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The Interviewer Said!

February 6th, 2012 by Kira

This post was written by Perry Newman and was originally featured on the Career Rocketeer blog.

In my career, I have written and read thousands of resumes and I will be the first to admit a well-written resume is no guarantee that you will be hired for a new job. However from my own experience and the experiences of many of the people I have worked with I can say with 100% certainty that a well-written resume will increase your apply to interview ratio by at least 25% and improve your chances of impressing the people who interview you.

To highlight for you how a effective a tool a well-written resume can be, I asked a number of people who found a new positions about the feedback they received on the resume we collaborated on, and here are a few responses..

1: The interviewer said “you are a candidate we could not afford to pass on so after I finished reading your resume I picked up the phone ASAP to contact you to schedule an interview.”

2: The interviewer said” the minute I finished reading your resume I knew you were a perfect match for the profile we developed for a new hire.”

3: The interviewer said “after reading your resume I felt I’ve known you for years even though we’ve never met.

4: The interviewer said “based on your resume I know what we can expect from you in the future if we hire you.”

5: The interviewer said “I screened over 100 resumes but yours was one of only a handful that stood out and caught my attention based on its style and content.”

6: The interviewer said “your resume answered all the questions I had about you and raised a few questions I had not considered about your competition.”

The bottom line is if you have a well-written resume you can elicit they same type of responses as well. Not every resume can get interviewers and screeners to react like this; after all you must have the talent and ability to put on paper that will excite people. But I can tell you that a well-written resume will get people to take notice of you and what you have to offer and it will increase your chances of being considered a front runner for a new job.

Perry Newman is a nationally-renowned job transition specialist who develops branded resumes and is a career coach for executives, professionals and MBA’s seeking six- figure positions in multiple industries within the USA. As a Certified Placement Consultant, Certified Social Media Strategist and founder and former Managing Director of a NYC-based executive search firm, Perry has a rare combination of talent and experience that is essential for your success in today’s job market. Acknowledged as a subject matter expert in his field Perry is a sought-after public speaker for radio, TV shows and career services seminars and his articles and blog posts are published in national newspapers, magazines and blogs throughout the nation and the world.

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Help Your Employees and Your Team Become Better Listeners

April 18th, 2011 by Kira

Communication is an important part of building a team, creating a thriving company culture, and increasing productivity and effectiveness. Studies have shown that a large percentage of people listen less effectively than they believe, however, listening is a skill that can set your team and company apart. It sets up the stage for creating a cohesive environment, in which individuals thrive, and actively take pride in their role.

To help your employees and team become better listeners follow these simple tips:

Encourage questions. Create an environment where individuals are encouraged to ask questions – whether to clarify direction, further understand an assignment, or out of simple curiosity. This means treating all questions as important and equal and never embarrassing a person for asking a question that may seem silly or out of context. If our minds can’t understand what is being said, it will generally block the flow of listening and distract the individual as they seek to figure it out internally.

Let people finish their thoughts. This applies to the listener and the speaker. People need a chance to work through their thoughts and express all the pieces for discussion. The majority of people are already thinking of a response before a person is finished speaking – instead, set the example that individuals should not be interrupted. Task your employees with writing down their thoughts while others are speaking so nothing is lost, their turn can be had once the other person’s thoughts are complete. This can decrease misunderstood communications between multiple parties.

Keep open communication. Foster an environment where individuals feel safe and comfortable asking questions, being inquisitive, and having an open line of communication. An open communication policy ensures that all of your team members will ask questions when needed, even if they find themselves in a situation that is uncomfortable.

Altogether, work to create a team of employees that listen and are actively participating in what’s happening around them. You can also keep meetings short and concise, give breaks during longer meetings, and provide healthier food choices to keep individuals more alert.

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O.C. adds jobs for third straight month

October 25th, 2010 by Kira

This article was originally published on the Orange County Register Site and was written by Mary Ann Milbourn.

Orange County’s economy appears to be on the mend with local employers adding 4,600 jobs in September, the third straight month of employment growth, state employment officials reported today. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.6%.

Statewide, the picture wasn’t as bright. California lost 63,500 jobs from August to September although August’s numbers were revised to show a 10,700 job gain.

The state’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 12.4% in September, third highest in the country after Nevada’s 14.4% and Michigan’s 13%. The U.S. unemployment rate in September was unchanged at 9.6%.

Esmael Adibi, a Chapman University economist, was especially encouraged that so many of Orange County’s sectors are beginning to show strength.

“There are really quite a few bright spots in this report,” Adibi said.

He cited professional and business services — accountants, lawyers, managers and temp workers.

“They’ve added nearly 11,000 jobs in the last year,” he said. “That’s extremely important because of the size of that sector with 244,000 people.”

Leisure and hospitality dipped in September as the summer tourist season wound down, but it showed solid year-over- year growth, with employers bringing on 7,800 new workers.

Construction remained weak. The sector has lost 6,900 jobs in the last year, mostly among specialty trade contractors.

State and local government employment increased by 5,400 from August to September, reflecting teachers coming back to school. With budget cuts, however, local government employment is down by 4,700 positions in the last year.

Adibi said the good news is that the private sector is hiring again, not in huge numbers, but consistently increasing each month.

Kiro Bruno, president of Fortis Resource Partners, a staffing company in Irvine, said she’s seeing pockets of hiring strength in Orange County in pharma, medical devices and manufacturing, particularly high-tech manufacturing.

“In September and October, we’ve seen a surge in hiring,” said Bruno, whose company specializes in finance and accounting placements at small- and mid-sized companies in Orange County.

Bruno said there is strength in both temporary hires and direct hires.

“Temporary help has always been a category that improved at the beginning of an expansion,” Bruno said. “So seeing growth there is extremely positive.”

Temp work has expanded by 3,000 jobs in the last year, according to the EDD.

Despite the pickup in orders, Bruno said she’s not seeing any clear trend.

“Companies are being very strategic in their hiring, replacing or adding positions based on specific internal needs,” she said.

Orange County continues to lead the Southern California region in its recovery. Here are the September unemployment rates in the other counties:

  • Los Angeles:12.5%
  • Riverside: 15.3%
  • San Bernardino: 14.2%
  • San Diego: 9.7%
  • Ventura: 11.1%

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Top FIVE Ways to Land Your Dream Job

November 18th, 2009 by Kira

Many people right now are saying they are “just happy to have a job,” but what if you aren’t satisfied with just any old job and are ready to finally land that ultimate dream job?

First, let’s start by saying that even though the reports state that unemployment is at all time high, which is true –90% of the population is still employed and new jobs and positions are being created every day. In a down economy as businesses shift and find new ways to market their services, attract new clients, and create new products new dream opportunities are born.  job

If you are looking for your dream job here are five ways to help you get exactly what you want.

  1. Clarity. Get clear on what your dream job looks like to you. Think about the office environment, your co-workers, your daily schedule, travel, etc. Once you get a clear picture you can begin to weed out any corporations that aren’t ideal for your lifestyle and goals.
  2. Network. Most job seekers make the mistake of networking only when they need something, even if you are not currently looking, be sure to stay connected with your circle of influence and be a go-giver.  Do your part in helping others and when you are ready to make a move, your network will be more than willing to help you out.
  3. Listen. Keep your ears open and your eyes peeled. Your new opportunity could come from unexpected sources. Perhaps you watch the local news and see a story about an upcoming company that would be your ideal dream job!
  4. Back Door It. If you have your eye on a particular company find ways to connect with other employees of the company  – hence social media is a great place for this. A big majority of people are on Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In and they aren’t hard to find either.
  5. Keep an Open Mind. Even though you may have a clear vision of what you want, some companies may not look like that vision on the outside. Be sure to stay open minded and give companies or opportunities a chance before you completely dismiss them. Sometimes the best come in the worst packages.  

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