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The Corpus Christi Oil Industry

It comes as no surprise that Corpus Christi has always been a major player in the oil and gas industry. The Corpus Christi Bay, where the majority of offshore drilling occurs, is the 5th largest bay in the United States, with 6 oil refineries and over a thousand oil wells. Corpus’ onshore oil drilling is also quite lucrative. Jobs in this industry are fruitful due to the large amount of positions offered by the various oil wells and refineries, but the industry just hit a huge boom, increasing job positions available. The end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 brought the largest surge of oil exportation since 2007 with the new movement of Eagle Ford crude oil through the Corpus port. According to Caller.com, the annual number of oil exportation vessels passing through Corpus Christi have increased by almost a thousand since 2011, and the amount of crude oil barges doubled. This boom has benefited the economy, in addition to providing many new jobs.

So let us help you! The Wilson Group are very familiar with the Corpus oil and gas industry and we’d love to help you find a job within it. As the export rates continue to go, so will the number of careers available. Check out our available positions here or give us a call at 316-883-3535 and we’ll find you the perfect job match.

Back to Basics: Silly Resume Mistakes

You can find a plethora of advice and articles that contain intermediate and advanced tips for improving your resume. However, sometimes it’s good to go back to the beginning and review some of the basics. Typos, misspellings and poor grammar will get your resume tossed much quicker than using passive language or not writing effective section headings.

Sometimes candidates get so focused on the difficult bits of the resume that they bungle some of the easy stuff. Here are a few very basic, but very common resume mistakes.

Can you spell your own name?
Okay, so I’ve never seen a resume in which the writer actually misspelled his or her own name.
Believe it or not, however, people misspell the name of their city and/or state all the time. Whether it’s just a typo, or you just moved to Mississippi and you still miss the occasional “s” or “p”, it doesn’t look good.

Don’t rush through the proofreading of your contact information – you’d be surprised what you might miss.

“Mr. Smith is outstanding candidate”
Many people make the mistake of writing their resume in the first person. For example, you should never say “I increased sales by 50 percent”. Resumes should always be written in the third person. However, writing in the third person and referring to yourself in the third person are very different things.

If you want to turn off a hiring manager, use the following summary as an example:

“John Smith is an outstanding leader with 20 years of experience in turning around underperforming departments. Mr. Smith has undergone extensive sales training and he is ready to put it to work for your company.”

That paragraph is perfect for someone else to write as a reference for you. However, you should remember that you are not your own reference!

Okay, now just hit the spellcheck key and you’re done!
Spellcheck is not a fail-safe. It will catch misspelled words, but it won’t recognize your grammar fouls. Grammar is a particular pet peeve of many hiring managers, so mixing up you’re & your, its & it’s, hear and here, their and they’re, to & too, and lose & loose will lose (not loose) you the interview.

We have extensive experience helping job candidates perfect their resumes, so whether you need basic or advanced assistance, please contact us. If you’re in the market for a new career opportunity, please take a look at our list of open positions.

Mobile Apps for Job Search On-the-Go

From desktop to laptop to mobile – the way we access information and communicate is becoming more on-the-go by the minute. The same goes for job searching. Mobile technology allows us to learn about new opportunities faster than ever, which means we also have a need to respond faster than ever.

Here are three mobile apps that will help you keep on top of your job search and take advantage of opportunities while they’re still hot.

1. DropBox (free)
Sometimes, you don’t have the luxury of being at home when you hear about a hot new job opening. DropBox is a free cloud app that allows you to pull documents – including your resume – into a folder that can be accessed on any mobile device. You can move your resume (and any other documents, photos or videos) into your DropBox folder from your home computer and voila – you can access it from your phone and attach it to an email when opportunity strikes.

There are other apps that will allow you to create a resume directly on your phone and save it as a PDF, if you’re so inclined. However, it seems like an unnecessary extra step if you can access your original Word formatted resume (which is friendlier for automated applicant tracking systems) just as easily. If you’re interested in checking it out, however, Pocket Resume ($2.99) is one of the more popular and well reviewed resume apps.

2. ScanBizCards (Lite version – free; full version – $6.99)
Despite all of our technological advances, if you attend a networking event, you’re bound to leave with a handful of old-fashioned business cards. You’ll have the best intentions of going home and entering them into your contacts right away. However, best intentions often turn into a stack of cards on your desk that inevitably get scattered and/or brushed away under piles of paper.

ScanBizCards allows you to scan cards directly into your phone and create a new contact. If that’s not enough, it also offers integration with LinkedIn, allowing you to send an invitation to connect; it will allow you to export your new contact to an Excel spreadsheet; and it backs up your scanned cards to the cloud so they can be accessed from any browser.

3. Monster.com Interviews (free)
Acing the interview is the toughest part of the job search. This app from Monster.com is an all-in-one kit that will help you organize, prep and follow up on your interview. Besides access to expert advice and coaching, the app also offers some nice extras like an integrated map feature with driving directions to your location; the ability to organize notes and create reminders; and the ability to record answers to tough questions with video, audio or text so you can review and perfect your responses.

Although these apps can help you tremendously in your job search, there is also something to be said for live, person-to-person advice. We have extensive experience helping candidates with resumes and interview skills, and if you contact us we’d be happy to help you with any job search questions. We may also have the perfect opportunity waiting for you – please check out our list of open positions.

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 Resume a Fright?

Scary movies are popular fare around Halloween time. In that spirit, we’d like to offer you some super frightening stories about scary resumes.

Nightmare on ? Street
You’d think the contact section of your resume would be easily to nail, but you’d be surprised how many people leave off important information. Some people are a bit leery of using their street address, but you should always give at least your city, state and zip code. A recruiter who is looking through an online job board or their own applicant tracking system may be searching by location, and if you don’t have one, your resume will be passed over.

It should also go without saying that you need to double check your phone number and email address. Which brings us to our next feature.

The Resume That Time Forgot
Resume styles and preferences change as time goes by, and if your resume is stuck in the past, you risk giving the perception that your skills and attitude are outdated.

One of the biggest mistakes along these lines is leaving out your email address. After all, what kind of dinosaur doesn’t have an email in 2012? It’s the preferred form of contact for many people, and its just as important to include as your phone number.

Another pitfall for experienced workers is leaving every job you ever had on your resume. If you’re in a mid- to senior-level position, you can leave off your first fast-food job and high school GPA.

The Curse of the Dummy
Spell checking and proofreading your resume should be a no brainer, but many resumes are full of avoidable mistakes. The person reading your resume won’t care that you were in a hurry, or whatever excuse you might have for your typos. The damage is done – you’ve given the impression that you’re either not very bright, or careless, or both.

If you aren’t confident in your spelling or grammar skills, enlist the help of a friend to help you double check your resume for errors. It’s time and effort that will pay off.

We have years of experience helping candidates perfect their resumes, so if you’re worried that yours might read like a horror story, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help. Also, don’t forget to take a look at our list of open positions.

It Takes More Than a Profile to Get Noticed on LinkedIn

You’re on LinkedIn, you’ve filled in all the blanks on your profile, and you’ve made some connections. Congratulations – you’re off to a great start! But there’s more work to be done.

If all you’re doing on LinkedIn is accepting the occasional connection request and scanning your newsfeed, you’re missing out on several features that can help boost your visibility and establish your industry expertise. It’s not enough merely to have a presence on LinkedIn; if you want to catch the eye of a potential employer, you need to step up and stand out.

Here are three LinkedIn features that can make the difference between getting noticed or getting passed over.

1. Updates
LinkedIn allows you to post updates that will appear in the newsfeeds of your connections. It is a great way to maintain visibility among your connections and also to show that you’re engaged in your industry.

Remember that LinkedIn is a professional social site, so it’s not the place for the same type of personal updates you might post on Facebook or Twitter. Ideal topics include timely, industry-related articles from trade publications; the “LinkedIn Today” section at the top of your newsfeed; or reputable, or high-profile sites such as Mashable or Forbes. Engaging, open-ended questions about trends in your industry are also great topics for updates.

2. Groups
LinkedIn groups provide a great way to network with other people in your industry. It is also a way connect with recruiters, who often participate in industry-specific groups for the express purpose of connecting with new talent. Groups are also a good place to learn about job opportunities that may not be posted elsewhere.

There are two ways to participate in a group. You can start a discussion by asking a question or sharing a link to an article, or you can comment on discussions other group members have started. Sharing your opinions and participating in conversations will help boost your visibility and establish your expertise in your field.

Another benefit of groups is the chance to increase your connections. People are often more open to accepting connection requests from group members than they are to accepting unsolicited requests.

3. Follow Companies
LinkedIn allows you to follow companies in much the same you would follow someone on Twitter. When you follow a company, all of their updates, which often include job listings, will appear in your newsfeed. Paying attention to the kind of content they share may also help you get a better picture of trends, concerns and culture at your target companies, so when you do get that interview, you’ll be ahead on your research.

If you’re looking for a good place to start increasing your LinkedIn presence, we invite you to join the discussion on our own LinkedIn group and follow The Wilson Group company profile page.

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.

5 Tips for a Great Social Profile Photo

When you’re searching for a job, you can be sure that at some point, a potential employer will check out your social profiles. In fact, they may even find you and contact you through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or other social sites.

That being said, it’s important to take a careful look at your profile photos. We’ve all heard cautionary tales about what not to do – don’t use a profile pic of you doing a keg stand at a frat party, for instance. But what makes a good one? Here are some tips.

Actually HAVE A Profile Photo
For some reason, be it laziness, shyness, or privacy concerns, some people forego a profile photo altogether. This can be a big mistake when searching for a job. Don’t believe me? Look at this eye-tracking heatmap and notice what recruiters look at first and for the longest period of time on your LinkedIn profile.

Let Them See the Whites of Your Eyes
Your face should be clearly and prominently featured. Avoid photos taken from a distance, and if it’s a shot of your entire body, crop it to show yourself only from the shoulders up.

Quality Counts
Your profile photo doesn’t have to be taken by a professional, but it should look like it was. Don’t use photos that are blurry, grainy, or too dark. Also, don’t use trendy filters. They may be fun to experiment with on Instagram, but they don’t look professional for a profile photo.

One at a Time, Please
Your profile photo should show you, and only you. Don’t use the photo of you and your boyfriend on your last vacation, or you in the middle of a big group. It may be possible in some cases to crop yourself out neatly, but most of the time you’ll end up with an arm or a shoulder or some other odd body part in the frame.

Keep It Simple
If possible, your photo should be taken against a solid background. Your face shouldn’t be competing against floral wallpaper or the clutter in your home office.

It you don’t already have a suitable photo for your social profiles, it only takes a minute to have a friend snap a quick pic that will work. If you need tips on profile photos or any other aspect of your job search, please contact us – we’d love to help!

Working With a Recruiter – What You Should Ask

Working with a recruiting firm can be a great way to explore new career opportunities. Good recruiting firms will have established relationships with a number of companies and can help you get past the HR “gatekeepers.”

As with any industry, some recruiting companies are more successful at their jobs than others, and some take ethical considerations more seriously than others. Here are some tips to help you determine if you are working with an effective, reputable recruiting firm.

A good recruiting firm should:

Have a real knowledge of your industry. They will understand your expertise and how it fits into the marketplace. If you ask an industry-specific question and hear an answer that doesn’t sound right, or they don’t have an answer at all, you may want to politely terminate the conversation.

Have real relationships with their client companies. They will know the company, the corporate culture, and the decision makers. They will also spend time getting to know you, both professionally and personally, to determine which positions and clients would be the best fit for you.

Not be “promiscuous” with your resume. You don’t want a recruiter to present your resume for every open position they are working, regardless of whether it’s a good fit for your background and skills. A good recruiting firm will have a more targeted approach that will not waste your time or their clients’ time on positions that are clearly not a good fit. And, they will respect you and your confidentiality by not submitting your resume to a company without your prior knowledge and consent.

You may or may not decide to work with a recruiter during your job search. If you are approached by a recruiter, ask a few questions and make an informed decision:
Do you specialize in my industry?
What is your relationship with the employer?
What kind of relationship do you have with the decision maker(s)?
Will you submit my resume to any employer without first notifying me?
What can I expect as far as communication?
Will you prepare me for my interview?
Will you let me know the result, even if it’s no?