward.

5. Work with a Recruiter

When you’re ready to start your job search in earnest, consider working with a high-quality recruiter. A good recruiting agency is well connected throughout the business world. Whether you want a full-time job or want to pursue contract or temp work, a recruiter can find the right position for you and recommend you for it.

Conclusion

Being laid off can be an unexpected and scary experience. By focusing on new opportunities and utilizing your network and skills, you can bounce back from your loss in no time.

For help finding your next career move, turn to ABBTECH!

You want your IT team to perform at peak levels. To achieve your goal, it is beneficial to know how to attract and retain women in IT. This ensures your company can identify quality IT job candidates. 3 tips to help attract and retain women in IT. From here, you can recruit and hire these candidates and make sure they’re happy at your business long into the future.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to attract and retain women in IT. However, there are several things you can do to enhance your talent recruitment and retention strategies. These include:

1. Offer Family-Friendly Work Policies

Help your employees put their families first. To do so, you can develop and launch family-friendly work policies. You can use these policies to encourage workers to spend ample time with their families. Plus, the policies can help your company stand out from others in a competitive job market.

A family-friendly work policy is simple to implement. For instance, you can provide women in IT with the flexibility to work remotely. This gives IT professionals additional time to spend with their families. In addition, it can help these professionals establish and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

2. Offer a Great Compensation Package 

A gender wage gap plagues many businesses across the United States. Fortunately, you can offer a great compensation package to all workers, regardless of role. This can help you attract and retain exceptional women in IT now and in the future.

You should evaluate the compensation package your business currently provides to its IT professionals. Ultimately, the package must include the benefits your workers want. It should also help your business keep pace with its rivals.

Review and update your compensation package regularly. That way, you’re well-equipped to ensure your company’s compensation package consistently hits the mark with your employees.

3. Offer Career Advancement Opportunities

You can give women in IT many opportunities for career advancement. This requires you to develop career advancement programs. With these programs in place, women in IT can develop the skills they need to thrive with your business. Or, they can work toward enhancing their existing skills and further growing their careers.

There are myriad career advancement programs you can offer. For instance, you can provide in-house training to women who are entering IT. Comparatively, you can provide women in IT with money they can use to enroll in college and university degree programs. With every career advancement opportunity you provide to women in IT, you can move one step closer to bolstering your workforce.

Take Your IT Talent Recruitment and Retention to New Heights

If you want to attract and retain women in IT, you need to plan accordingly. These 3 tips to help attract and retain women in IT. Thankfully, ABBTECH can help you do just that. We offer IT talent staffing services to businesses of all sizes and across all industries. Our professional recruiters can help you achieve your IT talent recruitment and retention goals. To learn more about our IT staffing services, please get in touch with us 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.