How do you put the Jeannie back in the Lamp?

The short answer is; you can’t.

I wrote in a previous post about the need to manage your Personal Branding and I was asked about things like Facebook or Pinterest or for that matter, anywhere on “the web” and should I take questionable shots down?  

Another simple answer is yes, take it down now.  As a Recruiter, I have taken candidates to a new opportunity where they were highly qualified and where the company wanted to hire them only to find a “questionable” photo out on the web and the company walked away.

In my Introduction to LinkedIn classes, I am often asked about posting things that are political or religious.  Now, I don’t want to take this blog to an ethics or morality level or even a political correctness (we have way too much of that already). 

This cautionary blog is to tell you to take down questionable posts and photos now, but know that once it is on the web, someone or some system has already captured it, but it is-what it is.  Take it down today and “sin no more”.  Beauty is not only in the eyes of the beholder, but so are those expensive first impressions.

Reach out to us and we can help you with these things and get you ready to make a good first impression with your Personal Branding components.

Best Regards,                       

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

How Important is Your Personal Branding?

I recently taught a class in Personal Branding to a group of Human Resources students looking to move into the marketplace when they graduate.  I talked to them about three components of Personal Branding; The Resume; LinkedIn Profiles; and The Interview.

In the recruiting industry, we talk a lot about making a good first impression. That first impression occurs in all these situations and more.

If your resume doesn’t tell the reader what’ in it for them, if it is a canned resume, you might be blowing that good first impression.

If your LinkedIn profile doesn’t have a business photo and a clear “searchable” title, you might be blowing the good first impression.

If you don’t look right, don’t sit right, don’t act right, you might be blowing the good first impression.

And here’s the worst part, you might not even know you have missed these key indicators.  Reach out to us and we can help you with these things and get you ready to make a good first impression with your Personal Branding components.

Best Regards,

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

Support our Veterans

It's too late to support your local Veterans Day activities (until next year) but it's never to late to thank a Veteran for their service to our country, to our way of life, to our freedom.  

Please don't take any of these things for granted.  

Never miss a chance to thank a Vet today and every day.

Don’t Apply to That Job…Unless You’re Really Qualified

We’re looking for a Manufacturing Manager for a medical devices plant right now. The posted description is pretty clear—manufacturing, medical devices, bonus if you know some ISO things.

In the past week, I have had child care attendants, RNs, chemists, computer analysts, insurance agents, security guards and a Krispy Kreme guy apply for that job. I mentioned in an earlier post how to keep desperation out of your voice, but it goes deeper than that. A nanny who applies for a job he or she is clearly unqualified for already looks bad because they either A. can’t read a basic job description or B. are so cocky that they think they can learn 15 years of manufacturing experience during the interview process or C. apply to every job they run across.

I know it’s tempting to throw your resume out to anyone who will look at it but it backfires on you. Say tomorrow I need an insurance agent for one of my jobs. You’ve already made a bad first impression by submitting your resume for that other job. Why would I go to someone who can’t follow directions? I wouldn’t.

Don’t apply for a job where you don’t meet the posted requirements. Those requirements are there for a reason and for the most part, are not up for debate. Instead, here’s what you should do: Identify companies that are hiring and submit your resume for consideration for a position that might become available in the near future. Call the company and ask where you can submit a resume that focuses on the skills you already have.

This will turn your submittal into networking. Hiring managers will be more apprehensive to forward along the resume of someone who applied for the wrong job over someone who reached out to them for a job in their field.

Jessie Gable
Research Assistant

Global Recruiters of Huntsville
Office 256.533.1444 x200
Fax 256.418.4485
jgable@grnhuntsville.com
www.grnhuntsville.com

Why That Receptionist Is So Mean

Part of my daily duties—along with cyber-stalking potential candidates—includes answering the phones. I’m not a traditional “gatekeeper” since I spend most of the time researching people, but I still get where they’re coming from.

We hear a lot about how gatekeepers are mean. We’re tired, not mean. On a daily basis there are 3-4 calls from people whom I cannot understand. They get frustrated with me, I get frustrated with them. Another 5 or so calls come from people who act like you are inhuman—nothing more than a recording instead of someone trying to get their call to the right person. I get at least two calls from people who are just trying to get employment, one who is trying to rent a house that has our number on the front of it (we have NO idea why) and one trying to buy aluminum siding because that company had our number in the past. Throw in 15 hang ups, 2 wrong numbers, 1 person who is already mad at the person who called them (not you) and you’ve got a pretty rough day phone-wise.

Then, as I would like to keep my job, I have instructions from my boss. Those are a priority. I’m sorry if we’re not doing what you want, but we’re following his or her rules.

You know what is the best thing ever? Taking the time to ask our name. After being pooped on all day, someone who actually cares is such a big change that I’ll move heaven and Earth to get them to the right person.

So the next time you get stuck with a gatekeeper, take a step back and remember that they’re just trying to do their job. We want your phone call to go to the right person as much as you do. If we keep sending calls to the wrong people, it looks bad on us, so just take a minute to explain what you need so we can help.

BTW; Our boss is interested in knowing how you treat us.  We’re not just a “gatekeeper” we are people too.

Jessie Gable
Research Assistant
Global Recruiters of Huntsville
Office 256.533.1444 x200
Fax 256.418.4485
jgable@grnhuntsville.com
www.grnhuntsville.com

Do Not Get On the Elevator Or, Can you follow simple directions

We operate in Huntsville, Alabama, one of the tech capitals of the world. In two years here, I’ve seen everything from rocket scientists to cyber security experts to DoD head honchos come up to our office to interview. Of those, about 95% have one thing in common: they get on the elevator after I ask them not to. 

Let’s back up. We’re on the second floor of a business/residential building. We have to buzz you in the front door then you get on the elevator (no stairs) and punch in a code. If you don’t have the code, you get stuck on the elevator until someone else pushes the button down to get you.

Every time I buzz someone in that front door, I say “Do not get on the elevator.” Without fail, they always do. I’ve had some people pretend it didn’t happen—weird since I find them in the elevator and they say “Oh, I didn’t get on the elevator.” Some people pretend they didn’t hear me even though I always wait for them to confirm that they heard me.

It drives me nuts. More than that, it looks bad in the interview. Do you think someone would hire a DoD employee who couldn’t follow the most basic of directions? I wouldn’t. We now consider that to be the first question in the interview process.

Here’s the bottom line: Your interview starts the second you pull your car onto company property. The hiring manager might not be watching you, but the research assistant might be and you can bet she will tell him what weird thing you did (hey, days get monotonous. Sometimes we need gossip to break things up.)

Listen closely to the directions you are given from everyone at the interview. If the janitor tells you to do something, do it with the same gusto that you would do a task given to you by the CEO. You never know who is watching.

If nothing else, follow directions so you don’t have a panic attack on the elevator. I’ve had to talk too many people down after they hyperventilate. One guy even turned around and ran out sick. Never saw him again.

Jessie Gable
Research Assistant
Global Recruiters of Huntsville
Office 256.533.1444 x200
Fax 256.418.4485
jgable@grnhuntsville.com
www.grnhuntsville.com

Is that Recruiter Scaring You Out of Your Job Search?

When we talk to candidates, they quite often complain about never hearing back from company recruiters and HR departments.  They get the feeling that if they are screened out, they are forgotten.  If you stop to think about all the different and urgent activities that internal recruiters and HR people have on their plate, is it any wonder why candidates don’t hear back or get a “form letter” thank you for applying response.

As a candidate applying for a job, you can do many things to assist yourself to first get noticed and second to capture the attention of those reading and screening your resume.  In a recent article titled 3 Tips for Speed Reading Resumes by KAZIM LADIMEJI, the article points out that in an eye-tracking study research project, it was noted that there are six data points that a recruiter looks at as they screen a resume.  “They found that the recruiters spent 80% of their time looking at 6 data points, which were: Name, Current title/company, Previous title/company. Previous position start and end dates. Current Position start and end dates, Education.”   They also noted that during this eye scan research, “that these recruiters took an average of 6 seconds to make their initial fit/no fit decision based on these data points.”  

So, what should you do to improve your chances of getting noticed, of not going into that “black hole”?  Since you know those six items are a recruiter’s hot buttons, start there.  Make sure your information in these sections are clear, concise and spelled correctly (really!).  You would not believe how many misspelled words we find on resumes.  Resumes that have been sent out to companies with misspelled words and bad grammar, and the sender wonders why they didn’t hear any reply.  Make sure your education section is clear and complete.  Note: if you started working toward a degree and didn’t finish it, don’t say you did.  If you don’t have a degree or didn’t go to that school, don’t make it up (really!!)  Even if you get hired, you won’t stay there long once they find out you used “creative writing” on your resume.

Call me and I will talk you through this process so you don’t look like a scarecrow

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

Unlikely Cities what will power the US Economy;

A decade ago, Richard Myers was the director of the Department of Genetics at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he enjoyed the fruits of a rich endowment and his pick of faculty members and graduate students. So he left behind some befuddled scientists when, in 2008, he left Palo Alto, Calif., for Huntsville, Ala., to launch an independent research lab, the HudsonAlpha Institute.  http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-stem-jobs/

How to ask for Bereavement Time Off at Work

Y’all, it’s been a rough year in my little house. In 12 months, me and my fiancé have lost both of our grandmothers suddenly and now his aunt is facing terminal cancer. He has also changed jobs once so he has little-to-none vacation days. I have a great boss (I’m not just saying this because he reads this) who lets me take time for these things, but most companies won’t—especially for an aunt or distant relative.

The thing is, families are tricky. We grew up next door to both of those grandmothers.  That aunt lived on the other side. She had no children and raised him—OK spoiled him—like he was her own. His most recent trip to Florida to visit her after the diagnosis will probably be the last time he sees her alive. How can you put seeing a dying relative against your job? You can’t, right? You would be heartless, right? Wrong. When all is said and done, you’ll still have to pay your mortgage and feed your family so you can’t get fired. This beloved relative certainly wouldn’t want that. It’s a complicated little situation to be in.

According to SHRM, companies that offer bereavement leave include three days for immediate family and one day for an aunt, uncle, grandparent or in-law.  But what do you do if your company doesn’t offer bereavement leave or you haven’t been there long enough to accrue vacation days?

Here are a few guidelines to get you through:

·         First, review your employee handbook. Check for items pertaining to sick leave or family emergencies.

·         Second, talk to your supervisor. See what he or she recommends.

·         If you can’t get paid time off, ask about unpaid time off.  See if you can arrange a work schedule to make up for the time. My fiancé was able to work out some extra shifts to cover his coworker while he was out with his wife’s upcoming surgery.  Here’s the bottom line: If your family needs you and your boss doesn’t understand, maybe you aren’t working in the right job.

Jessie Gable
Research Assistant
Global Recruiters of Huntsville
Office 256.533.1444 x200
jgable@grnhuntsville.com
www.grnhuntsville.com

How FOGF (Fear of Getting Fired) Keeps You from Succeeding

YOLO stands for “You only live once.” FOMO means “fear of missing out” according to the youth these days. Therefore FOGF means “fear of getting fired.” It’s a pretty new phrase. You probably haven’t heard of it. OK, I just made that up. There’s actually a real term for it: Ergophobia.

I used to think that FOGF was a great trait to have. After all, employees who fear getting fired are not going to do things wrong, right? Right. The kicker is that FOGF can also keep you from taking risks and showing initiative.

Author Margie Warnell told Forbes that “ Indeed, advances in brain imaging technology can now verify that we human beings are wired to be risk averse. In other words, we find it much easier to settle with the status quo, keep our mouths closed and our heads down rather than make a change, take a chance,  or speak up and engage in what I call a “courageous conversation.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2013/06/18/take-a-risk-the-odds-are-better-than-you-think/

While that’s true—and you probably won’t get fired for keeping quiet—you also won’t be on the top of the list for getting a promotion.   Marie Claire states that fear holds back our creativity and stops us from doing our best work.

http://www.marieclaire.com/career-advice/tips/a9733/reasons-to-never-fear-getting-fired/

So how do you overcome a phobia? This is not one of those fears that you can get over by facing. I repeat: DO NOT GET YOURSELF FIRED JUST SO YOU WON’T BE AFRAID OF IT ANYMORE.  Try some of these ideas the next time you get called into your boss’ office and immediately jump to the worst conclusion:

1.       Know the warning signs of getting fired. My favorite idea is to combat phobia with facts. Have you been warned? Probably not. Keep a list of small accomplishments to remind you that you are doing OK.

2.       Stay on top of your savings. While this won’t help the actual phobia, some of the anxiety can be reduced if you know you won’t be in trouble if you do get fired.  3.       Try meditation, exercise or another outlet to curb anxiety.  4.       If you think your phobia is beyond self-help, seek out a professional to help you work through your problems.

Jessie Gable
Research Assistant
Global Recruiters of Huntsville
Office 256.533.1444 x200
Fax 256.418.4485
jgable@grnhuntsville.com
www.grnhuntsville.com

Job Hunting Tips: Minimizing Desperation

Trust me, I get it. You’ve been laid off or fired and all you have left is that pep talk in your head that keeps you from staying in bed crying all day. I’ve been there. You make the phone call and someone picks up. Here’s your chance. Here’s your moment to tell this employer how wonderful you are inside your head.

Pause. Don’t do that.

You probably are wonderful. Lots of people are wonderful. However, wonderful people don’t need to tell you they are. Margaret Thatcher once said, “Power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are…you aren’t.” Same thing.

Keep this in mind before you make that next call. When someone picks up the phone, remember in your head how awesome you are. They are lucky to be talking to you (you think inside your head and not out loud).

You want to know how I can tell how long someone has been out of work? The longer the joblessness, the more words they try to fit in between “hello” and “how can I help you?” Instead of launching into your prepared speech—I know you have one—just take a breath. Telling an employer how wonderful you are before they’ve even seen your resume just screams desperate.

Job interviewing is a lot like dating: you want to like them, you want them to like you, you want the other person to pay your health insurance (kidding!) According to an eHarmony article, desperate daters are always available, meaning the hiring manager has no reason to follow up with you immediately. They can come back to you whenever they feel like it.

So go ahead. Give yourself that pep talk. Write it on your mirror every morning. Just don’t let it slide into your interviewing techniques. You’re interviewing the company just as much as the company is interviewing you. Both of you need to be happy for this to work.

Jessie Gable
Research Assistant

Global Recruiters of Huntsville
Office 256.533.1444 x200
Fax 256.418.4485
jgable@grnhuntsville.com
www.grnhuntsville.com

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the July Unemployment Rates remained virtually unchanged

Is that good news?  The BLS reported tot total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 215,000 in July, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent. Job gains occurred in retail trade, health care, professional and technical services, and financial activities.

The WSJ reports that; Employers added 215,000 jobs in July, marking the 58th consecutive month of job gains, the longest stretch on record. Employers have added an average of 211,000 new jobs a month this year, a slightly slower pace than last year, when they added an average 240,000 a month over the same period.

Also similarly reported, the unemployment rates for college graduates changed only slightly from 2.5% to 2.6% ( http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t04.htm) 

On the surface, this is really good news.  Again, The WSJ reports that; The unemployment rate has been steadily dropping since it hit its recent peak of 10% in October 2009. A broader measure of unemployment that includes those who are stuck in part-time jobs or who have given up looking for work over the past month fell to 10.4%. While that’s down from the peak of 17.1% in early 2010, it’s still higher than it was before the recession, a sign that the labor market might still have some slack to make up.

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

Strike a Pose

There was recently post by Paul Petrone on LinkedIn titled The Pose Every Recruiter Should Strike to Start the Day. This was a great article and even if you aren’t a recruiter, I recommend you go to his LinkedIn profile and read his post.  While he wrote the article to recruiters it is a lesson that every candidate, every person can use to bolster their confidence before a meeting or interview.  In fact, anyone faced with one of those meeting that gives us that moment of pause, is worthy of this action.

I use this “Superhero Pose” technique in my Interviewing Skills classes that I teach.  I tell my candidates to take a minute.  Perhaps you slip into the restroom before your meeting or interview and strike your favorite superhero pose; put your hands on your hips, thrust your chest and chin out and survey your domain before you.  Try it and you will see that it really works.

Brian Tracy, a well-known motivational speaker uses a different variation on this.  He suggests that you look yourself in the mirror, put your best smile on your face and repeat out loud, over and over again “I like myself, I like myself, I like myself”.  I use this in my class as well.  I have the students turn to each other and do this exercise. 

So, turn this around.  Imagine that you are in your office preparing a customer meeting. You are putting the final touches on your presentation.  You are pumped!  This is a really big deal!  Your boss walks into your office to pump-you-up.  He asks; Are you ready?!  Don’t blow this presentation!  We desperately need this account, and storms back out of your office.  You are instantly filled with dread.  Why?  The opposite effect just happened because your brain is visualizing your failing and is flooding bad chemicals through your body.  Now imagine this same scenario but this time your boss storms into your office and says; You got this buddy!  You are the man! You are going to knock ‘em dead today!  I’ve got your back, and storms out of your office.  Now you have those positive affirmations and your body is awash in positive chemicals.

Why do these techniques work?  Simply because these actions (the positive ones) stimulate your brain to release positive chemicals into your body and you simply feel better; more confident; happier. Try these things and see if they work for you.  Come on! You know you want to go into the restroom and give it a try…

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

The Dandelion Effect

As a kid, probably everyone has picked a dandelion and blew the florets (you know, those little white things that blow all over the place) at a friend or just up in the air.  What you saw was the quick dispersal of the florets all over the place.  Given the wind, how open the area was and how high up you were, the dispersal could be widespread.

  

We talk about this in our company as regards to our contacts inside a given company.  These contacts could be casual or they could be our clients within the organization or they might be candidates that we have worked with and perhaps even placed in the company. 

The dandelion effect comes into play when (any of them) they move on to a different company or even perhaps changing jobs and/or locations within the existing company.  Whichever the case, as those people move on in their careers, they create the opportunity for us to network with and grow our connections along with them.  If you think about it, this true with all of us no matter what business we are in.  Each of us has the capacity to grow our relationships with others and to be dandelions for all our contacts throughout life. 

People talk about not burning bridges but this is such a negative thought process.  Instead, think about being a dandelion for someone or helping spread the florets of your life and connections.  Networking, no matter the form, is using this dandelion effect.  So go on, see how far your connection florets (have) are being blown across the landscape.

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

Valuing Courage over Security

I once read an article about valuing courage over security.  I was struck by this article that most people, time after time, placed more value on security over just about everything in their lives.  In today’s world, you can hardly pick up a newspaper or watch and/or listen to a news show without the knowledge that we are highly focused on security first, security over freedom and everything else.

Think about the things in your life that you “put up with” because you at least have security in it; marriage, job, government, your community, the list goes on and on about how we sacrifice almost everything in the name of security.

I once lost a job (got fired, ok, there I said it).  The truth is that after I got over the initial shock, I was actually relieved.  Why?  Because I realized that I had spent the last several years trying to improve my rut in that job rather than getting out of the rut and finding something better.  Again why?  Because of the security of what I knew as opposed to the fear of what else was out there.

This taught me a valuable lesson.  Have the courage to step out from the security of what you have and look for other opportunities.

This does not only apply to your job but to everything in your life.  Taking an even broader look at this issue of courage over security, think about all the freedoms we are sacrificing in the name of security.  Not to get into a political discussion here, this is mostly about the personal things you control, but Benjamin Franklin once said; He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.

As the article concluded; You must decide, once and for all, that it's more important for you to have the courage to do what you must to succeed, rather than to cling to the things that make you feel safe.  What will you do?

David (Mac) McElhaney, Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

What's that Smell?

The marketplace has clearly shifted to a candidate driven market.  What that means is that a lot of qualified people are on the move.  With all that activity and interest in you, it is easy to overlook some very critical, very obvious things (conditions) that can make your new move, your “great” new job a disaster.

One of those critical factors, perhaps the most critical of factors is the culture of the organization.  If you make a move into a new company with a culture that doesn’t match up with your style, you will struggle to keep your balance.

There are a number of key indicators that you should consider.  I’m reminded of an old Lynyrd Skynyrd song titled “What's that smell?”  Pay attention to the atmosphere in an organization.  You can “smell” a company when you are talking on the phone to someone inside the organization.  You can “smell” a company when you are sitting in the lobby, waiting for an interview.  When you are walking to the interview location, pay attention to how the people interact with each other.  Pay attention to the interviewer’s attitude toward you, the other people, the process itself.

Next, pay attention to the interviewer’s answers to your questions.  You should always go to an interview prepared to ask your own questions.  Remember that the interview process is a two-way street.  You are interviewing them as well.  Ask real, important questions and write down the answers.  These answers will serve you well as you review your day, compare one person’s answers to another in the organization and to judge the reaction of the answer given. 

Finally, your research into a company will give you some additional background and insight into the organization. 

All these indicators can be insights to the culture of the new company.  Pay attention to these subtleties and remember, you are planning to spend more time with this company than you do with your family.

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

Mac’s 10 Rules for Successful Interviewing

Mac’s 10 Rules for Successful Interviewing

•      Be on time- this means between 5-15 minutes early.

•      Be confident-  Tell yourself “I’ve Got This!”

•      Dress for success- You don’t have to wear a Tux, but dress one level above your target.

•      Take the Initiative- Know the job specifications and how you fit that role.

•      Don’t oversell yourself-  Answer the questions but don’t talk yourself out of the job.

•      Always have your own questions (written down)- You are interviewing the company too.

•      Carry a portfolio- It gives you something to do with your hands.  Take notes.

•      Don’t let them see you sweat-  Don’t scratch, wipe, scooch or squirm.

•      Ask for the job- You don’t get if you don’t ask.

•      Follow up Today- to paraphrase Elton John- Don’t let the sun go down on your interview.

.

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

How do you spell Potatoe?

How do you spell Potatoe?

We all know that the resume doesn’t get you a job, it gets you an interview.  It can also stop you dead in your tracks if you have spelling and grammar mistakes.  The quickest way to put yourself out of the hiring funnel is having misspelled words on your resume.

While the interview will land you the job, the resume gets you in the door. Your resume is your first chance to make a good impression, so don’t screw it up with easy-to-correct errors. Proofread, proofread, proofread and for goodness’ sake, proofread!

Before you hit the send button, have someone else look over your resume to catch any errors you might have missed. (Remember: Computer spell-check functions don’t catch everything).

For college students, utilize the career services center, as its staff members are there to help you.

Mistakes are a direct reflection of you and your personal brand. Don’t let your first impression also be your last.

One more thing; Are you still putting “References available upon request” or actually listing your references and their information on your resume?  We are all aware that you’ll provide references when they are needed.  Don’t waste valuable space on your resume be stating the obvious.

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

You’re not still using an Objective statement to start your Resume, are you?

You might be old if your resume looks like this;

Objective

A confident, detail-oriented, resourceful professional with excellent organizational skills and ability to function at a highly efficient level in a fast-paced environment.  Ability to liaison adeptly between executive, management and support levels.  Professional relationship builder with the capability to establish and maintain relationships in a wide variety of aspects.  Proven leadership skills, ability to work within a team and exceed goals. Excellent interpersonal skills, presentation skills, sales and project coordination experience.

Since no one really reads your resume, you need catch the reader's attention.  A job summary does that, an objective statement doesn't.  The Summary should be built from the job description, pulling the key words out and using them to describe how you can fill the role.

Summary

Your job description calls for a confident, detail-oriented, resourceful professional with excellent organizational skills and ability to function at a highly efficient level in a fast-paced environment.  As you can see from my qualifications below, I have these attributes and I’m looking for a fast-paced environment such as yours.  I have the ability to liaison adeptly between executive, management and support levels.  Over the years, I have developed my professional relationship building skills with the capability to establish and maintain relationships in a wide variety of aspects.  As you can see, I have proven leadership skills, ability to work within a team and exceed goals. My excellent interpersonal skills, presentation skills, sales and project coordination experience are leading indicators my ability to not only hit the ground running with your company but to quickly become you star team member.

Now, here’s the hard part.  You have to write this summary for every job you apply to because every job has its own key words and hot buttons.  Catch the Hiring Manager with a quick, to the point statement about how you can fill their role.

See our job board at; http://www.grnhuntsville.com/candidate/jobs.aspx

David McElhaney

Global Recruiters of Huntsville

256.533.1444

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

It’s not what you’ve done; it’s what you have accomplished that matters- Part II

Just so we’re clear, people don’t read your resume, they scan it.  In an eye-tracking study, we found that the average recruiter spends about six seconds on a resume before deciding if it’s worth their time for a closer inspection.  If you don’t grab our attention in that window, you may be overlooked.

So how to you get my attention? Be Brief, Be Brilliant.  It’s those accomplishments that we talked about last week that will make a difference.   Stay focused on the very best accomplishments that will tell the Hiring Manager what you can do for them.

Remember that a accomplishments, for the most part, comes down to three things; How much money did you make the company; How much money did you save the company; What process improvements did you develop and implement in the company.

Please let us know how we can assist you or your company.

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com

It’s not what you’ve done; it’s what you have accomplished that matters

As a recruiting and placement firm with 7 search consultants, we look at hundreds of resumes a day.  The one thing that is lacking in almost every resume is a list of things you accomplished, not what team you were on or what your team did, what we need to know is what did you personally accomplish.  Take a serious look at your work history.  What we see most often is something like this;

·         Developed, initiated, maintained and revised policies and procedures for the general operation of the compliance program and its related activities to prevent illegal, unethical or improper conduct.

·         Managed day-to-day operation of the compliance program.

·         Developed and periodically reviewed and updated Standards of Conduct to ensure continuing currency and relevance in providing guidance to management and employees.

·         Collaborated with other departments to direct compliance issues to appropriate existing channels for investigation and resolution.

·         Consulted with general counsel as needed to resolve difficult legal compliance issues.

·         Responded to alleged violations of rules, regulations, policies, procedures and standards of conduct by evaluating or recommending the initiation of investigative procedures.

·         Developed and provided oversight for a system for uniform handling of such violations.

Accomplishments, for the most part, that comes down to three things; How much money did you make the company; How much money did you save the company; What process improvements did you develop and implement in the company.

Accomplishments show the reader what’s in it for them.  What is the compelling reason for the Hiring Manager to pick up the phone and call you?  ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  After all, the resume doesn’t get you the job, it gets you the interview.  Make the Hiring Manager say “AHH” with your list of solid accomplishments.  Help the Hiring Manager tune into their favorite station; WIIFM

David (Mac) McElhaney

Managing Partner
Global Recruiters of Huntsville

102 Clinton Ave, West

Suite 201

Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-533-1444 Ext 201

Fax: 256-418-4485

Mobile: 407-341-4462

dmcelhaney@grnhuntsville.com

www.grnhuntsville.com