Worlco

7 Little-Known Reasons You're Not Getting Hired

2010-05-13T10:08:00.001-04:00

by
Karen Burns

If you're job hunting you're surely aware of the most egregious and common no-nos: showing up for the interview ten minutes late; answering your phone during the interview; handing over a resume riddled with typos; using a silly-sounding E-mail address; failing to demonstrate you've researched the employer; bad-mouthing your last boss; neglecting to follow up. You're not doing any of that, are you? Of course not.

But you may not have considered some of the less-discussed, under-the-radar issues. Give this list a look and ask yourself, "Do any of these sound like me?"

1. You have unreasonable expectations. Everybody wants the perfect job. But if your criteria are too high, if you're being too demanding, you may well remain unemployed. Nobody wants to be told to compromise, but the fact is that much of life involves just that, at least temporarily. Analyze your wants and needs. Which are must haves? Which are negotiable? Which can be put on hold?

2. You're relying too much on one search technique. Maybe you are only applying online, or only networking, or only using employment agencies, or only approaching companies that you know are hiring. Don't limit yourself to just one job-search method. Try them all. Cast a wide net, continue to build your connections, get creative.

. You use the word "I" too often in your cover letter. The most effective way to endear yourself to potential employers is to put the focus more on them than on you. Show you've done your homework and understand what your target companies are seeking. Then tell them how you can fill those needs.

4. You are not demonstrating long-term potential. We get caught up in the moment. We need a job now. But employers, the good ones at least, tend to think long term. They want to know not only how you will contribute today but in the future, too. That "Where do you see yourself in five years?" question is not just for drill. They really want to know.

5. You are unknowingly repeating mistakes. After interviews, are you taking the time to review and analyze them? Many times the reason you don't get a job is beyond your control, and, in fact, has nothing to do with you, but not always. Trying to understand why the answer was "No" may help you to fine tune your approach.

6. You have not rehearsed. You may hesitate to rehearse answers to the most common questions. You don't want to sound canned. You want to be yourself. But consider the benefits of creating great answers to those questions you hear the most--short, vivid, three-sentence answers brimming with examples and facts--and practicing them until you can speak with conviction and confidence.

7. You put your job search on hold while waiting to hear back. Don't we all fall into this trap at one time or another? You've had a super couple of interviews with your dream employer. You just know you're going to get "the call" any day now. You think, I'm going to hold off until I hear back; after all, I deserve a little break. Well, no doubt you do deserve a little break--but don't. Keep on networking, applying, interviewing, and researching until you have a firm job offer in hand.

Looking for work is an enormous project. In many ways it's more difficult, and takes more energy, than even the most demanding job. So, in the midst of it all, find a way to nurture yourself. Keep on fine tuning and strengthening your approach. And hang in there.

Less is More when it comes to resumes

2010-03-15T16:40:00.000-04:00

Original Author Unknown

Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out résumés with too much information. Employers don't have the time or the patience to sift through irrelevant information like your hobbies, interests or how many grandchildren you have. Just stick to the basics and you're good to go.
Here are 10 things to leave off your résumé and why:

1. Your picture
Why to leave it off: Unless a job posting specifically asks for your picture (very few jobs will), don't include it just for fun. Not only are your looks irrelevant to your potential as an employee, but you're putting employers in a bad spot. If they have a picture of you and choose not to hire you, it's possible that you could come back with a discrimination lawsuit. In most cases, they'll throw your résumé away without looking at it, to avoid the issue altogether.

2. Interest and hobbies
Why to leave them off: Unless your interests and hobbies have something to do with the job you're applying for, there's no reason to include them. If you want to show how your passion for art would be asset to a graphic design position, that's one thing. But telling employer that you love to skydive on an actuary application is another. In general, make any applicable connections between your hobbies and the job in your cover letter. Better yet, save them for the interview when you're asked what you like to do outside of work.

3. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
Why to leave them off: Most employers assume that if you're OK with sending out a résumé littered with typos and mistakes, you'll have the same lack of concern for the work you do as an employee at their company. While spell check picks up most errors, it can miss something major (did you work the late night shift? Or did you forget to include the "f" between "i" and "t"?), so have several eyes look over your résumé before sending it out to employers.

4. Personal attributes
Why to leave them off: Similar to sending in a picture with your résumé, your height, weight, age, race or religion are all unimportant to an employer. Though it's illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants because of any of these factors, some will do so, regardless. Keep everything on your résumé pertinent to the job, and you'll be fine.

5. References
Why to leave them off: Many job seekers still include references on their résumé or they include a line that says, "References available upon request." This tactic is not as effective as it used to be. Jack Harsh, adjunct professor at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, says that when he receives a résumé with references attached, he gives them virtually no weight. "They seldom are specific to the role my company seeks and are not meaningful in considering qualifications or traits of successful candidates," he says. Wait to broach the topic of references until you're asked for them.

6. Minute details
Why to leave them off: Hiring managers don't need to know the details of every task you've ever done in every job you've ever had. It's just too much information, and most of the time, half of that information isn't relevant. Employers want to be able to see at first glance that you're a great candidate, so pick out those details that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying and omit the rest.

7. False information
Why to leave it off: Plain and simple, no one wants to hire a liar. Don't say that you have a master's degree if you've only earned your bachelor's; don't say you're presently employed at a company if you've recently been fired; don't list your salary history as 20 percent higher than it was. Everything you tell an employer can be verified, so play it safe and be honest.

8. Flair
Why to leave it off: No one wants to look at a résumé on fluorescent paper, covered in crazy fonts and symbols. Similarly, links to personal Web sites, your photo-sharing site, or strange e-mail addresses can also be left off. Employers are less likely to respond to likes2party@email.com than just DMiller@email.com.

9. Negativity
Why to leave it off: Never put anything negative on your résumé. Don't include your reasons for leaving. If you left the position due to a layoff or you were fired, for example, bring it up only if asked. Never write anything bad about a previous employer. Don't explain gaps on your résumé by stating that you were in prison for 10years for killing your husband. Keep your résumé all positive, all the time.

10. A selfish objective
Why to leave it off: Employers are trying to determine whether you're a good fit for their organizations, so everything on your résumé should point to your experience. Employers would rather see a summary of qualifications that displays your accomplishments and background than a generic objective statement like "To gain experience in..."

Information Security Consulting

2009-07-10T14:10:00.000-04:00

Worlco adds Information Security Consulting Services through a partnership with one of the areas leading Security groups, BTB Group, LLC. Details available in the Services Section of the web site.

Information Security Consulting Services:

Penetration Testing
Tests the security posture of your organization by attempting to gain access to your systems and data through exploitation of security vulnerabilities in people, processes, and technology.

Information Security Evaluation
A comprehensive review of information security controls to measure your security posture for regulatory compliance or best practice measures.

Computer Forensics
An examination of evidence for civil and criminal cases, investigation of company computers to determine employee or attacker activity, preparation of electronic discovery requests, and more.

Data Recovery
Accidentally deleted a file? Has a hard drive stopped working? The data recovery service addresses these problems and gets your files back.

10 Boilerplate Phrases That Kill Resumes

2009-07-06T15:28:00.000-04:00

by: Liz Ryan

The 2009 job market is very different from job markets of the past. If you haven't job-hunted in a while, the changes in the landscape can throw you for a loop.
One of the biggest changes is the shift in what constitutes a strong resume. Years ago, we could dig into the Resume Boilerplate grab-bag and pull out a phrase to fill out a sentence or bullet point on our resume. Everybody used the same boilerplate phrases, so we knew we couldn't go wrong choosing one of them -- or many -- to throw into your resume.
Things have changed. Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and "vocabulary challenged." You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language -- things that people like you or me would actually say.

Here are the worst 10 boilerplate phrases -- the ones to seek out and destroy in your resume as soon as possible:
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

You can do better. What about adding a human voice to your resume? Here's an example:
"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. I'm equally at home on sales calls or analyzing data in seclusion, and up to speed on traditional and new-millennium research tools and approaches. I'm fanatical about understanding our marketplace better every day, week and month -- and have helped my employers' brands grow dramatically as a result."
You don't have to write resumes that sound like robots wrote them. A human-voiced resume is the new black -- try it!

Announcment of the Worlco IT Hiring Stimulus Program

2009-05-28T16:01:00.000-04:00

Announcing the Worlco IT Hiring Stimulus Program(and it's Simple)

Between June 1, 2009 and July 31, 2009 (Stimulus Period),Worlco will reduce it's Professional Services Fee to everyone receiving this email from our normal 30% to 20% and then cap our 20% fee at $9,000 for the first job order placed and the first placement made during the Stimulus Period (all subsequent job orders and placements will be at the reduced fee of 20%).
What does it all mean? A candidate hired at an annual salary of $75,000 would normally carry a fee of $22,500 is now reduced to $15,000 and during the Stimulus Period the first fee would be capped at $9,000. Yes, that's correct a $75,000 person and only a $9,000 fee ... this should help get the economy going.

Please call our office (Cherry Hill at 856.665.4700 or Wayne at 610.293.9070) or email to hughes@worlco.com with any questions and to register your open IT position to be included in the program.

Worlco is a Total Information Systems staffing organization founded in 1982. Our company specializes in Permanent Placement, Contract Consulting and Customized Staffing Solutions for Information Technology organizations and the technical pre-screening of the employment marketplace on behalf of the candidates we represent.

The Interview That'll Bag a Job

2009-04-15T10:42:00.000-04:00

By Sarah E. Needleman

In recent weeks, recruiters for Consolidated Container Co. have seen job candidates arrive up to an hour early for interviews. Other candidates have alluded to financial hardships while in the hot seat, and one person even distributed bound copies of documents describing projects he completed for past employers.

These sorts of tactics aren't exactly winners.

In today's ultracompetitive job market, even getting an interview is a feat. Yet recruiters and hiring managers say many unemployed candidates blow the opportunity by appearing desperate or bitter about their situations — often without realizing it.
"People are becoming a lot more aggressive," says Julie Loubaton, director of recruiting and talent management for Atlanta-based Consolidated Container. "They often wind up hurting themselves."

At an interview, you want to stand out for the right reasons. To do so, you'll need to leave your baggage and anxiety at the door. For starters, wait until 10 minutes before your scheduled interview time to announce yourself. Arriving any sooner "shows that you're not respectful of the time the hiring manager put aside for you," says Ms. Loubaton, adding that a candidate who arrived an hour early made workers uncomfortable. "Companies really don't want someone camped out in their lobby."

Signal confidence by offering a firm handshake, adds Wendy Alfus Rothman, president of Wenroth Consulting Inc., an executive coaching firm in New York. Focus your attention on the interviewer. Avoid looking around the room, tapping your fingers, or other nervous movements.
No matter how you're feeling, keep your personal woes out of the interview process, asserts Ms. Alfus Rothman. Instead, always exude an upbeat attitude. For example, if you were laid off, instead of lamenting the situation, you might say the experience prompted you to reassess your skills, and that's what led you here. "You want to demonstrate resilience in the face of unpredictable obstacles," she says.

Meanwhile, show you've done your homework on the company by explaining how your background and track record relates to its current needs, adds Deborah Markus, founder of Columbus Advisors LLC, an executive-search firm in New York. This is particularly important if the firm is in a different industry than the one you worked in before. To stand out, you'll need to look up more than just basics on company leadership and core businesses. You'll also need to find out — and understand — how recent changes in the marketplace have affected the firm, its competitors and industry overall. Read recent company press releases, annual reports, media coverage and industry blogs, and consult with trusted members of your network. "Companies that may have been performing well just a few months ago might be in survival mode now," says Ms. Markus. "You want to understand how [they're] positioned today."

Also, be sure to show you're a strong fit for the particular position you're seeking, adds Kathy Marsico, senior vice president of human resources at PDI Inc., a Saddle River, N.J., provider of sales and marketing services for pharmaceutical companies. Offer examples of past accomplishments — not just responsibilities you've held — and describe how they're relevant to the opportunity. "You must differentiate yourself like never before," she says. "You need to customize yourself and make yourself memorable."

Sherry R. Brickman, a partner at executive-search firm Martin Partners LLC, says a candidate recently impressed her with this sort of preparation. "He knew the company's product line and what markets it was already in," she says of the man, who was interviewing for an executive post at a midsize industrial manufacturer. "He clearly and effectively explained how he could cut costs, increase sales and expand market share based on what he'd done in his current job." The candidate was hired.

Be careful not to go too far, though, in your quest to stand out. For example, it may be tempting to offer to work temporarily for free or to take a lesser salary than what a job pays. But experts say such bold moves often backfire on candidates. "Employers want value," says Lee Miller, author of Get More Money on Your Next Job ... In Any Economy. "They don't want cheap."
Your best bet is to wait until you're extended a job offer before talking pay. "In a recession, employers are going to be very price sensitive," says Mr. Miller. "The salary you ask for may impact their decision to move forward." Come prepared having researched the average pay range for a position in case you're pressured to name your price, he adds. You might say, for example, that money isn't a primary concern for you and that you're just looking for something fair, suggests Mr. Miller. You can try turning the tables by asking interviewers what the company has budgeted for the position.

In some cases, you may be looking just for a job to get you through so you might consider a less-than-perfect fit. But if you aren't really excited about an opportunity, keep it to yourself, warns David Gaspin, director of human resources at 5W Public Relations in New York. "I've had times where people come in and it's clear that if they really had their preference, they'd be doing something different," he says. "You don't want to put that out on the table. Nobody wants to hire someone who's going to run for the door when times get better."

After an interview, take caution with your follow-up. If you're in the running for multiple jobs at once, make sure to address thank-yous to the right people, career experts advise. Also look closely for spelling and grammatical errors. In a competitive job market, employers have the luxury of choice, and even a minor faux pas can hurt your chances.

If all has gone well, don't stalk the interviewer. Wait at least a week before checking on your candidacy, adds Jose Tamez, managing partner at Austin-Michael LP, an executive-search firm in Golden, Colo. Call recruiters only at their office, even if their business card lists a home or cell number. Leave a message if you get voicemail. These days, recruiters typically have caller ID and can tell if you've tried reaching them multiple times without leaving a voicemail. "There's a fine line between enthusiasm and overenthusiasm," he says.

Job Hunting Tips for a Challenging Market Environment

2009-04-14T14:17:00.000-04:00

During challenging job-hunting times, some people are resorting to desperate measures thinking that it will help their chances of securing a new position.

Here are some useful tips from Worlco that will help you avoid a few of the major pitfalls during the job-hunting process.

Be honest. The old adage … “Honesty is the best policy” really applies here. Misrepresenting your current compensation, education level or dates of employment will be detected in nearly all cases. Misrepresentation of material information on either your resume or application will be cause for immediate disqualification or termination.

Covering gaps in your employment history. Rather then trying to fabricate activities to cover gaps in your employment history, be honest and prepare a good explanation of why you were out of work and what you did during that period of time (i.e. care for a relative, started a small business, took time off to travel, spent time with children, looked for a new job, etc.).
Have good responses prepared for the most commonly asked questions.

“Tell me about yourself?” – Describe your most recent experience, first. Presenting job related information in a concise manner is a “learned” skill. Take the time to practice what you’re going to say. Your high school record is of little importance at this point in your career.

“What do you want to do next in your career?” – Be specific as to what you would like to see in your next job and where you would like your career to head (i.e. management track or technical track).

“Why did you leave a company or why are you currently looking?” -- Be able to, specifically, tell why you left a job and what you thought the new opportunity might be or why you are currently in the market. What motivates you to look for a new job at this point in time?

Resumes …
Use spellchecker. Misspelled words and poor grammar are “show stoppers” in most companies.
Don’t try to be all things to all people in your summary. Make your summary as specific and informative as possible.

Explain gaps in your work history (remember the honesty discussion).

Pictures, graphics and Internet links should be avoided (it’s too time consuming to download and deal with). Using a simple Word attachment is most effective. Don’t let Zip, PDF or Mac technology hinder your chances. Don’t try to get “too cute”.

Don’t be too general, technology industry managers want to know, (a) what you have done, (b) when you did it and (c) with what technology. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.

Be cautious about “spreading yourself too thin” across the Internet. Blasting your resume to hundreds of companies is difficult to follow-up on and can work against you.

Keep your references informed; the worse thing that can happen with a reference is for them not to be prepared when the reference call comes.

Positive first impressions are critical either ‘in person’ or ‘in written form’.

We look forward to helping you find the right job and Best of Luck in your job search

Worlco is again one of the top Executive Search Firms in the Philadelphia Market.

2009-04-14T14:02:00.000-04:00

Worlco ranks Number 1 for Executive Search Firms in New Jersey by NJBIZ for 2009.

Worlco ranks among the top Staffing Companies in New Jersey by NJBIZ for 2009.

Worlco is again rated by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a Top Placement Firm in the Delaware Valley for 2009.

2009-04-08T13:39:00.000-04:00

Worlco is a Total Information Systems staffing organization founded in 1982. Our company specializes in Permanent Placement, Contract Consulting and Customized Staffing Solutions for Information Technology organizations and the technical pre-screening of the employment marketplace on behalf of the candidates we represent.

Worlco provides a full range of recruiting and consulting services relating to the computer industry. Contingency fee placement, executive search, contract consulting services and customized staffing programs are some of the services we provide locally, nationally and internationally. Through our worldwide affiliates, we are able to present a selection of qualified candidates when a client is interested in relocating individuals.