With over two million college degrees granted every year, many companies hire around May and December to attract fresh college graduates that are entering the workforce. While it is great to have bright new minds on a team, some companies struggle or are unsure of how to properly onboard and train these groups of hires.
It is also not easy for the recent college graduates themselves. Many are transitioning into a whole new era of their life and facing changes such as having to move, figuring out new work relationships and dynamics, feeling unsure about their future, amongst other changes.
Fortunately, there are things that teams at any organization can do to help guide this transition to make it successful for both employees and employers. Read this article to learn more about the essential tips to onboard and train new college graduates.
Teach Skills and Offer Training
Education does not stop after graduation when entering the workforce. All workers, at any level, can benefit from learning new things daily. However, new graduates may need more initial support to be successful in their long-term careers.
An important part of being successful in work is having strong hard skills, but also impeccable soft skills. Hard skills are the job-related knowledge that directly affects the way an employee can carry out their tasks while soft skills are the personal characteristics of a professional that allows them to work with others and be effective in their position.
Soft skills are essential to professional success. Yet, soft skills may not have been taught to college graduates during their time at school. SHRM found that three in four employers struggle to find recent college graduate candidates that have the soft skills that their company needs. Some of the soft skills that recent college graduates can struggle with include:
The reason that so many graduates struggle with these soft skills is that their education may have lacked soft skills and instead focused on just hard skills. Many college classes primarily focus on understanding concepts and testing knowledge. While some soft skills can come naturally to different personality types, many professionals must be provided extra education to truly master and understand them.
To combat this problem, employers can offer training to entry-level employees. There are many different programs and classes that are available for employers to enroll in so their employees can be the most successful. If this kind of organized programming is not an option, organizations can look at the soft skills that are needed and give helpful tips and guidance to the new hires. Just by exposing them to these skills can help make a major improvement in their work.
Mastering these skills may not come quickly, so it is important to be patient and understanding during this training process. Think of it as learning to ride a bike. It may be something completely new to them and won’t work the first time, but after trial and error, they will eventually master it and it will become second nature.
Understand Their Situation
If someone is far into their career, it may be hard to relate to new college graduates due to the age difference, lack of experiences and being brought up in different generations. While this is common for every age group, there are situations that every generation has faced that may have impacted education.
For example, many college graduates had their education directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 alone, nearly 14 million college students and their education were impacted immediately, according to CNBC. This event also impacted thousands of companies, which may have caused students to miss out on valuable internships and work experiences. It is important to have an open mind about this when training or even looking at resumes when hiring.
For many recent graduates, their first role out of college is likely also their first full-time job, which can be overwhelming. Timely Care found that nearly 70% of college graduates report feeling stressed or anxious about starting a full-time job. This anxiety also may not end once they officially start their job. These feelings could make them feel less inclined to speak up in meetings, communicate problems, reach out for help and more.
There are things that employers and managers can do to help mitigate this apprehensiveness that these workers may be feeling. Here are some examples:
Implementing some of these policies may lessen recent graduates’ anxiety, allow them to feel more comfortable in their workplace and improve their work performance.
Offer a Mentorship Program
A great way to successfully onboard and make recent college grads feel more welcomed is having a mentorship program for all new hires.
A great example of an effective mentorship program is pairing the new employee with an employee that has been at the organization for two to four years. Pairing them with a tenured coworker allows them to relate to one another about recently starting with the organization, while the tenured employee still has a good amount of experience behind them.
This will not only let the new hire have someone to rely on and go to for questions, it can also greatly improve their long-term retention at the organization. The University of Pennsylvania found that the retention rate for mentees is 72% whereas employees that do not have a mentor only have a retention rate of 49%.
It is also important to note that mentorship programs not only benefit recent hires, but they can also improve the well-being and happiness of tenured employees. Forbes found that employees who become mentors were five times more likely to be promoted compared to other employees who did not have a mentorship position.
Mentorship is a great program to consider implementing to help entry-level employees get integrated into the business.
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Hiring college graduates can be risky for an organization due to lack of experience, but with the right training and onboarding, these new professionals will thrive for many years to come.
Looking to use job board that focuses directly on all things STEM? Check out STEMHUNTER, an all-new job board that will find you a perfect STEM match for your open job positions.
Studying the environment and its resources can be very interesting and rewarding, which is why so many people obtain environmental science degrees. According to College Factual, over 9,000 environmental science degrees are awarded every single year. Data also shows that students are studying environmental science at higher rates. Environmental science has seen a 24% increase in awarded degrees since 2016.
Despite this large number of degrees being awarded, many in this field can find themselves questioning what roles they can pursue after graduation.
Read this article to learn about the potential job opportunities for individuals with environmental science education.
Environmental Scientist
Environmental Scientists are professionals that try to find the best solutions to environmental problems that affect wildlife, humans and culture. These types of scientists can also work in a wide range of environments that include:
This career path can be very rewarding, from not only professional career opportunities but also from personal fulfillment. In this line of work, Environmental Scientists are directly working with efforts to make the world a better place, like helping prevent the harmful effects of climate change.
When thinking about the various scientific careers, many assume that higher levels of education are needed to enter this space of work. While having a master’s or Ph.D. is viewed as a positive qualification, it is not always needed to be an Environmental Scientist. Relevant internships or on-the-job experience can help fill in any educational gaps and prepare you for a job as an Environmental Scientist.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an Environmental Scientist is $76,530 per year with an expected job outlook growth of 5% over the next ten years.
Ecologist
If a student is interested in the side of environmental science that focuses on the environment and the factors that affect it, having a career as an Ecologist may be an ideal job for them.
Ecologists’ main responsibility is to study the relationship between organisms (plants and animals) and their relationships with each other and the environment. A lot of the work that these professionals do requires hands-on fieldwork in different environments such as deserts, forests, parks and more.
Some of the examples of work that Ecologists conduct include:
While there are many different functions of Ecologists, there is one primary goal of their work: preserving and protecting the environment. This can be a very fulfilling and rewarding career for someone that is passionate about science and the environment.
According to Indeed, the median pay for an Ecologist is $65,406 per year with an expected job outlook increase of 5% over the next ten years.
Marine Biologist
While Ecologists mostly work in environments that are on land, Marine Biologists work in the undersea environments and their respective organisms. This can be a great career for someone that loves science, underwater organisms and conservation efforts.
Most Marine Biologists work for state or federal governments to aid with conservation and preservation efforts, but it is possible for a Marine Biologist to also be hired by a private organization. Some organizations can include:
It is required by most openings that a Marine Biologist should hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at minimum. Some job openings even require applicants to hold a Ph.D.
According to the Pay Scale, the median pay for a Marine Biologist is $53,651 per year with an expected job outlook increase of 5% over the next ten years.
Microbiologist
A career as a Microbiologist does not necessarily require a microbiology degree. Having an environmental science degree can be a pathway into this type of career due to the overlap of studies and coursework.
A Microbiologist is someone that studies the microscopic aspect of life. This can include studying bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi and other types of parasites. By studying these organisms, Microbiologists are able to identify how these specimens interact with others and their environments.
Microbiologists also have a wide array of fields in which they can work. Some include:
Over the next 10 years, the need for Microbiologists is going to increase. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the growth of Microbiologists Is going to be 9% which equals about 2,000 openings per year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a Microbiologist is $79,260 per year.
Water Quality Scientist
Even though they do not work specifically with living organisms, Water Quality Scientists have a big role in society. The main responsibility of these scientists is to run tests on water samples from different environments to make sure they are free from toxins and parasites, and to make sure that it is healthy for organisms to consume.
There are many other roles and responsibilities for Water Quality Scientists which include:
Since water is an essential life source for every living thing on the planet, a job as a Water Quality Scientist is a great pathway to a long-term career that can ensure longevity in the role.
According to Glassdoor, the median pay for a Water Quality Scientist is $69,364 per year with an expected job outlook growth of 5% over the next ten years.
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Environmental science has a wide array of professional options that can enable you to not only have a successful career, but also a very personally fulfilling one.
Do any of these jobs pique your interest? Check out STEMHUNTER, a STEM-focused job board made specifically for STEM professionals.
When economic uncertainty hits, job layoffs usually follow. The news has been recently flooded by reports of layoffs, mostly in the technology field. According to Zippia, 15.4 million Americans were laid off from their job in 2022 and in 2023, 138,000 were laid off already.
Layoffs can sometimes appear to come out of nowhere, which can be hard emotionally and financially for employees that are affected by these decisions. Even when there are severance packages associated with terminations, it can still be very nerve-wracking for employees due to uncertainty about their future career and re-entering the job market along with thousands of others.
With all these emotions, it could be difficult for former employees to figure out where to start in a job search, especially if the professional has not looked for a new job for a couple of years.
Read more to learn how to bounce from a layoff and land a new job in no time.
Optimize Resume
The first thing professionals can do when re-entering the job market is to update and optimize their resume. When refreshing a resume, candidates should include all relevant experience and any new skills or achievements. This is essential, as it will give hiring managers a clear and updated look at experience and qualifications.
A resume should include these main parts:
Also, candidates should consider having a former peer, coworker or even a family member read over the resume to make sure that it is grammatically correct and formatted properly. Having a second set of eyes can help catch small mistakes and errors that may cost them a dream position.
For more resume advice, check out this article.
Ask For Recommendations
Being laid off does not necessarily mean that a worker was slacking or doing a poor job, it could just mean that their role was eliminated for financial or restructuring reasons. A professional that loses their job due to layoffs may be one of the hardest workers at the company, but just simply got caught in the crossfire of layoffs.
If an individual is laid off and knows that they did great work at their previous employer, they should consider reaching out to former managers or coworkers for recommendation letters to show a potential employer that they are the right fit for the job.
Also, professionals should consider asking the HR department of their former employer for a “laid-off letter” if one was not already included with the announcement of the layoff. This is an official piece of writing that explains the circumstances of why someone was let go from a company. These letters can be used to prove to future employers that someone was laid-off instead of being terminated for poor performance.
Reach Out to Networks
LinkedIn is not only a great platform to stay in touch with corporate news and keep up with a professional network, but it can also be a great asset to someone that has been recently laid off.
A recently laid-off employee should consider posting an update status on LinkedIn to announce to a network that a layoff has occurred and that they are open to new positions. By doing this, other members of a network may see this post and possibly recommend or suggest a company that is hiring or even hiring within their team.
In this post, the professional should include what type of roles or industries they are open to. Putting just a general open-to-work post may attract recruiters and messages that do not relate to the professional field that they work in and may be a waste of time in job searching.
LinkedIn also offers an “open to work” profile banner for members who are looking for new positions. New job seekers should consider adding this to their profile picture to make their job searching status even more visible to recruiters and hiring managers.
Click here to learn more about how to optimize a job search and be more visible to hiring managers on LinkedIn.
Be Open
When there is an increase in layoffs occurring in the workforce, there are thousands of employees that are looking for jobs. This could mean that there may be more competition for roles in specific industries or professions.
The best way for candidates to combat that problem is to be open to positions and titles that may be different from their previous roles.
For example, if someone is laid off from a mechanical engineering role in HVAC, they should consider looking at other engineering positions, like civil engineering or construction engineering. They could also consider looking at different fields, like an energy or manufacturing company.
By pursuing another type of role, a new passion may emerge from the new types of responsibilities from this position that may have never been discovered if they were not open to this position or industry.
Don’t Burn Out
Being laid off is a stressful time. It is easy to get consumed in job searching and feel discouraged when things aren’t working out. Spending hours and hours on job boards can be helpful in the short term, but in the long term, it can be very damaging to mental health.
According to a survey from Pew Research Center, 56% of adults who are unemployed and are actively job searching, report having feelings of emotional and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Having these thoughts and feelings can be damaging to one’s self-esteem and overall health which can cause even more problems down the road.
Here are some ways to help alleviate stress and reduce burnout:
Looking at job boards online isn’t the only way to land a job. Consider reaching out to recruiters, reaching out to your network or checking internal websites for job postings. This is a good way to stand out instead of being in a sea of candidates that are all applying on an online platform.
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Layoffs can be stressful, but taking these actions may help you land a job faster and re-enter the workforce in no time.
Recently laid off and looking for a new job? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board designed specifically for STEM professionals.
The warmer months are approaching, and spring cleaning will be a top priority for most. Spring cleaning does not have to only affect a home and physical space, but a fresh overhaul can also be done to a resume!
It is recommended by CNBC, that professionals update their resume every six months to a year in case of new opportunities that may arise. Updating a resume regularly helps make sure that the resume is accurate and showcases all recent achievements that may be desirable for a potential future employer. Refreshing a resume can also make it easier on a candidate, who can avoid having to do a massive overhaul for their resume when entering the job searching market.
However, some professionals may be at a point in their career where they are not interested in changing jobs. In any case, it is a good idea to consider keeping it updated in case anything changes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an employee changes their job every 4.2 years on average.
Read below to learn more about how you can tidy up your resume for future job searching success.
Add Relevant Information
The main goal of a resume is to show an accurate and quick snapshot of an applicant’s professional experience and achievements. CareerBuilder found that 24% of recruiters spend 30 seconds or less looking at a resume. This means a resume needs to be thorough, but get directly to the point.
A resume should be clear and concise, so job seekers should try to highlight the most relevant information in a resume. For example, accurately detailing job responsibilities is a must, but including extra-curricular activities from over ten years ago may not be the best idea to include.
Here are some more examples of relevant information to include in a resume:
It is also important that candidates make sure to take out any information that may not be relevant anymore. For example, a resume may not have been touched since applying for jobs in early college which may include jobs that were had during high school. Once college has been completed, or it has been many years since high school, having those experiences are not necessary to include on a resume. Employers will want to see relevant information and will likely not place as much importance on work that was done many years ago.
Update Contact Info
One of the most important factors of an effective resume is that the contact information is directly next to, or under, the candidate’s name and title. Contact information will likely include the candidate’s valid phone number, email address and location. It is important for recruiters/hiring managers to know where a candidate is located, even when dealing with remote roles, as time zones may be a factor of employment.
In case there has been a recent move, make sure that the location is correct on the resume. Having a full address is not necessary to have a standout resume. All that is needed to be listed is city and state.
Also, candidates should consider having a professional email listed on their resume. A professional email should include some iteration of a name and maybe some numbers. Some examples of emails to avoid using include, “[email protected]” and “[email protected].” Unprofessional emails such as these may convey to the hiring manger that the applicant is not serious or professional when it comes to job searching.
Additionally, it is best to avoid using emails that are associated with colleges/universities as this can convey that you are enrolled and be potentially unavailable for full-time work. Candidate’s will also want to refrain from using a work or company-sponsored email address on their resume when job searching. The best practice is to have a professional, personal email for job searching purposes.
Check All Grammar
Utilizing proper grammar is a necessity when crafting a resume that could result in landing a dream job. According to Zippia, 59% of recruiters will automatically reject a resume if it contains improper grammar and spelling. Candidates should consider following grammar best-practices and asking a trusted colleague to review their resume for spelling and grammar errors.
If there is a job listed on your resume that is being done presently, it is best that the descriptions are written in current tense. For example, it would not make sense if a candidate were currently at an engineering job and described it on their resume as, “helped and recorded measurements.” It should instead read, “helps and records measurements” since it is being done in the present. If the work was being done in the past, the first description would be accurate.
Here is a grammar checklist to review a resume with:
Going over a grammar checklist such as this when reviewing a resume can be the reason that sets an individual apart from other candidates in the screening process.
Keep It Simple
Sometimes it seems that bigger is better, but that is not always the case for resumes.
The best way to format a resume is to make sure it is detailed, but also very simple for the recruiter or hiring manager that will be reading it.
Since a lot of recruiters spend such little time screening resumes, they most likely will want to get right to the skills and experience of a candidate as it relates to an open position. Having a resume that includes a headshot, flashy borders and hard to read fonts may immediately turn a recruiter away.
Additionally, simplicity can help your resume work well with recruiting software. According to Forbes, up to 75% of resume can get rejected from an applicant tracking system (ATS) due to the software not being able to read or parse the resume. This can be due to complex fonts and pictures. If a resume gets rejected from an ATS system, there is a chance that it will not be reviewed by a recruiter, which means the applicant will not get screened for the job at all.
Here are some quick ways to keep a simple resume:
Making these small adjustments can help a hiring manager be able to understand a resume easier and speed up the hiring process overall.
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Cleaning up and simplifying a resume periodically can be the key step in your next job search without the headache of having to completely overhaul a resume in a short amount of time.
Looking for your dream STEM job? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board specifically designed for STEM professionals.
Many workers in the technology space have become weary and uncertain with their positions due to the current state of work in the industry. According to Layoffs.fyi, since 2022, over 300 tech companies have conducted layoffs which have affected nearly 97,000 workers. Amid these massive layoffs and reductions in staff, many job seekers are looking to different industries for their next career move.
The tech industry is not the only space for these aspiring professionals, as there are many other industries that can meet their needs and provide a satisfying career. Read below to learn more about these growing opportunities.
Finance & Accounting
Finance and accounting roles often require gathering, analyzing and reporting numbers and data, which is where tech professionals come into play for this industry.
One of the most sought-out positions for accounting and finance companies to fill are data analysts. Some of the responsibilities of this role include gathering information on mutual funds, stocks, bonds and more. It is estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that there is going to be a career outlook increase of 23% from now until 2030.
Another tech job that is in high demand in the account & finance space is cybersecurity roles. Having evolving technology at our fingertips is great, but it can also cause wide-spread security concerns, especially in this sector, with the large amounts of confidential information that is dealt with daily. The estimate of outlook for cybersecurity is 35% by 2030, which is a much greater job outlook compared to most jobs.
Also, with most of the work for data analysts and cybersecurity professionals being done on a computer, many companies are offering fully remote roles all over the U.S.
To learn more about securing a data analyst role, check out this blog here.
Here are some other tech jobs that job seekers can find in the finance and accounting industry:
Consider these tech jobs in finance and accounting to accelerate your career and professional development.
Manufacturing
When thinking of the manufacturing field, many could think of manual jobs that require a lot of physical work. Even though there are many “blue collar” jobs in manufacturing, there are also thousands of tech jobs in this industry.
Manufacturing is one of the biggest assets to the world economy. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the manufacturing industry contributed $2.3 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2021, which accounted for 12% of total U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).
To be able to build and pour these manufactured products, they first need to be designed. To be designed, there needs to be software which is where tech professionals come in. Many manufacturing companies use systems like SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Siemens and more to design their products and tools. With all these different types of software, tech professionals are needed to ensure these systems are properly working.
Here are some tech jobs that job seekers can find in the manufacturing industry:
These types of careers can help candidates gain knowledge, professional development and a new perspective, for a sometimes-misunderstood industry.
Healthcare
While the needs for tech software and companies often vary with the economy, healthcare is always needed no matter what economic state is present. Typically, doctors, nurses and caregivers support patients directly, but tech workers are needed behind the scenes to ensure that necessary programs and systems are running properly to ensure the proper healthcare of others.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that IT professional careers will grow over 11% between now and 2028, which is significantly higher than most occupations. The only problem with that statistic is that there is a shortage of healthcare IT professionals. This shortage is to the point where over one third of hospitals report having vacancies and looking to fill these critical roles. Due to this shortage, technology professionals can expect there to be numerous job postings available.
Being an IT professional is not the only tech career available in healthcare. Here are some tech jobs that job seekers can find in this industry:
Having a career in healthcare can be fulfilling for tech workers with these high sought-out positions.
Government
With the sweeping tech layoffs, many government sectors are targeting these affected workers and many others in the tech industry. According to GoGovernment.com, there are over 79,000 IT professionals in the government sector alone. With increasing technology, there are plans to add thousands more jobs to support government programs and protect national security.
These types of jobs are not only for national government. To be considered a government employee, a professional could be working for local, state or federal government. Being a government employee can also provide great benefits. Some of the perks that are offered to government employees include:
These benefits can be provided for not only just the employee, but also can be provided to significant others and children.
Here are some more jobs that tech professionals can get in the government sector:
A career in the government is not only fulfilling but can provide great benefits and experience for any tech professional.
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Tech companies are not the only destination for tech professionals. These industries and many others are hiring more than ever for this type of work.
Looking for your next great STEM career? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board designed specifically for STEM professionals.
Chemistry is an essential part of many innovative and future-focused businesses and is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing career fields. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is estimated that jobs for chemists will grow 6% over the next 10 years, which totals about 90,600 jobs.
With the right skills and tools, you can land a job as a chemist in no time. Read below to learn more about how to expand your skills and nail your next chemist interview.
Pursue Career Development Opportunities
Whether you are at the beginning of your career or are many years into it, career development is an important method of improving your skills. Career development involves sharpening skills, learning new things and meeting others in your shared industry.
Some ways to increase your career development include:
If you are a college student, consider looking into extracurricular groups or clubs that involve chemistry that would be ideal to put on a resume. Some of these groups could include honor societies, clubs or even studying groups. Being an active and engaged member of groups such as these will not only improve your skillsets, but could also lead you to helpful networking that could benefit you in future when job searching.
Being exposed to these types of professional development methods can also give you the opportunity to talk to other peers in your field which can lead you to dream job positions.
Evaluate Your Soft Skills
When thinking about becoming a chemist, you can assume that you are required to have a deep understanding of chemistry. While that is true, there are many other skills that applicants can have that will enable them to be successful in the chemistry field.
Skills that are not technical are considered soft skills. Soft skills are the common skills that help you interact and work with others. These can include interpersonal and communication skills.
Some of the soft skills, suggested by Scholarship Guidance, to be a successful chemist include:
A great way to show these skills during an interview is bringing them up in natural conversation with situations that demonstrate how you utilized that skill. For example, if the hiring manager is asking about a project you have worked on, you can mention that you utilized time management skills to make the project successful. Also consider including a small list of them on your resume so that the hiring manager can see them before they even interview you.
Consider analyzing the areas in which you excel and noting any opportunities for further development. Develop your soft skills by enrolling in courses, taking on new projects or asking for feedback from trusted colleagues.
Practice Interview Questions
After researching and applying for jobs, you will hopefully enter the interviewing stages for a new job as a chemist. Interviews can be nerve-racking and stressful for some. In fact, JDP found that 93% of job candidates report being nervous before a job interview.
A great way to combat this nervousness and uncertainty is to practice interview questions before the actual interview.
Here are some examples of questions you could be asked at an interview for a chemist:
Consider practicing these questions with a trusted colleague to ease your nerves and enable yourself to answer with no hesitation.
When you are answering the interviewer’s questions, try to tailor your answers to the type of industry that you are applying for. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the industry with the highest amount of chemists is the pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry which means there may be a high probability of interviewing with that type of company. If you are asked, “why did pursue chemistry?”, try to weave in your passion for medicine and how it will fulfill you as a chemist. This will show the hiring manager you have a passion for their industry and are very interested in the position.
While it is good to practice interview questions, keep in mind that there may be other parts to your upcoming chemist interview with things such as a technical assessments, background screenings, personality tests and more.
Ask Thoughtful Questions
Interviewing for a job not only lets an employer get to know you, but it is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company and their values. Utilizing this time effectively can give you greater insights into the organization and show the interviewer that you are prepared and interested in the role.
Here are some questions to consider asking your interviewer:
Asking these types of questions can give you a better idea of the work dynamic, how others collaborate with each other daily and what the general company culture is.
Remember that you are also interviewing the company to see if they are a good fit for you and your career trajectory. If you ask these questions and your interviewer gives very general answers or tries to avoid the question altogether, this could be red flag. Consider taking a closer look into the company itself and its culture using websites like Glassdoor or directly reach out to current employees to see if it is a good fit for you.
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Landing a job as chemist does not have to be hard. With these tips, you can find yourself landing a chemistry job in no time.
Looking for your next job in chemistry? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board made specifically for STEM professionals.
The current competitive and tight labor market is making many organizations rethink their hiring process, but many are leaving out a key aspect, employee retention.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that STEM jobs will grow 10.5% between the years 2020-2030. With large numbers of STEM jobs projected to open, this presents a great opportunity for employers to add new talent to their organization. However, with this focus on bringing in new talent, many current employees could be looking for new opportunities if their needs are not being met.
A great way to retain your employees is through conducting stay interviews. Read below to learn how stay interviews can help you retain great STEM talent.
What Exactly is a Stay Interview?
A stay interview is a conversation or meeting with successful employees to learn more about how they feel about their position and the organization as a whole. Some topics can include how they enjoy their position, what the organization can do better to support them, what changes they would like to see and other questions about their overall experience.
The Society of Human Resource Management found that it costs an employer one-third of an employee’s annual salary to replace them when they leave their role. This high cost is due to factors such as recruiting, training, loss in productivity and more. To combat these costs, employers are finding great success in having stay interviews with top performing employees.
The objective of a stay interview is to learn how the organization can change to better help employee experience, while also showing the employee that their opinions and experiences matter to management. This directly correlates to employee retention and keeping outstanding workers at your company.
Preparing For a Stay Interview
A great way to prepare for a stay interview is to take a close look at the performance of your employees and identify which individuals would be the best to conduct this type of conversation with. Consider picking employees that you want to retain at the company long-term, or those with a strong work ethic.
Once you have identified employees that you would like to conduct this conversation with, put time for the meeting on their calendar. When sending out an invitation for a stay interview, it is a great idea to explicitly inform the employee what the meeting will entail. If you are not clear about what the conversation will be, the employee could jump to conclusions like a possible lay-off or a haul of extra work which could hinder the meeting productivity and overshadow the purpose of the stay interview.
It is recommended that stay interviews last at least 30 minutes. This allows employers to ask several important questions, while also not taking away too much time from the workday for everyone involved.
Conducting a Stay Interview
Stay interviews are best conducted by a direct manager, rather than an HR professional. This is because employees will more likely have a sense that their feelings and opinions of the organization are being taken more seriously. If it is only being done by a member of HR, it could come off that the stay interview is only being done for compliance or to meet a quota. However, the results should be shared with HR following the interview.
Another factor to consider when having a stay interview is to make sure the interview is being done at a convenient time for both the manager and the employee. Considering both individuals’ time could make the employee feel more comfortable with the conversation and overall more respected by the organization.
Also, consider keeping performance reviews and stay interviews separate. While both are equally important, they have different purposes. Combining the two could cause the employee to be discouraged or stressed during the review and could make them avoid giving genuine answers to the questions that you are asking. It is best to save a performance review for another meeting.
Assembling What Questions to Ask
Just like an entrance or exit interview, preparing questions beforehand is essential when conducting a stay interview. It is best to include questions that are about the organization as a whole, as well as their specific experience working at your organization. You’ll want to ask questions about what motivates the employee to stay in addition to questions related to why they might leave. This can provide leadership with insights to help make decisions on what the organization can do to help increase and improve retention. Consider these questions below to ask in a stay interview:
Also, consider asking questions that are tailored to the employee’s specific role. By including specific questions, employees could feel that you took the time to consider their specific role within the organization.
These questions can be helpful to understand the needs of your employees and help open the door to what leadership can do to make sure that they, and others, stay at the organization for a long period of time.
Using The Information You Collected
Once you have successfully completed stay interviews, analyze what employees said and look for commonalities between responses. It is a good idea to meet with other leaders and the HR department to discuss findings and conclusions. From there, a plan or initiative should be created to improve employee retention.
Additionally, consider having an introspective look at yourself as a leader in the organization. Compare the answers from the stay interview to your leadership style and see if there is any room for improvement. Having strong leadership will go a long way with employee retention and hiring great talent.
After some time, consider having a follow-up conversation with employees to see if the changes have made a significant impact. It is a good idea to track to see if measurable change has been made overtime.
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Stay interviews can be a great way to retain star employees, but can also shape an organization to be attractive to all job seekers.
Looking for great STEM talent? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board specifically designed for STEM professionals.
Civil engineering is one of the fastest growing STEM careers currently. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that over the next 10 years, civil engineering jobs will grow by nearly 7%, which is around 310,000 jobs per year.
Job interviewing can be stressful, but it does not have to be when you have all the right tools. Read below to learn more on how to land your next civil engineering job.
Dress Professionally
While it is very important to impress hiring managers with your work experience and qualifications, it is also necessary to make sure that you properly dress the part for your interview.
Zippia found that 50% of hiring managers believe that the way a candidate dresses during an interview should determine if they will move on to the next steps of the interview process.
When attending an interview, consider dressing in business professional clothes. Avoid wearing flashy clothes and make sure your outfit is not wrinkled or stained. Dressing professionally will convey to the hiring manager that you took time and put in effort, ultimately showing that you are interested in the job.
Seem Interested and Be Direct
If you show up wearing nice clothes and have an impressive degree, but do not have a positive attitude during the interview, you may be eliminated from the hiring process.
When answering questions, be enthusiastic and interested in what the hiring manager is saying to you. Also, directly answer the questions you are being asked. In civil engineering, many of the tasks that you will be doing revolve around directly solving a specific problem or working on a complex design. Showing a trait of being direct during the interview may help you stand out from other candidates.
For example, if you are asked about a project that gave you difficulty and how you overcame it, do not try to sugarcoat the problem. Describe exactly what the problem was, and how you took the initiative to work it out with yourself and your team. Discuss any items that worked well, and things that maybe could’ve been better. This will show that you are a problem solver and a team player when faced with adversity and can handle the challenges that come with a career in civil engineering.
Example Interview Questions
A great way to prepare for interviews is to practice possible interview questions beforehand. When you practice answering questions, you may be able to go into the interview more confident and well-equipped compared to other applicants.
During the interview you will most likely be asked general questions about previous work experience, what your desired salary range and more. There will also be specific questions that will relate directly to the civil engineering field that you should be ready to answer.
Here are examples of questions you may be asked:
When preparing for an interview, it is best to over-prepare. Consider practicing answering questions about your skills and experience, situational-based questions and questions that test your knowledge of specific civil engineering practices.
Ask Your Interviewer Questions
Interviewing for a civil engineering job not only involves you being asked questions, but it is also an opportunity to ask the hiring manager questions so you have a better understanding if the organization is the right fit for you. Additionally, asking questions to your interviewer can show that you have researched the position and are overall interested in the role.
Civil engineers can work in a variety of industries and on a variety of projects. Because of this, you should be thoughtful of the questions you ask and utilize this time to get a better understanding of the job’s daily duties.
Here are some questions you could ask your interviewer:
These questions can give you a good sense of the type of work you will be completing and what setting they will need to be completed in.
Expect Multiple Interviews
Civil engineers can design a wide array of products like bridges, buildings, water systems and other important infrastructure that many people rely on for daily use. With designing such crucial products, employers want to make sure they are hiring the perfect candidate to avoid any type of mishaps or mistakes.
Due to this need of excellent workers, do not be surprised if your hiring process contains multiple different interviews. According to Career Sidekick, the average employer will conduct between 2-3 interviews with a candidate before an official offer is made to them.
If your hiring process is more than one interview, it is likely that you will be meeting with multiple managers and employees of the organization throughout the different rounds. Meeting with different people allows the hiring manager to get a better understanding on how you interact with others and will allow for more feedback to make sure you are the best choice for the job.
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Looking for your next civil engineering job? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board designed specifically for STEM professionals.
When putting together your resume, it is easy to get overwhelmed by making sure that all your technical skills, education and previous work experience are listed properly. Many job seekers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, which traditionally require technical hard skills, often overlook the soft skills section of their resume.
Soft skills are the personal characteristics that help you interact and effectively work with other people. Soft skills can include traits such as being an effective communicator, possessing self-confidence, being analytically minded and more.
While it is important to portray your strong education and excellent technical skills, you may not be able to effectively execute them in the workplace if you do not have a powerful range of soft skills. According to the Stanford Research Center and Harvard University, 85% of job success comes from soft skills alone, while only 15% of work success comes from technical skills.
Consider developing these game-changing soft skills below to improve your resume and help you stand out from the crowd.
Teamwork
One of the most valuable soft skills that a job seeker can have is a strong sense of teamwork. No matter what role or position you work, at some point you will be required to participate in a group setting with your coworkers. Forbes has recently reported that more than 50% of workers in the U.S. rely on collaboration to get their job done.
To develop your teamwork skills, consider embracing yourself more into group work or offer your services to lead projects and help others. Volunteer for team-based activities and push yourself out of your comfort zone to develop your collaboration skills. As a technical professional, evolving these skills will make you a more well-rounded employee and will enable long-term success as you grow in your career.
Organization
Keeping an organized mental, digital and physical space is important when working in STEM industries. Without organization, projects and work can be forgotten about, often directly impacting your work performance.
For example, you may be looking for a job in the IT field. When working in IT, you are likely going to be asked to handle different projects, work with several customers at a time, figure out different solutions and more. Having so many tasks to keep track of requires a strong sense of organization. If you are unable to complete these jobs in an organized and timely manner, this can directly affect the way that your manager views your work ethic and can hinder overall performance.
If you are looking for ways to improve your organization, consider these tips:
Adding these small tasks into your workday, can make a big difference in keeping you organized throughout your workday.
Time Management
Development Academy has recently reported that only 18% or workers have a proper time management routine which means that an astounding 82% of workers function without one. With such a high number of workers not having a proper time management routine, hiring managers are looking for job seekers that hold this very valuable and sometimes rare soft skill.
As an example, working in a lab requires a lot of time management skills. In a role such as a scientist, you may be required to oversee multiple experiments, help others with their projects, report your findings and many other tasks. Juggling all of these responsibilities can be overwhelming, but establishing effective time management skills can help you manage a large amount of tasks.
To develop your time management skills, consider making a list of all your projects, prioritize the ones are the most time sensitive and create a daily plan of how much time you are going to dedicate to each project. Additionally, consider utilizing a planner or keeping your calendar up to date. Block off time in your day to work on projects in advance to prevent your day from getting bogged down by meetings. These practices can lead to a more effective day and improve your time management skills.
Attention to Detail
Crossing items off and getting your work done is important, but making sure that your work is accurate and complete can be even more important. Having attention to detail is a crucial soft skill that many employers look for in STEM roles.
Attention to detail is especially important to those working in industries that require specific technical skills, such as the computer science field. With this type of work, you will be dealing with long lines of code and complex problems. When working on projects such as these, it is easy to make a small mistake. Without a good attention to detail, it may take time to figure out a small problem in a line of code. This can put the rest of your work on the backburner and could possibly cause significant delays for both you and your team.
Here are some effective ways to improve your ability to pay attention to details in your work:
These practices are easy to implement into your daily routine and can significantly improve your work quality when you take attention to detail very seriously.
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Consider adding your top soft skills to your resume to let potential employers know that you are a top-tier candidate for their job opening.
Looking for your next STEM career? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board specifically designed for STEM professionals.
The software development field is growing rapidly, and many people are interested in starting a career in this line of work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 163,000 software developer jobs will open yearly over the next decade.
Like most jobs, when interviewing for a career in software, you will be required to go through an interview process but there are some key differences that make software developer interviews stand apart from traditional job interviews.
This often lengthy process is overwhelming and stressful for some, but if you practice enough, you can be on your way to landing a job as a software developer. Here are some tips for how to prepare for your upcoming software developer interview.
Make a Good First Impression
When interviewing for a job, you want to start off by making a great first impression with the interviewer. When you make a positive first impression, you are more likely to get farther into the interview process and have a better chance of getting the job.
One way you can make a great impression is to be authentic and friendly. You do not have to be over enthusiastic and loud, just be sure that you have a positive demeanor and are fully engaged in the conversation you are having. For example, Seed Scientific found that 65% of candidates that do not make eye contact during the interview process, do not get the job they are interviewing for.
Another way to make a great impression is to be a good listener. Make sure that you are listening to everything thoroughly and be attentive to what the interviewer is saying. If it appears that you are spacing out, or not fully listening to the interviewer, this can be seen as a red flag and you could have a chance of no longer being considered for the job.
Practice Interview Questions
Without a doubt, you are going to be asked different types of questions during the interview process. These questions can include the interviewer inquiring about your professional background, career experience, skills and more.
It is always better to go into an interview overprepared than being underprepared. Consider how you’d answer common interview questions. Below are some examples of questions that you could be asked.
While there is no way of knowing the specific questions that you will be asked in an interview, you can prepare with practice questions that will be likely asked. Consider ways you can incorporate your experience and accomplishments into your answers to show the interviewer that you are capable and a good fit for their role.
Ask Thoughtful Questions
A job interview is not only for the interviewer to get to know you, but also for you to understand the company more and decide if the role is right for you. Typically, you can expect the interviewer to leave time at the end of the interview for questions. This is your time to show that you came prepared and get clarification on any questions you have.
It is a good idea to prepare questions ahead of time, so you can learn more about the company and see if you would be a good fit. Some questions you could ask include:
Consider asking questions such as these to gain a better understanding of the company and position responsibilities.
Looking for more example questions? Check out this article with more questions that you could ask your interviewer.
Expect a Technical Assessment of Your Skills
Software development is a career that is built around using different tools and programs to create products and services, so it is only natural that an employer would want to test you on your expertise in these areas when interviewing for a position.
Some of the skills that you could be tested on include:
When being tested, it can be expected that you may be nervous. Do not feel like you must get a perfect score on your assessment to be able to get the job. Often, employers are looking at different aspects of the assessment to analyze your problem solving and critical thinking skills. If you are intimidated by these assessments, there are many online resources that offer example problems and situations that you could be given in a technical assessment, like this guide from Dev Community.
If you show an understanding of the tools and languages that are required for the job, it will be clear that you are a qualified candidate and will increase your probability of being extended an offer.
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Although these interviews can be lengthy and challenging, by following these tips, you can easily land your next software development job in no time.
Are you looking for your next Software Developer job? Check out STEMHUNTER, a job board made specifically for STEM professionals.
