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Jobs in Plastics - Plastics Jobs Packaging Jobs - Medical Device Jobs - Plastics Recruiters |
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Allan James Associates Plastics, Medical Device, Packaging and Chemical Industry Recruiters
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Frequently Asked QuestionsAnd Some Answers Based on 20 plus Years of Experience
What Can I do to find a job ?If you review the jobs listed in this web site, you will note that each position requires a very specific set of skills, experience, and education. Companies are fighting stiff competition and the need to carefully control costs is clearly reflected in the reluctance of employers to be more flexible in the selection of personnel. The keys to successfully finding employment or making that all important career move are:
What can we expect in the next quarter? We believe that the economy will continue to improve and that hiring will slowly increase at a steady pace through 2011. Our firm is optimistic about the future. The retirement of millions of Baby Boomers, increasing demand for medical products, growing dissatisfaction with offshore production, and the resilience of the consumer are just a few of the reasons to be optimistic. Is this a good time to be looking for career advancement opportunity?Yes! The economy may not be booming but we have faced more serious economic issues in the past and we know that when things turn around, there is a flood of job opportunities. In a difficult economy, companies hire fewer people and are much more selective and careful in the process. But they do hire and many take advantage of a slow economy to target candidates with top notch skills. Individuals with strong academic, interpersonal, and technical skills will fare well. Being prepared and open to opportunity are the keys to meeting your long term Career Plan goals.
Working with a Recruiter-What do I need to know?
If you are looking for a new job or a new career, chances are that you will utilize the services of one or more recruiters. Keep the following in mind and you will improve your odds of success.
To insure the best possible outcome do these things when working with a recruiter:
Do I need a resume?Yes! A resume is a necessity if you want to effectively compete for a professional job opportunity. The importance of preparing a well written resume and presenting that document in an attractive format cannot be overstated. See "How to Write a Resume for guidance.
A word about Drug Testing and Background Checks We have discussed the fact that employers are hiring only for positions that truly must be filled and that employers are being more selective in their selection process. We have also noted an increase in requests from clients to either include in depth background checks as part of our services or inform candidates we refer that the company will perform these checks themselves. Nearly all of our clients are now checking the following items prior to offer or subsequent to offer with the understanding that poor references or revelation of serious legal issues will result in the offer being withdrawn:
If you have reason to be concerned about your past employment, financial or legal history, we suggest that you make every effort to bring these issues to light before signing the documentation necessary for employers to make these inquiries. Hiding or attempting to hide damaging information will result in a poor outcome. Taking the time to present your side of the story may or may not make a difference, but it most certainly improves your odds of landing the job. Video Interviewing - Meeting the Challenge Video Interviewing-Meeting the Challenge of Long Distance, Face to Face Interviewing
It is no secret that technology has changed the what and how of almost everything we do. The internet and computers made it possible to learn about jobs and submit a resume in just a few minutes where just a few years ago it took days to produce a resume and snail-mail that document to the potential employer. Until recently, however, the interview part of the process generally involved a telephone interview followed by a face to face interview.
That’s changing and it’s changing quickly. The explosion of You Tube Videos, I-phone Face Time, teleconferencing and Skype technologies has created the newest thing in interviewing-live interviews via computer. Given the increased costs associated with interviewing a candidate in person and the simple convenience of teleconferencing, the technologies will continue to improve and this type interview will soon become a standard procedure.
Video interviewing is here and we need to rethink how we present ourselves using this “new” technology.
I have made hundreds of presentations to large and small groups, conducted thousands of interviews-both in-person and via telephone, and have had just enough experience in front of a video camera to know that being myself and presenting material in an effective manner on camera is more difficult than either a phone interview or a personal interview.
But, with a little knowledge and practice, mastering the art of presenting yourself in a video interview is an achievable goal. Here’s how:
The rest of the rules of interviewing apply (See Interviewing Skills on my web site). Don't talk compensation or benefits at this point in the process. Do ask questions, cite specific examples of your success, admit to failures, brag (a little) about success, and ask for a live interview before ending the call.
I have dreaded the web cam and teleconferencing becoming part of the interview process. I have enjoyed the anonymity of the old fashioned phone call and will never be completely comfortable in front of the camera. But things change and we will all adapt in time.I submitted my resume but my recruiter has not called. Why? You submitted your resume to a recruiter for a job that you believe is a fit for your skills and interests, but the recruiter has not called or contacted you and you want to know why.
This is probably the most common question asked by candidates. There are many possible reasons why the recruiter has not called and I will discuss some of those reasons in this post.
Let’s first make an important point. Recruiters want to place candidates and will do all that they can to make that happen because that’s their business. You are important to the recruiter and if, for whatever reason, your resume is not a fit for one position there is a good chance that it may fit another position that may become available at any time.
A second point to keep in mind is that the recruiter is acting as a broker, working for both the client company and the candidate. It is the client company that produces the job description, determines what they require from candidates, and makes decisions about which candidate resumes meet those requirements. The recruiter is responsible for carefully and professionally evaluating potential candidates, selecting those resumes meeting the customer’s requirements, and making candidate presentations based on the recruiter’s best judgment.
So why have you not heard from your recruiter? Here are a few reasons…
Companies often contact recruiters and ask for help in recruiting, provide all the necessary data, sign search contracts, and start reviewing resumes only to suddenly decide to put the job on hold because of a management change, a sudden sales decline, or for any of dozens of other reasons. Few people enjoy being involved in on again, off again situations like these and it’s frustrating for everyone-often including the hiring managers.
Often, during the course of an active search, customers change their minds as to what it is that they seek in a candidate. Sometimes that’s because hiring officials experience an epiphany about how to structure their open position and what the requirements should be based on what they learn from resumes of prospective candidates. Other times, events within the company lead to changes in the requirements or the job description. One day they want a Master’s Degree and the next they decide that a Bachelor’s is fine. Titles, Salary Ranges, and even Locations can change. There is no science in the job description and there is nothing in the job description that is not subject to a wide range of influences over the course of the search.
Sometimes the job description is so specific and the selection process so rigid that candidates with anything less than 100% of the skills, education, experience, and other factors required are rejected.
There are times when, for no apparent reason, hiring managers and others involved in a search can be incredibly slow or simply stop responding to calls and emails from the recruiter. When this happens, there is no other option than to wait for the client to respond. If we don’t have a response, we can’t give you one.
Bottom line, there are lots of reasons why recruiters don’t respond to candidates. We regret these events and want you to know how much we really want to help you. There are many things we cannot control but finding and placing people that can solve problems for our clients is the way our business prospers.
We sincerely thank you for your understanding and continued cooperation.
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