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