Unemployment rising, Who's hiring? 2009 job outlook

Unemployed people are the busiest people I know!

This statement came from one of my customers, We had two office personnel lined up to start, and both after getting the offers, had other plans scheduled.

So, your not working and this is a good time to take care of personal items in your life. Also as a employer, I understand you have items that need to be taken care of. but ask yourself is it something that really needs to be done or do I need a new job so let us look at a list:

Get car fixed or have a new job
Get eyes examined or have a new job
Dentist appointment or have a new job
Emissions test or have a new job
Hair cut or have a new job
Pick up dry cleaning or have a new job
Take friend to airport or have a new job
Cut grass or have a new job
Clean house or have a new job
Plan a long weekend or have a new job
Wedding (not yours) or have a new job


Go on an interview, this is one of my favorites. I offer you work, you have been looking for some time , you get what you want WORK and you still want to know from me your employer if you can have the third day your supposed to work off, so you can go on an interview with another company.

So you have things that are scheduled. Maybe it is your wedding, how do you approach your potentially new employer?

I like when people tell me in advance. They let me know the dates, what the occasion is, and let me know why its important that they have that time off. Also that they will do what ever it takes to get the position, maybe put some extra time in.

You need to consider changing your schedule, so you can keep the job. As far as the office people I was going to place, we found someone else that could work.

Staying positive in hard times

Desperation, doesn’t sell.

I have received a variety of calls this week of people looking for work. They use terms like I will take anything, I don’t care what it pays. I will drive anywhere. I feel for these people. It is the holiday season and people want work. I want to give you some advice because the desperation plea doesn’t help me, help you.

If you have the opportunity to contact staffing firms, like I have, start by contacting them with curiosity. I would ask them if you might be considered for one or more openings if you changed some of your parameters, like pay or level of work. This approach is much more acceptable then the cry of desperation.

If your applying to new openings, and are looking to work at something less then you had, make sure you state it with positive intent and objective. Let them know that you want to be part of their company, offer all the skills you have, earn a position. You need to offer value.

Be very cautious of just “taking” or “doing” work. From a hiring point of view, that behavior comes across shallow, with no investment.

Keep your head up, know that you have skills. You need to offer a great service for better value.

Dennis

Clarify your ability to work

I was just reviewing some resumes of students that are going to school away from home. The person I just reviewed lives in the Chicago area but is in school out of town. From the resume, I could not tell if they are back in Chicago, or if still away at school. I couldn’t tell if they are ready for work, full time? Part time? Or looking just for the Christmas vacation.

By defining your ability to work in the beginning of your resume, hiring managers will clearly understand what you are looking for. If your going to be back home from school, list only the home address, if you need work at your school, make a separate resume with that location. If your looking for part time or seasonal work, make that clear on the resume.

Our applicant tracking systems keys the zip codes of your resume. If you list both addresses you might be getting keyed as your school location vs. your home location.

So as hiring people are looking for candidates. You want to be found and found with clear intent.

Take this first step to clarify your ability to work and you will start to find more opportunities.

Dennis

How far is too far?

Ask yourself this simple question how far is to far.

Maybe it is the excitement that you are getting a call for an interview. Maybe it is the thought that you can get back into the workforce. Or maybe it is that you have been sitting on the couch long enough that when you get a call for work you figure you might as well check it out.

So you get a call, and you discover the company is over 40 miles away. You look up that it will take you over an hour to get there. At this point do you call them and let them know its to far, or do you just continue through the process? Also, keep in mind you were the one that started this exchange by sending them a resume

I have had many applicants continue through the process. The process of multiple interviews, driving to the company more then once, getting an offer.

I just had happen here at our staffing firm. A candidate accepted the offer, completed all the drug and background tests (which costs me money), then call on the day they were to start and tell me it is to far.

My question is why would you want to take your time to go through all of the travel, cost, paperwork, and time wasted when you should realize in advance that this is to far?

You might have missed out on other opportunities! You just have made yourself look bad in front of that company or firm that is trying to get you work.

You’re not helping anyone by interviewing; knowing in advance that you can’t make it to work daily!

Do yourself a favor and map out how far you can work, what hours you can work, in advance. This will help you build a focus on positions that are favorable for you. And stop applying for jobs you can work at. It’s a waste of everyones time and you need to focus your time and energy on presenting your best to companies that you can truly work for.

Dennis

Jobless claims at 26-year high

Number of people filing for initial unemployment insurance surges to 573,000 in latest week. By Catherine Clifford, CNNMoney.com staff writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of Americans filing new unemployment insurance claims jumped last week to a 26-year high, surpassing the number of filings economists had predicted.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial filings for state jobless benefits surged to 573,000 for the week ended Dec. 6. That was an increase of 58,000 from a revised 515,000 claims in the previous week.

It was the highest number of jobless claims since Nov. 27, 1982 when initial filings hit 612,000. Economists were expecting jobless claims increase to 525,000, according to a consensus compiled by Briefing.com.

The four-week moving average of jobless claims, which works to eliminate fluctuations in data was 540,500 last week, an increase of 14,250 from the previous week's revised average of 526,250.

One economist said the number of initial claims decreased in the previous report because the data from that report represented the week of Thanksgiving. Some of the surge in initial filings in this current report could be a bounce from that week.

However, "the underlying trend in the labor market is that it continues to weaken," said Jay Bryson, global economist with Wachovia Economics, and that is evident in the 4-week moving averages of initial claims.

The number of people continuing to collect unemployment rose to 4,429,000 in the week ended Nov. 29, the most recent week available, which was also a 26-year high. The measure was an increase of 338,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,091,000.

The last time continuing claims was at such an elevated level was Dec. 4, 1982, when continuing claims hit 4,509,000.

Meanwhile, the 4-week moving average of continuing claims was 4,133,500, an increase of 130,750 from the previous week's revised average of 4,002,750.

With the U.S. economy officially in a recession, unemployment has been on the rise. The economy shed 533,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate rose to 6.7% from 6.5% in October, according to a government report released last week.

So far this year, the economy has lost 1.9 million jobs.

The economy has fallen into a recession, and the nation's gross domestic product - the largest measure of the economy's health - contracted by 0.5% in the three months ended Sept. 30. Bryson said that he expects the GDP to contract even further in the coming quarter.

When companies see their orders decrease, they simply don't keep as many workers on the payroll.

As workers lose their jobs, that hits states particularly hard.

"Not only, when people get laid off do income taxes go down, but they start drawing unemployment compensation," said Bryson. "So whenever you are in a recession, you see the deficit widen."

According to a report from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 43 states are facing shortfalls in their budgets for this year, and as people continue to lose their jobs, states are pinched further.

The largest increases in initial jobless claims for week ended Nov. 29 - the week before last - were in Wisconsin, Iowa, Arkansas, Mississippi, and North Dakota. The largest decreases in initial filings were in California, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, and Texas.

First Published: December 11, 2008: 8:39 AM ET

Are you ready to compete?

Dennis

What is your Resume saying about you?

I was coaching someone who was looking for a Marketing position. Verbally, he had all the skills, but according to the resume it had a feel of a sales person, or an account manager.

I asked, "Where is the marketing skills in this resume?" We found one word that said marketing. Eight words that said sales.

So, from a quick glance the resume reflected a sales person.

Try this exercise. Take 6-10 seconds, and take a look at your resume, you can even have someone else do it. Off of this quick glance what do you see? What stands out? What is your initial reaction? If it is not what you are looking for then you need to change some of the wording you use.

I was mentoring at a local school. As I was thumbing through their resumes, one of the students asked me “Are you looking at our resumes? Because you don’t seem to be spending much time on them." I told them on average I take about five to ten seconds to skim key words and experience on a resume to see if has some of the things I am looking for. Then I might read further.

The class was floored. They thought as recruiters we sit and read each resume all the way through and that we have the time to figure out what they did, how they did it and how it might apply to the position we have available.

So the student that asked me the question wanted to know what feed back I had on their resumes. Most of these students were looking for technology positions. So when I read through their resumes, with a six second glance, I got pictures of warehouse people, stay at home moms, students, carpenters, firefighters. Their resumes were not reflecting what they wanted.

Working with them after to change, not only the focus of the resume, we also changed where the information on the resume went.

Your resume is your marketing material , market your past in a direction that leads to your future.

Self Discrimination via Voice Mail

“Hello me, the wife, the kids and the dog are not home now, please leave a message and we will call you back”.

Seems harmless, other then the fact is that I know your married, have children. If their voices were on the voice mail, I can guess their ages approximately.

I also know you like dogs, or at least have one.

If it happens to be your voice on the recorder, I know how you communicate. Do you use slang? Do you have an accent? Are you upbeat? Are you funny?

Or have you taken your job search seriously and designated a separate phone line or voicemail for finding new work.

Flexibility

So you are looking for work. There is a reason you are looking. Either you are not working, or you know things are getting to a point you might not have a position. Or are concerned for your future. Whatever the reason, in these economic times you are going to be the one that needs to be flexible.

There is more and more people available and less and less available positions. Companies are going to look for people that are flexible and meet the companies goals and needs.

What are some of the areas to be flexible?

Travel – You might have to travel farther to get your next position.

Hours – You might have to put in different hours, or you might have to work flex or even less hours. I have seen people earn more hours by taking less. The person that shows flexibility also shows a sense of wanting to work.

Pay – What you were making before might not be what you are going to make today. If this a company that you have wanted to work for, you might want to consider that the alternatives might not be so positive.

Dress – You might need to change your wardrobe to match the new environment.

Duties – In a down economy, companies expect more for less. If you are looking for a new position you might have to down grade your position wants and needs to get that new position.

** Something to note regarding looking for a lesser skilled position; Companies are still looking for the right person, not just someone to show up and “take” the job. Its not yours to “take”, it is their position to give, you need to earn and want it, even if it is not at your skill level. They might pass on you if they feel your not truly interested, and your just taking the position till you find something else.

Dennis

Giving Thanks, ask friends and family for help

You might have heard the term “networking.” That it is a great way to meet people. That by networking, it can help you get a new position. Well, I have advised people to something similar to networking. But to do it with their friends and family. It is what I call “Building your Team”.

Your team is anyone you know that you would consider family, friend, relative, and close acquaintances.

I have done a variety of seminars and I will ask, “Who in your close circle of friends and family has your resume? Who knows what you do for a living? Who knows what you are looking for?” The answer usually is not many, or no one.

I find that people will not talk to family, either because they think that looking or a job is embarrassing, or they felt they could not help.

Why would you go work with a group of strangers in a “networking” environment and not work with people you know?

So where do you start?
Start with describing what you do.

This way people in your team can describe it to people they know. My father got me a job when I was back from college. Now he didn’t know anything about computers, but there was a computer department. He knew that I worked with computers, it seemed simple enough, and yes they did need help. I got the summer position.

If you make it too hard on your team, they won’t be able to promote you …. Keep it simple.

Next let your team know what you are looking for in very simple and clear language.

Have them ask around. Do they have a department that deals with “your wants”? Have your team look at internal job postings. Have them gather contacts and phone numbers for you.

Now It’s up to you to take any information you get and run with it. You need to send the resume, make the call, it is not for your team to do the work. It is you to you.

Be thankful for your team this holiday, help them help you.

It’s cold and flu season

I found myself at home because I was not feeling well. It got me thinking about how people approach the cold and flu season when time is needed to get well.

First, you need to pay attention to your time off policies. Have you used them all? How many days do you have, and how many do you have left?

You need to consider when you call off. If you are supposed to start work at 8:00 and your calling in sick at 8:10 that not a real good sign that you are concerned about work or having your work place function properly with out you. In this world, with multiple means of communicating, there is no excuse for not letting your supervisor know what is going on.

Also, how was your communication, was it a voice mail, did you talked to a coworker? If you did not talk to your supervisor directly, I find it best if you make a secondary call and talk directly to them.

If your not well after the first day, I find it best to talk to your supervisor and find out what you should do. Maybe you can pick up your work. Maybe you can still come in for a half day. Just the idea that you are willing to make the effort to come in will make your supervisor feel you have interest in your work and your company.

By keeping your supervisor informed on your progress, will help you maintain your position. Keep your position, yes, I have terminated many people over my 12 years of employment from no calls, no shows, and too many days off. And in these economic times companies are looking for reasons to terminate people, its an easy way for them to reduce staff.

Illness will happen to you or your family, and it is something that needs to be addressed. The key to make sure you can take care of your self now, and continue to take care of your family by maintaining your position.

Dennis

Separate yourself, by making the hiring manager’s job easy

In these times, with unemployment rising, more and more people are applying for less and less available positions. One way you can separate yourself from the masses of people applying for the same position is to make the hiring manager’s job easy.

The more hoops a hiring manager needs to go through, the more likely it is that they will respond poorly to you, especially if you have similar or equal skills to other candidates applying to the same position.

Yes, we have a database of information. We probably have your resume. And when we send you an email asking for more qualifications, it is up to you to help clarify the information and to included it in your response. This is your job to clarify in your email, verbal response, and even in the interview.

I have heard responses for information come back to me with, “Well, it is on my resume” Basically, they are telling me, “Duh didn’t you see it? I wrote it.” And I think, “Why are you wasting my time.”

Here is a response to an email for a job posting we had.

“I love to be considered for this job. I think, I am qualified for the job. I have attached my resume and will like a response on what is the next step.”

The problem with this, he had not a single skill that matched the specifications for the position.

I also received a call this morning from someone referred my way. She wanted me to call her and tell her about the open positions. She might want consider this approach. She could have asked me to contact her to see if she is qualified.

This might seem small, but what makes a makes a great first impression is a person that wants to present their skills and desire to work. Versus me having contact them, to tell them what I have available.

So how can you make it easier?

Be responsive – respond quickly to a request for information, even it your not interested in the job.
Be kind – We get many resumes, so understand that you are one of many and leave messages or talk in a respectful manner.
Be giving - Make sure you give the information requested, do not make us look it up.
Be interested – So interested that you want to earn the job, not have it given to you.

What is the intent of your communication?

Communication is not the intent but the response. How you communicate can leave a great impression on the hiring person trying to fill the position. Who knows they might have another position that you qualify for.

As a staffing firm we sent out a mass email to our top candidates if their resume had “keyword” skill that matched our job specification. Our goal is to find the right person fast, since we too are in competition to fill the position with the most qualified candidate.

In these times, we do not have the time to initially review everyone’s resume. We do not know what is their current working status. They might have a new job since the last time submitting. Maybe they moved. Whatever! We need someone available immediately. Therefore, we send out the email to gage response.

If you have the skills, great, you will be considered. You will also be noted on your response to the question. This email did not require a response and still we had many.

Here is a section of the email we sent

I have a downtown Help Desk phone Support position currently available. My client is looking to interview immediately. This is a contract to hire position. Hourly rate is $17/hr. THE HOURLY RATE IS NON NEGOTIABLE. 40+ hours a week.

If you are qualified, available, interested, planning to make a change, or know of a friend who might have the required qualifications and interest, please reply or forward this email. In considering candidates, time is of the essence, so please respond ASAP. Thank you

Seems straight forward.

What is the response you should have to this email? Let us consider a few:

• Accept it – you feel you are a good match and you attach a resume, write up a cover letter letting us know why you fit and drop a phone call to make sure we got it.
• Delete it – maybe you make too much , still working, don’t have the skills
• Decline it --with future prospect – So you send a thank you for considering, maybe a highlight of what you do, and what expectations you have and let us know what is your current status.


Here is an example of what we look for in a response:

“I am still working xxxx, so I don't think this opportunity is for me, but please keep me posted on new openings in the future.”


Or, you can respond as some people did to our email:

“The rate for this position is to low my min is $40/hr I am not sure if you reviewed my resume. Thank you.”

(your pay isn’t listed on your resume…)

“A little on the low side for me - can the work be done remotely?”

Does it matter if it remotely or not, I have $17.00 an hour downtown.)

“I would like to have at least 22 an hour”

(thanks for the long answer, that convinced me I should give you more money.)

“what is the length of contract”

(hmmmmm Contract to hire as listed in the email)

"No thanks.. pay rate is too low for my experience."

(and what is your experience, or required pay or any thing. Really, this was the reply I got.)

What is your intent?

Your intent should be to get a positive response from the hiring manager. Something that makes me want to review your skills more. Something that makes me consider you for another opening. Or reply with positive intent, just to keep the lines of communication open. So when a great opportunity does arrive, I have YOU in mind and at the top of the list.

Your email as a reflection of self

I just received a change of email address from one of my past candidates. And the email is praisethelord@....com. Not that it is good or bad, it just is. My perception or any other hiring managers perception that it can be either good or bad. I feel the key to getting a new job is to avoid the hurdle of the hiring process, don’t give them a reason to pass on you.

We are creatures of learned habit, I have found that managers make decisions on what they like in a resume based on past experience. Most of this does not have to do with the person that is applying , it is a learned pattern.

You touch a stove its hot, are you now more cautious to touch the stove again? Same mentality.

I have seen people that express there values, beliefs, hobbies, lifestyle you name it in their email. Well, if that expression was a “stove” for the hiring manager before, you might be the one getting burned.

So I took a quick glance at resumes I have received and here is a few examples of email address

Flyguy
Tagteam
Dreamgirl
Streettrigger
Munchies
Clunky
DaOne4u
Dragon
NinjaDeathGrl
Warlock
Therighthand
Zorker
Toobuff
Granddad
Rockhead
Diva

There are many more, some not publishable.

What do you want your email name to reflect to an employer?

Dennis

Monster and Careerbuilder Search Tips

I wanted to shed some light on what we see as recruiters in our search databases. I believe if you understand what we see you might make adjustments to help us find you!

You might feel that your resume covers all the criteria or skills you have? However, the real question, does it match the job specification search criteria?

So how does this work?

If you go to an advance search page in Google, you will see a variety of ways to narrow your search to find what you are looking for. It is that simple when we are narrowing our focus on people we need.

Recruiters start with keyword searches

• Last employer
• Degrees obtained
• Location
• Skills

Matching keywords is the area that you need to take into consideration when you are writing your resume. You might need to modify key phrases for each position as well.

If you write you have knowledge of Macintosh computers, and I do a keyword search on “Apple” your resume will not come up in my search.

If you list yourself as a secretary and I search “Administrative Assistant”, again, your resume might not be found.

The words that are in the job description are clues to what the hiring managers are looking for in a candidate. So, you need to pay attention to see if your resume has those keywords included.

I am sure you have the talent and probably can do the work. You need to get noticed. This is just one of many ways to get in front of the hiring personnel.

Who do you work for?

I received an email asking me if a person should put the staffing firm on their resume.

You might know, besides career coaching, we also do contract consulting, which means we have people out at our clients. I just received a call from a credit company. One of my employees was looking to purchase a car. She listed the fortune 500 client as where she works. She did not give a name or number. That did not matter. The credit company called the fortune 500 company’s human resource department and found out she is not employed there.

Fortunately, I got involved and straightened it out for my contractor.

So, should you list staffing firms as your employer on resume, applications, or credit based applications? The answer is yes.

You need to make sure that the staffing company is representing you for what you are. If you worked for someone full time for 3 ,6 or even 12 months, well that’s a full time job to me. In this economy, I have a friend that put in 26 years at one company and is now out of work. I have contractors that are still working for me with no end in sight. So what is more stable?

I have advised people to list on resume and application, to show some form of stability. The staffing company, and then the company they are working for.

Jobco Staffing/Apvantage, Oak Brook, Il November 2006-Present
Help Desk Associate

• Answered incoming calls and requests.
  
• Provided support for hardware, software, communication, and procedural related issues.
  
• Prepared documentation of all case information and updates.
  

Listing properly helps with establishing your work history

This is very important. If you list the wrong company, it could be a reason you are getting turned down or denied a loan. In addition, if you do it on a work application, you could be turned down for falsification.

Again, staffing companies are companies as well. Many of them are very large. It is how you present your work and capabilities. Convincing employers that you are full time candidate versus a day temp here and there.

Have a great weekend,
Dennis

Advertise Self

Have you ever noticed how many times a product is shown or talked about in advertisement? Why do they spend so much money and time to get their product and name out? Because it gets us to buy.

You need to advertise and promote yourself. I would like to give you some key tips on how to get your name out.

1.) The biggest key is to make a signature. Your contact information seems simple enough, but I see so many resumes without it or with that information in only one spot. When I am talking about contact information I am referring to all.

Contact information on all areas

• Name
  
• Email
  
• Phone
  
• Address
  

2.) It seems obvious but make sure your contact information is on your resume. Also make sure it is on the second page. I have seen resumes get separated and not be able to be linked together.

3.) Contact information on cover letters.

4.) Contact information on your email and email replies as well.

5.) Your resume file is your name. (Example: DennisSchererResume.doc)

6.) Your email address reflects your full name (Example: DennisScherer@email.com)

How can this be useful? Let us consider that you are one of many resumes being submitted for a position. This will help you stand out. You are promoting yourself by getting your name in front of the hiring manager multiple times.

If they save your resume on their system, it will already be named, with your name, instead of just saying resume ( which most of the say.) By doing this, it will make it easy for the hiring person to call or contact you no matter where they are in the process.

I can tell you from my own experience, when I need to get people lined up right away, it is never funny if I have to go back to the original document or a prior email to look up a number.

Dennis

An Attitude of Gratitude

Driving in to work today, I forgot my I-pass in my other car. I had to go through the pay toll lane. I went to the first person, gave my money, received no look, no acknowledgement; just a scowl on his face. He couldn't be any slower in getting the gate up, so I can go. I said, thank you, and received no return sound at all. So I think, well maybe that's just him.

I was wrong. At the next toll, I came up to the next lady, waited a few minutes. She was doing something, she looked out at me like I was bothering her day. I said thank you, and drove on.

Maybe they don’t need to say thank you. Maybe they don’t need to smile. Maybe the don’t need to work quickly. Maybe they don’t need to be grateful to me. Or... maybe the should be grateful they are working, that the machines haven’t taken over their jobs! Maybe they can be grateful that they can feed their families. Maybe they can be happy that they have an income ..or maybe not.

I’m sure there are a few people that would do that work, and show it with a smile and a thank you.

Dennis

**From the bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nonfarm payroll employment fell by 240,000 in October, and the unemployment rate rose from 6.1 to 6.5 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. October's drop in payroll employment followed declines of127,000 in August and 284,000 in September, as revised. Employment has fallen by 1.2million in the first 10 months of 2008; over half of the decrease has occurred in the past 3 months. In October, job losses continued in manufacturing, construction, and several service-providing industries. Health care and mining continued to add jobs.

Hello! I will only take a few minutes of your time

Have you ever got that call? I received two of them this morning.

I am talking about sales calls. I like to take the calls to see what techniques they use and how they handle rejections.

I noticed with each rejection I threw out there, their tone changed. One was getting frustrated. The other guy actually got angry! Now he is trying to sell me something?!?!

Part of their frustration is that they talked for a long time, (I purposely let them). They were not looking for a response; they were paying attention to themselves and not to me.

Then my favor line came up. “Let me be honest.” Hmmm, you weren’t before you just said that, or only this one item is honest? I am always curious why people say that.

Now how does this little story apply to you the career seeker? Well it does in many ways! I hope you realize that you are selling yourself,your skills, your worth, every time you interview. So what do you need to be aware of?

• Sell yourself but don’t ramble on. Make sure you pause enough to let the other person respond. I know people sometimes ramble on because they are nervous. But I have never heard of anyone getting hurt during an interview.
  
• Watch your tone. When a hard question comes or you start getting uncomfortable, take a deep breath, pause and get yourself back in a positive state.
  
• Be honest all the time. If you say the “let me be honest” unconsciously the person interviewing will think what I think. So everything up to this point is not honest?
  
• Pay attention, look for the response, listen to their response. If the interviewer seems resistant of an idea or part of your presentation, take it another way.
  

Both guys might have sold me something, first if they would have backed what they said . They made factual statements and I asked them to send me the data and they couldn’t . Sell yourself as yourself.

Dennis

Meet the Parents

I love meeting people. Mom, Dad, Husband, Wife, kids, cousins, brothers, sisters and even best friends. I wish I wasn’t meeting them at the interview!

Yes, that is what I said, "at the interview" for a new position. They come walking right in with the candidate, hang out in my office. Today, one mom actually followed her son in the interview room. Mom even answered some of the questions during the interview.

One of the HR managers that I work with called me about my candidate. She told me she would not offer her a position. The candidate's husband got tired of waiting in the car, came in the corporate office, and wanted to use the bathroom. They would not let him in for security reasons and he threw a fit.

I’m sure you can guess the ending of that interview.

What do I hear as poor excuses to bring the family to the interview?

• Sonny doesn’t have a car.
  
• We were going shopping afterwards
  
• He doesn’t like to drive on the expressway
  
• I had no babysitter
  
• Thought you had a waiting room.
  

When I advise people on what to bring to an interview, family is not one of the items.

Dennis

Simple actions makes the big difference

I was having lunch with one of my hiring managers yesterday. He works at a IT consulting company. We are talking about candidates and the funny things we have seen them do.

It reminds me of America’s Funniest Videos. Have you ever watched it? You see people just do some extremely stupid things and wonder why. You think that they might learn from someone else but every week you see different people doing similar things.

Our lunch started with the thought that maybe this is only happening in a select instances. I thought because I have a contract staffing firm, maybe it’s the type of people I get. As I was listening to his outrageous stories, I discovered that it is happening everywhere. The stories are the same just different names and different actions.

We were both curious what has caused what we referred to as an entitlement attitude. The fact that people expect the job to be handed to them instead of earned. Some candidates feel they do not have to impress, that they do not have to show up on time, that they do not have to dress properly. Some candidates ask, “So what do you have for me”, instead of “What I can provide your company”.

We agreed it is the very simple things that makes the big difference. How they sit in the chair when interviewing. How they greet someone. How they answer the question. Do they use full sentences or do they just respond yes or no. In some cases we might just get a yea, out of them!

From the hiring manager’s point of view, the way you come in on the interview is the highest presentation you will have. And that during your work it will only be that good or worse as time goes on.

So, if you impress poorly we assume that you will work poorly. In addition, it does seem a bit disrespectful to not even try to impress your future employer. If anything, it is a disservice to yourself not to be your best!

I hope that you are a person that wants to learn from someone else.

Dennis

Preparing for a pink slip

With all the unemployment news, you want to be prepared. An unexpected layoff can come without notice. One day your working then next your not. Therefore, it is up to you to be prepared.

Here are a few simple things to keep in mind.


Contacts are key:

Get your coworker and supervisors contact information. Many people do not think about obtaining this information until after they are let go. Contact information can be personal email, personal cell phone or home number. This may sound simple, but when a large layoff happens finding key coworkers for a reference is difficult.

Have pertinent information about your current position:

Know your location, headquarter location, HR contacts. Why is this important? Well, if the company closes several locations, you need to have a way for a new employer to verify information. Also, try to find out which employees will be left behind.

Outside contacts:

Keep contact information on vendors, customers, other companies that you have worked with. You have information at your office but remember that you will not be there.


Keep your nose clean:

During layoff times, upper management will start to utilize other means of cutting back on labor. You need to shine. You need to be prompt. You need to do what it takes. I know you might be thinking, “Well, they aren’t going to take care of me so why should I care?” The caring reason will be different for everyone. Think about why you need the paycheck, food, house, kids. These are reasons to keep up the good work. You want to be in line for a severance, if given, and not let go for disciplinary actions. Do not give them the excuse to let you go early. If you give them the excuse to terminate you, then you might not get unemployment and jobs are not plentiful during these times.

Start looking

Start looking for positions that match your skills. Now I give you this advice for something you can do after hours. This will help you target companies that might utilize your skills. I find it easier to look will working then after you are let go.

Dennis

*** Caution on posting your resume, HR departments might be scanning for resumes of personnel of that company, and letting those people go first. If you can, post your resume confidential.

Unemployment Surges

Private employers made their deepest job cuts in six years last month and companies' planned layoffs surged to their highest in nearly five years. A key gauge of the service sector fell to the lowest since the index was launched in 1997.

U.S. private employers cut a larger-than-expected 157,000 jobs in October in a deteriorating labor market that will get worse in the months ahead, according to a report by ADP Employer Services.

ADP also said it revised the number of jobs lost in September to 26,000 from the originally reported loss of 8,000. The ADP Employer Services report was jointly developed with Macroeconomic Advisers LLC.

ADP said the private sector job losses in October were the highest since November 2002. Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, said it was "entirely likely" to start seeing job losses of 200,000 per month.

"This is a weak number by any reckoning," Prakken told a teleconference of journalists about the report. From Reuters.

if you are one of the unfortunate people that just got let go, or if you might know your heading that way, what does this mean for you? More people looking, less jobs available. It means more competition for the position. What are some steps you can do to help you start the process?

I would like to talk about gathering your history. What did you do everyday? This might not be the easiest time to think about ,but I find it important to think about your daily routine and note every aspect. I then want you to look at the big picture of what you did and then focus on the details as well.

This is a good day to just take note, focus on the people, their titles, your interaction, the customers, the vendors, the forms, the computers, the software, the machines, the product. There are so many things we do and take for granted as just part of our day, that we need to get them out on paper to help with our presentations for our future employer.

So for today just recall and note your accomplishments. You will find this helpful.

Dennis

Election Day

The choice is between two candidates. The choice started off as many more. I am curious what made us choose these two. What is going to make us choose out of these two.

So what made the difference? Is it something you want to move toward or something you want to move away from? Is it what you hear? Is it what you see? Is it what you feel?

Do you make your choice on their past performances?

Do you make your decisions based on some one else’s opinion, your family, the media?

Do you make your decision because that’s the way we have always done it?

So how did they impress you? Or is it that the other choice is not as impressive?

So what is it that makes you make that choice?

The reason I bring this up is that this is the same decision making process that hiring managers go through when they are deciding who to hire.

More then likely something about one of these candidates made you feel good. Made you feel you are making a good decision.

Just something to think about when you are campaigning for a new position.

Dennis

You have two ears, USE THEM

I've written today's post so you can learn from the mistakes of others. All my coaching is based on that model. I see and hear what keeps others from getting hired and I want you to understand why and learn from it.

This morning one of my recruiters asked someone to email us his updated resume, a common routine procedure that automatically populates into our database. He called back and said it would be easier to fax, but for whom? Him, of course. It's one thing to ask for another method of sending a resume, especially if you don't have access to a computer. That's understandable and I'm not inflexible. However... this person has Internet access, and he told my recruiter he didn't want to use it because, for him, it's quicker to fax. But the fact that he didn't want to follow directions made the hiring process harder for me. Now, instead of working with clients to find him a job or make his information easily available to interested companies, my recruiter has two choices: manually enter in his information into our database before we can begin matching his skills with clients, or just find another candidate already in our database and place that person instead.

He didn't want to put in the effort, so why should we? It's supply and demand, folks. In today's job market, there is no short supply of people looking for work. In addition to making my recruiter's job more difficult, it gives me a good picture of how well he listens and follows directions.

We all have the ability to hear, but listening is a skill everyone should learn. Each of us has our own model of the world, our own agenda, and our own voices in our head. If you don't pay attention, you can hear what others are saying, but not listen to what it means and tune out what they want from you. Companies are looking for people that can follow directions, pay attention to detail, and can accomplish tasks. When someone is talking to you, listen intently, pause, comprehend, and respond. This is very important when your looking to earn a new career.

Did you know that you are being interviewed every time you interact with a potential employer, and you increase your chances of scheduling an interview or getting the job if you listen and follow their directions. So if you are asked to fill out an online application, email or fax a resume, complete a drug screen by a certain date, or given any other set of instructions.... not only should you do it, but do it their way. There is no room for Frank Sinatras in this job market. If you do things "my way," then don't be surprised if they tell you to hit the highway!

Dennis

Finding Work through Staffing firms

Being in the “staffing” industry for more than a dozen years, I am curious why more people do not look to staffing firms as a means to getting a new position. I have placed many people into full time positions through our contract to hire agreements. Others I have kept employed for years full time.

Staffing firms do all the work for you. You submit your resume, go in for an interview, and fill out some forms. Let them market you to their clients.

I have heard many interesting comments regarding the staffing industry, and yes, some might or might not be true. Much of my book and website that I will be releasing at the beginning of December is based on my view of what I see and hear from candidates. And how they can improve their presentation.

I have heard comments like: “They never call me back”, or “It was a waste of my time” “They are making money from my hard work”, and finally, “they are keeping me from getting into the company I am working at.”

Well I can tell you from my experience and what I write and coach people is that, it is not the companies obligation to contact you, they are not wasting your time. Staffing firms want you to do well because, they are making money, but what company is not making a profit because of your work?

An hour out of my day = getting a new position = paying bills=taking care of family….hmmm yes I would consider a waste of time.

As far as keeping you from working with a particular company, I have had many people tell me they tried applying for a position with the same company, and no response. More than likely they found something wrong with your resume, your presentation or something wasn’t right. I get them in and they are hired.

OMG…….

As I am typing this blog, my recruiter is on the phone with someone that has a resume out on the job boards, this indicates that they might be looking for a position, I hear her let him know that if you are to tired to answer the phone in a professional manner it might be wise not to answer it . Yes, imagine the sound of a person just answering the phone from their bed from a long night, that sleepy tone is very impressive to me.

This will be the same person that will bad mouth my company for not employing him.


So what should you do to help your marketing efforts:

• Get rid of the attitude “I have people call me and they say “Ewww, you’re a staffing firm?”
• See if they place people with your qualifications
• Make sure there are no candidate fees
• Find out the process for applying for positions
• Make sure your prepared to apply and present your skills, if not my book and website will be helpful
• Set reasonable boundaries for working. In many cases, a contract staffing position might not pay you as much as you were making, they might not have benefits, and they might send you to a position that is a bit below your skill. Know your limits!
• Ask about the position, get the details, and find out if this is long term, contract to hire, hours, and dress, everything you need to start. Also, find out what contract obligations you have. Make sure it feels right to you
• Make sure you are ready to work, and if you are getting a contract offer, know it is work.

We employee everyone full time W-2, same as if you worked directly for any other company.

So utilize staffing and employment firms as and added mean of getting work. If your not getting response from them, this is probable an indication that something is wrong in your presentation. If you are unemployed, the rewards might be worth the risk. You might want to consider getting some help. I am available.

Have a great weekend,
Dennis

Click and Sit isn't working

In my classes and coaching I have asked, “So how many resumes have you sent out?” I get incredible responses, “Oh I have sent hundreds!” Then I ask how they applied, and I get the same answer. "Well, I responded to all the openings on Monster and CareerBuilder."

There is no thought, no direction with that approach. Just a click and sit approach is not going to get you noticed.

I find that seeking work should be as much of an effort as if you were working. You need to find, locate and then impress. A position is not given, it is earned.

So did you see what happened on Jerry Springer today?

I hope not. If you find yourself looking forward to the next episode, you might want to consider another approach to getting a new position.

Simple ways to change your state

Wow! With all the recent news – down markets, layoffs, it might be tough to stay in a positive state. If you have been recently let go, or you know something is coming, this is a very important time for you to manage your state. What do I mean by your state? I find it best if I describe a state. If I asked you to describe someone that was sad, how would you describe that person? Shoulders down, slouched, eyes down. What would be the language or tone of this type of person? I am sure we have all met someone in this state.

Managing your state starts with you doing something else.

Focus on something else!

Make quick movements. And if you are not in an area where you can do jumping jacks, I find that by taking a deep breath letting it out slowly, raise your head and your eyes and you will find a change of state.

Also try this:

Stand up , move your hand out to your sides like wings and move your hands together in front of you quickly, then move them back out rapidly. Notice a change, Take a deep breath and do it again.

Why is this important? Well if you are in a better state, you will be able to focus on your job search better. You will find that your emails, your cover letters, your tone on the phone have a positive feel to the other person. If you are meeting with people, having a more positive outlook and state will come across.

So next time you are ready to start your job search, or if you have an interview, just before you proceed, check your state. Make sure it is positive! If not, break your current state and find yourself ready to get that new position. - Dennis

Job Fair Etiquette

Now this was front page in one of the local papers of a job fair in my area. It was for drivers and labor based positions. What struck me about this picture is I did not see one person with a suit. Ok, maybe a suit would be too much. How about a tie, hmmm didn’t see one of those , how about a collared shirt, not much of that either. What about leaving the hat at home, wouldn’t want to do that. I’m curious if the person interviewing didn’t like Dale Jr. “88” , would he pick some one else? No, that wouldn’t happen or could it?

I know that this might be their normal wear, but this is your opportunity to stand out! Be different, impress. Please notice and remember the hiring people, as you can see in the picture, are dressed business casual. Maybe you can raise the bar up to that level. I’m sure there is a collared shirt in your closet. And leave the hats behind!

The other thing about standing out, and you might notice, there is many people in the picture. I'm curious if people realize this company is not hiring everyone, just the ones that impress them. If it’s a close decision, the ones that stand out the might be the ones they like.

No, that wouldn’t happen or could it?

Dennis

Playing Dress Up

So watching my kids getting ready for a Halloween party I realized that Halloween is a time for us to let go , to ACT out, to dress up. Which brings me to getting a new position, ACTING and dressing the part.

Now my kids don’t go around in their regular clothes and say, "look at me I’m a scary monster." No, they get a costume and dress the part. On top of that, they ACT the part, they enjoy it and get in to the character of what they wanted. They play full out.

So two things I like to get across to candidates; first to dress the part. Coming in your regular clothes and saying I am a professional, won't be believable; you need to wear that “costume”.

The second thing is to ACT the part, you want to be what you want to be, so act the part. And enjoy it and play full out.

And even if it is a position that is less then you want or something to get you by, you need to ACT the part and convince the hiring person you want to be there.

So I suggest that you find your way in the door, what you really do after that is up to you. The way to get in the door is to ACT the position you want.

Have fun, enjoy and play full out.

Dennis

Please, keep the resume

If you are going to send a resume this bad, don't bother calling to follow up!

OBJECTIVE:
My objective is to find me a form of employment, I have certain skills in allot of fields that might be useful in the area of the job that i am applying for. I currently am in school for certifications that are needed to get me a better form of employment. I was employed from January of last year to December of this year. The reason that i am not employed anymore is because the owner decided to go back in to his old country to live out his retirement days. Now i'm back out looking for me another form of employment, My duties at the job in which i was previously employed was Technician,take phone calls,salesman. The reason that i had so many titles is because the owner found out that i could do other duties that came useful in the envoirment of work. I was okay with it, and i know if my previous boss was still here in our country i know he would highly recommend me. I am a easy guy to get along with, and get along with others. I always leave room to learn something new so i am willing to sit and listen to what my instructure is telling me because i know when i get out in the field i don't want to make any mistakes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
I have made many accomplishments in my life. My latest personal accomplishment I have just learned how to install an engine inside of a car. This is my latest accomplishment. These are some of the accomplishments that I have achieved. I now know how to install cable lines through an entire house, I have learned how to type not excellent but really well now, i have no idea how much i can type a minute now but if i had to guest i'l say about 40 maybe 50 words per minute, this is just a educated guess. I can really do almost anything with my hands. Theres always room to learn new things. I hope that the form of employment that will hire me teach me new things to learn or the things that i already know help me and the employer. An accomplishment that I really need to try and get is the ability to write a good resume. Right now i go to college part time to try and accomplish certifacations to show employers what i am able to do,instead of employers going off word of mouth.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Technician,Salesman,Customer Service,Stock.
My duties was to install and rearange the store for the owner to see fit. I installed cable lines, Installed televison wall mounts. I also installed electrical outlets and ran lines for the electrical outlets. I built walls for the inside of the store to block off what the owner did not want the customer to be able to see. I took all phone calls no matter what I was doing, that was my responsibility to answer the phone and deal with the people. I had to interact and socialize with all the customers that came inside the store to get whatever. I also was the salesman i had to sale most of the items in the store because i was in charge of three departments in the store,Clothing,Housing,Accessories, I was in charge of these areas because the owner saw how well i reacted wit people, and how I was able to talk with the customer like we was friends known for years. Since these was the departments with the most population in the store and how i was able to handle it I was put in charge. There was other departments also those was just the departments i was chosen to run.

EDUCATION:
I currently go to a community collge so that i can get credits so tha i can go into a University. I have a long way to go until that will com up so i am seeking employment so that i can work myself through college. My field of study is left open because currently while i'm in this community college i'm taking classes like Math classes and English classes because these classes offer the most credits and if i get enough credits when I go into the University then they will benifit me there. I currently hold a 3.6 gpa at this school and hoping that this will all help out for me in the long run.

INTERESTS:
My interests are to reintroduce myself to the working world. I just go to school and do nothing else except for personal things like installing my new TV or doing some car work or something like that. It's no need for me to be sitting around the house in a world that we live in today. I feal like that the demand for certain items and also other things that Americans want is in high demand, I want to be that person that brings it to them or calls for that certain item that they want. I feal that the demand in our society for certain things are very high and it is better to me to be out working in this fast paced world other then sitting on my couch waititng until i have to go to school. I only go to school twice a weak, all the rest of the weak i feal that i am letting life past e by. I am used to working , being in the work field and i would like to stay in that field.

KEYWORD SUMMARY
I am a indivusual that would like to reintroduce myself into the workforce. I go to school two days out of the weak in the evenings. I would like to be a part of this fast paced world that we all currently live in. I have certain skills that vary by which catogory in which my skills will be needed. I can do allot of things with my hands, I would like to think that I am almost excellent with using my hands. I am also good with my min. I would like to say that I am also almost excellent with using my mind and I am able to sit down and learn something new I have no problem with learning somwthing new. I am a cool gut to get along with, rarely in trouble, almost never in trouble. Nevr in trouble with the law I have a clean name and I am also a clean person well dressed and well spoken.

Thoughts from today's candidate

Well, today is the big day! I finally got a call for an interview, hmm what to wear? I think jeans and a polo shirt, that should do it. Boy, I can't wait till they offer me the position. So what do I need to bring with me? I can’t think of anything, they have my resume via email so I should be all set. I’m sure they have pens as well.

Just need to stop and get gas before I get there. Wow! Look at the traffic. That’s ok I’m sure they won’t mind if I’m a bit late.

Wow where is this place? I’ll give them a call. "Hello , yes I have a 10:00 interview , yes I know its 10:10 already, I’m lost , no I forgot to print the directions. I will be there shortly."

"Sorry I’m late, no I didn’t bring a copy of my resume, you should have it, oh you want me to fill out an application? Well my information is on my resume, could you print that for me?"

"I can’t remember the address of the my previous employer from a couple years ago, and I didn’t bring my references , can I get those to you?"

I think I got this position.

A little more about me

My name is Dennis Scherer and my company, Apvantage Corp., was created to help job-seekers market themselves efficiently and effectively. After 12 fulfilling years in the staffing industry and owner of my own staffing company for over a decade, I have interviewed thousands of people, many of which have the same destructive patterns and attitudes that keep them from getting jobs. With my insider knowledge of how and why hiring managers make decisions, I have coached numerous job-seekers on how to recognize and break bad habits, develop a stronger sense of self, polish their interview skills and resume, and motivate them to strive for their dream career – not just another job.

Are you currently unemployed, unhappy with your job, or overqualified for your current position and ready to make a change?

Are you presenting your resume over and over again without receiving positive response?

Have you heard the following phrases?
“You’re over-qualified.”
“The position was filled internally.”
“We’ve eliminated the position.”
“We will consider you for future positions.”
“We will maintain your information on file.”

If you are interested in learning how to enhance your career, Apvantage is here to help.

Executive Job Coaching Services

Apvantage - The Applicant Advantage
Executive Job Coaching Services

Clearly communicate why you command your salary.

You’ve worked your way to the top.
Climbed that ladder of success.
Earned every dollar you make.
And now it’s time to move on to the next best thing.

Are you prepared to navigate the current job market?

At your current salary, every day in the job-market takes it’s toll on your pocketbook, family, and standard of living. Rewarding long work histories, taking experience into consideration, and increasing payscale according to salary history is giving way to younger, less-expensive, executives. Now, more than ever, companies are taking any measure they can to preserve their bottom line. Are you prepared to compete?

• Does your resume resonate with employers?
  
• Are you clearly communicating your capabilities and accomplishments?
  
• Are your words and body language saying the same thing?
  
• Are you sending the appropriate message through the right channels?
  
• Could you use a little coaching and motivation?
  

Apvantage’s mission is to quickly and efficiently get you back to work!
Through our coaching sessions, we make sure you are communicating the right message to hiring managers by: writing a clear and concise updated resume, conditioning positive body language, teaching you to sync-up to your interviewer and develop rapport, and break any habits, negative thinking, and other factors that may negatively affect your marketability.

An initial consultation will determine what you need to work on: your resume, your speech, your body language, your habits and patterns, your job-search techniques, and so on.

ABOUT DENNIS SCHERER
After 12 fulfilling years of marketing job-seekers to employers as the owner of my own multi-million dollar staffing firm, I have helped thousands of people make the next step in pursuing their careers by helping them break bad habits and create new thought and action patterns. After so many years, I’ve learned what hiring managers and companies look for in resumes and employees and I want to share that knowledge with you.

My coaching techniques utilize Neuro-Linguistic Programming, hypnotherapy, and even Reiki, to help focus your direction, set goals and targets, and achieve favorable outcomes.



Dennis@apvantage.com