Daily Career Connection

Quality Over Quantity http://inovahire.com/blog/job-search/silly-job-seeker-mistakes

The job seekers that think they know what to avoid doing during a job interview are usually the job seekers that make silly mistakes! Your everyday habits carry with you during a job interview, and because they are habits, most job seekers don’t even know they are doing something! Before your next job interview, make sure you don’t make any of the following silly mistakes:

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #1: Too Much Perfume or Cologne

This is my favorite! Have you ever been in a room, or an elevator, where the person next to you is suffocating you with their perfume? Or have you ever smelt a perfume that smells worst than your dog’s breathe? I don’t know about you, but when that happens to me, I try to get as far away from that person as possible! So, if the employer is being suffocated by your perfume or gets a migraine from being around you, I wouldn’t count on being in the interview for very long!

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #2: Run in Your Tights

You decided to wear a professional skirt, and like you should, wore tights. Then, after sitting down you go to cross your legs and realize you have a run going from your knee down to your heel. Check your tights before you interview! This shows sloppiness!

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #3: Unzipped Fly

This happens to many people, so don’t worry, you’re not alone. But, think of it this way. When something is out of place and it bugs you, what do you do? Stare! So instead of focusing on you, the employer is focusing on how to inform you that your fly is down without making either of you feel awkward.

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #4: Open-Toe Shoes

This one you want to avoid! Open-toe shoes are meant to have a sexual appeal not a professional one!

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #5: First Name Basis

Just because you call your current boss by their first name, doesn’t mean you can call the person interviewing you by theirs! Further, addressing someone by his or her last name shows a certain level of respect.

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #6: Chipped Nail Polish

By not paying attention to your appearance, how can an employer expect you to pay attention to your job? They can’t!

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #7: Bed Head

Guys, left over hair gel is a big no-no and girls, snarly hair is a no-no! If you don’t plan on showering, at least brush!

Silly Job Seeker Mistake #8: Uninformed References

This is one of my favorites. If you are going to put someone down as a reference, make sure they know. If a potential employer calls this individual and they get a response such as, “ummm, I don’t know that person,” it won’t look too good!

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Applying for a job requires a lot of patience and time, it may require you to repeat the process again. You need to pass the exams and interview to qualify in a company.

There are a lot of preparations in applying for a job. You should be ready for any circumstance that you might encounter along the way. Tailor your resume specifically for the job to which you are applying.  Make sure that it is comprehensive and include important details of your job experience and skills that are specific to the job. Try to limit your resume to a maximum of 2 pages.

You can ask someone who has professional credibility; If you can use them as a reference. Referrals are very helpful in applying for a job, especially if your referral has a prominent position in a company.

In contrast, having all the things mentioned above, one of the major reason why applicants are rejected for employment is their background check. Background information can disqualify an applicant, bad credit, criminal convictions and bankruptcy are a few of the circumstances that could disqualify you for employment.

Most companies conduct background checks to evaluate their applicants thoroughly. You should remember that no matter how many great references you have, a tainted credit report or criminal record could very well keep you from the job you want.

Written By: Maella Ayson for SherlockRecords.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maella_Ayson

The job interview was a success and now it comes down to the final process before the employer decides on hiring you; the employment reference check. It is important to be prepared since strong job references can sometimes be a deciding factor in getting a job offer or being passed over for another shortlisted candidate. Remember, the employer is making a big decision in hiring you, and wants to be sure you are who you say you are.

Here are some keys to providing successful job references:

Forget the letter: Employers have no interest in reading an informal reference letter written in the past. Letters do not have credibility, since anyone can write them for you. Employers want to be able to contact and communicate with a real person who can speak about your strengths and weakness and fit for the job you are seeking via the phone.

Leave references off your resume: References should be on a separate sheet and not on your resume. Never give references to employers until they are requested. Be sure to keep a list of at least 3-5 updated references with you when attending the job interview so that you can be prepared to present them to the employer if requested. Adding the line “References available upon request” at the bottom of your resume is a good way to let potential employers know that you have a ready list of references.
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Almost every employer has said to themselves, ‘If I had only known about this person’s background, this ______(you fill in the words) would have NEVER happened. That blank could be filled in with words like TRAGEDY, ACCIDENT,LAW SUIT, or even Death. The best predictor of the future is past performance. You MUST protect your business and your employees from legal action or physical harm by detecting problems BEFORE the person is hired.

Pre-Employment (P-E) screening is an effective risk management tool that has been proven to reduce the risk of a “bad hire”. Employers typically pre screen for various reasons:

To DISCOURAGE APPLICANTS with something to hide. It is estimated that over 33% of the people applying for a job leave information out…any thing from the education that they never got or not including their criminal or bad driving record.

To ELIMINATE UNCERTAINTY in the hiring process…”Is this person right for the job?” or “I hope I have not made a mistake hiring this person”.

To demonstrate DUE DILIGENCE. Employers must take reasonable steps of determine whether an employee is fit for that particular job, does he have an anger management problem? Things you need to know.

It is COST EFFECTIVE. Companies spend a great deal of money to train a new hire only to learn he/she is not the type of person you want working for your company. The cost of a background investigation is small when considering the cost to litigate a neglect hiring or retention suit.

It is important to understand that P-E screening is aimed at how a person performed in the PUBLIC aspect of their lives…it is not an invasion of privacy.

Your employees are your most valuable resources BUT a bad hire can result in

LAWSUITS BY THIRD PARTIES OR OTHER EMPLOYEES
LOSS OF BUSINESS OR CUSTOMERS
THEFT, EMBEZZLEMENT, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE
NEGLIGENT HIRING EXPOSURE
TIME WASTED IN RECRUITING,EMPLOYING AND TRAINING.

There are many other reasons, but you get the idea

Now that you know how important P-E screening is, NOW WHAT?

There is a growing trend among profitable and efficient business to out source this important task. It is an inefficient use of their time and energy ($$) to attempt to do something that a third party provider can do efficiently and cost effectively. To do in house pre screening, a company would have to devote much time and energy ($$) to learning and keeping updated with state and Federal laws that regulate what can and cannot be accessed. An honest mistake by one on your valued employees could leave your company open to a civil rights violation suit by the applicant. Laws such as the FCRA, HIPPA, DPPA,the Grann-Leach-Bliley Act, and so on are at best difficult to understand. If these reasons are not enough, Valuable time ($$) would be spent tracking former employers, references, educational institutions, etc. We have all have to leave a message then wait for the return call…you have better things to do then sit by your phone playing phone tag…like raise your profits.

O.K. Who should I hire to do the pre screening.

Contacting a LICENSED private investigation agency to do your P-E screening is one way to be sure that all of the state and Federal laws that I mentioned will be followed. The vast majority of the private investigators today are retired law enforcement or Federal agents so they are not only professional but know the importance of quality P-E screening. These professionals have access to database companies that are only available to licensed professionals. There are hundreds on companies on line that will do a background check for anyone who is willing to pay….most of this information you can get yourself, information that may or may not be accurate or up to date. Conducting a thorough investigation may well require the investigator to go to the court house to do a records search, something the online background checkers will not do. Many Private Investigators are members of professional organizations such as the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) or their state organizaation, that means they have a wide rance of resources available to them. You think that just because you checked the applicant’s state criminal record you have done enough…that is fine unless the person you are about to hire has as criminal record in another state. Contracting a licensed private investigator to conduct your pre-employment screening relieves your HR department or employee of this time consuming and specialized task so they can devote their time and resources to your company needs.

How do I find a Private Investigator?

The National Association of Legal Investigators has a web site that you can visit to locate a private investigator near you, www.nali.com You may go to your state business web site or type in the first letter of your state then ALI. For example in Florida you would go to www.FALI.com California, www.CALI.com

I hope I have answered some of your questions about pre employment screening.

If you have any questions or want any additional information, I am always available to help.

HAPPY HIRING,
Sandy Glover
Licensed Private Investigator
C2500973. Fl.
sandy@goldshieldli.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Glover