Hiring Top Talent – A Path to Growth

The recession and broader economic slowdown have given business leaders the cover they need to make sweeping changes to their business structures. For some, it has meant sending core processes overseas, for others, it has meant investing in technology that would automate tasks once carried out by humans.  It’s why in the depths of the recession, economic output per hour worked actually skyrocketed, growing at over 5% for more than a year.

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First Friday Preview – December 2011

Recent Unemployment Analysis by Gary Bozza

The recent dip in unemployment from 9% to 8.6%, the lowest in more than 2 years, did not come as a surprise to me and my firm,  MR Chicago Worldwide.

Our office recruits college graduates with more than 10 years of work experience. That class boasts only a 4.4% unemployment rate and I believe this is why we’ve seen an increased demand for engineers, operations, and sales & marketing talent.    

“The average duration of unemployment now exceeds 40 weeks…”

Ideas for the Unemployed

Tip 1: Apply for a retail job – You’ll make some money, you’ll be back out in the business field, and you may meet your next employer.

Tip 2: STOP sending resumes – Call hiring managers and ask for a meeting (breakfast or lunch) to learn about their company, and network for referrals – in place of sending your resume to apply for a job.

Tip 3: Provide consulting to your old company or other companies in your industry – be open to work on contract.

Tip 4: Target 20 companies you would like to work for – Conduct extensive research and use Google and LinkedIn to see who you know at those companies that can make a formal introduction.

Tip 5: Go to Job Fairs, Join Networking Groups, Volunteer, and Exercise Regularly

To read more on employment and industry trends, click below.

First Friday Preview – November 2011

Economic Growth Stays Fractured

GDP is an easy way to look at the economy; it’s one number, it’s positive or it’s negative, it’s a series that goes back 70 years. In the second quarter of 2011, for example, U.S. GDP grew by 1.3 percent. However, no one has been hired or fired—outside of politics—because of GDP. One industry could double in revenue, while another could halve its revenues resulting in massive hiring and layoffs, yet, GDP would remain flat.

“It’s our nature to want to generalize —‘The economy is great! The economy is horrible!’— but the actual picture is always much more granular,” says Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork. “You can’t define the winners and losers in today’s economy with a broad brush. There are companies in almost every industry and in almost every market that are seeing the best year in their history while across the street, another company is flailing.”

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First Friday Preview – October 2011

We have a Facebook Page!

Our company page provides access to our blog updates, new position annoucements, and other helpful and interesting information right on your news feed. All you have to do is ”Like” us!  Our Facebook page will have special updates you won’t be able to find on our website!

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Hello World!

This article came to us recently and we felt this could be of use to anyone looking to revamp their outdated resumes. Keep us updated on what kind of information you would like to see!

7 Strategies to Showcase Your Unique Value to Employers

By Alesia Benedict, CPRW, JCTC GetInterviews.com
Courtesy of Doostang

Although the job market is opening up a bit, it remains very competitive. In a tight job market, only the most unique individuals stand out. The first strategy to help separate yourself from the pack is a resume update, even if your resume is only a few years old. Attract positive interest by revamping your resume with the following tips to showcase your value to employers.

1. Replace the tired objective statement with a value outline.

A value statement is the optimal opening for your resume. It is a professional summary that outlines how you can bring value to the company. Gather all your best points in this “introduction.” It is your first impression to hiring managers. Be certain to use current terminology as well as traditional skills of value to employers, such as increasing profits, building productive teams, or streamlining operations to reduce costs. Although the value outline will not include a specific objective, the areas highlighted communicate your career goals and personal brand to the reader.

2. Re-evaluate work experience in your resume.

Remove work experiences more than 10 to 15 years old. In addition, experience that focuses only on basic technical skills, such as MS Office Suite, adds little value to any resume. Regardless of the final length of your resume, space is limited. Replace any older work experiences with more recent and relevant entries targeted at your specific career goal. These unique offerings will set you apart from the competition.

3. Use current keywords.

Keywords trigger interest in your resume for hiring managers and prospective employers, spurring them to pluck your resume out of the pile. The initial screening process has also been automated by many employers and jobsites with search tools, so if you don’t have the best keywords, your resume may not ever be seen by human eyes! Of course every industry has its own set of keywords, but typical examples may include such phrases as business intelligence, global branding, or compliance audits.

4. Emphasize your personal brand.

Borrowing the marketing industry’s branding approach is another important tool in communicating your unique value to potential employers. Brainstorm the top 5 ways in which you have excelled during your career. Compare those skills to current needs and trends in your field. If your skills do not parallel current professional needs, you may need to pursue training to strengthen your personal brand and subsequent appeal to employers. The ideal personal brand can float your resume to the top of the “to-call” list by highlighting your unique value.

5. Research prospective employers thoroughly.

To increase the effectiveness of your resume and showcase your value, your resume must show how your skills and experiences not only add value to the potential employer, but also how you can help them accomplish their next “Big Initiative.” Use the Internet and explore business pages to discover important projects and align your experience accordingly.

6. Be ready to give specifics about past accomplishments.

Include statistics in your descriptions of past achievements. How did you help your employer reach quantifiable goals? As you prepare your resume, create effective summaries of your successes. Think of the process as telling a brief story, including the problem, your part in the solution, and the outstanding outcome. Using a storytelling approach helps you minimize jargon and display your ability to communicate complex subjects to any audience.

7. Streamline your resume.

Use bullet points to showcase accomplishments and special achievements. Organizing your resume by pulling out points of emphasis makes it easier to scan quickly for important skills and experiences that provide the details to support your value and personal brand. You may use a separate bullet point for each special project that highlights a different skill, cost-saving outcome, or profit-generating strategy.

Overall, avoid being too wordy or too focused on details that don’t emphasize your value to the employer. Make the most of your resume by carefully selecting those keywords and accomplishments that consistently highlight the value outlined in your initial summary. Your resume will be more effective and will help the reader remember the unique personal brand that sets you apart from the competition in a tight job market. Showcase your value to move toward that new job!

 About the Author:

Alesia Benedict, Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC) is the President of GetInterviews.com, the country’s leading resume writing firm. They provide professionals with customized, branded resumes and career marketing documents. Her and her firm’s credentials include being cited by JIST Publications as one of the “best resume writers in North America,” quoted as a career expert in The Wall Street Journal, and published in a whopping 25+ career books. Established in 1994, the firm has aided more than 100,000 job seekers to date. All resume writers are certified writers. GetInterviews.com offers a free resume critique and their services come with a wonderful guarantee — interviews in 30 days or they’ll rewrite for free!

Waiting for Growth but Finding Top Talent

How long will it take for the labor markets to return to normal? It will depend on any number of factors, foremost among them: What is normal?

In a recent poll of MRINetwork recruiters asking what was holding managers back from hiring, only 11 percent cited sales is not yet rebounding. The leading cause of employers not hiring was that efficiencies found during the recession have allowed companies to do the same with less staff (28%).

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First Friday Preview – August 2011

Hello!
Many have heard the phrase, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” And I won’t say it’s much different here at MR Chicago Worldwide! We love connecting with our clients and candidates, so we thought it would be fun to invite you on a sneak peek of our office party.

RJ decided we needed to begin monthly potluck lunches. Of course being his idea, he selected our first potluck…appetizers. Little did we know a whole office bringing in appetizers (and one dessert) would be enough food for almost a week! We had to use both our kitchen and my desk just to fit all the food.

Wishing everyone a happy and FULL day! Look out for our next blog later this week!

A Candidates’ Market Emerges, or Maybe It Always Has Been

No one seems to question the connection between unemployment, the employment market, and the economy. They are often used almost interchangeably. Yet, the three are different, and right now, they are in disparate places.

The month of May saw a significant slowdown in the number of jobs being added to the workforce as the declines in the unemployment rate, which began early this year, came to a halt. The general economy, which a few months earlier had been showing signs of growing faster than expected, has failed to impress. The talent market, however, is such a different story that it seems counter intuitive.

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First Friday Preview – July 2011

Welcome to our blog and MR Chicago Worldwide’s newest website!

Our objective and focus for this blog is to provide you with useful information and insights into the latest industry trends, resources for both candidates and employers, and MRC updates!

In the future you can plan to see such topics as:

• First Friday Previews – information and trends in the recruiting world!
• Monthly Employment Analysis
• Interview Tips
• How to Spot Red Flags on a Resume
• And much more!

Along the way, we’ll want to hear from you. We would love to get your feedback and what you would like to see discussed in the future.

To get started, we want to know: What are the 3 most important things you would like to see a recruiter provide for you?