But how do you know that it’s REALLY time to take such measures? We want you to be sure, so here are some top signs that a career change is what you need.

Do you identify with any of these statements?

• Only working for the weekend – And not only that, your Mondays ruin your Sundays. You spend the entire weekend dreading going back to work and stressing out about it.
• Boredom – You’re not excited by your job and your industry and you have no desire to be involved; you’re just there because you have to be.
• Misery loves company – You gravitate toward the more disgruntled employees of your company, so you can whine and complain about your job together.
• Who cares? – You want to write the lyrics to your favorite song in the “Goals” section of your annual review. You cancel or let your subscriptions to industry publications expire. You have no desire to speak at a high school career day you’re invited to attend.
• Any excuse for a day off – You find any reason to call in sick, make up excuses to blow off opportunities, bow out of chances to take the lead on new projects.

If you feel this way about your job, our recruiters at ITAC can help. We are passionate and excited about our own jobs that allow us to help you find the right one. If you think it’s time for a career change, start by checking out our current openings or contacting us.

People think job seekers have all the pressure when it comes to job interviews, but hiring managers also feel the pressure.

It can be a daunting task to wade through so many candidates. You think you’ve finally found the right one, but then you still have to get through the interview and the dreaded salary negotiations. 

Hopefully, these three salary negotiation tips will help you handle the situation in the best way possible:

1. Know what you can offer – Whether you have an HR professional in your midst or hiring falls squarely on your shoulders, have an idea of what pay is fair, based on the job requirements and availability of candidates who can do the job.  You should also consider what others in your company make who have similar jobs. People talk and you can’t forbid them from talking money with one another.
2. Research – Candidates usually expect a higher salary than their last and occasionally “modestly inflate” that last salary amount. Do you know if their salary makes sense based on their most recent job? Is the salary for their most recent job commensurate with the job you have for them? Was it high because they were a long-term employee?
3. Get Creative – Just because your “fixed pay” range may not be flexible, that doesn’t mean you can’t consider signing bonuses, guaranteed commission or incentive plans, or other “variable pay” options to try to lock in the best candidate. Find out what else is important (i.e., paid time off, modified work schedules, etc…) and see what you can come up with to make a richer offer.

In the end, salary negotiation is a two-way street that can be a little bumpy for both parties. With the right preparation, honesty and desire to get the right person, hiring managers can make salary negotiations a little easier for everyone involved.

If you’re in a position where you can start negotiating your salary for a job offer, there is definitely some advice we want to share with you.

We know you really want the job AND you want to feel like you’re being paid well. This can result in awkward situations.

Negotiating your compensation package can be a tricky task to tackle, but if you do it the right way with confidence the rewards can be worth it.

Here are our top 4 tips to remember if salary negotiations are in your future.

1. Look like a million bucks – You might not be able to negotiate your way up to a salary of a million bucks, but you do need to look the part. Buy a new suit or professional outfit. Ladies, get a manicure and apply your make-up tastefully. Guys, trim your beard and comb your hair! Your employer will notice how great you look and you’ll feel more confident.
2. Practice patience – You probably don’t want to bring up salary or start negotiating until after the job has definitely been offered to you. Be vague on your salary goals initially, and wait until you hear what the starting salary is.  But if the employer asks for your current or most recent pay, don’t skirt the question. Be direct and honest and know this may be the perfect time to address your salary goals.
3. Inform yourself – Research the fair market value of the position you’re hoping to get. Find out what other companies are paying for this job  and how many other people might be competing for it. The concept of supply & demand plays a heavy role in negotiating your pay. You may not want to bring those specific numbers up, but it will help you know where things stand.
4. Sell yourself – Prepare some talking points about your  professional accomplishments, skills and experience. What features should you highlight that are most impressive? Find your selling point and use it.  Remember, what you offer “The Business” has to carry enough value to justify your salary expectations.

If you don’t at least try to negotiate your salary, you’ll never know what might have been!

By Charles Baughman, CAO, ITAC Solutions

All of you have a personal brand, whether you’ve carefully cultivated it, or it’s just happened to you. If you don’t believe that, Google your name and see what comes up.

For you jobseekers, finding the right employer is really all about the mesh of brands:  the company brand, and the individual’s brand, and what each get from the other.

This process of developing a personal brand is all about being intentional. You can either say, “My brand just happened” or “I took control.”

If you take control, you create an outward expression of who you are that people will understand because you were in charge.  And believe me, it shows when you are firmly in charge of your brand!

Employers have tons of resumes come across their desks.  What they really want to figure out is who the person is, and how they might fit into their organization.

Here’s a good example.  If you have five people with the same work experience, a typical employer will want to figure out who will mesh well and motivate the existing team. In other words, someone who will not just fit their needs but possibly push them to the next level.

Having a strong, intentionally created personal brand provides an employer with answers to those questions!

Speaking on behalf of the companies that hire us to find the right employees, we at ITAC also gravitate toward individuals who are involved in their community. I feel that this involvement demonstrates a passion for being connected to others and for helping others. That type of dedication catches our ear and grabs our attention.

It’s all about being true to yourself, as cheesy as that may sound. Heaven forbid you conjure an image of yourself that’s larger than you really are, only to find you can’t maintain and sustain it! You don’t want to be four weeks into a job and realize it’s not right for you.

Making sure you get the right fit is the ultimate goal of personal branding.  And you can’t fake a false brand for long.

Email me at cbaughman@itacsolutions.com if you’d like more direction or advice on creating a personal brand that will differentiate you. Or, feel free to reach out to one of our recruiters, who are experts at this sort of thing as well.

We now have about 7,300-square-feet of light, bright, usable and efficient space featuring exposed duct work and vents, task lighting, walls with bold stripes, frosted glass walls, barn doors to separate spaces and lots of color, especially orange, blue, green and gray.

Enjoy these pictures of our new space!

Our bright reception area greets you when you walk in the door.

Coffee nook for guests is also in the front lobby.

Lots of good ideas will be coming out of this brainstorming corner!

One of our meeting rooms. Notice the ITAC logo on the back of the chair!

The conference room has more bright orange, funky lights and modern chairs.

Bringing in more color with green kitchen chairs.

Our recruiters were in separate spaces at our old office, but now they all work together in one big, open, bright space.

If you’ve ever heard that the holiday season is a great time to put your job search into high gear and attend as many events as possible, it’s very true. We have some great opportunities we want to share with you.

We’ll be looking for qualified candidates with various skills sets in all industries. Please stop by with a copy of your resume and a recruiter will be glad to meet with you to discuss your job search.

Some qualifications we hope to see include:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Candidates must be able to pass a drug and background check upon employment

1. Do your research – Learn as much as you can about the company’s history, services, customers, products, competition and culture as you can. This will help you understand and address issues that may be brought up during the interview.
2. Dress for success – Even if it’s a casual company, dress in a professional manner. Make sure you feel confident in what you’re wearing and that you’re pressed and wrinkle free.
3. Take everything you need – It’s better to have too much than too little, so be prepared with copies of your resume, cover letter, references, work samples and paper to take notes on.
4. Don’t be late – This sounds obvious, but take plenty of measures to make sure you’re punctual by factoring in extra time for traffic and finding the location if you’re not familiar with it. If you’re early, go on in 10-15 minutes early to give yourself a few minutes to compose yourself.
5. Be enthusiastic – A firm handshake, confident smile, strong voice and eye contact can go a long way in the impression you give.
6. Listen – Don’t get so caught up in being nervous and trying to make a good impression that it’s all you think about. Pay attention to what you’re interviewee is saying.
7. Answer what you’re asked – This goes hand-in-hand with listening. Make sure you understand the question you’re being asked. If you don’t, ask for clarification so you can give an appropriate answer.
8. Give examples – Back up what you say with specific examples and stories that demonstrate your statements to be true. Think about what makes you successful and unique in advance to come up with these stories and how they make you a good fit for the job.
9. Ask questions – Nothing can show that you’re interested in a job more than asking questions about the position and the company.  Your pre-interview research can help you build a list of potential questions so you aren’t caught off-guard when you’re asked for questions.
10. Follow up – Before your interview ends, be sure to get contact information from your interviewer(s). As soon as possible, drop a handwritten note in the mail expressing your interest in the job. While sending an email “thank you” has become more common, consider the potential appearance of being impersonal or not taking the time to write out a quick thank-you.

Check out our current job openings. Maybe we’ll see you soon for an interview!

• It’s not all about you — If you’re doing all the talking, you’re networking wrong. It should be about exchanging information that’s relevant to both parties, not just reciting the fascinating history of your life.
• Pay attention — Don’t just smile, nod your head and occasionally throw in a “mmm-hmm” while you discreetly (or not so discreetly) look for someone better to talk to. Listen, pay attention, ask questions and contribute to the conversation.
• Controversial – Giving your opinion about controversial issues to people you don’t really know but who could hold the future of your career in their hands could ruin any chance you might have.
• Take a card – Just passing out your business card is NOT networking.
• Little white lie – Don’t make up a connection or tell someone that “so and so told me I should introduce myself” if it isn’t true and you’re just trying to make approaching someone a little easier. Those types of fibs can come back to haunt you.
• Bad mood – Even if your job hunt is frustrating or you’re unhappy at your current job, you shouldn’t let others know that. No one will want to talk to you if you’re in a bad mood, and they’re definitely not going to want to hire you.

For more information about why you might want to work with ITAC, click here.

View of our new office from the outside patio at Vestavia Hills City Center

By Brian Pitts, Owner and Managing Partner

It’s been a great year so far for ITAC Solutions, and it’s not even over yet. In fact, the real fun is just beginning since we’re moving into our new corporate offices in the Vestavia Hills City Center tomorrow, which we are very thankful for. We know our growth is attributable directly to our clients.

We are thankful for the trust so many qualified job seekers placed in ITAC this year to help them with their career decisions, and we’ve been fortunate to work with many clients who continue to choose ITAC year after year for their hiring needs.

And we couldn’t do what we do without all of our employees who display a helping heart every day with our client companies and client candidates. The entire ITAC team is excited to be moving and looking forward to being more centrally located and accessible to all of our clients. We’re looking forward to inviting them over to see the new office once we get settled in.

Happy Thanksgiving!

• Tailor your message – The cover letter gives you an opportunity to address the specific employer and position you’re applying for.
• Connect the dots – Address specific job requirements and relate those to your unique qualifications. Don’t make the potential employer have to take time figuring all that out for you.
• Establish a relationship – Let the potential employer know why you want to work for them and why you’re applying for this job.
• Bridge the gap – If you’re transitioning to a completely different career, the cover letter is an excellent tool you can use to explain how your already held experience and skills will be relevant and useful in the new career you’re seeking.
• Be succinct – You’ve heard it a thousand times, and it’s true. No one has time to read your novel of a cover letter, so keep it short and concise.
• Close with an action – Don’t be vague about what will happen next. Rather than taking the “I look forward to hearing from you” approach, try something very specific like, “I’ll give you a call on Friday to discuss.” Just be sure you actually follow-up on your statement.

Cover letters aren’t for every situation or every person. There are many employers who don’t take the time to read a cover letter unless there’s something about your resumethat just doesn’t add up or they become very interested in you as a candidate. Regardless, the proper use of a cover letter for specific opportunities can both differentiate and elevate your “candidacy” in the eyes of potential employers.

Check out our job openings page to see if we have any positions you might need to start working on your resume and cover letter for!