I saw an article on job growth in the Bay Area. In case you have not seen it, there is a link below. What struck me about it is the Bay Area accounted for 80% of the new jobs created in the State of California. The area will lead the economic turnaround, it is better to be here than anywhere else!
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_17558388?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com&nclick_check=1
Happy Hunting!
Bryon McDougall
bryon@alchemysearch.com
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sell Yourself in the Job Interview
I read an article on the HotJobs/Monster site today on how to sell yourself in the job interivew - http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-selling_yourself_in_the_job_interview-1471. I believe all the points are accurate and very helpful, but I'd like to make two additional points.
1.) Show enthusiasm for the company/role and prepare questions for interviewers.
Not only do interviewees need to be positive, but they need to show strong interest in the role for which they are interviewing. If all things are equal between competing candidates, the hiring manager/company will gravitate towards the candidate who expresses the strongest interest in the role and company.
Examples of what can be said in an interview -
For the Position:
" This is exactly what I am looking to do next in my career" OR "I love doing this type of work and can really help your business/department in this area".
For the Company:
"I am truly interested in what this company does. I love the service/product and can get behind a company that has this service/product" OR "I use this product/service and would love to be a part of it".
2.) Prepare questions to ask during the interview.
You must ask questions during your interview to show you have done some research on the business or show you make decisions with relevant information. Some questions can be asked numerous times with each person who interviews you, others can be very specific to the person with whom you are meeting.
Expamples of questions that can be asked to anyone in the interview process:
-What characteristics do I need to have in order to be successful in this role/company?
-Where do you see the company/department in 6 months, 1 year, or 3 years from now?
-What do you like most about working for ____ Company?
If you want to know if Alchemy has an opportunity for you, please feel free to contact me.
Happy Hunting!
Bryon McDougall
bryon@alchemysearch.com
1.) Show enthusiasm for the company/role and prepare questions for interviewers.
Not only do interviewees need to be positive, but they need to show strong interest in the role for which they are interviewing. If all things are equal between competing candidates, the hiring manager/company will gravitate towards the candidate who expresses the strongest interest in the role and company.
Examples of what can be said in an interview -
For the Position:
" This is exactly what I am looking to do next in my career" OR "I love doing this type of work and can really help your business/department in this area".
For the Company:
"I am truly interested in what this company does. I love the service/product and can get behind a company that has this service/product" OR "I use this product/service and would love to be a part of it".
2.) Prepare questions to ask during the interview.
You must ask questions during your interview to show you have done some research on the business or show you make decisions with relevant information. Some questions can be asked numerous times with each person who interviews you, others can be very specific to the person with whom you are meeting.
Expamples of questions that can be asked to anyone in the interview process:
-What characteristics do I need to have in order to be successful in this role/company?
-Where do you see the company/department in 6 months, 1 year, or 3 years from now?
-What do you like most about working for ____ Company?
If you want to know if Alchemy has an opportunity for you, please feel free to contact me.
Happy Hunting!
Bryon McDougall
bryon@alchemysearch.com
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Is the market picking up?
One of the most common questions posed to any search professional is "is the market picking up?". Each person is hoping to hear positive news and to get the feeling that help is on the way. For last 12 months we know the job market has not been good but we all have a feeling that it is better than it was. The feeling I have is that we are still a long way away before the employment market is healthy.
Am I off base? I went to the Bureau of Labor Statistic (http://www.bls.gov/) and searched for unemployment rates for professional workers with 4 year degrees in the Bay Area and found the following:
SF/San Mateo/Redwood City
July 2010 - 9.4%
Nov 2010 - 9.1 %
Oakland/Fremont/Hayward
July 2010 - 11.7%
Nov 2010 - 11.2%
SJ/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara
July 2010 - 11.5%
Nov 2010 - 11 %
There is evidence the market had improved in the second half of last year and we feel that the market has improved since November. But until the unemployment rate reaches 7 to 8 percent we feel the market is an employer's market, unhealthy for many if not most job seekers.
Although the market is tough we do have very good roles available with many different employers. For the most part all companies need to hire but will do so selectively. To find out what we have to offer please contact me.
Happy Hunting!
Bryon McDougall
bryon@alchemysearch.com
Am I off base? I went to the Bureau of Labor Statistic (http://www.bls.gov/) and searched for unemployment rates for professional workers with 4 year degrees in the Bay Area and found the following:
SF/San Mateo/Redwood City
July 2010 - 9.4%
Nov 2010 - 9.1 %
Oakland/Fremont/Hayward
July 2010 - 11.7%
Nov 2010 - 11.2%
SJ/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara
July 2010 - 11.5%
Nov 2010 - 11 %
There is evidence the market had improved in the second half of last year and we feel that the market has improved since November. But until the unemployment rate reaches 7 to 8 percent we feel the market is an employer's market, unhealthy for many if not most job seekers.
Although the market is tough we do have very good roles available with many different employers. For the most part all companies need to hire but will do so selectively. To find out what we have to offer please contact me.
Happy Hunting!
Bryon McDougall
bryon@alchemysearch.com
Thursday, December 16, 2010
If you get in the pool, good things may happen.
I use the term “getting in the pool” as a metaphor for entering into an environment that on the surface feels uncomfortable and unsatisfying. But, once one gets used to it, the experience may end up satisfying.
In a work context, that uncomfortable new environment could be represented by accepting a position that deviates from your preferred career path; it could mean considering temporary, contract, or consulting work; it could mean taking a salary less than you are accustomed; or it could mean doing work, you thought you’d never do again.
As a career professional, my role is to support forward movement, and to help people realize their goals. I don’t advocate anyone accepting unhappiness at work. However, in this job market, I believe it’s important to try and be part of the workforce whenever possible: get in the pool, and good things may happen. It beats waiting on the sideline.
I realize there are many folks on the sideline, who would love to be back in the workforce, but are having difficulty making that happen. If one has been out of work for over a year that in itself creates a major hurtle for employment. Thus, it’s important to consider finding a way back in, even if it’s not in an optimal situation.
This point goes back to the old saying that “it’s easier to find a job, when you have one.” One would think that given the high unemployment numbers in the US, unemployed job seekers would be given the benefit of the doubt. That is true for short periods of unemployment--six months or less. However, when one has been unemployed for a year or more, with very little to no work exposure during that timeframe, that job seeker is at an even greater disadvantage. Even in this job market, potential employers worry about why someone who has been out of work for a long time is not getting hired. Resumes with long periods of unemployment, cause potential employers to pause. If they are comparing two candidates with similar stills, they will usually feel more comfortable with the employed candidate, versus the one who isn’t.
In my years of recruiting I’ve seen first hand that activity leads to opportunity. It’s a given that a job seeker should be sending out resumes, networking, interviewing, and talking to people everyday. In the current job market, as many have found, that still may not be enough to land the right position. If job search activity is not doing the trick, perhaps getting back into the workforce in some other capacity could help. Even if a job is not ideal, there is value in leaving the house everyday to go to work. Meeting new people, making new contacts, learning new skills, learning new software, getting exposed to a new industry, or career function, all can potentially open new doors that you hadn’t even thought of. Your overall job search doesn’t need to stop, but now when you make new contacts, you can say you’ve been working. Working on a contract basis, part-time, volunteering, or even in a different type of position, is an easier sell to a potential employer, than saying, you’ve been looking for work for the last 18 months and haven’t found the right position.
There are of course drawbacks and pitfalls to accepting just any type of job, or working too long as a temporary worker or consultant. But, jumping into the workforce in some capacity may end up creating new opportunities that sitting on the sideline may not turn up.
Steve@alchemysearch.com
In a work context, that uncomfortable new environment could be represented by accepting a position that deviates from your preferred career path; it could mean considering temporary, contract, or consulting work; it could mean taking a salary less than you are accustomed; or it could mean doing work, you thought you’d never do again.
As a career professional, my role is to support forward movement, and to help people realize their goals. I don’t advocate anyone accepting unhappiness at work. However, in this job market, I believe it’s important to try and be part of the workforce whenever possible: get in the pool, and good things may happen. It beats waiting on the sideline.
I realize there are many folks on the sideline, who would love to be back in the workforce, but are having difficulty making that happen. If one has been out of work for over a year that in itself creates a major hurtle for employment. Thus, it’s important to consider finding a way back in, even if it’s not in an optimal situation.
This point goes back to the old saying that “it’s easier to find a job, when you have one.” One would think that given the high unemployment numbers in the US, unemployed job seekers would be given the benefit of the doubt. That is true for short periods of unemployment--six months or less. However, when one has been unemployed for a year or more, with very little to no work exposure during that timeframe, that job seeker is at an even greater disadvantage. Even in this job market, potential employers worry about why someone who has been out of work for a long time is not getting hired. Resumes with long periods of unemployment, cause potential employers to pause. If they are comparing two candidates with similar stills, they will usually feel more comfortable with the employed candidate, versus the one who isn’t.
In my years of recruiting I’ve seen first hand that activity leads to opportunity. It’s a given that a job seeker should be sending out resumes, networking, interviewing, and talking to people everyday. In the current job market, as many have found, that still may not be enough to land the right position. If job search activity is not doing the trick, perhaps getting back into the workforce in some other capacity could help. Even if a job is not ideal, there is value in leaving the house everyday to go to work. Meeting new people, making new contacts, learning new skills, learning new software, getting exposed to a new industry, or career function, all can potentially open new doors that you hadn’t even thought of. Your overall job search doesn’t need to stop, but now when you make new contacts, you can say you’ve been working. Working on a contract basis, part-time, volunteering, or even in a different type of position, is an easier sell to a potential employer, than saying, you’ve been looking for work for the last 18 months and haven’t found the right position.
There are of course drawbacks and pitfalls to accepting just any type of job, or working too long as a temporary worker or consultant. But, jumping into the workforce in some capacity may end up creating new opportunities that sitting on the sideline may not turn up.
Steve@alchemysearch.com
Friday, October 15, 2010
Q3 Job Market Update
Another quarter has ended and it has been two years since the stock market crash of 2008. Since that time the job market has not really recovered. I have interviewed more than 200 candidates since the crash, and the most popular question is "is the market getting better?" This is a loaded question; it is better now then it was in Q4 of 2008 and all of 2009. The problem is, it is better than terrible but not a healthy job market.
This last quarter Alchemy has seen an increase in activities such as candidate interviews, new roles being created, etc. This is a good sign BUT we need to see companies hire people, not just interview them. We have been successful in matching people and companies but it takes a great effort on all parties to make things happen. The bottom line is, activity has increased but hiring hasn't. We believe hiring will increase soon, hopefully Q4 2010 but not at a level we consider healthy, but better than it has been in 2009 and so far this year.
A current trend (more so now than in the past) is commitment to the role or the candidate. Hiring managers need to express strong interest in the candidate from the beginning so the candidate stays focused on them and not move towards another role or continue to shop around for new opportunities in other companies. Additionally, if candidates have multiple interviews in multiple places it is more difficult to attract them and to get the candidates through the interview process. If you are a candidate you need to sell yourself to the hiring manager from the beginning and not come across as if you are unfocused or hard to get. Companies want people who are well qualified and are VERY focused on the role at hand "this is my ideal job" is what needs to be said and must be convincing. There are too many candidates interviewing for a single job, many candidates are equally qualified so you need to separate yourself by being more interested "committed" to the role and company then the your competitor.
Since I was late with this update I will update the blog in two months with a snap shot of Q4 and the upcoming Q1 2011. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or need some help.
Happy Hunting!
Bryon McDougall
bryon@alchemysearch.com
This last quarter Alchemy has seen an increase in activities such as candidate interviews, new roles being created, etc. This is a good sign BUT we need to see companies hire people, not just interview them. We have been successful in matching people and companies but it takes a great effort on all parties to make things happen. The bottom line is, activity has increased but hiring hasn't. We believe hiring will increase soon, hopefully Q4 2010 but not at a level we consider healthy, but better than it has been in 2009 and so far this year.
A current trend (more so now than in the past) is commitment to the role or the candidate. Hiring managers need to express strong interest in the candidate from the beginning so the candidate stays focused on them and not move towards another role or continue to shop around for new opportunities in other companies. Additionally, if candidates have multiple interviews in multiple places it is more difficult to attract them and to get the candidates through the interview process. If you are a candidate you need to sell yourself to the hiring manager from the beginning and not come across as if you are unfocused or hard to get. Companies want people who are well qualified and are VERY focused on the role at hand "this is my ideal job" is what needs to be said and must be convincing. There are too many candidates interviewing for a single job, many candidates are equally qualified so you need to separate yourself by being more interested "committed" to the role and company then the your competitor.
Since I was late with this update I will update the blog in two months with a snap shot of Q4 and the upcoming Q1 2011. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or need some help.
Happy Hunting!
Bryon McDougall
bryon@alchemysearch.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)