Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and looking good!

If you are reading this then most likely it was through a LinkedIn post, so I do not need to sell you on why your should have a LinkedIn profile. What you do need to have is a good profile. One that expresses your experience and puts you in a good light to anyone who might be looking at it. I do understand that for many of you, looking for a new position is not important and thus you might have a very basic profile just to put something out there for people to connect to you. That is fine, but I want to address those who are either looking for a position, exploring potential opportunities that might exist, or just keeping your feelers out for new business relationships such as networking or partnering with others in your industry.

I cannot stress enough the importance of having a well thought out profile and one that you have looked over to ensure that it is accurate and detailed. I have seen so many that do not even properly show where the person is working or dates that are so out of whack that it looks like that they currently have three jobs. I have also see a number of times where the "headline" that is under your name is different then the actual position you have because you never changed it when you started the new position. Finally having too little information about what you have done and what you have accomplished could really hinder you if you are indeed looking for a new position.

There is no doubt that LinkedIn has become one of the most used tools for both third party and internal recruiters. I was told my one internal recruiter that he uses LinkedIn almost exclusively for recruiting. He was with a very large Oil and Gas company that has the ability to afford any recruiting tool and they use LinkedIn. So if your profile is not updated and complete you might never been found. In addition when resumes are submitted either by a recruiter or through their website, a LinkedIn search is one of the first things that recruiters and even hiring authorities do.

Specifically I can tell you that I was working on filling a position recently and sent over 4 resumes. When I called to follow up, the hiring authority had already looked over their profiles and most of his comments where about the profile not the resume. One candidate got an interview because the manager liked his picture and the time he took to put together a good profile. He would never have gotten an interview without that great LinkedIn Profile. Some of us spend hours or pay someone like me hundreds of dollars to redo your resume (Which I am more then glad to do), yet do almost nothing to their profile. You are leaving your self vulnerable to making a bad impression to someone who is "checking you out". So please do not underestimate the power of your LinkedIn profile to either help or hurt your in someway.

If you would like some free pointers on how to improve your profile (or resume for that matter) just send me an email to jhavranek@siliconcantera.com or send me an Invite on LinkedIn.

Good luck,

John

Interviewing and hiring in the new economy.

Today I would like to talk about a couple of things relating to interviewing and hiring that I have noticed lately as a recruiter specializing in the Oil and Gas arena. (Mostly in the Houston and Gulf Coast area) Clients are really picky so you better be prepared for your next interview. I have told numerous candidate during our preps that clients want what they want and there is nothing you can do other than to show how you can fill that need for them. Even in a tough economy if you solve the problem the company has, then most will aggressively go after you and make you a good offer. The days of just showing up for the interview, showing you can do the job and expecting a large raise is over.
Yes there are many people out there that are very good at what you do and your skill set is in demand. (Flow Assurance, Subsea Engineers, etc.) But even so, if you want the best positions and the best possible offer, then you need to aggressively go after the position, even if you are gainfully employed. That means preparing for an interview, a nice thank you letter, etc.
On the flip side, beware hiring authorities: While the pendulum has swung in your favor and in many cases you hold the upper hand in the interview process, I have seen many people turn down low ball offers or positions with limited growth even when they are underemployed or even unemployed. The interview process is a two way street and both sides need to make sure that they do not get too big for their britches. Be aware that your opportunity may not be “all that” and on the flip side that as a candidate your skills are not as good as you might think they are. If you go into an interview with some humbleness then I feel you will be more successful.
Maybe that is why I like being the "impartial third party"

Have a great day.

John
http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhavranek

Half way through 2010 and finally a blog!

With everything that has been going on (and finally figuring out the pass code again) I am starting a new blog entry. What a crazy 2 years it has been. From the best year of recruiting since the dot com boom to an almost complete stop in business at the end of 2008, to a slow trickle for all of 2009, to finally signs of life in the Houston Oil and gas market. Let's just hope the BP spill finally gets cleaned up and Washington does not get too invasive.

While we have seen a slow upward trend in the Houston market I know that there are still a lot of people unemployed and many for a very long time. While I sometimes felt like I was unemployed when there was little or no orders to work on, I feel for all of those who have gone on many interviews, wrote many thank you notes, and had many close calls. The key is keeping your head up and try to have an upbeat attitude. I know that is hard, but with the activity in the job market recently there is hope and I also believe that the year of low ball offers are gone. That does not mean you will be getting a raise or even a lateral to your 2008 salary, but we are seeing more and more fair offers, while last year, companies seem to be taking advantage of the market way too much.

Lets hope there is no more spills and no double dip recession. Good luck in your job search.

2010 Is almost here!

After a very trying 2009 for all of us in the staffing industry, 2010 cannot get here soon enough. With that said, we are far from being out of the economic and thus hiring delema we have been in for a while. When looking for a position you will need to be just as diligent and agressive as before. While I have talked to a number of clients who have expressed interest in hiring after the first of the year, they are all going to be very selective and will not be rushed into making a decision.

I do expect this to slowly change as the year goes on however. Exxon Mobil just announced that their large LNG project in Papua New Guinea has been approved and the credit needed is available. We will start to see a trickle down to a number of contractors and subcontractors when the money starts to flow in February. Hopefully the other operators will follow suit and start greenlighting new projects. From what I have read all of the operators have approved their capital budgets for the new year and most are an improvement over 2009.

Keep your fingers crossed and here is to a great new year.

Who needs a resume anyhow?

For as much as people want to trumpet all of the new ways to market themselves, such as one-on-one networking, videos of themselves, and all of the social networks sites, the reality is that most companies still want to see your old fashion resume.

Arggg you say, I do not like my resume. Well, you are probably right about that, but you need to get that little slice of your life updated and looking good. As one who has seen thousands of resumes I am still shocked at how little effort that some people seem to put into that little document that can make or break a great career opportunity.

You hear always hear about the horror story of the misspellings or large gaps in the resume. That is all important, but I am talking simple things like making sure the font is the same throughout the document. Making sure everything lines up. If you have 20 years experience and no degree, please do not put your high school and the graduation date front and center. And please do not use the standard resume templates that come with MS Word. Step out from the masses and actually try to impress.

It is the little things that help make a good impression. To me a resume is like a blind date. You check yourself in the mirror, you pop a couple of mints, and you ask others how you look. Well, ask someone else to look over your resume and tell them to be critical. You need to look good the door opens for that date and your resume needs to look good when that document is opened by someone who has never met you before.

It is not about the first date for your resume, it is about the second date that is important: The face to face interview. Make sure your hair is combed (Everything is lined up and neat), your breath smells good (You highlight what you can offer to your new employer), and you are dressed nice (Fonts look good). Then you are ready to make a good showing.

Obviously it takes a lot more then these things to have a truly great resume, but for those who cannot afford to have your resume professionally done it is the small steps that can make a big difference.

If you email me I will send you a before and after resume that turned a horror of a resume to one that you would be proud to send. jhavranek@siliconcantera.com

Resume Tips and Tricks

When looking for a job, your resume is the most important element in marketing yourself. Studies show that on average a resume is only glanced over for approximately 10 to 30 seconds. Your resume must catch the eye of the viewer if you want to stand out from the other hundreds of applicants.

To help you, we have provided a few Tips you can use to improve your resume:

Determine your objective. Your resume should be specific to the position you are applying for. It is best to keep in mind what the company is looking for in an applicant and highlight these skills and qualifications in your resume.

Make your point. Though you do not want to leave out any important information, you also don’t want your resume to be too lengthy, especially since it will only be viewed for such a short period of time.

Begin sentences with action verbs. You want to be portrayed as an active individual who gets the job done. Use the past tense so as not to confuse the reader.

Focus on your achievements. It is a common mistake to simply state the duties you had in previous jobs. Your resume should be used to state the overall accomplishments you had while you were in any given position. When appropriate, try to use percentages, dollar totals, and numbers because they stand out in the body of the resume.

For example: Successfully managed a large pipeline project with a $2 million budget. Completed project 2 weeks ahead of schedule saving $24,000 in labor costs.

Organize your information. There is nothing worse than a resume that is confusing or unpleasing to the eye. One of the simplest and most overlooked things you can do to improve your resume is to just change the formatting and fonts (See the resume examples below). You can either put things in chronological order or by type (experience, education, skills, etc.). Using bullets is also another way to make your information look neatly arranged.

Proofread. Studies show that spelling errors and typos leave the highest negative impression with employers. Get a friend or a professional to look over your final copy. Sometimes all you need is a second opinion, because they are more likely to catch something you didn’t.

We hope that these tips have helped you to improve your resume. However if you need more assistance, due to the requests from our candidates, SiliconCantera recently started a new resume service. It is an easy way to get a new and improved resume with the help of a recruiting professional. Our resume specialists knows all there is to know about resumes because they look at them all day long for a living! Click here or e-mail Courtney at cmartwick@siliconcantera.com for more information about our resume service which starts as low as $35.

Below is an example of a resume SiliconCantera revised for one of our clients, as you can see many of the tips mentioned above helped to improve the overall appearance of the document.

What More Than 96% Of Interviewee’s Aren’t Doing That They Should Be Doing

When it comes to the interviewing process, everything counts, including thank you letters. How you represent yourself as a possible employee plays a vital role on your chances of getting hired. This is why it is strongly recommended that you do everything you can to make yourself look like a good fit for their company. Thank you letters are a great way to show that you realize and appreciate the time and effort they took to interview you.

Here are some reasons why you should write a thank you letter:

• According to the York Technical Institute less than 4% of applicants send thank you letters yet it’s considered a common courtesy


• Employers appreciate thank you letters


• They demonstrate that you understand and practice good business etiquette


• Some employers actually think less of interviewees who fail to follow-up promptly


• They illustrate that you are really interested in the position, it keeps your name in their head, and it sets you apart from the rest


• A good interview thank you letter might help the employer decide in your favor

Tips to writing an effective thank you letter:

• Be sure to send the letter within 24 hours.


• You can handwrite, type, or e-mail your letter. Choose what you feel is appropriate.


• Make the letter personalized.


• Reinforce the fact that you want the position.


• Be specific and refer to details from the interview.


• Mention what you learned during the interview, specifically those things you feel you are qualified to do.


• Use this as an opportunity to address things of importance that were not covered in the interview.


• Invite the employer to contact you for more information if necessary.


• Include a final thank you at the end of the letter.


• Use correct spelling and grammar.

Thank you letters should be tailored specifically to your interview. You can use them to schedule a second interview, stress that you are a fit for the position, address concerns you may have, or even for damage control. Below is an example of one of the best thank you letters we have ever come across. In this situation, the interviewee knew that he wasn’t the top candidate for the job but he believed that his knowledge and dedication to the field would make up for what he was lacking in. He used his thank you letter as a way to further explain why he is a good fit for the company. This is a great example to anyone who is looking to make a final lasting impression on their interviewer:

Ms. Christenson:

Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today regarding the electrical specialist position that you have open at Oil and Gas, Inc. The possibility of working with an engineering design group like OG's is very exciting! I received a call from SiliconCantera and they explained that I was not a candidate for the position you have available because I lacked industrial experience.

I understand that you are looking for a leader who can teach the design team the ins and outs of the electrical industry in order to improve the team's ability to design and understand the inner workings of the projects they are working on. You may feel that I am not the lead you are looking for because of my lack of "hands on" industrial experience. However, I do understand that the materials used for industrial electrical work are different from those used in commercial and that industrial electrical work codes are much stricter due to safety requirements. I know these differences and that's what makes me a fit. Again, though you may feel that I am not the senior level electrician that you are looking for, I believe I can be a valuable member to your design team if given the opportunity. I have enough experience and knowledge in the electrical field in addition to my AutoCAD knowledge to be an asset to OG and would love the opportunity to prove that to you.

If you would reconsider, I respectfully request that you allow me the chance to join your team. Working in the electrical design field is my goal and the opportunity to join as an entry level is one I would love to have. I will work hard and will dedicate myself to quickly learn everything needed for industrial electrical work. Why? I have a wife and a daughter that I provide for and I cannot let them down. All I need is the opportunity, someone to believe in me. I will not fail you, I cannot fail you, I owe that to my family. If needed, I will take a cut in pay. Please tell me how I can be a part of the OG team?

Humbly submitted,

Christopher Neely

*The names have been altered to protect the identity of the people and companies involved*