3 Questions to Ask Before You Get a Master’s in Engineering

Engineering jobs are readily available across the United States. Yet the top candidates for these roles typically possess a master’s degree. Ask these questions before you get a Master’s in engineering.

A master’s in engineering can help you stand out in a crowded job market. Meanwhile, with more jobs for engineers expected to become available, a master’s can put you in an excellent position to secure your dream job and earn a high annual salary.

Of course, earning a master’s in engineering is easier said than done. Before you pursue a master’s for engineers, here are three questions to consider.

1. Do I Need a Master’s to Achieve My Career Goals?

A master’s degree can help you land a leadership role in engineering. The degree can also make you an attractive job candidate to companies in need of engineering talent. However, the degree is not a requirement to land a job in engineering. Rather, a master’s can help you further your career.

Examine your career goals and consider how earning a master’s degree can help you achieve them. It can be helpful to list your career goals and the steps you’ll need to take to accomplish your aspirations. If you find you’re ready to take another step forward in your engineering career, now may be the right time to pursue a master’s.

2. Do I Have Enough Time to Earn a Master’s?

Earning a master’s requires time, energy, and resources. If you work an engineering role, you may need to take time away from work to earn your degree. On the other hand, you can enroll in online classes that let you complete your coursework on your own schedule.

Review your schedule and how you can change it to pursue a master’s. If you want to earn your master’s as quickly as possible, you can cut back on your workload. Comparatively, if you want to work while you earn a master’s, you can revamp your work schedule accordingly.

3. What’s the ROI of Earning a Master’s?

Those who have a master’s in engineering generally earn more money than engineering professionals without one. But keep in mind that location, the job market, and other factors can dictate the amount of money you earn in an engineering role.

Look at the cost of earning a master’s degree at different schools. In addition, consider how much you can earn with a master’s degree versus how much you can earn without one. This helps you determine the ROI of earning a master’s. And it can help you map out your engineering career.

Want to Find a Great Job in Engineering?

Having a master’s degree in engineering can improve your chances of landing a great job. If you ask these questions before you get a Master’s in engineering. Moreover, if you partner with ABBTECH, we can help you engage with companies in search of quality engineering job candidates. We are a staffing firm that helps engineering job candidates in any way we can. Our team can learn about you and your engineering career goals and help you land a role that meets your expectations. For more information, please contact us today.

Create a Successful Workplace Mentorship Program

You want workers to join your business and stay with your company long into the future. To achieve your goal, you need to create a workplace mentorship program.

A workplace mentorship program opens the door to new career opportunities. It allows workers to learn from colleagues and experience. In the program, an employee can gain insights into how to advance their career with your business. Plus, a worker can bolster their skill set. The worker may be more prone than ever before to remain with your business and help it thrive.

Now, let’s look at four things you can do to create a successful workplace mentorship program.

1. Establish Goals

Consider what you want to accomplish with your workplace mentorship program. Next, you can create program goals.

Define steps for each program goal. Steps should be easy to understand. They should help an employee use the program to take the next step forward in their career.

2. Help Mentors and Mentees Connect with One Another

Match mentors and mentees. Oftentimes, it helps to create criteria for both mentors and mentees. Then, you can use these criteria to ensure a mentee is placed with a mentor who can deliver the optimal results.

In addition, you can use mentor-matching programs and algorithms. This allows you to leverage technology that can match mentors and mentees based on myriad criteria. The technology can speed up the process of getting your workplace mentorship program up and running.

3. Promote Your Program

Think about why an employee should become a mentor or mentee. At this point, you can develop promotional materials that highlight the benefits of your program. You can share these materials with your workers and urge them to join your program.

Promote your program consistently. Also, be accessible to respond to any concerns or questions regarding your program. Give employees the information they need to understand your program’s importance. Ultimately, you may find many workers want to join your program right away.

4. Check in with Mentors and Mentees

Do not expect your program to be an instant success. Check in with mentors and mentees frequently following your program’s launch. This allows you to collect program feedback. If you find any issues with your program, address them immediately.

Keep the lines of communication open with mentors and mentees. Continue to learn from participants and search for ways to improve your program. Over time, you can ensure your program can deliver outstanding results.

Get Started on Creating a Successful Workplace Mentorship Program

Develop a workplace mentorship program and make it the best it can be. Your program can help you keep your current workforce happy. Moreover, your program can make your business stand out to top talent. Along with launching a workplace mentorship program, partnering with a staffing agency can help your company land top talent. At ABBTECH, we’re a staffing firm that helps companies engage with IT professionals. Our team takes the guesswork out of IT talent recruitment and can put you in touch with skilled IT pros at any time. For more information, please contact us today.

Books to Encourage and Inspire Job Seekers

You want your job search to be a success. However, you consistently encounter problems as you seek out your dream job. Below are books to encourage and inspire job seekers.

The job market is tough to navigate, even if you have plenty of industry experience. Thus, adversity is common for today’s job seekers. When faced with adversity during your job search, you may want to change your mindset. To do so, it helps to learn from individuals who have coped with adversity and overcome challenges in a variety of ways.

To learn more about how to overcome adversity in your job search, read a book. In fact, there are many books available that encourage and inspire job seekers. These include:

1. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

This book is designed to help job seekers develop their natural talents. It features a StrengthsFinder test that you can use to identify your personal and professional strengths. Once you read this book, you’ll be well-equipped to transform weaknesses into strengths and further enhance your existing strengths. Plus, you can gain confidence that can help you put your best foot forward during job interviews.

2. Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

In this book, Brown offers insights into what you can do to overcome any past problems. She points out that you are in control of your destiny. In addition, you can learn from your past and do what’s necessary to avoid making the same mistakes twice. As a result, you can rise strong, to the point where you can achieve any personal and professional goals.

3. Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Let’s face it — it can be tempting to pursue as much as possible, all the time. Yet, in this book, McKeown argues the pursuit of less may be the most fulfilling option. By pursuing less, you can focus on specific goals. You can live your life to the fullest extent, without compromising your personal health and wellbeing. The result: you can feel your best and get the most out of your time, energy, and resources.

4. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk

You need to promote yourself to stand out from other candidates in a fierce job market. This book offers insights into how you can do just that. Vaynerhuk emphasizes that every person has their own unique story to tell. With the right approach, you can share your story with the world. And you can use your story to make a positive impression on anyone you meet.

Ready to Find a New Job?

The job market offers no guarantees. Conversely, those who feel confident and motivated can find job opportunities with great companies. They can boost their chances of landing their ideal job and building a successful career, too. If you want help during your IT job search, partner with ABBTECH. We are an IT staffing agency that can help you navigate the job market. For more information, get in touch with us today.

Ensuring Equity for Your Hybrid Workforce

Your business lets its employees work both at home and remotely. To date, your hybrid work model has been successful, and your in-house and remote workers are thriving. But going forward, changes may be on the horizon for some of your hybrid employees. Here’s a look at how ensuring equity for your hybrid workforce will help your company.

Ultimately, employees may enjoy working from home. However, work-from-home (WFH) may have been a temporary option due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. You want employees to increasingly return to the office. However, you are uncertain about how you can let some staff work remotely and others resume in-office work.

Ensuring equity for your hybrid workforce can be challenging. There are several things you can do to ensure WFH and in-office employees receive the same level of care and support. These include:

1. Learn from Your Workers

Find out what workers enjoy about your company. This gives you insights into how your company can support employees, regardless of whether they work in the office or remotely.

Conduct employee surveys and questionnaires. These assessments can help you check the pulse of your hybrid workforce. From here, you can generate insights to help you deliver the care and support all of your workers need to succeed.

2. Invest in Technology

Give workers the technology they need to complete everyday tasks. Furthermore, provide employees with technology so they can keep the lines of communication open with their peers and superiors.

Slack and other communication tools enable workers to stay connected from anywhere in the world. Choose communication tools that are easy to implement across your hybrid workforce. These tools can make it simple for workers to chat with one another. They can help these employees remain productive if they work from home or remotely.

3. Offer Training

Provide training to help workers become more productive and efficient than ever before. This training can be offered to employees of all skill and experience levels. And it can help bridge the gap between in-office and remote workers.

Develop training initiatives for career advancement, too. These initiatives allow workers to grow their careers. They can help employees take the necessary steps to accomplish their career goals.

4. Update Your Hybrid Work Policies

Create hybrid work policies in alignment with your business needs. If you establish new policies or update existing ones, notify workers. You should give employees ample time to adapt to hybrid work policies. If employees have concerns or questions about these policies, you should be ready to answer them.

Communicate and collaborate with employees on hybrid work policies. Then, workers can share feedback and insights to help you get the most value out of these policies.

The Bottom Line on Ensuring Equity for Your Hybrid Workforce

You want your hybrid workforce to thrive. By creating opportunities for in-house and remote workers to achieve the best-possible results, you can ensure equity across your workforce. Lastly, if you want to hire in-house or remote IT workers, ABBTECH can help. We offer IT job staffing assistance at your convenience. To learn more, please contact us today.

Set Boundaries for a Better Work-Life Balance

A healthy work-life balance is paramount, regardless of where or when you work. If you feel like you are overworked and exhausted due to your job, now is a good time to set boundaries for a better work-life balance. That way, you can establish a healthy work-life balance and maintain moving forward.

There are several things you can do to set boundaries for a better work-life balance. These include:

1. Get Comfortable Saying “No” at Work

If you feel pressure to say “yes” to any work request that comes your way, you’re not alone. However, you also need to take care of yourself at work and outside of it. If you constantly accept work requests, you can start to feel overwhelmed. At this point, you may feel exceedingly anxious, stressed, and tired. Your work-life balance is likely to suffer, too.

In instances where work becomes too much to handle, share your concerns with your manager. You can let your manager know how you’re feeling. Then, you and your manager can revamp your workload as needed.

Furthermore, it is crucial to establish realistic timelines for work requests. If a coworker or superior asks you to complete a task right away, let him or her know a time frame for when you can finish it. And if necessary, you can say “no” to a task and explain why.

2. Stick to a Work Routine

Establish a work routine that gives you ample time to complete tasks and sufficient time to take care of yourself. Typically, you should give yourself at least a few minutes every hour to break away from the hustle and bustle of work. You should also take advantage of breaks throughout the day. Don’t forget to enjoy a healthy lunch, either.

At the end of the work day, turn off your devices. This allows you to break away from work and relax as the day winds down. You can then get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling revitalized and ready to tackle any work challenges.

3. Keep in Touch with Family Members and Friends

Communicate with family members and friends frequently. You can share any concerns about work with them. And your family members and friends can offer assistance and guidance along the way.

Family members and friends can provide moral support. They can also listen to you discuss work or any other topic. Meanwhile, you can listen to family members and friends and provide them with support as well. As a result, you’ll be better equipped than ever before to stay connected to family members and friends and improve your work-life balance.

Ready to Explore New Career Opportunities in IT?

If your IT job has a negative impact on your work-life balance, ABBTECH can help. We offer job placement assistance to IT professionals nationwide. Our team can meet with you and learn about your career aspirations. Next, we can help you land your dream job in IT. We can help you pursue a new job in IT right away. To get started, browse our job board.

5 Signs Your Employee Already Has One Foot Out the Door

You may believe all of your employees are happy. Yet, there are signs your employee already has one foot out the door. And the sooner you identify these signs, the sooner you can work with this employee to improve their experience with your company.

Here are five signs that an employee is ready to leave, along with tips to help you boost your worker retention levels.

1. Your Employee’s Performance Continues to Decline.

A worker’s performance can deteriorate as he or she becomes increasingly unhappy with your company. In severe cases, an employee may give up on trying to complete work tasks on time altogether. It helps to meet with a worker to review their performance regularly. If the worker has performance lapses, discuss them with the employee. From here, you and your employee can work in lockstep to address any performance issues.

2. Your Employee Appears Disinterested in Their Job.

If an employee looks distracted at work, it may be a sign that this individual is ready to move on. At this point, you should share your concerns with your employee. You can let the worker know you’ve noticed their lack of interest in their job. Next, the employee can explain why he or she may appear distracted. You and your employee can then seek out ways to help the worker feel engaged and motivated at their job once again.

3. Your Employee Remains Silent During Meetings. 

An employee might stop engaging in meetings if he or she is looking for work elsewhere. In this instance, the worker may struggle to provide fresh ideas and contribute to your company’s success. If a worker is silent in a meeting, you can ask the employee to share their opinions and views on topics during the session. This shows an employee that you value their input and want to hear what he or she has to say.

4. Your Employee Has Updated Their Social Media Profiles.

If an employee has posted on LinkedIn or other social profiles that he or she is interested in new career opportunities, this individual likely has one foot out the door. In this scenario, you can set up a time to discuss career opportunities with the worker. You can also offer upskill opportunities to help the worker grow their career with your company.

5. Your Employee Is Using Their PTO.

There can be times when employees use PTO to avoid losing it before they leave a job. Or, workers may use PTO so they have time to interview for a new job. If you notice an employee frequently using their PTO, speak to him or her about it. Then, you can learn from your employee and find out if there’s anything you can do to enhance their work experience.

Find Top Talent for Your IT Team

If you are concerned that there are signs your IT employee already has one foot out the door are ready to leave your company, ABBTECH can help. We can put you in contact with quality IT professionals who can help your company thrive long into the future. For more information, contact us today.

5 People Skills Every Technical Candidate Should Have

You have great technical skills. However, to succeed as a technical job candidate, you need the right people skills as well. Below are people skills every technical candidate should have. That way, potential employers can view your hard and soft skills in combination with one another. From here, they’ll easily see why you’re the top candidate for a technical role.

Now, let’s look at five people skills that every technical job candidate should have.

1. Creativity

The best technical candidates are willing to think outside the box to solve problems. They frequently consider a variety of solutions to address issues and prevent them from recurring. And they are willing to let their creative juices flow to help their businesses thrive.

As a creative technical candidate, you must be willing to brainstorm. If you are open to feedback and suggestions, you’ll be well-equipped to understand all aspects of a problem. This can help you identify creative solutions to any issues that crop up.

2. Adaptability

If a problem occurs at a moment’s notice, a technical candidate should be able to respond accordingly. If a candidate is adaptable, this individual can thrive under pressure. As a result, the candidate can help their employer accomplish great results in any circumstances.

To become an adaptable technical candidate, you may need to revamp your approach to problems. If an issue comes your way, you must be willing to address it head on. Then, you can quickly remediate the problem, learn from it, and move on.

3. Communication

With strong communication skills, a technical candidate can seamlessly share information with peers and superiors. This minimizes the risk of miscommunications that can otherwise hamper a business’ productivity.

If you want to bolster your communication skills, take advantage of all of the communication platforms at your disposal. For example, if you work a full-time remote job, you can use emails, text messages, video chats, and other communication methods to engage with peers. Also, you can be open to questions from your coworkers and be willing to reach out to them any time you need support.

4. Empathy

An empathetic technical candidate can put himself or herself in another person’s shoes. This allows the candidate to understand someone else’s perspective and provide an appropriate level of support.

For those who want to become more empathetic, listen to what others have to say. If you’re an active listener, you can gain insights into how others feel in the moment. You can then provide support to those in need.

5. Collaboration

Typically, a technical candidate must be open to collaboration. As part of a team, a technical candidate can help this group of individuals achieve outstanding results.

When it comes to collaboration, keep in contact with peers and superiors. If others need your help, be ready to provide assistance. As a result, you can help your team succeed.

Find a Technical Role in Which You Can Use Your Hard and Soft Skills

At ABBTECH, we can help you identify and land a technical role where you can use your hard and soft skills every day. To get started with us, check out our job board.

Building an Effective Remote Onboarding Program

Building an effective remote onboarding program can be tricky. You risk miscommunications and other errors during the remote onboarding process. These mistakes can disrupt new hires’ first few days with your company. Even worse, they cause new hires to rethink their decisions to join your business.

An effective remote onboarding program is a must-have. This program is well-equipped to help remote new hires hit the ground running right away.

Tips for Building an Effective Remote Onboarding Program.

1. Establish a Simple and Straightforward Pre-Hiring Process

Give remote new hires plenty of information they can use to streamline the onboarding cycle. In the days before a new hire joins your team, set them accounts for them in your systems. You can also ensure any paperwork an employee needs is sent to him or her and completed accordingly.

2. Give Remote New Hires the Right Technology

Ensure your remote new hires have the technology they need to succeed. For instance, you can ship a laptop to remote workers and confirm they receive it before their start date. You can also provide setup instructions for their computer. Meanwhile, you can ensure a remote worker’s computer is equipped with software and tools needed for work. If these software and tools are preinstalled, a new hire won’t have to worry about setting them up on their first day.

3. Make Orientation and Training Collaborative

Revamp your orientation and training programs to meet the needs of remote new hires. Virtual orientation sessions allow remote workers to connect with their peers and superiors. Games and other training options are engaging to remote personnel. Remote workers can quickly get acclimated to your company and their role with these orientation and training programs in place.

4. Prioritize Communication

Keep the lines of communication open with remote new hires as much as possible. You can schedule frequent check-ins with remote workers during their initial days with your company. These check-ins allow you to find out how remote employees are adjusting to your company and offer support. Moreover, you can help remote workers establish a healthy work-life balance and avoid work-from-home fatigue.

5. Get Feedback from Your Remote Workers

Learn from remote workers as you implement and execute your onboarding program. There is always room to improve your program. Remote employees can offer tips and insights to help you do just that. Collect and apply feedback from remote personnel to enhance your program regularly.   

The Bottom Line on Building an Effective Remote Onboarding Program

Hard work and patience builds an effective remote onboarding program. With the right approach, this establishes and maintains a remote onboarding program that serves your company well long into the future.

Of course, ABBTECH can assist if you need extra help recruiting remote IT workers. We can put you in touch with top IT talent from around the world. For more information, get in touch with us today.

Engaging and Unexpected Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

You want your job interview to be a success. This requires you to plan ahead for your interview. You want engaging and unexpected questions to ask your interviewer at the end of your interview.

Ultimately, there are several engaging and unexpected questions to ask that can help you stand out in a job interview. These include:

1.  Why Are You Considering Me for This Role?

In all likelihood, a job interviewer will ask you why you applied for a job with their company. Meanwhile, you can turn the tables on your interviewer by asking him or her why you’re being considered for a role. This gives you insights into why a company chooses to interview you for a position. It can help you understand what the company wants to find in its ideal candidate, too.

2. What Does Success Look Like in This Job?

By asking this question, you can show a job interviewer you’re looking forward to hitting the ground running at their company. The question lets you learn how a company defines success for the role you want to land. In addition, you can find out how the business will set up its new hire to succeed in the position.

3. Where Are You Currently in the Hiring Process?

It can be beneficial to find out when a company wants to finish its hiring process. This allows you to determine if the business’ hiring process aligns with your timeline. If it does, you may be able to boost your chances of securing a role with this company.

4. Why Did You Decide to Join the Company?

You can ask a job interviewer what prompted him or her to accept a role at a company. The interviewer can then explain the thought process behind why he or she joined the business. Asking this question can help you understand how someone else approached an opportunity to join the company.

5. Have Other People Failed in This Position (and If So, Why)?

No one wants to fail in a job. Yet, there is a reason why a role is open in the first place. You can ask a job interviewer if other people have failed in a role. This can help you understand the challenges associated with a job. If you feel ready to tackle these challenges, you may want to continue to pursue this opportunity.

The Bottom Line on Asking Engaging and Unexpected Questions in a Job Interview

How you perform in a job interview can have far-flung effects on a business’ decision to hire you. If you ask engaging and unexpected questions during an interview, you can distinguish yourself from other job candidates. You can also make a positive impression that helps you move closer to securing your dream job. At ABBTECH, our professional recruiters can help you get ready for IT job interviews. Plus, we can put you in contact with businesses in search of IT talent at your convenience. Explore our IT job board today!

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of ABBTECH!

We’re celebrating the 30th Anniversary of ABBTECH! 2022 marks ABBTECH’s 30th anniversary. A lot has changed over the past three decades. Through it all, our approach has remained consistent. The results: We’ve helped many businesses and job candidates foster long-lasting partnerships.

We have plenty to celebrate on our anniversary. Here are some of the reasons we’ve been successful since our inception.

1. Commitment to Excellence

We are a professional IT staffing agency that goes the extra mile. To do so, we learn about the needs of businesses. From here, we provide businesses with personalized support.

When you work with our professional recruiters, we’ll ensure you achieve excellent results. First, we learn about your IT staffing requirements. We find out why you want to work with an IT staffing firm and plan accordingly. Our team develops a custom plan to help you land top IT talent. Finally, we put our plan into action and work with you to accomplish the optimal results.

2. Top-Notch Services

We offer talent recruitment services for government and commercial organizations. Our services give these organizations quick and easy access to IT talent. We always ensure our services meet our clients’ expectations, too.

If you need help with IT staffing, let us know. Our team can recommend services based on your business’ needs. If you have any concerns or questions about our services, we’re ready to respond to them. That way, you can make an informed decision on what services are right for your business.

3. Community Engagement

We do our part to stay connected to our community. Our team goes above and beyond the call of duty to fulfill business’ talent recruitment requests. We help businesses across the United States connect with IT talent any time they choose.

Let’s not forget about our Veterans 2 Jobs Network (V2JN), either. V2JN helps veterans find new jobs. To date, V2JN has helped over 200 veterans land roles. It also makes it easy for your business to recruit veterans who can support your operations long into the future.

The Future Looks Bright for ABBTECH

We remain dedicated to connecting businesses and job seekers. Going forward, we will continue to seek out ways to help companies and job candidates engage with one another. Furthermore, we’re exploring opportunities to raise the bar for IT talent recruitment nationwide.

If there is anything we can do to help your company with IT talent recruitment, we’re happy to listen. We want to do whatever it takes to support businesses as they seek out quality IT job candidates. If you partner with us, we can handle all of your IT talent recruitment needs.

Don’t Wait to Get Started with ABBTECH

Our professional recruiters are available to learn about your business and help you achieve your IT talent recruitment goals. Once you start working with us, you can add superb IT professionals to your team, and these professionals can help your company grow and thrive. For more information about our IT talent recruitment services or to get started with us, please contact us today.

5 Signs You’re Ready for a New Job

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!

How to Have a Successful First 100 Days at your New Job

You’ve landed a new job, and you want to make every day at work count. To achieve your goal, you need to position yourself for instant success. Find more about how to have a successful first 100 days at your new job.

Ultimately, there are many things you can do to succeed from the get-go in your new role. Here are five tips to help you have a successful first 100 days at your new job.

1. Establish Expectations for Your Job

Find out what’s expected of you. Ask your manager what you’ll need to do in the first few weeks and months in your job. From here, you can create job goals.

Track your progress as you work toward accomplishing your job goals. If you feel you’re falling behind on achieving these goals, consult with your manager. Next, you and your manager can determine the best way to help you get back on track.

2. Open the Lines of Communication

Introduce yourself to team members and various employees across your company. This helps you lay the groundwork for positive relationships with your peers. Moreover, it gives you opportunities to open the lines of communication.

Remain access to colleagues as you become accustomed to your new job. You can get in touch with peers if you need help along the way. And your colleagues can reach out to you if they have any concerns or questions as well.

3. Demonstrate Your Skills and Expertise

Show your team what you bring to the table. To do so, participate in meetings and share your thoughts and feedback. You can also perform your job to the best of your ability. Apply your skills and knowledge to your work, and verify your work meets your employer’s expectations.

Continue to fine-tune your skill set, too. For example, if your employer offers a training program, join it. This allows you to grow your skill set or enhance your existing skills. Plus, it shows your employer you’re willing to do whatever it takes to succeed in your job.

4. Remain Patient

Resist the urge to try to take on too much work at once. Conversely, give each work task that comes your way the attention it deserves. Verify each task is completed with precision and care. If you encounter problems as you complete work tasks, consult with your manager.

Finally, if you make a mistake in your initial days at a new job, learn from it. No employee is perfect, and there may be a learning curve in your job. Fortunately, every mistake provides a learning opportunity. Use your mistake to find ways to get better at your job. Most importantly, use your knowledge to avoid making the same mistake twice.

Find a Job That Suits You Perfectly

If you want a job that you can enjoy for the first 100 days and beyond, ABBTECH can help. We are a professional staffing agency that partners with job seekers of all skill and experience levels. Our recruiters can learn about your career goals and help you achieve them. To get started, explore our job board today.

4 Qualities to Look for in an Engineer

You want to hire an engineer. Ultimately, you may receive applications from dozens of engineer job candidates. To identify the best one for your business, you need to know what sets a great engineer apart from an average one. There are 4 qualities to look for in an engineer. These qualities include:

1. Determination to Perform Their Best

A first-rate engineer won’t settle for inferior results. Rather, the engineer works diligently to perform their best, every day. The engineer is a professional in every sense. As such, the engineer learns as much as possible and never stops learning. Furthermore, this individual reviews their work with precision and care. And the engineer only submits work that meets their employer’s requirements.

2. Commitment to Simplicity

Engineering is complex, but the top engineers prioritize simplicity. These engineers do everything in their power to find simple and effective solutions to complicated problems. They also know how to put advanced topics into terms and phrases that anyone can understand. Let’s not forget about how the best engineers help businesses save time and money, either. These engineers constantly explore ways to streamline business operations. They often find ways to automate myriad business processes, too.

3. Dedication to Solve Problems Quickly

An exceptional engineer won’t shy away from problems. Instead, the engineer does what’s necessary to identify and resolve a problem without delay. Moreover, the engineer explores ways to prevent a problem from recurring. To correct a problem, the engineer looks at why it’s happening in the first place. From here, the engineer brainstorms solutions. This individual even collaborates with peers and managers to ensure the problem is properly addressed.

4. Devotion to Help Others Succeed

If you want a great engineer, you should look for someone who’s a team player. This engineer identifies ways to help their team succeed. The engineer inspires and motivates others to perform at peak levels. Meanwhile, this individual ensures team members get the support they need, exactly when they need it.

The Bottom Line on How to Find the Best Engineer for Your Team

You want quality engineer job candidates to find your company. As part of your efforts, you need to tailor your job descriptions accordingly. That way, you can boost your chances of connecting with candidates who have the qualities you want.

Also, consider the benefits you offer engineer job candidates. The best companies provide a competitive compensation package, health benefits and other perks to engineers. By providing these benefits, you can make your company an attractive choice to engineer job candidates.

Lastly, if you want extra help in your quest to connect with engineering professionals, partner with ABBTECH. Our team can put you in touch with top engineering talent at your convenience. And we can make it easy for you to fill a wide range of engineering roles across your business. We are available to help you identify superb engineering job candidates. For more information or to get started, contact us today.

5 Green Flags to Look for in a Potential Employer

You want a job that makes you feel great. However, your job search has been challenging thus far. To date, you have identified red flags with many potential employers. At this point, keep an eye out for green flags to look for in a potential employer.

Green flags are positive signs that a potential employer has what it takes to meet your expectations. These include:

1. Commitment to Communication

The top companies keep the lines of communication open with their employees. They want workers to come forward with any concerns or questions. At the same time, business managers provide workers with feedback. Together, employees at all levels can work together to achieve common goals. The result: the business stands out from its rivals and offers a terrific place to work.  

2. Encourages additional Education

Find out how a potential employer trains and educates its workforce. It often pays to choose a company that prioritizes career advancement. This business tries to upskill its workforce and provide ongoing training. Plus, the company offers opportunities for workers to enroll in college and university classes. In doing so, the company helps its workers gain the skills they need to succeed.

3. Healthy Work-Life Balance

A company that requires its employees to frequently work long hours can put its personnel in danger. In this instance, employees are increasingly prone to exhaustion and burnout. Comparatively, a first-rate business understands the value of a healthy work-life balance. The company ensures its workers receive comprehensive support. And employees are well-equipped to feel and perform their best day after day.

4. Cross-Department Collaboration

Seek out a potential employer that promotes collaboration across departments. This employer wants to avoid departmental silos. Also, it recognizes the value of having all of its workers on the same page. Thus, the employer limits the risk of miscommunications that otherwise can lead to poor work experiences.

5. Ongoing Desire to Improve

Find a company that wants to get better. The best businesses never rest on their laurels. Rather, they innovate and explore opportunities to improve every day. These companies encourage their employees to do the same, too. Therefore, joining a company that drives its employees to give their all can help you realize your full potential.

Identify Your Dream Job

As you conduct your job search, keep your eyes on green flags to look for in a potential employer. This helps you identify signs that a company may be the right fit. Furthermore, you can use green flags to speed up your job search and move closer to accomplishing your career aspirations.

Of course, if you need help during your job search, you can partner with ABBTECH. We’re a professional staffing agency that takes the guesswork out of pursuing new career opportunities. At ABBTECH, our team can help you identify and land your dream job. We’ll learn about you and what you want to achieve in your career. Then, we can put you in contact with top employers in your industry. To get started, browse our job board.

Modern Employee Benefits That Job Candidates Actually Want

You want job candidates to pursue career opportunities across your business. To achieve your goal, you need to provide the modern employee benefits that job candidates want.

Today’s job seekers demand top-notch benefits. And you must figure out what benefits meet the needs of modern job seekers.

Here are five modern employee benefits that job candidates want.

1. A Positive Work Environment

Modern workers want to feel great about where they work and their peers and superiors. Thus, it pays to prioritize your business culture. That way, you can provide workers with a terrific place to work. Plus, you can set up a work environment where equality, inclusion, and diversity reign supreme.

Evaluate your business culture. Conduct employee questionnaires and surveys to find out how workers feel about your culture. From here, you can modify your work environment. You can next lay the groundwork for a culture that resonates with job candidates and employees.

2. Student Loan Repayment

Job candidates may leave school with substantial student loan debt. You can help these candidates pay off this debt. In doing so, you can stir up interest in your company’s job openings. 

Establish a student loan repayment plan for workers and new hires. The program should be reviewed and updated periodically. This ensures it can consistently meet the needs of your workforce.

3. A Flexible Work Schedule

The days of a standard 9-to-5 work schedule are coming to a close. Instead, employees want the flexibility to work a schedule that allows them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

If possible, provide job candidates with flexible schedule options. As long as the work gets done on time and on budget, employees can complete tasks at times that work well for them. This is one of the 5 employee benefits that job candidates want.

4. Remote Work Opportunities

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led many businesses to let employees work remotely. It also has opened the door for companies to pursue job candidates from around the world.

Establish a permanent remote work team. Seek out quality job candidates who can perform tasks from any location, at any time. These candidates can reap the benefits of a flexible work environment. And they can help your company grow and thrive. 

5. Paid Family Leave

The best companies provide extended family leave. They put family front and center and are willing to do what’s necessary to support employees and their loved ones. Therefore, these companies stand out from the competition. Assess your paid family leave benefits and upgrade them as much as you can. By offering first-rate paid family leave benefits, you can help your employees take care of their families.

A security clearance can increase your opportunity as an IT professional.

Security Clearance Overview for Job Seekers

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.