I have remained quiet on the blogging front for several days because I just have not known what to write about. Tourists were murdered in Bulgaria, government leaders were assassinated in Syria, a former graduate student gunned down innocent movie goers in Colorado, unemployment in the U.S. skyrocketed to unbelievable levels, and the very awful mess at Penn State caused even more hatred and hard feelings again today.
Being an eternal optimist, I have been trying to find some positive, and perhaps encouraging, words to share in this column but I am struggling right now. Could one rationalize that the terrorists in Bulgaria were part of a very small group never to be heard from again? I doubt it. Were the events in Syria a fluke? I doubt it. Can we improve security in movie theaters enough to prevent such a nightmare from taking place again? I doubt it. Could unemployment finally have reached its worst level and a rebound is on its way? I hope so. Will the punishments doled out by the NCAA against PSU today force universities to take measures needed to prevent another travesty? I just don't know.
Will companies use the sad state of the world as justifications for a decline in hiring while candidates slow down their job search using the same reasoning? I think so. Are the events listed above reason enough for us to slow down progress even more than it already has regressed? I don't think so. My message is that we need to fix a lot of things in this world but sitting back and making excuses will simply lead to more excuses which we can ill afford! September 11, 2001 could have set us back much further than it did and I hope the same strength and resilience comes forward once again!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Research Chemist Needed!
East Hanover NJ area: 6 month temp-to-perm position requires a Chemist w/5-8+ years INDUSTRY exp. in R+D in a regulated research chemistry environment with a background in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or chemistry. Must have strong skills in instrumentation, documentation, and product development with a degree in Chemistry or similar field. Resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs or call Harold Levin at 908-508-0300, ext. 205. Third party referrals and visa holders will not be considered at this time.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Graphic Designer Jobs!!
Two great opportunities for 3-6 months each in the Boyleston Street area of Boston:
2+ years Graphic Design experience needed with InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Knowledge of educational materials and HTML helpful. Resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs in MS Word format. Position requires all work to be done at the client's site. Harold Levin, SmartStaff Personnel, 908.508.0300, ext. 205.
2+ years Graphic Design experience needed with InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Knowledge of educational materials and HTML helpful. Resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs in MS Word format. Position requires all work to be done at the client's site. Harold Levin, SmartStaff Personnel, 908.508.0300, ext. 205.
Flushing Your Chances Away!
My last entry dealt with slow responses from companies which ultimately could cause them to lose their primary candidates. Today, I am going in the opposite direction and sharing ways a candidate can flush their chances away and I actually have a story where someone pretty much did just that!
Not long ago, I received an email with a very enthusiastic introduction as to why a candidate was perfect for a job that I posted (actually, she was not a close fit but that's for another day) and why I should make her the first person I called. However, she told me not to call her for a few days because she got clumsy and flushed her cellphone down the toilet and was waiting for a new one to be delivered. She told me to email her or call her cousin who lived in the same house and would yell for her to come to the phone.
Some of you might say she showed a lot of positive energy but I feel she gave me too much information. A better approach would have been to simply state that her cellphone was not working at present and best methods are to email her or leave a message with her cousin who would then contact her. Most hiring managers and recruiters do not need to hear all the details as we have heard so many stories they all kind of blur together. Honestly, candidates with long stories attached usually do not result in positive outcomes for me. Again, I know there will be dissenters to this opinion but I have been in the staffing field for almost 30 years and base my thoughts on personal experiences.
Another example of providing too much information came from a candidate who stated that he could only be reached between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 PM for live conversations because his job did not permit the use of cellphones and his wife insisted on total quiet after 7:00 so they could have private family time. This was a rule she had enforced for the past ten years since they were married. This rule seems a bit odd if she wants to help her husband get a better job but people will be people and that is fine. My concern is many hiring managers might see this as weird and also have concern if the job involved periodically being on call after hours. The better route would have simply been to request call backs in that 2 hour window and assure potential employers that he would respond to all messages within 24 hours.
Honesty is wonderful but sometimes too much information is harmful. Think carefully about what information you offer up before flushing your chances away!
Not long ago, I received an email with a very enthusiastic introduction as to why a candidate was perfect for a job that I posted (actually, she was not a close fit but that's for another day) and why I should make her the first person I called. However, she told me not to call her for a few days because she got clumsy and flushed her cellphone down the toilet and was waiting for a new one to be delivered. She told me to email her or call her cousin who lived in the same house and would yell for her to come to the phone.
Some of you might say she showed a lot of positive energy but I feel she gave me too much information. A better approach would have been to simply state that her cellphone was not working at present and best methods are to email her or leave a message with her cousin who would then contact her. Most hiring managers and recruiters do not need to hear all the details as we have heard so many stories they all kind of blur together. Honestly, candidates with long stories attached usually do not result in positive outcomes for me. Again, I know there will be dissenters to this opinion but I have been in the staffing field for almost 30 years and base my thoughts on personal experiences.
Another example of providing too much information came from a candidate who stated that he could only be reached between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 PM for live conversations because his job did not permit the use of cellphones and his wife insisted on total quiet after 7:00 so they could have private family time. This was a rule she had enforced for the past ten years since they were married. This rule seems a bit odd if she wants to help her husband get a better job but people will be people and that is fine. My concern is many hiring managers might see this as weird and also have concern if the job involved periodically being on call after hours. The better route would have simply been to request call backs in that 2 hour window and assure potential employers that he would respond to all messages within 24 hours.
Honesty is wonderful but sometimes too much information is harmful. Think carefully about what information you offer up before flushing your chances away!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Response Time Getting Even Slower
As a recruiter, one of the most frustrating aspects of my job is dealing with slow response time from hiring managers and HR departments. This is definitely not a new issue but has become more challenging in the last year or two. Candidates often get annoyed with me when I tell them I have not received feedback regarding their resumes. Even worse is when I actually send someone for an interview then do not get the results for several days or weeks.
To job seekers, my advice is to consider yourself an active candidate until you actually hear otherwise. I have seen companies respond in a positive fashion as much as six months after the submittal date. Sometimes, there is an internal delay caused by temporary hiring freezes, a hiring manager who suddenly was sent to deal with an emergency at another site, a change in projects plans, etc. The hard part is nobody usually tells the agency recruiter or candidate what is going on.
To hiring managers, my suggestion is that if you see a candidate you really like, do not delay as the best people are still getting jobs in a timely fashion. Living by the current opinion that their are tons of unemployed people out there will quite likely keep you from hiring the top prospects for your job. If you are having internal delays beyond your control, simply contact the candidates and make them aware of the situation.
While all of this might seem to be a byproduct of the economy, I have experienced sluggish responses from employers throughout the past 25+ years in the staffing industry. The most extreme case was when someone called me about 18 years ago from a very large telecommunications company. He wanted to set up an immediate interview with an engineer whose resume he had just received. I did not know the name so searched through the files and discovered this candidate had been submitted by a former member of our firm almost 2 years ago! Of course, the candidate was now gainfully employed and had no interest in the job. Upon calling the client back, I learned his HR department had just sent him the resume that week and indicated it has recently arrived at their office! Some things will never change. Hang in there!
To job seekers, my advice is to consider yourself an active candidate until you actually hear otherwise. I have seen companies respond in a positive fashion as much as six months after the submittal date. Sometimes, there is an internal delay caused by temporary hiring freezes, a hiring manager who suddenly was sent to deal with an emergency at another site, a change in projects plans, etc. The hard part is nobody usually tells the agency recruiter or candidate what is going on.
To hiring managers, my suggestion is that if you see a candidate you really like, do not delay as the best people are still getting jobs in a timely fashion. Living by the current opinion that their are tons of unemployed people out there will quite likely keep you from hiring the top prospects for your job. If you are having internal delays beyond your control, simply contact the candidates and make them aware of the situation.
While all of this might seem to be a byproduct of the economy, I have experienced sluggish responses from employers throughout the past 25+ years in the staffing industry. The most extreme case was when someone called me about 18 years ago from a very large telecommunications company. He wanted to set up an immediate interview with an engineer whose resume he had just received. I did not know the name so searched through the files and discovered this candidate had been submitted by a former member of our firm almost 2 years ago! Of course, the candidate was now gainfully employed and had no interest in the job. Upon calling the client back, I learned his HR department had just sent him the resume that week and indicated it has recently arrived at their office! Some things will never change. Hang in there!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Printing Press Operator - Morristown NJ
3 month assignment for a Printing Press Operator, first shift, requires 3-5 years experience with Flexo, letterpress, rotary screen and/or narrow web presses. Must be familiar with GMP and ISO standards. Knowledge of Gallus presses helpful. Resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs in MS Word format. Harold Levin, SmartStaff Personnel, 908.508.0300, ext. 205.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Contrasting Styles in Customer Service
Customer service is always a key to success for individual growth and for the long term vitality of a business, no matter what industry or specialty is involved. In rough economies, this is even more essential as customers expect a little bit extra when spending their limited resources. What follows is a comparison of two experiences I had yesterday and why I spent money at the less likely of the two places.
Suit shopping is very low on my list of things that I enjoy doing. Quite honestly, I hate trying on clothing, despise dealing with getting fitted, and really do not like wearing formal garments. Due to a combination of losing several inches off my waistline and having several significant activities on the horizon, I set out yesterday to find a suit at a decent price that actually fits properly.
My first stop was a well know menswear chain which advertises heavily. The actual pricing was close to qualifying as bait and switch but that is not what kept me from purchasing a suit there. A rather arrogant salesman practically insulted me by saying that very few people they see are my size so they had one item in stock that fit me. I would need to select a series of suits from their catalog, pay for them in advance, schedule a private fitting, then ask for a refund on those I did not like. I asked why I had to pay in advance, sight unseen, and was told that I should know that is how a shop like this operates. He also criticized me for wearing shorts on a nearly 100 degree day as that is not right for suit shopping (even though I would be switching to suit pants for the fitting process)! He also kept grumbling about how lazy his co-workers were! With that delightful attitude getting on my nerves, I left the store.
I continued up the highway to a moderate priced department store to see if they happened to having anything to fit my 'difficult' size in stock. A very enthusiastic sales associate greeted me, looked me over quickly, and proceeded to put five suits in front of me, all at very affordable prices. He listened to my concerns and helped me select the proper fitting attire. Finally, he very patiently measured me and marked the suit so his tailor to alter it properly. He was dealing with three customers at once and closed each sale with a smile in a gracious manner. I was so impressed by him that I will buy the needed accessories there as well.
No matter what industry you work in, the key to doing well is to provide exemplary customer service and never talk in a negative way to your clients. Many of my client companies have told me that they realize that they must aim to please no matter how small or how large the order is they are filling. Certainly, I was not the wealthiest client the first salesman has ever dealt with (far from it) but he had no way of knowing how many people I might be able to influence! I am not sharing the name of the firm with you as that is not my purpose but will never recommend them if anyone asks for my opinion off line!
Suit shopping is very low on my list of things that I enjoy doing. Quite honestly, I hate trying on clothing, despise dealing with getting fitted, and really do not like wearing formal garments. Due to a combination of losing several inches off my waistline and having several significant activities on the horizon, I set out yesterday to find a suit at a decent price that actually fits properly.
My first stop was a well know menswear chain which advertises heavily. The actual pricing was close to qualifying as bait and switch but that is not what kept me from purchasing a suit there. A rather arrogant salesman practically insulted me by saying that very few people they see are my size so they had one item in stock that fit me. I would need to select a series of suits from their catalog, pay for them in advance, schedule a private fitting, then ask for a refund on those I did not like. I asked why I had to pay in advance, sight unseen, and was told that I should know that is how a shop like this operates. He also criticized me for wearing shorts on a nearly 100 degree day as that is not right for suit shopping (even though I would be switching to suit pants for the fitting process)! He also kept grumbling about how lazy his co-workers were! With that delightful attitude getting on my nerves, I left the store.
I continued up the highway to a moderate priced department store to see if they happened to having anything to fit my 'difficult' size in stock. A very enthusiastic sales associate greeted me, looked me over quickly, and proceeded to put five suits in front of me, all at very affordable prices. He listened to my concerns and helped me select the proper fitting attire. Finally, he very patiently measured me and marked the suit so his tailor to alter it properly. He was dealing with three customers at once and closed each sale with a smile in a gracious manner. I was so impressed by him that I will buy the needed accessories there as well.
No matter what industry you work in, the key to doing well is to provide exemplary customer service and never talk in a negative way to your clients. Many of my client companies have told me that they realize that they must aim to please no matter how small or how large the order is they are filling. Certainly, I was not the wealthiest client the first salesman has ever dealt with (far from it) but he had no way of knowing how many people I might be able to influence! I am not sharing the name of the firm with you as that is not my purpose but will never recommend them if anyone asks for my opinion off line!
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