Sunday, May 29, 2011
What do Walgreens, Allstate and United Airlines have in common? They are all great local companies with job openings, and use sophisticated software to track job applicant information.
This software, known as Applicant Tracking Software (ATS), is what you run into when you apply for jobs online and groan because you know it means it’ll cost you at least an hour of your life just to apply for a job. I spent the last two days of my life in detailed training on how to use Taleo ATS to handle job applications and manage resume data. I thought I’d share some secrets of applying online – secrets to help your application stand out. Apply Twice. In order to be considered for a job opening, you have to apply for a specific job. Gone are the days when you send your resumé in and ask HR to keep you in mind in case a job opens up. They can’t and they won’t due to legal implications. Your application must be tied to one or more …
Sunday, May 15, 2011
When you’re in job search, employers scrutinize everything. They evaluate what you say, what you write and what you look like. Everything matters when it comes to making a positive impression - even your email address.
According to a new survey published in April's HR Magazine, your email address may influence whether or not you are called for a job interview. Think about it. When you apply for a job online, your email address, noted just south of your name and address, is one of the first things an HR manager sees. Do you think an HR manager might red flag a resume with the email address DumbBlond@emailaddress.net or SatansChild@xyz.edu? Wouldn’t you take this into consideration if you were hiring a new employee? Researchers at Minnesota State University asked an even better question in a new study called, “Should You Hire BlazinWeedClown@Qmail.com?” They looked at whether a relationship exists between a person’s email address and how he or she scored …
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Have you seen the new TV show called The Voice?
Four superstars do blind auditions and select a team of singers to compete on their teams. The interesting part to me is that because the superstars have their backs to the singers as they audition, when they make their decisions on who’s in and who’s out, they put vocal ability first. As they say, “On this show, only the voice matters.” This made me think about interviewing. What if during interviews the hiring manager had his back to the applicant and, during the decision making process of who’s hired and who’s not, only ability mattered? I wonder if hiring decisions would be vastly different if we conducted interviews with blindfolds on. Would there be a dramatic decrease in workplace discrimination claims based on race, disability, …
Sunday, May 1, 2011
As you know, I usually write this advice column from the perspective of a career coach. This week, I write it from the perspective of a hiring manager.
I’ve been interviewing recruiters for the last month and to be honest, it hasn’t been going very well. The job market has picked up so much that finding the right person has been a challenge. This week, I finally had a great interview with a well-qualified woman named Andrea. Perhaps my personal insights on how Andrea won the job offer will be helpful to you as a job seeker. She made a stellar first impression. Before she said one word, Andrea communicated that she was a true professional. She wore a traditional blue suit with a classic white blouse. Her makeup and hair added to the positive image. When she greeted me she stood up, smiled and gave me a good handshake. I liked her already. She made big small talk. Lasting impressions are…
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Tom Petty’s hit song says it all in the wonderful world of job search, doesn’t it? You wait for calls from recruiters, you wait for interviews to be set up, you wait for the offer.
So how do stay sane as you wait during job search? Here are some ideas. Keep up the search. I worked with a woman who early in her job search decided to kick back and relax while she negotiated an offer from a former employer. She reasoned that she deserved a break and was very confident the offer would come. As the weeks turned into months, she became increasingly nervous and stressed out as she waited. She was so miserable each day that she couldn’t even enjoy her break. She should have continued to network and apply to jobs to stay focused and generate options in case the offer fell through – which, of course, it did. Keep up the follow-up. I know you might be hesitant to “bother” or “bug” the employer, but making follow-up calls is…
Sunday, April 17, 2011
When headhunters call, know what kind of search they are doing.
I got a call from a headhunter. What do I need to know about working with him? — Carla Dear Carla, Thanks for reading and for your question. A headhunter is a person who works on behalf of a company to help fill job openings. Also known as an executive search consultant or third-party recruiter, they work on two main types of searches. The first type is a retained search. In this type of search the company invites the recruiter to work with them closely to fill a specific position. Typically, a retained search is initiated for positions that pay more than $100,000 per year in situations where talent is difficult to find or when there is a need for confidentiality. The company pays a retained search consultant between 25 percent and 35 …
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Outplacement services are both an expensive and valuable benefit from your employer.
I was just let go from my company after 10 years and they gave me outplacement services. Do you think I should work with them? — Laura Dear Laura, I am very sorry you lost your job but am happy to hear that your former employer was generous enough to give you outplacement. You should know that your company probably paid between $3,000-$5,000 (or more) for this benefit. I absolutely recommend you participate because outplacement can help you land a better job faster. If you saw the movie, “Up in the Air” where George Clooney traveled the country firing people, you may have the wrong idea about outplacement. Although I never met an outplacement consultant quite as handsome as George, unlike his character, most are well trained and …
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Do you ever watch 'What Not to Wear' on TLC? Like that show, this advice will help convert you from dowdy to dashing participants from dowdy to dashing.
My job is similar. I convert applicants from unsophisticated to savvy through my coaching.
In this column I’d like to focus on what NOT to say in a job interview. How much does the job pay? OK, I know some of you think it’s more efficient to discuss salary requirements with the employer right up front. Why waste your time talking to someone about a job if it doesn’t meet your requirements, right? Employers seem to agree with this logic as well and sometimes ask applicants about salary expectations even before they ask about work experience. From the applicant’s point of view it’s a mistake to discuss compensation too early because the information you provide will probably be used to screen you out. If you are able to postpone this discussion until after you have successfully established your value, you may be surprised how the …
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Prepare and practice your interview skills.
I’m so excited! I have an interview coming up in two weeks for a job I really want. How do you recommend I prepare? – Julie Dear Julie, Congratulations on getting the interview. I think it’s great that you are focused on preparing for success. Any important meeting requires thorough planning. Most people know to practice their answers to the big questions. I recommend buying (or going to the library and borrowing) a book called, “Great Interview Answers to Tough Questions” by Martin Yate. Yate covers everything you need to know about persuading an employer to hire you including: I also recommend creating a deck of flashcards to practice your responses repeatedly so you can deliver them with confidence, focusing on what is even more …
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Sunday, March 6, 2011
They're legal and about 80 percent of employers use them.
Christy, I interviewed with a company and I’d like the job. They want to do a background check on me though. Is this legal? I don’t have anything to hide, but really? — Andrea Thanks for your question, Andrea. Although I understand your discomfort, background checks are legal and a common practice. In fact, about 80 percent of employers conduct background checks – and for good reason. The most common reason Human Resources managers conduct background checks is to protect its employees and the company. Workplace violence is a great concern for everyone. If you work for a company that screens employees, you can be more confident that your coworkers don’t bring a history of violence or dishonesty. Productivity also is in the spotlight in …
Robert Lindsey
10:35 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
Why aren't you getting into some of the new hi tech ways to impress recruiters. One is at http://sayhellothere.com but there are others. The "Hire me Zappos" campaign on youtube is especially effective. more ›