Should you have an agent (recruiter) like Alex Rodriguez?

Um, YES! That is our answer. You determine your own answer after reading this.

Follow me on this one. Let’s try and understand the facts for what they are for a moment, and leave our own presumptions aside. Let’s let the curtain of perception unveil reality and face it for what it is. And since the season just officially started, let me use baseball as my sport of choice to illustrate the points that I want to drive home in this article.

Undeniable Fact: One of the reasons that Baseball players make the substantial money they make is because they HAVE an agent, not because they DON’T HAVE ONE!

No, I am not a professional sports agent. And no, I am not a professional sports team negotiator. But, as a job recruiter, I do share some of the basic business model components of a professional agent for sports athletes. On the surface, we both help negotiate earnings for our candidates in working with our clients, leaving that daunting task out of the hands of the applicant themselves, who may not be experienced enough to wade through a not-so-easy to understand hiring process.

Would baseball players really be earning the money and endorsement contracts they earn today without the injection of sports agents? I am a realist and therefore, highly doubt it. It wasn’t until these sports agents surfaced that big money in MLB became a norm and expectation for the athletes entering the arena.

And just like a sports agent, we as recruiters know when a particular company (team) may be looking for a particular position (player), and can work towards connecting those two dots with a great deal of efficiency and pure speed. You see, timing is everything when it comes to job placement. Employers understand this and realize the return on investment from using a reputable recruiting firm.

Today, like so many others, we are convinced at the reality that a candidate will do much better all around with a recruiter than without one… and for many reasons, some of which I would like to share. And it just confuses me why job applicants don’t see this for what it really is. Like so many other things in life, the perception hides the reality. C’est la vie.

Here is an example of why an agent or recruiter is something you want when you are seeking a job. As recruiters, we have long-term relationships with hiring managers. We have focused on job placement processes for years and understand the many complexities involved with job search and placement. We receive candid feedback from hiring managers shortly after an interview is completed. All of this allows us to quickly determine if a candidate and client are a good mutual fit. We don’t have to wait weeks to find out the answer.

And sometimes those weeks of waiting can prove to be invaluable time lost to a job candidate. You see hiring managers, or interviewers, by and large will not persuade you to believe one way or the other if you are “the one”. It’s just not something they do, nor is it good practice for them. So, many times, candidates come out of an interview with the warm and fuzzies believing that they did so well that they feel they will get an offer. They are told the much heard comment, “Ok, great. It was a pleasure to meet you. Everything looks great. Give us a few more weeks to go through the other potential candidates and we will reach for you”. In many cases, that same day we get the call and find out the reality.

You see, many times a candidate with the warm and fuzzies will play that waiting game, believing they got the job when in fact they did not. Those weeks can sometimes cost thousands in lost revenue to an individual, even worse, during that waiting period there could have been another opportunity that would have been a good fit that they now have passed on. The reality is you may have been good, but someone else may have been better or at least better represented!

What made me write this article is an occurrence that happened just a few weeks ago. We were working on a $130,000 - $150,000 range open position for a company in Massachusetts. We actually had two of our candidates go through their first round of interviews.

We would have had an immediate third when I reached out to a previous potential candidate of ours to see if he also was interested. He informed me that he had actually already interviewed for that very same position and felt pretty good, and in fact was just waiting for a formal offer from the company itself. I asked him “Why, did they give you some feedback indicating this”?

He told me that he got the interview on his own so he didn’t get any feedback other than from his own feelings on how he felt about how well the interview went. In his own mind and his words, the interview went very well and he really felt sure that he was going to wrap it up within a few weeks.

He also, very confidently might I add, said since he got the interview on his own and not through an agency that he would probably get an offer for $175K not the $150K that I spoke to him about. I asked him why he thought this. He said because the client would be saving money from not having to pay a fee to a recruiter.

Well, less than a week later I received an offer from the company for one of my two candidates that I had interview. The offer that I received was in fact a little more than the range offered. This other gentleman was in fact right about at least one thing I guess.

The feedback that I received was that both of my candidates were actually the top one and two candidates for the position. I asked them about this other gentleman and they told me that he was a good candidate but was simply that he was not a good fit for the role they needed to fill.

You see, his own personal (un-experienced) feedback that he confidently believed in was misguided. He was wrong. Worse, he tried to negotiate outside of the offered range and more than likely mentioned the fact that he wasn’t working with a recruiter as if he was going to “save” them money when he was in fact attempting to take these savings and pay himself for years to come. He actually thought he was smarter than them I guess. And this was an accounting position so this candidate must not have looked too bright when he mentioned these comments… for obvious reasons that need not be mentioned.

So should you use a recruiter? We will let you determine that answer.

For more advice and information, please visit http://www.jtlservices.com/

Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.
725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone: (860) 426-0583
FAX: (860) 628-5008

216 East Chatham Street, Suite 101
Cary, NC 27511
Phone: (919) 465-7289
FAX: (919) 465-7281

Where Is Your Resume? Who Has Your Resume? And Most Importantly Who Is Sending Your Resume To Hiring Managers Without Your Consent?

Did you just put your resume on one of the major job boards like CareerBuilder.com or Monster.com? If you did, it probably seemed like a reasonable thing to do since you may be looking to get a job. The reality of this is that this may not be the best thing to do out of the gate. First and foremost it lends to becoming complacent. Job seekers who do this tend to believe that their resume is now in good hands and that their phone will soon ring with offers. This is not necessarily true. That is why many (even millions) of people upload their resumes to these major job boards and get zero response.

One thing that every job candidate needs to better understand is that their resume is their job life-line. Job seekers should absolutely know where their resume is at all times and who is forwarding it to companies in hopes to get you hired. Better yet, job seekers should track their resumes and any correspondence/communication they receive from their resume(s).

Using a recruiter doesnt necessarily solve this either. It may sound great on the surface that someone or some people are marketing your resume in efforts to land you a job, but the reality is that this may not be such a good thing either. The key is using the right job recruiter and more importantly a reputable job recruiter.

A reputable job recruiting firm will never send your resume out without corresponding with you and asking the following important questions.

1. Have you ever been submitted for job employment to ABC Company?
2. I have an open job with ABC Company that you would seem to be a good fit for, and I would like to talk to them about your background. Can we send your resume? (And sometimes there is no formal job posted anywhere but since we have a long relationship with ABC company, and more importantly with TOM, THE HIRING MANAGER we would like to talk to them about you to see if there is any interest. We have placed many positions by doing the latter believe it or not).

When selecting a recruiter, simply ask them if they do this. Demand that they don't. This is one of the many questions you should ask a job recruiter before you begin having them work for you.

Now let’s clear something up in regards to this process. If you’re working with a search firm (job recruiter) who tells you that they can’t tell you the name of the company they want to send your resume to because it’s a confidential search, then what they need to do is provide you with where the job is and the details on what the job is at a minimum!

It’s really not a good thing to have your resume show up on a hiring manager’s desk from more than one person or recruiter! Our many years of job recruiting experience with this is that when it happens the hiring company probably won’t ask to bring you in and secondly it makes you look desperate.



For more job information for all of Connecticut and the Raleigh area of North Carolina, please visit JTLservices.com

Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.
725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone 860-426-0583
FAX 860-628-5008

216 East Chatham Street, Suite 101
Cary, NC 27511
Phone 919-465-7289
FAX 919-465-7281

Important Job Interview Tips Video

Are you really prepared to interview for your next job?

I can't even begin to explain how many people think they are prepared and completely blow an interview. You should hear some of the stories... The adage that you only get one chance to make a first impression holds very true.

Spend 5 minutes to review the video directly above. It's hard enough to get the interview. Don't blow it once you get it because of being unprepared.

1. Learn about the company you are interviewing with.
2. Call your recruiter - They can give tips on personalities
3. Proper Dress Attire
4. Extra copies of your resume
5. Show up 10 minutes early, not on time or late.
6. Salary Negotiation Tips
7. Be awake, energetic and excited
8. Call your recruiter as soon as you leave the interview

Let me share an example of a wrong first impression. We had a client wear green velvet shoes to an interview. The feedback we got from the client (the company the candidate interviewed with), was they couldn't forget the shoes. I certainly don't think the job candidate wanted to be remembered for that, but because this person didn't spend a few minutes following easy job interview guidelines, this is what they were remembered by.

You or a friend looking for a job?
Visit http://www.jtlservices.com/ for information on new job openings in Connecticut and the Raleigh area of North Carolina.

For more job information for all of Connecticut and the Raleigh area of North Carolina, please visit JTLservices.com


Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.
725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone 860-426-0583
FAX 860-628-5008

216 East Chatham Street, Suite 101
Cary, NC 27511
Phone 919-465-7289
FAX 919-465-7281

Question: What Is A Counter Offer?

Answer:
Accepting a job from one company and then using that offer to get more money from your current employer.

Question:
What does it say about a person who would accept a counter offer?

Answer:
I’ve been in the job placement business for nearly 10 years now and the first time the words "counter offer" came up it was like watching the Patriots loss a perfect season in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

I just shook my head in disbelief and could only say “WHAT”. It has and will probably never make good logical sense to me. What you’re basically doing is letting down one company who is excited about you and having another company who has to react to the fact that you put a figurative gun to their head to hire you. And although it may seem difficult to understand and accept - no matter what the candidate thinks, this is exactly what is happening.

Being an employer I know that it’s cheaper for me to offer an existing employee a little more money for them to stay. The alternative is to absorb re-hiring costs to replace that person when all the while I, as the employer, understand what kind of employee I am dealing with and will now better "plan" on "replacing" that employee. For example, I may come across a resume or an individual who would fill the position nicely and offer them the position and let go of the employee who put me in the counter offer position. I have to be able to understand the level of employee this is and act in the manner that makes most business sense to me and the company I am trying to run.

The bottom line is that, I have now learned through job recruiting experience, that candidates who do accept counter offers are usually out of a job in 4 to 6 months and those candidates typically come back and of course - we do not accept them as a candidate at that point for obvious "logical" reasons.

Question:
So what are the real benefits of a counter offer to a candidate?

Answer:
Not much. And although there could be some short term financial gain, there is an even more likelihood of long-term repercussions.

If you, as an employee have had any experiences (good or bad) with counter offers, please comment in this blog so that people can be better informed on what counter offers really entail.

You or a friend looking for a job?
Visit http://www.jtlservices.com/ for information on new job openings in Connecticut and the Raleigh area of North Carolina.


Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.
725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone 860-426-0583
FAX 860-628-5008

216 East Chatham Street, Suite 101
Cary, NC 27511
Phone 919-465-7289
FAX 919-465-7281

Job Recession?

Are we in a recession? When you factor in our export numbers which are very healthy, it may be difficult to claim we are in an official recession. Officially, we need to wait to see if we actually have had two quarters of negative numbers from the feds, but unofficially....

Well, the news late last week wasn't good. And yes. the official jury is still out as to whether or not we are in an official recession. But when you look at increasing gas prices, increasing food costs, and the sinking housing market and now you add in the job loss data - I think a majority of us laymen would agree that we are at least at the beginnings of a recession.

The official news from the Labor Department was that 63,000 jobs were lost last month. Surprisingly, the actual job losses were 100,000 jobs lost in the private sector, but because there was an increase in government hiring the net loss was 63,000.

The more disturbing news was that this was the first month-to-month loss in jobs since May and June 2003. So with regard to jobs, the news and trending is not good at all.

BUT DO NOT PANIC! If you are working for a stable company you probably shouldn't be concerned. But just because you are in a stable company doesn't guarantee any real financial long term stability these days. Therefore, it is never a bad idea to be prepared for the worst.

So... instead of panicking, be proactive and prepared. And that goes for those of you who are unfortunately already unemployed.

Get your resume polished up is the first step. As a general rule, regardless of the economy, your resume should always in fact be polished up and ready to deploy.

Just like a company needs to market their brand, - you need to market yourself. But also just like a company, you have to use the right means of marketing. Using a recruiter is key for anyone to assist with marketing themselves as a candidate for a viable company. Why use a recruiter you ask? Below is a video with information on that exact question. Spend two valuable minutes of your time to listen and learn. Also check out http://www.jtlservices.com/ for information on Connecticut and North Carolina job recruiters.



Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.
725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone 860-426-0583
FAX 860-628-5008

216 East Chatham Street, Suite 101
Cary, NC 27511
Phone 919-465-7289
FAX 919-465-7281

What Web Sites Are You Using To Help You Find A Job?

There's the "giant" job search and placement websites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com who portray that they are the "end all" in finding a job or a job candidate, and then there are the really good, local search job placement agencies that actually do get the job done.

If you go back just a few years and look at some of web site traffic data of these "giant" websites, you can get a sense that traffic is down nearly considerably. Some of this can be seen by simply looking at an Alexa traffic rating found at Alexa.com. Conversely, if you look at the local recruiting companies, they are on the rise in terms of how many new websites are cropping up and more importantly, the growing traffic trends to these local recruiting agency websites.

But the real question is what online resource/website can help you find a job that fits? The Internet provides a plethora of resources and information to help you find that perfect job and perfect job recruiter. Some tips in finding the right local recruiter include the following:

• Is the recruiting agency local to the geographical are you are looking to gain employment? If you are looking for a job in North Carolina and you are using a company in Georgia with a minimal client list of North Carolina companies and minimal job placement in North Carolina, then you should resume your searching for a new recruiter.


• Does the local job recruiting agency disclose a client list?Verify that the recruiting agency is not just a P/T gig for someone who may have a nice website and a few ties to placing job candidates.


• How long has the local job recruiting agency been in business? The recruiting landscape continues to change. Seasoned professional recruiting agencies stay on top of these changes and understand the necessity of abiding by them in order to attain and retain business.


• What industries does the local job recruiting agency focus in? If you are looking for a biomedical job and the recruiting agency you are using has less than marginal experience placing biomedical candidates, that is a sure sign for you to set your expectations as marginal.


• Does the local job recruiting agency utilize the Internet as a job placement resource themselves? If a recruiting agency shows signs of a focus on the Internet and have an up-to-date website, then that recruiting agency probably understands that the Internet is and could be a primary took in the placement process. Social networking sites and Web 2.0 as a whole are increasing the reliance on the Internet as a tool.

Use good judgement in choosing resources to help you find that perfect job. The last thing you may want is to secure a job and have it be the wrong one. Moving from job to job after short periods of time can be a real disqualifier on a resume. Using the right recruiter can help find that perfect job and minimize this potential probability.

Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.

725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone 860-426-0583
FAX 860-628-5008

216 East Chatham Street, Suite 101
Cary, NC 27511
Phone 919-465-7289
FAX 919-465-7281