The program materials explain:

85% of what we communicate during an interview occurs as a result of a number of nonverbal signals that our body sends. Consequently, possessing the knowledge and ability to appropriately choose our interview attire and effectively manage any verbal and nonverbal signals that we may send is critical.

In this workshop Hiring for Hope’s Founder, Tegan Acree will cover how to dress appropriately and act the part of a professional. She will teach you how to “listen” and communicate during an interview with your eyes, ears and mouth in order to be able to respond appropriately and leave an interviewer with their desired impression.

When Tegan finishes her presentation, I will provide some details and information about how social media plays into your professional appearance. I’ll also be available after the presentation for questions and will have copies of my book, Social Networking for Career Success, for sale.

Following the Workshop, all job seekers will have an opportunity to connect for free with Hiring for Hope’s Career Angels to receive one-one-career coaching assistance, advice and job leads.

Time: October 11, 2011 from 6:30pm to 9pm
Location: Mt Pisgah United Methodist Church North Campus
2850 Old Alabama Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022

Learn more and sign up to attend (it’s free).

photo by jenny downing

The post Job searching in Atlanta? An event you won’t want to miss appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Even if you are not using Twitter (yet!), feel free to join us! I invited a non-tweeting colleague who asked, “What is the advantage of a tweetup?” Let me count the ways! For the uninitiated, a tweetup is just the Twitter term for a get-together/opportunity to network with all different types of people. It’s amazing what synergies there are between professionals in very different fields.

Networking is important for job seekers and non-job seekers alike. This tweetup (free to attend – you purchase your food and beverages) – is a great way to connect with people you would probably never otherwise meet! I hope to see you there, and feel free to invite your friends! You can RSVP and find all of the details by clicking HERE, but feel free to come, even at the last minute!

For tips to network in-person AND a free ebook offer, CLICK HERE!

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!

The post Tweetups and in-person networking for your job hunt appeared first on Keppie Careers.

While LinkedIn customer service might be able to help, it is a good reminder to everyone – DON’T use an email address that you won’t always have access to when you sign up for social networks. Instead, set up a Gmail or other “take with you” account as the primary address and add your current work mails as additionals. That way, you’ll never be locked out of your OWN profile!

Need more advice to help you move your job search forward? I can help!

The post Use an email address you "own" when you sign up for LinkedIn appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Chris Sweigart from Atlanta’s local NBC affiliate station, 11 Alive, interviewed me for a piece that aired on the 6:00 pm newscast about how job seekers can address the issue of being considered “overqualified” for the job.

I suggested that it is important for job seekers to realize why employers are concerned about hiring “overqualified” applicants.

Some reasons:

– They worry the candidate will be “too expensive.”

– Concern the overqualified applicant will leave at the first sign of a better opportunity.

– A desire to avoid hiring a potential “grumpy Gus” or “sad Sally” if the job does not meet the candidate’s needs.

So, how should job seekers address these concerns?

Take salary off the table. Explain that, at this stage of your career, you recognize there are more important things than a high salary. Identify positives, such as work-life balance (if appropriate), the opportunity to work for an organization with a good reputation and/or with a set of talented colleagues. Give good reasons for wanting the job that don’t make you sound desperate for a paycheck.

Make a time commitment. Offer to stay for one or two years – make it clear that this job is a destination, not a jumping off point for you.

Make a convincing case for why the job is a good match. The onus is on the candidate to point out what skills and tasks involved in the job resonate with him or her and explain why those are a good fit. The fact is, while job seekers might have been doing higher level, high powered jobs with a lot of responsibility, those tasks may not necessarily be the things they really enjoy doing. Make the case that this job, at this stage of your career, is what you know you’d like to do and convince the employer of that.

Watch the clip here:

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Unemployment in the state of Georgia is now at 10.7% and predicted to go even higher. If you are looking for a job, or thinking you should be, join me and Stephanie A. Lloyd of Radiant Veracity for a series of job search interventions. Save time, money and YOUR SANITY by learning optimum job hunting tips and tricks. Learn more about our program how you can be better at job seeking HERE.

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Do you live in the Atlanta area? Unemployment in the state of Georgia is now at 10.7% and predicted to go even higher

Think about it…Would you pull your own tooth? Wire your own home for electricity? Do you cut your own hair? Most would say “no.” If it is important (involving our health, safety or appearance), we hire an expert. However, many people face one of the most challenging tasks alone, without the benefit of professional expertise. It’s no wonder that many job seekers feel alone and depressed. Looking for a job is challenging and often unpredictable.

Your career is one of your most crucial financial investments. Whether you are actively engaged in a search, underemployed or unhappily employed, it makes sense to consult an expert as you embark on your search for a new job. Many job seekers don’t stop to think about how much money less-than-optimal job search methods costs them. Consider, if you are unemployed, how much money you lose for every day that you are out of work? Your return on investment in yourself to get help and land a job sooner than you might have on your own may pay off substantially!

No one wants to be a professional job seeker. Wouldn’t it be nice to have experienced allies who will help you every step of the way? It’s not a “come as you are” job market. Stop wasting your time; learn how to make use of today’s tools and resources to propel your search forward.

Let us help you help yourself! Learn more about what we are offering Atlanta-area job seekers, including coaching on LinkedIn, Twitter, interviewing and in-person networking. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS and to sign up. Don’t delay – our early adopter price is only good through July 31st. (And you get a free coaching session as an early adopter.) Don’t hesitate to be in touch if you have questions about You Need a Job, but seating is limited, so don’t delay!

The post You want a job! appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Even if you are not using Twitter (yet!), feel free to join us! I invited a non-tweeting colleague who asked, “What is the advantage of a tweetup?” Let me count the ways! For the uninitiated, a tweetup is just the Twitter term for a get-together/opportunity to network with all different types of people. It’s amazing what synergies there are between professionals in very different fields.

Networking is important for job seekers and non-job seekers alike. This tweetup (free to attend – you purchase your food and beverages) – is a great way to connect with people you would probably never otherwise meet! I hope to see you there, and feel free to invite your friends! You can RSVP by clicking HERE, but feel free to come, even at the last minute!

The post Are you in Atlanta? Join us for the #ATLMix Tweetup appeared first on Keppie Careers.

How important is it to be on LinkedIn and can you tell us how a recruiter uses LinkedIn to source candidates?

If you’re not on LinkedIn, create a profile *now.* I suggest a robust profile – the more the better. Recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn all the time to find candidates, doing key word searches. Many times these are based on job responsibilities, so if you have your title but don’t fill in what you did in each job you may not show up in the results. For the most part I copied and pasted my resume in to my LinkedIn profile.

The next thing you should do is search and select several groups to join. These should relate to your job function and/or industry. Jobs can now be posted free in groups, and if you’re a member you’ll have access to the listings. Recruiters join industry groups in order to have access to members. Remember, your goal is to be found!

Finally, recruiters and hiring managers are looking to see how many recommendations you have, and how genuine they are. Carefully select several people you have worked for and with in the past, and ask them to write a recommendation for you. A word of caution – if your recommendations are all reciprocal that can be a red flag (“I’ll write one for you if you’ll write one for me.”) Instead, write several (genuine) recommendations for other people you’ve worked with in the past and pay it forward.

Do you need help with your search? Follow this link to learn how I can help propel your job hunt!

In Atlanta? GA is expecting 10.1% unemployment. Get ahead of the game so you will be prepared to search for your next opportunity with local job search interventions: http://youneedajob.org/

The post The other side of the hiring desk, pt. 7: How a recruiter uses LinkedIn appeared first on Keppie Careers.

What should job seekers do to turn a recruiter into a fan?

Turning a recruiter in to a “fan” shouldn’t be all that difficult. I’m contacted every day by people who impress me.

Once you identify a recruiter you think is a good contact for you, I recommend a brief, courteous and professional phone call, email, LinkedIn message or “Tweet” if on Twitter, with a brief introduction, a bit about your background and a description of the opportunity you’re seeking.

I personally prefer a brief email with the candidate’s resume attached so that I can review it and determine whether I have anything for the candidate now or potentially down the road – and if not, I can refer him or her to another recruiter and/or other resources that might be of help.

What does not impress a recruiter? Do you have any “real life” memories of candidates who made you want to run the other direction?

Sadly…where to begin?!? This is precisely why I started @JobSnob on Twitter, which was inspired by a candidate that I recently phone interviewed. He yawned throughout the entire interview! That was obviously a non-starter.

Another candidate whom I implored to wear a suit to his interview with our client…did not. He called me ten minutes after the interview began and said it was over. Knowing that something must have gone wrong, my colleague and I spoke with the hiring manager who stated that he was incredibly annoyed and insulted that my candidate did not have the respect to wear a suit to interview with him. This not only reflected poorly on my candidate, but also on our firm! Because I clearly could not trust this candidate, I did not work with him again.

The worst situation I’ve encountered in my recruiting career to-date was with the very first candidate I placed. She interviewed well with me and the client, and they asked me to extend an offer to her. I called her with the offer and stated, “This offer is contingent on a background check. You know your background better than I do, and if you’d like to wait until the results come back before giving notice, that’s perfectly fine.” She said no; that she was so excited and was going to give notice right then. And she did.

She went to work for my client before the background check came back (this was their decision). After they’d spent a week training her, they received the results. It turns out she was a convicted felon: forgery and writing bad checks. And she was an Accounting Manager! When they went to talk to her about it – assuming it was a mistake and wanting to clear it up – she gathered her things and said she wasn’t planning to come back on Monday anyway. I did manage to save the account with my client and had to do a replacement search at no charge. Fortunately, I quickly found someone they liked even better and she worked out very well. However, I could have easily lost that client over that situation.

Moral of the story: please be up front with recruiters you work with! If you’re not, you may not only jeopardize your relationship with us, you risk our relationships with our clients, our reputation and ultimately our livelihood.

Do you need help with your search? Follow this link to learn how I can help propel your job hunt!

The post The other side of the hiring desk, pt 6: How to turn a recruiter into a fan! appeared first on Keppie Careers.

How often should job seekers follow up with recruiters?

As far as how and how often to follow up…ask the recruiter you’re working with. I personally prefer a brief email once or twice a month. Remember, our job (and the way we get paid!) is to fill openings for our clients. If we have a job that you may be a fit for, we’ll be on the phone with you immediately!

During the interview process, how long it takes to get feedback or to move from one step to the next depends on the client and the situation. How urgent is the need? Who is an integral part of the process and is traveling/on vacation/otherwise unavailable? Unfortunately most interview processes do not move as quickly as anyone would like simply because there are so many people and variables involved.

There is no need to call your recruiter daily – when we have news, we’ll call you! There is nothing we want more than to fill a position. We do what we can to keep the interview process moving forward, and at the same time we must walk a fine line as we do not want to irritate our clients.

The candidates we enjoy working with the most understand and respect the process.

Do you need help with your search? Follow this link to learn how I can help propel your job hunt!

 

The post The other side of the hiring desk, pt 5: How often should job seekers follow up with recruiters? appeared first on Keppie Careers.

How can job seekers follow-up successfully. When does “follow-up” become stalking?!?

I’ve been dealing with this recently. I’ll start with an example of what *not* to do.

A candidate emailed his resume to me on Tuesday and called immediately “to be sure I’d received it.” He said that he wanted me to “find him a job.” I told him I needed time to review his resume against current openings and asked him to please give me a week before following up as I’m inundated with such requests.

He called the next morning and wanted to know if I’d reviewed his resume. I had not, and asked him again to give me a few days. I suggested that he follow up with me on Monday. On Friday he emailed stating that he would call shortly to “discuss what jobs I had for him.” I replied immediately stating that there is no need; I’d reviewed his resume and didn’t have anything for him at the moment and would keep him in mind for future openings. I suggested doing a search on LinkedIn for other financial services recruiters, reach out to them, and let them know the type of opportunity he’s seeking.

He immediately called and wanted to “discuss why I didn’t have anything for him.” I explained that my open positions are based on my clients’ needs and that right now his experience and skill sets are not a match for anything I’m working on. He proceeded to argue with me and kept telling me that he has “valuable skills” and will do “anything.”

I told him that if I don’t have a position that’s a fit, I don’t have it – and I can’t just pull one out of a hat! He became increasingly annoyed and wanted me to send him a list of my current searches so he could “see if he’s a fit for one of them.” I told him no, that I’ve got his resume, and I’ll keep him under consideration for future opportunities as they arise. He then offered me “a few hundred bucks” to find him a job. (We’ve covered this before…that’s not what recruiters do!!)

This job seeker was pushy and disrespectful. He acted with a sense of entitlement and frankly, based on his attitude and behavior, I would be extremely reluctant to present such a candidate to any of my clients.

Do you need help with your search? Follow this link to learn how I can help propel your job hunt!

Next: How SHOULD you follow up?

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