Simply Hired Blog

Announcing Zippier Email Alerts!

They are at least… three times faster!

As some of you may have noticed, starting last Friday, your Simply Hired email alerts have been delivered to you much sooner than they were before. We've filled the water bowls of our endlessly energetic team of hamsters with Mountain Dew and Red Bull, so they've been running wheel sprints in order to deliver email alerts to you in less time (no hamsters were harmed in the delivery speed update).

With this update, your email alerts will be delivered earlier each morning to keep you updated on the newest jobs that match your job search.

Want to sign up for an email alert? You can create one by performing a search on SimplyHired.com, tweaking the results to your heart's desire and entering your email address in the email alert sign up field at the bottom of the results page. Or you can just sign up on our email alerts page.

We're continuing to work on email alert delivery and job relevance, and welcome your feedback along the way.

Top Tips for Getting Headhunted

It's always nice to land on the top of a candidate list when a hiring manager needs to fill a new role. Searching far and wide for the right role is a difficult task, so why not work to get companies knocking at your door at the same time? Here are some tips for getting headhunted for your dream job:

LinkedIn Referrals: LinkedIn is a powerful tool for HR professionals and recruiters. Making sure you have plenty of quality recommendations on your LinkedIn profile is a simple way to begin. Go through your past contacts adding not only the people you have worked for, but also colleagues who would be able to endorse the work you've done. If this is your first role, then ask teachers or people at places you've interned or volunteered at to endorse you. Often, people are happy to write a referral but simply don't have the time, so if you do the hard part for them, it's more difficult for them to say no. Offer to write the recommendation for them, and make sure to let them know they are welcome to change what you've written if they like!

Awards: In most industries there are awards you can enter to showcase yourself as an expert in the field. If you don't ask, you won't receive - your company might sponsor your application as it reflects well on them if you win. Do a search online for different awards that might be right for you. It's a great addition to your resume and will help you stand out in the field, especially if there is a presentation evening that you can attend to network with others in your industry.

Networking Events: If you are currently working, your company is likely to welcome your interest in attending industry networking events. It is very helpful in the long term for you to get to know the movers and shakers in your field. Some people may shy away from these as they perceive it to be mingling with the competition. However, as a general rule of thumb it is best to meet as many industry colleagues as you can.

Speaking Engagements: If you're an expert on a subject, you may be asked to speak at an event. But don't wait for these types of opportunities to come to you. Seek out different groups in your field and offer your services free of charge. It might be a good idea to put together a brief summary of what you'd speak about to spark their interest.

Blogging: A well-followed, informative blog can go a long way in establishing your credibility and value. Writing relevant, contemporaneous articles will help place yourself in a position of authority.

Five tips to ace an online recruitment test

By Dave Harrison

More and more businesses are using online assessments as part of the recruitment process. While in most situations you won't get a job based solely on a good online showing, a poor one could easily rule you out of one. So here to help calm your nerves if you are lucky enough to get to this stage in a job application are a five tips on how to prepare and tackle these types of tests.

1. Preparation is Key.
You wouldn't go into a face-to-face interview without being fully prepared would you? So why should this be any different? The basic information you should have for an interview you should have for a test, what does the company do? What does the job entail? What are the latest market trends? The benefit of an online test over a face-to-face interview is that you don't need to remember these details, but you can have them written down at hand.

2. Know your enemy.
The next thing you need to find out is what sort of test you are taking. If the invite is not clear then ask the recruiter. Once you have found out what type, then there are plenty of places online where you can take practice online assessments, such as The University of Kent. Not only will these get you used to the types of questions asked, but also the format and appearance of the tests.

3. Honesty is the best policy.
This is the big one, in fact if you were to take one thing away from this article it would be this – answer the questions honestly, not what you think the recruiter wants to hear. Some of these tests will ask you the same question in lots of different ways, and whilst they are not designed to catch out, recruiters will certainly notice any discrepancies in your answers

4. The Art of Guesstimation.
Although not common, one thing you should definitely find out before the test is if it is negatively marked. If it is not negatively marked and you really don't know the answer, by all means make an educated guess. If you are facing a multiple choice test, you might be able to quickly rule out obviously wrong answers and concentrate on those that are left. Similarly in maths tests, you may be able to estimate the answer rather than working it out precisely particularly if you are running low on time.

5. Timing is everything.
We've all been there at some point or another, in an important example with lots left to say, arguments to made, points to be put across or questions to answer only to be told to put your pens down and stop writing. The introduction to the test will tell you how many questions you have and how long you have. Use this work out how long you should spend answering each question. Try not to get bogged down with one question, leave it and come back if you have time. But remember, the questions may get harder as the test goes on.

 

Dave Harrison is writing on behalf of The Test Factory. They create online assessments often used in the recruitment process.

What Recruiters Look for in a Resume

One of the main questions we receive is what exactly recruiters and hiring managers look for in a resume. The goal of reviewing a resume is to determine who should be called for a phone screen or interview, so recruiters evaluate candidates to find out who closely matches the requirements for a role based on the content of their resume.

Work experience – A recruiter is going to look to see if you have enough and the right kind of experience that is required for the role. If a job requires 3 years of product management, and you have only a year of product management or 3 years of project management, chances are your resume will be passed over.

Technology/software/special skills – If a job requires certain technology, software or any special skills, a recruiter is going to look for those requirements on your resume. So don't forget to include that you "speak" PHP or Python (and we're not talking about Parseltongue), were a Salesforce administrator in your previous job, or have specialized knowledge in pediatrics.

Education – A recruiter is also going to look to see if you have the required education or certification required for the role. All of your education and certifications can be listed in the Education section of your resume.

Dates of employment – Looking at your dates of employment shows a recruiter two things: 1. That you have the years of experience required for the role and 2. Whether you commit to a company for an extended time or if you’re a job hopper, as well as if you have any noticeable employment gaps. Though, multiple jobs in a short period of time or a long break can be explained in the cover letter or early in the interview process.

Proof of success – Not only do recruiters look for your experience, but they also want to know that you were successful in previous jobs. If you’ve won awards, saved the company money, made the company money, increased website traffic, etc. include these on your resume to put you ahead of other candidates.

Overall, a recruiter looks at resumes to see who is the best fit for a given role based on the job description and requirements. To ensure a recruiter sees you as a great candidate to phone screen or call in for an interview, take a good look at the job description and make sure you include your accomplishments in your resume that are required.

3 Essential Skills for ANY Career!

By Stephanie Reed

Many people are scouring the internet and trying to find books on how to attain job security or move quickly up the career ladder. While there is a plethora of literature available on this topic, in my experience I've found that the fundamental strategy for career success does not change across industries. Through my interactions with multiple employers and helping to prepare young graduates for the job market I've identified three simple skills that companies are seeking in entry-level candidates. Most companies are also training their existing employees to mater these skills for leadership within their organizations. Essentially, if you can help a company solve an existing problem, effectively communicate why you want to contribute to their business, and do these things with some creativity, you can be successful in any line of work.

PROBLEM-SOLVING
All bosses enjoy having people on their team who contribute to the bottom line. If you notice your team members or even your boss struggling with something that might come easy to you, gently offer your assistance. As you go about the business of doing your job, periodically observe the system. If you notice weakness or opportunities for improvement, make a note and get to work at finding a solution! After you find what you think is the answer, test it out. For example, in my job one of my observations was that our customers weren't using our online system because it was down right confusing! As I worked through my tasks each week, I set aside time to "test/tweak" the system. I found ways to make our system/site more user-friendly and appealing. I eventually showed it to my boss (in beta), provided the team with instruction on how the improvements worked, and explained why those changes were beneficial. My boss agreed and we updated the site which in turn gets much more traffic. The moral of the story is, find solutions, work out the kinks first and show your boss the benefits! This should minimally give you a positive rating during performance review time!

PASSION
While helping to solve problems might yield high ratings, it won't give you a winning personality! Passion will take you even further in the quest for career/professional success. Passion for what you do will make tough tasks and long days easier to bear. It will also keep you going as you deal with the sometimes mundane activities we all get bogged down with, like e-mail, reports and staff/team meetings. Passion and excitement are contagious; you might even make work more enjoyable for the people around you. If you aren't in a job that you are passionate about, focus on things you enjoy about your work. More importantly-be a pleasure to work with and/or for. When the people you work for, the clients/customers you serve always speak highly of you----> you are WINNING (A little Charlie Sheen humor)!

INNOVATION
Lastly, I think that innovation is the cornerstone of business. It keeps the economy, industries and business moving forward. What does that mean for you-well simply stated, BE INNOVATIVE! More specifically, innovation is a quality that can manifest in many forms and in many lines of work. What I am suggesting is that you think critically AND creatively! Many employers report those two things as characteristics they seek in candidates across all industries. A few simple ways to do this are to stay "fresh" and current, especially in technology. Both new and seasoned employees should follow the trends, tools & techniques within their industries and investigate whether or not those things would have a positive impact in the way you do business if you started using or practicing those new tricks of the trade. I would also like to suggest that, those professionals who are further along in their careers should not be afraid of advances in technology, but embrace it and find a way to make it work for you.

People have asked me numerous times, what's the key to successful career growth or transitions. My suggestion to them is to Keep It Simple. You don't have to be an overachiever, but you should do a few things very well. Innovation, passion & creativity are assets that any employer would appreciate. Overall, find creative ways to make work easier, efficient, effective and fun for you, your team and your boss.

 

Stephanie D Reed received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Johnson C. Smith University and her Master of Arts in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Stephanie has 15 years work experience in career counseling and as a Territory Sales Manager for Philip Morris, USA. Follow Stephanie's blog - (http://aspire2higher.wordpress.com/)