Ask a Recruiter

How to Impress a Recruiter

By Job Journey on Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Top tips from working recruiters

Many job applicants express frustration with the post-interview process due to not receiving any follow up. They want to know what they can do to improve future interview performance. However, interviewers are unable to provide this information, often because of potential legal issues or simply not having the time to write personalized letters for each applicant.

At Express Employment Professionals, our recruiters interview numerous job seekers every day. They know what works and what doesn’t, at both the staffing agency and client levels. We asked our top recruiters to tell us what they look for in job candidates, as well as characteristics job seekers should avoid.

What Makes a Great Job Candidate?

Preparation

A promising candidate is one who arrives to an interview (either by phone or at the worksite) fully prepared.

“They come with a resume, references, and any supporting documents or credentials that could potentially give them a step up in the hiring process,” said Shannon Jacoby, a recruiter at the Bellingham, WA, Express office. “They know what they are applying for, they have done research on the company, and they know how they could fit into the organization.”

Attitude

A candidate should also be friendly and personable. This is your chance to make a good impression.

“I like candidates that have friendly, personable attitudes,” said Carlos Delafuente from the Portland, OR, Express office. “I should be able to tell that they are reliable, punctual, and dependable. They can impress me by showing that they can hold a normal conversation, that they have a sense of humor, and optimism.”

Honesty

“Ideally, a great job candidate should have a relatively stable work history,” said Desiree Stevens of the Littleton, CO, Express office. “However, we understand that there may be mitigating circumstances as to why a position ended. Be honest about those reasons.”

If you’re looking to contact a staffing company, be truthful with what you know and what you want.

“Being honest about your skills is huge,” Stevens said. “That helps us market the candidate to clients. If the candidate lies about the level of proficiency in a particular program and they’re placed in a position that requires it, it not only makes us look bad, but the candidate as well.”

What Makes a Poor Job Candidate?

Not Being Prepared

There is no way to hide a lack of preparation. And if you aren’t prepared for the interview, then why would a recruiter think you would be prepared on the job?

“An unprepared candidate is more difficult to place,” said Lee Cox from the Woodbury, MN, office. “If a job candidate has no idea what they want to do, or has done little or no research about the field or position, I have no reason to expect them to perform well on the job. A candidate should know the company inside and out—their job duties, distance they are willing to travel, their minimum required wage, etc.”

Unprofessionalism

An interview is a chance to impress. Regardless of how casual the interview is, what you may see as overdressing could show how serious you are as a candidate.

“Just the other day, I had an administrative candidate come to her interview in see-through leggings, a baggy sweatshirt and gym shoes,” Stevens said. “I expect, at the very least, dress slacks, a blouse or blazer, and dress shoes. Shirt and tie aren’t necessary, but are a good indicator that the candidate cares about first impressions.”

Never talk over your interviewer or insult a previous employer.

“Talking over me while I’m asking a question is an indicator that the candidate has passive listening skills or thinks they already know what I have to say and has no reason to listen to what I am saying or asking,” Stevens said. “And as for bashing employers, there’s a way to tactfully state why you left a positon. Instead of saying ‘My boss was a jerk,’ note that management didn’t see eye-to-eye with you on your vision for the position or the company.”

Oversharing

Showing the interviewer why you’re right for the position is important. A great job applicant understands how to do this quickly and succinctly.

“Don’t take 20 minutes to answer the first interview question,” Jacoby said. “Focus on how your experience applies to the job, not on covering everything you’ve ever done. Answer each question quickly and succinctly.”

“Try not to bring personal issues into the interview,” Delafuente said. “Instead of talking about your personal life, focus on the professional.”

Know What You Want

Getting a job isn’t easy. Applicants know that. But the key to a successful interview is knowing as much as you can. Know the company’s history and culture. Know what you want, both in terms of your career and your monetary requirements. Know yourself and your personality, and how that plays in an interview.

Questions for our recruiters? Ask them in the comments below!

Ask a Recruiter

Ask a Recruiter: How to Highlight Experience Over Tenure on Your Resume

By Job Journey on Friday, January 20, 2017

When it comes to preparing for a job search, acing interviews, and creating resumes, we know you have a lot of questions. To help answer your job search questions, our very own industry experts at Express Employment Professionals are posting their answers here on the Movin’ On Up blog.

Question: Help! I’ve been laid off from my last two jobs in the span of one year due to budget cuts, and I’m back on the job search. How should I format my resume to make my skills stand out to recruiters rather than tenure at companies?

Answer: There are two types of resumes that job seekers commonly use; chronological and functional. In your situation, I’d suggest creating a functional resume.

A functional resume will focus on your skillsets and how they might transfer to the role you are applying for, whereas a chronological resume typically lists the most recent positions that you’ve held. It’s important that you do your homework when building a functional resume.

I would suggest tailoring each functional resume you send to the specific role in which you are applying. List those skillsets that are clearly desired from the job description or were noted during a conversation with the recruiter or hiring manager. Then help draw the commonalities between their job description and your background.

Thank you to Joe from Express for providing the above answer! The Movin’ On Up blog has featured articles on how to create and when to use functional resumes. In the changing workforce where more people are spending less time with one company, a functional resume format can help your resume stand out and keep it from heading straight to the trash can. See what a functional resume looks like.

Or if you can’t decide which resume format to use, try both!

Do you have a question about the job search, hiring, or recruiting process? Now’s your chance to have your question answered by industry professionals who find, interview, and hire people every day. Ask your question in the comments section below and check back soon to read what our experts have to say!

Ask a Recruiter

Ask a Recruiter: Using Volunteerism on Your Resume

By Job Journey on Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Listing volunteer efforts on your resume can seem a little tricky. And, some may wonder if it’s even worth it? We know there’s a lot to learn, and we want to help by answering your questions. Our very own industry experts at Express Employment Professionals have offered up helpful answers right here on the Movin’ On Up blog.

Question: How do recruiters view volunteer experience on a resume?

Answer: Recruiters are people, just like everyone else. To that end, each recruiter will probably view previous volunteer work in their own unique way. At the end of the day, most recruiters are paid by clients to find the best candidate based on skill sets that are defined by the client. If the skill sets are very specific, and experience crucial, volunteer experience most likely will play a small role in the recruiter’s decision to present a candidate or not. That being said, it’s still important to include.

In my experience, volunteerism can take center stage in other places during the hiring process. First, it can be a differentiator between yourself and another equally qualified candidate. Adding volunteer service tends to show how well-rounded a candidate is, or illustrates that they share time and abilities outside of the office. Often, for recruiters, making a great placement is about a culture fit or soft-skills fit, not solely based on past work titles. Volunteerism is a great way of illustrating your soft-skills to a recruiter or a hiring manager.

Additionally, if you are just entering the marketplace (think no experience or little experience) or you are changing seats in the marketplace (new industry, new specialized area, etc.), volunteerism can be a great way to show that even though you don’t have experience in a certain role or industry, you have picked up transferable skills while being a solid community member and giving back your time.

Finally volunteerism is a great conversation starter. If you’re interviewing with a company that is civic minded, and you’re passionate about volunteer work, share that enthusiasm during the interview. Employers in today’s marketplace want employees who get excited about working toward a goal bigger than themselves, and that’s what volunteering is all about!

Question: What are some tips for listing volunteer experience on a resume?

Answer: Unless you are new to the marketplace and volunteer work is the majority of your experience, I believe it’s best to keep it simple. List the organization, dates you’ve been associated, and possibly one sentence about the work you’ve been doing with the organization. When you can work in lessons learned from volunteering during the interview itself, it’s more impactful than listing volunteer experience on the resume.

If you’re someone who has lots of volunteer experience, don’t feel like you need to share every organization you’ve been a part of! In most cases, being affiliated with 10 or more civic organizations won’t necessarily gain you any more street cred than listing two or three. Pick the organizations in which you’ve invested the most time in, or the two or three that you’ve most recently been affiliated with.

Thank you to Joe Paquette from Express for providing the above answers!

Ask a Recruiter Career Advancement My Entry-Level Life The Job Search

Ask a Recruiter: What Experiences Count as Experience

By Job Journey on Monday, July 13, 2015

Finding the right job to fit your skills and personality can be difficult—especially when you’re starting a new career. We know there’s a lot to learn, and we want to help by answering your questions. Our very own industry experts at Express Employment Professionals are posting their recruitment and hiring answers right here on the Movin’ On Up blog.

Question:
In the fourth installment of our series, “Ask a Recruiter,” we’re excited to feature a question from Movin’ On Up reader, Caroline.
Caroline asks, “I’m a recent college graduate and need some help finding a job. I don’t want to take the first job that’s out there, but it seems like every entry-level job I’m interested in requires 3-5 years of experience. How am I qualified for anything at this point?”

Answer:
This is a great question, Caroline! There are a lot of jobs out there that do this, and when it comes to entry-level jobs, you may find some with requirements that seem a little ridiculous. I recently had a conversation with a young grad who complained about this very same thing. She even showed me this tweet. It may feel like employers are asking you to walk on the moon before you apply, but this isn’t actually the case.

The typical job ad goes something like this: “Account Executive—entry level, 3-5 years of experience required.”

When you’re a new graduate that “3-5 years of experience” concept can be intimidating, but employers are using that stipulation to weed out the unqualified. You’d be surprised how many people are turned off of applying for a job by it. What they want really want is someone who is driven and has a few skills already in the bag.

The new entry-level job, experts say, is the internship—this provides young professionals with the much needed experience companies desire. According to Courtney Lukitsh, principal and founder of Gotham Public Relations, “A junior prospect should be eager, very smart, have a few internships under their belt, and approach me with specific questions about the industry and the practice.”

In the minds of employers, the experience you need can come in many forms. Here are a few for you to consider:

Internships – Had an internship? Excellent, because that counts. List it on your resume under experience and explain what your responsibilities were and any impact you had. Whether it is paid or unpaid, it counts as experience.
Volunteering – Volunteering for an organization you are passionate about can go a long way toward making you more employable. It can also count as that elusive experience. Just think about it. You’ll be sharpening your skillset and showing off your expertise in a variety of ways through planning, organizing events, managing information, leading teams, writing, public speaking, and team work. According to theCorporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), volunteering raises your odds of finding employment in today’s job market by 27%. Now that’s a leg up on the competition.
Relevant Coursework – If you just finished your degree, you do have some experience. You spent several years of your life getting experience in the area, so don’t be intimidated by that 3-5 years requirement. Get around this by adding a section on your resume that highlights specific upper-level courses and projects you have completed.A degree isn’t technically experience, but it shows that you can commit and complete something, so show it off.
Extracurricular Activities – Whether you have served as an officer in an academic club, been elected to student council, or served on a committee in a sorority or fraternity, you have been building experience. Your work is worth highlighting, so add it to your resume.
Part-Time Jobs – This isn’t something I’d normally recommend, but when you are looking for an entry level job, it counts! Just create a separate resume heading titled “Work Experience” and place those items near the bottom of your resume.

Bottom line: Just apply. You may feel like you’re not qualified, but you might be underestimating yourself. Don’t be intimidated by the experience requirement. Think outside the box and get creative with what qualifies as experience. If you think the job is perfect for you, go for it. Forget the requirement. Go in there, sell yourself, and land the job.

Thanks for asking, Caroline! And thank you to Joe Paquette from Express for providing the answer!

Check out previous installments in the “Ask a Recruiter” series:

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Ask a Recruiter

Ask a Recruiter: How to Follow Up After an Interview

By Job Journey on Monday, May 18, 2015

Navigating the job search, acing interviews, and creating resumes can be challenging. We know there’s a lot to learn about these processes, and we want to help you by answering your questions. Our very own industry experts at Express Employment Professionals are posting their recruitment and hiring answers right here on the Movin’ On Up blog.

Question:
In the third installment of our series, “Ask a Recruiter,” we’re excited to feature a question from Movin’ On Up reader Sam.

Sam asks, “I always feel like I’m being too pushy when I follow up after an interview. When is the appropriate time frame for a follow-up, and what are the best methods for doing so?”

Answer:
This is a great question! Unfortunately, there isn’t one single strategy that will work for all instances. Some recruiters might find your follow-up instincts pushy, while others may be thankful that you’re staying in contact. That being said, setting appropriate expectations during the initial conversation is the key!

One good practice for establishing these expectations is to discuss the next steps with the interviewer before leaving the interview. By doing this, your call or email won’t come as a surprise. Instead, it will be clear that you’re simply following up as the two of you discussed. Ask the interviewer what their preferred method of communication might be, and what their timeline for filling this position looks like. You should also relay to them what your expectations for feedback might be, and discuss your communication plan should the process exceed that timeline.

If your expectations aren’t the same as the interviewer’s, this is the place where they can help re-align what will happen next, and when. Get their permission to follow up at a certain date and time, and then reference that permission when you speak to them again, or on any voicemail or email you send.

Another issue that can arise when proper expectations haven’t been set is that one party ends up doing all of the communicating. This is where that “pushy” feeling comes into play. Have you ever found yourself doing this? You call, leave a message, call back again, leave another message, send a couple of emails, and still don’t hear anything back from the recruiter. How frustrating! I’m a firm believer that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but it’s also very easy to overdue your follow up. If you leave a voice or email message, give that recruiter time to follow up with you. If you try to reach out to them again, say within 24 hours, try not to leave a second voicemail. Recruiters often have many job orders they are working on at one time in addition to a very wide assortment of other tasks they must accomplish each day. If you’ve set expectations correctly, and followed up as you said you would, you’ll hear from them as soon as they’ve got news to communicate!

Thanks for asking, Sam! And thank you to Joe Paquette from Express for providing the answer!

Check out previous installments in the “Ask a Recruiter” series:

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Ask a Recruiter

“Ask a Recruiter” Advice Column Coming Soon

By Job Journey on Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Here on the Movin’ On Up blog, we strive to provide readers with useful, timely, and informative content that can help improve job searches, interviews, resumes, and more. While it’s our goal to help job seekers better prepare for their job search, we know that we can’t always answer all of your questions. That’s why we’re introducing our new column, “Ask a Recruiter.”

Like advice columns you may find in newspapers and magazines, “Ask a Recruiter” will feature questions asked by Movin’ On Up readers. Those questions will be answered by a panel of industry experts, from recruiters to staffing consultants, and posted right here on the blog.

The first “Ask a Recruiter” column will be featured soon, but first we need questions from you! Do you have any questions about the job search, hiring, or recruiting process? Is there something about resumes, interviews, or networking that confuses you? Now’s your chance to have your question answered by industry professionals who find, interview, and hire people every day.

Ask your question in the comments section below and check back soon to read what our experts have to say!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.