Job hunting is a full-time job and it’s harder than most people think. But with a recent warning from the FBI, you will want to ensure the job posting you are applying to is real.

Often times when you submit information (resume, cover letter, contact information), you see an immediate response such as “ Thank you for applying” email. These interactions are legitimate and are helping to keep you engaged during the process. And most jobs out there are legit, but with the recent pandemic, experts have said there is a rise in scam and fraud that are marketing fake products and services. Even hacking people’s personal information and blackmailing for direct payments. It has been said that scammers will even pose as a real employer and eventually at the end of the hiring cycle, ask for personal information and payments, according to the FBI. This is caused a great threat to the hiring process and it will be important for you to look out for job scams as you continue your job search.

According to the FBI, here are some signs of a job scam:

• Interviews are not conducted in-person or through a secure video call.
• Potential employers contact victims through non-company email domains and teleconference applications.
• Potential employers require employees to purchase start-up equipment from the company.
• Potential employers require employees to pay upfront for background investigations or screenings.
• Potential employers request credit card information.
• Potential employers send an employment contract to physically sign asking for PII.
• Job postings appear on job boards, but not on the companies’ websites.
• Recruiters or managers do not have profiles on the job board, or the profiles do not seem to fit their roles.

Job hunting is tough and with the extra step of caution it will ensure you are doing it right. Use the tips above to help you avoid any scammers out there. Let’s be safe out there – happy job hunting!

Amerit Consulting, a national Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned staffing organization that advises and partners with Fortune 500 companies, announced the promotion of Lindsey Aherne to Manager of Account Management and HR Delivery.

Lindsey joined Amerit in February of 2019 with a primary focus in Human Resources (HR) and employee relations. Since then, she has increasingly added to her responsibilities, excelling in various management roles. With her extensive background and accomplishments in HR…..<< Read on

Job Hunting Tips Post COVID-19 era 

2020 created a lot of changes in our lives and especially the way we work and the process of job hunting. However, one thing is still the same, finding a job can seem quite overwhelming but it’s not impossible. With the new year, it comes a lot of possibilities. It is important when you start your job search to have a solid plan of action and consider the below tips to help you with the process.

Below are the top job-hunting tips for candidates looking for work post-pandemic.

• Strategically apply to positions, don’t just apply to every position you see. Do some research on the company and ensure that it would be a god fit for you. If it is, you will want to tailor your resume to the job description and call out the projects/tasks that are relevant to the position. Use keywords from the job description to stand out more.
• If you are applying to jobs and hope you will get a call back, you probably are out of luck. After you tailor your resume and apply, look up the TA/HR member from the company and connect with them. If you want to take it a step further, write them a message about the position you applied to and introduce yourself. This show them how interested you are in the position and helps your chances.
• Not getting calls or message backs from companies are okay. It happens, but don’t let it get to you. Job hunting is a full-time job. You will want to dedicate 40 hours to this to ensure you are getting somewhere.
• Ask for help! A lot of time, people don’t want to ask for help or work with a staffing company for help. But they can be your biggest asset. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! They have god connections with companies in your area and get your straight to the hiring manger.

If you are just starting your job search or even just looking for a career change, Amerit Consulting can help you. Contact us today to learn more.

Black History Month 2021: Honoring the Tuskegee Airman

February is Black History Month and is celebrated by honoring the achievements of African Americans throughout U.S. history. Black History Month began in 1915 by an American Historian, Carter Woodson who founded “Negro History Weeks” in 1926 which fostered the idea of Black History Month.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford issued the first African American History Month in the month of February. Since then, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. This year, we want to Honor the Tuskegee Airmen during Black History Month 2021. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps and flew more than 15,000 individuals in World War II.

Prior to this outstanding achievement, a Howard University student started a protest to allow African Americans in flight schools. This triggered the NAACP and others to put pressure on government leaders including President Franklin Roosevelt, which established the “Tuskegee Experiment.” On July 19, 1941, at Tuskegee University in Alabama, this program began. Altogether, 992 pilots graduated from the Tuskegee Air Field courses and flew 1,578 missions, destroyed 261 enemy aircrafts and won more than 850 medals. In 1948, President Harry Truman signed an Executive Order calling for the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces. This was portrayed as a major achievement to the civil-rights movement and became a crucial moment towards inspiring Americans to embrace desegregation.

African Americans have played important roles in the U.S. military. Military.com profiles some of the most notable African Americans and their achievements, milestones and overall success in the U.S. Military.

According to the Legion, the following are contributions from African Americans in our military:

• 15 million: Black military veterans nationwide
• 2: Percent of active-duty enlisted women in 2016 who were African American
• 1: Percent of active-duty enlisted men in 2016 who were African American
• 20,000+: Black Marine Corps recruits who received training at Montford Point camp in North Carolina during World War II
• 21: African Americans who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War

The Tuskegee Airmen represent the tenacity, perseverance and bravery any man or woman would be proud of. We honor their contributions to the United States of America and to furthering the progression of the civil rights movement.

As of January 1, 2021, numerous new employment laws will go into effect in California. We broke down important updates that employers should be aware of heading into the new year.

We sat down with our Manager of Account Management and HR Delivery, Lindsey Aherne, as she discusses new changes to employment laws that are happening in 2021 for employers to look out for:

• California Sexual Harassment Training – A state mandate which was rolled out in the Fall of 2020 makes it mandatory for all employees working in the State of California to complete sexual harassment training. The training needs to be completed within 100 hours of the assignment or 30 days. Other states which have also adopted a state harassment training law includes Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine and New York.
• Minimum Wage – While the Federal minimum wage remains at $7.25/hour, 25 states are raising their minimum wage in 2021. Those states include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. https://www.laborlawcenter.com/state-minimum-wage-rates/

Employers should be aware of these new laws and adjust accordingly such as updating handbooks and policies. Follow us through the year as we will update you on additional new laws that will take effect this year. Legislation is always changing and now with a COVID-era, it is likely more laws could come into effect as we continue on in 2021.

Lindsey Aherne, Manager, Account Management and HR Delivery

Lindsey specializes in developing Human Resource developments while streamlining the hiring process with industry-leading best practices. She has worked at Amerit Consulting for the past 3 years building lasting relationships with organizations in order to provide comprehensive HR solutions to fuel hiring success. Connect with her at Lindsey.Aherne@Ameritconsulting.com or on LinkedIn

Veterans moving into the civilian workforce can face quite a challenge and doing it during a pandemic makes it overwhelming at times. However, it is not impossible. With the new year right around the corner, it may be the perfect time to freshen up your skills and consider the below tips to help you.

5 Job Searching Tips for Veterans in 2021:

• Networking is still possible even if it is done remotely. Use your network, even if nobody is hiring. They might know people that are. Using your network will also allow you to have more eyes on the job market.
• Translate skills, as most of your military training can be transferred to civilian work. Some recruiters will have not have the experience to be able to translate it and you will want to make it easier on them to read your resume and be able to see you.
• Research the company and the position you are applying for. Make sure you do your homework and tailor your resume to the job description. They will be looking to see if you are able to handle those particular skills. You will want to make sure you stand out amongst the competition.
• We all have heard of the HR blackhole of resumes. This is very true. You can’t just apply to a position anymore and hope they call you. You will want to connect with the HR person on LinkedIn and maybe even write them a message. This will help further your cause and show the HR person that you are serious about this role.
• Looking for a job can be a full-time gig! Do not get discouraged if you are not getting calls back. You can connect with staffing companies as well, as they are able to navigate job hunting for you and are able to give you tips along the way!

If you are a Veteran looking for a job, contact Amerit today!

On January 1, 2021, there are a lot of new employment laws that will go into effect in California.

We sat down with our Manager of HR Operations & Compliance, Ashleigh Meza, as she discusses key employment laws changes that are happening in 2021.

Minimum Wage – More than 100 new laws taking effect on January 1, more than half of the changes are due to hourly minimum wages at the state and local level. Increases will be effective in 21 states and more than 30 localities with California cities in Burlingame, Half Moon Bay, Hayward, and San Carlos will be implementing a local minimum wage for the first time.

Leave of absence – As COVID continues to be our new normal, states will continuously expand employee leave benefits. New leave initiatives will begin in Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York. In California, employers can expect changes to both paid and unpaid leave programs available to employees. The biggest change will be to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) which will provide up to 12 workweeks of unpaid protected leave will apply to employers with five or more employees. In addition, reasons for leave under CFRA will expand as well.

Harassment Training – Employers in California, Connecticut, Nevada, and Washington should be ready for new and expanded training requirements including topics such as sexual harassment prevention, human trafficking awareness, safety, and child abuse and neglect reporting.

Here are the minimum wage changes for CA.

Diwali (technically “Deepawali”, which translated in English means ‘rows of lighted lamps’) is the festival of lights. It falls in October / November of Gregorian calendar, and for 2020, is being celebrated on Saturday, 14^th of November.

Diwali is celebrated by nearly all the faiths of India and has historical and religious significance based on events and articles of faith for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Encapsulated, the central theme of this festival is victory of ‘Light over Darkness’, ‘Knowledge over Ignorance’, and ‘Good over Evil’.

Significance of Diwali varies regionally within India, associated with a diversity of deities, traditions and symbolism. Most prominent one links to legends in Hindu epic “Ramayana”, where Diwali is the day on which Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Lord Hanuman arrived at their kingdom’s capital Ayodhya after a period of 14 years in exile, during which Lord Rama’s army of good defeated king Ravana’s army of evil.

Per another popular tradition, in Dwapara yuga (eon), Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu (one of the Holy Trinities of Hinduism), killed the demon Narakasura, evil king of Pragjyotishapura and released 16,000 female captives. Diwali was celebrated as a significance of triumph of good over evil after Krishna’s Victory. Day before Diwali is remembered as Naraka Chaturdasi, the day on which Narakasura was killed by Krishna.

Many Hindus also associate the festival with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity and wife of Lord Vishnu. A Vedic (ancient Indian religion) legend mentioned in several scriptures states that the night of Diwali is when Goddess Lakshmi chose and wed Lord Vishnu.

Along with Goddess Lakshmi, who is representative of Vaishnavism, Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva of Shaivism tradition, is remembered as one who symbolizes ethical beginnings and the remover of obstacles.

LORD RAMA & HIS WIFE SITA

GODDESS LAKSHMI         LORD GANESHA

Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas to commemorate the release of Guru Hargobind held captive by Mughal emperor, Jahangir, and the day he arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Guru Amar Das, third Guru of Sikhs, built an 84-step well and invited Sikhs to bathe in its sacred waters as a form of community bonding.

GOLDEN TEMPLE (SANCTUM SANCTORUM OF SIKHISM)

Per Jain tradition, Diwali is celebrated in observance of “Mahavira Nirvana Divas”, the physical death and final nirvana of Lord Mahavira. Diwali celebrated by Jains in many parts of India has similar practices to one by Hindus, such as lighting of lamps and offering of prayers to Lakshmi. Focus of Jain Diwali remains the dedication to Lord Mahavira.

LORD MAHAVIRA

Diwali is not a festival for most Buddhists, except for the Newar people of Nepal who revere various deities in Vajrayana Buddhism and celebrate Diwali by offering prayers to Lakshmi.

Diwali, in its full essence, is a series of festivities and confluence of a plethora of merry occasions. Across India, Diwali is celebrated for 5 days.

• Day #1: Dhanteras – worshipping of Lord Yama and purchasing of precious metals (gold & silver specifically), precious stones, ornaments, new clothes, kitchenware et al. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari is believed to have come out of the ocean with Ayurveda, science of medicine, for benefit of humanity.
• Day #2: Kali Chaudas / Narak Chaturdasi / Roop Chaturdashi / Narak Chaturdasi. Lord Krishna is known to have destroyed the demon Narakasur, freeing the world from fear.
• Day #3: major deal is this day; Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped along with Lord Ganesha. People light lamps & candles followed by fireworks.
• Day #4: Bestu Baras (New Year day) / Annakut / Govardhan Pooja / Vishwakarma Day. People worship their instruments, arms and machinery. Businesses remain closed on this day.
• Day #5: known as Bhai Dooj / Bhai Beej / Bhai Teeka / Tilak / Bhai Fota

LORD VISHWAKARMA

RANGOLI

In the lead-up to Diwali, people prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with lamps and vibrant color patterns known as rangolis. Donning their finest traditional apparel, masses illuminate interiors and exterior of their dwellings, perform prayers dedicated to multitudinous deities (mainly Goddess Lakshmi, who stands for prosperity and wealth,) light fireworks, partake in family feasts, distribute sweets and gifts.

In Hindi, lingua franca of India, proper greetings go as

दिवाली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं…phonetics would sound like “Diwali Kee Hardik Shubh-kaamnayein” (calm-nayein).

Literal translation would be “Heartfelt best wishes of Diwali”

Due to Covid-19 pandemic, Amerit India may not be able meet each other but we will be running the course of all of abovementioned, followed by spending time with family and prayers that current situation gets over soon and humanity comes out triumphant over the pandemic.

Wishing you all a very Happy & Prosperous Diwali!!!

Sajag Bhardwaj, Recruiting Manager/ Lead Engineering Recruiter at Amerit Consulting 

Recruiting Trends to keep an eye on in 2021

2020 has been an incredibly challenging year due to COVID-19, however a recent report stated that the second half of year we have seen improvements and growth in the economy. The end of the year and start of 2021 looks promising.

Here is a breakdown of our 2021 Recruiting Trends to look out for:

Clients, Clients and More Clients.

As 2020 has brought no sort of talent shortage, staffing firms will want to focus a lot on their client relationships. As this has always been a top priority for most, it will be especially important in 2021. You want to be creative and propose new solutions that will benefit them and you.

Candidate Experience

As mentioned above, there is no talent shortage, but the candidate journey can always change, improve and evolve. You will want to ensure your candidate experience is positive and look for ways to improve it. Relationships will be key to your success.

Diversity and inclusion

2020 has brought a lot of awareness to the importance of diversity and inclusion in a workplace. Companies have made statements and incorporating new initiatives to ensure goals are met and focus embracing diversity in the workplace.

Remote Work

Before the pandemic, remote work was always been a big trend and it was said to have tremendous growth in years to come. However, now that companies adopted working from home and see the positive outcomes from it, it is here to stay.

Virtual Interviews

Companies have learned to adapt to using videoconferencing tools as we continue to work from home. This will continue to be used in 2021 as many hiring managers are going to still want to interact face to face.

Skills Assessments

Technology will always evolve each year and it is helpful for hiring managers to be able to test their candidates to ensure what they say they can do is accurate. With the rise of virtual interviews, hiring managers will lean on these skill assessment technology tools to help vet out their candidates.

Looking for recruiting help? Contact Amerit today!

With companies continuing to work from home, it’s important to remind them about best practices for email phishing. As it was last reported that 41% of companies have experienced more cyberattacks amid COVID-19, according to SIA.

Here are 4 Best Practices to keep in mind for email phishing attacks:

1. Email Urgency: Does the email create a sense of urgency indicating that you should sign immediately and that 20% of employees have already responded.
2. The from email address: Does it come from company domains? This is a good place to check while attempting to determine if an email is legitimate. Keep in mind that it is possibly to make the from email address seem like it is coming from a legitimate company email address so you can’t solely rely upon this.
3. Company changes: Does the email indicate any kind of announcement about new employee handbooks or new policy changes? Most cases, an HR team will make the company aware of any new changes. If they haven’t reached out, this could be a red flag.
4. The links in the email: Some links could be from a legitimate website.  But I would try and think about the programs your company has used. For example, if the links are to a SharePoint file, does anyone within your organization share files via SharePoint? This could be a red flag indicating this is malicious in nature.  More than likely, the people sending this malicious email have some kind of malicious file hosted on this website so even though the website is good, the file hosted on it is bad.

Please keep all of these things in mind as you attempt to evaluate emails you receive. If you are not sure about any email you receive, I would recommend you go ahead and report the email to your IT Department.

Looking for an IT support to help with these? Contact Amerit today to see how we can help you find the right person for you!