Category: Uncategorized

Why You and I Need One Another

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Big Data, Hiring, Latest News and Articles, New Job, Uncategorized

symbiotic

You buy, we sell. Does that mean we don’t need one another? Sure if we want to walk life to the next journey on our own. Vin Scully (Vincent Edward “Vin” Scully – sports broadcaster and Brooklyn/LA Dodgers MLB play-by-play baseball announcer) just retired after 67 years yesterday and was bitter sweet. A man needs to take his next steps sometime, even if it’s after an amazing run like his. Vin said over and over these last few weeks, “I have needed you more than you needed me”. This rings true to you and I as well.

Think about it. You have goals to hit and so do I. Tomorrow I will be on a plane to Chicago to share with the West and Great Lakes Regions on how my quarter went. I won’t get into my quarter but why I bring this up is because as much as you think we are trying to sell to you to get that fat check, I want you to sit back and think, “is he really trying to help me hit my goals like he says?”.

The answer is yes. A good majority of us are trying to get you to your goals as it will also help our goals. But your thoughts are, “why is he always calling me?”. To that, I answer because I am here to help and I monitor what your goals are (from what you told me…plus keeping a pulse on your industry) and where your stand today on those goals.

Relationships are defined as: the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. While a symbiotic relationship occur when two organisms, individuals or groups of people work together by helping one another with the intent of getting help in return. Keep in mind, even when we are dressed like a shark, it doesn’t mean we are, we are just you to have our back as well.shark-symbiotic

Let me let you in on a little secret. We like to go to sleep with a clean conscious of knowing we gave you the best deal to get to your goals. We spend countless hours, days and months on your account to manage what we sold you. When we are calling you to share updates, insights, and possible twist-a-plots, it is so you hit your goals. By using me as a consultant to what is really going on out there, you get free advice and knowledge in case there are any curveballs you did not anticipate. There may be a time when I offer you something and it comes at a cost, but keep in mind it is to assist you in hitting your goals.

You may not realize, but I am aware you have KPIs like time to fill, cost per hire, and for the few lucky ones out there, you get bonused off those KPIs. I am here to help as a friend who understands symbiotic relationships. As we embark on the 4th quarter or what you affectionately call ‘budget season’, keep in mind when you ask for that discount, favor or freebie, just remember, the rhino and Vin, we all need each other. Let’s work together towards 2017.

~The Organic Recruiter

Gone in 6.0 Seconds

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Hiring, Interviewing, Latest News and Articles, New Job, Uncategorized

That’s how long it takes a recruiter to go to the next resume if they spent some time on yours.

According to most articles in the last 5+ years, recruiters spend no more than 6 seconds to disqualify you. So you better make an impact quick. Ladders wrote: Recruiters spend 80% of their six-second scan looking at these 4 areas:

  • Name
  • Current Position: Title, Company, and Dates of Employment
  • Previous Position: Title, Company, and Dates of Employment
  • Education

I am curious, I created a copy of my resume in the same 1 sheet format that is circulating with Yahoo!’s Marissa Mayer. Hers is getting mixed reviews, mostly good, but from the traditional, old schoolers I am seeing they are not so excited about it. From the more progressive, creative recruiters it is getting much praise.

my-experience-2016 (b)How do you put detailed accomplishments; numbers; accolades; history; culture fit; education; philanthropy and other details into a 6 second read? I am not quite sure that can be done.

So what do you do to get the recruiter’s attention quick because they do not have time to go through your 4 page resume? Some would say call the recruiter but the recruiters will tell others how that annoys the heck out them. Others would say use your network. I recently sent an email out to 164 recruiters I know in my network asking for help for a friend. I received 4 responses back. These guys and gals are busy. Getting back to you on a hope, is not that easy. In my case it was 2.4% return.

It’s not they don’t want to speak with you. It’s more about having 30 jobs to work on, hiring managers saying where are my resumes while turning down the ones the recruiters spent hours interviewing, prepping and dissecting their skill-sets. As well as sourcing like crazy and spending 6 seconds on your resume. We cannot blame them for not getting back to everyone, although it would be nice. But the best way to get noticed is to be noticed.

How quickly do you get noticed in a crowd? If you are in an analogue world without a smart phone, I am sure you do not find your friends at a concert so easily. Same with your resume. The analogue, dot-matrix format your resume is in is quite frankly just that…out-dated.

Now I am not saying throw pictures of your family and pets on it, rather I am saying find a way to professionally get the recruiters to notice you. Once they call you, get them to know who you are and how you are perfect for that job as it is their job to sell you. Ask them what the manager is looking for that is not plainly written in the job description. Then have some backup ready to articulate that in 6 seconds so when the recruiter sells you, it pops out.

Getting the interview is the hardest part as it is like professional baseball. You have so many divisions, in our case levels of people to impress. But if you know where you are awesome and equally important, you explain in detail where you may have failed or lost an account / project, then you are ahead of the curve.

The challenge is to get noticed or you will be gone in 6.0 seconds.

~The Organic Recruiter

Understand Recruitment Cycles to Give Your Job Search an Edge

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Hiring, Interviewing, New Job, Uncategorized

What do 23, 21, 20 and 36 mean to you? Seasons come in all walks of life to include the right time to get serious about your job and when it just might be a little harder to be seen. Enjoy this read to find out more about what these numbers mean.

~The Organic Recruiter

by John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

When it comes to connecting with the right job opportunity, timing isn’t everything, but it’s certainly something. Tuning into industries’ and employers’ annual recruitment cycles just might give you a decisive edge.image

That’s the consensus of recruiters and employers with fingers on the pulse of seasonal variations in hiring. Here’s a quarter-by-quarter summary of how these hiring dynamics play out.

First Quarter: A New Year’s Wave of Hiring

Sometimes peaks of hiring correspond with workplace factors that are only loosely related, like when people take vacation. “Hiring seems to be done by consensus more than any other decision,” says Scott Testa, chief operating officer of Mindbridge Software in Norristown, Pennsylvania. “So most hiring decisions have to be made when people are in the office.”

Major hiring initiatives may follow close on the heels of the holidays and summer. “The big months for hiring are January and February, and late September and October,” says Testa. “Job seekers who make contact right at the start of these cycles have the best chance of being hired.”

Strong hiring periods like the first quarter, when demand for talent may outweigh the supply of qualified candidates, may be a good time to go for a job with more responsibility or higher pay. “If you’re currently employed and looking to improve your status, you’ll want to look during the peak hiring season,” says Glenn Smith, president of search firm Precise Strategies in O’Fallon, Illinois.

Second Quarter: Gearing Up for Summer

For those whose livelihood depends substantially on fair weather, spring is when hiring peaks. In the construction industry, hiring in April, May and June proceeds at double the pace of December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

Tourism and hospitality hiring is also very strong in the spring. And businesses looking to hire professional workers before fall often do so now, before key decision makers start rotating out for summer vacation.

Third Quarter: Recruiters Relax a Bit, and Vacation Plays a Role

Hiring slows down in July before picking up at the end of August. For those with nontraditional but impressive employment backgrounds, there’s an advantage to looking in relatively slow hiring months like July and December, says Smith.

For example, recruiters, less pressed for time than in peak months, may be willing to take a longer look at an experienced professional woman seeking to return to work after taking years off to care for children.

Fourth Quarter: A Rush, Then a Lull

The fourth quarter presents the most complex hiring dynamics of the year, with its mix of fall activity, holiday retail hiring, Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s slowdown, and end-of-year financial and budget maneuvering.

“Hiring managers and bank CEOs will typically try to reduce their operating profits by incurring search fees towards the end of each year, to avoid paying taxes,” says Josiah Whitman, an executive recruiter with Financial Placements of Lake Oswego, Oregon. His firm’s job orders are distributed this way: first quarter, 23 percent; second quarter, 21 percent; third quarter, 20 percent; fourth quarter, 36 percent.

Although December hiring is at low levels in many industries, recruiters are determined to fill the year’s remaining openings by December 31, and the supply of applicants dwindles as Christmas and the new year approach.

Major industries classified as information, financial services, and professional and business services, having hired heavily in the second quarter, see their lowest level of hiring in December, says JOLTS.

But December isn’t as slow as it used to be, say some observers. And applications tend to slow down during the holiday season more than openings do — tipping the balance in favor of those who do apply.

“It seems that business just keeps going through the holidays,” says John Challenger, CEO of outplacement and search firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas in Chicago. “There doesn’t seem to be the kind of letup that there used to be.”

So playing the recruitment peaks doesn’t mean waiting out the rest of the year. “You need to be out there looking for opportunities, not finding excuses to avoid looking,” says Tom Johnston, CEO of SearchPath International in Cleveland.

Original Article

Why I travel …for work – Part I (why it is AWESOME!):

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in About, Latest News and Articles, Uncategorized

I like to travel:

Traveling is a great time to reflect on life.  Think about the things you love.  Think about the things that need to get done or what you might do different.  The hours on the plan or the train merely give you “you time”.  This is time you don’t always get.  Even if you are flying with friends, colleagues or family, it is still time not in your day to day.

The opportunity to see places that are not in my backyard are rewarding.  Especially if it is in a different region or country where people are different from what you are used to.  My belief is you can respect what you have and you can have a more succinct opinion of the world if you merely just get out of your comfort zone.

Caveat – nothing compares to vacation travel.

oh the places you'll go

My work requires it:

Traveling for work is often equally rewarding as you get to see your clients and peers in their element.  We often make opinions and thoughts based on our surroundings.  Getting to see how other people live and work gives you a perspective unlike no other because now you are getting the why.

Growing up, I was a “why kid”.  Now as an adult, I am a “why kid”.  Now in between, I was always the “why kid”.  That is why calculus fascinated me because it answered a lot of math “whys” for me.

Now getting out and seeing why my clients do what they do and why they do it, I get a chance to show them how to do it differently, hopefully better and why I believe it to be better.  Most of the time clients won’t give you that in person and if we concede to the phone, most of the time you have 50% of their attention if you are lucky.  That is not talking harsh about them, but a captive audience is just what it is, a captive audience.

When you are in person, you learn more, retain more and are willing to interact more.  By doing this with my clients, I am able to add an ROI that just won’t be attained because I tell you it will work.

Better to be in front of clients:

Clients are not just going to say, sure come waste my time.  Come on, everyone wants their time and if everyone got it, they would not do their job.  Therefore, be wasting your time and their time, thus making it more probable you will both be looking for another job for lack of doing your jobs.

However, if I spent $1,000 – $1M on a tool or service, I would want to know how it worked, why it works and how can I use it more efficiently.  Why should someone blindly buy something from me or anyone for that matter?

Meeting people in different places is a great change of scenery and more times than not, your client loves to show you their digs, their city and what they are proud of. Meeting your customers that you may have never met before and talked a million times with on the phone goes a long way and now I know what it feels like to work there and what the culture really is. I cannot give the “I know what it’s like there” conversation when I really don’t know what it’s like there.

Seeing the old crew:

Having the luxury to get to see old colleagues and friends in different cities of which I don’t often get to see is an added bonus.  We go through life with many experiences but when we move to our next venture we inevitably say, “see you soon” or “let’s get together soon”. How often does that really happen when you move on? Well, I will tell you, I keep in touch with old friends on Facebook and LinkedIn, but do I always get to see them? I get a better chance than most but not as frequently as I’d like. But I will still take those moments in a heartbeat.

Collaborate with peers I normally just talk to on the phone:

There is nothing like going into the war room with your peers and hashing strategy out in person.  We all know when we are on conference calls or webexes, we have 2 monitors, watching the iPad presentation and texting.  Not the most reliable way of getting the job done I assume.  In-person you get to read faces, tones and excitement levels. On the phone, well, you get …the phone.

You get your own driver or car:

Getting to be driven around by Uber or drive cars I normally would not have driven is a bit of a novelty.  It’s kind of cool not having to deal with the traffic, get on your computer and take calls.

And if I am driving, well I get to see what it’s like in a different car than I normally drive. It’s like I am working for consumer reports and I have the opportunity see what I would like or maybe don’t like.  Mostly, I get in the car and say, “what the heck…where is…?”

Finally, the other perks:

If you have kids, you know your bed is not your bed for many years, so when you have a soft bed with tons of pillows and white sheets that are yours only, your get a bit of serenity, albeit seeing your kids are the best thing in the world.

Being able to try different foods in different cities is almost like being on a mini-vacation. Now being someone who only eats poultry and fish, it makes a bit challenging in certain parts of the country. But that also makes it fun because of the conversations I have after I get the cocked back head as to say, “Huh! You don’t eat meat. You don’t know what you are missing.”. Uh, ya, I do and I love what I eat.

This brings me to dining with my clients.  That is always a treat because you get the person behind the partnership and you find just how pleasant these folks are when there is not the stress of contracts and renewals.  The conversations and real people they are just makes my job so wonderful. I am not trying to sell you over food and cocktails. I am trying to get to know the real you.  Don’t worry; I do not get too personal. We’re not there yet. But I do like to get to know the real you.

Airport lounges when available are the best way to have your private office and get stuff done with no interruptions.  These lounges, small, medium or large are just a treat. I save money for my company as the food is so inexpensive compared to the regular part of the airport. The noise levels are at an absolute minimum and your free upgrades are amazing.

I will leave you with this. Taking the train to a meeting is AWESOME! It is the best mobile office ever, albeit a bit shaky at times. 4 hours to San Diego (if I am lucky) in my car couldn’t be more stressful. But 3 hours by train watching the ocean half of the time while making calls and closing deals is priceless. ~The Organic Recruiter

Stay tuned for Why I travel – Part II (Why travel is a bummer)

ARE YOU EVER TOO OLD FOR AN INTERNSHIP?

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Diversity, Hiring, Interviewing, Military, Uncategorized

In the new film “The Intern,” Robert De Niro goes back to the first rung on the ladder to re-energize his career. But what’s great for the movies isn’t always the best move in real life.

by Vicki Salemi, Monster career expert | September 25, 2015

Albeit, this article only mentions the military once, I find this to be a very appropriate way to step back into civilian life for our Veterans.  I met with a very dynamic recruitment manager this week who works for a recognizable social media company who expressed his thirst for great veterans as they have a fellowship (6 months to a year) where the candidates work in different departments based on their MOS (military occupational specialty) or interest with the hopes of bringing them on at the end of the fellowship.

It’s really hard to hire military these days because it is intimidating for the recruiter and hiring manager to understand how they fit based on their profile.  With a little discipline and change of mindset, you can hire the best talent from a great pool of candidates transitioning out.  ~ The Organic Recruiter

Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro share the big screen in The Intern, out today. In this role-reversal comedy, Hathaway’s character, Jules Ostin, runs an online fashion website, while De Niro’s character, a 70-something widower, re-enters the workforce as her intern after he realizes retirement isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

When we think of interns we typically think of college students or recent college grads—ready to roll up their sleeves and learn the ropes.

But older interns are trending, at least in Hollywood. A Tina Fey comedy recently picked up by NBC is a similar play on the theme: An overly involved mom from New Jersey gets an internship at her daughter’s workplace, a cable news network. And in the 2013 movie, The Internship, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn played down-on-their-luck career salesmen starting over as interns at Google, where all of their peers are 30 years their junior.

Suffice to say, that the silver screen doesn’t always accurately portray life off screen. So, in reality, would taking an internship have been the right move for the late-career De Niro?

You’re never too old

I believe that there are some instances that pursuing an internship mid-career can make sense. In particular, if you’re looking to start a new career, rebooting an old one (like De Niro’s retired Whittaker or a stay-at-home mom re-entering the workforce) or returning to civilian life after the military an internship is OK.

And in fact, in such cases, an internship can help you open the door to reposition your future.

But you’ll face hurdles

Although you’re never too old for an internship, you’ll have to overcome the stigma of hiring managers to get one. Recruiters are often looking for fresh young talent that they can mold into tomorrow’s leaders—while paying them little to nothing.

That may be the biggest challenge. Once you’ve hit mid-career, your financial obligations have likely blossomed, and many people don’t have the resources to quit their jobs to work for free.

So you might consider the alternatives

Remember that an internship is not  your only option as you re-route your career goals. For instance, you can temp. This way, the company can try you on for size while you get a hang of the industry and company culture and take home a paycheck.

Another option: part-time employment in the field, if you can find a department that is expanding or going through a busy season. This route works well when there’s at least one key transferable skill that’s integral to the job. Try to connect the dots from your former role to your aspirational one. By being strategic about where you apply, working to prove yourself once you’re brought on and continuing to network internally you’ll hopefully be able to make your mark as their next best hire.

Finally, you might consider volunteering on the side of your day job with a relevant non-profit that would help you build the skills you need to make a shift. That way you can keep the paycheck coming while you’re getting the experience you need.

And if you do go the intern route…

Be sure to set your tasks and goals for a fixed period of time. Going into an unpaid internship with an indefinite, unlimited timeframe is not ideal if you’re older. Don’t forget: You’re arriving on Day 1 with a plethora of skills and years of experience, just not within that particular industry.

Act like De Niro’s Whittaker and recognize that you’re likely the low person on the totem pole, having to pay your dues all over again as you learn new skills. Be clear with new colleagues and indicate that you’re not above doing anything assigned to you.

People may feel guilty giving you “busy” or “trivial” work since you’re older, so you should specifically mention you’re there to work on whatever they need accomplished. It’s likely you’ll get higher-level responsibilities quickly.

Impress with your work, and that will help you gain valuable contacts.

Who knows, you may find yourself informally mentoring your younger peers—maybe even your boss—which is a tremendous path toward a fulfilling new job or career