Job Tips - Posts By Dan Holterhaus

We are in the middle of Coronavirus COVID-19 creating a crisis for many people in many industries.  Travel, tourism, and restaurants are arguably the hardest hit by the pandemic.  When times are tough, we all grow as a society and as humans.  If you are part of a large community of people who lost their job during this time, or maybe you are just someone questioning if you will have a job next week – this is a perfect time to reassess your career goals and look for opportunities! As businesses are struggling right now, many are on hiring freezes or putting all hiring decisions on hold until our country returns to normalcy.  It’s normal to think the worst is coming with some of the news that we have seen lately, and there is quite a bit...

Do you have questions regarding your employment and potential layoffs due to the Coronavirus?  Please read below for updates from the Iowa Workforce Development Office for answers to any questions you may have about unemployment benefits for Iowa workers. If you are actively searching for a job, make sure to check out our latest job postings, and sign up to attend our Virtual Career Fair being held on April 9th. And stay safe out there – do your best to follow all CDC precautions to protect yourself. Question 1: Can I get unemployment benefits if I am laid off due to issues related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Answer: Yes. Iowa unemployment benefits (“Benefits”) are available to individuals who are unemployed through no fault of their...

In this article we are going to explain how to network and gain valuable references as you move throughout your career. Let’s face it, networking events that turn into friendly chatter over drinks are a little over-rated for the average job-seeker looking to connect with others in their community.  Networking events have gotten a bad rap in the past for not really turning into anything.  Add in the fact that you may think by showing up at one of these events that someone is going to offer you your dream job the moment they meet you – and we have already set ourselves up for an under-whelming experience. Not to fear, networking events don’t have to be a bummer and can be quite fun if you find the right ones for you and find the people you...

Hiring Screens.  Those annoying but all too necessary steps that a human resources department has to go through to make sure they are putting quality candidates in front of their hiring managers for face to face interviews.  In this post, we want to give you some strategies for making it through the phone screen process and on to the next step.  But first, if you are thinking about even getting yourself to a phone screening, make sure to check our entire job search 101 series which starts with resume building blocks. What is a Phone Screening? To get past a phone screening, we suppose you better have a good understanding of exactly what it is.  A phone screening, by definition, is a type of job interview, usually conducted at the...

When you are heading into an interview, it’s a good practice to have a list so you know what to ask an employer.  This shows interest in the company, and if you have done your homework, you can relate the questions to the business you are interviewing for. Assuming you have made it through the phone interview process, in general during an interview, the employer will provide questions to which you will answer.  At the end of the interview is when you will have a chance to ask the employer your questions. Great questions to ask an employer during an interview: Q: What is the typical career path of someone who takes this job within your organization? This is a good question because it shows that your interest in staying with a company...

Interested in Customer Service jobs in the Corridor? Let’s face it.  To be in business, you have to sell something.  To sell something, you have to have someone to take care of your customers.  Your ability to serve your customers and keep them coming back is the most important part of your business model, yet it is often overlooked. We’ve all been there. You go to a restaurant and you have a bad experience with the waiter or waitress who was helping you.  If the food didn’t blow your mind, you’ll probably never return and assume that the service is always bad. Serving your customers and keeping them coming back is the most important thing. In the Corridor, we have a plethora of customer service jobs available at all times.  Usually,...

Have you enabled the Corridor Careers skill on your Alexa device? Last year, we unveiled our Corridor Careers skill on Alexa and have seen more and more job seekers using it to aid in their job search.  Today, we are refreshing our old post about adding Corridor Careers on your Amazon Alexa enabled device! Adding Corridor Careers to Alexa Recently, Corridor Careers released an updated version of our own Alexa skill that includes voice search. You can’t ask for jobs out of the box, though. To enable the Corridor Careers skill for Alexa, search for “corridor careers” in your Alexa app. Or find us on Amazon and click on “Enable Skill”. Once that’s done, all you have to do is say the magic words. Using Corridor Careers with Alexa If you say...

In this video, we explain how to sign up for local Job Alerts on Corridor Careers. Pick 1 or more categories and get alerted at the frequency you like. You control how often you get notified – sign up today and unsubscribe when you get that perfect job! Studies show applicants who apply on the first day a job is posted are more likely to be considered. To sign up for Job Alerts, go to the “Job Seeker” menu at the top of the page and open the menu. Scroll to the Job Alerts tab. Pick the categories that you are most interested in receiving updates for. Enter your email, and the frequency at wish you want to receive alerts. Click “email me jobs,” and you are all done!

Quickly organize your job search by using our ‘save a job’ feature. You don’t need to login, just click the heart next to the job while browsing so you can come back to it later.  Here’s a quick video showing you how! 1) Find the jobs you are interested in viewing in the future and click the heart to the right of the job. 2) On Desktop: at the top of your page, find the saved jobs icon (you don’t have to be logged in). On Mobile, scroll to the footer and click ‘Saved Jobs’. 3) The jobs you have saved will appear. If you aren’t interested in the job any longer, you can de-select the heart. Happy saving!

A frustrating job search during the holidays can lead us to wonder why a company is not giving the gift of “job” this holiday season.  Questions begin to arise.  Is there something wrong with me?  Am I not qualified for the job?  What is it about me that people don’t like? Job searching during the holidays can be difficult. Job Search Frustration After you’ve submitted dozens of resumes with little to no response, it’s easy to begin thinking this way about yourself.  The truth is that employers look at hiring a little different than how a job seeker does. They will try to hire an internal candidate.  Almost always, a company will try to hire an internal candidate to fill a role first.  An internal candidate will at least have the first...

From a survey done by Corridor Careers, many job seekers reported having a tough time knowing how to find a job that they actually want to do.  There are multiple reasons that you may be having a tough time finding a job you love, and here are some of the most common: Unsure of what you like to do Lack of jobs in your field available Haven’t found the right atmosphere Lack of motivation These are just a few.  Let’s begin to untangle some of the mysteries surrounding why job seekers have a tough time finding work that they want to do. Know Yourself The most important thing when weeding through jobs is knowing yourself, what your personality type is, and finding job fits based on your personality.  This is super helpful in eliminating...

Being on the job hunt for weeks can be frustrating, and it’s hard to know how to stay motivated in your job search. Looking for prospective employers and potential job fits, and waiting in vain for a response are common complaints of job seekers.  After several job application submissions and little to no response later, you start to feel it.  That heavyweight on your chest and in your head.  This is the time in your job search it becomes important to stay motivated.  It may also be the time to question why you aren’t seeing results and thoughts begin to rumble in your head: “Is there something wrong with me?” “Why don’t employers see how great I am?” “How many more applications is this going to take before I see results?” The truth is...

Job Search and Depression Extensive job search has been known to lead to depression, but often the struggle with mental health during a job search is ignored. Research studies have shown that initially after losing a job, the experience can be quite unsettling.  After the initial shock wears off, people can find a sense of relief and freedom when they are let go or quit a job.  However, if the job hunt continues for 10 weeks or more the experience can begin to lead to anxiety and depression.1  This comes from a job seeker being rejected time after time during their job search. (Please note, if you are experiencing serious depression, call 1-800-332-4224 to use the Foundation2 crisis chat line right away) In Eastern Iowa, we are seeing...

Are you a recent college grad wondering how to craft a resume with no work experience? No worries. When you are just beginning your working career, you may not have a lot to show on your resume in your prospective field.  And while browsing jobs, it seems like any type of interesting job requires 3-5 years of experience, at a minimum!  This can be frustrating for many recent college graduates when the most you have on your resume is an internship and a few years of part-time work from high school or college. Well, you’re not alone. Every college grad has early times in their career without much to show for it.  We’re going to give you some tips as to how to stand out from the crowd when you are just beginning your career. Ultimately,...

What makes an effective cover letter? Do I still need one? Many online applications for jobs don’t require a cover letter any longer like they used to.  And I’m sure you are thinking, “Great, one less thing I have to do to apply for this job!”  But are you really doing yourself a favor by not taking the extra minute or two to upload some sort of introductory message? While unemployment remains low, that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t much competition for jobs, especially with the top employers in your area.  Simply taking the time to upload that cover letter can pay off big time, separating yourself from the competition. First off, there isn’t really a right or wrong way to write a cover letter.  Different jobs require different...

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City have a long history of manufacturing and industrial jobs energized by a strong base of employers in the manufacturing sector. Currently, the industry is poised to transform into a technology-enabled, 4.0 revolution. Manufacturing Employers Near Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids has lots of manufacturing jobs in the area with many large and mid size employers.  Whirlpool in Amana has over 2,500 workers and is expected to grow in the coming years.  Proctor & Gamble in Iowa City has over 1,000 workers, while Quaker Oats and General Mills have over 500 employees each. Other employers in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City include ADM, International Paper, Cargill, PMX, Ingredion, Kraft-Heinz, Lesaffre, and Treehouse. Job Titles...