Article #1: Keys to a Successful Interview
The perspective employer has now reviewed your resume and you have been short-listed. You are now one step closer to landing that dream job, but before you step into the interview you must be well prepared and ready to take on all questions asked by the interviewer. There is much more to preparing for the job interview than just memorizing good answers to the interviewers’ questions, here are a few steps that will put you ahead of the other candidates and give you the confidence to succeed.
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Article #2: 6 Practical Resume Tips - John Smith2 Case Study
This article contains resume-writing tips that have been developed from a real-life example. The personal and identifiable information contained in the following documents including gender, name, contact information, names of previous employers, locations, etc have been changed to preserve our client’s anonymity. The purpose is to share our experience with our clients, to help you reach your career goals.
John Smith2, was a client who came to us referred by one our corporate partners. In our consultation, John was definite about a career change but he did not have any specific jobs in mind. Through our consultation, it was apparent that John was a classic example of a candidate who was extremely qualified but undersold himself in his resume....
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Article #3: Top 5 Common Interview Mistakes
The purpose of this article is to cover the most frequent mistakes made by applicants. Although most of these points appear to be common sense, human resource professional often witness these pitfalls.
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Article #4: Interesting Recruitment, Search and Employment Statistics
Below are interesting statistics related to Recruitment, Search and Employment. The data can provide powerful insight into your industry and identify implications for your business.
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Article #5: Choosing the Right Career - Friends and the Job Ad Can Tell You Alot
The questions we will cover in this article include:
1. What are my career options?
2. How does the posting process work?
3. What do I look for in a job posting?
4. What should I include in my application?
The questions above are often asked by job seekers. What are my career options? What are my best traits and skills? How can I predict what they will ask in a job interview? What are they looking for? Well there are many ways to to approach these questions. One of the great sources of information to answer such questions lie in your friends and the other in the job ad.
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Article #6: Behavioral Interviewing and Preparing Your Response
As HR professionals we have interviewed thousands of candidates and have observed the following: Most candidates can handle the questions used to assess technical/subject matter expertise it is the behavioral interview questions assessing the soft skills that they fall short. Learn more about behavioral based interviewing, what you can do to anticipate behavioral based questions and prepare for a good response and how to get additional help.
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Article #7: Job Interview Questions and Answers - Why Do I Need Interview Practice
Like any skill set, interviewing takes practice to be successful. Many professionals feel that their work experience and skills will speak for themselves in an interview, this is false. The experience and skills on a resume will get a person short listed, but the interview is a means of selling yourself to a potential employer in-person. We have seen numerous interviews end quickly when the candidate can not answer questions clearly, can not provide examples from previous work experience and talk about his/her resume. The premise behind being successful in the interview is being prepared.
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Article #8: What is Your Handshake Saying about You?
We have all heard the old adage “You only get one chance to make a first impression”. When you think of your first impression, what comes to mind - your clothes, your physique? Most people think of the initial visual impact they have on people they meet, yet making a good first impression goes well beyond that. Before you even try to think of something clever to say when meeting someone, you have probably already given them enough information to base a strong opinion of you… your handshake!
learn moreGiving critical feedback about your boss can be a difficult task. Recently, one of our clients, who is a Vice President at an international accounting firm requested some guidance on how to accomplish this difficult task.
Background: Our client is a Vice President at an international accounting firm. He is very capable and consequently well thought of by executive management. About a year ago, a new manager was appointed to his work group. From our client’s description, his manager is tyrant and a bad boss. Consequently, since this appointment the group has experienced low moral and significant turnover. Due to our client’s positive reputation he was asked by the executives to provide critical feedback about his new boss.
Article #10: Is Getting On The RFP Shortlist Enough for a Recruitment Company?
Your company has finally made it through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process and is now one of many vendors who have been included on a company’s short list. Making it on this list is a reward, since the competition is great and only a select few actually make it past the evaluation process.
Do your employers know how much value you provide to them? Do they know how much more value your staffing services offer over your competitors? How do they know for sure the strategic value that your company provides?
With a resume, phone screen, and possibly the assessment test out of the way, it is now time for the in-person interview. On average, 3-5 applicants can be called in for an interview for one vacancy, so preparation is important in making the first impression count. Below are common mistakes to avoid during a job interview:
The first impression you make on a potential employer is the most important one. The first evaluation an interviewer makes is going to be based on look and what you are wearing. This is the reason why you should always dress appropriately and look professional for a job interview, regardless if the environment is casual or formal. Always go with a suite and tie rather then chinos or denim.
Regardless of your personal style or how you choose to close the interview, it will depend on your personality, the interview situation, and the job for which you are applying. Here are some key points to keep in mind:
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Article #15: Top 10 Job Search Tips
Looking for a job but not sure how to prepare. These top 10 tips will assist you in successfully organizing a process and make the job search easy.
Article #16: Interview Tips for Candidates New to North America
Candidates new to the North American job market face a considerable challenge. They must compete in an new country where they may not be so familiar with the local culture and work environment. Especially where English is not their first language, these candidates new to North America must overcome many disadvantages. We have interviewed many qualified foreign workers who are technically brilliant, who can become even better with improved interview skills. Below are a few common mistakes that we have seen that can be prevented.
Article #17: Interview Tips for Students and Junior Candidates
Article #19: Resume Writing Tips for Immigrants - Practical Advice for Foreign Applications
Hire Dynamics cites retention as the key to it's success in the recruitment and staffing industry.
In 2001 Hire Dynamics started with seven employees, 37 clients, and 1 million in debt. Since then, the company has been recognized by Staffing Industry Report for three years in a row as one of the fastest-growing private staffing companies in America, and by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the best places to work and one of the 50 fastest-growing private companies based in Atlanta. Last year Dan’s recruitment and staffing company exceeded $50 M in revenues.
When it comes to resumes is less, really more? Recently, a VP of a national recruitment and staffing company mentioned that his clients have been increasingly requesting that his recruiters submit a one page resume. He asked my opinion on the trend and prevalence of the shortened resume and preference for the one page limit. As such, this article will focus on the resume length and employer preference.
Article #23: Employers Demand Quality From Staffing Providers
Quality is important to every business, no industry is that more evident than in Recruitment and Staffing. In a 2008 staffing industry study conducted by iLoyalty, the quality of candidates delivered ranked as the number one most important criteria when deciding on a staffing firm.
Article #24: How Candidate Friendly Are You?
Every point in the recruitment process represents an opportunity to create an impression to the candidate. When you think about all the successful placements you have made you may come to the conclusion that you have established a strong employer brand. But what if you stop to think about all the job orders you didn’t fill, all the placements you didn’t make? Would you consider your staffing brand as strong if you included all the candidates you didn’t place and all the resumes submitted that were not short-listed?
Article #25: 3 Simple Steps for Axing Job Interview Anxiety
For many people, the thought of looking for employment and the job interview can cause much anxiety: butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, and sweaty hands. These are only a few examples of how the body reacts to anxiety.
If the thought of a job interview or looking for employment makes you nervous, it is perfectly normal and you are not alone. You need to learn to take it easy and calm down, and here are three (3) simple ways to do this: Practice, Prepare, and Relax.
Article #26: Writing the Right RFP Document
A well written RFP or Request for Proposal document is the first step for a staffing company to win a bid and increase their client base. This is a difficult and stressful document to write and most companies just try to create a document they hope will be considered by a client. From an employer perspective evaluating hundreds of RFP submissions, here is a list of important criteria information staffing companies may want to include in their document prior to submission.
Article #27: Don’t Forget to Cover-up - Writing Effective Cover Letters
So now you have a professional resume but what about the cover letter? Although most job seekers don’t like the thought of writing a cover letter, many job seekers underestimate the importance of a well-written cover letter.
Article #28: Get Your Resume Noticed Online
With millions of resumes being posted online each year, how do you get your resume noticed among other job seekers? Receiving resumes online has now become the preferred method by employers of all sizes. With an electronic resume, your resume can easily be passed along internally within a company, which makes things simple, less time consuming and increases the chances of having more then one person look at your resume at one time.
Article #29: Improving Job Interview Body Language
Being aware of your body language is just as important as practicing interview questions before entering a job interview. Your body language provides an immediate and overwhelming insight into your emotional state. Most experienced employers can detect nervousness, hesitation, arrogance, confidence and the many other feelings expressed by the candidates during the job interview.
Article #30: Job Fair Success
If you are looking for a new employment opportunity, and want to expand your job search, a job fair is a good event to attend. Attending a job fair allows job seekers to meet face to face with employers from a variety of companies and industries. Much like a mall, companies set-up booths to provide job seekers with information about general company information, career opportunities as well as provide representatives to answer questions.
Article #31: How to Respond to a RFQ?
There are many things in life that you would prefer not to see, a dentist or your mechanic while for others it is down loading a RFQ or RFIQ or any bid request document. Unless you are a pro at responding to these requests, getting your tooth pulled might be considered less painful.
Article #32: 10 Most Common Resume Writing Mistakes
The first step of getting noticed by a potential employer is a well written professional resume. Although most job seekers know this, it is absolutely incredible how many resumes we have seen over the years that contain misspelled words, poor grammar, terrible formatting and a lack of information in regards to knowledge, skills and experience. We have observed these mistakes in resumes from University graduates through CEO.
Article #33: Keys to Providing Successful Job References
The job interview was a success and now it comes down to the final process before the employer decides on hiring you; the employment reference check. It is important to be prepared since strong job references can sometimes be a deciding factor in getting a job offer or being passed over for another shortlisted candidate. Remember, the employer is making a big decision in hiring you, and wants to be sure you are who you say you are.
Article #34: What Colors to Wear to the Job Interview
We all know that dressing professionally for a job interview can leave a good first impression with the employer, but what about the color of your attire? Have you ever wondered why doctors wear white or police officers wear blue? Or why black represents power and red implies passion?
Article #35: Research is Vital – Know the Company before the Job Interview
Along with practicing job interview techniques and interview questions, company research is critical before the job interview. Nothing impresses an employer more in the job interview then hearing a candidate speak about their company. This will really show an employer that you really want to work for them and you are determined to succeed.
Article #36: Choosing The Best Staffing Company
How do I choose the best staffing company to represent me? When it comes to choosing the best staffing company most job seekers have no idea where to start. It is important to keep in mind that not all staffing companies are alike. You must find a company that best meets your needs and goes above and beyond to ensure you are treated professionally.
Article #37: The Job Interview Portfolio
“Hey, don’t forget your portfolio”. What better way to showcase your achievements and talents then a simple binded book to show samples of your work certificates, diplomas, degrees, awards, letters of commendation, and work samples from projects etc.
Article #38: What Questions Do I Ask In a Job Interview?
You would be surprised how many job interviews we have conducted where we ask a candidate if they have a question for us, only to hear dead silence. Unless you have no interest in the job, you should always come to a job interview well prepared with at least 3-5 questions to ask the job interviewer(s). Not only does asking questions leave a positive impression with the employer but also confirms your interest in the position.
Article #39: Baby Boomers - Keep Your Resume Dated.
If you are part of the Baby Boomer generation, you may be feeling a little stressed out by the way the job market is going. You now find yourself being part of the corporate retirement crew and some younger staffer is slowly transitioning to mold into your job and weed you out. You are definitely not ready to retire, but the young recruiters you send resumes to may think otherwise. If you're experiencing symptoms of age discrimination, you should know that your resume could be the cause, categorizing you as out of date and past your shelf life of employment.
