PRI Business Services: Your Take, My Take...

Job search basics overlooked, part 1

2009-07-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

For the next weeks, I am going to start exploring a few common mistakes and "turn-offs" we see happen in a job search. These are easy to avoid, yet are large enough to make the difference between your resume being reviewed - or a recruiter even considering talking to you.

Today's starter: applying for positions you are not remotely qualified for.

I am not talking about blind postings on job sites like Monster or Career Builder - I am referring to when you apply either direct via a company's Web site, or online or email to a recruitment firm.

Applying for a job that you are clearly unqualified for makes a hiring manager or recruiter flat out question your common sense and/or intelligence or to assume that you did not read any of the description. No matter what the thought process, the conclusion is the same. The recruiter does not want to present this candidate to any client for any position, or the hiring manager does not care to ever see that candidate's resume again. Your resume is dismissed and you will simply not receive any reply.

Applying for a job that you meet most of the qualifications for - at least 65% or higher, is a different story, but still one that must be handled well in order to avoid a negative impression.

If you choose to apply for a position that you are "mostly" qualified for, it is best to do two things. First, rewrite or modify your resume to emphasize and address the qualifications and requirements you do possess. This should be at the top of your resume. Customize that resume to get it through the keyword search that is sure to happen as the first step of screening applicants.

Next, if at all possible, write a customized cover letter to submit or send along with your resume. In your cover letter, address why you feel you are qualified for the job, and what you do NOT possess and how you could overcome that. Be short, direct, concise and above all, honest.

For example, if speaking Spanish is a requirement, and the only requirement you do not possess, write that out and include your willingness to gain conversational Spanish, along with a few positives about how your experience is a match, including some nice plug about how you have the industry experience, etc.

The hiring manager and/or recruiter is going to figure out pretty quickly what skills or experience you do not possess - might as well put it out on the table presented with a solution. The opposite is to simply be dismissed, and worse, potentially being viewed as not a viable candidate for ANY position the company or recruitment firm may have open.

If you cannot submit a cover letter, strengthen your resume as best you can to fit the job description and see if you can either email the recruitment firm separately from the job application process (refer to the job by ID number, title and location), and/or send an email in to the HR department.

The extra effort may reward you with the coveted position of your resume getting someone's attention, which is the way to get your foot in the door.

Straight talk for job searching today

2009-07-09T10:02:00.002-05:00

Want to hear tips right from HR professionals? Check out Laurie Ruettimann's blog Punk Rock HR. She is running a contest asking for people's best job searching advice, and most of the comments (70+ at the time of my writing this post) are from HR people.

From encouraging to practical to downright humorous, the comments cover it all - and I couldn't agree more with some of the comments! Read them today!

Humor from our candidates

2009-07-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

Next to a successful placement, the next favorite part of my job is talking to so many different people and what people say. Here are two of my favorite quotes from the last couple of weeks:

"I love that job!!! Do you have it in California?", from an enthusiastic chemical engineer graduate.

"Have you ever seen production people running a line while sitting in lawn chairs? The only thing "lean" they talk about implementing is a diet!!", from a frustrated and under-utilized lean manufacturing expert.

Can you relate?

And we're back!

2009-07-01T13:06:00.000-05:00

PRI is back into the blogging world, and for that matter, stay tuned - Facebook and Twitter are on their way by the end of this month, along with a whole new Web site.

We're happy to say that in spite of a tough job market right now, people are still finding jobs, and PRI is still placing people in those jobs. Keep encouraged in your job search and stay tuned for more information and updates on the blog.

Good News! Is the Worst of the Downturn Over?

2009-04-29T10:12:00.002-05:00

In this age of media delivering only "doom and gloom" about the economy, I was encouraged to find this article on BusinessWeek, "The Downturn: Is the Worst Over?"

Even though I'm a bit behind on getting this out to my readers (article was published last week), if you haven't read this, please take a moment to click the article link above and read! This is positive thinking therapy for anyone in a job search.

What you can learn from President Obama's talk show interview

2009-04-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

Before I begin, just to reiterate: this is not a blog about politics, this is a blog that is focused on job seekers and professionals in manufacturing industries.

Whatever your political beliefs, most people will agree that it was something to see a current President of the United States on a late night talk show several weeks ago. As I watched the interview, I was thinking about what this event symbolized. Things have changed. President Obama's presence on the show spoke to a new audience, a new generation, a new culture. Like it or not, the President's interview showed that the current administration recognizes broad venues of where and how the President will need to meet the people he serves.

There is a parallel change in the job search. Do you know where to meet the people you intend to reach in your job search? Are you tapping into the equivalent of the job talk shows?

Just as President Obama recognizes that showing up on talk shows reaches many people of this country, you must recognize how to speak to the audience you are targeting. Be in tune with the growing changes and the fact that the lines have blurred, the rules are changing.

For a job seeker, I'm referring to making sure you are up to date with social networking. If you aren't connecting via a handful of the many resources such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and more, you are missing a huge potential audience in your search. If you aren't blogging, or contributing on blogs, you are missing another avenue in your search.

While Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the other popular social networking sites have become synonymous with the term social networking, there can be more to social networking then just these sites. This can include joining online communities that are specific to your discipline or industry, something I would strongly encourage you to research. This can give you a chance to get your name and skills in front of the very person who is the hiring authority for the job of your dreams.

Social networking is a significant topic and a source of steady questions from our candidates. I will be starting to include blogs on individual social networking and ideas on how to tie these resources to job search methods in future blog posts. In addition, we are exploring opening up this blog to guest writers. This blog and the PRI Business Services web site is currently marketed to approximately 5000 hiring managers and human resource professionals in manufacturing - if you would be interested in getting your name and professional skills out and opening up doors for your career, post a reply here or email me direct. If we get enough interest, I will post more on the guest blogging later.

Already on LinkedIn? Connect with me today.

Need a job? Don't send a form!

2009-03-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Interesting thing happened to me yesterday. We have several great new manufacturing jobs in, and since they came in at the same time and all need to be hired for immediately, we do a quick job of getting the descriptions out to the database at large.

The employment market is flooded with talent right now -- lay-offs, cut backs and the like have made the best of the best searching for a job.

I get hundreds of emails a day; and can average up to 80+ responses to a single job description in a matter of hours. The process is quite simple - the candidates with the strongest keyword match are reviewed first and those who provide me back with exactly what I ask for (resume, details about products or manufacturing experience, etc.) are going to get the first contact from me.

So, I was quite astonished to read through my email in the morning and discover a reply back from a candidate that included a form for me to fill out! Nearly all of the questions were easily answered within the email and job description I had sent. The half-dozen questions were followed by specific instructions that I was to reply back in short sentences and no vague terms such as "full-time"?!? How is the term full-time vague? If the job order says direct hire, full time employment I'm not sure how much clearer a description can get.

It is obvious to me that the candidate did not bother to read either my email or the job description attached. This candidate will not be getting a reply back and will not be considered for the engineering position or any others in the future.

Questions are good; I expect them, I often measure a candidate by the questions he/she asks. Sending me back questions that are already answered is not good. Sending me those questions in a form along with instructions is flat out humorous. If you think that any recruiter or hiring manager out there has time to tailor a job description into an individual candidate's form, you're not going to get too far into your search. Be kind to the person on the other end of the job posting and remember their work load - give them exactly what they are asking for, in the way they are asking for it, and make sure your questions are delivered using appropriate methods and timing.

Hot Job: Manufacturing Manager opportunity

2009-03-19T11:27:00.002-05:00

New job in here at PRI Business Services: Manufacturing Manager located in Louisiana. Great opportunity with a strong international firm in a niche industry and growing U.S. production. This position will support and manage a new production line being moved into the U.S. Looking for an individual with experience in production management, supplier / contract negotiations, regulatory certifications, and both technical / engineering and business operations experience in a low volume or custom engineered manufacturing industry.

Great growth potential, stable industry. If you are interested, visit Hot Jobs for the full description and to apply online. If you are currently on file with PRI, email me direct.

If you know of anyone who may be seeking this type of position, please refer them to us!

Take Time Out This Weekend

2009-03-13T05:00:00.001-05:00

This has been a busy week for us here at PRI... new client on board, candidates well into interviews, new searches (still need those Manufacturing and Electrical engineers in CA!) and keeping up with the growing number of candidates in contact with us. I'm heading into an equally busy weekend hosting a birthday party for my daughter, so this article hit me as appropriate to share on a Friday!

Freelance Fun On Fridays: 10 Things You Can Do for Free
by Shelley DeLuca

Check out the list and remember that job searching is a full time job that you need to take breaks from too.

Just a quick reminder - we are seeking engineers with experience in the food or beverage, medical device and plastic injection molding industries. Most of our current positions are open on the West and East Coasts, but we do have a few opportunities in the Southeast and Midwest too. Please contact me if you are interested!

Where Stimulus Jobs Will Be - a Wall Street Journal article

2009-03-12T11:53:00.003-05:00

Head to this link for information and answers on what the economic stimulus package means for job hunters: Where Stimulus Jobs Will Be - And Jobs Open Now.

Middle Class Task Force - What Am I Hiring For?

2009-03-09T15:28:00.003-05:00

Great questions these past two weeks again. Too many to answer, so if I haven't gotten back to you, please repost your question on this blog, or email me again. Not to be rude, but I do not have the time to answer each phone call or email I receive from candidates, unless you are a candidate presented or currently interviewing with our clients. I am committed to answering as many questions as I can, and I am committed to keeping this blog updated, so frankly, you'll receive an answer faster by posting here.

Regarding your questions on what my opinion is with the Middle Class Task Force... Got caught up to date on the White House blog, and this is going to be a sad excuse for an answer, but the truth is that I don't know what my opinion is on the subject. We need jobs, but I have my doubts on much of what President Obama is doing and how current decisions are going to bring about jobs now. I don't want this blog to be about politics, and let me put a disclaimer out that I am not an economist. The skepticism is simply my personal opinion, and is also based on limited time to read much about the program. You, my readers and candidates, have all been much more informed and knowledgeable about it.

At PRI, we continue to our recruitment work and we do have jobs -- check out the latest on the home page or the hot jobs / search jobs sections of our site. And, keep the questions and updates coming!

Urgent search: Manufacturing Project Engineer

2009-03-05T09:47:00.002-06:00

I could really use my readers help on this search! We are currently seeking a Manufacturing Project Engineer located in CA. The position is with a growing plastics manufacturer and has good visibility and career potential. Will be working on a variety of projects. Need a person who enjoys projects and is comfortable on the plant floor as well as working with the Vice President. The area in CA is in a moderate cost of living pocket - while not as reasonable as some areas of the U.S., don't be scared away by the cost of living factors for this location.

You can view the job description and requirements by visiting our Hot Jobs, in the Candidate section of our Web site.

If you are interested or know of anyone who may be interested in this job, please contact me, or apply online today.

Best Career Strategies of 2009 - free ebook

2009-02-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

If you haven't already seen this, I would encourage you to download the free copy of an ebook compilation, Best Career Strategies of 2009, edited by Bonnie Lowe.

The ebook includes advice from over 20 career experts, many of which we recommend and have links to on our site. Topics are varied, and from what I've been able to read thus far, the content is useful, informative and quite updated. Follow the link above for your free download.

DIY: Resume Makeover

2009-02-23T10:40:00.000-06:00

Watch any home improvement shows at all? I catch a few minutes now and then, and have some favorites on the DIY Network. Since we are considering selling our home, a few concepts have caught my interest, and sitting here today, I realize there is a parallel to resumes and job searching.

When you are selling your home, a realtor comes through and tells you what you need to improve, fix, repair, paint, remove, and literally how to arrange your furniture to appeal to buyers. It's no longer about your preferences, it is all about what buyers may want. Additionally, you clean the house each time you have a walk through scheduled. You spend money, time, effort to complete the makeover and work to get that coveted offer.

The parallels to your resume and job search: your goal is to sell yourself and get that coverted offer. And, like the real estate market, the hiring market changes constantly and you need to be sure you are navigating in that market correctly.

In the role of recuiter, I have gained the experience of how to appeal to "buyers", and there are three makeover steps for your resume that you should start doing today. Maintenance, curb appeal and organization.

Regular maintenance. Before you submit your resume, match it against the job description or advertisement you are applying for. Grab a highlighter and mark all the matching keywords. If you possess experience that the description mentions, and it is not on your resume, get it on there! For space constraints, consider removing details on your resume that do not apply for this position and put in the experience you have that matches what this job is seeking. Make sure you type the exact way the skill is spelled out in the description.

You must customize your resume to each job posting you are applying for. I would recommend that you have a minimum of two different resumes and then customize from there.

Next, Curb appeal and organization. Good for you! Your resume maintenance and customization got you through the software keyword search and you've landed on a assistant or recruiter's desk. Now, is your resume appealing? Is the format laid out so that it is easy for a reader to find what they are looking for? Do you have it organized so that your outstanding career progression is easy to see at a glance? Have you spelled out that you possess those degrees and certifications? Do you have whitespace? Like selling your house, you need to take a step back and look at the initial presentation of your resume - if there is no curb appeal, your house may not sell, no matter how wonderful the home's interior is because people are not compelled to look further. And without a good appeal to your resume, you risk not selling yourself, no matter how qualified you may be for the job. Hiring managers are not compelled to read further.

If you think this is a lot of work, I agree. Job searching is work; when I was doing mine a few times in my career, it was full time work for me. Put the effort into your resume makeover and you will increase your potential offers to entertain.

I'm Back... sort of

2008-10-06T16:05:00.009-05:00

Well, the gang here at PRI have been through quite a few changes these last months.

For starters, I gave birth to my second child in August. I have been warmed by all the well wishes and congrats I've received from candidates, clients and affiliate partners alike.

Special thanks for the support of a couple candidates who were, quite literally, right in the middle of their final interviews and offer stages when I had my baby. Your text messages while I was in the hospital keeping me updated were great!

Next, while I have had to completely abandon this blog due to extremely limited time, I have kept focus on our clients and candidates. Congrats go out to the following for great interviewing and securing their new positions: Jose D., Production Supervisor, WI; George C., Engineering Project Manager, IL; Bruce J., Manufacturing Project Engineer, CA; Jeffrey K., Chemist, NC; Elizabeth H., Quality Control Manager, CA. Again, congratulations to each of you.

And there are more changes, including more positions available in the food and beverage industry and more openings than we can keep up with. We aren't able to keep our Hot Jobs section up properly, but if you search the Jobs section, you'll find many of the listings.

We are trying to keep up with sending out new jobs via email to our active candidate database. If you haven't received jobs in a while, email us to make sure we know you are actively searching. If you email us, keep in mind that we're swamped, and I'm only back from maternity leave part time yet. But, we will get to you, and we have the jobs and in spite of the current economy, we are getting candidates in front of employers for interviews and our candidates are landing great offers!

Resource Round Up: Job Search

2008-07-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

Resource Round Up: Recently Published Tips and Advice on Job Searching

How to Create Job Search Chi

Three Sure Fire Mistakes That Scare Off Poential Employers

Top 5 Reasons Your Resume Ended Up In The Trash

Special Announcement

2008-04-24T07:29:00.003-05:00

PRI would like to announce to our candidates that Barb Garczynski, Executive Recruiter, has chosen to move on to other ventures in her life. Her last day is this week.

Barb has been with PRI for over 2 years and has successfully placed quality engineers and production management candidates. Here at the PRI office, we have benefited from Barb's tenacity, bubbly personality and high level of professional ethics. She will be truly missed.

If you are a candidate that was working with Barb, your profile was transferred to a team consisting of Lisa Gutknecht, Executive Recruiter and a team of research assistants, Peg and JoAnne. All client presentations, interviews in process and candidate searching has been transferred over the past couple of weeks. If you have any questions, feel free to email Lisa directly.

We wish Barb well in her future ventures and know that she will bring about great things for her next employer.

Think Positively and Plan To Interview

2008-03-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

As part of our work as recruiters, one of our core tasks is what is called "candidate prep", a conversation or two where we work through details of the upcoming interview between the candidate and a client. It always amazes me how many candidates tell me that they "hadn't thought about the interview", or "didn't think about that question." Didn't think? You are the one who initiated the search and/or expressed interest in the job!

Start thinking, and think positively! You will get an interview. A phone interview, an in-person interview, hopefully many interviews. And, to land a job, you need to be good at interviewing. For most people, that doesn't come without some thinking, planning, prepping and rehearsing.

Make it a goal of yours to practice, read or brush up on one to two interview skills each and every week. Schedule time in your planner to do this; be committed, and start right away.

Here are a few points to review to make sure you are ready for that next phone or face to face interview:

Have you reviewed lists of common interview questions, and do you have your answers prepared? Take time to write out your answers, and then practice saying what you've written. Not all interviewers will ask you the same questions, but this exercise will help prepare you.

Prepare your answer to the question "why are you in a job search?" This will come up in nearly every interview and you need to be ready to answer this honestly, conscisely, with emotion but not excess explanation and, most importantly, with an overall positive attitude - regardless of the situation that launched you into your current job hunt.

Memorize your resume. Know it inside and out.

Read up on interviewing. Current books, career articles and blogs offer great sources to brush up on the interview process, protocol, tips and more to help you "ace" the interview. Start with going through previous posts on this blog, and I would recommend visiting Darlene McDaniel's blog, Interview Chatter. Dedicated to the interview process and all that surrounds it, she often posts helpful insight and tips.

Resource Round Up: Resumes

2008-03-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

Resource Round Up: Recently Published Tips and Advice on Resumes

Prove It

From the Search Tip File: Refreshing Resumes

Review: Ogilvy On Advertising

Avoid the 90% Pile!

Top 5 Resume Do's and Don'ts

Resume Workshop: Simplicity

2008-03-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

In my Resume Workshop posts, I've taken you through length, content, keywords and more. Today's blog is about keeping the resume clean and simple.

Clean. White space. If you're reading this blog, you should be seeking a professional position in a manufacturing firm. Therefore, you are not likely a graphic designer. Leave the graphics out. No pictures, no colored bars. Love the white space.

Clear. Simple font. Use a common business font, and avoid any type of script or "fancy" fonts. Choosing a straight, non-serifed font (like Arial or Tahoma) can be an advantage because you can use a smaller font size and still have your resume legible. Avoid the old typewriter style look (using Courier New); you don't want the reader's first impression to be that your resume is "old". Also avoid excess (or any) use of bold, italics and/or underline formating.

Concise. Use bullets. Avoid lengthy narrative descriptions and opt for the use of bullets whenever possible. Be sure to use the same style of bullets (and, again, keep the choice of bullet small and simple) and style of writing (full sentences, phrases, keywords, etc.).

The Art of the Thank You

2008-02-25T13:45:00.000-06:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend who was asking for advice on writing a thank-you note after an interview. "What is the correct way of doing thank-you notes today?" Here is my advice as both a current executive recruiter and a former human resource manager:

Do you write a thank-you note? YES!! The method of delivery and style may have changed, but the concept still exists.

Thank-you notes give you an opportunity to set yourself apart, re-confirm your interest in the position and employer, show your attention to detail and respect for protocol and process, and one more (or last) chance to show off your communication skills.

That being said, thank-you notes are not to be epics. Short, to the point, and sent via email is commonly today's accepted method.

An individual thank-you email should be sent directly to the position's immediate boss, and to the individual who arranged and/or conducted a good part of the interview (likely the HR Manager). Sometimes this is one and the same person. Other thank-you notes should be sent to everyone who was involved in the interview process, although this can be difficult if you did not receive email addresses from the entire group.

If you were involved in a panel style interview, it is acceptable to send one thank-you in a group email - except for the position's boss and/or the HR Manager or other key personnel that had one-on-one contact with you.

Back to keeping it short - a few sentences will do. Thank them for their time, for the opportunity and express that you are very interested in the job. One to two sentences that offers more support for what you can do is acceptable. Something like: "I feel that my experience managing a high speed assembly operation in a lean manufacturing environment will lend itself well to your organization..." If sending to a group, stick to the basic thanks and the fact that you would welcome the opportunity to join their organization. Do include something you may have learned about the organization that impressed you.

The biggest part of the thank-you process -- Don't forget to spell check and proof, then proof again! Sending an email with spelling or grammar errors will end your chance to secure an offer.

Here are a few other opinions and resources:

No, Thank YOU!

The Great Thank You Note Debate

Give Thanks with an Appreciative Note

Free Sample Thank You Note Book from Ultimate Resumes

Resource Round Up: Interview Tips

2008-02-18T07:10:00.000-06:00

Resource Round Up: Recently Published Tips and Advice on Interviewing

The Inner Game of Job Seeking

Ten interview do's and don'ts

People Do Business With People They Like

My best interview tip - by Gretchen

Resume Workshop: Keywords

2008-02-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is a huge subject for resume writing, job searching and the application process, and I'm not going to pretend that I understand it all. But here are a few practical steps that you can start with to improve your odds in your job search.

Before you start, recognize and come to terms with the fact that the hiring and recruitment world - like everything else in our lives today - is driven by computers. Software aids nearly all searches - from the small HR department in a mid size manufacturing firm to the large, fully integretated HRIS operations in Fortune 500 companies, all the way to your executive search recruiter, including us here at PRI. The reality is that your resume must go through some type of screening by an application, and that screening will be driven off keywords in some manner. Therefore, taking the time to modify your resume (or completely build it) around these keywords is not only worth the effort, but may be the only chance you have in getting past the electronic gatekeeper of resume submission.

Start by reviewing all the job descriptions and ads you are interested in, or have applied for. Highlight words (or terms and acronyms) that are listed as "required", "preferred", or simply show up frequently.

Build a list of these words, and then rank, or weigh the list, based on factors like "this keyword shows up in every job I want", or "this skill is always required", or "this shows up in half of the jobs I'm interested in". The keywords, or terms, that show up or are required in nearly every description you are seeking receive a higher rank then the others.

Review your resume. First things first -- do all of your top ranked keywords from your newly generated list appear anywhere on your resume? If yes, move to the next step. If no, evaluate why. If you don't possess that skill, you'd better reevaluate what type of job you are searching for. If you do possess that skill or have had the experience, where does it belong on your resume?

Now begin to evaluate where on your resume these keywords show up. For example, if you are searching for a Quality Assurance Management position, and "internal audits" and "inspection" are keywords you've identified as high priorities, where do those keywords/key phrases show up on your resume? If they are on page 2 -- start figuring out a way to get those keywords on page 1.

The most important keywords not only need to be on the first page of your resume, but ideally show up towards the top and appear more than once on your resume. Some keyword searches will read like we do -- top to bottom, left to right. Therefore, having these keywords at the beginning of your document can make a difference. Other keyword searches will sort the results by relevance, which means that using keywords / key phrases more then once will help result in your resume landing at the top of the search results.

This blog isn't a comprehensive guide to managing keywords in your resume, but will give you a good start. Don't wait to take action! Even a few changes to your resume could start landing your electronic submissions on the "to review" pile today!

Resource Round Up: Budget & Recession Fears

2008-02-08T13:32:00.000-06:00

Resource Round Up: Recently Published Tips and Advice on Saving Dollars During a Job Search.

Lost Your Job? What to do Next.

Recession Fears: Re-thinking Spending or Career Moves?

Recession-Proof Your Career

Job Search on a Shoestring