Using Your Magical Recruiting Power to Hire the Perfect Candidate

Using Your Magical Recruiting Power to Hire the Perfect Candidate Have you ever had to find a candidate your business desperately need that tends to be in short supply? I have on numerous occasions. Some examples from my past include: A Director of a nonprofit organization with demanding hours without the salary budget to match A Service Technician who is required to travel 95% of the time A CEO who needed a clairvoyant Admin Assistant An IT expert for an extremely   niche program Many organizations are constantly on a never-ending quest to find the perfect candidate. So how do you find that one-in-a-million candidate that, in their own unique way, has the power to drive a business towards its full profit-earning potential? Resourcefulness: Embrace the Hunt Traditional job boards work sometimes, but they can’t be the only weapon arsenal. You are an expert in your industry and have spent years developing contacts in your field, so why not start by asking around for referrals? Be sure to ask people you know and respect who are outside the field of HR. And even when you don’t have a critical opening, never stop recruitingkeep a list (physical or mental) of people that you would love to work with should an opportunity arise. Once you have exhausted your personal network, start reaching out to others via LinkedIn, Professional Organizations, and Networking Organizations. I personally love LinkedIn Recruiter although it’s expensive, you can do searches with almost any keyword. You need to hunt the candidate instead of searching for it. This is necessary since hiring the perfect candidate tends to be elusive: they aren’t likely to just “show up” out of the blue. Perspective: You Do You Perfect candidates may come in all kinds of shapes and colors, but one thing that unites them is that they can’t be easily bought especially the kind that can fly. They know that they are in demand, and aren’t going to settle for just any job. They’re not only talented but deeply confident, A true candidate is discerning, and rightly so. They are evaluating you and your entire business just as much as you are evaluating them. You have to be extremely self-aware and transparent about your strengths and weaknesses as an organization and a leader.  So don’t try to sugarcoat them, tell them the magical stuff and the dark Gargemely stuff, since they are going to find out eventually. Revising Expectations When you get really clear about expectations in terms of qualifications, aptitude, experience and fit, you may find that you don’t even need a perfect employee. If you want to know if you are really looking for the perfect candidate or just have unrealistic expectations, you can start by asking your client group these questions: Why is this position so difficult to fill? Why did the previous employee leave? Do I pay below or above market for this position in this region? Is the education requirement necessary for competency in this role? Where am I located do I offer relocation? Is it necessary that they have the exact previous experience? Hiring for a single position shouldn’t be your full-time job. You will most definitely have plenty of other things to think about. So instead of being stuck in a cycle of high turnover, it’s time to find a fresh angle. About the author:  Colleen Drennen Pfaller    is the Founder of A Slice of HR, a company that provides subscription HR services to small businesses to help them recruit best of industry, reduce turnover, ignite passion and avoid legal missteps.    

How to Include Writing Skills in Resume Writing

How to Include Writing Skills in Resume WritingWriting skills can be included in resume storytelling narratives. This article will give you tips on how to do that. You'll learn the proper format for a resume story and how to use it to get noticed when submitting your resume.While resuming stories are still a relatively new technique, they are becoming more common in the Human Resource Management field. When a candidate uses resume storytelling to build their resume and gain notice for themselves, they can make a good impression with their resume and use it to land that job.If you're interested in human resource management or your current job, there are plenty of benefits to including writing skills in resume storytelling. First, it shows you're the type of person who would be a great fit for the company. With resumes, it shows employers you have experience using skills and creating great stories to write about yourself. It also shows you can take direction well, so if you can't think of a story to tell when someone asks, you can easily look for one on your own.Once you've included writing skills in resume storytelling, it's time to introduce them in a way that makes it memorable. After all, this is the part of your resume where a recruiter or hiring manager will see your skill and see why they'd want to hear more. The best way to do that is to create a few stories that go together. A couple of ideas are:* Resume by story: Storytelling resumes go hand-in-hand with the skills you've already put in your resume. You can begin your story telling with your resume, but before you start telling it, make sure you've put in a lot of writing skills to get it to where you want it. Do not go into storyboarding until you've filled out the proper information and taken some writing courses.* Designing your resume by story: Have a resume written out by you, from beginning to end, as if you were writing a story. A really good storyteller can bring forth the information needed to convince the reader that you're the right person for the job description the recruiter needs to know about. You can design the resume by story and use a video camera to record the whole thing.* Resume by sample: By using examples in your resume, you'll help your reader to visualize you when you start talking about yourself. Look for certain phrases or characters to include in your resume, or just be a real person in the examples. When you apply for a job, you need to demonstrate the skills and experiences that show you can do the job. A resume example shows the employer that you can do the job, and if you already have the experience they need, you also need to convince them that you can do the job.Now that you know how to include writing skills in resume writing, you can begin to learn how to use them. Consider including resume writing tips in your resume writing workshops so you can improve your resume writing skills. Write resumes to get noticed, not to impress the employers, so include skills in your resume that will help you create compelling stories to help your resume stand out among the rest.

What You Need to Know Before Investing In Real Estate

What You Need to Know Before Investing In Real Estate Once again, real estate has become a hot topic for potential investment.   Thats no surprise.   If you had invested at the bottom of the market in some major metropolitan areas 7 years ago, youd be up on average about 65%.   And in some areas much more.   Buying investment property can bring in some very respectable returns. But just as in any other investment, its not as simple as just throwing your money out there and raking in the profits.   Becoming educated and doing your due diligence is essential if you want to avoid making costly mistakes.   If youre considering venturing into real estate, heres some tips to keep in mind. What Kind of Investor Are You? There is no generic real estate investment.   So one of the first questions to ask yourself is how you want to invest.   Do you want to be a passive or active investor?   Passive investing includes: Equity funds REITs (real estate investment trusts) Online real estate investment platforms (usually allow for smaller investments) If those terms sound confusing, think of them as mutual fund type investments.   In one form or another, your money is pooled with other investors and managed by a professional team.   These are more like a set it and forget it way of investing. On the other hand, you may be the kind of person who wants to be involved,   maybe even get your hands a little dirty.   If that describes you, some of your options include: House flipping, which usually includes updating and remodeling investment property Owning rental properties Owning and/or managing Airbnb-type rentals Generally speaking, the potential for returns (profits) is higher in active investments.   The downside is that theres also greater risk.   And, depending on how you set it up, possible management headaches. Most of the buzz around real estate investing of late involves active investing. What Kind of Investment Property Interests You? If you decided to be an active investor, youll want to narrow your field of possible investment property down.   Almost all successful real estate investors focus on a specific area of the market.   Those include: Single family homes (this might also include a single condo unit within a larger complex) Multiple- family units (from duplexes to small apartment buildings) Commercial real estate By far, the majority of new real estate investors begin with single family units, and many stay in that area.   Theyre more easily managed, in terms of any rehabbing required, rental management, and the ultimate resale. Get Educated! Real estate investing, especially active investing, is not something you want to jump into without a clear understanding of what its about.   But dont fall for the hype of the self-proclaimed experts who want to charge you hundreds or even thousands of dollars for their supposedly secret methods to getting rich. Theres a ton of information online.   Start there.   Then, find a local real estate investors club.   Theyre in most cities.   Youll find a gathering of people just like you, learning and investing,   and they usually meet weekly or monthly. Have Realistic Expectations Since the market crash a bit over ten years ago, the returns on real estate have been unusually good.   Looking over a much longer span of time, residential real estate on average  has returned about 10.6%.    If youre a fan of those house flipping TV shows, that may sound low.   While it is possible to make substantially more on a given property, its not the norm. Bottom line:   If you buy for $100,000 and sell for $150,000, youre NOT going to make $50,000.   Check out my earlier article for an explanation of how that works. Is Investment Property For You? Ive been investing in real estate for over 20 years now.   Its been quite good to me.   But, make no mistake, it comes with its share of headaches too.   If youre willing to stick with it and learn, its not only profitable its satisfying to know youre part of providing someone a great place to live.

What are employers really looking for

What are employers really looking for Hilary Riseley, who has worked for eight years in Human Resources and Recruitment with some  big graduate employers,  has been part of the Warwick careers team over the course of this term.  Many students here may have met her in her role  as a Job Search Adviser.  We have enjoyed working with her. Here she shares some great advice, based on her experience  and feedback from graduate  employers, about what  they are really looking for in their new recruits. The Employer’s Shopping List â€" How to make sure you are not left on the shelf? When graduate employers go shopping for new recruits, they are very particular about their specific recipe for success. Yes â€" they may all look for the same basic ingredients: a spoonful of teamwork, a dash of effective communication, mixed with initiative, customer service, all  topped off  with commercial awareness. However, they also seek extra special ingredients to make their individual ‘showstopper’ result. So what might these magical additional  ingredients be and more importantly, how can you get them? Well, speaking to graduate recruiters, that very much depends on the company itself and the particular area of the business that theyre recruiting for. Some speak of a ‘Corporate Character’ â€" if they could describe their company as a person, what would they say? This is more than their advertised mission statement, values, brand and strategy, it is also what their clients say and how employees behave on a daily basis. This information will be difficult to find out just by researching the company website. Sure, that will give you some initial ideas, but what is it really like working there and what does their work  actually involve? Graduate recruiters want to feel special. Its  your job to give them that feeling!  Youll drastically increase your chances of standing out from the thousands of applications they receive if you can show that you have taken the time and energy to actively learn more about their business.  Try to  show (whilst being true to yourself) that you match their ‘Corporate Character ’ and what they need. So, what should you do? Be pro-active Use every opportunity to network with employers and current/previous staff to find out real-life examples of what the work involves and what they need from their graduate recruits. This may be through on-campus events and presentations, through  university alumni networks, friends and family contacts, student societies,   employee views websites (e.g.  Glassdoor) or all of the above! Be current Keep up to date on the latest industry /sector developments and news, particularly any information on the companies you want to work for. Make sure that youre following them on LinkedIn (if they have a company profile). What challenges are they facing? How is your preferred company tackling those challenges for example? This shows an enthusiastic, self-motivated, ‘switched on’ candidate. Be focused Quality, not quantity is key. Its better to research your preferred sector and identify a few (no I won’t give specific numbers â€" thats your call) employers youre most attracted to.  Focus your job search activities around them to produce targeted, relevant applications. Avoid the ‘scattergun’ approach at all costs! Far better to select one employer and attend all the campus events that theyre running rather than go to visit each and every employer in a specific sector just once each. Many employers keep a record of who attends their sessions:  by building up rapport and credibility with the company representatives; youre more likely to be remembered in the application process. Be specific Avoid general (and generic)  statements and focus on  an individual employer  â€" what is it specifically about them that inspires you to work there? Its not enough to say that theyre a ‘leading global company’ â€" anyone could say that! Instead, you could mention a specific business challenge that they have overcome and how that links to you and your experience. For example, they may have persevered through multiple obstacles and challenges to develop an innovative new product; you could then give an example of how youve persevered to achieve an innovative result. This is linking you with them and strengthening your case to show you have what they need. While this may feel like a lot of work when you are already busy with your academic studies, taking the time and effort to focus your job search activities and make targeted, relevant applications is likely to pay off in the long run.  Sometimes employers take as little as 5-7 seconds to look at a CV. Their shopping trip is more like a ‘supermarket sweep’, so anything you can do to show you have the ingredients they need will help ensure you get in the mix!

Reviews of Monster Resume Writing Services

Reviews of Monster Resume Writing ServicesReviews of Monster Resume Writing Services are usually found online and a common question in this regard is whether they're worth the time spent to look for one. Why should one do so? It could be that a resume needs to be written by someone who is experienced in the field and not someone who has tried and failed in this aspect.Reviews of Monster Resume Writing Services can also be found by doing an internet search and entering keywords such as 'resume 'writing services' in the search box. Look for online reviews that talk about a company and their reviews on how well they have performed in their writing.The reviews could come from professional colleagues who have written resumes or previous writers that provide these services for hire. These people can give you a good idea of the reliability of a resume writing service.With the growing amount of information available online at many different places, it would be hard to keep track of the relia bility of a particular site. However, the reviews can help make the decision easier and narrow down your search to just the resume writing services that have been known to deliver the desired results.Another factor to consider when looking at the reviews is the personality of the person that wrote the reviews or the writer of the content that appears on these sites. People may write reviews in an attempt to promote their own resume writing services and the writer may have a lot of reviews written by them on their site.This can be found out by doing an internet search of the writer and looking at their reviews and the response that they get when they contact customers with a particular request. If there are any negative or bad reviews, then you can expect a high response from the writer because they probably have a lot of satisfied customers.Reviews of resume writing services are not too hard to find and since they are provided by persons that can vouch for the quality of the service s offered, it can be trusted. Therefore, the reviews can be used as a way to judge the quality of service offered by the resume writing services.Since the reviews are written by well-known and credible people that are knowledgeable about the resume writing services, it can be trusted and used to your advantage. You can use the reviews to get a sense of the writer's reliability and use that to your advantage to get a resume that is unique and worth the time that you spend writing one.

21 Ways Your Personal Brand Drives Your Executive Career - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

21 Ways Your Personal Brand Drives Your Executive Career 11 Ways Your Personal Brand  Helps You Land That Executive Job

The New Networking Ultimate Facebook Guide For 2012 Grads - CareerEnlightenment.com

Never badmouth an employer on FacebookSpeaking poorly of an employer just makes you look bad. If you’re conducting a job search, prospective employers will see you as whiny and difficult to work with. Currently employed? Once they see that fiery status update, you might not be employed for much longer.Go offline occasionallyFacebook offers a great way to get connected, but you should take care to spend time with connections off of the site as well. Go to networking events (even ones set up on Facebook), take a friend out to lunch, and simply spend some time putting yourself physically out there to stand out in a sea of recent grads who may not be doing the same.must-follow pagesThe best Facebook pages to follow are the ones you find yourself: those that cater to your interests and allow you to network with people who are relevant to the career you’re looking for. But there are a handful of pages and groups that we recommend every new grad takes a look at.Your alumni associationGe t connected with your college alumni association, if you aren’t already. This page can help keep you up to date on news, jobs, networking opportunities, and more.Professional groupsSearch for and identify groups that may be helpful to you professionally, including industry groups, job search communities, and special interests that you may have.Monster.comFind motivation, tips, and resources for finding a job on the Monster.com page.Career NetworkEasily one of the most popular job networks on Facebook, the Career Network page regularly shares links to job boards, news, and resources for job searches for new grads and beyond.New Grad LifeFind news, opportunities, and camaraderie on this Facebook page for new grads.CareerBuilderCareerBuilder’s page offers tips for job seekers, resources for networking, and more.useful facebook appsWhether you’re recommending a friend or finding a job, these Facebook apps have a lot to offer for the young networking crowd.MarketplaceOn Facebook Ma rketplace, you can sell your old sofa, pick up a deal on a laptop, or even get a job. Check in with this app regularly to find out if there are any jobs available for you in the Marketplace.RepplerUsing Reppler, you can keep a consistent online image on your Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more.Hire My FriendYou can strengthen your network by helping others get a job. Use the Hire My Friend Facebook app to help out your friends who are job searching, sharing their professional profile and qualifications with employers who may be looking for a candidate just like them.BranchOutCreating a Jobs tab for Facebook, users can apply for jobs, share them, and even get a look into inside connections they may have with a company.BeKnownBeKnown from Monster brings professional networking to Facebook, allowing job seekers to connect with contacts, friends, and more. You can also view and apply for jobs, get endorsed, and be automatically matched with jobs based on yourprofile.CareerFriendC areerFriend pulls the employment information of your friends to find potential job opportunities that may exist in your network, so you can find great positions through your friends, family, and colleagues.helpful resourcesFor further reading and insight into how you can make Facebook into the ultimate new networking tool, check out these excellent posts on the subject.HOW TO: Use Facebook for Professional NetworkingCheck out Mashable’s guide to using Facebook for professional networking to find out how to set up your Facebook profile professionally, finding networking friends, and more.How to Use Facebook: 5 Tips for Better Social NetworkingReadWriteWeb shares this guide for stepping up your Facebook networking efforts with regular status updates, added content, relevant photos, and more.12 Ways to Use Facebook ProfessionallyGigaOm shares this guide on using Facebook in a professional way, discussing strategies like finding old coworkers and current connections, joining interest groups, and carefully limiting wasted time on Facebook.How to Prepare Yourself to Use Facebook for Professional NetworkingThis WikiHow offers practical tips and steps for creating a Facebook profile that’s ideal for professional networking.Study: More Than 15% of Workers Get Hired Through Social NetworksThis article indicates that 1.4 million Americans have Facebook to thank for finding them a job. Click through to find out why being “super social” on Facebook and other social networks can really pay off.How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Screen CandidatesThis revealing article and infographic discusses how recruiters use Facebook and other social networks to weed out unsavory candidates and identify great ones. Check it out to find out why some candidates are rejected, and some are hired based on what’s found on Facebook.

The Dos and Donts for a Office Christmas Party

The Do’s and Don’ts for a Office Christmas Party Now is the time of year for holiday parties to be in full swing, which means it’s also time to revisit some important conduct rules to follow. Getting together with your fellow co-workers to celebrate another year in the books is fun, but if you aren’t careful, you could end up having an embarrassing moment or two. You likely won’t talk about your past office party experiences on your cover letters for resumes, but you still don’t want to alter people’s perception of you in a negative way. Here are a few Christmas party do’s and don’ts when your office gets together. Avoid The Gossip There’s a time and place for gossip, and it’s not at your office party. It’s acceptable to talk about personal matters, but you don’t want to say anything that could potentially start rumors. And if you’re talking about another colleague, keep it positive and professional because you never know who will overhear your conversation. Stay Off The Phone Unless you’re looking at executive LinkedIn profiles of other professionals to show your colleagues, keep your phone in your purse or pocket. Nothing shows your disinterest in being at the Christmas party more than having your face buried in your phone. Aside from any emergency or expecting a very important phone call, you shouldn’t have your phone out at all during the party. Do Attend One of the biggest “do’s” of your office party is actually attending. It’s unlikely for you to be fired for not attending your company’s holiday party, but it could be seriously frowned upon. Even if you’ve been writing cover letters for resumes as part of your search for another job, remember you’re employed by your current company and you need to be in attendance and engaged as much as possible. Engage With As Many People As You Can Speaking of engagement, don’t just sit off in the corner and talk to one or two people all night long. Spend 10-15 minutes talking to one person and then move onto the next person. Depending on the size of your office, there could be people there you haven’t met before. And since many company parties are open to spouses as well, you can have a conversation with people other than whom you work with. Professional Resume Services is one of the top resume writing services to help you with any aspect of your job. An office Christmas party is usually a fun event to attend, but you need to be sure to approach it properly. For more tips on office party conduct, writing cover letters for resumes or anything else pertaining to executive jobs, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time.