PUBLIC MARKS from longhorn2000

"So, we have candidates who long for things to move faster and hiring managers trying to beat the clock. You would think both parties could meet somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, neither group seems to have the tools to engage in a search in which both parties can move at an effective pace and stay in communication along the way, so both know where the process is headed."

The Truth doesn’t stop with resumes. Whether it’s from panic, a desire to impress, or just a sheer lapse in judgment, too many candidates have stayed true on their resumes only to walk into an interview and start embellishing or spinning tales that would do the Brothers Grimm proud. Lying in an interview can easily come back to haunt you in the end. Even if you don’t get caught in the beginning, you can end up landing a job that you’re simply not qualified for only to lose it shortly after everyone else catches on.

"With Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business, our own Hank Stringer, along with Rusty Rueff, has taken an in depth look into the current situation in business, focusing on the human side of things and what companies can do to ensure that they are consistently making the right hires. It’s not enough to find just one person who fits the bill. In order to achieve success, companies must have tactics in place that allow them to grow and adapt with a full band of top talent."

The word “annoying” is important to consider. While persistence is a positive thing, candidates can go overboard, and enough recruiters have had to deal with an overzealous candidate to know that they don’t want any part of it."

"We’re four days in and many of us have already let those good old resolutions fall by the wayside. Who knows, maybe that whole exercise thing is overrated. Even if the resolutions didn’t pan out in your personal life, it’s important to stay strong when it comes to the job search."

"If you can suck it up and deal with that horrible boss or those incompetent co-workers just a little longer, you can establish an effective Plan B job search; one in which you can hone in on positions and companies that offer a more conducive environment. With the right tools, you can create an expansive search that includes dream jobs as well as jobs that will give you what you’re looking for and get you away from the person or people that are making you miserable day in and day out."

"Nothing is more maddening to a recruiter than a job candidate who isn’t willing to take the time to do some research before getting serious about a job search. Without doing the homework, you have no idea what a company is looking for or how you can provide what they need."

"Respect is a two-way street, and one of the major complaints from job candidates is that recruiters don’t really treat them like human beings. On the other side of the search, companies have to deal with overbearing recruiters that seem far more concerned with cashing checks than with finding the right match for a job."

"Recruiters can get you where you want to go, but they do need a little bit of help along the way. If candidates are willing to take some time to look at themselves, if they have the means to compare themselves to other candidates on the market, and if they have the tools to truly explore what different companies have to offer, they’ll be in a stronger position at the onset of the job search. Then recruiters can really get down to doing what they do best."

"The snow is falling, the mistletoe is luring junior high kids to snatch that first kiss, the stockings are hung with care, and the mall is an absolute nightmare. Ah, ‘Tis the Season! It’s the perfect time to figure out what to get those job candidates and recruiters on your list, whether they’ve been naughty or nice."

"An effective Plan B job search should give you the best opportunity to find the right company and the right job for you. It should also allow you to avoid having to deal with companies and positions that hold no interest for you. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case on most boards these days, and messages on job openings have become their own kind of spam"

"1.Self-Evaluation: Job candidates will look themselves in the mirror and form an honest opinion of what they want out of a job and what they have to offer. They will also realize that maybe they aren’t perfect for every single job on the market."

"Recruiters should have the same advantages as hiring authorities. They should have access to candidates’ 'portfolios' before committing their time and energy to the recruiting process. With a fuller representation of a candidate’s history, education, skills, etc. it will be much easier to identify which type of candidate they are, and it will make recruiting them or choosing not to recruit them a much faster and more effective process."

"Hiring managers need to realize that their offer might be one of many on the table. As we’ve said before, they need to acknowledge that changes are occurring in the market, and they need the means to get to top talent quickly and to give a clear view of what their company is looking for and what their company has to offer."

"We know that you have to sell yourself as the answer to an employer’s prayers, but let’s make it easier for candidates to see what employers are praying for. It’ll make recruiters’ jobs a little easier, too. And we all know that those folks could use a break."

"That’s where the patient Plan B search comes into play. If you’re a working professional who is “testing the water,” patience is truly a virtue. With the right tools and the time, you’ll be able to put yourself in the best position to find and get that job you’ve always been looking for.."

"We all know that matching the right candidate to the right job involves a lot of jumping through hoops, swinging over moats, and countless other travails for all parties involved. Today, though, we want to focus on one of the major obstacles corporate recruiters have to deal with on a regular basis: hiring managers."

"You make six figures, you have the office in the corner, and you’re used to calling the shots. You’re a high-level exec, and you have been for a while. You’ve got a great understanding of your industry and business as a whole, and you do a fine job of motivating those you work with. You’re education is enviable and so is your experience. So why are you totally confused when it comes to the job search?"

"We’ve reached a point in many industries where there are more jobs than candidates. This is what some like to call a “candidate friendly” environment. What it means for recruiters is that they’re often not the only one with an offer for top talent. So, how do they compete?"

"Recruiters, hiring managers, and employers all seem to think that as more Gen Y employees move into the workplace, they will bring an entirely new outlook on how work can and should be done."

"Of course, one of the most important aspects of that search will be job location. Most people agree that it’s one of the major concerns when looking for a job. Do you want to sit in 3 hours of traffic on the 101 everyday (that’s for our friends in LA)? Or, if possible, do you want to hop in the car and arrive at work 15 minutes later? Are you willing to move or do you need to stay where you are?"

"In short, there’s no network that overcomes all of the obstacles these different parties are facing. We know how to solve this problem and in upcoming weeks, we will take a more in depth look at the various roadblocks facing each group as we unveil our solution."

"December can be a great time to kick up your job search. Come January, even those with their dream jobs will decide it's time to make a change. Just as they'll decide it's time to lose weight, quit smoking, and to do all of those other things that continually make it onto the New Year's Resolution lists."

"Spam is bad enough. Spam that divulges even a modicum of personal info is way beyond. It's not too hard to handle, though. A quick delete here, a filter there, and you might have at least one less recruiter to deal with. It's when the telephone comes into play that things can turn ugly in a hurry..."

"The perfect Plan B job search will allow you to give a comprehensive description of your perfect job. It won’t limit you to that good old location and salary that seem to be the only things many job boards are concerned with... you’ll be plugging away at your current job, and one day your search tool will let you know that it has found the job you had only ever dreamt about. That’s the power that an effective Plan B search could, should, and will have."