Social Job Search - The Advance Group

Are You a First-Time Job Seeker? Read This Advice

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

Being a first-time job seeker can be daunting and nerve-wracking, but it doesn’t have to define who you are. People become a first-time job seeker by graduating from college and entering the workforce, by heading to work for the first time in life or by leaving a life-long job that was earned while still in school. If you are a first-time job seeker, be sure to read the advice below so you can make the most of this opportunity.

Don’t Make Resume Mistakes

The first killer of a successful job search is making mistakes on your resume. These mistakes include spelling and grammar issues, the resume doesn’t stand out from the crowd and the resume has not been tweaked to target each job. It has been said so much, but it is important to have others review your resume. You also should tweak each resume for the job for which you are applying.

Failure to Prepare for the Interview

A first-time job seeker typically has zero job interview experience. They might have just a little bit if they interviewed for an internship while in school, but that’s about it. You can’t count interviews for summer jobs or jobs worked in high school because those questions are too easy to answer. If you fail to prepare for the job interview, then you will surely have trouble landing a job. Prepare by practicing answers to potentially difficult questions, practicing your positive body language and more.

Inappropriate Dress Attire

Another job search killer is inappropriate dress attire at the job interview. First-time job seekers tend to make this mistake more often than not. Please dress for the job you want. If you are interviewing for a job in a business setting, wear a suit. If you are interviewing for a job in a warehouse, wear business-casual clothes, but not a suit.

Lack of Company Knowledge

One of the most important things you must do as a first-time job seeker is learn about the company where you applied. If you know nothing about the company, it will show in the interview in how you answer questions and in the questions you ask the interviewer. Take 30 minutes out of your day and learn about the company and its services. It will go a long way in the end.

First-time job seekers need to follow the advice outlined in this post if they want to be successful in their search. For more support, and help with finding an entry-level job, get in contact with the caring staffing agents at Advance Staffing Solutions.

Is Your Resume Going Nowhere Online?

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

Finding a job can be one of the toughest things to do today because of the stiff competition. But, you might be hindering your own job search by having a poor resume. Almost all job openings are posted online, which means gone are the days of mailing your resume and cover letter via the post office to a company. If your resume is going nowhere online, be sure to follow some of the tips here to change your fortune.

Are You Applying for the Right Jobs?

Just because you can apply for jobs online, it doesn’t mean you should apply for every job you find. Sending in your resume for jobs you have zero qualifications for will only frustrate your search. You likely will not hear anything back from the company. Begin applying for jobs that meet your education background and career experience. Also, make sure you have skills for jobs that might be out of your experience.

Did You Tailor Your Resume?

We know how easy it can be to apply for a job online. It takes just a matter of seconds for some and minutes for others, depending on the length of the application requirements. When sending in your resume online, be sure you still tailor it according to the job for which you are applying. You cannot send in generic resumes for every job online. This will get you nowhere fast.

Social Media Account Check

Make sure you run a social media account check prior to submitting your resume online. Your resume, experience, background and education might be spectacular, but your social media accounts could deter you from securing a job offer. Sift through all of your social media accounts and remove inappropriate pictures, comments and other material that potential employers could discover about you.

Use a Personal Website

Take the time out of your day to make a personal website. It doesn’t have to be extraordinary. It only has to showcase your skills, experience and best work possible. A personal website will make it easier for employers to learn about you and what you bring to the table.

If your resume is going nowhere online, it might not just be the resume itself. You might be doing, or not doing, things that cause a failed job search. Take note of the tips in this post and change your luck. Let the staff of Advance Staffing Solutions take the hard part out of the job search for you! Browse our open jobs online today, or contact us to learn about finding a new job in Michigan and Ohio!

Summer Kick Off Video …

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

Wishing you a weekend filled with family and friends! Have a safe holiday weekend!

Summer Kick Off Video …

Raza Rauf on May 26, 2017

Wishing you a weekend filled with family and friends! Have a safe holiday weekend!

Is Your Resume Going Nowhere Online?

Raza Rauf on July 26, 2016

Are You Applying for the Right Jobs?

Did You Tailor Your Resume?

Social Media Account Check

Use a Personal Website

Are You a First-Time Job Seeker? Read This Advice

Raza Rauf on July 19, 2016

Don’t Make Resume Mistakes

Failure to Prepare for the Interview

Inappropriate Dress Attire

Lack of Company Knowledge

Need Help Networking for a Marketing Career? Use These 3 Tools

Raza Rauf on July 5, 2016

Networking is a vital part of a marketing career, no matter the years of experience the candidate has. Those who do not network will find it difficult to obtain new job opportunities throughout their careers. Smart marketing candidates have cast a wide net to reel in the best career opportunities, using technology to their advantage.

Networking does not have to bog you down, nor take up a ton of your time. It is something that can be done a couple hours per month or more, if you feel the need. Just remember one thing: Networking makes all the difference throughout the life of your career. If you need to improve your marketing career, use the three tools discussed in this article.

Spiceworks 7.0: Free Mobile Device Management

One of the most recommended networking tools out there today is the Spiceworks 7.0. This is a free mobile device management system that lets you take it wherever you go. It is perfect for the marketing professional who is always on the go, traveling from city to city for events and gigs hosted by their employer or employer’s clients. This software allows you to manage the smartphones and tablets of employees around the world. If an issue ever arises with their devices, the software will allow you to fix that issue without having the device in hand.

GlassWire Network Monitor

GlassWire Network Monitor is another free network tool that many professionals use today to help their marketing career. The software provides a graph for you to view that shows the activity of your network as well as the apps being used by computers on your network. The program keeps a log of network activity for up to 30 days at a time. If malware or other suspicious activity is detected, GlassWire will monitor the activity and send the user alerts.

Netwrix Account Lockout Examiner

What is more frustrating than getting locked out of an account? It’s so hard remembering all the different login names and passwords one has for their variety of social media accounts, personal accounts, work accounts and more. This is a free tool that every marketing professional should have on their devices. The software allows you to troubleshoot locked accounts after receiving an alert from Netwrix.

If you are having trouble networking in your marketing career, then it is time to make a change. There are plenty of free networking tools out there today that can help anyone in the marketing field take charge. Give one or all three discussed today a try. And if you still need help finding a new marketing career, click to browse our open positions today!

5 Tips for Using LinkedIn to Catch a Recruiter’s Eye

Raza Rauf on June 24, 2016

There’s a reason why over 433 million users call LinkedIn home. With new members signing up at the rate of two per second, the platform has grown to be the largest professional network in the world. Therefore, if you want to get a head start in your career, you will want to establish a strong presence on LinkedIn. In this way, you can attract the attention of recruiters at the biggest and best companies in your industry.

Follow these five tips to stand out on LinkedIn and catch a recruiter’s eye for a job opportunity.

Start with an effective profile picture.

Science has shown that people make their first impression of others based on what they see. Therefore, if you want to stand out to recruiters you’ll need to have an outstanding profile picture. Get a friend to assist you with taking a nice headshot that shows you in a professional light wearing business attire, standing in front of a plain background. Use the same photo across all your social networks for more branded presence.

Write a clear and concise headline.

Make sure that your headline says who you are directly and indicates that you are open for work opportunities. For example, you may want to say something like ‘15 year sales professional looking for opportunities’. Keep it simple but direct. Why is this important? Recruiters often do a keyword search, and if they look for words like ‘sales’ or ‘opportunities’ they will come across your profile faster.

Share only industry-relevant career information.

Many people go about using LinkedIn like it’s an online resume. But this is not the right way to do things. Instead, what you want to do is highlight your career achievements and then list the relevant careers that you’ve held under this role. Avoid aging yourself by only listing careers or jobs that you had in the last 10 to 12 years.

Include links to your blogs and portfolio.

The most effective way to use LinkedIn is to show off your work. If you have a blog make sure that you have the RSS feed connected to your LinkedIn to automatically show your most recent posts. If you have an online portfolio of published works such as articles, books, or graphics make sure that you have a link to this as well.

Get connected with all the career networks including recruitment groups.

With 90 percent of recruiters using LinkedIn as a primary source of candidates, your best chance of getting noticed is to participate in career groups, those run by staffing agencies, and recruitment search communities. Make sure that you share relevant content at least once per week to stay on their radar. Respond quickly to messages that you receive from recruiters.

Need more help with your job search, or catching a recruiter’s eye on LinkedIn? Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today!

3 Tips for Un-Complicating Your Job Search

Raza Rauf on May 25, 2016

Is your job search starting to get you very stressed out? Are you overwhelmed by all the different things that you need to keep track of and do in order to get a job? You are not alone. Many people feel frustrated over the job search process – particularly if it takes months to land even one interview.

However, there are some things you can do to streamline and simplify things so that you are staying on track and making the best use of your time. Here are some ways to un-complicate your job search.

1. Decide what type of job you want.

Believe it or not this can be a very difficult thing for some people. This is especially true if you had put certain types of jobs in the past and you think that you can only do those types of jobs. But what you need to understand is that you have a broad gamut of skills that would be valuable to a potential employer. Take the time to participate in a few career personality tests which can be taken online and identify the top-three career choices for your particular talents.

2. Clean up your image.

Some people think you should start with your resume but we think that you should start with your public profiles. 95 percent of all recruiters are looking through candidate profiles on their social networks before they even pick up the phone to call them for an interview. Make sure that you clean up your profiles, remove any questionable content, and put your best foot forward with a professional headshot photo and information about your career.

3. Work with a career coach.

You don’t have to go it alone with a job search! There are skilled professionals out there ready and willing to help you along the way. Contact your local staffing agency and find out if you can get support there for your job search. Consider hiring a certified career coach in your area of expertise to guide you along the way. Get support by joining a job network where you can learn of new job opportunities and talk to others about your journey.

The above three steps will set you on the right path in very little time at all. Be sure to check out the new job openings available at Advance Staffing Solutions, and reach out to us any time you need help with your job search — from resumes to interviews, we’re here to help you!

Want a New Job? Read This Today!

Raza Rauf on May 11, 2016

Are you close to landing your dream job in Detroit Michigan? Did you know that for every job advertised, recruiters generally receive upwards of three to four hundred resumes? What this means is that the odds are already stacked against you as a candidate.

However, if you take the right steps now you can gain an advantage over other candidates and land a dream job. Here are some ways to help you get a great job in Detroit.

Start with Creating a Great Social Media Presence.

Did you know that around 90 percent of recruiters regularly turn to social media to recruit talent? Many job seekers don’t realize how important their social media profiles are. But you are smarter than that. Take advantage of your social media profiles by cleaning them up, adding a professional headshot photo, and highlighting your achievements. Network with others in the Detroit area to get in front of the best hiring companies.

Develop a Resume That Gets Noticed.

Most recruiters will spend only a couple of seconds looking over resumes. That means you have nanoseconds to make a positive first impression and stand out from other candidates. Give yourself an advantage by being creative with your resume. Try a new template. Use plenty of white space and bullet points to highlight skills and achievements. Pare your resume down to one page and use an interview to provide more details about your career history. You may also want to try several online resumes where you can also add your social media links and portfolios of your work.

Join Detroit Area Career Networks.

In addition to registering with staffing agencies in the Detroit, MI area, you will also want to become involved with all the local career and business networks you can. Take the time to attend local job fairs. Spend some time at your Detroit Works center. Volunteer in the community and learn about career opportunities this way. Stay active and visual to stand out as a top candidate in Detroit.

Apply for Multiple Jobs.

Don’t limit yourself to just one or two dream jobs in Michigan. Take the time to target specific companies that you want to work for and then apply for several jobs where you have a majority of the skills. Very often, companies will hire people with a little bit less experience but those who show potential in jobs that require more responsibility. There are also a number of management training programs available with Detroit-area employers. Be open and willing to try new things by taking on temporary assignments and entry level positions that may be different for you.

Need more help finding a job? Click here to browse our open positions, or contact us today!

Hiring? Make Sure Your Online Presence is Setting You Up for Success

Raza Rauf on March 30, 2016

When candidates visit your corporate website, your social media accounts, and read about the company in the news, how well does this online presence blend with the kind of corporate culture you are trying to portray? Many times, companies put a lot of effort into their marketing only to find out it’s coming up short for recruitment purposes. Candidates can be highly critical when it comes to deciding IF they want to apply to work for a company that may not share their same values. This is why it’s critical to develop a strong online presence that speaks to a positive culture.

Here are some things any company can do to ensure they are portrayed in a candidate-friendly light.

Update your company website and your job listings

When job seekers are reviewing career opportunities, they can be judging the way the company website looks. If it’s been updated recently and has a positive brand, then they are more confident applying for work. If the website looks like it hasn’t been updated since the dawn of the Internet, or if job postings are outdated, these factors will not go unnoticed by job candidates.

Mixed messages and poor information on social networks

Does your company have a central person or team dealing with the social networks, or is it a free-for-all? Inconsistent messaging, odd posts, and even potential offensive content could be hurting your company’s chance of hiring the best people. Make sure your marketing team syncs with the hiring team at frequent intervals to avoid this kind of mixed messaging.

If there a Web-friendly way of applying?

Candidates today are turning to their mobile devices for finding and applying for work. If your company has not developed a mobile version of the company career portal or created a mobile job app, you are missing out on many great candidates. Use a mobile app that’s simple to use and streamlined for job applicants to use. Try a ready-made career app to make this a quick and easy step, and get your website set up as interactive with all mobile devices.

Promoting the company career opportunities

You cannot expect candidates to find your company without doing a little marketing to get the word out about job opps. Attend career fairs, participate in job fairs, partner with a staffing agency, and more to market your careers to job seekers. The company doesn’t have to have a huge budget or team to accomplish this, just keep it simple and focused.

Need help finding top-quality job candidates in Michigan and Ohio? Click here to contact Advance Staffing Solutions today, and let us take the hard work of finding, testing, and vetting quality candidates for you!

Want to Move Your Resume to the Top of the Pile? Use These Tips!

Raza Rauf on March 18, 2016

It’s been estimated that for each and every job posting advertised that recruiters can receive as many as 300 – 500 resumes from eager candidates. That’s a lot of reading and screening! Unfortunately, most recruiters have very little time to spend on each resume, so they skim through them looking for specific things, make a pile out of about 1/10th of the original resumes, and start calling people in for interviews. In other cases, the applicant tracking system may scan resumes first and only kick out those that meet the job descriptions.

Sadly, your resume could end up at the bottom of the pile, or worse yet, in the bottom of a garbage can – that is, if you don’t know the secrets of success (that we are about to share with you now). If you want to move your resume to the top of the pile, read on.

Use a standard resume template

Any recruiter will tell you that they cannot stand it when people try to ‘reinvent the wheel’ with their resumes. They don’t want to see a resume that’s super creative (unless they are hiring for a creative role), with fancy colors and head photos of the candidate. Instead, stick to the rules and use a simple format with defined headings for Skills, Education, Career History, etc. These will have a better chance of being read properly by the ATS, and by the recruiters.

Try a nicer paper

If you plan to mail your resume in (who uses snail mail anymore?) be sure to invest in high-quality paper that has a nice texture and is slightly off-white. Your local office supply store can help you pick out the best paper and matching envelopes for this purpose. Have your resume professionally printed out. Don’t turn your resume in on brightly colored paper or poorly printed from an at-home machine.

Call the recruiter

It may seem simple, but taking the extra step to call the recruitment office 48 hours after sending in your resume can alert the hiring team that you are an interested candidate. Provide the recruiter with your full name spelled out, the job title you are applying for, and your contact phone number where they can reach you. Don’t ask them to interview you on the spot or take up too much of their time. Just say thanks and that you hope to hear back at their convenience.

Get recommended

Another way to ensure that your resume makes it to the top of the hiring pile is to ask for a direct employee referral from a colleague who works there. If you can, send this person a copy of your resume and ask them to walk a copy down to the HR office in person. If you don’t know anyone who works there, you can also reach out to the staffing agency you are registered with and ask if they are recruiting for the job, then get them to send the employer your resume. This can be a very effective way to get called in for a job interview sooner.

The last secret to success in a job search is to partner with a staffing agency like Advance Staffing Solutions. We have staffing experts on hand in Michigan and Ohio to help you land whatever career you’re aiming for!

EMPLOYERS

JOB SEEKERS

COMPANY