Professional Outlook, Inc. Recruiting Specialists

As tax time draws near, Jobseekers who were unemployed in 2012 face extra legwork ensuring their tax returns take full advantage of opportunities to reduce liability and/or increase refunds. We found this US News – Money Section article, authored by Arnie Fertig and citing tips created by CPA Bill Rucci. particularly helpful for our candidates. We’ve touched on some of the highlights here, but read his full article by following this link and be sure to discuss items with a tax professional.

Highlight’s from Rucci’s Tips:

1. Get a handle on your financial situation.

2. Deduct job-hunting expenses. (Here he outlines that qualified expenses that surpass 2 percent of your AGI allow you to itemize deduction, including things like portfolio costs, resume work and production, career counseling, legal and accounting fees, mileage and 50% of travel/meals/entertainment expense.

3. Unemployment compensation is income.

4. Be careful how you deal with severance. (It is also taxable income.)

5. Set yourself up as a company. (And track expenses and revenue as a consultant.)

Read the full article here .

If working with one recruiter is a great way to find the right fit for your next career move, working with more than one makes for better odds, right? Wrong. Many candidates don’t fully appreciate the possible ramifications of this because they don’t necessarily have a full understanding of how third-party recruiting works. The phenomenon is well-explained in this excerpt of an article by Lindsay Olson for US New’s Money section, where she addresses a theoretical scenario where a candidate approached by a second recruiter for a different position with a company for which a prior recruiter already submitted the candidate as a prospect. (Read the full article by following this link.)

In her article, Olson explains:

“In most cases, the recruiting firm that first introduces a candidate to a company receives compensation for that introduction if the candidate secures employment. That means recruiters need to move quickly to find candidates for the hiring company. Once a candidate is referred, the referral is valid for six months to a year, depending on the service agreement with the company.

But when two recruiters present the same candidate for a position, problems arise. The hiring company doesn’t want to get stuck in the middle of two recruiting firms each trying to claim their service fees. They’ll do anything to avoid that, including moving on to another candidate who doesn’t present potential contractual issues. (more…)

Mark Crawford at ASME.org recently authored a great round-up article on How to Create Concise and Compact Resumes. Please visit ASME.org to read the full story. We’ve included a few excerpts here that really resonated with our recruiters:

Less Might Be More:
Engineers are smart, technical, fact-oriented, and organized—so it should be easy for them to build a good resume that effectively highlights their engineering attributes. Not necessarily true—the key word is “effective.” Because they deal with so many facts, engineers sometimes put in too much information that can distract from the key points.

Those mistakes include putting too much technical jargon and not enough detail.

Tight, compact paragraphs filled with dense text are hard to read and will likely lead to the resume being rejected. The document must be crisp, to the point, and easy to read. Bullet points will make the critical information stand out. Example:

• Conducted process mapping studies to improve throughput by 36 percent and ensure compliance with customer specifications
• Regarded as one of consulting firm’s most highly requested mechanical engineers, maintaining 89 percent or higher billable utilization for the past four years
• Co-developed material for cooling radiators that saved $300,000 per year

Additional tips:

• Don’t list objectives; instead craft succinct qualification summaries
• Regarding resume format and style, what matters to most recruiters and HR managers is seeing a chronological career history
• Include outcomes, and list key accomplishments

At Professional Outlook Inc., we know that our most savvy candidates keep their skills sharp awaiting opportunity for advancement. We thought you’d enjoy this excellent round-up of career advice we found at Smartbrief’s AIChE’s Smartblog by Michael A. Morell.

Today’s job market offers immense opportunities for career and financial growth, notably in Silicon Valley, where the “war for talent” rages.

For high performers who already find themselves in a rewarding position, pursuing a new job may be low on their list, while others are itching for fresh challenges and greener pastures. Regardless, it behooves both happy and restless working professionals to stay in the game and remain open to career-change opportunities.

After 12 years, I’ve gleaned significant insight into what recruiters and hiring companies are seeking from job candidates. Below are some key points to keep in mind, regardless of whether you’re looking for a new job.

Your network is never done

Your career is all about relationships. The network you build has the ability to influence your opportunity and success, be it today or 10 years from now. Whether you’re an executive or an individual contributor, it’s wise to develop relationships and remain in contact with recruiters and hiring managers, even if you’re not seeking change. This keeps you on the pulse of the job market and aware of potential opportunities.

In fact, there’s no harm in considering a job that’s passed along by a friend (“you’d be perfect for this”) or taking a recruiter’s call simply to learn more, even if you have no intention to pursue. If nothing else, this will help you maintain a strong network should you need to leverage it.

Ready, set, go

Once you’ve gained interest in a particular opportunity, there are some prerequisites you must follow. For starters, understand the job for which you’re interviewing, why it’s open, and what success will look like. Take time to research the business and industry. I’ve known candidates who spend more time planning for a five-day vacation than for a long-term career change.

Also, know who is making the hiring decision and what they are specifically looking for. Attention to detail is important in all matters, whether it’s knowing names or showing up on time. Last, but not least, evaluate and understand the hiring company’s culture, and if you take the job, do so because it’s a good fit, not simply because it offers more money or stock.

Next Section: Who are you online?
Read the rest of this article at AIChe’s SmartBrief

Are you tempted to jazz up your email with a stationary template or close in your signature with a motivational saying? Do you share an email address or use your current work address? This great article from Money’s career advice center spells out the off-putting message your email habits could be sending!

Alison Green’s article also notes that making prospective employers navigate anti-spam measures or endure the dreaded Comic Sans font are no-nos. Read the full article here.

If you are not getting invited to interviews, there are a few things you can do to obtain better results.  It is important to include a customized cover letter with your resume.  Your cover letter can be customized to fit each opportunity you are pursuing and should never be a form letter.  If you take time to explain why you want to work for this particular company and why you are confident you can do their job, you have greatly increased the possibility of them selecting you for interview.

When you list a contact telephone number on your cover letter and resume, make sure you answer this phone.  Often companies will set up interviews for the first five candidates they reach.  They will give ten resumes to someone in HR and say set up five interviews.  A missed telephone call could result in a missed possibility for an interview.  If the employer does get your voice mail, please make sure it projects a professional image of you.  This voice mail becomes part of the important first impression you are making on this employer.

The information on your resume and on your cover letter should also be updated in your LinkedIn Profile.  Most hiring authorities are researching your online presence before actually scheduling interviews.  Take time to research your presence and change any settings where you feel the information or pictures would project the wrong impression.

Make these adjustments, and you have improved your chances of scheduling job interviews.

At Professional Outlook Inc., the majority of our most successful placements are with candidates who initially told our recruiter that they weren’t looking for a new role when they took our first call.

In our business, the most sought-after candidates are those currently fulfilling a position. So how does it benefit you to refer “other” people to our recruiters, or to opportunities that you yourself are not interested in? Let us count the ways!

In a Career Advice roundup authored by Marc Canedella at The Ladders, for example, he gives tips about “How to Get In Good” with Recruiters. Canedella’s article counsels professionals to take the long view and to cultivate relationships with top recruiters in their profession in order to remain top candidates for opportunities for future advancement. He recommends giving referrals to recruiters to improve and extend your relationship whether you are a fit for a current job or not. That way, just like in “branding/marketing”, you’ll be “top-of-mind” to that recruiter when the right opportunity arises.

In addition, helping your associates by referring them to a recruiter extends your reach into new companies, where you might have a future interest in having insight into the corporate culture. By connecting your friends and associates with your POI recruiter, you are extending them opportunities that they don’t know exist.  It’s a win-win. You stand out in your recruiter’s mind; your associate pays forward your goodwill gesture, and in the end, you have two people rooting for you when you are ready to make a move.

Remember, as they say in Business Network International, “Givers Gain.” Who do you know that is a terrific fit for one of our open positions? Let us know, and we’ll follow up!

What if you were what every company wanted?  What if you were the perfect brand?
It’s crucial when you interview for a job to be able to distinguish yourself from every other candidate. Your part on the interview is to articulate why they should hire you. Who are they hiring? What is your character, track record, and reputation? What can they count on? Through a series of questions, they hope to get to know you.  Bottom line, they hope you are the one.

This is an area where many people struggle.  When you are unclear and have difficulty talking about yourself, it’s actually uncomfortable for both you and the person you are interviewing with. You are less likely to share the things about yourself that they need to know in order to hire you.  The brand called YOU is one of the most important parts of the whole job search process.

Personal branding Guru Dan Schawbel writes in his book “Me 2.0″ that the following four steps  are critical in developing your personal brand: (follow the link if you’d like to review/purchase the book)
• Discover: In order to really understand who you are and carve out a career path moving forward, investing in self-discovery is critical. In fact, if you don’t spend time learning about yourself, your values, personal mission, and unique attributes, you will be at a disadvantage when marketing your brand to others. Start by asking yourself “what do I want to be known for, and then select a niche so that you can position yourself in the marketplace.

• Create: Your personal branding toolkit may consist of a blog, website, business card, resume, video resume, reference document, cover letter, portfolio, social network profiles, or a combination. Your brand must be consistent and reinforce each part of your toolkit.

• Communicate: Now it’s time to use everything you’ve created to let people know you exist. You can communicate your brand by attending professional networking events, writing articles for magazines and media sites, commenting on blogs, connecting with people on social networks, and reaching out to the press.

• Maintain: As you grow, mature, and accelerate in your career, everything you’ve created has to be updated and accurately represent the current “brand you.” Also, you need to monitor your brand online to ensure all conversations about you are positive and factual. You can do this by using a combination of tools, including a Google Alert for your name.

Resumes are read or even scanned quickly.  The primary goal of the reader is to eliminate as many as possible to arrive at a few candidates to be considered for an interview.  It is now possible for employers to have their computers scan a resume for key words.  If those words are not located on the resume, they don’t even get touched by a human.  Technology is great, but it does have pitfalls.

The following are some of the main reasons why a resume is screened out of the process.

- Poorly prepared, organized and difficult to read cover letters and resumes.

- Career objectives incompatible with current or future opportunities.

- Improper spelling, grammar and punctuation.

- Gaps in work history.

- Incompatible geographical requirements.

- Salary requirements incompatible with company’s compensation guidelines.

- Lack of education required.

- Lack of skills required.

- No stability in work history.

- Resume is too short or too long.

These are just a few of the reasons why resumes are screened out before they even have a chance to attract attention.  You must have a resume that avoids some of the reasons listed above.  If you are unsure about your resume, take it to a professional or to someone you trust that has a solid professional background.  It is impossible for you to judge your resume objectively.  Take it seriously because it could make the difference of whether or not you become employed.

These work-life tips come from Filofax, a U.K. personal organizer company. We think they’re great ideas!

1) Manage your time well
On a Monday morning, jot down a list of tasks which need to be completed by the end of the week. Split this list into achievable ‘quick wins’ by writing down the amount of time needed to complete each task. Schedule each piece of work into your weekly calendar, checking everything you need to do can actually fit into your working hours. By allocating time for each task, you’re less likely to under-estimate how long each activity is going to take.
2) Leave your work at work!
Schedule 10 minutes at the end of each working day to make a list of outstanding projects, deadlines and anything else work-related which is bothering you. Make time in your diary to develop solutions to problems and ask managers and colleagues for help if you’re struggling with a heavy workload.
3) Schedule ‘personal time’ in your diary
Schedule ‘personal time’ as well as ‘work time’ in your diary. Place as much importance on ‘personal time’ spent with friends and family, as you do on ‘work time’. Manage time planning for personal activities as efficiently as your working day, to ensure that it’s achievable. Plan to leave work on time at least one evening a week, block this out in your diary and make sure nothing interrupts this arrangement.
4) Separate domestic chores and resting time
Don’t count domestic chores within your leisure time, schedule these separately, otherwise you could risk spending your free time doing laundry and running errands! Try to alternate chores with fun activities, or schedule half an evening for housework and half for relaxing.
5) Take a lunch break every day
No matter how busy your work schedule, take time out for a proper lunch break each day. Go outside, enjoy some fresh air and give yourself a break to re-charge for the afternoon ahead. Block out time for lunch breaks in your diary, even if it’s just a 10 minute walk and a quick bite to eat, this change of scenery may be just what you need for a productive afternoon.
Sharon Golbey, from Filofax, comments: “With busy lives it can be easy to blur the line between work and rest, we all know it’s important to have personal down time, but taking time out for ourselves can be easier said than done.”
Golbey continues: “Use the same organiser to schedule work and life commitments, this way, at a glance you can see if a new appointment is likely to conflict with your current plans. Color coding is a great way to differentiate between domestic chores and personal relaxing time. An a4 leather folder is useful for keeping your diary, notebook, business cards and everything you need to plan your work-life balance together in one place.”