Recruiter’s Advice: 5 Things Employers Look for in Entry-Level Job Candidates

Dunya Carter

A fresh graduate is always intimidated when going in for his or her first real job interview, and many feel that no matter what they apply for they are woefully unprepared and unqualified – especially in this economy, when even jobs advertised as entry level are apparently seeking years of experience. But regardless of how many flourishes are requested in the help wanted ad, many employers are really looking for a few basic things for entry level positions, and all of them are more than attainable for the new worker. Continue Reading

6 Workplace Tips for the Socially Challenged

Christina Steinorth, MA, MFT

Are you the type of person who hates to be interrupted at work with “good mornings” and other niceties? Do you routinely avoid the break room or eat lunch at your desk? Do your coworkers hang out socially, but rarely invite you for an after-work drink?

While you may think of yourself as an introvert, your coworkers may be interpreting your communication cues quite differently. They may feel that you’re impolite, snobby, or antisocial.

So often with people, simple interactions and misunderstandings may lead to negative feelings and poor workplace relationships. Here are a few cue cards, or quick actionable tips, that will make a big difference in the way you interact at work–and how others respond to you. Continue Reading

82% of Applicants Expect Answers From Employers Yet Only 25% Get It

Sanja Licina of Careerbuilder

Job hunting can be a frustrating process especially if you have no idea whether the employer made a decision or even saw your application. More than one in four workers reported that they have had a bad experience when applying for a job. The vast majority (75 percent) of workers who applied to jobs using various resources in the last year said they never heard back from the employer, according to a nationwide CareerBuilder survey.

While this speaks to the challenges of finding employment in a highly competitive market, it also brings to light negative implications for today’s employers. The survey shows candidates who have had a bad experience when applying for a position are less likely to seek employment at that company again and are more likely to discourage friends and family from applying or purchasing products from that company. The study of more than 3,900 U.S. workers was conducted online by Harris Interactive^© from November 1 to November 30, 2012.

How important is it to acknowledge every job applicant? Continue Reading

Higher Home Prices Likely to Lead to Surge in Employees Quitting Jobs

John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

With the recent report on home prices showing the biggest year-over-year gain in more than six years, one employment authority predicts a surge in relocation by job-seeking homeowners in 2013, which could ultimately help to accelerate the decline in unemployment rates.

“One factor that has kept unemployment rates high has been the inability of underwater homeowners to relocate for employment opportunities.  With home prices bouncing back, even those who may now simply break even on a home sale might consider moving to a region where jobs are more plentiful.  This could spark a more rapid decline in the unemployment rate over the next year,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.  Continue Reading

Employers Taking 30+ Days to Extend Offers After Interview Date

How long can a college student expect to wait for a job offer after an interview? And, after an offer is extended, how long will he or she have to accept or reject it?

NACE’s 2012 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey found that, on average, employers hiring new college graduates take 24.2 business days to extend an offer to a college student after an interview. If you add in weekend and holiday days, that means that the employers are asking the average candidate to wait more than 30 days from the date of their interview to receive an offer of employment. Once an offer has been extended, employers then give the candidate an average of 14.1 business days to make a decision. Continue Reading

China Emerges as a Dominant Force in Written English

English teacher at the board writing. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

American students lag behind their global peers in a subject where they should have an advantage – written English.

Two billion people worldwide are learning English, from China especially. On track as the world’s largest English-speaking country, China demonstrates an unsurpassed intensity to learn the language of business and information.

China seems to recognize what the United States seems to have forgotten: English is the language of opportunity and must be mastered. Human beings are now part of a global conversation. English is the language of problem-solving; it represents hope for a better future. Continue Reading

Vote for CollegeRecruiter.com in About.com Reader’s Choice Awards

I’m proud to announce that CollegeRecruiter.com has been selected as a finalist in the 2013 About.com Reader’s Choice Awards.  CollegeRecruiter.com has made it onto the final ballot for the best job site for students.  Between February 19 and March 19, readers can vote for their favorite job and career sites and blogs and the winners will be announced by About.com guide, Alison Doyle, on March 27th.

The About.com Reader’s Choice Awards showcase the best job and career websites and apps for job seekers and career changers. CollegeRecruiter.com is the only career site to have won the prestigious WEDDLE’s Award for Best Job Boards six years in a row and I’d love to add the About.com award to that list. These awards help us serve even more job seekers than the millions we do each year as the provide a sense of comfort to those who may not be familiar with us. Job seekers like any other user of any other site want to use reputable sites and these awards help them determine which niche job boards are reputable. Continue Reading

A healthier, happier you: 5 low-stress careers for 2013

Relaxed businessman on the job. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Stress does all sorts of terrible things to your body. This reaction, meant to give us the necessary boost to fight or fly when faced with a life-threatening situation, is a relic of a different era, as dangerous and vestigial as an appendix that’s ready to burst. Just a few of the things that stress can do to the human body when left unchecked:

-It slows and shuts down major bodily processes like digestion, growth and healing.

-It causes deterioration of everything from your gums to your heart.

-One of its major byproducts, cortisol, causes plaque to build up in your arteries.

-It puts you at risk for numerous health disorders, like heart disease, insomnia, digestive issues, depression, obesity, memory impairment, skin problems and many more. Continue Reading

College Recruiting Bootcamp at LinkedIn Head Office on May 13, 2013

LinkedIn head office

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network on the Internet, and CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading niche job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry-level jobs and other career opportunities, are co-hosting a half day college recruiting conference on Monday, May 13th at LinkedIn’s corporate headquarters in Mountain View, California.

No Selling

During the keynote and presentations there will be absolutely no selling of any kind. There will be no exhibit hall or sponsors and all presenters and attendees will be corporate or government recruiting and human resource professionals. No third party recruiters. No career service office professionals. No vendors. Just your peers.

TedX-like Format

The College Recruiting Bootcamp will feature today’s most innovative thought-leaders in the college and university relations space. Attendees will enjoy a fast-paced, interactive learning environment as presentations will be 20 minutes or less. That lightning fast pace will force presenters to be razor focused on their topics. Continue Reading

Technical/Computer Interview Questions to Ask

Carole Martin, The Interview Coach

Question:

In a Technical/Computer interview, what are the best questions to ask? I know salary and benefits are taboo.

Answer:

You will be able to adapt this advice to your technical/computer interviews.

At some point, usually at the conclusion of the interview, you may be asked, “Do you have any questions?” A common answer to this question is, “No, I think you’ve covered everything very well.” This is the wrong answer! You have passed up your opportunity to ask some critical questions that may make a difference as to whether you want to work for this company. Continue Reading