job hunting

Signs of a Great (and Not So Great) Staffing Agency

October 24, 2023 by Tim McMahon

In today’s fast-paced business world, staffing agencies have become valuable resources for companies looking to fill their workforce quickly and efficiently. However, not all staffing agencies are created equal. Some provide excellent services and fantastic job opportunities, while others may be disorganized or unresponsive.

If you’re looking for a staffing agency to help you find a job, it’s crucial to know how to spot a great one and avoid a bad one. In this post, we’ll outline the signs of a great staffing agency and what to watch out for in agencies that may not be a good fit for you.

A Great Staffing Agency:

Listens and Understands Your Needs

An agency that actively listens to your needs and understands your career goals is most likely a great one. They will take the time to get to know you, find out what you’re looking for in a job and provide personalized assistance in your job search. A great staffing agency should also be responsive and available whenever you need them.

Has a Great Reputation

Reputation is everything in the staffing industry. A good staffing agency should have a strong track record of helping job seekers find employment. Take the time to research the agency thoroughly.

There are a few critical ways to tell if a staffing agency has a great reputation. One is by checking online reviews from current and past clients. If the majority of reviews are positive and highlight successful placements, this is a good sign. Additionally, you can ask for references from the agency or reach out to your network to see if anyone has had experience with them. A great staffing agency should also have strong relationships with reputable companies and a good track record of filling positions quickly and efficiently. [Read more…] about Signs of a Great (and Not So Great) Staffing Agency

Need a Change of Pace? 3 Keys to Finding a New Job Quickly

September 6, 2023 by Tim McMahon

In today’s fast-paced work environment, it is common for professionals to feel the need to explore new career opportunities. Whether it is due to a lack of career growth, dissatisfaction with the work environment, or simply a desire to take on a new challenge, finding a new job can be an exciting proposition. However, the process of job searching can seem a bit overwhelming, leaving many job changers unsure of where to start or how to go about it.

If you find yourself in this predicament, don’t worry – in the current low unemployment environment, finding a new job can be quick and easy. In this article, we will explore some actionable tips to help you find new jobs quickly and efficiently.

Firstly, it is important to understand your motivation for seeking out a new job. This can help you identify the types of roles and industries that would be a good fit for you. For example, if you are looking to pursue a career in a particular field, it will be important to identify the skills and experience that are necessary to succeed in that industry. Likewise, if you are looking for a role that provides a better work-life balance, you may need to prioritize companies that offer flexible work arrangements.

Once you have a clear understanding of your goals and preferences, it is time to start exploring job listings. There are numerous social media platforms available today that can help you find good job prospects, including Glassdoor, Indeed, and many others. These platforms allow you to search for jobs based on industry, location, salary, and other criteria. [Read more…] about Need a Change of Pace? 3 Keys to Finding a New Job Quickly

Strategies for Conquering Job Search Frustration

February 9, 2023 by Tim McMahon

Job hunting can be a long and frustrating process. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the number of applications you need to fill out, interviews you need to attend, and rejections you receive. However, it is possible to stay positive throughout your job search journey if you have the right strategies in place. Read on for some tips on how to ease job-hunting frustration.

Maintain Perspective

It’s important to keep in mind that a job search is just one small part of your life. Don’t let it consume all your thoughts or take away from other activities you enjoy doing. Make sure you take time out of each day for hobbies, relaxation, and fun with family and friends—activities that will help maintain balance and perspective in your life. Speaking of family and friends, hopefully they are being supportive of your efforts. You should also enlist their suggestions, referrals and leads on available jobs. One of the best ways to find a job is to be recommended by someone who already works there. So, network, network, network to get a good reference from someone the company already trusts.

Set Realistic Expectations

Having realistic expectations will go a long way toward helping you manage stress during a job search. It’s important to remember that there are many factors beyond your control when it comes to getting hired; don’t expect too much too soon or become discouraged when things don’t happen as quickly as you’d like them to. Focus on the progress that has been made rather than any setbacks encountered along the way. [Read more…] about Strategies for Conquering Job Search Frustration

How to Make Yourself More Employable

June 22, 2021 by Guest Contributor

Whether you are out of work or currently interested in applying for a different job, understanding how to make yourself more employable can be one of the best skills you can acquire. The process of finding a new job can be pretty demoralizing, especially if you keep getting turned down for positions you think you are perfect for. Understanding how to make yourself more attractive to recruiters can help you to more quickly and effectively land your dream job.

Never Stop Learning

One of the best things that you can do to make yourself more attractive to employers is for you to adopt the habit of continuous learning. If you are dedicated to learning more, you will stand out from the sea of other candidates. This is because you have different skills, knowledge, and experiences that other candidates for a position will not possess. Being dedicated to becoming a constant learner is easier now than ever before since you can now access a range of different courses via an online learning platform.

Do Your Research

Often people searching for a new job will be tempted to apply for as many positions as possible. This mindset is understandable; the more jobs you apply for, the greater the chance of getting hired. However, this approach can actually be damaging your employment prospects. This is because a recruiter can spot those who are sending off generic applications.

You should take the time to research the company and the position you are applying for. This might take a bit more time, but it is completely worth it. Doing your research enables you to show a potential employer how genuinely interested and passionate you are about the position.

Start Networking

Attending networking events and getting to [Read more…] about How to Make Yourself More Employable

How to Get Recruiters on Linkedin (And Land That Dream Job!)

January 29, 2020 by Tim McMahon

Did you know that 122 million people got a job interview through LinkedIn? And job applicants with a ‘comprehensive’ LinkedIn profile are 71% more likely to get interviews.

This is great news for anyone who’s looking for a new job, but the truth is that LinkedIn currently has 260 million monthly active users. So the question is, what can you do to you stand out among so much competition?

1. Complete Your LinkedIn Profile

First things first, it’s important that any recruiter who visits your LinkedIn profile has access to [Read more…] about How to Get Recruiters on Linkedin (And Land That Dream Job!)

4 Tips for Job Searching with Little Work Experience

July 23, 2019 by Tim McMahon

Much like the Hunger Games, corporate America is a dog-eat-dog world. so you must prove your merit in order to get ahead. Without a lot of job experience, demonstrating your value to a company can prove difficult. If you’re new to the world of business, here are some tips on how to get started.

Network, Network, Network

Whether you’re pursuing a lifeguard job for summer break, a warehouse job once out of high school, or your first job out of college, networking is the backbone of good business. According to Payscale.com between 70 and 85 percent of all jobs are found through networking.

Not only does networking help cultivate social skills, but it helps you get your foot in the proverbial door as well. Search online for events happening in your area. You’re bound to meet an assortment of like-minded individuals who match your enthusiasm. After all, it’s not what you know but rather who you know that’ll take you far in business.

How to Impress Your Interviewer After the Interview

October 23, 2018 by Guest Contributor

The labor market has always been a competition. Employers strive to hire the best candidates for every position because 70% of the efficiency of a business depends on the quality of the employees. Here are some tricks that can help you to present the best impression to a potential employer and land the perfect job.

Choose the Right Career

There is no “right” age for starting a career. The perfect career requires not only education but also the right mindset, which, unfortunately, doesn’t come along with the diploma. When people come to an interview with only the salary in mind, there is a good chance that they won’t be the best employee. So companies have an incentive to not only search for competence but also for a good fit in the company culture.

Even if the first interview was successful, be prepared, because many positions require a second interview with your future direct manager. Some positions, especially creative ones, involve performing a test task. Some companies, especially large ones, watch the bidder literally from the moment you enter the door until the moment you leave. Secretaries can be asked to give their opinion of you while you waited.

The three major phases of a job application are:

Pre-Interview-
What you do to get to the interview
The Interview-
The actual interview itself what you say and do face-to-face
Post Interview-
What you do after the interview to help them remember your favorably.

How to Impress Your Interviewer After the Interview

“The Last Shall Be First” –

If at all possible try to [Read more…] about How to Impress Your Interviewer After the Interview

More Ways to Improve Your Resume

October 10, 2013 by Tim McMahon

Life Experience

Make your resume interesting by including some unique facts about yourself. If you start off with a small section called “Life Experience” and include a few interesting things you’ve done like hiking the entire Appalachian Trail or catching a 50 pound fish or whatever, it will make you memorable and give the recruiter something to ask you about if they call you in for an interview.

Choose Your Words Carefully

The right words can make a resume stand out, while the wrong ones can make it doomed for the trash. Use action words to allow you to be seen as a can-do person, and keep everything concise.

Bulleted lists are great for emphasizing skills while making your resume easy to skim.
Instead of just listing facts about yourself, show an employer how you got results in your previous jobs.
Use good grammar, check your spelling and have at least one other person read over it to look for mistakes.
~~See how many words you can eliminate to give the same information in a concise organized way.~~
Eliminate words to present information concisely.

Layout

Many job seekers make the mistake of trying to make their resumes stand out by using unusual fonts or layouts. However, this usually has the opposite of its intended effect. A resume that’s too distracting to employers often winds up in the reject stack. One thing that can be done to improve the looks of a resume is to save the file as a PDF document. That way it will always appear the same no matter what kind of computer or type of software the recruiter is using to look at it. Once it is saved as a PDF document if you want to make changes normally you would have to go back to the original document and edit it and then save it as a PDF again. But now there is software that allows editing PDF files directly so you can skip that extra step. Sending a resume to an employer in PDF format not only shows you know your way around a computer, but also presents the resume in an easy-to-read format.

Focus on the Job

Too many resumes are generic, rather than being tailored to the job for which a person is applying. In the old days, when resumes were run off in mass quantities on a commercial “off-set” printing press, you couldn’t customize it, but these days with word processing software and even electronic resumes there is no reason you can’t customize your resume for each job (except laziness) and every reason why you should take the time to do it right.

Many people think if they list all their previous jobs, that will make them more appealing to employers. However, if you’re applying to be a computer programmer, it’s a good idea to focus on why you would make a great programmer. So you need to tailor your resume to that specific programming job using the exact keywords used in the job description. But you don’t want to leave gaps in your employment history either, so only include the bare minimum about the fast-food job on the resume. Focus instead on skills, certifications and knowledge that can be applied to the specific job at hand.

By following these tips to improve your resume, the dream job that’s been waiting for you can become reality in no time.

See Also:


Resume Paper	Resume Magic, 4th Ed: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer	Knock ’em Dead Resumes: How to Write a Killer Resume That Gets You Job Interviews	Resumes For Dummies

UK Employment Stats on the Rise… but

August 28, 2013 by Guest Contributor

August finally saw some excellent news for UK job seekers as unemployment figures fell by 4,000 in the three months to June. The bad news, however, is that the ONS are still reporting that 2.51 million people remain out of work.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in July fell more sharply, however, with 29,000 fewer claimants. Overall, the number of people in employment has risen to 29.78 million and compared with the same time last year, an extra 307,000 people are now working.

This is excellent news for employers as it means that businesses across the UK are expanding and growing at a healthy rate. As well as this, Companies House reports that there are still over 3,000,000 businesses in the UK and only 2,486 were liquidated in July. So, if you’re just starting your business the outlook appears broadly positive- although there’s still a lot of hard work to do!

If you are hiring and firing at present, however, you need to consider the skill of your workforce. With over 2.5 million people unemployed in the UK, it is clear that there are a number of skilled workers who remain out of work.

For this reason, when you are offering positions you should consider the skills of each applicant. This is true no matter what your business and skilled members of staff will always enhance your workforce.

Be sure to question applicants about any previous experiences in your line of trade. Although experience isn’t always required, it is often desirable and you need to consider how much time it will take to train any new and untrained staff!

As well as this, consider how you market your positions. As was stated earlier, there are 2.51 million people out of work and this means that you have a talent pool of over 2 million people! Obviously, this is hypothetical and you’ll never get this many applicants but, if you’re only getting a few for your positions then you may need to widen your search. Consider advertisements in local newspapers to appeal to a wider audience.

It may not be possible to recruit the ideal candidate and you may have to ‘train somebody up’ for the position. This is an incredibly time consuming task and can take a lengthy period of time.

For this reason you should consider using cloud based talent management software like the one offered by Cornerstone On Demand. Software such as this can help you manage your clients throughout their time with the company so you don’t need to be a HR expert.

To summarise, over 2.5 million people remain unemployed in the UK. So, if you’re hiring and firing then you have to make sure that you consider all of your options. The right candidates are out there, you just have to make sure that you find them!

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

New Unemployment Law and Lawsuits in New York

June 28, 2013 by Guest Contributor

New York City has enacted legislation that would bar employers from discriminating against unemployed job applicants effective June 11, 2013. This legislation has been met with dismay since many believe that it will lead to disruption in the hiring process.

Furthermore, a large number of lawsuits can also be expected under this new law. While the New York City Council which formed the legislation tried to protect the interests of employees, like most legislation it just ends up making the process more complex.

Effects of the New Law

The new law that is in place is definitely going to make hiring a mess. The reason is that unemployed people who get rejected can target the business in expensive lawsuits. No business owner likes being vulnerable to lawsuits especially in the case of employment scenarios.

The main target of the legislation is to prevent and ban employers from discriminating in the case there are unemployed job applicants. The New York City Council had brought forth the law based on [Read more…] about New Unemployment Law and Lawsuits in New York