Sunday, March 15, 2020

How to Work With a Recruiter and Build a Lasting Relationship

How to Work With a Recruiter and Build a Lasting RelationshipChances are, at some point in your career, youre going to need a recruiter. Its best leid to attack them out of the blue when youre at your most desperate. Instead, try to keep in mind that recruiters are human beings too. Try building a relationship that way, rather than being a job-sucking vampire. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Also keep in mind there are different kinds of recruiters. Figure out first if youre dealing with someone salaried who does this all day every day, or whether youre dealing with someone who works only on commission. Tailor your needs to match theirs, and vice versa.Here is your 10-step plan to building a good relationship with a recruiter.1. Start with the talkYour recruiter should open your working relationship by asking you a bunch of questions who you are, where you are, what youve been doing, your strengths, your weaknesses, your goals, etc. The mora they know about you, the better they can help put you in a good lokalittboth for you and for the company.2. Know thyselfDont recruit a recruiter if you dont already know what you want and need. Figure out what you want to do and be when you grow up before you start soliciting the services of a professional. Make sure that every job they put you up for is one youd be glad to take.3.Have all your documents readyGet your ducks in a row before making the call. Up-to-date resume, updated LinkedIn profile, a tasteful and professional headshot, a website, samples of your work, etc. And then go in with the list of companies or titles youd like to aim for.4. Dont be needyYoure not in a position to make demands. The recruiter is not working for you. Hopefully youll both come to a mutually advantageous outcome, but your chances of this go down the more you play the diva. Know your place in the food chain, make life easy on your recruiter, and things will turn out right.5. Ask for tipsIf y our recruiter knows a company well, feel free to ask for tips before you interview. There might be some very valuable information to be gleaned that you couldnt get from the usual pre-interview research session.6. Think about your salary historyYou arent required to share this with your recruiter. But they can (and should) ask. And it might be useful for you both to be on the same page when it comes time to figuring out which applications fit you best.7.Know the ins and outs of industry salaryIf you want to go for a pay increase, make sure youve done your homework and know exactly what the range is for your position or your field. If youre really being underpaid, you can walk into a meeting with stats.8. Dont be a pushoverSome recruiters do work entirely on commission. If they dont place people that month, they dont pay rent. Dont let yourself get shoe-horned into a position that isnt right for you just to please your recruiter. It is okay to say no and push for something more appro priate.9. Hold onto the good onesA good recruiter, with whom you have a fruitful working relationship, is a thing of beauty. Hold onto this relationship with both hands. Trust and goodwill are not to be taken for granted. And they arent always the norm.10. Give backIf you get the job, make sure to thank your recruiter. A thank you card goes a long way towards showing your appreciation and bolstering good will all around. And keep in touch You never know when you might need your recruiters services again.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Gen Z Is Workforce Bound What To Know

richtung Z Is Workforce Bound What To Know Step aside, millennials. in richtung Z are the new kids on the block, and their entrance into the workforceis nahe daran sein approaching. But who is Gen Zor Generation Z, Post-Millennials, iGeneration, or the Centennials, as they are sometimes called? What makes them different from the previous generation, Gen Y?This workforce-bound group of up-and-comers are the generation after Gen Y, AKA millennials. Theres no specific date for when Generation Z starts and ends, but its loosely thought as beginning in the mid-1990s and ending in the mid-2000s. Their age group ranges from mid-teens to mid-20s, but these young people arent letting any stereotypes hold them back.Todays generation of digital natives with entrepreneurial spirit were born during the recession, which gives them a slightly different outlook on life when compared to younger generations. They lived fruchtwein of their lives, especially their high school careers, during a time of g reat recession, and therefore are looking for specific goalsto be fulfilled in a full-time job for instance,if theyre marketers, they want a big company with high economic gains and access to well-known brands, and if theyre in medicine or the sciences, they want to be at the forefront of their fields where they can make the most change and affect the most people. And they still strive to have the perfect work-life balance in their future full-time job.They also really want to get paid.Another notable aspect of this generation is the fact that they largely grew up along with the internet. From a young age, members of the Gen Z were exposed to advanced forms of technology like the internet, cell phones, and social media. They were practically born with an innate understanding of evolving tech, an increasingly generational trait. This alone makes them a standout group of bachelor-degree holding individuals with an inordinate amount of skills to offer any job they set their minds to.Bu t just because the post-Millennial generation has a wide array of skills and experiences doesnt mean theyre ready to enter the big, bad world of the working adult. Here are 10 things Gen Z needs to know before they enter the workforce.1. elend everyone you work with will be as tech-savvy as you are.Members of Gen Z grew up with technology and are easily some of the best digital natives out there. A decent percent are even younger than the computer But either way, this upcoming generation grew up with computers, social media, cell phones, tablets, and other electronics that have become second nature to them.They might then assume that the company they will work at will be full of people who are just as adept, but that isnt always the case. While mastering new platforms and technologies might come naturally to Generation Z, they shouldnt necessarily expect their colleagues, or the company itself, to be as masterful. Some businesses are still old school. They arent using Slack or Skype to communicate, they do it the old fashioned way with face-to-face communication. Gen Z should prepare for that.2. Use your first jobs as a way to establish relationships.Your first job might not be the best paying. It might not be the most stimulating or be as close to what you majored in as youd like. You might feel like youre drowning in work and new experiences. But thats because youre not there to be the star, youre there to learn, Gen Z. Youll be surrounded by colleagues and managers that could easily take you under your wing. Ask them questions. Use your millennial and baby boomer colleagues to teach you new skills and help you navigate through your new position and company. Your first job post-college, if youre lucky, will be the start of your dream career. But likely, it will be but one stepping stone towards a successfully stimulating career. Use it to grow your skills, experiences and networks.3. Speak up and ask questions.With Google at their fingertips, Generation Z mi ght assume that their first job will provide them will all the answers they are searching foreven without asking for them. Unfortunately, thats now how the workforce works. Your new job will expect you to ask questions, but its up to you to get those answers. Youre young and talented and have experiences that others dont, so its important that you use your voice to continue to learn and grow. In the working world, your colleagues or bosses wont have the time to lay everything out for you and hold your hand through your role so its important you speak up when you need clarification or answers. Its much better than staying silent and making a mistake or making an inaccurate assumption.4. Attention to detail is key.Growing up in a highly advanced technological age, Generation Z tends to focus less on small details and more on the big picture. This comes from their heavy use of social media and other platforms that encourage shorter, broken copy. This means, however, that they need to p ay even more attention when working on written materials. But this isnt important solely for written material, but larger assignments or projects as well. Making koranvers you understand every aspect of what youre creating is vital to a successful project.5. Know what youre looking for.This might be an obvious one, but its a lot harder than you think. Its inevitable that youll get offered a job you think youll love, then soon regret accepting. Its par for the workforce course, but one of the perks of being a member of the Gen Z is that you have a knack for doing your research. Use your Googling skills to your advantage. Research the position. Research the company. Make sure you know what youre getting yourself into so you wont be disappointed once your job gives you a task you didnt know you signed up for.6. You dont need to (and wont) have it all figured out.This might sound paradoxical considering the previous point was to know what youre looking for, but this goes far beyond know ing what you want. This isnt just advice for Gen Z, a large percent of those entering the workforce think theyve got the answers. Be confident in your decisions, thoughts, and beliefs, but know that they will change. You will make a mistake. Youll send the wrong email, youll offer up an idea that no one likes, youll think you have all the answers but they wont be right. Gen Z grew up being able to express themselves to their fullest potentialwhether that was through social media platforms or through portable technology that made global communication as easy as a few clicks. But just because you have experiences and exposure to thoughts, beliefs, and ideals that previous generations didnt doesnt mean youve got all the answers.7. Moving ahead takes time.Gen Z might think that with a few face-to-face conversations, an enthusiasm for their position, and a higher education will ensure they will quickly rise up through the ranks in their new job. This is sadly just not the case. Moving up takes time. Getting a promotion, and even a raise, is a task that takes sometimes years. That isnt meant to be discouraging, just realistic. You have to put in the time and effort to be rewarded, and its not as easy as the movies make it out to be. Youll be frustrated at times, angry even. Youll probably hate your job and your coworkers at one point or another. Youll envy the success of your peers and wonder why you arent seeing the same upward movement, but thats all a part of life. It takes time, and soon younger generations will be looking at your success with envy.8. Youll spend more time than you think working.We all have a dream, a dream where our work/life balance is perfect and we wake up refreshed and our workdays are exactly 8 hours and everything gets done in those 8 hours. Then we go home, grab drinks with friends, and have enough time to make it to a late-night movie. Unfortunately, the working world just isnt like that anymore. What Gen Z needs to know about the workf orce is that they will almost always be working. They will be checking their email from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to bed. Theyll be at the office first thing in the morning, and will stay well past when the sun goes down. This is not because of a short attention span or a lack of work ethic, but because it takes a lot to thrive in the world of business, and the post-millennial generation is a driven group of people that wont let themselves fail.9. Social media isnt private.Youve heard it all before Im sure, but considering most of the young people that make up Gen Z grew up on social media, it only makes sense that most of their lives are on these platforms. Its generational, of course, but as you enter the workforce its important to take a step back and look at your social media history. You are the digital native generation. But just because youve put your blood, sweat, and tears in getting your Twitter followers to reach a certain threshold, doesnt mean you ca n say or do whatever you want with it. Stay away from any negativity, swearing, and general meanness. Dont be vulgar or crass. Dont use your social platforms to harass or divulge intimate information. Your future bosses will be checking. And a few embarrassing posts could mean the difference between you and another person vying for that very same position. Millennials were warned in the same way, but this younger generation has spent more time on these platforms, and therefore there is more content that needs flushing out. 10. Learn how to effectively manage your time.Time management is key when it comes to the working world. There will be deadlines that need to be hit. Projects that need to be completed. Clients that need to be kept in the loop. And there are only so many hours in the day Its important that the younger generations puts their internet skills to good use and invest in some organizational tools like Trello to keep them on task and focused on their short term and long term goals. If they cant manage time effectively, they will be of no use to their employers. And theres nothing worse than saying you can get something done, and failing to do so. Make sure to communicate and update your bosses whenever possiblewhether thats with a face-to-face interaction of via email. Either way, let them know youre managing your time appropriately and they will continue to give you the work you crave.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Transitioning from Contracted Freelance Work to a Full-Time Employee

Transitioning from Contracted Freelance Work to a Full-Time Employee Becoming a full-time employee after a career of freelance contract work is frequently difficult due to the stigma employers place on such candidates, considering them to be flight risks. Just as common is the bedrngnisionthat freelancers are loners who lack the personality and social skills to work in a collaborative environment. Additionally, some companies have a hard time interpreting the resumes of longtime independent contractors, since freelance work often does notlage fit into the traditional resume style of company, title, years worked, and responsibilities.To overcome this stigma, job seekers should first tap into their network of employers. Connect with past and present clients who are already familiar with your freelance contract work, as they may be mora receptive to considering you as a full-time employee they mighte ven create a new job for you.When approaching potential employers, explain why you are ready to become a full-time employee at this time. It is important to fully articulate the reasons behind why you have reached a point in your career where you want to transition to a full-time employee from freelance contract work. It is also crucial for hiring managers to hear that you want to contribute in specific ways and can learn something by being a full-time employee.Make sure youre specific about your experience in your resume, cover letters, and in person. It is important to portray what youve done as a results-oriented employee, even more than a typical job applicant. Companies will look upon you more favorably because it is hard to decipher your past accomplishments when you simply say that you are a specialist in a given field.Tell potential employers what you did as a freelancer and what you have accomplished, and show them hard examples of your work. Even if your freelance contract projects were short, list them on a resume or discuss them in terms of revenues created, costs saved, new customers gained, and similar benefits that you brought to your past clients.You can use the job description of the position you want to apply for to prioritize your resume and cover letter. Usually, the skills and qualifications are listed in the order of an organizations desires. Your resume should be tailored to reflect those needs. If you dont have the right keywords for that specific job, thecompany may pass you by regardless of the experience you have.One point of concern that you will need to address quickly is whether or not you work well with others. Provide examples of collaborativefreelance projects you worked on, including how you have worked with clients, vendors, and other third parties.Finally, dont shy away from promoting the skills that have made you successful at freelance contract work. Successful freelancers are typically driven, hard-working, and independen t, which are qualities that you will want to emphasize. Use your ability to handle many assignments or contracts as a way to show you are adaptable and capable ofevolving as a full-time employee.