June 26th, 2009 11:28am
Marc Wolfe
Are you ready for the future? Have you bought into the impact that technology has on our everyday lives in an outside of the workplace? You better, or you face the risk of being run over or left behind.
We can now have an entire office on our phones. Everything we would ever need, right at our fingertips. Email, phone, games, video, facebook, twitter, myspace, create, edit, save and send documents. The capabilities are endless and they are all in the palm of our hands.
No matter how blue collar the position these days, there will be technology involved. Nearly every employer will expect you to have a certain level of understanding of this technology. You will need to use it. Gain some knowledge of technology. Have your neighbor teach you. Have your children teach you. Take a class. Don’t be left behind. It is more and more important every day.
In the immortal words of the Verizon guy, “Can you hear me now?”………Good.
June 24th, 2009 11:12am
Brent Swanson
As a recruiter, part of my job is to sell you, the job seeker, to my clients. You provide me your background, your work experience, and tell me all of the wonderful things about you that makes you perfect for the job. It is my job to make sure all of that checks out before sticking my neck out for you with one of my clients. The ability to provide me strong professional references is critical in taking the next step and putting you to work. Here are some helpful tips to make sure your references are working for you in your job search.
Make sure you have references. Sounds simple. You’d be surprised how many people cannot come up with a name or two when asked. It’s hard for me to understand how you can work at a company for X amount of years and not be able to produce the name of a former supervisor, colleague, HR rep, or customer that can vouch for you as a person and your experience. The inability to produce references can serve as a major red flag!
Keep your references current. Don’t just dust off the old list that you used during your last job search. Make sure the contact information listed is all accurate. References do no good if I am unable to reach the person.
Call your references ahead of time. Give them a heads up. Let them know that you are currently on the job search and to expect a call from prospective employers or others assisting in the job search. Make sure they are still ok with being one of your references. Who knows, if you’ve worked with them in the past, it is possible once they find out that you are looking for work, they may have something at their company you can apply for.
Please understand the importance of having solid references. As much as good references can work for you and potentially separate you from the competition, bad references or no references can adversely affect you and could potentially be the reason an employer selects another candidate for a job that was meant for you.
June 17th, 2009 02:33pm
Brent Swanson
8pm last Saturday. I was driving away from the dog park with my beagle buckled in beside me. He was panting uncontrollably from running around for an hour, and I was absolutely starving. I decided that I was going to go the carry out route. I called one of my favorite places which has some of the best wings in town. After 3 minutes on hold, I decided to give my money to another restaurant in Rockford. I called my favorite Italian place. I couldn’t wait to get the lasagna and salad home. But, the phone just rang and rang. After about a dozen rings, I decided that this wasn’t my night. I went home and made a turkey sandwich.
The next day, I was out in that same part of town. I decided that I just had to have those wings that I so craved the night before. I tried to resist, given the service I had the night before. But, sadly, I’m weak and I could not. They were great. I’m sure I’ll order this week from the Italian place as well. The food’s too good. But, again, I’m weak and pathetic.
Most places don’t offer the quality of product where people would go back after such poor customer service. Trust me, I’ve stopped going to a handful of places that provided me such poor customer service. Value your customers and their needs. Consistently demonstrate high quality of service to your customers. Most people are not as forgiving as I am.
Are you?
June 15th, 2009 12:18pm
Brittany Tice
In my line of business, attitude and personality are everything…and having a good work history helps too! As an employer, I interview not only based on what skills you have, but how you act or present yourself during the short time we have speak.
Here are some things that you can do to stay optimistic while you are in between jobs:
Volunteer! Studies show that helping others often helps you to feel better about yourself. In addition to feeling “happier,” you may be able to network with other volunteers about employment opportunities. Also, having volunteer work on your resume is a plus! It sure beats telling your next interviewer that you’ve been doing “nothing” for the last 6 months!
Think happy thoughts! No, you won’t fly to Neverland like Peter Pan, but it will help you stay motivated. Having a positive outlook on life is essential to success. Dwelling on how angry you are at your last employer for laying you off will not help you get a new job. Interviewers pick up on your “bad attitude” and frankly, will shy away from individuals who seem unhappy.
Say Cheese! Smile. It’s that simple. Sometimes a smile between strangers can brighten your day. Find the humor in difficult situations.
Keep inspirational quotes or songs nearby. Not only do I have a song I sing that keeps me motivated throughout the day, but I have a mental list of quotes that I think of when I’m stressed out or down in the dumps. Thinking of these usually does the trick. Find something that works for you.
In these tough times, we should all have something that makes us smile!
June 10th, 2009 01:15pm
Marc Wolfe
The job market is pretty tight. Don’t make it harder on yourself by your actions outside of work. In this day and age, companies spend thousands of dollars to test you and check up on you. You will be tested on your analytical thinking, your personality, your aptitude and perhaps even whether you are prone to steal the salt shaker from the lunch room. Big Brother will check your background also, so I would think twice before stealing cable TV from the neighbor. Didn’t pay your cell phone bill?? Potential employers may even try to get their hands on your credit score.
You may have good references; after all, we all have at least a couple people that like us. Those references, while nice to have, don’t mean much. They can beviewed as scripted and set up in advance. Perhaps not literally, but you get the picture.
Don’t let your actions outside of work affect your job or your job search.
June 8th, 2009 08:04am
Brent Swanson
We’ve all had them on our resume. The one or two sentence blurb at the top that states our objective. They often include phrases such as “to obtain a position” and “where I can utilize my experience” and “grow with a company.” I’m here to say, objective, no more. We get it. You’re looking for work. And, preferably at a stable company. Right?
I believe that you need to utilize the space on your resume to sell yourself to a prospective employer. In my opinion, using 2-3 lines for an objective that states the obvious is just wasted space. I suggest that you use that space by briefly summarizing your skills, your accomplishments. Title it “Career Summary.” This will help the person reviewing the resume to better understand who you are and what you do prior to diving into the Work Experience section.
If you feel the need to state an objective to the employer, you might consider using a cover letter for that. You can tailor a cover letter to a specific position or a specific company. A cover letter allows a different format to sell yourself and why you would be a good fit for a position that may require skills that won’t be found on your resume. In other words, your objective for applying for that position, which should be found on your resume, no more.
May 22nd, 2009 10:15am
Marc Wolfe
Can’t find gainful full-time employment working 40+ hours per week?
Ever think of working less hours, yet working at more places? Taking two, even three part-time jobs to equal one full-time job? It could happen. It might even work. It might work now more than ever.
Companies may be willing to be more flexible in regards to time in this economic downturn. Perhaps you can provide a specific talent but there is no way that XYZ Company can bring you on board. 5, 10, or 20 hours per week might be a workable scenario. Perhaps you can even work from home. Perhaps you will still qualify for some sort of benefits package.
It would also stand to reason that you would be gaining important skills and knowledge twice as fast. Every employer wants to know how you will problem solve and multi-task. Wouldn’t juggling two or three jobs be the ultimate example of multi-tasking?
May 20th, 2009 03:21pm
Brittany Tice
Everybody take a moment to close your eyes and reflect on a world without cell phones…..
Hard to imagine, eh? Not so much for me, but that’s because my family was anti-technology until my car broke down 2 hours away from home, and I had to walk to the nearest gas station, up hill, in the rain, with no shoes on…(isn’t that how the story goes)?
But in all seriousness, cell phones are almost like another appendage of our bodies these days, and I think we all sometimes forget to be respectful to others when using our beloved cells. About.com offers some rules to abide by when it comes to cell phones at work.
1. Turn your ringer off or set it to vibrate. You may like to hear, “Hit me baby, one more time” repeatedly throughout the day, but your co-workers may not! If they wanted to hear that, they’d probably just turn on the radio.
2. Use cell phones for important calls only. This is a tip that some people have a hard time with. What classifies as an important call to me is probably different from the next guy. Your neighbor calling to tell you that your house is on fire is an important phone call…..your best friend calling to ask you for dating advice is not.
3. Voicemail is your friend. While you’re working, you should be doing just that. WORKING! You don’t have to answer every call. Let it go to voicemail. If it’s something that needs immediate attention, call the person back.
4. Leave the room when taking or making a personal phone call. Be respectful to your co-workers. Even if it’s not something private that you’re discussing, your co-workers don’t need you distracting them.
5. Don’t talk on your phone in the bathroom. This is my favorite. I love going into a public restroom and hearing some lady yell at her boyfriend while she’s taking care of business. Imagine being on the other end of the phone….GROSS!
6. Leave your cell phone at the desk. If you’re headed into a meeting, don’t take your cell phone with you unless it applies to the job. Your attention should be on what is being discussed, not who could call in at any minute.
May 19th, 2009 08:54am
Marc Wolfe
We’ve all heard this line before but it has never been a more relevant question now. I see first hand every day, the number of unemployed or underemployed that are either working in or considering jobs that bridge the unemployment gap. Long after the unemployment checks stop coming and the severance packages have dried up, people are taking jobs they never dreamed they would be in.
Some are making thousands less than they once were. Some are lucky to be making thousands less as their unemployed counterparts, who are told time and time again, “We’re sorry, but you are overqualified for this position.” I have seen people take education off of their resume in the hopes of not having to play the overqualified game. The feeling that you are inadequate may begin to creep into your head.
Constant rejection can certainly be a motivation killer. Some who recently lost their jobs are doing the complete opposite and are having a blast handing out carts at Wal-Mart or taking orders at McDonald’s. I urge you all to remain professional and put your all into your job no matter what you may be. You never know where it may lead and you never know who you may meet while at your job. You never know what opportunities may present themselves.
I believe that the CEO of McDonald’s used to take orders. Last I heard, Wal-Mart was a pretty big outfit also.
Work hard.
May 13th, 2009 09:23am
Brent Swanson
A group of individuals working together for a common goal. That is one way that life in the workplace rivals athletic competition. When one member of that team slips up, everyone is affected in some way.
Last week, Manny Ramirez, outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games for violating their anti-drug policy. That’s right, 7 years after MLB instituted stricter testing for banned substances, Manny apparently decided he felt the reward outweighed the risk that came with his decision to use a banned substance. And you know what, he was right. Last year, Manny parlayed a terrific stretch run with the Dodgers into a $25 million dollar contract for this year. He will forfeit $7 million in change due to his suspension this year, but will still keep a cool $18 million.
The real losers are his co-workers. His teammates. They will play 1/3 of their season without their best player. They will spend their post-game Q & A with reporters answering questions about Manny, rather than the game they just played. They will deal with this distraction as they take on the challenge of making the playoffs. All of this while Manny is, well, being Manny somewhere.
Don’t let your co-workers down. Never put your personal goals in front of the group goal. And, most importantly, do things the right way. So much can be learned from our heroes. The guys who get paid millions to play a game. Sadly, far too often, we learn from them what not to do.
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