It's Monday choose to be inspired

This video is a from my client, Walgreens.

In my line of work, it becomes easy to focus on the people that don't seem to want to work or make the effort, however, I have seen so many people that I have employed get that opportunity and make a difference.

This is just a reminder of people wanting that opportunity, and getting it.

Dennis

***ATTENTION COACHING SESSIONS AVAILABLE!Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support. Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product http://www.mypocketapplication.com/

Email me, or call Dennis Scherer for more 630-571-6025

Comedy or Real Life?

Got a call this morning;

"Hello I talked to someone yesterday."

And I asked, "Who did you speak to?"

She replied, "I don't know some lady, she said to send my resume and wanted to see if you got it."

I continued, "Who did you send it to?"

She replied, "I don't remember, it was on the web site."


It reminded me of this scene in Step Brothers (2008), figured if I don't laugh at my job, I might start crying considering how many people just don't get that a few key pieces of proper career communication can help them get a new position.

Dennis

Step Brothers Property of Sony - No Copyright Infringement intended

***ATTENTION COACHING SESSIONS AVAILABLE!Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support. Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product http://www.mypocketapplication.com/Email me, or call Dennis Scherer for more information!630-571-6025

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you

So you finally get a job, you know it was a hard road to get that far!

You seem to be doing well, but all of a sudden; everything seems to be wrong about the job.

The job is too far

The pay isn’t good enough

The coworkers are mean

The boss is hard on me

The coffee machine is always broke,

To early, too late, too… too….. too………

Now this is the same job that you were all excited about a couple months ago. Now it isn’t what you expected? What has changed?

What I have found is this is internal dialogue you are having with yourself.

No one else knows any of this, and of course many won’t care, since this is what you signed up for.

They didn’t move farther, they are paying you what is promised. It really becomes your perception.

You continue to convince yourself how bad it is and one day quit. Or just don’t show up.

I guess somewhere in you head you figure, I will get them, this will fix them, they won’t be able to continue with out me. The reality is you only hurt yourself.

Now I have been the employer on some of these situations and the end result is that I would never employee that person again, or recommend this person.

There is a better way, and one of the first things you need to do is communicate your internal thoughts outward to someone that might be able to help. Walking around depressed, rolling eyes, huffing and puffing doesn’t count.

Also the threat approach doesn’t work either.

Let a supervisor know that you are having issues. I have coached people in this simple step of getting out of their own head and making a presentation, that they have received raises, new time slots, more responsibility, some time off, and some times they just got the relief that some one else knows and they stop , and work on something better.

Dennis

***ATTENTION COACHING SESSIONS AVAILABLE!Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support. Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product http://www.mypocketapplication.com/Email me, or call Dennis Scherer for more information!630-571-6025

NEED MONEY? Looking for people to work NOW!

Interesting enough I have many open positions.

Throughout the month of October into November I have approximately fifty openings for IT people.

So, my blog today is; NEED MONEY? Looking for people to work NOW!

If your looking for work, and or some extra income send me an email with your resume and what you might be interested in.

**** I will have weekend only work as well;

Here is a list of my current and future needs.

Northbrook – Help Desk Support 6 opening
Northbrook – IT repair and configuration 2 openings
Northbrook – office admin, mas90 knowledge

Elgin – Help Desk Support
Elgin – Administration support (password resets)

Niles – Entry level Help Desk Support 3 openings

Rolling Meadows – Full time and Part Time Help Desk Support

Downtown Chicago Every weekend in November and into December Friday after 5:00 PM , Saturday and Sunday, Computer move. 19 people total needed.

Itasca – Every weekend in November 20 people working 12 hour shifts configuring, data transfer and imaging.

Chicagoland Area Two Network Engineer postions both working offsite at client locations.

So if you or someone you know is looking for work , I have it. Let me know what you qualify for send me a resume and I will see if your skills fit our needs. Thank you

I can be emailed at dennis@jobcostaffing.com

***ATTENTION COACHING SESSIONS AVAILABLE!
Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support.

Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product http://www.mypocketapplication.com/

Email me, or call Dennis Scherer for more information!
630-571-6020

Focus on what you can give versus what you can get

I was listening to some of my motivational tapes and this subject came up, and I started thinking how true this can be when looking for a new career.

Of course people want work; they want a paycheck, they want to be productive.

The key is you will receive this if you genuinely give of yourself. If you do, it will come across to the people that want to hire you. They will unconsciously feel that you have interest in them the company and that you have a desire of serving them.

For that service, you will receive the work, the paycheck, and the opportunity to contribute and be productive.

So before you call for a position, or an interview, review in your mind what do you have to offer? How you can benefit this company? This position? What skill, characteristics, and abilities do you have to give?

By reviewing and focusing on those attributes, you will come across as giving of yourself without expecting a return.

Dennis

***COACHING SESSIONS
Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support.

Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product that I sell for $4.99 send me an email and I will tell you more at dennis@apvantage.com

Email me or call Dennis Scherer for more information!
630-571-6025

Get the Bat phone

An email address tells a lot about someone, this particular email was batman@....com and I should of known by the email that this position wasn’t for them.

We have a job opening that requires flexible shifts, where people are REQUIRED to be available till Midnight. This was clearly stated in the ads we posted. Now I know this schedule is not for everyone but Batman sent in his resume.

We sent him an application and he filled that out and he looked qualified for the position.

We go to set him up for an interview, and Batman tells us that he can only work till 6:00 p.m.

Well, I should have known that he needs to be available just in case Commissioner Gordon calls.

P.S. Thank you again for wasting my time… please refers to yesterday’s blog. Because I am sure that this is the type of person complaining on the Job Boards about nobody offering him a position.

P.S.S The good candidates of the world should be aggravated as well since this person is taking my time , time that I could be spending on getting you work.

Dennis

***COACHING SESSIONS
Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support.

Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product that I sell for $4.99 send me an email and I will tell you more at dennis@apvantage.com

Email me or call Dennis Scherer for more information!
630-571-6025

Thank you

I have been reading on a variety of Job Boards that as a Recruiter or HR representative that I am supposed to take my time and call each of you and give you continuous status on your e (internet) application or on the resume that you sent me.

I have also read as well about how after we place you or we see you for an interview that we should send you a thank you letter. And lastly I read that if you worked for me and the assignment “ended” that I need to keep in touch with you.

So here it is THANK YOU for:

Sending me a resume that doesn’t fit my job specification
For misspelling words in your resume
For not attaching your resume
Applying to a job posting weeks after I posted it
For applying to a position you are over qualified, under qualified or not specifying why you would be qualified
For not including your email on your resume
For not including a working phone number
For not returning my call when I do call you
For not showing up for interviews I have scheduled
For showing up late for an interview
For dressing in your worst clothing for an interview
For accepting a job and not showing on the first day
For not passing the drug screen
For lying about your Background
For no call no shows
For calling off
For being tardy
For quitting without notice
For getting terminated, and wondering what else I can send you to!

For thinking I have nothing better to do, I THANK YOU.

I know people are frustrated when they can’t find something, but in most cases the person to blame is the one in the mirror. I do call the most qualified candidates, and yes, I get them work. And I will get them more work as long as they worked well for me.

And when I read that it is good PR and builds loyalty, give me a break! If you had the chance to be loyal to a recruiter that called you back or make $5 bucks more an hour you will take the $5 bucks.

So next time your looking for a Thank you, why don’t you make the recruiters job easier and they will thank you!!

WITH A NEW POSITION

Dennis

***COACHING SESSIONS
Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support.

Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product that I sell for $4.99 send me an email and I will tell you more at dennis@apvantage.com

Email me or call Dennis Scherer for more information!
630-571-6025

Circumstantial Evidence

I know you are trying to better your life. I know you are trying to give yourself options. I applaud you for going back to school, to learn and be more.

All these good things could be keeping you from getting work.

How could school keep you from a new position????

Hiring managers are hiring for their position, for now, and for the future. If they are going to train you, they are not looking for someone to leave them for a better position or pay.

By going to school it shows that you want out of what type of work your doing. So why would they hire you?

They are looking for long term commitments!

In your resume or in an interview you come across with your focus “schooling” in a different direction they might pass on you.

I have seen it happen many times, I just had a person get passed on a warehouse position because they were studying at night for their HVAC position. Could he have gotten the position based on past skill? Yes! But the manager figured once he was HVAC certified he would leave, so she chose someone else.

So what can you do? Don’t tell them!! What does it matter what you do after hours if its not interfering with your potential work schedule? What is the difference?

Let your work history speak for itself.

Again continue to improve yourself and your chances, when it comes to getting work, get it with the information that matters.

Dennis

***COACHING SESSIONS
Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support.

Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product that I sell for $4.99 send me an email and I will tell you more at dennis@apvantage.com

Email me or call Dennis Scherer for more information!
630-571-6025

Need to be confident

MASSILON, Ohio — Evidence of the slumping economy is stacking up at an Ohio school which has nearly 700 applications for one open janitorial job.

Officials at Perry Local Schools near Canton in northeast Ohio say they've extended the deadline until Monday to accommodate the overwhelming response to the week-old posting.

The full-time position at Edison Junior High School pays $15 to $16 an hour plus benefits.

Superintendent John Richard says many applicants are laid-off workers with heart-wrenching stories about the tough economic times.

Forty-nine-year-old Donna Croston says she applied after losing jobs at two nearby factories that closed.

Croston says her chances of being hired amid the hundreds of applicants are slim, but she's hoping to get lucky.


_________________________________________________________________________________
Believe the job is yours

As you can see, there is a lot of competition for positions.

How do employers pick one person out of 700? Well, they start by eliminating the unqualified.

1) Do they have any applicable skills – guessing most do, but which ones have the closest skills or background that is listed and obvious in the resume or application?

2) After narrowing it down, they will review applications, if they see a mistake or empty fields they will probable consider the application incomplete and pass on the person.

3) They will then interview people to see if they have the meet the demeanor and characteristics of what they are looking for in a new employee. They are looking for people that can make this a career, not just a stop over. They are looking for positive attitudes and a desire to work.

Read the bottom of the article again.

Forty-nine-year-old Donna Croston says she applied after losing jobs at two nearby factories that closed. Croston says her chances of being hired amid the hundreds of applicants are slim.

What ever you think, you are right. If that is her thoughts that is what she will probable get.

I feel that people need to be confident that the position is theirs. That they want it , they can do it and that they are the right person for the job.

Dennis

***COACHING SESSIONS
Coaching is available through any combination of in-person, telephone, or email support.

Are you prepared to navigate the current job market? If you would like to increase your chances and give yourself a real chance to win the next position. I have developed a simple easy to use and affordable product that I sell for $4.99 send me an email and I will tell you more at dennis@apvantage.com

Email me or call Dennis Scherer for more information!
630-571-6025

Why can't I get a job!

Dennis: I see your have sent us your resume

Jobseeker: Yes

Dennis: Are you currently employed?

Jobseeker: No

Dennis: What type of work are you looking for?

Jobseeker: What do you have?

Dennis: Okay, tell me about your background.



Jobseeker: It’s on the resume

Dennis: Thanks for applying.

American Idol

Yes, I watch American Idol. Why? I find it entertaining, funny, and it shows the psychology of the way people think, act, and how others respond to them.

It is great to watch the judges and their initial response to people auditioning. Let us look at the bikini girl, which is all over the news and internet. If you watch Simon, he already had her picked to be “in”. She didn’t have to even sing, and Simon seemed to like what he saw.

If you watch the judges, they respond to the contestants based on how the dress, how they walk in. Do they have the right attitude, confidence? How do they address and impress the judges all on the few seconds up to them saying hello.

Then they tell a short story. The judges ask “Tell me about yourself”, or “Why are you here”, and “Are you the next American Idol?”

That’s funny! These are very similar questions that are asked by hiring managers when they are judging you for a new position.

So at this point either you are winning them over, have lost them or are neutral.

Now comes to the singing, their skill, their craft, what they do. If they are winning a good to great performance might get them to move forward. If the are neutral chances are less. If they start off losing the judges, only a great performance might sway them to have the singer to move on.

When you watch the show, of course for TV entertainment, your only seeing the really good and the really bad.

What happens to the other ten’s of thousands? Well, they get prescreened, they never make it to the final judges, the never get the chance.

Taking out the entertainment value of seeing the bad performers. This is similar to the hiring process. We filter people, screen them, then the final few make it to see the hiring managers.

Just realize that your initial presentation is setting the tone and direction for the rest of the hiring process.

Clearly Stated

If you are going to scan a resume, make sure people can view it.

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

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.

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.