Long-haired freaky people need not apply

We have some really great jobs with an outstanding organization that is in the process of massive growth.  

If you are a Software Test Engineer or a Senior Systems Engineer or a Project Manager and want to learn more about these great opportunities, we'd love to talk to you.  

BTW- You Long-Haired freaky people that are qualified are welcome to apply.

Just Do It (thanks Nike)

I used to think goal setting was silly. It seemed like a lot of ups and downs sprinkled with disappointments. Does anyone ever really reach a goal? It just seemed like an excuse to try hard for a while then give up.  Plus, why wouldn’t you work 110% all the time? Do you get to chill after the deadline comes? What if you never set another goal, do you get to work at 80% for the rest of your life?

So naturally, I rolled my eyes when my husband told me he would take me on a cruise if I stayed on an exercise plan for an entire year. I’ve tried before and failed and failed and failed. The day after his challenge, I started thinking about why I would fail—then I couldn’t find any excuses. I bought these DVDs on eBay for $25 so it’s not a huge gym membership. The exercises are low impact so the risk of injury was low. They take 25 minutes a day, so time isn’t a concern. Even my doctor said I needed to do something.

Then I remembered Nike: Just Do It.

Nike didn’t say to” Just Do It” if you liked it. They didn’t say “Just Do It” if you already look good in the exercise clothes. Just do it.

That’s what I have to do. I will go on my cruise next year.

Here are some tips I’ve learned:

·        Find something you at least semi like: My DVDs are hard but I love stretching. You might not like every aspect of your job, but you have to like parts of it.

·        Don’t set the goals too high: My husband didn’t say I had to lose x amount of weight (smart man) or get a six pack. He just wants me to be healthy. He knows I want to be fit. I have to stick to the plan and track my progress—however slow it may be.

·        Tell someone: I thought this was dumb, too, until I thought about telling my husband that I wanted to skip a day to watch NCIS for 11 hours. Fear of embarrassment can be an excellent motivator.

Find something that works for you. I think it’s OK for you to enjoy it—nobody set goals to drink more beer or anything, though.

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

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