News & Tips from Halyard Recruiting
2011 Hiring Boom
"Economists surveyed by CNNMoney are forecasting an average of 2.5 million jobs added to the U.S. economy this year, which would be the best one-year gain in hiring since the white-hot labor market of 1999."
Let Halyard Recruiting Navigate your Next Job Opportunity.
Follow Up Tips
Thoughts from a recruiting office… Don’t be afraid to follow up!
As a recruiting firm, we try very hard to close out every search with an email to each candidate stating that the search has been completed and thanking the candidates for working with us. We do keep every candidate in our database for future searches. However, due to the very high volume of candidates and resumes we are receiving currently, sometimes, someone will drop through the cracks and SOMETIMES they may not get a follow up email or call. Therefore, as a candidate, you can and should take the initiative to follow up with the recruiter or the hiring manager.
Every week, we probably speak to over a hundred people – either on the phone or in person. Out of that number, only 3 or 4 (definitely less than 5%) will follow up. This is interesting because from candidate feedback, we know that there is a definite disconnect in the communication process between recruiters and candidates.
Possible reasons may be:
• The high volume of emails and calls that the recruiter receives during every work day
• The client may be traveling or slow in responding
• The job scope may have changed or been put on hold
• There are a lot of moving parts to closing a search
• There may be multiple candidates that you are competing against
My advice to you is to call or email the hiring authority or recruiter every couple of weeks. Touch base and let them know of your interest or that you have gotten a job. Don’t sit there and stew over the fact that you never heard back, be diligent and follow up. I love hearing from candidates that I’ve interviewed and I try very hard to communicate back to everyone who follows up with me. I am always excited to hear good news from them. I really appreciate and remember the candidates that check-in from time to time. So JUST DO IT – follow up!
---Gloria Minick
The Ten Worst Things to Put on Your Resume
1) Unnecessary Details about Your Life: Your age, race, political affiliation, anything about your family members, and home ownership status should all be left off your resume UNLESS you are looking to work for an organization closely tied to a cause.
2) Your Work Responsibilities as a Lifeguard When You Were 16...Don't include information that will not advance you in your work goals.
3) A Headshot: It's illegal for employers to discriminate against job candidates based on appearance, so attaching a headshot can put employers in an awkward position
4) Salary Expectations: Giving a number that's too high or too low can cost you the job. You should keep it out of your application materials entirely, unless the hiring manager asks for it.
5) Lies: Career coaches and resume writers alike report that the line between embellishment and fabrication is often crossed by job applicants -- and that they've seen it cost their clients jobs.
6) Things That Were Once Labeled "Confidential": If you're sharing the names of your clients, in-house financial dealings, or anything else that might be for your eyes only, it can backfire in two ways. The prospective employer will know that you can't be trusted with sensitive information; and your current (or former) employer might find out what you have been sharing and it could be grounds for dismissal or even a lawsuit
7) If You Were Fired From a Job -- and What You Were Fired For: Following this advice does not violate the rule about lying (No. 5). If you're asked to explain why you left a job, you need to bite the bullet and be straightforward, but until then, make sure you're putting your best foot forward.
8) Overly Verbose Statements: There is a pretty fine line between selling yourself and overselling yourself. Too many resumes overstate the importance of job responsibilities.
9) "References Available Upon Request" and Your Objective: The age-old "references available upon request" has become archaic. You should have solid references lined up from the get-go, so when the hiring manager asks for them, you're ready to share them. Nix the objective statement. It's not really necessary to explain your career goals unless you are a recent graduate or are switching careers.
10) Too Much Information: Far too much detail is damaging because it won't get read
"The Ten Worst Things to Put on Your Resume" by Kelly Eggers. FINS.com from the Wall Street Journal
Transform your Linked In Page
Here’s how you can transform your LinkedIn summary into a tool that effectively represents your business and make new connections:
Step 1: Think of your summary as an elevator pitch.
If you get 30 seconds to describe your business to your dream client, what three points will you try to make? In essence, that’s your summary: Memorable, catchy, descriptive. Since the goal of an elevator speech is to spark a conversation, the goal of your summary should be to make the reader think, “Hmm… really? Interesting. Tell me more.”
Step 2: Think first person.
Translate accomplishments, achievements, approaches, etc. into personal terms. What have you (or by extension, your company) done, and what does that mean to the person who reads the summary? Experience and background doesn’t just reflect well on you — your accomplishments benefit your customers, too. In short: “Here’s what I/we can do for you.” Then write using first person; leave the third-person references to athletes and movie stars.
Step 3: Write it yourself.
It’s tempting to turn the writing process over to a social media aficionado in your organization. Feel free to delegate implementation, but be careful with the content. Many people who are “skilled at social media” know the nuts and bolts of the applications, but the essence of a good summary is communication. If you delegate content generation find someone who is a skilled communicator, not someone who has set up dozens of social media accounts. The difference is huge.
Step 4: Think keywords.
Potential clients may find you through mutual connections, but the majority will find you through advanced searches. Make a list of important keywords and use them to build the framework of your summary. But if you’re ever in doubt, err on the side of natural rather than keyword: You can bring a client close to your boat with a keyword, but you’ll never land them without a summary that makes a real connection.
Step 5: Stick to two to three paragraphs.
Be brief, conversational, and engaging. Spark questions. Think in terms of a conversation rather than a presentation. Above all, avoid formal “brochure speak” and write like a real person and not a corporate mouthpiece.
Jeff Haden, http://www.bnet.com/blog/small-biz-advice/how-to-create-a-linkedin-profile-that-really-connects/3025
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*Halyard - a ship's rigging; an assemblage of ropes and pulleys arranged to gain strategic advantage for hoisting and pulling.
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