We recently ran across an article posted on CNN.com that may be reason for both recruiters and job-seekers alike to get excited. Check out the fastest growing salaries in the U.S. As sales recruiters, we were thrilled to see that Insurance Agents made it in to the top ten.
Top 20 Fastest Growing Salaries
March 19th, 2010 by HillaryEngage Me With Your Soft Skills
March 9th, 2010 by HillaryWhether a recruiter or a job-seeker, it may be helpful to be reminded every now and then that soft skills are an important component to a well-rounded candidate. A recent article in SI Review reported that strong work ethic is the most sought-after soft skill, according to the respondents of an Express Employment Professionals survey.
Here’s a recap of the soft skills cited in the survey and how respondents ranked them by importance:
- Strong work ethic – 23%
- Positive attitude – 17%
- Communication – 11%
- Being a team-player -10%
- Flexibility – 9%
- Being a problem solver -7%
- Being self-directed – 5%
- Working well under pressure – 5%
- Being a quick learner – 4%
- Organizational skills – 3%
- Creativity – 1%
Soft skills are also known as transferable skills and employers are always looking out for valuable examples of those that transfer most directly to their open position. A resume should pinpoint a few (1-3) specific soft skills and how they have been applied in a current position. Substantiating them with strong examples will add more credibility and engage a hiring manager. A resume with a laundry list of soft-skills can have the opposite effect. Hiring managers will learn more about your soft skills during the interview, so on a resume be sure to highlight only those most relevant to the open position, don’t build a generic list. For more examples of how you can infuse valuable soft skills in to your resume, check out these tips from Executive Resume Writer, Laura Smith-Proulx.
“Everyone Eats Cookies”
June 8th, 2009 by HillaryJon Picoult, recently wrote an article in the New York Times that caught my attention. Not simply based on the fact that a cookie was mentioned, but more so because he spoke of the current discourteous nature of the recruiting industry. It seems that, despite the growing number of unemployed out there, recruiters and human resource departments are, shall we say, less than communicative with applicants. That goes for job finalists who leave an interview feeling they’ve nailed it and then never hear back from the company again, all the way to candidates who are simply rejected and never receive notification of such a decision. The general absence of follow-up calls, status notifications, or even responses to inquiries, seems to be the M.O these days. Read the rest of this entry »