Staffing Advice

Networking can be a great tool in finding the job that you want.  You may be able to obtain great information about potential employers who may be looking to hire personnel.  Your friends, family, and college alumni can also provide you with a great resource that could help you land a job.  Keeping in touch and asking the right questions can get you the information you need.

Sometimes people may be intimidated and a little scared to use their network resources in order to find a job.  Getting over this fear could be the key to starting a rewarding new career.  Networking makes it that much easier to ask for potential job information because you already have some kind of relationship with these contacts.  Many of these already post the job they have or the career field they are pursuing on their personal page.  Depending on how well you know the contact, you may be able to be straight forward and ask for a job directly.  Asking for a referral from someone who is currently working in the same company you are trying to get a job with will give you a better chance of getting hired.

You may also want to try a less aggressive approach and begin by asking for some advice and information regarding your field of interest.  Think of it as starting a casual conversation and mentioning that you are looking for employment.  Emailing friends through social networking sites is a great way to start in your search.   Make sure to treat these emails as if you are emailing someone who might hire you, check your spelling and be polite.

Most importantly you want to keep an open mind about potential job opportunities that come your way.  The more options that you have, the better chance you have of establishing yourself in your desired workplace.  Remember, in the long run, having a job is better than not having one and you might even end up meeting someone who will help you find your true calling.  Be open to internships and temp positions as well, for these may turn into permanent positions in the future and help you find the career that you are looking for.

At this time of year, many colleges and organizations are hosting “Job Fairs”. A Job Fair is an event that brings together many companies and organizations that are hiring, to make it easier for both the companies and job seekers to get acquainted.  In order to get the best results it is important to be prepared.  The job seeker’s objective at these fairs is to have a recruiter invite you to an interview.  Here are some essential tips that can help you to get the best results for your job search!

1)      Do your homework!  What types of hiring firms will be attending the fair?  What positions are they recruiting for?  Who will be in attendance from the hiring company?  All of this information can be obtained by the sponsoring venue.

2)      Have questions ready for Hiring Managers!  This is a great opportunity to ask questions about the firm that they work

3)      Arrive early!  The first attendees usually get the opportunity to enter first and have more time with recruiters and other company decision makers.

4)      Get your resume ready!  Tailor your resume to the types of firms that will be in attendance. Be sure all of your contact information is up to date and have many copies handy.

5)      Take Job Fairs as seriously as you would take an interview!  Employers are looking for extreme professionalism and they meet hundreds of job seekers during a fair.  Stand out by being polite and very professional.

6)      Spend quality time with Hiring Managers!  Do not just run through the Fair handing out resumes.  Try to get some face time with your top three companies for the best chance of landing an interview.

7)      Collect business cards and contact information from Hiring Managers!  You will want to keep contact information handy and make notes so you can effectively follow up after the Fair and send thank you notes.

Although the job market can be competitive, sometimes a Job Fair can be the edge that you need to win over an employer and get that foot in the door!

In many cases, resumes act as an interview before the interview. Most
advertisements for  open jobs ask for a resume to be submitted via fax
or email before any face to face interviews are scheduled. A great
resume will score you a phone call to schedule interview, but a poorly
written or constructed one will leave you waiting for a call that will
never come. Here are ten common resume mistakes that will sabotage
your chances of landing a job.

1. Resume is too long: Employers aren’t looking to read a novel
about your prior experience, so keep your resume to one page at the
longest. Keep in mind the position you are applying to; if there jobs
listed that have no relevance to the position you are seeking, leave
them off.

2. Noting that references are available upon request: Putting this
phrase in your resume is a waste of space and makes you look dumb. If
the employer is interested in contacting any references they will let
you know.

3. Incorrect contact information: Believe it or not, some people
mistype their phone numbers on their resumes. One such example is of a
man who sent out his resume to multiple employers, but was discouraged
when he never received any calls to schedule an interview. When his
father jokingly asked if he listed the wrong number on his resume, a
quick scan over his contact list confirmed that he did. Another
similar mistake is not listing your email address with your phone
number. Emails are essentially the phone calls of the 21st century;
some employers will choose to contact you by email instead of a phone
call.

4. Including personal information: Employer’s don’t care about your
hobbies, interests or family life. What they really want to know is
your work experience, educational background, and computer skills. If
they want to know you on a personal level, they will ask you during
the interview or after you are hired.

5. Listing any information that would lead the employer to know your
race, religion, or ethnicity before you even step foot in the office:
Do not include any information pertaining to any groups or awards that
reveal your race or religion. Knowing this background is risky for the
employer and will possibly lead them to disregard your resume all
together.

For more information, view our website:

www.mpc-nyc.com

Here's a killer interview question, literally. Some employers have asked:

If you were to die tomorrow, what would your eulogy say about you? 

This question,although morbid in it's premise, allows the interviewer to get
know your view of how you think the world perceives you. This question is
sometimes used by employers to see how you react personally and emotionally.
Answering with an emotional response could possibly label you as a weak person.
Talking about your family or how great you are will make you come off as a
self-centered person and nobody wants to work with an egotist.

Giving a smart-alack answer such as “if I'm dead, how could I possibly know what my
eulogy will say?” will not score you any points. There is a time and place for sarcasm;
a job interview is not one of them. Also, don't question the relevancy of the question either.
Telling the interviewer that the question does not relate to the job to which you are applying
to will lead you nowhere. It doesn't matter if you are applying to the job of funeral director
or accountant,employers only ask such odd questions to gauge how well you think on
your feet and to learn a little more about you on a personal level.

When faced with the task of writing a eulogy for a fallen friend or family member,
the challenge can be daunting and emotionally upsetting. But remember, this
interview question is purely hypothetical, so be wary of taking it too seriously.
Perhaps giving a vague answer might seem the best way to go about it. For example:

Death was afraid of him/her because he/she had the heart of a lion.

Or

It matters not how one dies, but how one lives.

While these answers will demonstrate a superior intelligence and a well-spoken
demeanor, it does not give the employer a clear understanding of what they really
want to know: How do you think others perceive you? The best route: Give an
honest, non-egotistical answer of how you think others view you. For example:

“John” was a hard-working individual who demonstrated himself as a reliable
person, friend, and son did not shy away from the prospect of breaking away from
the pack and making his own way in life.

Or

Although her life was unfairly cut short, “Marissa” accomplished more than anyone
thought possible given her past as a shy and timid child. She eventually blossomed
into an outgoing young woman who embraced the prospect of new challenges and
acquaintances wherever she went in the world.

Your eulogy can become somewhat of a script- telling people who you were, what
you did, and how well you were liked. A great eulogy can only be made by living
the life you want remembered. Show a sense of humanity, but never too much-
emotional weakness can sometimes be a red flag to interviewers. But at the same
time, don't present a cynical or cold answer. It's okay to break down your walls
a little bit. Just remember that the line between sob and stone-cold can be very
thin in certain instances. Above all keep a clear head and calm demeanor; don't
let yourself become the victim of a seemingly off-topic interview question. All
questions have their purpose in a job interview, and your answers can either
make or break the possibility of a job offer.

For more information, view our website:

www.mpc-nyc.com

So you meet the qualifications of the job- and then some. But so do a laundry list of candidates behind you AND in front of you!
You need to read between the lines and answer the question that employers really want to ask: WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME? And in order to figure out what the hiring team (that’s right, I said TEAM- usually a group of people makes the hiring decisions) really wants/needs, you have to do some homework. Go to the company website, look up the history of the company, google the CEOs, get information about new projects the company has taken on and decide how you, personally, can be an asset.
Then practice short 15 second statements about how your experience and education and background can add value to the firm or make the operations run more smoothly. This will make you stand out from the pack for all the right reasons and you will have answered the question that is on the mind of every hiring manager.

Networking is important to the job search as it is the best method of marketing yourself. Sure, your resume does a great job in drawing potential employers to your qualifications. But what makes you standout more than an incredible resume is if you to know someone in the organization that you are trying to enter. This gives you an advantage because it is more able of giving you more credibility if someone the employer already knows is capable of telling them about you.
Connect with as many people as you can. Think of it in terms of a creditability point system. The more people you know in a company, the more points you are capable of gaining because more people are able to recommend you abilities. You never know if someone you know has a very high standing in a company, who might be able to instantly get you a job.

Your Work As an Expression of You

People often come to me seeking career advice. I very often tell them that in order to be successful, you must care about the work you do, because that work is an expression of you. If you are not happy and not sincere, people will pick up on that and you will not be successful.

Forget what other people think of your choices and do what makes you happy. Being true to yourself in your work gives you freedom, power and creativity. At the end of the day, you are the one who has to put in the hours, so why not have a job that makes you happy?

Your career is yours alone, so create it and live it as a creative expression of who you are as a person, so have fun with it.

“NOT YOUR MOTHER’S RESUME!”

In today’s tough job market, resumes are getting more scrutiny than ever.  You don’t want to go out in there with a document that stands out for all the wrong reasons. If you handing out resumes with any of the following information, it could be a sure sign that your resume needs an update.

FAX NUMBER:  All resumes should have an email address as part of the contact information!  Almost all jobs today involve having and checking emails, so employers will assume if you don’t list one, you probably don’t have much computer savvy. If you don’t have a personal email address, register for one.  They are free and it lets the employer know that you are familiar with current technology.

OBJECTIVE:  An objective can be extremely limiting in its scope and pigeon hole you into one position.  Employers today are looking for resumes that contain a strong profile statement, as opposed to an objective.  This allows you to speak about your accomplishments and elaborate a bit on the resume about what you bring to the table.

TYPEWRITER FONT: All resumes should be printed on a computer.  Any typewritten documents are a sure sign that the job applicant is not up to date with the technology needed.  Take a computer class at a local library or community center or ask a friend or relative to teach you.

OUTDATED SOFTWARE:  If your resume lists a software that offices rarely use anymore, such as WordPerfect, which was all the rage 20 years ago, then you are asking to be passed over for a position.  Most companies have long since replaced that with Microsoft Word.  If you are not familiar with the most up to date office technology, it would be worthwhile to gain some proficiency.

It is extremely important to make sure that your resume portrays you as someone who is familiar with the latest office technology and most current applications.  This will allow you to put your best foot forward and land that job.

What’s a Big Fish Supposed to Do?

Many seasoned job seekers in this economy are desperate for work. They were previously earning big bucks and going without an income is not an option. Although they are willing to do what it takes to get their proverbial foot back in the door, employers are sometimes reluctant to hire someone who may leave for more money when the economy improves. The big question from these “big fish” is how to avoid being passed over and lumped into the “overqualified” pile.  My advice:

Only go back 10 years on your resume.

Positions that you held more than 10 years ago are not necessarily relevant and may cause employers to believe that you are too experienced for a job. Also, this allows for a shorter, more readable resume.

Broaden the scope of your search.

Explore possibilities in alternate fields and widen your search into new fields where you can use your transferable skills. Research new job options via the internet and through your networking abilities.

Don’t get hung up on titles.

Many seasoned employees have become accustomed to holding certain titles.  Remember that it is more important to be gainfully employed, than to adhere to certain titles.  Sometimes by taking a small step back in terms of title,  one can move forward more rapidly.

Don’t agonize over gaps in employment.

It used to be that a gap in employment was looked upon in a very critical manner; however, in this economy it is very common for people to have been unemployed for awhile.  Employers now understand how hard it is to find work. The most important thing is that you are able to get good references from past Managers.

Straight Up Career Tips:

People always ask me for my best career advice.  I tell them strategy

and planning play a huge part in your success in the work place.

Organize yourself by utilizing the following tips and you will be on

your way to the top!

Tip- “Create a Career Plan.”

Sit down and envision where you see your career taking you and then put

it down on paper.  This is a very important step because it enables you

to evaluate your goals at a later date. Carefully detail the field you

wish to work in and the title you want to hold, with as much

information as possible.

“If you can dream- you can become it.”

Tip- “Research your Career Path.”

Explore the steps you need to take to be successful at your career.  Do

you need to go to school and get a certain degree?  Would an internship

be beneficial?  Is there a certain geographic area that is more

beneficial for your success? For example, as an actor, you are more

likely to get work in Los Angeles, CA than in Seattle, WA. Find this

information online, through books at the library or just by asking

people you know.

“Do your homework!”

Tip- “Get in touch with others who have been successful in your chosen career path”

Ask your friends, family and teachers if they know anyone who can give

you some sound advice on how they achieved their goals in your chosen

profession. Then reach out to those individuals and ask them their

opinions on the best path to success in that particular career.

“Follow the leaders.”

Tip- “Be Patient”

Finding your career path can take some time.  Things don’t always

happen in our time frame.  The best thing we can do is be patient and

keep trying to succeed.  Understanding that sometimes we need to take a

small step backwards to take two giant leaps forward is key.

“Good things come to those who wait.”

Tip- “Have a positive outlook.”

Being enthusiastic is essential in any task in life- most especially in

finding your career path! When things are not going our way, we need to

look at it as an opportunity to evaluate our goals. Sometimes we need

to go that extra mile to be upbeat, but the rewards are far greater.

“Put on a happy face.”