Unemployement Slowing? Monster Index suggests so.

Posted by admin at 6:14 pm

In a recent article the Wall Street Journal cites Monster.com’s Employment Index figures as suggesting employer’s are “emerging from a long hibernation”. The Employment Index rose by ten points in February, as employers resumed hiring activity after January’s seasonal lull.

Monster’s Employment Index, compiled of jobs posted on a number of jobs sites, rose in 15 of 20 of the sector’s measured by the index including: telecommunications, finance and scientific, and technical services. Leading the charge in terms of year-over-year growth were positions in sales with business and financial, transportation and production also reporting more offerings.

Interview Questions – What was your toughest?

Posted by admin at 4:26 pm

There’s definitely a script most companies work off of when interviewing new candidates…What are your strong points? Where do you need improvement? Describe a challenging professional moment and how you handled it…But every once in awhile there are those hiring managers that go above and beyond to dodge scripted answers and catch potential hires off balance. This is especially true with sales and marketing positions where candidates are expected to think quickly on their feet and go with their gut. Sometimes a willingness and ability to “riff” is as important as the content of the answer.

What was your toughest interview question?

Resumes – How important is format and content?

Posted by admin at 11:16 pm

In a recent article The Wall Street Journal details some contemporary guidelines and pitfalls for job seekers crafting the perfect resume. As an applicant marketing tool, the right resume can effectively present your strengths while the wrong resume can expose more vulnerable points in your job history.

Among some of the most important inclusions in the right resume are: appropriate keywords, a performance-based objective statement, quantifiable achievements, and a simple format.

Common pitfalls include: mass produced resumes that have not been tailored, typos, and jargon and/or cliches.

While it may take a little extra effort tailoring your resume for each position, it could really pay off in the end.

(source – “How to Beef Up Your Resume”; Andrea Coombes)

Want the Bosses Job?

Posted by admin at 3:38 pm

In an interesting Business Week article in the November 3rd issue, a poll by researcher Weber Shandwick show that 54% of employees say they have not heard anything from management about what impacts the financial crisis will have on their companies. About 70% say they would welcome that kind of feedback. Some 62% of those employees predict that their company would have trouble meeting its goals in the next year.

What is even more interesting was that another survey by Adecco found that 69% of 1,500 workers at all levels surveyed said they would refuse their bosses job if offered.

This is up from 54% in 2005.

Is this the economy or the increased workload for business leaders?