Working with Recruiters

We stumbled upon this great article about the benefits of working with a recruiter. The article honestly could not say it any better. The benefits of working with someone at Worlco to better advance your career are endless. The article is posted below, and worth the read, especially if you refuse to work with recruiters or do not know a lot about what recruiters really do!

Working with recruiters is the next best thing to working with hiring managers. Recruitment professionals know their clients and they pride themselves on knowing their candidates in the hopes of making the right connections. In order to make this happen there are a few things you need to know:

TELL THEM EVERYTHING:

When building a relationship with a recruiter, this is no time to be shy. Recruiters need to know everything there is to know about you and what you are looking for in your career, i.e. salary, perks, specific employers, etc. Building an effective relationship with a professional recruiter starts with trust and honesty, so be forthcoming with your requests.

FIND OUT EVERYTHING:

Relationships are a two way street. When working with a professional recruiter you need to know as much about them as it relates to their capabilities and ability to help you secure employment. Always complete a thorough background check on the recruiter and/or the company. Review all the social networking sites where the recruiter does business and if they do not recruit via these new mediums, be aware; it might mean that they are not keeping up with workforce trends and new recruiting practices.

COMMUNICATE OFTEN:

Unfortunately securing a recruitment professional does not mean you will secure employment immediately. There can be a lot of waiting involved. Sitting still and waiting for the phone to ring is not an option for you. You are part of the communication equation and you must take an active role in all aspects of your career.

Approach your job hunt like you already have a job. If you see something online, hear about it on a website, see it on the news – contact your recruitment professional and collaborate with them on a game plan. Good recruiters are savvy and well connected, like real estate agents. They tend to know where all the hot properties are. However, they cannot be everywhere, so the more hands they can have working in your favor the better.

BE REALISTIC:

Understand that you are not the recruiters’ only client. Schedule standing meetings no matter how short; just get them on the calendar. Recruiters understand your urgency however they have other clients asking for the same things. Work with your recruitment professional to set realistic goals that are effective and actionable.

So, now that you know what you need to about working with a recruiter, send your resume over at www.Worlco.com!

Is Java Still Better than C#?

At Worlco, we only deal with candidates in the information technology area. Many times, candidates want to work with the best software and technology. There is no doubt times have changed, in many aspects. Years ago, Java was considered the best program to work with. Years later, opinions have changed. There is no doubt that Java is still used widely, but many agree that C# is now a major competitor in the market. Recently, I posted in a LinkedIn group called .Net People and asked them if Java is still greater than C#. 

I also posted this outdated article from 2002, that claims that C# would never catch up to Java: http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=208676677&gid=40717&type=member&item=101412876&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F2008-1082-817522.html&urlhash=FbIe&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-shrttl

 As .Net People, some were slightly insulted, but others took a more analytical approach. Here are some of the comments the people posted in the discussion:

-I don't think it is a better language by any means - what can be done in Java can be done in C# - but some people will pick their favorite and lambast the other. The popularity of open source will keep people flocking to Java as will the platform independence. 

-For me, the lack of a standard Java 'framework' is the biggest drawback. For many programming areas you have two or more competing libraries offered by different groups that perform similar tasks. Each library has its pros and cons (and bugs) and different developers have preferences and expertise in different libraries. This leads to a lot of time analyzing the suitability of a library for a project, which is not time well spent. At least with .Net/C# you have a more focused framework. 

-If you look through the statistics, you'll find out Java is still being before C#, but analysts predict future C#'s leading due to its simplicity of organization in comparison with Java 

-I think write off .NET at your peril - with WinRT and Metro Microsoft are putting themselves well back in the game at the platform level with a modern foundation to fuel their post-pc adventures.
C# front and centre but with HTML5 etc also first class citizens. Cannot see one platform dominating beyond niches such as iPAd in the consumer tablet space etc...  

As you can see, I think it is safe to say that C# is now a major competitor after years have gone by. Who knows what the future of the Information Technology industry will bring. 

Resume: What to do, what not to do

At Worlco, we are in the staffing business. As you can imagine, that means we deal with resumes daily. We have seen great resumes and bad resumes. We have seen resumes that need no modification and resumes where we just have to start all over. Here is a guide of what to do, and what not to do.

By: Patrick Tiedeken

www.Worlco.com

Not to do: DO NOT have any grammar mistakes. Employers will laugh. Even if you are creating your resume the night before an interview (we all have done it) wake someone up, and have them check over for mistakes. Spelling, grammar and punctuation; it all really does matter.

Not to do: DO NOT include terms that will put employers to sleep.

Here are some specific terms that kill resumes. If you have them on yours, go to Microsoft Word now, and get rid of them!

Results-oriented professional

Cross-functional teams

More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience

Superior (or excellent) communication skills

Strong work ethic

Met or exceeded expectations

Proven track record of success

Works well with all levels of staff

Team player

Bottom-line orientation

To do: DO give your resume a personal voice. This actually sounds a lot better than "goal oriented marketer."

"I'm a Marketing Researcher who's driven by curiosity about why people buy what they do. At XYZ Industries, I used consumer surveys and online-forum analysis to uncover the reasons why consumers chose our competitors over us; our sales grew twenty percent over the next six months as a result.

Not to do: DO NOT "Bedazzle" your resume. It will not make you stand out. It will make you look unprofessional. Leave the gold sequins at home. Leave your picture off. The fanciest thing your resume should have is a line below your contact information and some Italic print. Anything else will make the employer say "is this person serious?"

To do: DO ADD a skill summary. If you have many relevant skills, throw right on the top of your resume in list form. If the employer is looking for someone who has skills "working with C# development for 2-3 years" and you have those skills, your resume should reflect that. Therefore, the first thing at the top of your skill summary should say "Working with C# development for 3 years." Show the employer that you have the skills desired for the job, then charm them with your great personality.

To do: Feel free to Google "how to make a resume." But wait, I already did it for you. It's free and easy. Just follow these guides: http://internships.about.com/od/resumetipssamples/ht/ResumeTips.htm

IPhone 5 Discusssions

At Worlco, we understand that having the word computer in our title provides us with the obligation to keep up on the latest technology. The people we place are always interested in the best phones, computer and technology. The IPhone 5 is always a hot topic, so we figured we would throw out some ideas about what will hopefully be the greatest phone ever.

By: Patrick Tiedeken

First of all, here is a website that ALWAYS has great content on the latest rumors for the IPhone 5 and alone, can keep you up on all Apple news that everyone is so interested in.
http://venturebeat.com/tag/iphone-5/

Next, two words: Holographic keyboard. Yes that is right. The other day, I saw a video on Youtube that shows the IPhone 5 having a holographic keyboard. That means that you could put your phone down on a table and have a larger touch keyboard appear on your table that you could use! Who knows if this is true, but if it is, it would be pretty awesome, and probably just another really cool, fairly useless feature Apple would provide. Come on, we all can agree that Siri is AMAZING, but who really uses it a lot?

So, we all know how expensive Apple's accessories are. A charger for a MacBook Pro goes for about $80. Well, there are talks of the IPhone 5 needing a whole new round of accessories. The most talked about would be a new "micro dock connector." I don't know how much that would cost, but it sounds fancy.

Last, there are finally talks of addressing the battery life of the phone. Recently, Android rolled out a phone that is supposed to last ALL DAY. Imagine that! A smart phone that will last all day! I am an IPhone 4 user, and I am on my phone all day, and it does not last that long. I always end up charging my phone midday. If Apple can make a IPhone that will last all day, that would be a huge plus.

For Apple's sake, I hope the IPhone 5 is a success. They have to pay their new CEO $189,000 per hour somehow...