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Are These 4 Crucial Items Missing From Your Resume?

Raza Rauf on April 5, 2016

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Have you ever glanced over your resume and wondered why this document is so important? To most job seekers, it’s a necessary requirement of applying for jobs. But, it’s so much more. When you start looking at your resume like the powerful document it’s meant to be, it takes on a new level of importance.

Your resume is actually a marketing document – and in this case, you are selling YOU.

When you think about a resume in these terms, it makes better sense to ensure it’s not missing any critical elements that could stop a recruiter from wanting to learn more about you. Think about it for a second. The last time you read an advertisement, it probably covered several important areas, like:

  • a solid and complete introduction to the service or product;
  • a compelling reason why someone would buy this over a competitor;
  • the main features and value of the offering; and
  • the direct call to action – to take action or buy it.

Now, take a look at your resume again. Does it include the above elements?

Your resume should introduce you to the recruiter in a solid way. The first part of your resume serves as an area where you can develop a strong introduction and list of your work related skills. Like if you were reading an advertisement for a car, you’d see the intro to the car model and the features like anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, and automatic transmission.

The reason why someone would hire you comes next. This is the meat of your resume. Include your career experience and your education here. Don’t leave anything out, if it’s compelling and a reason someone would want to hire you.

The main features and value of the offering are listed as your achievements, your award winning work, and your efforts to excel. Include volunteer experience, industry associations, your portfolio items, and any place where you have received recognition.

Lastly, bring it all home with a call to action, which is included in your resume as your clear and up-to-date contact information listed prominently in the header. Use a cover letter to ask the recruiter to call you and list your contact phone number again.

Need help writing an effective resume, or finding a job in Michigan or Ohio? Click here to browse our open jobs, or contact the dedicated staffing specialists at Advance Staffing Solutions today!

 

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

Raza Rauf on March 30, 2016

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

 

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!

 

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Sick of Searching For Jobs? Use These Tips to Shorten Your Search!

Raza Rauf on March 3, 2016

Sick of Searching For Jobs

 

After weeks, and even months of trying to find a job, you are practically at your wits end. Searching for jobs is exhausting in and of itself, and then there are the long applications, the waiting to hear back from hiring managers, and the long pauses in between interviews. The entire experience is highly frustrating at best.

Is there anything you can do to speed up the job search? You betcha! Read on to learn some tips to shorten the job search and make it from point A (unemployed) to point B (a new job) with your sanity intact.

1. Use technology to your advantage.

The good news is that there are many technological tools that can speed up any job search. Most job boards offer automated job leads, there are apps that allow job seekers to create short introductory videos to share with recruiters, and social media makes it easy to send information to hiring companies with one click. Take the time to familiarize yourself with some of this technology and start using it to streamline your job search efforts.

2. Get your friends and family on board.

Imagine having a team of people helping you find a job? This can drastically speed things up because you are not going it alone. Let your friends, family, colleagues, college instructors, pastor, even your dentist know you are looking for a job. Very often, it’s more about who you know than what you know that can help you land a great job.

3. Take on temporary work.

While you are searching for work, why not fast track things by getting registered for work as a temporary employee? You can earn money while you learn new skills and if you do a good job, there’s a chance that you can get offered a permanent job at the end of your contract. Very often, companies only do their hiring through staffing agencies, so you’ll be in the right place at the right time for a job offer.

4. Head to job fairs.

The community is filled with events that can help speed up a job search process. Check with local workforce centers and find out about upcoming job fairs. Visit staffing agencies like Advance Staffing Solutions that are represented at these events, as they normally have a number of immediate placement opportunities. If you are a recent college grad, your campus career center can be another way to speed up the job search process.

When searching for a job, use short, but focused time periods to get a lot accomplished. This will help you get a job sooner and more efficiently. And partner with Advance Staffing Solutions! We can bring new job opportunities straight to you.

 

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Start Planning NOW For Baby Boomer Retirements

Raza Rauf on February 5, 2016

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According to current statictics, nearly 10,000 baby boomers retire from the job market every day. Research indicates that employers are growing increasingly nervous about the loss of certain job skills and knowledge as a result. How well is your organization prepared for the exit of your most knowledgeable employees? Perhaps it is important for you to start looking for ways to transfer this knowledge and replace your baby boomers with quality employees.
Here’s some ways to start planning NOW for Baby Boomer retirements.

Identify the baby boomers who will be leaving in the next two years

It’s important to have a good understanding who is nearing retirement in your company. You will want to evaluate the skills and qualities that these folks have that will need to be replaced. For example, you may have several baby boomers who have above average sales skills. Naturally, you will want to replace them with equally skilled sales professional at your mid-level. Then you will bring entry level employees on board and train them on the scale.

Match your baby boomers up with lesser experienced employees

It’s really important to start thinking about the mentoring opportunity that is available right now. Your baby boomers will probably start to disconnect someone in the next year or two therefore you will want to maximize this time by matching them up with skilled employees who will be around in the next 5-10 years . Utilize your baby boomers to train other employees and reward them with additional financial support for their retirement goals.

Create opportunities for baby boomers to stay on at least part time or as consultants

Many baby boomers dream about retiring, however, they also like to stay useful in their older years. Having the opportunity to work at least part time or on a consultant basis can be a great way to retain some of the skills and knowledge of your older workers. After baby boomers to work with employees on developing their soft skills such as being leaders in the workplace, having strong communication skills, and team players.

Partner with a staffing agency to replace your baby boomers

This is an opportune time for your organization to start looking at ways to effectively and efficiently replace baby boomers before they leave the job site. You can bring on new employees in temp to hire positions and have them work under the guidance of baby boomers. In this way, the knowledge is passed on to the next generation of workers and you have adequate personnel to cover all your projects.

 

Partner with Advance Staffing Solutions to find the candidates you need to keep your workforce running at full capacity!

 

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HIRING EVENT

Raza Rauf on February 4, 2016

Monroe Service Center

1531 N. Telegraph Rd. Monroe, MI

 

Wednesday, February 10th, 2016

1pm-4pm

 

             Bring 2 valid forms of ID and a resume

Must be at least 18 years of age

Have a Diploma/GED

Verifiable work experience in the last 12 months

Below are just a few of the positions we are accepting applications for: 

  • Press Operator/Packaging, 1st shift, Dundee, $9/hr
  • Press/Production workers, All shifts, Monroe, $9/hr
  • Janitor, 1st shift, Dundee, $9/hr
  • Customer Service/Packaging, All shifts, One week in Feb, $9/hr
  • General Laborers, 1st & 2nd shifts, Carleton, $9/hr + Overtime
  • Skilled Assembly, 1st shift, Dundee, $14+/hr
  • Welders, 1st shift, Carleton and Dundee, $10-$15/hr
  • Warehouse/Forklift/Quality, 1st/2nd shift, Monroe, $10.60/hr
  • Delivery/Warehouse, 1st shift, Monroe, $10-$12/hr
  • Part-Time Sales/Customer Service, Flex schedule, Monroe, $12-14/hr
  • Assemblers, 3rd shift, Monroe, $13/hr
  • Production, 1st/2nd shift, Blissfield, $10/hr
  • MIG Welder (FCAW/GMAW), Monroe, $14/hr
  • Quality Inspector, 1st shift, Blissfield, $10/hr

 

Job Search Tips for December New Grads

Raza Rauf on January 25, 2016

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Congratulations! You are one of the few lucky college students who have made it through and earned your dream degree. After the celebrations are over, it’s time to start taking a hard look at how you will accomplish getting a new job. While you may get a lot of well-meaning advice from friends and family members, there are some sure ways to get a job if you follow the tips from our professional recruitment team.

#1 – Create a great resume and cover letter

Your very first step in the journey to earning a career in the New Year as a December college graduate is to create an outstanding resume and cover letter. There are many resources for finding information and templates for building a quality resume and cover letter set. You are encouraged to visit online and library resources to accomplish this. You will also want to consider reaching out to a professional resume writer and career coach to help you along the way.

#2 – Develop a strong professional brand

The next move you should make as a new college grad is to create a brand new online professional presents for yourself. Ditch your old social media accounts and start from scratch. One good way to accomplish this is to create a free online portfolio of your college assignments, such as your written work and/or any creative or video work that you have developed. Then create brand new social media accounts that link back to your portfolio. Remember, only show off your most professional work that you will be proud to discuss with a potential employer.

#3 – Connect with staffing agencies

The next smart move for your career search as a new grad is to get registered with your local staffing agencies. Why is this important? In many regions companies only hire through temporary staffing agencies. This is a measure used by companies to save on the cost and time of recruitment. Select a staffing agency that is in your particular area of industry. For example, if you are seeking an information technology job then you will reach out to staffing agencies in the IT and technical markets.

#4 – Network online and offline

A great way to speed up your job search is to become very active in networking with others in your industry and in your local area. You will want to become involved with some of the local business associations so that you get a chance to meet leaders and find out about positions before they are advertised. Use social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter to learn about brand new openings at companies. Connect with a few mentors in your area of interest and let everyone know that you are looking for a position now that you have graduated.

 

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Start Being Confident in Your Career This Year!

Raza Rauf on January 12, 2016

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Do you struggle with confidence in your career? You are not alone. Some people are naturally confident. Some people are shy. There are many who doubt themselves or perhaps are shaky in specific circumstances. Whatever the reason for your lack of confidence, you need to work on it. If you want to make steadfast progress in your career, you need to be confident.

Here is how you can start being confident in your career this year:

Stop doubting yourself.

While there will be people trying to outdo you and even downplay you, the worst thing you can do to yourself is indulge in negative self-talk. Stop questioning your abilities and stop wondering if you will fail. Confidence stems from positivity. And positivity stems from developing the right mindset or thought process to develop strong perceptions about yourself. When you don’t trust or believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

Decide what your strengths are.

You need to figure out your strengths and play accordingly. If you follow a sport and are a fan of a certain sportsperson then you should observe how he or she tries to play to their strengths. Every person in the world has certain shortcomings. However, confident people smartly conceal their weaknesses and work on their strengths.

Build on your achievements.

Accomplishments and talents are the foundation of confidence. The more talented you are and the more accomplishments you have, the more confident you can be. Remind yourself of everything that you have done well in your profession. Consider the skills you have. Work on your skills to get better. Sign up for temporary jobs, and take some courses that will help you to develop a new skill. Learning and developing new skills or knowledge can be a real boost to your confidence.

Mingle with other successful people.

Try to associate yourself with colleagues who can make positive contributions to your career. When you team up with people who would want to put you down, you are inviting them to cause a dent in your confidence. While you should appreciate others and yourself, others too have to appreciate what you have or do. Appreciation from fellow workers or people you look up to will always be a confidence booster.

Remember to focus on the nice things in your life and be happy. You would be amazed at what a smile can do to your confidence and what kind of an impact it has on others.

 

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Monroe Open Registration-Saturday, January 16th

Raza Rauf on January 12, 2016

Saturday January 16th 8am-10am
Are you looking for a career change, but can’t make it in to our office Monday-Friday? Come take advantage of our 1st open registration on Saturday!
We are looking for:

  • All Shifts General Labor $9+
  • 2nd Shift Production Supervisor $18+
  • 2nd shift Maintenance $18+
  • Machine Builder $18+
  • Welders $12+
• Diploma/GED
• Work History within the last 12 months
***Please bring 2 forms of ID***
Advance Staffing Solutions-Monroe
35 E. Front Street
Monroe, MI 48161

How to Continue Career Networking Your Way Into 2016

Raza Rauf on December 29, 2015

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If you are looking for ways to take the next step in your career, it all begins and ends with networking. People tend to become stagnant in their job and career over time, but it is important to push yourself and continue to strive for something better. Many people assume that they are safe in their current position and don’t need to make networking a priority, but this is the wrong attitude to have. Not making the effort to network while you can might really hamper your career going forward.

Networking is not always easy and it is common to feel burnt out over time, but there are a few ways that you can keep this from happening.

Help Others

In some ways, networking can be very self-oriented at times. When you are looking to network in the most effective way, it is important that you look to help others. Approaching networking from the standpoint of helping yourself is not ideal. This often puts you in a negative light with those that you are trying to network with. This means that you can benefit from networking in a way that allows you to help others. It is always a good idea when you are connecting with other people that you ask how you can help them. People are more likely to go to bat for someone that is willing to pay it back.

One on One

It is also important to remember that networking is most relaxed and enjoyable when you do it in a more personal setting. This means that networking should be one on one. It is always a good idea to try to network with people that you have some history with or a background. This makes the conversation flow more freely and takes a bit of the pressure off of you. Meeting in person is always the best way to begin the networking process. You can begin corresponding through email later on to add convenience.

Set Aside Time

Another great way to make networking less stressful is to set aside time dedicated specifically to networking. Networking is important to your career and it is important that you make networking a priority. Networking shouldn’t be something that just happens by chance. It needs to be something that you plane for in your schedule. This is the only way that networking can be manageable.

 

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Graduating in December? 10 Tips to Kick Start Your Job Search

Raza Rauf on December 10, 2015

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If you’re graduating thіѕ December, you’re рrоbаblу feeling thе pressure аnd stress оf knowing thаt nоw уоu nееd tо tаkе thаt degree аnd figure оut whаt kind оf job уоu саn gеt wіth it. Bеlоw аrе 10 tips tо aid іn уоur decision making process.

  1. Select а Job title
    Thіѕ means уоu nееd tо bе ѕurе оf thе kind оr type оf job уоu аrе lооkіng for. Arе уоu steering іn thе ѕаmе career direction оr dо уоu nееd tо steer tо а whоlе nеw field аnd direction аnd find ѕоmеthіng new? In case уоu аrе making сhаngеѕ tо уоur field, tаkе time tо list activities уоu enjoy dоіng including mental, social аnd physical activities.
  1. Highlight Yоur Skills
    It wіll аlѕо hеlр tо write thе skills уоu possess including education level аnd аnу abilities tо operate machinery. Unique skills аnd уоur areas оf knowledge ѕhоuld nоt bе left behind. Analyze skills аnd interests уоu personally possess аnd thеn determine thе kinds оf jobs thаt wоuld bе mоѕt suitable fоr thе characteristics уоu have. Yоu саn narrow іt dоwn bу targeting аt lеаѕt twо descriptions уоu lіkе holding.
  1. Find open positions
    Local newspapers аrе ѕоmе оf thе bеѕt whеn іt соmеѕ tо finding open positions уоu саn apply for. Write аll thе potential positions dоwn аѕ long аѕ thеу аrе relevant tо уоur job search. Yоu саn аlѕо find thе position frоm job postings оn dіffеrеnt websites аnd уоu саn list thеm down.Anоthеr great option tо hеlр уоu find open positions іѕ tо contact temporary employment agencies like Advance Staffing in Detroit, MI оr еvеn state agencies wіthіn уоur locality.
  1. Prepare Yоur Resume аnd Cover Letter
    Aftеr уоu hаvе prepared а list оf аll openings, уоu саn gо аhеаd tо prepare cover letters bеfоrе thеn sending thеm аlоng wіth а wеll prepared resume tо аll thе potential employers. It іѕ important tо follow thе guidelines gіvеn bу potential employers whеn sending оut thе letters аnd resume tо increase уоur chances оf making it.Thе fіrѕt thіng tо remember іѕ thаt уоur fіrѕt impression wіll mаkе а huge difference аnd іn case оf а job search іt іѕ mаdе thrоugh аn effective resume. Mаkе уоur resume clear аnd precise уеt expressive аnd communicative. Ensure thаt іt іѕ free оf errors аnd full оf key essentials lіkе уоur credibility, уоur worth, уоur skills, аnd уоur years оf experience.
  1. Reach оut tо уоur network
    Lеt уоur friends аnd families (and thеіr friends аnd families) knоw thаt уоu аrе actively lооkіng fоr work, аѕ уоu nеvеr knоw whаt connections thеу mау hаvе оr іf thеу hаvе heard оf аnу vacancies thаt mау suit you. Thе companies thеу work fоr mау еvеn hаvе unadvertised job opportunities thаt оnlу “insiders” knоw аbоut аnd thеу mау bе аblе put а good word іn fоr you.
  1. Learn hоw tо search fоr jobs effectively
    Nowadays, уоu саn find information аbоut аnуthіng online. If уоu аrе nоt ѕurе hоw tо write а cover letter оr а resume, the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions can help you!If іn doubt, аѕk fоr help. Chances аrе thаt nеаrlу еvеrу person уоu knоw whо hаѕ bееn employed аt ѕоmе point іn thеіr life hаѕ рrоbаblу hаd tо write а cover letter аnd resume before, ѕо there’s bound tо bе ѕоmеоnе whо саn lend уоu а hand.
  1. Don’t leave оut уоur work experience
    Aѕ а nеw grad, employers don’t expect tо find аn enormous amount оf work experience оn уоur resume. However, don’t leave thіѕ section empty. If уоu rеаllу don’t hаvе аnу work experience, include аnу unpaid experience, ѕuсh аѕ volunteer experience, tо highlight уоur skills. Kеер іn mind thаt ѕоmеtіmеѕ уоur academic achievements mау nоt bе уоur strongest qualification іn thе business world. Mаnу employers vаluе work experience, еvеn іf thе work іѕ nоt іn уоur field, mоrе thаn уоur academic results
  1. Connect wіth people whо work іn thе field
    If уоu knоw people whо work іn thе field thаt уоu wаnt tо work in, tаkе thеm оut fоr lunch оr coffee аnd аѕk thеm fоr advice. If уоu don’t knоw аnуоnе іn thе field, seek thеm оut оn social media, ѕuсh аѕ LinkedIn аnd Twitter, оr attend industry events. You’ll bе surprised tо knоw hоw mаnу professionals аrе wіllіng tо hеlр аnd thеу mау еvеn bе аblе tо give уоu а recommendation.
  1. Get prepared
    Part оf thе preparations іѕ tо gеt ready fоr thе interviews. Thе preparation ѕhоuld include choosing thе mоѕt suitable outfits аррrорrіаtе fоr thе jobs уоu hаvе applied for. Cosmetic work аnd haircuts ѕhоuld аlѕо bе dоnе іn advance ѕіnсе уоu dо nоt knоw whеn thе potential employers wіll start calling. Sоmе wіll give уоu vеrу short notices аnd уоu muѕt ensure уоu аrе ready.
  1. Look аnd act professional
    Onсе уоu graduate, уоu аrе nоt а college student anymore, ѕо don’t act lіkе one. Aѕ а start, sign uр fоr а professional email address іf уоur current email address lооkѕ ѕоmеthіng lіkе youngriders@email.com. Whеn уоu gо fоr job interviews, leave уоur t-shirt аnd shorts аt home аnd wear ѕоmеthіng mоrе appropriate.

Need more help landing a career as a new grad? Click here to let Advance Staffing Solutions guide you through the job search process!

 

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We are thankful for our employees!!

Raza Rauf on December 2, 2015

southgate (1)     southgate (2)

Congratulations Micah Kailimai and Ronald Musial!! They were 2 of many winners from our Thanksgiving drawing. They each took home a $25 gift card, and Advance Staffing Solutions drawstring bag!!  We are very thankful for all of our employees!!

Waiting to Hear Back from a Recruiter? There May Be a Reason Why…

Raza Rauf on November 27, 2015

WaitingForRecruiter_11-2015

Imagine a scenario where you are unhappy with your current job, and are contacted by a recruiter who tells you that the company they represent is interested in hiring. They fill your head with a list of job benefits that far outweigh what you are currently receiving, and you naturally say that you are interested in getting involved in the interview process. It may sound like a pipe dream, but this is actually something that happens on a fairly regular basis. It’s all rather exciting, but what do you do when it happens to you and it suddenly seems as though the recruiter has dropped off the face of the earth?

There is always the possibility that you simply didn’t make the cut, or that the needs of the company changed during the interview process.

They may have chosen to go in another direction completely, or they may even have decided that the position that they were trying to fill was not as essential as they had first imagined. It’s also worth noting that it can take as long as six months for the search and interview process to be completed. If you were among the first wave of potential candidates, you could be waiting a long time to hear from the recruiter again.

The job is still up for grabs but is in the negotiation phase for the moment.

Another reason why the recruiter may not have gotten back to you just yet is because they may be in the negotiation phase with another candidate who interviewed first. They will not call and inform you of their decision until that negotiation is complete, as it may end up falling through. If that is what happens, they will either abandon the search, which happens quite often, or they may turn to their second candidate, which may well be you.

While your natural instinct will be to call to find out what is going on to get recruiter updates, this may not be the best approach. Believe it or not, recruiters are very busy people who simply don’t have time to regularly update every person that they contact. When you talk to the recruiter, do all that you can to make a positive impact, as that will make them keep you in mind if this particular opportunity falls through. Most recruiters will eventually call you to make you aware of the final decision made by the company, so just remain patient until that call arrives.

 

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