Professional Outlook, Inc. Recruiting Specialists

Many candidates wonder about the direct benefit of working with specialty recruiters. In short, it’s our access to and relationship with top companies, and our ability to quickly identify the right fit. Why waste time when you’re looking for a new role? In many cases, our candidates are employed elsewhere, and need a discrete partner as intermediary. But the number one reason to work with a POI recruiter is RESULTS! Here are a few testimonials that have crossed our desk this month:

On working with Colleen Doerr-Fisher:
I had the pleasure of working with Colleen throughout an interview process for a large, prestigious company. As a young professional, Colleen’s experience, advice, and coaching throughout this somewhat unfamiliar process was invaluable. To me, she has been more of a mentor than a recruiter, and I will ultimately owe a part of my successes to her for her assistance along the way.

On working with Kelly McCarthy
Kelly is attentive, reliable and most importantly effective. She was a huge asset in helping me secure my current role as an Environmental Specialist. From the first step of the opportunity through each phase of the interviewing process, Kelly was always prepared with great feedback and advice. I highly recommend Kelly to both employers in need of talent and individuals in search of a fulfilling job as she will go the extra mile on your behalf. Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, High Integrity.

A recent online survey by one of the major job boards asked Human Resource personnel across the country about some of the most “memorable” resumes they received. We had to laugh (or cry) at this list, though we TRUST none of our candidates would do any of the following:

1. Candidate said the more you paid him, the harder he worked.
2. Candidate was fired from different jobs, but included each one as a reference.
3. Candidate said he just wanted an opportunity to show off his new tie.
4. Candidate listed her dog as reference.
5. Candidate listed the ability to do the moonwalk as a special skill.
6. Candidates –a husband and wife looking to job share – submitted a co-written poem.
7. Candidate included “versatile toes” as a selling point.
8. Candidate said that he would be a “good asset to the company,” but failed to include the “et” in the word “asset.”
9. Candidate’s email address on the resume had “shakinmybootie” in it.
10. Candidate included that she survived a bite from a deadly aquatic animal.
11. Candidate used first name only.
12. Candidate asked, “Would you pass up an opportunity to hire someone like this? I think not.”
13. Candidate insisted that the company pay him to interview with them because his time was valuable.
14. Candidate shipped a lemon with resume, stating “I am not a lemon.”
15. Candidate included that he was arrested for assaulting his previous boss.

Although the majority of your time in a formal interview will deal with you answering questions, you should also be prepared to ask some of your own in order to clarify issues or previous statements and demonstrate your interest in the position and organization. In most cases, you should plan to ask your questions toward the conclusion of your interview. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking appropriate questions during the course of your interviewing. Ideally, you want to strive for a friendly, ongoing exchange of dialog throughout the entire interview and an occasional question may facilitate this objective.

Always ask your questions at what appears to be an appropriate time and always in an objective manner. Each question you pose should signal to the interviewer that you are simply looking for additional information because of your interest in the position and organization.

The following are questions you can ask during your interviews: (more…)

At POI, we know that social media monitoring is highly controversial. However, with the recent launch of several services, it may be here to stay. We found this article interesting — especially the part where a candidate did not receive consideration because of a Facebook Group they had joined.

Companies have long used criminal background checks, credit reports and even searches on Google and LinkedIn to probe the previous lives of prospective employees. Now, some companies are requiring job candidates to also pass a social media background check.

A year-old start-up, Social Intelligence, scrapes the Internet for everything prospective employees may have said or done online in the past seven years.

Then it assembles a dossier with examples of professional honors and charitable work, along with negative information that meets specific criteria: online evidence of racist remarks; references to drugs; sexually explicit photos, text messages or videos; flagrant displays of weapons or bombs and clearly identifiable violent activity.

“We are not detectives,” said Max Drucker, chief executive of the company, which is based in Santa Barbara, Calif. “All we assemble is what is publicly available on the Internet today.”

Read the rest of the article at the New York Times blog.

Many of our candidates are what the industry calls “passive candidates,” meaning that they are successfully employed in meaningful careers, but are looking for new opportunities to advance. While in active or passive job search mode, your frame of mind will be most productive if you make the most of your existing circumstances. The skills you hone while coping amidst change will serve you well in future roles. A recent study showed that more than 50% of companies surveyed are undergoing major changes MOST of the time, and two out of three people feel constant uncertainty and ambiguity in the workplace.

Read this article for tips on balancing focus and flexibility, force and frivolity, seriousness with humor. (more…)

Hiring authorities are positively impacted when a job seeker has taken the time to learn about their company.  One of the most effective ways to sound like an insider is to speak with individuals who may have worked for their company – or using social media and internet search skills to enhance your understanding of the corporate culture, issues facing the company, successes and challenges.  Our professional recruiters help give you “insider information” in terms of  the company culture, selling points and can help you “research” so that you enter interviews informed. (more…)

Interviews make many people nervous. You have just a few seconds to make that all important first impression. This has a tendency to make our palms sweat, to make us giggle or act nervous. This is typical and most hiring managers understand a little bit of nervous behavior especially in an economic climate where applicants know there are probably many people vying for the same job. This article from our candidate library lists things that can help you be better prepared for your interview and hopefully help calm some of those pre-interview jitters. (more…)

Welcome to Part 2 of our article on the Nine Important Things to do Before an Interview, where we discuss dress, ettiquette, and 10 important points to remember. (more…)

Working with Professional Outlook will help you get the edge when you’re selected for an interview. Learn how to obtain an offer or be forwarded to the next step in the interview process. Talk to one of our knowledgeable recruiting specialists once you’ve been shortlisted for an interview about the following: (more…)

Hiring authorities are positively impacted when a job seeker has taken the time to learn about their company.  One of the most effective ways to sound like an insider is to discuss the corporate culture of the prospective company with your recruiter before the interview.  Your recruiter can share selling points and provide inside information to help you sound informed.

When you tell a company you have “targeted them” as someone you want to work for, you have a competitive edge.  You then follow this statement up with WHY you have targeted their company.  This is where the inside information you have obtained plus additional research is invaluable.

To complement the information you receive from your recruiter, you can also cull information through a esearch on the Internet and read what others have written about the company.  You can also utilize social networks like LinkedIn to find employees from these companies.  If you do your research and obtain inside information, you will be more prepared and you will receive a higher salary offer when you ace your interview!