With New Year’s celebrations come and gone, it’s time to get back into the business of looking for new work. It may be that you’ve been out of work a bit, or that you just need a change of scenery. It looks like 2015 might just be your year in getting the ideal job. Various surveys are indicating that employers are looking to hire in the next 12 months. While you look to brush up your resume and speak with a recruiting agency, here are some of the new trends to be on the lookout for in the near future.
Expect to earn more
A combination of different factors is expected to improve how much you’re likely to earn when you get a new job. Many states and cities passed minimum wage hikes in the 2014 elections, and businesses are taking the hint that it may be time to raise the salaries a bit. Research reported by Business News Daily suggested that 45 percent of employees are planning to raise their wage floors in 2015. With this in mind, you may have some leverage in getting a better salary than before.
“With wages being increased, it may possible for you to ask for more in salary.”
Harder education requirements
At the same time, you shouldn’t rest on your experience alone. Education has increasingly become a marker indicating skill and competency. That doesn’t just mean earning a bachelor’s degree in a specific field either. According to the same research, 28 percent of companies are now looking for people with graduate-level degrees for positions that previously required four-year diplomas, while 37 percent were now filling positions requesting those four years instead of just completing high school. That means that if you haven’t finished that degree, now would be a good time to do so.
Different variations of benefits
While many companies are looking to hire you with some variation of health care and paid time off, there are other new options surfacing, according to Time Magazine. For example, you may be able to work from home. This can be a useful benefit, since it allows you to have
a more flexible schedule, letting you do important errands during the day while staying tuned into the office. Another benefit that is popping up are wellness programs. Businesses are looking to make sure you stay well and get healthy so that you’re more productive.
The job search never ends
Even if you find another job, that doesn’t mean the search ends. You may find that the work is not quite the right fit for you. You wouldn’t be alone: Fortune reported that
86 percent of people currently employed are looking for work elsewhere. When the Great Recession hit, many people stayed put in their jobs, knowing that getting a new job was too risky. Now that things are settled and the economy has improved, it’s starting to look like it’s a good idea to look for work again. This will likely mean that getting a job will be even more competitive. But continue looking, and you may find the ideal fit before the year is up.
