When you are thinking about applying for a new job, you should pick a career that you have passion for. If you don’t have passion for the job, this will show during the interview.

When speaking to the hiring manager, be sure to mention your passion for the job and its responsibilities. Speak with the manager about your goals and interest. This will allow the manager to see a personal side of you.

Show them how eager you are

Although you don’t want to come off too strong, you must let the employer know how eager you are to get started. They love to hear how anxious you are to learn about the company. Make sure to ask questions about the company culture and values. This will let the manager know you are interested in working for their company, and not just looking for any job.

If this is the place you see yourself working for many years from now, you need to be up-front with the employer, and share these feelings and thoughts. Tell them you are very interested in building your career with this company.

Let your energy out

Even if you may not be the type to talk much, you need to break out of your shell. This is your one chance in front of this employer to show them how eager you are. Your passion needs to shine through. Here are some ways the manager will know that you are truly passionate about the position.

• You are knowledgeable about the company and its culture
• You respond to questions with confidence
• You ask educated questions to learn more about the job responsibilities
• You provide insight into your career goals and how the company can help you reach them
• You are proactive and reach out to the hiring manager to confirm the interview and thank them afterwards

In addition, here are some questions and statements you should consider asking the employer to show you are interested:

• “Your company must be hard-working to receive those rewards. Please tell me about some of the values your company prides itself on.”

• “I noticed on your website that you were one of the top companies to work for in your area. What are some of the things employees currently love about working here?”

• “I saw your company donated to a fund raiser. This makes me want to be part of this company even more, knowing you reach out to the community. Giving back to the community is extremely important to me”

If you want to stand out among others during the interview process, these tips need to be considered. The worse thing someone can do is to apply to a job they don’t care for. Choose what you are passionate about and you will notice finding a job will be more successful. Contact the experts at Concorde Personnel today. We have the network and resources to help you find a job you are truly passionate about.

It’s happened to all job seekers at some point or another. The recruiter asks at the end of the interview if the candidate has any questions, and the candidate immediately puts his foot in his mouth with a bad question. This can occur for a couple of reasons. One, the candidate is not prepared for the interview therefore lacks confidence. Two, the candidate is extremely nervous and this causes him to mess things up.

The good news is that you don’t have to be like the unprepared candidate. Instead you will walk into that interview with poise and the ability to ask great questions.

Here are some examples of interview questions you want to avoid at all costs when in the hot seat.

What is the salary / pay rate for the assignment? This is the number one interview question that all candidates are dying to ask. However, it’s always best for the recruiter to bring this up. Asking this question gives the impression you are just looking for money, not a career experience.

I read an article (any negative press) about the company recently, can we discuss? This is a definite no-no when it comes to interviews. You never want to bring up any negatives about a company, even if they have to do with recent layoffs or controversy. Do your research quietly and decide for yourself if the company is worth a chance, or not.

Does your company offer flextime or telecommuting? While this can be a perk offered by some companies, the option to work flexible hours or from a remote location is not something all companies are comfortable with at this time. Asking this may allude to potential personal problems you may have getting to work on time.

How often can I expect performance reviews/raises? Again, this goes back to the issue of money. By asking this question you are basically saying you will do just enough to get a good review and a pay raise. Instead, learn about this when you actually get hired.

Who is your competitor? Do your homework and learn as much as you can about the company before you arrive for an interview. No hiring manager wants to hear about a competitor and you could be placed under scrutiny by bringing one up in the interview. You could also give the impression that you are digging around for industry information to pass on to a competitor.

Can I still check my Facebook account while at work? Social networking is an everyday practice that most employers are aware of. However, the use of company computers to check your social updates is still frowned upon. The last thing you want to do is bring this up during an interview, because you’ll only end up looking like a slacker.

Rule of thumb during an interview, if you think a question is awkward or potentially harmful – just don’t ask it!

If you are looking for more resources to help land you a job in the White Plains NY area, contact the staffing experts at Concorde Personnel today!

When you introduce yourself to potential employers, the introduction you choose says a lot more about you than you realize. That’s why it’s so important to work on your introductions whether you’re preparing to network, getting job interviews, or are simply working to make your first professional connection among peers.

Here are a few tips to help you nail your introductions and really influence others, including recruiters. 

1)   Keep it low key. You aren’t trying to intimidate anyone with your introduction. More importantly, those who try too hard to impress others with their introductions typically fail. Don’t recite your resume, provide your alma matter, or give a fancy title that no one in the group really understands. Unless you’re in a situation where your job title, college degree, or resume are relevant to the moment, it’s best to leave them out of the introduction. Those things can come later.

2)   Make it about others. One of the best job skills you can develop in life is that of a good listener. There’s so much you can learn from listening. In this instance, there’s so much you can learn from listening. Ask questions when appropriate and listen the rest of the time. They’ll be far more impressed by the things you didn’t say, most of the time, than they would be if you filled in the silences talking only about yourself.

3)   Keep your introductions appropriate to the occasion. Whether it’s a business or social engagement you need to keep your introduction appropriate for the occasion. That will gain you far more respect in the long run than many other types of introductions you may muster.

4)   Avoid an obvious agenda. The longer you’ve been seeking work, the more difficult this becomes. However, there are two things that will almost kill any hope of job prospects coming from an introduction. One is demanding work. The other is begging for it – even in round about manners. The job market has certainly been unkind over the past several years. Take some comfort from the fact that things are beginning to look up for job seekers and look for more creative and inventive ways to introduce yourself to others while still making a favorable first impression.

Don’t prop yourself or attempt to make yourself appear important in your introduction. Instead, offer the torch of friendship and see who takes it willingly. The value of making a connection with another human being may not be one that lands you a job in these trying times. But, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer something of great value that would have been lost to you without a proper introduction to get things started.

Enjoy a previous popular post on a related topic:

3 Ways to Avoid Job Search Desperation | Career Candidate Tips

More than ever it is becoming difficult for the unemployed to find work. Yes, companies are hiring. Yes, new opportunities are out there. But, the problem is that there’s incredible competition in the career market, and this means there will be rejections from companies. For many of those who are looking for work, the job search is going from being challenging to being a process of desperation.

How can you avoid finding yourself in a situation where you are desperately trying to find work?

#1 – You Have to Be Realistic

One of the biggest things you don’t want to do is to settle for a job that is not right for you or your future. On the other hand, you have to be realistic. That’s the hard line to walk. If you see a position advertised but know it will not be good for you, don’t apply to it. It may be tempting but that job desperation is going to hurt you in the long run.

Make a list of the jobs you want to have, such as a dream job. Then, make a list of those that you will be okay holding. Write down the salaries, responsibilities and the title you will hold. It will help you to define just how low you are willing to go for that position.

#2 – Take the Time to Look Further

One of the mistakes many people make is not looking out into the horizon far enough. Instead of using the same way to find a job every single day, (you know the job boards you love and use all the time) switch things up. Give yourself something new to look at.

At the same time, consider how you are looking for a job. Are you trying to do it on your own and failing? It may be time to consider another option. Work with a recruiter instead. Use a temp agency, like Concorde Personnel, to get your feet wet. Look towards career support options as alumni.

#3 – Get Positive People Around You

It is hard to be positive and to keep working towards your goals when there is no end line in sight, but that is exactly what you have to do. You need to look past the rejections you are getting.

Those negative thoughts are hard to fight off on your own, though. That is why it is best to turn to other people who can help you. Be sure you have a support system that is honest (and can smack you around a bit when you need it) but one that is not going to let you give up or settle. It may be a professor from school or someone you’ve worked with in the past that you view as a mentor.

It’s never easy to find a job, especially when there is so much you are working against to find out. Yet, falling into a position of job search desperation is not going to help. It may even delay your ability to find the position that you’ve wanted and needed.

Have you heard the saying that you should always do the type of work you love because then it really does not have to feel like work at all? That’s a great way to live, but is it really true? Can you really have it all?

Perhaps you have a hobby you are passionate about but you never thought you could turn it into a real business. You may even be jealous of those that can do this. Sometimes, there is no way to bridge the gap between making your hobby your job. In other cases, that is very possible. If you want this to work for you, consider a few helpful tips to making it happen.

1. Work part time first. This can be a true transition period in which you start your company, based on your hobby, slowly. That way, you can make sure it is the right move for you and you can still bring in the income you need.
2. Find a way to make it work, creatively. Sometimes, you are not going to be able to do exactly what you want and make money from it. Perhaps you love to watch TV. No one is going to pay you to do so. But, you could write a great blog about TV and that could generate money for you.
3. Start with an online audience. It is hard to market locally especially when you are brand new. However, if you build yourself a website and use that as a way to slowly launch your career in this field, you’ll feel good about what you are doing. You’ll want to incorporate marketing methods in it to allow you to rank well in search engines. This will give you some business at a pace that builds over time until it is full-time.
4. Develop your hobby into marketable skills. Chances are, someone is willing to pay you handsomely for your talents. Get more training and become a specialist. Then get in touch with companies or networks that may have a client base interested in your offerings.

Once you set up a website and begin working with it, such as through online marketing and social networking, you will slowly build a following and people will want to work with you. Over time, this will build and, sooner than you realize, you’ll be well on your way to turning the profits you want to have.

Is your hobby one that could turn you a profit? From sewing to crazy collecting, you may have some trait that you are really passionate about that others are sure to find worth investing in. All you have to do is to present what you have to offer to the public. It may be easier to do this than you think. You could be living the dream -really!

Have a unique talent, but need a job to help transform this into a life-long career? Consider how working for a temporary staffing agency like Concorde Personnel can help you develop the skills and contacts you need to be successful. In White Plains, New York and the surrounding areas, you can turn your hobby into a dream career.

You’ve sent out hundreds of resumes only to receive a handful of responses (and perhaps that’s being generous in today’s job market). Of those responses, only a few of them have netted actual interviews. Unfortunately, you still don’t have the job you want and need so much.

At this point, you may be starting to think that something must be wrong with you. If you’re like many people in the job market today, you’d probably give almost anything to be a fly on the wall when decisions about whom to hire—or even interview—are being made. Here are a few of the top reasons that interviews aren’t granted and you’re not being hired by ‘XYZ Corporation’ even though you feel you’re a perfect match for the position being offered.

Your Resume didn’t Make the Cut

Most companies have multiple step processes that help them eliminate candidates, through their resumes, who won’t be a good match for the corporate environment quickly and efficiently. This process isn’t perfect and more than a few excellent candidates have fallen through the cracks.

How do you avoid this particular problem? Consider hiring a resume service to write your resume for you. Professional resume writers are able to craft a resume that will make it past the three or four-step process so that your resume is on top of the “to be interviewed” pile. The rest, of course, is up to you.

You Haven’t Made Your Case as to Why You’re a Good fit for the Job

While you might believe you’re the ideal candidate for the job being offered, you must be able to convince the person doing the hiring that this is the case. Let them know why you would be a better match than the hundred or so other people applying for the job.

What relevant skills, talents, and techniques do you have that will benefit the hiring company? More specifically, how will you put those talents, techniques, and skills to work should they decide to employ you? You really do have to sell yourself as a perfect match for the position. Hiring managers and HR staff members aren’t going to come to that conclusion on their own. You have to spell it out for them.

You Haven’t Shown them what You’ve Got

It’s one thing to let them know that you’ve had a job in the past. It’s something else entirely to pain them a picture of your accomplishments within that role in the past. What did you accomplish? Which awards did you earn? What projects were you part of and how critical were you to the success of that project? Once again, you have to sell yourself in order for them to see your worth. Of course, you must always remember to keep it honest. If you have to make things up to make yourself seem like a good match for the job, then perhaps you really aren’t that much of a match for this position and you’d be better served finding a more suitable role for yourself in a different company.

It would be nice if you could get the job you want each and every time you apply. However, understanding why you haven’t been having the success in the job search you envisioned can help you turn things around for more successful job search results.

Get out of your job search rut by checking out the career opportunities in Westchester, NY and Fairfield, CT on the Concorde Personnel job boards today! Remember that there are many excellent temporary contract assignments that can help you get your foot in the door with a better full time job.

Getting a job today seems to be a little tougher than it has been in the past for many people—especially those without experience. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t good jobs available, even for people who do not have the normally required experience. You just have to know how to play up your strengths and get a little help finding the right places to look for these elusive positions. Here are a few tips to aid you in your search.

Tweak Your Resume

Your resume shouldn’t be a dry recital of the jobs you’ve had and their duties and responsibilities. Shake things up and focus instead on the skills you developed in the course of your education and previous employment. You might want to try new categories and headings.

Instead of two categories defining education and experience separately, consider combining the two as something along the lines of professional and educational accomplishments, achievements, qualifications, or even experience. Find one that works for you and use that instead. Use this category to play up your skills rather than to showcase your inexperience.

Volunteer

This is a long-term solution to help you gain important experience in your field but it is a solution to consider. There are tons of volunteer opportunities that will help you develop real skills that are useful in almost any career out there. It’s especially wise to begin volunteering in positions that could further your career goals and enhance your resume. The sooner you begin, the faster you’ll be able to reap the rewards of your dedication and service to others.

Work as an Intern

While it doesn’t exactly pay the bills, internships provide invaluable career experience and can provide an entrance into permanent employment with a company. Most of the time this is done as a student but some companies accept new or recent grads for internships as well. The bottom line is that this is a way to get the experience you need.

Consider being a Temp Worker

Temporary workers receive a fast education in a wide range of fields. They develop a few basic skills and build on them as the requirements of new jobs demand. You can often find temporary work available in chosen professions if you go through a temporary placement service. You may even find a temp-to-permanent position available with the company you’d ultimately like to work for.

Experience is important in the eyes of many employers. However, there are many things in life that provide experience outside the work place. Sometimes you have to make your own experience and other times you just need to learn how to showcase the actual experience you have in a way that employers can understand.

It is possible to land a job, even if you have limited experience. Consider the advantages of working closely with a staffing agency like Concorde Personnel to help you find entry level and contract work assignments to earn that experience along the way.

Sometimes, you have to get creative to get that first job out of college. For those entering the workforce right now, there are some rough waters to navigate. Though employers are hiring again, the pace is not fast and the opportunities for college grads seem less because there are very well qualified candidates competitive for the same positions. How can you find that first job that will kick-start your career or at least get your foot in the door? To accomplish this, you will need to focus first on a few important factors.

That Less Than Desirable Position May Be a Good Option

You may be worth more than a company is willing to pay you. You may think you need to be with a bigger company with a bigger opportunity for you. Yet, getting any experience is better than not having any at all. When companies are trying to reduce costs, one of the first things they do is to cut into the pay they are offering for any new positions. You may need to consider a 10 to 20 percent less paycheck as your first position in the field. That doesn’t mean you should stop circulating your resume though.

Don’t Go for the Top Position

Did you know that when a company needs to start trimming positions they start with those positions at the top of the company? Often, companies will rate positions based on their value to the company. Positions that cost more and deliver less get cut first. Positions like this are going to be hard to get into right now. However, for those who are looking for opportunities, it may be possible to take that lower end position, even the entry level position, now and wait for things to improve. You are less likely to get slashed by doing this than taking that top tier position and facing termination in a short amount of time.

Be Flexible Enough to Move

Be ready and willing to move to another state. In some states, IT is booming while in other areas there is a huge demand for skilled financial professionals. Those candidates who are more willing to relocate may find that key opportunities they are looking for available to them. Some areas of the country are losing less positions than others are. Moving to one of these areas allows you the opportunity to land the type of career position you are after.

Kick starting your career may not be as glamorous as you had hoped it would be. However, it does afford you the opportunity to find a position that is secure and could help you to build for the future. Ultimately, your first job may not be your best job, but it will get you the experience you need for bigger things. Concorde Personnel has many entry level assignments that will help kick start your career.

It is time to make the switch. You need to move from one employer to the next, but, as with many people in today’s risky job market, you do not want to burn your bridges at your old job. After all, you do not want others talking about you to prospective employers in a negative light (in case you did need to find a new job) and you definitely don’t want be unable to go back if you had to at some point.

How can you leave your old job without making people angry?

Tips to Make the Move

The first thing to realize is that you will not be able to step away (assuming you are a desirable employee) without it hurting some. There is no easy breakout in the employment world. A few things you can do to make such a transition easier to take.

• Realize that anger will be a part of the reaction the employer gives to you. Hands down, people do not like change and want to feel as though you would never do that to them. There will be some anger involved.

• Ensure you meet all legal obligations. You should know your employment agreement well enough to know what steps you must take to leave on good terms. You should also understand any and all non-compete clauses, obligations to clients and other legal requirements you face as you transition. Do you have the right to take that client with you? Do not do it until you know you can legally do so.

• Hire an attorney if you need to do so. You will need an attorney to help you to make the move if there is a lot of red tape to cut through. Do not be afraid to get a legal professional into the mix to ensure the process goes smoothly.

• Do not use your current employer’s technology and resources to find or to communicate with your prospective new employer. Be sure to use your private email account and your cell phone for such communications, not the firm’s. Most importantly, keep any plans you have confidential — even from that good friend you have at work.

The bottom line here is that any transition is going to be difficult but it is up to you to make a clean break. You may not be able to save that position in case you do need to go back. However, if you take the steps to minimize at least some of the damage in the process, you will not get a bad reference from your manager, unless he or she is out to get you for leaving the manager behind while you moved on to bigger and better things.

When you are ready to take the leap to a brand new career, consider how Concorde Personnel in Westchester, New  York can help!

Blogging can be an effective tool for landing a great gig. People find you, they read what you have to say and they like you so much they contact you directly. It is that easy. However, when it comes to making it work in your situation, it is important to keep a few things in check as you blog about your quest for a job.

• Don’t make yourself look bad. If you state, matter of fact, that you are not honest in interviews, there is a good chance that any human resource manager that finds your blog is going to pass on by. Be sure that prospective employers would not be put off by what you include.

• Make it professional and keep it that way. If the About page states that you love to hang out all night partying, that’s not something that is going to go over well with employers. Ensure that your blog creates a positive, professional image of you so that others are impressed with you.

• Don’t overstate your abilities or brown-nose through the blog. Those who are anything but modest are also not going to attract the right type of business. Rather, it is critical to ensure that your blog conveys positive information in a manner that looks impressive.

• Don’t bash your employer. Human resource managers know that the chances are good you will one day badmouth them if you are doing that right now with your current employer.

• Do blog about your qualities, abilities, and job history. Do keep the blog in a positive, upbeat tone. Discuss a variety of topics about you, the industry you wish to work in, your education, your long-term desires and additional information that helps you to look good.

There are also a few things to keep in mind. Don’t rely on project managers to find you, but rather seek them out yourself. Connect your blog to various social networks so you can gather the information you need. Also important is to avoid privacy issues. Do not infringe on copyright or other protected licenses for your current employer or others. Do network through all of the popular social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace. They can offer new opportunities as long as your page is one you can be proud of sharing with employers.

Additionally, you will want to check with Concorde Personnel in Westchester, New York for support in your job search efforts, as there are a wide range of temporary and contract assignments available.