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How to Put Yourself Out There

In the job interview process, your resume can either help or hinder you. Strong and well organized resumes send a positive message to employers, while sloppy, disorganized, and ill-worded resumes can often halt your interview process before it even begins. Luckily enough, it is easy to build a award-winning resume by following these helpful tips.

Tailor your resume according to the job you are applying for. Regardless if you have been employed by a plethora of places, often times included every single past employment cant clutter your resume. Tailor what you include or don’t include to fit the business you are applying to. For example, if you are applying for a marketing position, include employment history in that field.

Organize, organize, organize. The first thing on your resume should be your name and contact information, followed next by your education. Skills and past employment should be next. Past employment should be listed in reverse chronological order, with most recent employment first. To finish your resume, include any experiences or extracurricular activities at the end.

Be concise! Extra verbose, elongated, and detail-filled sentences can often detract from the overall clarity and effectiveness of your resume due to their extraneous and distracting nature. (Wasn’t that sentence hard to read?) Instead of complete sentences, try uses bullet points. They are easier to read and draw the eye’s attention better than lengthy sentences.

Have someone review your resume. Often times, it is difficult to proofread your own work. Having a friend or family member read and edit your resume can be extremely beneficial, as they tend to catch overlooked mistakes.
If you have any questions about any of the services we provide, please visit our website! We could be glad to assist you in any way possible.

World’s Best Resume

In the job interview process, your resume can either help or hinder you. Strong and well organized resumes send a positive message to employers, while sloppy, disorganized, and ill-worded resumes can often halt your interview process before it even begins. Luckily enough, it is easy to build a award-winning resume by following these helpful tips.

Tailor your resume according to the job you are applying for. Regardless if you have been employed by a plethora of places, often times included every single past employment cant clutter your resume. Tailor what you include or don’t include to fit the business you are applying to. For example, if you are applying for a marketing position, include employment history in that field.

Organize, organize, organize. The first thing on your resume should be your name and contact information, followed next by your education. Skills and past employment should be next. Past employment should be listed in reverse chronological order, with most recent employment first. To finish your resume, include any experiences or extracurricular activities at the end.

Be concise! Extra verbose, elongated, and detail-filled sentences can often detract from the overall clarity and effectiveness of your resume due to their extraneous and distracting nature. (Wasn’t that sentence hard to read?) Instead of complete sentences, try uses bullet points. They are easier to read and draw the eye’s attention better than lengthy sentences.

Have someone review your resume. Often times, it is difficult to proofread your own work. Having a friend or family member read and edit your resume can be extremely beneficial, as they tend to catch overlooked mistakes.

If you have any questions about any of the services we provide, please visit our website! We could be glad to assist you in any way possible.

Make the Most Out of Your Summer

The summer months are right around the corner bringing sunshine, vacations, and warmer weather with them. While many people may spend these few precious months traveling or vacationing, it’s often helpful to get a foot in the door when it comes to careers. Temporary summer jobs are an excellent way to begin a career that could, one day, turn into a permanent position. Acquiring a summer job can be difficult, however. We have put together some tips for helping you land that perfect summer job.

Make Sure Your Resume is Rock Solid– An organized and easy to read resume is a staple in applying for summer jobs. Since resumes are the first impression an employer has of you, it is important that your resume contains all pertinent information related to your past employment and skills. Also remember to keep your resume straightforward and orderly; previous jobs should be listed in chronological order from most recent to least and skills and awards should also be included.

Make Your Interview Count– According to USA Today, employers decide whether or not to hire a candidate within the first minute of an interview. Arrive early, bring your resume (and portfolio, if applicable), calm your nerves, and enter your interview with your head held high. Dress well, make sure you got a good night’s sleep the night before, and make sure to make eye contact with your interviewer.

Branch Out– Due to the short time frame allotted by summer jobs, why not try applying for jobs outside of your comfort zone? Try looking for positions in fields different from your norm, but that you still have experience in. For example, if you normally work in public relations for creative firms, try reaching into corporate jobs and trying public relations there.

In addition to these tips, acquiring references from past employers and creating a LinkedIn page can also be beneficial to your summer job search. Likewise, we would love to help you find the perfect summer job match! For more information on the services we provide or if you wish to set up an appointment, please visit our website!

Looking For A Job? What We Can Do For You!

Finding a job can be stressful; there are lengthy applications, intimidating interviews, and the anxiety that accompanies every stage of the job finding process. Before even applying for a job, it’s important to have a strong resume, impressive interview skills, and a clear idea of which career field you best fit in. Luckily enough, we offer training and aid services to help you with these often difficult facets of your job search!

Resume Aid – Because your resume is often the first impression an employer has of you, a clean and well organized resume is pertinent to your job search. We can help you update, organized, and format your resume during a resume refresher session, taking an already existing resume and make it the best it can be!

Online Application Training – Online applications can often be confusing. We can train you how to organize and create a strong online application, which is the first step in landing an interview.

Interview Coaching – It is normal to be nervous before and during interviews. However, solid preparation and coaching for the interview can help to reduce nerves and perfect your interview skills. We offer one hour training sessions in which you will be asked a myriad of questions that often arise in interviews. We will also cover job-winning answers and answers to avoid giving during interviews.

Find Your Career Path – Before switching careers or choosing a new one, we can help assess your skills and past employment, as well as your job preferences, to help guide you to a new career.

We want to find you the perfect employment match! For more information on the services we provide, please visit our website or call us at (361) 833-3535.

Employers: What can we do for you?

Finding qualified employees to fill open positions can be taxing and frustrating, especially if you are looking to hire someone as soon as possible. It may seem like you can’t find the best fit person for the position, even after searching for an extended period of time. Luckily, we can help you! Our team is dedicated to help filling your job openings with the best possible candidate in both direct and temporary hire.

If you are looking for a temporary hire employee, look no further. Often times, unexpected events can occur in the workplace that can leave a member missing from your staff. These positions are often hard to fill, as the interview process prior to hiring can be lengthy until you find the right person. We can take the time consuming interviews out of your employee search. Our temporary candidates undergo a series of interviews to make sure they are qualified for positions, ensuring that a hardworking employee who matches well with your company will be available at a moments notice.

Direct hire employees are also available. Direct hire employees are often looking to find a full time career out of their job search and are eager to fill permanent positions. Similar to our temporary hiring process, direct hire employees also participate in a variety of interviews which allow us to place them in the most suitable field according to their skills and employment history. We can pair you with the perfect match for your permanent positions by helping you find the best dependable and professional employee.

Whether you are an employee looking to hire or searching for a job, please feel free to contact us on our website or by phone at (361)883-3535 and we can help you find the perfect match!

National Stress Awareness Month

April is National Stress Awareness Month, and it comes as no surprise that job searches are definitely stressful. Being stressed is never fun and can even lead to negative health consequences so we want to help you take the stress out of your employment hunt. Read on to see our tips for de-stressing your job search!

Clean Up Your Resume

Being confident in your resume can take unneeded worry out of the equation. Taking time to organize and remove clutter from your resume can be a great way to destress from your job search. A clean and logically ordered resume is easiest for employers to read and understand. Instead of paragraphs, use bullet points and simplify your word choices for increased readability. List your past employment in order from most recent to less recent and remove any extraneous details that may cloud the overall message of your resume.

Take the Stress Out of Your Interview

Nervous for a big interview? Try listening to some pump up jams on your way there to take your mind off the impending meeting. Get there early, take a deep breath, and review the material you brought with you.

Take the Day Off

Turn off your computer and put down the employment classifieds. Spend the day relaxing, trying a new restaurant, hanging with friends, or reading a good book. Think about everything but your job search.

Remember How Great You Actually Are

Searching for a job can be stressful. Are you the right fit for this job? Is this job right for you? It’s easy to get weighed down and frustrated when your job search isn’t as speedy or fruitful as you would like it to be. But don’t get disappointed. Take a moment to reflect upon the fact that you are qualified, talented and worthy of great employment.

Though there is no way to totally eliminate stress, you can definitely diminish it! Let us help you reduce your stress even more by letting us help you with your job search. Contact us by phone here – 361.883.3535 or visit our website.

Clean Up Your Resume

When looking for a job, your resume is the first impression you will give to a potential employer. Essentially a summarization of your professional self on paper, your resume is a reflection of your skills and past jobs. That being said, your resume should be clean and organized in order to provide the best possible first impression to employers. We want to help you spring clean your resume, so try these tips to tidy it up!

Watch the Length: A resume should not exceed one or two pages. If your resume does, try sizing down or changing your font. Go no lower than 11 point font, however. Decreasing the size too much may decrease your resume’s readability. Also, try shortening down sentences. There is no need to be overly verbose when only a word or two would work just as well.

Remove Fluff: Only include the most relevant and recent jobs and skills in your resume. You may have an extensive list of past jobs, but not every single one needs mentioning. You can tailor your resume depending on what type of job you are applying to. For example, you may have worked in the oil industry previously and are applying for a position in another oil-related company. When submitting your resume to this company, include your past oil job. But if you are applying to a job in another field, perhaps remove it if other previous employment is more related to the job you are applying for.

Organize: Your resume should be easy to read and in logical order. Begin your resume with your name and contact information which should be bolded or in larger font than the rest of your resume so it catches employers attention and is easier to find. Instead of having bulky paragraphs with your information, try using bullet points. Easier to read and less intimidating than long paragraphs, bullet points will help make your resume look clean and simple. Also, make sure to list your past employment in chronological order, going from most recent to oldest.

After you’ve completed your resume, always proofread it, carefully checking to see if it flows well. Maybe have another person read and edit it, as well! When you are ready, submit your resume to us here and we can start your job search!

Spring Cleaning Social Media

Believe it or not, when searching through potential job candidates, employers do check personal social media accounts. Regardless of if you have an award-winning resume or stellar references, unprofessional social media posts could be the deciding factor between being hired or not. We’ve compiled some tips for cleaning up your social media, hopefully helping you turn it from personal to professional.

Facebook:

With both personal posts and photos available for perusing, Facebook is a great place to start your spring social media cleaning. First impressions are important, meaning the first things employers will see when reviewing your profile is your profile picture and cover photo. Go through these images, deleting anything an employer would find unprofessional: photos showing alcohol, various stages of undress, inappropriate gestures, and offensive terms or slurs in comments should be deleted. Next, visit the privacy page located under settings. Facebook’s privacy settings let you customize who can see your posts. The default setting is that everyone, regardless of if they are your friends on Facebook or not, can see what you post. We recommend changing this setting to “Only Friends”, meaning only your friends on Facebook can see your posts. Chances are, employers will not be your friends on Facebook during the job search, nor will they add you. Next, review your Activity Log. All activity on Facebook is compiled here; take a while to go through these posts, deleting anything inappropriate.

Twitter:

Like Facebook, Twitter accounts have a profile picture and cover photo. Make sure these pictures are appropriate. If they’re not, change them. Though it may be a tedious process, personal tweets could contain compromising content. Take the time to check for and delete any unsuitable tweets, including those with bad language or crude images.

LinkedIn:

Because of its professional nature, LinkedIn is much easier to monitor than Facebook and Twitter. However, to reach your maximum professional potential on Linkedin, it’s important to make sure your information and job experiences are up to date. Exercise some self restraint on what you post, however. There’s no need to post every job and skill you’ve ever had, rather list the most important and recent ones. Consider using a headshot for your profile picture. If you don’t have one, it may be a good idea to have one taken professionally. If you decide that you would rather take one yourself, make sure it is done well. Dress to impress, stand in a well lit area against a solid colored background, and ask a friend to photograph you from the shoulders up.

New Year Resolutions

The new year is the perfect time to reevaluate your job search to see what is working and what you could improve on. The holidays also give you some time to prepare and get organized. Look at some of these resolutions and see what you can do to improve your job search and ring in the new year with a new job!

1. Your Resume. Make sure your resume is ready for the new year. Make sure the information is up to date. The resume should be clear and concise, one-page and spell checked. Make sure that the font is clean and looks professional.

2. Interviews. Make sure you are prepared for all of your interviews this New Year. Practice a 30 second pitch about yourself. Prepare your interview outfit look at our previous blog to see some ideas. Take some time to look up information about the companies you will be interviewing with and think of some questions you would like the interviewer to answer during the interview.

3. Your Skills. Do you need to brush up on your professional skills? This may include finishing a degree or taking a few technical courses to prepare for the workforce. Look into some job descriptions that you are interested in and see what skills you might need.

4. Networking. Look into some local networking events. Use google or your local newspaper to find networking event opportunities and try to go to at least one each week. Make sure you practice starting up a conversation before you go.

5. Get Organized. Clean up your desktop . Bookmark your favorite job sites (such as The Wilson Group [LINK]). Get some professional job searching business cards that you can leave at networking events or with potential employers.

6. Volunteer More. Not only will it look great on your resume but it will also grow your network. Volunteering can also help you hone your skills and gain new ones. So make good use of your time without a job and do something that will impact others’ lives as well.

7. Your Attitude. Do everything you can to maintain a positive attitude. These are trying times but keeping a great attitude is half the battle!

We hope these resolutions will help with your job search in the New Year. For more tips and job opportunities check out our website.

Writing a Cover Letter

Cover letters are meant to compliment your resume and tell a prospective employer how your experience benefits them. Because of this, they must be tailored for each position to which you apply. To help make the process less time consuming, here are some general guidelines you can use to make your cover letter stand out amongst the competition.

Keep the overall theme employer-oriented.
If the story you are trying to tell doesn’t relate to the open position or the company’s needs, do not include it. Also, avoid using the word “I” as much as possible.

Start off strong.
Your first paragraph should be a value-packed statement showcasing what you offer and how it relates to the position you are applying. To prevent your cover letter just being skimmed by the Hiring Manager, emphasize the job title to catch their eye. Save space for valuable information by avoiding stating the obvious like your name (which should be in the contact header) or “I am writing…”.

Show that you would be an asset for the company.
A good way to style the body of your cover letter is by bulleting your skills and/or qualifications in no more than three to five bullets. The benefit to this approach is that it provides quick and easy readability for the Hiring Manager. Look at the job posting and emphasize your experience with their job requirements towards the top of the list, since these are the most important to them. Use specific examples and numbers to support your claims and show a clear image of your skills.

End with an action statement.
Rather than say you hope to hear from them soon, state that you would appreciate the opportunity to meet for an interview to further explain how your qualifications meet their needs. Be sure to tell them how and when you will follow up to schedule a meeting. If the job posting requests no calls to the company, then simply repeat your contact information for easy reference.

Beginning your job search can be a tedious process, and we are here to help and make it as easy as possible. Call us at 361.833.3535 or contact us online to learn how we can help!