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Don’t Put Your Job Search on Hold for the Holidays

Conventional wisdom holds that November and December are terrible months to look for a new job. After all, everyone has either physically or mentally “checked out” for the holidays, right?

Not necessarily.

While you may see a reduction in the number of positions listed on job boards, a lot is still going on behind the scenes. In fact, if you play your cards right, the holiday season can be a great time to find your next opportunity.

Here are a few tips for your holiday job search:

• Take Advantage of Reduced Competition
Many job seekers buy into the myth that the end of the year is a good time to slack off. That means reduced competition for you and your resume. Also, because hiring managers are receiving fewer resumes, they may see it as a good time to catch up, giving your resume an even better chance of being seen.

• Network at Holiday Parties
Whether you love or dread the constant flurry of parties and celebrations during the holiday season, the fact is that they can be a great place to network. Of course, you’ll want to take a different, more laid-back approach – nobody wants the hard sell on your qualifications while they’re at the eggnog bowl. But it doesn’t hurt to gently mention you’re in the market and see if you get some nibbles.

• Enjoy the Nostalgia Factor
How many times have you reconnected with an old friend around the holidays? People get nostalgic this time of year, so you may have a chance to touch base with someone you haven’t thought of in a while who can help with your job search. Pay attention to the holiday cards you receive and messages on your social sites – it might pay to rekindle an old relationship.

• Ring in the New Budgets
Many departments receive new budgets in January. So, while they may not be looking to start new employees in November or December, they might be ramping up to have people in place for the new year.

We’ll still be in full swing helping job seekers throughout November and December. Be sure to keep an eye on our list of open positions and contact us if you’d like some help with your job search, no matter what time of year it is!

Is Your Job Description Enticing or Bewildering?

To hire great talent, you need to get a great talent pool to apply for your job. That may sound glaringly obvious, but it’s surprising how many companies fall down on the job when it comes to the first impression they’ll make on most candidates – the job description.

Perhaps nothing is as frustrating to a job seeker than reading through a job description and still having no idea what the position entails, what skills are necessary and sometimes even basic details like the job title or company location.

Here are three applicant turn offs that are sure to significantly decrease the number of qualified candidates applying for your position.

What’s the title?
The problem is usually not so much that the title isn’t listed, but that it’s 10 words long and does nothing to describe the actual position. Even if your company lists the official job title as “Primary Facilitator of Quality Assurance in Executive Correspondence and Scheduling”, “Executive Assistant” will be much clearer and more relatable for candidates.

The same goes for the description itself. Avoid making the reader try to translate long strings of business jargon in an attempt to figure out what the job actually entails.

How long is this thing?
In the digital age, attention spans have gotten shorter, and job seekers are no exception. If your description is an epic-length single block of text, many candidates won’t even bother to begin reading it. Keep it concise – you don’t need to go into all the details about your three insurance plans and all the equipment in the company gym. Stick to the pertinent details and use bullet points wherever possible to highlight the important points.

Is this a top secret position?
For various reasons, it’s sometimes necessary for a company to conceal its name in a job ad. But don’t be too secretive. If the candidate gets through the job description without finding a mention of your industry or the city in which they’d be working, they’ll be less inclined to take the time to apply.

If you’re not getting enough qualified applicants for your positions, The Wilson Group has extensive experience in attracting top talent and finding the best fits for our clients. Please contact us if we can be of any help.

What’s Up With That Interview Question?

There are some common job interview questions that always seem to stump candidates, no matter how well they’ve prepared beforehand.

The questions are not complicated. But candidates often fumble around or give inappropriate answers because they don’t understand the reasoning behind the questions – what the interviewer is REALLY getting at.

Here are a few common interview questions, with explanations of what the interviewer is actually trying to determine about you.

“Tell me about yourself.”
For the record, the correct answer is not, “Everything you need to know is on my resume.” Besides possibly coming off as a bit of a jerk, you’re not really telling the interviewer what he or she wants to know. They want to know that you can intelligently and succinctly sum up your professional accomplishments and goals without giving your whole life story, throwing in irrelevant information or going off on a tangent.

You should have a one-minute maximum answer – also known as your “elevator speech” – rehearsed and ready. If you don’t have an elevator speech prepared, here is an excellent article from Forbes to get you started.

“What are your weaknesses?”
This may be the most universally dreaded interview question, and the most challenging to answer. However, it’s a very common question, and you should be prepared.

Many people have been advised to try to spin a weakness into a strength. For example: “I’m a serious perfectionist,” or “I’m a workaholic – I’m just too dedicated to my job and I’m always in the office until 8 p.m.” Contrary to popular belief, this is not the right approach. First of all, interviewers can see right through your well rehearsed martyrdom. Everyone has weaknesses, and they want to know if you’re honest enough to own your shortcomings. It’s difficult to coach and develop employees who are afraid to admit they’re not perfect.

How do you answer the question? First, you should only discuss your weaknesses as they relate to a work environment. Your personal shortcomings relating to family and friends are irrelevant in this case. Second, be honest. Every human being has weaknesses – even the one interviewing you. Finally, be prepared to discuss the steps you are taking to overcome your weakness or make it work to your advantage. For example, people who are described as “too shy” are often great listeners.

Please check out this excellent resource if you’d like more help formulating your answer to the “greatest weakness” question.

“Why do you want to work here?”
One simple rule – this is NEVER the time to tell the interviewer what you hope to gain from the company. Answers like “I’ve heard you pay well,” or “I need benefits,” won’t go over well. This question is designed to determine two things: 1. How do you think your skills and background will benefit the company? and 2. Are you excited/enthusiastic about the company and the position?

This is a good chance to show the interviewer you’ve done some research on the company and tell them why you think you would be a good fit. For example, “After studying your website, I can see you do a lot of work with the Widget industry. I love Widgets and I have a lot of experience with them, so I saw this as a perfect chance to put that knowledge and passion to work for a progressive, stable company.”

If you are consistently having difficulty with these or other tough questions, The Wilson Group offers one-on-one interview coaching designed to improve your interviewing skills so you can land the job you want. Contact us today for more information.

Rescue Your Resume from the Black Hole

“I’ve sent my resume to a dozen companies weeks ago and I haven’t heard from one.”

If you’ve been in the job market or know anyone in the job market, you’ve heard this statement. Your resume has been sucked into the infamous HR “Black Hole”. Today we’ll explore how the black hole is created, and some ways you can rescue your resume from the abyss and get it in front of the hiring manager.

Big companies can get hundreds of resumes for a position. If the company has several open positions at one time, multiply that number. Simple math will tell you that the handful of recruiters in a typical HR department simply can’t process thousands of resumes each month. That’s why most companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS), which automatically parses incoming resumes and converts them into database records.

When searching for candidates, corporate recruiters will plug in keywords related to the particular job opening, and resumes containing those keywords will turn up in the search. If your resume turns up toward the top of the list, it has a chance of being viewed.

How can you increase your chances of turning up in that search, or perhaps bypass the black hole completely?

Keywords are key
The ATS will return results that contain the keywords the HR person has entered. Be sure your resume contains plenty of words that relate to the particular job you’re seeking. Think like an HR person – if you were searching for candidates for this job, what terms would you use? Also, try to include variants of those keywords. For example, if you are applying for a copywriter job, include copywriter, copywriting, writer and writing.

One caveat – be sure the words you use make sense in the context of your resume. If you include a block of text at the top that reads “analyst analyst analyst analyst analyst”, you may show up at the top of the results for an analyst search, but it’s going to look ridiculous to the HR person when they actually open your resume.

Format is important
Always submit your resume in Word, plain text (.txt) or rich text (.rtf) format. DON’T submit a PDF. A PDF is basically a snapshot of your text document. It’s visible to the human eye, but an ATS, which is designed to parse text, won’t recognize any information on a PDF document. It will most likely attach your resume to a blank database record, which doesn’t do you any good.

Also, keep your resume formatting simple. An ATS will look for certain patterns when parsing your resume. It will assume that the first block of text is your contact information, and then it will look for common headings like “education”, “experience”, and “skills.” If you have a complicated format with graphics or pull quotes, there’s a good chance your information will either go into the wrong database fields or not be imported at all. The best format for an ATS is a simple, straightforward, chronological resume.

So remember, don’t let your resume get trapped in the black hole! Remember you are writing for a computer AND Human Resources.

Employers: They Know What They Want

There are countless surveys out there that have determined the top characteristics employers look for in an employee. Most managers have created their own list of characteristics to look for. Often times, even with the enumerable resources out there, many people fail to see the importance of adopting these characteristics when interviewing. We have sifted through many surveys to find the top 5 most desired qualities that employers look for. While this list may seem to be more geared towards those seeking employment, it is a good resource for managers as well to compare their own lists to. We have also added keywords or traits that fit in with these characteristics.

1. Team player – This characteristic was the prevailing trait on every survey we looked through. If you don’t play well with others, don’t expect to get a call back. If this is something you have a hard time with, practice in everyday life, outside of the job. Talk to people and get to know them. They aren’t so bad.
Traits: positive, collaborator, open

2. Eager to Learn – There is always a new way of doing something, news that is relevant to an industry, and polishing to do on your own skills. A person who is aware that he or she is not all knowing, but is always working towards being the most knowledgeable, is going to be a valuable employee.
Traits: researcher, learner, humble

3. Customer Focused – What is the most important aspect of business? The customer! Without an ever-growing population of customers coming to their businesses, managers will lose their company. An employee who can find the balance between accomplishing company goals and pleasing the customer will be indispensable.
Traits: enthusiastic, smart, empathetic

4. Motivating self and others – Being motivated to accomplish tasks and fulfill goals is a very important aspect of being employed. No manager has the time or the patience to “babysit” an employee who needs to be constantly told what to do. It also never goes unnoticed when an employee can put his or her own concerns aside and encourage co-workers. This shows an outward focus, rather than a self-focus.
Traits: positive, encourager, driven, interpersonal skills

5. Contribute and add value to organization – What is the root reason you are being hired? Managers hire new employees to add value to their company. If you are capable of making the company a better business, whether it is enhancing the work environment, bumping up the bottom line, or solving an issue, the manager will find the hire worth it.
Traits: innovative, big picture focused, hard worker

These are not absolutes, nor do they apply to every manager. We at The Wilson Group work hard to find the perfect employer/employee match, considering the needs, wants, and goals of both sides. Call us today and share your goals with us. We are sure to find your match. 361.883.3535.

The Value of Honesty in the Job Search

In a tough job market, the temptation to stretch the truth in your application materials can be enormous. This temptation has hit headlines in the form of Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson’s computer science degree from Stonehill College, who confirmed that Thompson only earned an accounting degree during his time there.

It’s true that busy human resources staffers and even busier business owners may not have time to fact-check your resume and chit-chat with your every reference. However, you never know when one might take the time or which piece of information they will check, and that alone is enough reason for most people to stay honest in their resume and professional profiles online.

There is another good reason not to lie on your resume, and that is simply that you may wind up in a situation where you suddenly need to have knowledge that you don’t have. There are wild tales of people who faked being doctors or pilots for years (or both, in the case of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr.), but these stories are few because most people get caught.

And finally, the best reason to be honest in your job search: a lie may get you in for the short run, but people appreciate honesty in the long run. Rather than pretending to have skills which you don’t have, turn yourself into an eager learner. Many companies would rather have an employee who can and wants to learn five skills than an employee who sticks stubbornly to one.

Honesty, integrity, and reliability are golden values in an employee. Get in touch with us if you’d like to learn how to project these values in your job search!

Networking in the Insurance Industry

It’s not true that everything is about who you know, but knowing people who can vouch for you certainly helps in the world of job searching. Networking isn’t always easy, however, and since we’ve been talking about jobs in the insurance industry we thought we’d spotlight some opportunities to network within that industry. We’re based in Corpus Christi, Texas, so these resources are either local to that area, or based online.

– Insurance Professionals group on LinkedIn
With over 63,000 members, you’re sure to find people who can help you on your way to a job in insurance in this group! LinkedIn designates it “Very Active” so be wary about sending auto-updates to your inbox— but there will almost always be someone around to chat with.

– Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce
Business owners and workers of all type attend the various events at the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. Be sure to bring your business cards!

– Insurance Networking News
In addition to blogs that you can comment on to meet and discuss with others, this site offers information on a variety of online and offline seminars and meetups.

– Insurance Campus
This basic social network allows insurance industry professionals to connect easily online. Check it out!

And remember, you can always count on The Wilson Group to keep you in touch with the insurance industry as well. Check out our job listings or contact us directly today!

There’s More to Insurance than Sales

When people think of the insurance industry they often think of insurance sales and claims adjusters. Both of these are important positions, but there’s a great deal more to the insurance industry than these two positions! Here are some examples:

Administration
Like most industries, insurance relies heavily on administrative staff to keep their businesses running smoothly. This can include everything from answering phones to data entry and more. Administrative experience is helpful, especially if it’s an industry that is relevant to the insurance company such as healthcare, auto, etc.

Account Management
Some insurance companies work primarily with consumers, such as auto, homeowners, and some health insurance firms. However, the bulk of insurance companies work with other businesses: employers, law firms, etc. In these cases an account manager serves as the primary contact between their insurance company and a particular client, processing enrollments and generally facilitating communication between the two companies. This position generally requires an undergraduate degree and/or relevant experience.

Underwriter
An underwriter determines risk and reward for each insurance holder. That is to say, they determine how much coverage the holder should receive, and how much they should pay for it. Like account management, an underwriter usually has a bachelor’s degree or significant relevant experience. To advance in the insurance industry ranks, an underwriter will generally acquire a Direct Endorsement (DE) or other certification.

Are you interested in working in the insurance industry? Be sure to contact us today!

Breaking In to the Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry is seeing a major boom in the United States, and if you’re looking for a new career, you shouldn’t overlook the possibility of breaking into it! With the boom come some very large paychecks, as well as great experience in a career that you can grow in.

There are a lot of jobs out there, and many of them are entry level or can be entered from another field! Here are a few to consider:

Field Workers
If you like getting out and working with your hands, this is the way to go for you. No college degree is required, though it helps to be certified in CPR and industry-related skills such as driving an ATV, confined space entry, drilling, team management, and other abilities. An understanding of heavy equipment is also helpful, so if you’ve worked in construction or other labor-intensive jobs, this might be a great fit for you.

Operators
These jobs involve managing the various equipment involved in oil and gas acquisition. They form the backbone of oil drilling and there are more of these jobs than any other in the industry! As such there are a wide variety of opportunities which you can acquire with or without a college degree (if you’re still picking your major, go with chemical or mechanical engineering). This position may fit someone who’s worked with high-tech machinery before, such as operators from manufacturing fields.

Admin/Clerical
Every business needs administrative staff to help keep things running, and oil is no exception! If you have administrative or clerical experience from another field, consider making a move into this industry for a pay bump. If you’d like to hop above some of your competitor candidates, consider getting certified in skills related to administrator or the petroleum industry specifically.

While many of these jobs don’t require a post-secondary education, it never hurts! If you’re not sure about these careers or want career coaching to evaluate your ability to get into the industry, please come visit us in Corpus Christi, Texas!

Meet the Match-Maker: We Are The Wilson Group

Hiring in the oil and gas industries is complex. There are many fine staffing agencies out there, but if they don’t have experience in the industry, they have a much harder time finding the best candidate for each position. As a result, they may push forward the wrong candidate, or be unwilling to wait for the right one.

At The Wilson Group, we have many years of experience staffing in this particular industry, and we are experts who hire up and down the ladder from executives to engineers to administrative assistants. This is just one of the many advantages that we offer as a company to both candidates interested in oil and gas, and to the employers working in that industry. Here are some of the others:

Our motto is “the perfect match every time,” and we mean it. We are tenacious, award-winning staffing and recruiting professionals who take our work seriously to ensure that our client companies are happy with their candidates and vice-versa, and not just in the short run but in the long term. Our success stories are full of people who found not just a job but a happy employer-employee relationship thanks to our efforts. We don’t take those kinds of relationships lightly!

We know the oil and gas industries. We have been working with them for years and are based right in the heart of Corpus Christi, where the Eagle Ford Shale continues to bring funds and strong, secure jobs. We are an active part of our community as well, both because we love and care about our home here and to ensure that we always know who’s around in town and needs a new job or employee!

If you have an opening, or may have one soon, please contact us at 361.883.3535 or via our website. We can help you build your business with a strong, devoted, and happy workforce. And remember: we provide you the perfect match…every time!