June 18, 2012
Social Network Yourself
Into Your Next Job
 Leah O’Flynn,Executive Recruiter, IT Division By Leah O’Flynn,
Executive Recruiter, IT Division
A majority of employers have no formal policy regarding the use of external social networking sites. Nonetheless, work hours or work computers are in most cases not the right time or property to be using to prospect and communicate about your job search. The risk is that your cohorts, your boss, or your future boss may question your priorities and loyalties, and have grave doubts about your effectiveness and your focus. (more…)
May 14, 2012
Puffing, padding, lying, -
What a yahoo!
The Merriam-Webster Online defines the noun yahoo as a boorish, crass, or stupid person. And while we certainly wouldn’t want to call former Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson a yahoo, he did make a very stupid decision.
How his bio dating back to his PayPal tenure came to include a computer science degree from Stonehill College is still unclear. This fictitious degree has replicated itself throughout two companies’ bios and into corporate documents recently filed with the SEC.
Scott Thompson tried to blame the introduction of the fictitious degree on the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles. “We’ve are often asked to help candidates with resumes, to give feedback on organization, content, style,” said executive tech recruiter Rob Reeves, Redfish Technology. “However a recruiter would never add or invent information. It is absolutely an absurd claim.”
Ultimately, whether you puff, pad or lie, a day of reckoning will come. And the loss of credibility that comes on the day of reckoning will be severe. The collateral damage in this case is pretty large, disrupting a large company, interrupting focus on business, calling into question judgment, and undoubtedly damaging morale at Yahoo!.
Between the internet and background checks, it is never a good idea to puff or pad, and certainly never to lie. Interestingly, with the public-ization of resumes via the internet, especially sites like Linkedin, there has been an improvement in the honesty practiced on resumes. At least in terms of prior work experience and responsibilities. This is according to a Cornell article “The Effect of Linkedin on Deception in Resumes” by Jamie Guillory and Jeffrey T. Hancock. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. March 2012.
“Compared with traditional resumes, Linkedin resumes were less deceptive about the kinds of information that count most to employers, namely an applicant’s prior work experience and responsibilities, but more deceptive about interests and hobbies.”
June 15, 2011
 Shannon Tinker Employers Beware:
When Social Media Says Too Much…
By Shannon Tinker
This month, Redfish explores the importance of background checks and references before extending a candidate a job offer. Responsible hiring decisions usually include basic steps to double-check that a candidate’s credentials are legit. With an applicant’s consent, employers can quickly get reports about a candidate’s credit and criminal record, and this is perfectly legal.
In addition to old school, traditional background and reference checks, employers now have access to data that would make even the most seasoned Private Investigator blush. Social media has opened the playing field making it fairly easy to gather personal information about most of the computer using public. Employers can learn a lot about a job seeker through her online profile, in fact, if they’re not careful, they can learn too much. (more…)
April 20, 2011
Do You Have Your References in Hand?
You Should!
Whether you are an active job seeker or not it is always good to be prepared.
Obviously if you are on an active job search, you want to be prepared. Some hiring processes are lengthy, but sometimes a job offer can come faster than you anticipated. If you have your references together, you demonstrate your professionalism and preparedness to move.
What if you are perfectly happy where you are and haven’t even thought of looking? (more…)
February 1, 2011
Putting the “Human” in Social Media…the Increased Importance of Good Recruiting
by Shannon Tinker
Social networking and recruiting has expanded beyond our wildest dreams and offers a gazillion (roughly) free ways to connect with people. If predictions are accurate, we can expect 50% of web marketing and sales to attribute their growth to a social presence by 2015. Considering the number of free resources, it’s natural to question the need for recruiters and recruiting agencies altogether. How do you quantify recruiting and justify recruiting costs, when most everyone is visible to the googling public? Has technology and the Internet posed a threat to the recruiting world, as we know it? Or, has it made professional recruiters more valuable than ever? (more…)
November 16, 2010
Job Seeker Preferences
Simply Hired, Inc. published their “Today’s Job Seeker Report – 2010 Edition, A survey of job seeker behaviors and motivations”. The report is based on over 75 user polls conducted on their website; this is what the job seekers said:
Tech-Savvy & Social Job Seekers
Internet is the number one channel for job search, with 86% of job seekers looking for jobs online. Social media is also a vital tool for today’s job seeker—32% find jobs through networking which is moving online, with LinkedIn (45%) and Facebook (24%) considered the most effective social networks for job search.
Passion for Work
Although jobs are currently hard to come by, the main career goal in 2010 for 83% of job seekers was to find a job they love and not “just a job.” (more…)
September 27, 2010
Tips for Finding a New Job While You Are Currently Employed
The current job market is not ideal and there is uncertainty; that said there are great career opportunities out there. If you are currently employed it is more difficult to conduct a job search, but it can be done smartly and respectfully. Here are some tips for a productive job search while currently employed, and moving on with grace:
Confidentiality
Job hunting while you are employed can be tricky. You don’t want to burn bridges or be replaced before you have found your dream job. While in general the more people who know you are looking, the easier for people to find you, this is not an option when you need to keep your current employment. Conducting a job search confidentially means choosing the people you tell wisely. Typically you wouldn’t include your co-workers, upper management, or company contacts in this secret. Working with a recruiter will protect your identity until mutual interest with a prospective employer is established. When you do have an interview, let the company know that your job search is confidential. (more…)
June 16, 2010
How to Write a Resume.
The number of words written on writing resumes is astounding. Just Google “resume” and the results go on forever. This article attempts to summarize some resume basics and put forth some ideas based on several decades of cumulative experience and countless thousands of resumes read.
Let’s start with the basics.
Why are you writing a resume? You are trying to sell yourself for an opportunity. You are the product you are marketing, so sell yourself! Why does a prospective employer need you? Explain your value proposition. Remember, your resume is typically your first opportunity to introduce and sell yourself; it is often also your last opportunity.
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