Best Months to Search: September (after Labor Day) to Thanksgiving January to April (to Easter) Worst (Slow) times for Searching:
Early Summer to Labor Day Thanksgiving to New Year’s With this information in mind, now is the time to do review your employment search to-do list. Make sure you’ve covered these 5 important areas before submitting your resume and references to a potential employer. 1. Review your resume carefully. Does it present you in the best light? Make sure that your resume stands out from the rest; now is that time that employers have returned from summer vacations and are highly energized in meeting year- end quotas and goals. If they’ve got the budget to bring on someone new to help achieve those things, they need to hire now, before year’s end. 2. Examine Your Skill Set. Want to tip the employment scales in your favor? Make a list of all the things you’re capable of, and if there are any gaps in your knowledge, consider using software tools or online training sites to enhance them. 3. Perfect your interviewing skills. Conduct practice interviews with friends and family so you become comfortable with the process. In a role playing situation, have them pose interview questions to you; it will help you anticipate the kind of questions you’ll receive during the “real thing”. 4. Check your references. What could be worse than to make it through the interview process with flying colors, only to lose the job because your former supervisor/HR representative gave you a lackluster (or negative) reference? Be sure yours are in order by checking your own references with a company like Allison & Taylor Reference Checking. If any employer negativity is documented, you will be able to do something about it with tools such as a Cease & Desist letter. 5. Do your “homework”. Then determine what position you’re seeking, and tailor your resume to reflect your suitability for the job. Every resume can use a little tweaking, so consider using a resume-critiquing service like Allison & Taylor Reference Checking to ensure that your resume will get you that all-important first interview. CHAPTER 60 Do Your References Truly “Have Your Back?” Your Former Boss Told A Prospective Employer WHAT About Your Performance? We’ve all heard that our former employers, when contacted for a reference, will only confirm (per company policy) your employment dates and title. Right? Wrong. There is no guarantee that all corporate employees are aware of, or will abide be, such guidelines. Consider these verbatim comments documented by Allison & Taylor Reference Checking in checking employment references on behalf of job seekers: “She didn’t resign from our company - she was terminated.” “I am not allowed to say anything about this person as they were fired.” “He had issues with his co-workers and management and is not eligible for rehire.” “Is there a rating less than inadequate?” “She made a good effort but was simply not able to meet our expectations.” “I’d rather not comment - you can take that any way you like.”
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