December 13, 2004
Interview Follow - Up
You have finished your interview and have gone home for the day. Now what just wait for them to call. Absolutely not.
Candidates should be proactive and respond to the people that you met with. Follow up with an email or send them a thank you note. Let them know how interested you are in the position and that you are excited about it. This personal touch with go a long way in the decision making process. It shows initiative and aggressiveness which employers like to see when hiring a new candidate.
Posted by Jason at 05:45 PM | TrackBack
December 09, 2004
Do you need Career Coaching?
What is career coaching?
Just like hiring a personal trainer for your fitness, a financial advisor for your personal finances or a design firm for your home renovation, hiring a coach is an investment in you - your development, your goals, your fulfillment. While I use the term "career coach," other words like mentor, advisor, consultant and trainer apply. And while career is a central focus, it encompasses work, our businesses, and our personal lives.
If you’re actively searching for a job:
Analyze your obvious options and open your eyes to possibilities you may not have considered
Understand your portfolio of interests, skills, talents, values, and strengths and weaknesses
Design a job search plan that fits your situation and goals
Ensure you spend your time and energy on the most effective job search activities
Challenge you to look at alternatives
Identify alternative income-earning strategies
Keep you on track and hold you accountable
Effectively manage key events, like networking meetings, interviews and offer negotiation
Devise a marketing plan to more effectively raise your profile in your market.....Learn More
Posted by Jason at 04:25 PM | TrackBack
December 08, 2004
Don’t get lured into questionable waters.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when job hunting is that they interview for the wrong job.
This happens surprisingly often. What's even more troubling is that after quitting or getting fired from the job, the person wonders what just happened. The employee blames the employer, and the employer goes back to square one in the hiring game....more
Posted by Jason at 08:28 PM | TrackBack
December 07, 2004
Make your references aware
When you are interviewing for a new position, and you know that the potential employer is going to be calling your references, make sure to call your references to make them aware.
This is a great way to prepare them for the call. Have a copy of the job description and either read it to them or send it to them via email. This way the reference will be able to speak directly about your experience and how it relates to the new position. You will want your potential new employer to know the skills you have and how they will relate to the new position. Most of the time employers will ask very general reference questions, but if your reference goes to bat for you, and offers more insight about how, where, and when, this would give you an advantage over the competition. If the question is never asked, then the answer is never given.
Posted by Jason at 02:26 PM | TrackBack
December 06, 2004
Job Search Blogs in Newsday
With recruiters increasingly scouting for that behind-the-scenes look at candidates, Jason Gorham, CEO of Careermetasearch.com in Lake Worth, Fla., created JobSearch Blogs.com
With recruiters increasingly scouting for that behind-the-scenes look at candidates, Jason Gorham, a recruiter in Lake Worth, Fla., created JobSearch Blogs.com, where job hunters can create blogs for free. About 40 to 50 are doing just that since the site was launched in April, and he has plans to spin off specialty areas for those in the semiconductor industry, technology and defense.
But he's finding he has to educate some of his would-be bloggers to the fact that the postings are not just one-time restatements of their resumes. In fact, he sends out e-mails reminding people to update their blogs regularly. And at this point, he has not been collecting feedback on how many, if any, have gotten jobs or interviews.....read the full article.
Posted by Jason at 01:43 PM | TrackBack
December 03, 2004
First Impressions
Dress for success. First impressions mean everything. These are not only cliques but words to live by when searching for a job.
I can't tell you how many times in my recruiting career people would show up to an interview either with a company or an agency not dressed properly. I thought that with all the information out there about securing your next position people would use their common sense and not show up in jeans and a sweatshirt, but it happens. I think back during the dot.com era. It was more common for technical people to show up dressed inappropriately. They may have felt the demand far outweighed the supply, and they could get away with wearing whatever they pleased. It was always my philosophy, “better to be overdressed than underdressed.�
When people would come to see me in an agency environment I think they thought oh well, I’m just going to see a headhunter, no big deal. The reason headhunters make you come in for an interview is for that exact reason - they want to make certain you have a professional appearance. They won’t present you to their client if you’re not dressed professionally. Remember, dress for success.
Here are a couple of good links for dressing for success.
Posted by Jason at 02:37 PM | TrackBack
December 02, 2004
Effective Telephone Interviews
Telephone interviews are becoming more prevalent because a company can save time by narrowing its list of potential candidates, while also testing their verbal communication skills......more