You Put WHAT on Your Resume?

So look, there are some serious crazies out there in the world and sometimes as a recruiting firm, Search Solution Group gets to see some crazy resumes. A resumé is supposed to be a concise yet detailed description of career achievements and skills that apply to the position in question. We don’t want to see that you played football in high school or that you have three daughters and a pet pig.

From the mouths of some of the best Executive Recruiters, these are some great tips to build an impressive resume.

1. Signs of stability are the number one thing that our recruiters look for. When we place a candidate with a company, we want for that person to be committed to the job and not flit around companies from year to year. Non-consistent job history is a turn-off for a recruiter.
2. TYPOS! No.  Go through your resumé 12 times before sending it. Read it out loud to listen for grammar mistakes.  This doesn’t just pertain to spelling or grammar. Having the wrong dates, spacing issues, and text in different fonts are similar typos to watch for. If there is one thing that will get your resume off of a recruiters desk faster than a cheetah on fire, it’s typos.
3. Having a relevant objective to the position will win you worlds of credit. It’s all too often that a stated objective on a resume is either not relevant, applies to a previous job application, or completely doesn’t exist. We want to know why you are applying for this job from the first second of looking at the resumé.
4. State your job title and the name of the company where you performed that job.
5. Education. All we want is the institution, the year, and the degree achieved. A person once submitted a description of their homeschooling experience to our SSG recruiters. It was odd.
6. DO remember to include any sort of professional accolades, community service experience, or professional improvement courses you’ve taken. Everyone loves to see a candidate who strives to improve himself outside of the workplace.

Our recruiters at Search Solution Group are experts at building resumes. If you are looking for a great team of recruiters to work with, contact us! 

Train Your Brain For a Better Career

More and more studies are starting to show that the brain is no longer doomed to deteriorate over time. In fact, the grey matter of our brain can keep regenerating throughout life. The new thinking is that you either use it or lose it just as with any muscle.

So how can you train your brain and protect it  from developing degenerative disease later in life and boost your career in the meantime?

Brain Training!

1. Play Smart:  Brain training games are abundant both online and in the form of games like scrabble. Giving your mind exercises is a great way to strengthen cognitive reasoning, math, reading, and other skills that might be lacking in your day-to-day routine.
2. Never Stop Learning:  The better educated you are, the less likely to have degenerative brain diseases. Also, if you get in the habit of learning new skills, you will be more marketable in your career. A great way to start your learning process is to take a public speaking or leadership class through the Dale Carnegie training classes.
3. Parlez-vous Français?: Learning a new language is a great brain workout and will leave you with a highly marketable skill. Even better, after learning a language, immerse yourself in that culture. Having to navigate a strange location forces you to pay more attention to your environment and your brain loves learning the unknown.
4. Get Off The Grid: Stress actually kills neurons and the ability to grow new ones. By taking a real vacation without the stress of returning emails or calls is a real relief to the brain. Exercise and meditation are other great ways to resolve stress.  You can read this article on how running improves fluid intelligence and optimizes brain function!
5. Seek The Unusual: Seeking out tough and challenging assignments both at work and at home can get your brain out of a rut and lead to long-term brain health. Trying something outside of your comfort zone is a good place to start. If you are computing numbers at work all day, taking up photography or painting at home would be a good strategy.

Brain Training boost positive thinking, creativity, social skills, emotional resilience, productivity, and decreases absenteeism. Maybe during the midst of your brain training, you’ll start to realize there are better opportunities waiting for you. Contact the recruiters at Search Solution Group to start your journey to a fulfilling career!

“If you are going to be a Bear, be a GRIZZLY”

The Husband List

We spend most of our days making matches. Figuring out what candidate will be the best match for our clients. Everything from personality, to job history to education comes into play. This is a typical day for us here at Search Solution Group. We love it!! I guess we have come to be EXPERT MATCH MAKERS, better than any silly TV show on NBC, ABC or FOX.

With that being said it is an honor to play the “Dating Game” with one of our favorite female co-workers. While we were sitting around eating lunch on Wednesday I discovered an email that she sent to me describing her ideal husband a few months ago. Actually what she sent to me was a list titled the Top 17 Must Haves for Marriage. So here it is, the magical list of must haves for one of our key employees. If you are interested please APPLY, but follow the rules:

RULES:

1. Include a picture or link to your

17 Must Haves for Marriage

Facebook page or LinkedIn account. Helping to prove you are legit.

2. Explain how you meet all of her 17 must haves. She likes a good story.

3. Please be respectful of her privacy

4. Sending chocolate and food to the office will only make her happy

A Job, A Candidate, & the Wife

The joys of being a recruiter never end. Meeting smart and interesting people, helping companies find great talent and ultimately helping good people find better career opportunities. But then we have stuff like this that happens about once a year…..this is a real email that I received.  (Jeremy Gnozzo)

 Dear Mr. Knozzo: (Please spell my name correctly)

I didn’t realize that my email address would be hidden from you, the blogger.  It’s not my practice to make anonymous comments, and I’m glad to respond.  The person to whom I was referring was not me; rather it was my husband ________   __________.

To say he is busy with his work is an understatement.  He’s only been able to take three vacation days this year. Generally his work day begins at 6am so he can communicate with his boss, colleagues, and support staff in Europe.  His work days usually end at 6-6:30pm.  In addition he travels approximately 30% of the time.  Because he simply doesn’t have the time to scour the job boards and recruiting agencies, I’ve been helping him with his search for a new position.  If I find a job for which he is qualified, I obtain his approval to send his resume and cover letter.  (I realize your husband works longs hours but most of us work the same or more)

I sent his resume and cover for the position of ___________ in Buffalo/Niagara Frontier area to you last weekend.  You called our home at 8:15 Monday morning.  I explained to you that he was at work, and that he had told me before leaving the house he would be tied up in conference calls.  I asked if he could return your call that afternoon.  He wasn’t able to return your call Monday afternoon because the conference calls took all day.  (Please replace your home number on his resume with his cell phone number.  Recruiters can then reach him directly, which is pretty common practice these days.)

He called you back Tuesday morning, but got your voice mail.  He left a message apologizing for Monday, left his number, and asked you to return his call.  Well, you didn’t call back.  So Wednesday, he fired off an email to you telling you he was still interested in discussing the position.  You didn’t respond. (It has been one day since I received his message. I apologize for not returning his call right away, however I have many other candidates I am also trying to help.)

He took it in stride, but I was and am angry because I was over the top at the prospect of moving to the Buffalo area. I grew up and spent most of my life in Erie, PA.  My entire family including my 85 year-old mother lives in Erie.  We are able to move anywhere in the US, but I really want to live somewhere close to home like Western New York.  If you hadn’t responded at all to his resume, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but you did place that call Monday morning.  You got my hopes up, not my husbands.
( Western New York is a beautiful place to live )

Because you responded, I feel the least you could have done is to give him a quick call or shoot him an email stating the company wasn’t interested.  As an aside, the company should be interested because frankly, I don’t think anyone would do a better job than my husband.  He’s highly regarded by everyone he comes into contact with at ___________. The only reason he’s looking for a new job is because for him to advance his career, we would have to relocate to England.  ________ is ________ and has been in the United States since 1996.  He became a US citizen in 2008, and he does not want to move back to the UK. (Along with his email he sent me the next day, I alone had received 143 emails. 85 of  those emails  were applicants.  So please don’t assume that the company isn’t interested.  As busy as your husband is at his job – I am also very busy, helping people find better careers, and companies find great talent)

I apologize for my comment on your blog. I was unprofessional and rude to post it in the first place.  I lost my temper, and my husband would be furious with me if he knew I’d just behaved in a manner befitting Lady MacBeth. I guess I just want you and other recruiters to remember you’re dealing with people. (I accept your apology)

Sincerely,
___________ (aka the wife)

Applicants…Recruiters…please share your stories with me.  The good, the bad, or the ugly.   I’d love to hear from you.

Lessons from the Diamond Part 2, Risk vs. Reward

Image via Wikipedia

I remember it like yesterday, even though it was 25 years ago. I was standing on third base in a little league game with a one run lead. I was taking my lead off of third base when coach whispers you are stealing home on the next pitch. I was a little soldier replying with an affirmative nod. He noticed how the opposing catcher was lobbing the ball back to the pitcher. They both appeared to be very lazy and coach was ready to take a risk, a calculated risk and score an easy run. He coached me down the third base line taking small athletic steps till the catcher lobbed the ball back and I took off headed toward home plate. Sure enough I slid in safely and we went on to win the game.

Why did I share this one simple highlight with you, because we took a risk. Coach had noticed a weakness and a way to exploit another team and took advantage of it. Risk vs reward! We hear it all the time, but seldom does anyone capitalize on situations. Why? Maybe they are afraid, not prepared or all talk and no action.

I have a few very recent examples of candidates just being scared and making bad career decisions and not taking good job opportunities. I kind of laugh at them deep down, because  I know their careers are headed down a dead-end road. My co-worker has proven she is mentally tough and dedicated as she as taken the brunt of this. But I assure you Stella, it gets better and most people will prove to be smarter than these last few!

Is This You?

I know of a person who complains about their job, some of their co-workers and mostly the lack of leadership at their office.  Yet like a good little puppy dog they go to work every day, clocking in and out and getting that same boring paycheck every 2 weeks…. Shoot me!!!!

I want the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I want it all or nothing and everyday I risk it all for a chance at glory. I want to share the sense of accomplishment and achievement with my co-workers  who share the dream and passion for something better. With limited skills and in a shaky economy and at a company that offers you NO chance for greatness or at least a six figure salary, why stay? Because you are scared and have no sense of what it means to take a risk. Please stay and get your 3 percent raise every year till you get fired or land new job that gets you excited for the first 3 months, then when you pick your head up, you realize you are in the same situation just a new name on the front door. I see it everyday, it’s just a new name and new face, but the same story.

Risk…it’s not a rush you get from a roller coaster or jumping from an airplane, it’s calculated and it’s bigger than me and you. It lasts days, weeks, months and years. It keeps you up at night, and makes you want to be a winner. If you read this and ever dream of being more than you are today, I strongly urge you to take a risk once in your life and stop being boring and predictable. Call me and talk to me I’ll share my story with you, because I want to be around more people like you.

This post is dedicated to that special person in my life who can’t trust and can’t take a risk. I do it everyday and I’m just waiting patiently.

You are so Perfect – What Kind of Candidate do you think you are?

Here I go again, bursting your bubble and telling you stuff you don’t want to hear. However, open your eyes and ears because I am speaking the truth! I know it hurts , but it’s the reality of the world we live in. I made this mistake when I was 18 or maybe even 23 years old. But really, if you graduated from college and have been working for a few years, you should not be making this crucial mistake. It’s to the point when I hear it or see it in an email I cringe!! It’s as bad as running your ugly gross nails across a chalkboard.

STOP I repeat STOP telling me and anyone else you are perfect for a job! Because you are not Perfect and nobody is. You might be good or the best candidate for the job today, or a solid fit. Sadly, you might just be good enough for what we need now and we will deal with it later fit. You might even be a good temporary fit or in most cases not a good fit at all. BUT you are never a perfect fit, it just doesn’t happen.

So, tell me your point of contact or your potential new boss that your skills match up well and the culture seems to fit you very well. Say you are excited to be interviewing for this position because you love the industry or the location is close to your home or favorite restaurant.  Say anything, but PERFECT. It’s the biggest turn off to see a seasoned professional, especially an HR professional send me an email and say how he/she is a perfect fit for “said job”. If you have to tell me you are a perfect fit and I cannot not tell that you are qualified for the job by looking at your CV then guess what, you are trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. It just won’t work.

I am telling this to you to help you. If you disagree, let me hear it……..

THE RECRUITER VS’ THE HUNGRY JOB SEEKER

Should a job seeker use a recruiter?  That all depends what type of job seeker are you?  There are many different types of job seekers as well as various types of recruiters. The truth is a recruiter isn’t the best option for all job seekers.   In this post I will be referring to executive recruiters or headhunters. 

The job search has evolved over the last few years and job seekers can find numerous leads to jobs on internet job boards, and through social media outlets like Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook etc.  So who needs a recruiter when you can access so much information yourself?  There are many advantages to using a recruiter under the right circumstances.  Answer the following questions…

Is your time valuable?

Are you currently employed but seeking other job opportunities?

Are you targeting a particular position or career in a certain field or industry?

Are you looking to expand your career network for your job search?

If you answered yes to all the questions above then you should contact a recruiter. In fact you should send your resume to a few different recruiters that specialize in your field.  By reaching out to a recruiter you can tap into the hidden job market that you would otherwise not have access to. 

Why not all Job Seekers should use a recruiter?

If you are a job seeker looking for someone to coach you and guide your career path then a recruiter is probably not for you. A recruiter will not be holding your hand and will not be your personal assistant sending you job posts daily that you should apply for.  A recruiter is not finding a job for you… they are using you to fill a position. That being said there are outplacement firms that offer career counseling and can help prepare you for re-employment. 

Understanding how a recruiter works.

A recruiter is paid by the employer not by the job seeker.  I know what you’re thinking of course I should use a recruiter it’s free.  Remember because a recruiter is being paid by the employer they are working for the company not directly for you.  Companies that pay for recruiters use them to find employed people with a proven track record of success in a given field.  The already trained need only to apply…in other words you need to be a strong candidate.

If you’re hungry for your next career move and you fit the description of the job seeker in this post – find a recruiter today!