Thank You!

We would like to extend our gratitude to all of our candidates and clients! Thank you for an amazing 2010 and we look forward to a wonderful 2011!

How To Mess Up A Phone Interview

Typically the topic of verbal crutches is something that people are coached on when they are improving their group presentation skills. Verbal crutches are those little “connector” words that all of us use from time to time. These are the ums, ahs, and even in the case of one candidate I interviewed-fabulous, that we unconsciously toss in while we’re thinking about the next sentence.

Let me tell you-this will KILL and I mean-RUIN your chances for a follow up interview, especially if your first interview is a phone interview.

As the interviewer on a phone interview, I have nothing else to focus on other than the sound of your voice. If that sound is constantly interrupted by an umm, or a ya know, I’m really going to notice it. If the job I’m considering hiring you for has a lot of phone work involved, I’m not going to subject the person on the other end of the phone to your poor verbal abilities. At this point, I don’t care if you are the most qualified person on paper-you’re out of the running because your message is being lost in a sea of these verbal crutches. It’s a very silly way to get eliminated.

Here’s how you clean up your act. First, you need to either ask your friends very seriously and honestly if you are a verbal crutch offender. Explain to them how important this is in your job search, and unless they want to hear you whine for an additional six months about not finding a new job-they should help you. Verbal crutches are bad habits that can become more apparent when you’re in stressful situations like job interviews, but are probably apparent when your guard is down like when you’re hanging out with friends. They don’t just appear when you pick up the phone for an interview.

Your other option is to record yourself while you practice for the interview. This can be trickier because you will of course know that you’re taping and will make more of an effort to clean up your act, but it could work.

Another option is to just make a conscious effort throughout the day to listen to what you are really saying. Too many times I find that if I’m not completely engaged in what I’m saying and am not truly “in the moment” that I will start umming and ahhing as my brain searches for the next coherent thought. When I focus on the message I’m trying to convey, my speech patterns clean up immediately and I’m back on track. I sound more professional and people have a tendency to not tune me out because they’re tired of trying to sort out the wheat from the umm and ahh chaff.

So bottom line, if this could be a problem for you-fix it NOW! Make an effort everytime you say something during the day to really listen to what you are saying-don’t tune out! If you want the interviewer to pay attention to you-you need to pay attention to you. For some people, this will be a hard habit to break, but it is well worth the effort, I guarantee it.

- Melanie Szlucha

From www.net-temps.com

Administrative Assistant Needed in the Woodlands

Candidate will be required to make course manuals which involves printing course material and binding the material together to make the manuals. Will answer phones and assist in normal office admin duties. Set up courses which can be done through the phone and/or by email. Must know how to operate a copy machine proficiently and be computer literate. Must be able to lift boxes in the office (10-25lbs). Will help out with the front desk at times. The office can be very fast paced so the candidate will be required to work when priorities might change at a short notice. Ideal candidate needs to know Microsoft Office including Excel worksheets. Strong written and communication skills; sharp and focused; self driven; great people skills.

What's an Employer Really Looking For in Your Resume?

Most job-seekers write their resumes with one thing in mind—themselves! They toot their own horn so loud the interviewer is blown away by the sound. The "I did this" and "I achieved that" approach is important, of course. The hiring manager wants to know what you've accomplished in your previous line of work and how you can benefit his or her company in the new position.

Reading Between the Lines

BUT—he or she is also looking for some intuitive abilities that a potential employee can express on the job without every detail being spelled out. This means the new hire should be able to anticipate and sense problems and challenges and be able to meet them instinctively.

For example, suppose you hope to be hired as an administrative assistant to the president of a financial corporation. You have computer skills, an ability to organize corporate data, you're capable of keeping the filing system up-to-date, and you're ready to field phone calls and e-mails for the executive without being told.

Beyond the Job Description

These skills look good on paper, but for your resume to move to the top of the pile, include a few sentences that state what else you can do that may not appear in the job description. Example: Able to chair a meeting of corporate executives when the president is unexpectedly detained or called away on emergency business; able to trouble-shoot with customers on the phone, keeping the president free of time-consuming entanglements; able to stimulate essential communication between employees in other departments and then report back the findings to the president.

An employee of real value is one who not only meets the requirements for the job, as described, but goes beyond them, delivering both practical help and heart-felt support that call for intuition and attentiveness.

- Jimmy Sweeney
From www.net-temps.com

Tax Preparers Needed!

Tax Prepration Company in Southwest Houston seeking 2 experienced individuals to help customers in processing personal income taxes. 1-2 years experience required. Will train on basic knowledge of their TaxWise software system. Will also train on recent tax compliance. Must be available to work 7 days a week but will have scheduled prepared well in advance. Pay + Bonus structure based on referrals and number of returns processed

General Accountant

This position will be working onsite with a client company assisting with General Ledger, AP, AR. Must have 3-4 years experience with processing invoices and be able to assist with payroll processing. Currently using QuickBooks, but changing to JDEdwards in the near future. Must be proficient with MS Office and flexible to work in a very busy office environment.

Rusty Interview Help

If you haven’t looked for a job in a while, skydiving might be preferable to interviewing. But there are a few simple steps that will remove the fear and give you the confidence you’d otherwise wish you had.

Common sense says you need to research the company via their website, brochures or the library, although you’d be surprised at how many skip the obvious. Basics also include bringing a few extra copies of your resume to hand out if necessary, arriving early, dressing professionally, and knowing what you have to offer the company.

But those are no-brainers, or they should be. What even experienced interviewers often fail to do is ask, in detail, about the position. So get away from the job description and dig into the actuality of that job in that company, as it stands right now. Find out why the position is open and how long it’s been vacant. Ask also how long the previous person was there. If that person was there less than two years, find out how long the previous person was there. If both are short, chances are you won’t be there long either.

You want to know what the first priority to be addressed is, if there’s a time frame for accomplishing it, and if so, what it is. Is it a realistic one? And overall, in what condition is the job you’ll be picking up? Is it maintenance? Troubleshooting and clean up? Smooth, accelerated growth? And how do the answers sit with you?

The toughest thing about interviewing is that you need to find out about the position and sell yourself as the one for the job – concurrently. That means you’re going after it before you even know if you want it. Process it later. It’s easier to close the door than open it when it’s too late. In the meantime, to stay in control of your career, if what you’re hearing is agreeable to you, then show enthusiasm and throw the stiff formality out the window.

Interviews should be dialogues, not question and answer sessions. You can’t change the subject, but you can ask a question about the topic that’s on the table. This gives you additional insight into the position and what they’re looking for. It also helps what part of your background you want to talk about, leaving you less likely to ramble on, hoping something will be impressive.

You can also ask for clarification if something sounds a little…….off. But pay attention to your tone of voice and your body language. A furrowed brow, a puzzled tone, and a curled lip are much more off putting than an interested tone, a smile, and a relaxed open manner. The latter shows genuine interest in the details. The former can sometimes be construed as the mark of a difficult person.

Pretend you’re interviewing with a friend’s company, and it’s just a formality. How would you be sitting? Sounding? What would your word choices be? Because self confidence has a completely different look and feel to it, and companies don’t want to hire desperate people. They want to be specifically chosen for who they are and what they offer. Just like you do.

- Judi Perkins

From www.net-temps.com