The Basics of Vesting With Your Employer

The Basics of Vesting With Your EmployerThe Basics of Vesting With Your EmployerThe concept of vesting is important to every employee of a firm offering benefits ranging from 401(K) matching contributions to restricted stock or stock options. Many employers offer these benefits as an incentive to join and/or remainwith the firm. Many of these benefits are subject to a vesting schedule. You should understand the language and terms for vesting in your employers various contribution plans before making a commitment. While some employer contributions are fully vested at the time they are provided, others are subjected to time limits and operate on an escalatingscale over time known as a vesting schedule. Example of 401(K) Contributions With Immediate Vesting One example is if your employer offers matching funds to your 401(K) deductions up to 10% of your total contributions. Lets say that you designate that $10,000 be put into your 401(K) this year. That means, your employer will con tribute an additional $1,000 (or 10%) in matching funds, with immediate vesting. The immediate vesting means that the contribution belongs to you in its entirety, although any withdrawals are subject to the IRS rules governing these plans. Example of Stock Grants That Might Vest Immediately or, Over Time Anotlageher example might be a firm that offers employees restricted stock grant on their hire date, with 100% vesting in the stock occurring on the employees third-anniversary date. This gestalt of vesting is called cliff vesting and means that you have no claim on the items offered until the actual third-anniversarydate is reached. If you leave the firm after two years that means you would not be able to take (or cash in) any of your stock grants. An alternative to cliff vesting is graded (or graduated) vesting which is governed by a vesting schedule. Using the example above of the restricted stock grant, a graded approach might suggest that 25% of your shares vest in years on e and two (for a total of 50%) and the remaining shares (valuing 50%) vest on your third anniversary. This way, if you leave the firm after your first year, you would have control of 25% of the shares, and so forth. Example of Stock Option Grant Vesting The use of stock options is common in many privately held start-ups and technology firms. This stock option offers the right to acquire a share of stock at a particular price on (or before) a particular date. Instead of a date, another right-to-acquire option might be a trigger event such as a change of control of the firm. In this case, change of control is merely a fancy term for the acquisition of your company by another firm. Entrepreneurs love this kind of vesting option. And why not. Lets say you have been granted 10,000 options with a stock price of $3.50 per share. If the terms of your stock option grant indicate that they fully vested at change of control and another firm acquires your firm at $4.00 per share, your optio ns immediately vest at the closing of the acquisition. This means you have the right to buy the 10,000 shares at $3.50 each and immediately sell them for $4.00 each, thereby making a profit of .50 cents per share. Example of Qualified Retirement Plan Vesting Many government, municipal, and education jobs offer a qualified retirement plan that is governed by a vesting schedule based on your years of service. As your years of service increase so does your vesting percentage until you reach a maximum of 100% at a future anniversary date. However, if you leave your job prior to becoming fully vested, you receive a future retirement benefit at some percentage of the total, but not the total. The Bottom Line Pay close attention to the language surrounding vesting for any of the benefits offered by your employer that involve contributions. The vesting schedule you choose may dictate your career options, including choosing to remain with the firm until you reach an important annive rsary date.

Apply Now for a 2015 WISE Internship

Apply Now for a 2015 WISE Internship Apply Now for a 2015 WISE Internship ASME is currently accepting applications from engineering students who are interested in representing the Society in the 2015 Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. Applications for the internship, which will take place next summer, are due Dec. 31. Ranked as one of the best internships in the U.S. by the Princeton Review, the WISE program offers engineering students the opportunity to spend the summer in Washington, D.C., learning about the interaction of technology and public policy. The 2015 WISE internship term will take place from May 31-Aug. 1, 2015. Selected from a nationwide competition, WISE interns spend nine weeks learning how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues and how engineers can contribute to legislative and regulatory public policy decisions. At the end of the nine weeks, each intern finalizes a public policy paper on a topic of interest, and presents his or zu sich findings on Capitol Hill. After the completion of her internship this August, ASME WISE intern Rebecca Ciez described the WISE program as a great experience to enhance an engineering education. The program draws on the diverse backgrounds of other students and mentors from a variety of fields, helping to enrich the policy research process, continued Ciez, an ASME student member. Having the opportunity to come to Washington and meet with elected officials and public servants working on science and technology issues gave me the unique skill set necessary for interacting with the policy space. Another 2014 ASME WISE intern, ASME student member James Gwinn, agreed. The WISE internship is a fantastic experience, he said. It is basically a nine-week-long, behind-the-scenes tour of our nations capital. The WISE program provided me with a unique perspective on the important role engineers play in the legislative process. ASME stude nt members Rebecca Ciez (left) and James Gwinn served as ASMEs 2014 Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) interns for nine weeks this summer. To learn more about the 2014 ASME WISE interns and their papers, visit http//ppec.asme.org. In addition to third- and fourth-year engineering students, recent graduates who are beginning an engineering policy-related masters program will also be considered for the program. WISE interns will be provided housing in a dormitory on the campus of George Washington University, and receive a stipend to assist with living and travel expenses. Applicants for the WISE internship must be a citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States. For more information, or to apply, visit the ASME WISE program website at www.asme.org/about-asme/advocacy-government-relations/washington-internships-for-students-of-engineering. The 2015 WISE program is also seeking a Faculty Member-in-Residence, an individual who would be capable of teaching and mentoring engineering students on the interaction between engineering, technology and public policy. To learn more about the Faculty Member-in-Residences responsibilities, visit www.wise-intern.org/documents/PromotionalText_FMR_final2015.pdf. For more information on the WISE program, including the Faculty Member-in-Residence position, contact Melissa Carl, manager, ASME Government Relations, (202) 785-7380 or carlmasme.org. Melissa Carl, Government Relations

Getting Your Resume Into the Right Hands

Getting Your Resume Into the Right HandsGetting Your Resume Into the Right HandsCombine new-age research with old-fashioned correspondence to increase your chances for success in the job search.The job search is an ever-changing landscape that seems to get mora crowded and more complex by the day.It often seems that when you submit your resume online, it just goes into what experts call the recruiting black hole and is never heard from again.That could be because its been relegated to the bottom of a resume pile that is over 1,000 pages deep. More likely, its some kind of a digital version of that, one where resumes that are customized to trick a computer are assigned a higher priority while your resume sinks to the bottom of the list.There are ways to even the odds in the digital job search by strategically using the right keywords and following a couple dozen other rules on how to send a resume by e-mail, but once you click send theres got to be something you can do other than ju st pray that it gets to an actual human being.Abby Kohut, a job search counselor and founder of Absolutely Abby, says there are still some moves you could make to ensure that your resume reaches a person.If you go with the black hole, theres no guarantee the recruiter will see it, said Kohut, a former human resources recruiter of 16 years. You just never know if someone is going to find you that way.Her strategy combines new-age research with old-fashioned correspondence.Its important to get your resume to the hiring manager, she said. Find them on LinkedIn and send them your resume in the mail.Thats not to say a job seeker should simply bypass the companys entire candidate tracking system. These more traditional tactics should be used in conjunction with the digital ones with one track going to the hiring manager and the other digital track going to the recruiter, if not the dreaded black hole.To locate the hiring manager, Kohut recommends starting with an advanced search on Linked In seeking the name of the company, the particular department that interests you and the zip code for the position you want. There probably wont be anyone who comes up with the title Hiring Manager, but anyone with a Director or Vice President title is probably your target.If you get to somebody near the hiring manager, that might be good enough, Kohut said. People dont like to destroy mail, they like to pass it on to the right person.While e-mail is easily forwarded or deleted, a hard copy is much more likely to be read, especially if the envelope is handwritten and marked personal and confidential, she said.Its very effective, she said. Someone will actually see it.This old-school method of job searching is something of a lost art nowadays, but thats what could make a candidate stand out.Making a call is good too - any of the old techniques. Even faxes are good, she said. Nobody does them anymore.

Recipe for Applying for Federal Jobs Fast

Recipe for Applying for Federal Jobs FastRecipe for Applying for Federal Jobs FastRecipe for Applying for Federal Jobs FastLet me show you how I applied for 4 federal jobs in 90 minutes yesterday with 3 internetbrowsers and 4 resume versions ready to go.What you will need1. Several resume versions in your USAJOBS Resume builder Account. Each resume should be named for the occupational series the resume represents, i.e., Contract Specialist, Teacher, Background Investigator, Program Analyst, Park Ranger.2. Several vacancy announcements matching your qualifications.3. Three browser windows opened simultaneously with the following webpages USAJOBS announcement page USAJOBS resume builder page Questionnaire page for that particular announcement (open in Firefox)4. Any necessary documents (such as transcripts) in PDF format to upload. Or have ready to telefax if needed with official fax cover sheet.DirectionsStep 1 Review Vacancy Announcements (Browser 1 / USAJOBS)After you have found som e possible job announcements, analyze each announcement. Read the grade level location job title determine if this is right for you. Go to the Qualifications tab and read Specialized Experience. If this sounds right for you. then to go next step. Look at the duties and specialized experience and make a list of at least 5-10 keywords to add into one of your resume versions.For this particular job search, I analyzed a number of announcements and narrowed them down to these fourTeacher, USDA, Forest Service, Job Corps, GS 9, Permanent, Full-time, Avuecentral.com, selected 3 states Training Coordinator, USDA, Forest Service, Job Corps, GS 7, 6 month seasonal, Avuecentral.com, selected 3 statesBackground Investigator, OPM, GS 7, full-time permanent, USAJOBS and applicationmanager.gov, selected 2 statesContract Specialist, HHS, Program Service Center, Rockville, MD, USAJOBS and Quickhire questionnaireStep 2 Get Your Resumes Ready (Browser 2 /Your USAJOBS Resume Builder page)Keep this page up on a separate browser ALL the time.Select a resume for each announcement. Edit the resumes by adding keywords from the announcements, review them to make sure that all information is up to date, and RENAME the resumes so that each reflects the position.If you dont have a resume for a particular announcement, DUPLICATE one of the others, and follow the steps above.Step 3 Hit Apply Now (Browser 1 / USAJOBS Announcement)Now that your resume is ready, you can go back to the vacancy announcement and hit the APPLY NOW button. You will see a BRIDGE page that will TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE. On this bridge page, you will probably be asked to select a resume from your USAJOBS Resume Builder page. Select the newly named resume and the application will take you to a new page.Step 4 Answer the Questionnaire (Browser 3 / Questionnaire)NOTE about the third browser When you go to the questionnaire page, you will move away from your original USAJOBS announcement. Open a new browser with the announceme nt in USAJOBS again, so you dont forget what you are applying for. When you read the questions, you might wonder about the context of the question. You can go back to the annoucnement and read the Duties or Qualifications or Mission again to try to understand the questions.The questionnaire page could be applicationmanager.gov, avuecentral.com, quickhire.com, or monster.com. The government agencies uses a variety of questionnaires for their assessment questions. Start the questionnaire usually with the tabs on the left. Answer the questions. Most of the questions do NOT require essays now, so they are easier than before. Read them carefully. They could have trick questions. I answered 87 questions yesterday for Background Investigator and right in the middle there were two questions about being a fireman and ambulance driver working in emergency planning work. Good thing I welches awake and reading carefully. The questions were easy.Avuecentral.com I wanted to use my USAJOBS resum e instead of completing the entire avuecentral builder. But the builder insisted that I complete the Avuecentral builder. I had to put at least two relevant Work History experiences in the builder and at least one education section, so I did that. Then I uploaded the USAJOBS resume for the entire application. I also uploaded the transcript which was over at USAJOBS. I took it out of my USAJOBS account and put it into the avuecentral account.SummaryI applied to four applications in 90 minutes. All of them had questionnaires with no essays or KSAs. I was prepared, however. I had 4 resumes in the USAJOBS builder, each named carefully, and transcript was already in USAJOBS. I found four good announcements that were GS 7/9. I really found five, but one of the announcements turned out to require a qualification that my client didnt have a Masters degree or other post graduate degree. I didnt see it until I was in screen 2 in a questionnaire. But I had only wasted 10 minutes restructurin g the resume with 5 keywords and renaming it.The reason this was fast was because I was organized with my browsers. I had the USAJOBS Resume Builder page up and ready for analysis, adding keywords and renaming. I knew I was going to some kind of questionnaire system, so I was prepared with the right resume version. When I was turned over to the questionnaire page, I went back to a NEW browser and opened up the USAJOBS announcement again (you cant go BACK from the questionnaire, and you might need to refer to the announcement again). So, those are my three browsers that helped me stay efficient and focused with my applications.Well see what happens with the applications this week. The next step will be to go back to USAJOBS, applicationmanager.gov, and avuecentral.com in one week (next Monday) and see if they have scored any of the applications and if there are any notices in the application tracking page. That will be interesting.Good luck with your speedy federal job applications with three browsers.HOT TIPSBe sure to check off Temp, Term, Permanent, Seasonal whatever types of positions you can accept. Temp and Term positions could be changed into a permanent one after hire.Cover letter You can add a cover letter by browsing and uploading or adding into ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.Review your resumes frequently to update them.

The Dos and Donts of Elaborating on Your Resume

The Dos and Donts of Elaborating on Your Resume The Dos and Donts of Elaborating on Your Resume Remember the Friends episode where Phoebe discovers Joeys resume is riddled with skills like tap dancing, archery and horseback riding, none of which he actually knows how to do? Joeys reasoning for including the faux skills? He could technically do those things if he tried, just bedrngnis well.Like Joey, many job seekers elaborate parts of their resumes to make them seem like a better match for the stelle. In some ways, exaggerating your resume is a big no-no. However, there are certain aspects of your professional history that can and should be exaggerated a bit. Weve laid out clearly the dos and donts of exaggerating on your resume to help guide you through the writing process.Do ElaboratePerspectiveBe straightforward about your professional history, but use a perspective that makes them as positive as possible. For example, if you fell short of a goal but still showed impressive gain, a statement like, Increased sales by 20% reflects much better than Reached 20% of my 50% sales goal. Never lie about your history, just figure out how to show it in the best light. WordingApplicant tracking systems have made the importance of specific wording a major part of resume writing. Now, hiring managers will search resumes based on the job title. For example, if you are applying for a job with the title Social Media Coordinator and your previous job title was Social Media Expert, it is acceptable (and advised) to use the title Social Media Coordinator for that position on your resume, as long as the job requirements for each match. If you feel more comfortable, you can put your exact previous title in parentheses beside the new one.Specific SkillsThe number one sign of an ATS optimized resume is the use of relevant skills. Skills/keywords are the words that are used repeatedly in a job posting. These keywords might be specific programs like Photoshop or Adobe Dreamweaver, or skills like Spanish fluency. You should always pick out the keywords from each job posting and weave them into your resumeas long as they are truthful.Dont ElaborateDatesDates of employment can accentuate gaps in work history, but that isnt a reason to lie by extending them beyond your actual time of employment. Having periods of unemployment is hugely common and frequently seen by hiring managers, so you shouldnt feel like you need to hide them. Include correct dates (which help the ATS sort your work history properly) and answer honestly any questions about the gaps in later interviews. Nonexistent SkillsSorry Joey Claiming you have skills that you dont will only get you into trouble later. Even if you land the job based on false skills, youll end up falling short of expectations early on. If none of the skills/keywords in the job posting apply to you, it might be a sign that the job isnt the right fit for you. Move on to job postings with keywords that you can honestly mirror in your resume.Education and CertificationsUnfortunately, theres no wiggle room when it comes to education. For example, if a job position requires a bachelors degree and you have an associates degree, exaggerating is not an option. You can still apply if you think youre a great match, but be honest about your level of education and let the hiring manager decide how much it matters. The same goes for certifications be straightforward to avoid later issues. Bending your work history to fit a job is not necessarily a bad tactic, as long as you know which pieces are tweak-able and which shouldnt be messed with. Keep it honest and positive and your resume will end up landing you the perfect job.

Find Out Whos Concerned About Resume for Recent College Graduate and Why You Should be Listening to Them

Find Out Whos Concerned About Resume for Recent College Graduate and Why You Should be Listening to Them The Truth About Resume for Recent College Graduate If youre still a fresh graduate, dont be scared to go out there and compete with individuals who have professional experiences. Do not be worried if you dont have any legal experience yet. Afterwards, you might get into your professional experience. Since youll discover, even in the event that you dont have any prior professional experiences, you may still draw on your school experiences. Resume for Recent College Graduate Although education and degree of expertise matters to find great jobs with higher status and to a point, its also a requirement for entry-level jobs. Pursuing work in a hospital isnt whatsoever difficult, however you should have appropriate credentials, in-depth wisdom and certification to successfully complete an application to acquire employment in a healthcare facility. Or maybe you had an excellen t internship experience. Whether youre paid or not, practicum experiences can offer information which you have already worked in a professional environment for a trainee. You might also have an entry-level job in college that directly relates to what you would like to do, which is particularly beneficial. College graduates have to be organized to apply to ten jobs at a moment. Fresh out of graduates are welcomed in the work market, but youve got to ensure you fit in perfectly for every job which you apply. Just because youve got the most suitable level, however, doesnt guarantee you will find the job that you want. Lets walk through three unique resumes for different kinds of post-college jobs. The Debate Over Resume for Recent College Graduate There are several reasons why employers like to employ young folks. Keep in mind that in the event that you know that you could do the job, theres absolutely no reason to never attempt to apply. Even in case you have zero experience under your belt, there are those around wholl be happy to employ you. You know you would like to add the work experience youve accumulated during the last year or so, but nevertheless, it can be hard to know what things to do away with on your old resume or CV in order to generate room for new material. Capitalize on your skills, since it will compensate for your lack of skilled experience. Write down what skills you used, and the way they may relate to the job that you desire. One, youre looking for a person who is analytical and I have strong analytical skills. A crystal clear meinung about how youll utilize your strongest relevant abilities and professional experiences to satisfy the specific role youre applying for 3. If thats the case, make certain your descriptions reflect that information. You need to always have three or more references out there. All information provided needs to be considered fictional. Contact Information The very first section of your resume sho uld incorporate information on the way the employer can contact you. Details of Resume for Recent College Graduate For the reason, you wish to study the work ad and ensure the absolute most relevant information is crystal clear and simple to find on your resume. Nearly all new graduates departure complaining that their resumes fail to produce the perfect impression and cant help them to have a work interview call. Now imagine if this SAME resume had had a summary statement on top clearly outlining why youre an ideal candidate. No new college grad ought to go into an interview without a potential answer ready. Anything that taught you more concerning the field you are interested in being in, include it. Writing a winning college student career objective is a fairly effortless approach to bolster your application for this internship or job youve got in sight. If youre a high schooler that has been accepted to a college already, you may also state your colleges name and the dat e you will start attending. The ideal place to explain why you wish to visit grad school is in your private statement. Keeping a good LinkedIn profile also creates a strong impression. You may have to adjust the description based on the business or job. Of course if youre asking for a particular job, its simple enough to amend a resume to incorporate an objective that matches the work description. Unfortunately, a job search may be frustrating and discouraging approach. Employers recognize that numerous students work service-type jobs to earn money through college. You could offer potential future employers a notion of how you are going to do the job for them. Actually, as there are several candidates that apply to every job, many employers frequently wont post every career opportunity as they receive an overwhelming reaction. When you submit an application for work, potential employers will take a look at your resume first. Put the Education section of your resume on to p of your resume so that its the very first thing the employer sees. For instance, if a resume template doesnt include a list of skills, but you desire to include one, you ought to do so. Our resume builder makes it simple to create a well-written resume in a few minutes. In just a few minutes, it will ensure that you have a well-written, attractive resume ready to go.

2 Ways to Market Your Candidates Better - Spark Hire

2 Ways to Market Your Candidates Better - Spark HireAs recruiters, we are always looking for ways to better market our candidates in order to make a successful placement with our client.There are two important things you can do that will help you sell your skilled candidates.1. Create a Candidate PresentationWhen you submit a candidate to your client, hopefully you are doing more than just forwarding a resume.The candidate presentation is key in recruiting. If you do not give your client a reason to want to speak with or even look at a candidate, then you will be a far cry from that placement you need.Creating a professional portfolio containing details about the candidates experience, in addition to your professional evaluation of a candidate can be a great attention grabber for a hiring manager. When you send over more information about the candidate such as cultural fit, hobbies, reason for interest in the job and company, as well as your reason for submitting the candidate, you a re clearly giving the hiring manager a reason to look into your candidate.Recruiting is sales and like with any sales job, you must point out the why to your customers. Why should your hiring manager be interested in your candidate? What does your candidate have that your hiring manager needs?As a recruiter, it is important to know what your clients hot buttons are. You should be thinking of these hot buttons as you are interviewing and submitting each candidate. When you have this information, you are able to hit the right buttons in your presentation which will leave your client wanting to know more.2. Use VideoAnother important way to market your candidates better is by using video. Your first thought may be of video interviews, but you should also think of encouraging your candidates to create a video resume. While video interviews are an excellent way to market your candidate to a hiring manager, a video resume can do wonders for your anfangsbuchstabe marketing of the candidate .Having a video resume of a candidate to include in your presentation to your client can really help your candidate stand out. A video resume will allow the hiring manager to quickly see the candidates personality and energy. This can create more of a personal feeling to the candidate presentation which could be lacking with a standard print resume.As always, coach your candidate on the best way to create a video resume, just as you would regard any changes made to a print resume. Your candidate will appreciate the help and your client will appreciate the added addition of video to your presentation.How do you better market your candidates? Please share your tips in the comments below.Image Jakub Jirsak/BigStock.com