August 28, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
As a recruiter I hear this all the time. I contact an employee that has responded to an ad and their first response is, “now what position is this as I have been applying for alot”. It is one of the largest turnoffs and most certain ways to ensure that you are not placed in front of the list of possible candidates for consideration. Abundantly clear is that people do not manage their career search effectively by reviewing opportunities and applying to ones of interest, but rather blast their resumes across countless forums and hope something sticks. Be different, pay attention.
Job seeking can be a full time profession if one is dedicated to the task. From researching companies and possible opportunities, to networking with professionals and associations to learn of the best opportunities, a person can fill their day with seeking tasks that otherwise go overlooked by the normal candidate. The largest difference between such seekers is the impact that they make when speaking to a recruiter or HR person that makes intial contact. That person knows full well what they applied for, when, and what interested them about the role. Imagine calling someone, telling them that their resume matches well to the role they applied for, only to hear a response asking you what role this and they do not know anything about the job responsibilities. For me, the job search process and interview starts with the application - not with the interview. If someone is really professional, they will spend their time actively pursuing positions that are a match, requiring the skills they have and being with a company they can respect. If the time is taken up front, hiring managers quickly recognize the difference in candidates.
Lets keep it honest, not everyone will remember each and every detail of the positions they applied for. Daily lives and current job responsibilities require our attention therefore placing future opportunities on the edge of our frontal brain. With that being said, be aware of it and keep a list of the roles you applied for. This list should consist of when you applied, where you saw the role, a brief description on what they were looking for, as well as why you applied. Any contact information or identifiable information on the company should be placed on the list as well. When someone calls, you can quickly grab the list and be aware of the subject matter rather than asking questions that make you appear non-interested or unprepared.
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August 19, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
I get some great information from one of the blogs I enjoy reading, www.interviewchatter.com, and recently commented on this subject. I wanted to take a moment and expand on my experiences with this and explain the impact of the email address on your image during the job search process.
Lets be honest, there are a lot of people out there with some emails that I would not want. They indicate interests or self esteem, political affiliation or sexual orientation. I have seen emails that range from the simple to the simply odd. The job search process is not the place to push your personal agenda or social make up on possible employers. It is a time where you are to look attractive, be professional, and offer a solid image to companies so they will take interest in your services. The email address is a constant form of communication that is common to every aspect of our lives. From business cards to resumes, email is one of the largest communicating platforms we have and therefore forms an association between your name and who you are as a person.
Unprofessional screen names or emails are a certain death sentence to the job search process. Would you hire someone that had a email like sexybabe@yahoo.com or toohotstuff@gmail.com? I do not know many people that would but each and every day there are resumes that come across my desk of professionals seeking gainful employment with these sort of blunders staring me in the eye on a resume they probably took hours to construct. What they do not realize is that most people will not even read past the name/address/email when they are faced with a ridiculous email. They will simply move forward with other candidates, looking for the best possible skill set and not having some hard to look over email.
Image is everything. I know that it might be unfair, but the professional image that one represents offers a solid insight into what that person might be like as an employee. With an email like one mentioned above, the possibilities are endless of what someone might do or say within the office and therefore offer more threats than positives when considering them as an employee. Business is one of decisions and in most cases minimizing risk across the company while making a profit. Hiring the best people is the key to making that happen and the factors in determining that can be difficult as well as ambiguous. Give employers a reason to want you, not a glaring red flag that says “please do not hire me”. If you think that personal email does not say that, than you are kidding yourself.
Bottom line, keep the email and just go get another one. With all of the free domain email providers like Yahoo and Google, there is no reason you cannot go out and have a professional email in minutes. Use that for your job search and keep your personal for another time. Best of all, it allows for a common place to keep all of your files and correspondence with potential employers in one place rather than having to check multiple emails.
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August 13, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
I was reading an article on the use of perfume during the interview process and surely thought - that does not happen anymore. Well, guess I was wrong and there were some aspects I did not consider on the subject that this read got me thinking about. Perfume or any scent used by men/women are not appropriate for the interview process. Lets flip the shoes and see what you think should someone arrive in your office with a smell that simply repulses you. Well, we all know the answer - it would be a short interview.
Now some will say that wearing a light scent is not an issue…..how do you define light? What if the light scent is still appalling to the person conducting the interview? My personal favorite - allergies. With all of the rare and odd things placed into scents these days - what if someone was alergic to something in your scent? Would that person ever hire you? The simple answer is NO. You could be the best person for the role, but if every time you sit down the staff breaks out in hives - forget it.
The focus of the interview is to get the person in front of you to see how much value you offer to the company, or vice versa. Well, if the only thing on a person’s mind is getting you out of the office and away from their nose - do you think they are going to pay much attention to what you are talking about? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good smell. But when you have one time to make a good impression, don’t take the chance with something so unique as to how people handle and feel about smells? Be clean, do not smell, and be dressed for battle. When you are done, pour a whole bottle on yourself if need be, but for the time being hold off on the nose candy.
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August 13, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
Great read on one of my favorite blogs….. Brazen Careerist. If you have not read it, please do as it discusses various things that include employment but really are more well rounded than most of the articles and thoughts we discuss here centered on the interview.
Recently Penepole wrote on meeting ones potential and what that meant. It got me thinking about what that means to me and after reading the comments - what it means to 100s of other people as well. Potential is an interesting word…..look at the definition. “Possible but not yet actual. Capable of being or becoming.” The word itself is inherent to someone making a judgement call on the capabilities of another. Can someone actually do that or not? Well, who decides and how is the decision arrived at? I think there is only one person that can decide that besides God. Yes, the burden does fall on those shoulders one more time - but the answer is YOU.
Potential is something that people see within themselves either through a dream, a calling, a passion, etc. Meeting that potential, well that is a tricky marker if measured by the worlds terms. Lets be serious, most of the potential that people discuss is the skill set that has already been defined. Let me explain. One does not look at a young boy and say, “hey that kid is going to be an Olympian”. What they do see is someone that enjoys their sports, practices with diligence and has great ability. With work that person can make the Olympic Games and represent their country at the largest world event in sports. But lets think about it…is that really seeing potential, or simply encouraging it where the person themselves has already started the process? I see very little from someone actually developing another person on a course of action that they never had interest in.
Living to ones potential is a personal choice and is done daily from the time you open your eyes till the end of your day. Each and every time you give it your all - well you have lived to your potential. The outcome - oh, that is up to God.
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July 31, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
I hit an interesting obstacle this week. I was presented with a situation where someone I know well is taking a step out of the recruiting business. Personally, I know the person well enough to know he is making the right choice. His desire is to do well in whatever he does, however is passion is not recruiting. With that in mind, it really sparked some additional discussions with people and candidates surrounding their desire do what they love for a living. What I found was most people don’t and funny enough, most people do not even know what they love.
I took in a movie last night, frankly one that was not very good and quite course, however ties into this subject. Step Brothers. It features Will Farrell and his normal band of comedic actors discussing the lives of two 40 yr old men that still live with their parents. In between the language and the liberal comedy, there was a message that came out in the end - one that brought their family together and eventually helped reconcile seemingly lost relationships. When people are forced to do things they do not like, or simply play it safe for the sake of fitting in, there is a spark of character that is lost within that person that is very difficult to recover. The person loses a little of themselves and eventually becomes something that they never wanted to be.
I speak with people daily about career moves and what that means for them professionally and as an individual. What I find is most people do not consider their desires and passions when determining a career path. They are driven by money or some other external factor that aligns them with their job. With whatever time is left over, they pursue their dreams and their passion for life. Seems to me like that is a huge waste of time. Why would you do that? What if they both were inter-twined and allowed for the two to run parallel and feed one another - that is both your work and passion. I think you can if you plan in that fashion and do not allow the process to choose for you.
First and foremost, find and determine what it is you like to do. If there is something that interests you, research it. Not all things are meant for careers, that is why we have hobbies. But the only way you will know is to take a look into it and see. Second, meet people that do it. Network and talk to people that do what you want to do. Sit with them, pick their brains, and see what has made them successful. Third, evaluate yourself. Let us be serious, not all things are for all people and each person has a skill set that matches well to a certain path in life. Figure out what yours is, develop it and align that with your passions. Most people are passionate about things that they are good at…..I am sure it is the way with you.
Be yourself and be happy in your work. If you do not like it, change it. Some changes are gradual and some are instant. Plan and be prepared for obstacles along the way. Patience is a virtue and in change, you will either use it or you will quickly develop it. No matter what you plan or think, there are always changes and things always happen that were unexpected or unique. Understand that and be ready, so when they do happen - you are calm and ready. Enjoy your life, pick something to do that is fulfilling and fun, love the people you work with and work will no longer be work, but just life and things will be a lot better!
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July 28, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
Off the wall questions are making a come back in the interview field. All the techies have heard the standard questions that most people would seem to be non-traditional. However, the rest of the world has caught on and now is coming to the table with some of the craziest questions that I have heard. If anyone has any, please let me know so we can make a “Hall of Fame” for some of the most infamous questions ever asked in an interview. Here are some of the weird ones I have heard:
Obviously the preparing for questions and off the ball things like this are impossible so there is no way to prep. Remember, there is no real right answer, or anything that the interviewer is looking to compare to. What they are looking for is someone that can take a non formal question and tie it back making a cohesive statement and formidable answer. When someone asks one of these teasers, be calm and gather your thoughts before opening your mouth.
TIT. Tie it Together. Remember no matter how off the question, tying it together and making it all circle back is important. They are asking the question to get an informal view of who you are….so make sure to offer them some insight. If someone asked about what kind of car you would be, tell them the car and then compare the car to your characteristics and why you chose that model. We have discussed making a difference and distinguishing yourself from others. This is the prime opportunity so keep that in mind. Everyone is going to answer this question differently, so take advantage and make yourself memorable.
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July 28, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
This past weekend, approached by a family member, with the question of background checks and credit checks. Most people do not realize that companies have forgone the days of accepting your references as an indicator of your character and are turning towards in depth background checks and credit histories to determine your candidacy. For the people that have solid histories, this is not a concern but what about people that re-established themselves or gone through a divorce that took a tole on their credit - should that be brought into consideration? Whether you agree or not, business is looking more into your personal life to make sure they are making the right hire. Hiring the wrong person has become more costly. Lawsuits, negligence, time lost and theft are just some of the issues that plague this economy. Not to mention wasted time and simply not doing their job. Companies are looking for more and more ways to screen out those possible bad apples and credit is the latest tool.
How do you handle this I was asked? What happens if they run my credit since I have some issues. I have always found that heading the issue off and being forthright seems to offer the best possibility of success. If you have a credit issue and you know the company is going to run a credit history - discuss with them the potential problems upfront. First and foremost, know before the company knows. If you have not gotten your hands on a credit report lately - do so now. There are countless sites out there that will run your history for you and then provide a detailed report discussing your score, possible problems and solutions to increase your overall score and how you look. There is nothing worse than not knowing. Company wants to hire you and then receives a negative report - they tell you that you have not received the role but there are no details. Continuing on without knowing is not the answer. Know what the company will find out before they ever run the report.
Solving credit issues. Not all companies run reports currently but it is an increasing number that are using the screening tool. If there are bumps in your history, look for ways to smooth them out before entering the process. If there is unpaid bill or a late payment, call the creditor and discuss possible solutions to resolve the matter and clean up your credit. Sometimes there are just issues that you did not know, like when moving a late tax bill or your last power bill that you never even knew of. All of these things show on your history if they are pursued. Some are easy to resolve and some are not, but hit the low hanging fruit first. There are credit counselors and other services out there that offer professional advice on how to clean your credit. Look to those services if you are at a dead end. Professional advice is always a good source.
Your credit will follow you everywhere, so matter if you take a long term or short term approach, resolving the matters are needed for a successful future. If you are in the midst of the job search and this obstacle is coming up frequently, I suggest staying away from industries that are more likely to run the report such as financial services or any role where handling money is a major responsibility of the position. Be honest and upfront and know your report. Head off possible issues before they arise and discuss with the hiring manager once the report becomes part of the process. Be sure not to bring up the issue during the first interview, as you never know if it will be needed or if you are being considered strongly for the position. No reason to place a red flag near your name before needed. Build your value with the hiring manager first. If the manager really likes you and think there is a good fit, there might be some ability for you to explain the issues and therefore overcome the report results if they are negative.
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July 23, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
Interviewing processes vary from company to company. In most cases the phone interview is part of the process. However, with the increase of global sourcing and the need for variable resources at differing locations, the phone interview has replaced in person meetings entirely for some company processes. This is instrumental to understand as the rules of the game change when the screening process is done remotely.
Selecting the next job is tough enough on its own. Imagine doing that without ever seeing the people you would work with, or knowing more about the company than what you learn on the Internet. Now flip the page and the company is doing the same thing. They are investing money, trusting coveted client relationships, and offering benefits to someone that they have never laid their eyes on. With all of this, something in the process has to change to ensure that both sides are making the correct decision. That is the phone interview.
The phone interview is a unique way of establishing relations as there is no direct contact with the person on the other side. When handling the evaluation part of the selection process, the phone interview when used as a tool is different than that of in person interviews in which most people are trained to use body language and other non-verbal factors to establish rapport and show interest. When those traditional methods are not available, how does one interview, show value and most importantly differentiate him or herself from the others. Here are some options:
Preparation is always a component of the process and will assist you in being successful. Be yourself, display confidence and secure that next position before they ever even meet you.
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July 19, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
We have been discussing the resume lately as it has re-surfaced most recently for most of my perm employee candidates that want to look attractive for contract positions. We discussed the objective and summary previously and I want to address the layout and format of a resume to make it attractive.
The resume is progressive. If your objective is to find the perfect systems admin role but your resume experience highlights how great a DBA you are, well there is a disconnect. The format of the resume is indicative of the type of role you are looking for. For example, if you are a contractor by trade and have many projects, a summary with a bullet pointed technical skill set is a strong match. However, if you are a junior level professional - a more traditional approach might be appropriate. Something that highlights educational background and your most recent accomplishments on the job.
Facts and Figures. Whatever the format, the content is the most important factor. Be sure to include details of things that you have accomplished and make them relevant to the job you are applying.
Here is an example of job layout that you can use that will assist you when constructing your resume:
Company ABC, Washington DC, 12.2006 - Present
Senior SAP Project Manager
Selected by executive staff to provide leadership over the entire domestic SAP HR/PAYROLL roll-out for a 6B manufacturing company. Provided strategic IT project management following PMP standards of best practices and SAP deployment methodologies for manufacturing companies. Developed business process controls that led to efficiency standards reducing deployment costs by more than 30% over other module areas.
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July 18, 2008 by Jason Monastra.
The resume we have discussed previously in its entirety however the objective has come up recently as a subject of “requirement”. People want to know, do I need an objective? If I do, what does it need to say? If I do not, do I replace it with something else? Personally, I think it is a matter of choice. Objectives require a certain style and dictate what one is looking to do moving forward. I find them limiting in that they tell someone what you are looking to do, and if the objective is written narrowly or does not include certain verbiage, people that review your background will pass you by for certain opportunities as they do not align with your objective. The summary I see as a valued part of the resume and is a strong replacement for the objective.
Summary means: Presenting the substance in a condensed form; concise or; a presentation of the substance of a body of material in a condensed form or by reducing it to its main points; an abstract. This is key in understanding the meaning behind what you are writing and how it is to be written. Facts, bullet points written in a paragraph form that show immediate value and highlight what is being brought to the table. This is not a section to explain or get into the detail of your background or personality. It is to elude to the reader your importance and engage them enough to continue reading the resume. Anything longer than 4-5 sentences will be too much for this section.
Get the attention of the reader quickly. Lead with something that provides substance and aligns itself with the position you are applying. Customizing resumes is a crucial part of the application process and there should be a review of the role previous to sending any resumes. Not all positions require the same skills and the summary is a clear vision in the beginning of your resume eluding to what the reader might see next. If that summary is poorly written or not in line with the general scope of the role, your resume will be discarded and the hiring manager will move on. Be safe, take your time, and write to the role and the company - do not send out blanket resumes. They are sure not to get you calls back.
If you are not sure how your resume sounds or if the wording is not coming out right - ask a friend. Anyone reading from a non-partisan view will offer some keen advice on how to better show yourself and sound less wordy. Stay focused, highlight your strengths, use facts and figures where you can showing concise statements of value and you will see a better response on the resumes you send out. Remember to sell yourself, not the companies you have worked for and use facts that highlight you and not the team that was working the project. Be inventive and show yourself through your resume. Boring resumes are all too common, do not catch people’s attention and require little reason to head to the trash basket.
Happy writing.
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