Career Development Category Archives - General Assembly Blog | Page 3

Most people have worked in a restaurant at some point in their careers—food service dominates popular first jobs like dishwasher, waitress, host, barista, and pizza delivery. Some stay longer to make culinary careers as chefs or managers.

Working in food service can be rewarding but also grueling, as seen in shows like FX’s ‘The Bear’. Whether you’ve just stopped over in food service or have been there a long time, you might be ready for a change. Rude customers, long hours, and high pressure leave many feeling depleted and wondering how to get out of the restaurant industry.

More than 6% of restaurant and hospitality workers quit each month in 2022—that’s the highest departure rate of any industry according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  While low wages and tips are the biggest reason workers cite in leaving, more than half also say that no amount of money would entice them back. Let’s take a look at one cook’s story, why departure rates are so high, and where workers are going instead.

It is a common misconception that investing in a career change is an expensive choice. As a result, many people may be afraid to make the move even when they have a burning desire to transition into a more fulfilling career.

Career change for Singaporeans could be a daunting prospect, especially for those wishing to enter the ever-changing and competitive tech space. However, once you decide to take that step, you’ll find that it’s completely possible.

In its movement towards becoming a smart nation, Singapore is seeing a huge increase in demand for tech talent in areas like cybersecurity, data science and software development. It is reported that there has been a 30.5% job ad increase in the computer and IT fields in Singapore and that 50% of workers will need reskilling by 2050. As such, General Assembly strives to offer financial support for our Singaporean students through subsidies under Infocomm Media Development Authority’s TIPP.

So, if your goal is to seek new career opportunities, transition into a tech role or secure a position at a tech company in Singapore, then you have come to the right place.

Read on to learn more about the subsidy so you can kickstart your career change today.

“Recession” is a word you don’t want to hear, especially when it’s followed by “coming soon.”

Unfortunately, if you’ve been anywhere near the internet lately, you’ve likely seen a lot of talk about record-high inflation rates and rampant lay-offs — both signs of a recession on the horizon.

This can feel scary. After all, no one is immune from the hard times an economic downturn brings. At the peak of a recession, companies tend to explore ways to cut expenses. This can involve reduced hiring, paused staff promotions, departmental budget cuts, and layoffs.

But here’s what you need to remember: you have more control than you think. You can take matters into your own hands to set yourself up for success by developing and diversifying your skills.

In this article, we’re going to walk you through three steps to recession-proof your skills and career so you can seize your future.

Are you bored at your current job? You’re not putting in much effort, just doing what needs to be done to get through the day and shutting down when your shift is up. Without realizing it, you might be quiet quitting.

Purpose tied with meaning is what stimulates action. Whether in personal or professional goals, job titles, and careers. We are usually more prone to putting our best foot forward at a job when it carries weight. But if you’re mentally checking out, maybe it’s time to reconsider your career options.. 

If you’re working in the shadows and just getting it done, a pay rise or new title might not be on the horizon. Is a promotion in your current line of work what you really want? It’s not just you, according to Gallup, 85% of employees could be quiet quitting worldwide. 

Employee engagement has a big part to play in this phenomenon, with 67% of employees quiet quitting in the US. And, in Australia and Singapore, 19% and 14% of their workforce are not engaged. 

Technology will likely transform more than one billion jobs in the next decade, which translates to roughly one third of all jobs, globally. That means that even if you don’t work in a technical role, it’s very likely you’ll need to be increasingly tech-savvy as your career progresses. If you’re ambitious and hoping to climb the ladder quickly, you can proactively pick up new technical skills that could help you advance in your current career and stand out from your peers. 

The first 90 days are crucial for anyone starting a new job, but the stakes feel higher for a career changer who is eager to get off to a strong start in a new field. You’ve worked hard to get here and you’re excited to jump right in, no doubt—yet, before you can reach the satisfying peak, you have to claw your way up through a landslide of information, sort through intricate workplace dynamics, and discover the new “you.” 

Why are the first “90” days so important? Well, according to Jobvite’s annual survey, 1 in 3 workers quit within the first 90 days of accepting a job offer. Most often, company leadership, culture, or duties differ from employee expectations. Perhaps there’s a change in the role’s responsibilities or flexibility. Sometimes better pay is offered elsewhere or a negative incident leads new employees to promptly quit. 

In a perfect world, every company would invest heavily in a well-planned onboarding program that gives new tech employees all they need to thrive. The reality is that, oftentimes, you’re on your own—sink or swim!

The first tech job you land out of boot camp may not be your forever home, but you can at least gain a strong foothold—picking up valuable skills, experience, and references by using a goals worksheet as your North star. The following action items can help you become acclimated to the waters of your new position with a refreshing sense of purpose and direction. 

After all the resume-writing, job searching, and interviewing, you’re finally about to embark on your new career. Yet, instead of feeling excited, you’re feeling stressed out. Don’t worry, once you understand the unspoken rules of the workplace, you’ll not only be prepared to survive your first week as a career changer, but thrive in your new job.

It’s as easy as one, two, three C’s–Competence, Compatibility, and Commitment. Keep scrolling and learn how to master them for week one success.

So you graduated from a bootcamp, gained new technical skills from finishing a course, or taught yourself what you need to successfully change careers. Now comes your exciting next step: acing an interview and landing your first job in tech. 

On average, each corporate job attracts 250 resumes, of which only four to six will get called for an interview. Of course, only one will get the job. How well you stand out will rely heavily on the stories you tell. As someone who is changing careers, you likely have a particularly unique or interesting story, and potential employers will inevitably ask about it in the interview. It’s important that your story persuades them to hire you. 

Whether you’re interviewing for a new job, seeking a promotion, or trying to land your next big role, knowing how to promote your expertise and value is crucial to unlocking new opportunities. Having the ability to showcase your digital footprint not only builds your brand but it supports you in your job search.

Approximately 250 applications are sent for a corporate job opening position on average. Platforms like CareerBuilder, having over 80 million active job applicants, and Indeed with 225 million resumes, makes it more difficult to stand out from a sea of job seekers all vying for the same end goal. With the competition becoming louder than ever, being equipped with the creative toolkit to market yourself and bypass the noise is crucial to landing your dream job.

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for marketing yourself. Every job market is different, and so are the ways you can help yourself stand out from the crowd. You don’t need to be a marketing guru or have a huge budget to promote yourself. You just need to know how.

Here are 4 easy steps:

So, you’ve been Googling immersive programs late at night and you’ve stared into the smiling faces of alumni on bootcamp websites, wondering if you see your future self. You’ve cycled through the stages of online bootcamp shopping:

📱 Searching for hot jobs in tech
👩 LinkedIn stalking people with those jobs
🧑‍🎓 Googling courses and bootcamp programs that teach those skills
😮 Reading about time commitments and cost
📵 Closing your tab in a panic 
🤷‍♀️ Starting over the next day

Reading about immersive programs can be intimidating. Is it really full-time? Do I need to quit my job? Can I keep up with the coursework? How will my life change? 

• You’re interested in working in tech but don’t have the technical skills you need to get started
• You want a tangible certificate to add to your resume to help you go after that promotion or new job
• You’re a lifelong learner and want to level up your skills to use in your current job or small business

Let’s start with the reasons you may have been looking at immersive programs to start with: