As any professional who has ever been out of work knows, finding a job is no small feat. Locating positions of interest and convincing employers you are the one to hire appears simple. In reality, it can be unnerving and frustrating, particularly if the search has been a lengthy one. Enlisting the assistance of a specialized recruiter can ease some of the pressure and help you target your efforts to only the most promising opportunities. 

1. Sometimes it is about who you know 

Professional recruiters have deep networks of business contacts within a wide range of companies and industries. While you are diligently scouring newspaper and Internet ads, they can uncover leads and vacancies that have not been advertised or even announced, thus giving you an advantage over job seekers who rely solely on information that is posted in the public domain. Recruiters also can serve as career advisers. 

For example, in Louisville, Ky., a recruiter recently partnered with an information technology professional who, despite years of relevant industry experience, had been unable to generate any employment interviews of note. The recruiter helped the individual rewrite his résumé to better highlight the candidate's experience with servers and the .NET platform, leading to immediate interest from employers. In addition to working with you to refine your application materials, a skilled recruiting professional can offer guidance on everything from answering tough interview questions to negotiating the best compensation package to how to dress for your first day of work. They also can help you navigate career crossroads and explore new fields. 

2. Not all recruiters are created equal

When selecting a recruiter, it's important that the individual is an expert in his or her field. For example, if you are hoping to find work as an accountant, someone who has experience in the accounting and finance field will be better able to understand your needs and the expectations of potential employers. Ask friends and colleagues for referrals. Also consider contacting a few recruiting professionals in your area to gauge the level of rapport you have with each. Above all, you must be comfortable with the person with whom you have partnered and confident that he or she has your best interests at heart. In addition, remember that you should receive a recruiter's assistance free of charge. These individuals are paid a fee by companies to locate qualified candidates, so view with suspicion any recruiter who asks you to pay for job-search services. 

3. The more information, the better

When meeting with a recruiter for the first time, be open and honest about your background, experience and career aspirations. He or she needs to know as much about your professional life as possible to find the right position for you. Are you looking for a tax accountant role in a corporate or public setting? What are your salary requirements? Do you prefer working for a large or small firm? Are you willing to travel? The information you provide may prompt the recruiting professional to suggest promising positions or career paths that you had not previously considered. You also should disclose to your recruiter any aspects of your work history that may generate concern from prospective employers, such as a long period of unemployment or termination. The more upfront you are, the easier it will be for a recruiter to assist you. 

4. Follow up, follow up, follow up

After each employment interview your recruiter arranges, call to let him or her know how the meeting went. Your feedback can provide information that can be leveraged in follow-up communication with the employer. This could pave the way to a second or final interview. By following up, you also may receive valuable insight into your interview skills and learn about any concerns expressed by the hiring manager. Throughout the relationship, be forthright in communicating any changes in your career needs or availability. If you're interviewing for other jobs that you've set up on your own, let your recruiting manager know. He or she may have contacts at the company and be able to help you secure the position. 

5. Patience

Although using the services of a skilled recruiter can significantly improve your odds of locating employment, even the most successful recruiting professionals need time to find the perfect position for the job seekers they represent. So, don't get discouraged. Recruiters continually mine their sources for job leads and may suddenly discover an opportunity that is right for you. If you'd like a status update, don't be afraid to call your recruiter with questions. Checking in with him or her on a regular basis ensures both of you remain focused on the best opportunities for you. A skilled recruiting professional can help you find the right job faster and open doors to new opportunities. By researching firms and maintaining communication, you'll be in the best position to locate and secure your next position. 

5 biggest job-applicant mistakes

LOS ANGELES, CA -- According to a recent survey of recruiting experts by Diversity Inc, here are the five biggest mistakes job applicants make and how not to make them:

1: Not researching the company before the interview.

Thorough research will reveal what positions are available and what type of employee the company wants. Network with people already working at the company; call professional organizations the company is associated with, and ask people you know who work at the company about their experience.

2: Inability to articulate needs and desires.

Companies are hiring because they either need to solve problems or have opportunities that require more employees, which is why the best applicants are those who can articulate how their experience is best for the particular position.

3: Being unprofessional in the interview.
Applicants often commit faux pas that can be excused among friends but that make them less desirable to recruiters. Examples of unprofessional actions include: bringing food to an interview, sharing personal information not relative to the job, and speaking ill of a former employer.

4: Demonstrating poor communication skills.

Be prepared to talk with confidence and expertise about who you are and why you're the best fit. Practice the basics of communication before going to the interview, listening and responding and not talking over the other person. At the same time don't be dull or fear showing enthusiasm. 

5: Not keeping the personal to yourself.

Don't put your social-network identification on your resume or mention it in the interview. Make sure your voice mail message reflects a professional attitude. Use an email address with your name before the @ sign, from a professional email address provider.

After years of helping sales job seekers during the interview process one of the most important components of the interview process continues to be the follow up. 

Follow Up, Follow up, Follow Up. I thought I would repeat it a few times to help you remember how important it is.

Not only is it a matter of business protocol, and proper, but I have worked with some sales managers who would eliminate job seekers based solely on the after interview follow up.  People ask me if email is appropriate for an after interview follow up.  It may not have been several years ago but it can be appropriate today.

Many hiring sales managers will make decisions on who they will cut each evening after a round of interviews.  You cannot expect "snail mail" to show up before the manager makes his or her decision on who makes it to the next round. 

You should also follow up with everyone you meet during your interview from potential peers, to human resources, to management. How do you follow up? You must ask for a business card and/or contact information, not at the end of the interview, but upon introducing yourself. Offer your business card (if available) at the handshake and politely ask for one of your interviewer's.  Many managers will wait to see if you indeed ask for a business card or contact information.  For experienced sales professionals this is second nature.  I have, however, seen several very experienced sales professional leave an interview without requesting a business card or contact information and lose the job to a less experienced candidate who was better prepared and ask for the right information. 

Keep the follow up professional, do not start it out with "Hey Mike just wanted to say thanks." Be sure to format it as you would a professional sales follow up. Keep it short and to the point.  Reiterate your interest in the position, reference something you both spoke about to help remind them who you are, thank them for their time, and be sure to close them at the end.   Don't forget....Follow up.   Good luck!
 

If you demand identity privacy or insist on paying with cash when patronizing a local business, then you could be a suspected terrorist.  That’s according to FBI flyers which have been sent to tattoo shops as part of its “Communities Against Terrorism” drive.

The government now wants local businesses to keep an eye on their customers and report any suspicious activity. Apparently, getting a group tattoo or radically changing your hairstyle is a cause for concern.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t most potential terrorists religious fanatics from the Islamic world who sneak into America hellbent on wreaking havoc?  Kind of like those 9/11 highjackers?  So why target tattoo shops, then, FBI?  Muslims can’t get tattoos per their religious traditions.  And who would bother getting a tattoo if they were about to blow themselves up?

I have to doubt whether this initiative is really about the terrorist bogeyman.  What’s more likely: Selling a million dollar lottery ticket or selling to a terrorist?  It seems just as, if not more, plausible that this is about quashing political dissent.

Getting neighbors to rat on their neighbors is a page straight out of the Soviet Union playbook.  When there is that kind of distrust at the local level, it’s a lot more difficult to rally around a petition against the government.

If business owners care more about the principles for which this government stands than for whatever officials happen to have the power that day, then they have a responsibility to reject these types of FBI-community “partnerships.”
 
 
 
 
 

Every hire you make has the potential of putting you out of business

It’s a sobering thought, but every time you hire there is the possibility that new hire can put them out of business. 

Why? Because if a dangerous, unqualified, unfit, or dishonest candidate is placed in a job – and harm occurs, the hiring company risks a lawsuit for negligent hiring. Perhaps just as importantly, a bad hire can result in loss of business and damage to a professional reputation that may have been years in the making. 

The root of the problem, of course, is that some candidates lie on their resumes and applications. Industry statistics suggest that up to 10% of applicants can have criminal records. Fraudulent misrepresentations as to education and employment occur in as much as 40% of the time, according to some studies. 

Companies can be sued for negligence if harm occurs, and the heart of hiring principals may sink when those dreaded words echo across the courtroom: “Ladies and Gentleman of the Jury.” 

Those are words you never want to hear, and a situation in which you never want to be. Your protection and your best defense is to exercise “due diligence,” which means to verify the representations and qualifications of the candidate. 

The allegation in a “Negligent Hiring” lawsuit (or “Bad Hire” lawsuit) would be that the company hired someone that  was unfit or dangerous. In such a lawsuit, a staffing professional would need to show, for example, whether credentials and education were verified, whether past employment was checked, and whether a criminal background check was done. 

Lawsuits occur usually in cases where there is some sort of serious harm either to a business, such as embezzlement, or theft, or to an individual, such as assault, rape, child molestation, identity theft, or even homicide. 

The GMW Group, Inc. offers to include criminal background checks on every completed recruiting project. 

The GMW Group, Inc.   Right time, right choice.