BestLogic Staffing

Economy - Items to Note & GDP

2012-02-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

Items to Note & GDP

“That was the first time that growth exceeded 2% all year and the fastest pace since the second quarter of 2010.
But even with the acceleration, growth remained stubbornly below the 3% pace that many economists say is needed to quickly bring down the unemployment rate. The report also showed that most of the growth was thanks to a surge in inventory replenishing by businesses—a trend not likely to last. Final sales—a measure of products sold to end users, rather than to wholesalers or suppliers—advanced only slightly.” WSJ
Sources: Wall Street Journal, Bureau of Economic Analysis, CNBC

US Employment Situation

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Staffing Association

Projections & Sector Comparison

Source: Wall Street Journal
Please note: WSJ Projections were released prior to the BLS report

BestLogic Staffing (BLS) is a full-service staffing search firm that has diligently emerged itself in recruiting and placing qualified and quality candidates with expertise in various industries.

Our Services

* Temporary Staffing
* Temp-to-Hire
* Direct Placement
* Executive Search
* Payrolling
* HR Consulting

Whether you are looking for a job, adding to your staff, or need any advice within the scope of hiring-we will do whatever it takes to help you succeed!

Aldin Beslagic - President of BestLogic Staffing

Visit our Website for more information
www.BestLogicStaffing.com

Connect with Aldin Beslagic on Linkedin.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/aldinbeslagic

Process Engineer | jobmagic

2012-01-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

Process Engineer | jobmagic

Tech sector layoffs fell dramatically in 2011

2012-01-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

By Allison Linn (Source:http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10216778-tech-sector-layoffs-fell-dramatically-in-2011)

If you work in the technology sector, good news: You’re chances of losing your job fell dramatically last year.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas said Monday that computer, electronics and telecommunications firms announced 37,038 planned job cuts in 2011, the lowest level since the company started keeping tabs on such cuts in 1997.

That’s a 79 percent drop from 2009, when layoffs in the tech sector hit a peak of 174,629. It’s also a 21 percent drop from 2010, the outplacement firm said.

In total, U.S. companies across all industries announced 606,082 layoffs in 2011, up 14 percent from the year before.

Challenger, Gray only counts layoffs that companies announce publicly, so it’s possible some companies are quietly cutting staff.

It also offered one other caveat: Tech-sector layoffs surged in the second half of 2011, which could portend an uptick in layoffs this year.

Still, Challenger, Gray is predicting that the technology sector will continue to grow in 2012. It notes that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer and electronic manufacturing companies saw a net gain in jobs in 2011, for a total of about 1.12 million.

In general, the economy has been slowly adding jobs each month as the country works to recover from the Great Recession.

The technology industry has long been a hub of both good and bad employment news. While some IT workers have had their jobs outsourced to cheaper overseas locales, other computer scientists and engineers have found their skills to be in high demand.

The earnings season hasn’t offered clear guidance on where tech firms are headed. Google surprised Wall Street last week with a rare earnings miss, for example, while computing giant IBM beat its earnings estimates for the quarter.

2012 Job Market: 5 Tips for Using Social Media to Find a New Job

2011-12-29T12:13:00.001-08:00

2012 Job Market: 5 Tips for Using Social Media to Find a New Job

written by Todd Wilms, SAP (http://www.forbes.com)

The latest economic reports now describe the economy as “good, but not great.” We are seeing some slightly positive signs that the economy will improve, unemployment rates will drop, and that certain sectors (like small businesses) are hiring again. Still, competition for the 2012 job market will be fierce as we still see in the U.S. 9% unemployment rate, with many more being under-employed.

So, how do you set yourself apart and position yourself for a job in 2012? Social media, in combination with your current job-searching techniques, is the answer.

1: Manage Your “Digital Persona”

Your first step is to see yourself as others will see you. Most people see this as just your “online resume.” However, at some point in the process, your future employer is going to do a Google search on you. Your goal here is to maximize your presence online – to “represent you in the most positive light” wherever you can.

First, remove anything you can that you don’t want an employer to see – start with your popular social media sites like Facebook, and photo-sharing sites like Flickr or Tumblr. Change the privacy settings to private to help remove this content from the public eye. Those pictures of you at your family cookout – smoke in one hand, drink in the other – may be harmless family fun, but you never know when it will tip the scale for an employer.

Now improve the sites you can control, usually starting with LinkedIn. If you haven’t figured this out already, the best quote I have heard about LinkedIn is “it is facebook with a tie.” This is THE place for most employers to find you or research you later. In addition to the obvious resume-like aspects of your LinkedIn profile, ask for recommendations from current and former co-workers. Make sure what is included here is how you want to present yourself.

Next, start getting active. This is discussed further in the next section, but focus on joining LinkedIn groups or communities/blogs/sites that are in your area or discipline. Focus on those which have relevant conversations on your area of expertise. Start answering questions, posting or sharing idea, or promoting great content you see. Think a bit like a magazine publisher – pushing your (and other’s) great content into these groups. Remember, this leaves a digital footprint- much of which will be on your LinkedIn profile page. Employers are in these same communities and will see what you have to offer long before you face them in an interview.

2: Create Your Network

Pride, stigma of being out of work, embarrassment, or other concerns keep most people looking for a job in “stealth mode.” The best advice I have received was to realize that almost everyone has – at one time or another – had to really work at finding a new job. The vast majority is eager to help you, but in true Jerry Maguire fashion, you have to “help them, (to) help you.”

Use your groups and communities to search for former colleagues and connect with them – whether on LinkedIn or other social site or community. Find a few names or authors you want to follow (I am on LinkedIn, by the way) whose opinion you liked or you see as a good connection point for you.

Now that you have your network, start to leverage it. First, don’t just say “hi, looking for a job, let me know if you hear of anything.” You will get a lot of well-intentioned support, but little else. You need to take the reins here and do the following:

Tell them your situation,
Tell them what type of job you are looking for (including titles, locations or descriptive terms),
Provide them a list of companies you would like to work for (this gives them a place to start steering you),
Give them an indication that you would like to set up some time to discuss this with them.

You need actionable steps and you want these folks to start connecting you to other people to improve your network. True story: I knew one woman who was 9 people removed from her original contact to land her perfect job. That is tenacity!

3: Research Opportunities

Besides just checking the job boards and LinkedIn (which is a valuable not-to-be-skipped step), start looking for opportunities not disclosed yet. Follow your 5-6 ideal companies and read their updates on twitter, facebook, blogs, etc. What are they saying? Where are they expanding? What new deals have they won? Do those have a need for a fine professional like you? In generally, employees are looking for the best person that is the easiest to find. Make it easy for them. John Decker continues, “If someone can get to a manager with a problem before they start formally looking for candidates, and can do so with a good introduction, they have a much better chance of being hired. Be the only candidate, not one of hundreds.”

4: Prepare Yourself for the Interview

Great! You have landed that coveted interview. You need to research the heck out of the company and the people you will be interviewing with. Visit their LinkedIn profiles and see what they are reading, their backgrounds, their roles, etc. Guess what – they are doing the same thing about you. And, since you have worked on your digital persona, you know what they think of you. Be prepared to answer questions on the “pro” and “con” of you. Know how to respond no matter which “position” your interviewer takes.

5: Leverage Intel for Your Negotiations

Just because the economy is bad and you may just “need a job,” it doesn’t mean you need to be at the mercy of your future employer. Try sites like Glassdoor and (again) LinkedIn to see what these companies are offering for your type of job and what the average in the market is. Check your network to see if they have some perks you can ask for (extra vacation, additional training, conferences to attend, etc.) Most often, if you leverage this as “career development” you can find most employers willing to negotiate with you. Worst case, you know that you got the best deal you can, and now you can make the decisions with the benefit of full insight.

Next Steps

Find the few things you know you can do right now. Some of these may not apply to you. Pick your battles. But know that finding any job, let alone that “great job” is hard. The more you practice “socializing your job search,” the better you increase your odds over the next person.

Great blog written by Todd Wilms, SAP (http://www.forbes.com).

If you liked the skills listed above, check out the executive recruiters at BestLogic Staffing. Additionally if you need a new Resume or Cover Letter, visit AssembleMyResume.com.

Wish you the best in 2012 !

Job Interview Tips

2011-11-02T09:17:00.001-07:00

Job Interview Tips

An interview gives you the opportunity to showcase your qualifications to an employer, so it pays to be well prepared. The following information provides some helpful hints.

Preparation:

Learn about the organization.
Have a specific job or jobs in mind.
Review your qualifications for the job.
Be ready to briefly describe your experience, showing how it relates it the job.
Be ready to answer broad questions, such as “Why should I hire you?” “Why do you want this job?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Practice an interview with a friend or relative.

Personal appearance:

Be well groomed.
Dress professionally.
Do not chew gum or smoke.

The interview:

Be early.
Learn the name of your interviewer and greet him or her with a firm handshake.
Use good manners with everyone you meet.
Relax and answer each question concisely.
Use proper English—avoid slang.
Be cooperative and enthusiastic.
Use body language to show interest—use eye contact and don’t slouch.
Ask questions about the position and the organization, but avoid questions whose answers can easily be found on the company Web site.
Also avoid asking questions about salary and benefits unless a job offer is made.
Thank the interviewer when you leave and shake hands.
Send a short thank you note following the interview.

Information to bring to an interview:

Resume or application. Although not all employers require a resume, you should be able to furnish the interviewer information about your education, training, and previous employment.
References. Employers typically require three references. Get permission before using anyone as a reference. Make sure that they will give you a good professional references.
Transcripts. Employers may require an official copy of transcripts to verify grades, coursework, dates of attendance, and highest grade completed or degree awarded.

Working with Headhunters (Candidates and Companies)

2011-10-05T12:04:00.001-07:00

Working with Headhunters (Candidates and Companies)

***For Candidate***

Headhunters -- who are generally more active than simple recruiters -- primarily look for candidates to fill top-level, desirable positions. If you already have a job like that, they feel they can find you a better one; besides, when they find you a job, they get paid too.

If you are contacted out of the blue, it's probable that the recruiters found your resume on a job board -- one of our writers posted his resume on January 1, and by January 4 he'd gotten ten unsolicited calls. Since you probably posted your resume on several boards the last time you looked for a job, your information is out there.

When should I contact a headhunter/recruiter?

Contact recruiters before you need them. It could take a year or two before the right opportunity arises, so it's wise to develop relationships early. Find out which firms specialize in your industry and job level.

If you're about to change jobs, contact recruiters with whom you've worked, because you already have the relationship built with them and their companies.

How do I meet headhunters?

If you know someone who is searching for a new job, ask for an introduction to a headhunter/recruiter. Recruiters are always looking for qualified candidates to add to their internal databases.

If you aren't able to connect with a recruiter via networking, you can always approach them with a low-key, professional resume and letter. Never come across as being overly motivated to change jobs; you want the recruiter to work hard to find you the best opportunity, even if you're willing to take the first job that's offered.

How can I be sure my headhunter is trustworthy?

Given the economic situation that arose at the end of the last decade, recruiters have come to realize that they hold a lot of power when it comes to placing candidates. Many companies are choosing to hire employees first as contractors, so that if they don't work out or if the company needs to reorganize or reallocate resources elsewhere, it's easy to let them go. That said, recruiters are also extremely motivated to find you a job where you're happy and successful -- it increases the likelihood you'll use them again.

Generally, recruiters are more trustworthy now than they've been in the past 10-20 years. The advent of the internet and the sheer number of firms means that, once you're a client, you're a valuable asset they don't want to lose.

If you want to check into your recruiter, the best way to do so is to simply run a web search. You'll have to comb through at least a dozen pages of results -- often more -- because the recruitment firm's name will be on a lot of job postings. Seek out anything that sounds troubling to you, because in the end it's you who'll be trusting your information and your reputation to your recruiter. If you feel uncomfortable, choose someone else.

***For Companies***

What should I be aware of when I work with headhunters?

Working with headhunters can be tricky. Some are honest, and some are not.

Some have the best interests of candidates and their clients at heart, and others do not.

This should not deter you from using the services of a recruiter. Knowing what to expect

from a good recruiter and knowing the warning signs of a less-than-scrupulous headhunter

can make the experience of working with one more rewarding, whether you are a potential

client or a candidate. However, understand that all headhunters are sales people, and good

ones are trained to get what they want, quickly. What they want is a placement, and of

course, their fee.

Therefore, I always tell companies that when they are dealing with headhunters to set

ground rules.

• Get everything in writing and don't accept a resume until you see the details of the fees,

guaranties, etc. in writing.

• Not all hires are good. Be sure there is a guarantee period that is at least 30 days.

• Make sure that the fee is on base salary, not total compensation. You don't want to pay a

fee on bonuses, commissions, and the like.

• What is the candidate screening process. Do they meet the candidates or do they just do

phone screens?

• What are the payment terms? Is money due up front or when you hire someone?

Recruiters work on both contingency (you pay when they find someone), and retainer (you

pay up-front and as you go along). There really isn't a preferred method. More experienced

headhunters (like the author of this article), or executive search companies, will only work

on retainer, they want to know that the client is committed before they start a search. That

doesn't mean that inexperience recruiters work on contingency, many are simply more

comfortable with a contingency arrangement.

• Don't accept resumes from headhunters whom you do not have an agreement with, and

let all your managers know. Be aware that in the United States it is not legal for anyone to

send an unsolicited fax. Therefore, if you receive solicitations from headhunters via

facsimile, send it back.

Many headhunters will not disclose the names of their clients to candidates.

They do that for several reasons:

• The client doesn't want people knowing who they are.

• The client doesn't want candidates calling them directly.

• The headhunter does not want you calling the client, and going around them.

• The headhunter does not want word to get out that the company has an opening, thereby

increasing the chance that the client getting a sales call from another recruiter.

14 Reasons to Make a Sideways Career Move

2011-02-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

14 Reasons to Make a Sideways Career Move

by Dawn Dugan, Salary.com contributing writer (source: www.Salary.com)

When it comes to your career path, sometimes "up" isn't the only direction in which to travel.

A sideways or "lateral" move -- defined as a move either within your current company or to a new organization with similar title, pay, and responsibility -- can often pay off in the future.

Here are 14 reasons to make a lateral move.

Reason #1: You want to enhance your value and be more marketable

A lateral move often gives you the opportunity to gain additional skills and knowledge.

Reason #2: You'll work with a better boss or supervisor

Sometimes making a lateral move is a good way to cement an opportunity to work with someone who will be a great mentor. These relationships can often have a positive and lasting effect on your career path.

Reason #3: You want more visibility

If you are working in a peripheral part of the company, making a lateral move to a more vibrant part of the company can give you the responsibility and visibility you desire.

Reason #4: You want to track yourself for a high-level position within your organization or industry

The more you learn about all facets of a particular company or industry, the more broad knowledge you'll possess to perform senior roles to your fullest capacity.

Reason #5: You want to facilitate work-life balance

Whether you want to remain in a particular geographical area, spend less time commuting, or free up time for family or personal passions, a lateral move may allow you to maintain other things aside from work that are important to you.

Reason #6: You want to build your network within the company

Moving from one department or organization to another means working with new faces and making new contacts, both of which are integral to your career.

Reason #7: You are burnt out, and want to revitalize

Changing departments or organizations is a good way to ensure you have new challenges to face, and are once again excited about going to work.

Reason #8: You want to avoid a layoff, or enhance job security

If your department is being downsized, or you don’t perceive it as being high up on the value chain, making a lateral move to another department can increase security.

Reason #9: You want to break out of a stagnant situation

You're feeling at a dead end, or not quite sure where you want to go from here. Making a lateral move will help you explore new possibilities.

Reason #10: You want more opportunities for advancement

If you have stiff competition in your division and are constantly getting passed up for promotion, moving away from your current environment can provide new opportunity.

Reason #11: You want better benefits

Sometimes making a lateral move from one organization to another can provide you with significantly better benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, and employee perks.

Reason #12: You want to better match your values with that of the department or organization

You may not get a fancy title or more money, but having values that align is invaluable when it comes to your motivation and happiness

Reason #13: You want additional education

Many lateral moves come with training and additional education that only increase your value, both to your current employer as well as to future employers.

Reason #14: You are still searching for your dream job

If you find you don't love what you do, exploring a lateral move can help you find a job you are passionate about.

Sometimes sideways is the best way

When considering your next career move, don't discount the lateral move. Just like chess, sometimes sideways is the best move to get you to where you eventually want to go.

12 Tips for Generating Strong Job Leads

2011-02-14T09:58:00.001-08:00

12 Tips for Generating Strong Job Leads

by Dawn Dugan, Salary.com contributing writer (Source: www.salary.com )

Whether you are unemployed or simply looking to make a move, in a world where jobs are more competitive than ever, finding a job is a full-time job.

You can up the odds of landing a good gig by creating an organized, systematic plan to generate job leads. This article explores 12 active ways to ensure the leads keep rolling in.

1. Use your network

Only about 25 to 30 percent of jobs are advertised in the newspaper. The rest are "hidden." The best way to access these hidden jobs is through friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and contacts in your industry.

Identify and reach out in an organized manner to people who can help you, and let them know what kind of work you're looking for. If they can't help you, they probably know of someone who can.

2. Make it personal

Remember the days when you sent out a pile of generic cover letters and resumes, then waited for the phone to ring? Gone.

Replace this passive activity with a more action-oriented effort to establish relationships. Make sure every contact you make, whether it is by snail mail or email, references something you've learned about the contact or organization, and reveals something memorable about you.

3. Try the foot-in-the-door approach

Instead of asking for a meeting to discuss potential jobs (it's too easy to say "no" if there aren't any), try asking for a meeting for advice or information. Approached this way, most people are happy to help.

This approach gets your foot in the door, regardless of whether there is a job currently available. The person you meet with will remember you in the future if a suitable job opens up, may know of a person or organization that needs someone just like you, or may even be impressed enough to create a position for you!

4. Make cold contact

Make a list of potential employers, research each one carefully, then send each one a custom-tailored, personalized cover letter and resume describing what you can do for them.

You could possibly connect with a job that hasn't been advertised yet, or remind a company that they need help in a specific area.

5. Build your own website

Highlight your education, accomplishments, skills, and knowledge. Most important, make sure your website is properly optimized.

Quite often, employment agencies and human resources departments will do keyword searches in an attempt to find ideal candidates for certain jobs.

6. Join professional and trade organizations in your area

Many of these organizations hold regular meetings, seminars, and conferences. Joining these organizations will give you credibility, will increase your education and knowledge, and will allow you to rub elbows with some of your industry’s movers and shakers. It will also get you in front of the people and companies you want to work for.

Being active in professional and trade organizations is one of the best ways to get a good job quickly.

7. Contact your college career/alumni office

One of the most overlooked benefits of your college degree is the large network of people you acquire upon graduating.

Contact your alma mater's career department to find out what kind of services they offer. Chances are they can put you in touch with fellow graduates in your line of work who would be more than happy to lend a helping hand.

8. Attend job fairs

Search local publications for job fairs happening in your area. The key to generating leads at job fairs is to know who is attending ahead of time, and to develop a planned approach for visiting these potential employers.

Even if you are a high-level employee and the job fair is focusing on low-level employees, attending so that you can meet specific hiring managers is a good way to find out if there's a good fit now, or to ensure you're remembered if there's a good fit in the future.

9. Use online jobs sites and boards

Many job seekers neglect this route, thinking they will get lost among the throngs of other job seekers. While job boards shouldn't be your only way of generating leads, used correctly they can yield results.

Using the right keywords and truly understanding the finer points of how to use these sites can help you stand out in a crowd. Online job sites and boards are also a great resource for company information, which can help you custom tailor your outreach.

10. Align yourself with recruiters and headhunters

Find out who specializes in your industry or area, send them your information, and arrange a meeting. Headhunters and recruiters have tons of contacts, and it's in their best interest to find these contacts the best possible employees.

If there's not currently a potential match, be sure to keep in touch frequently. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

11. Stay linked in

Ask new contacts to join your LinkedIn network, or other online business-related networks you belong to. This will keep them abreast of what you're up to, and will keep your name fresh in their minds when that perfect position becomes available!

Joining groups in LinkedIn is also a terrific way to meet people who are in your industry.

12. Follow up each lead

Finding a job is more difficult than ever these days, but the formula for successful lead creation remains the same. In addition to making as many contacts as possible, through as many avenues as possible, it's important to follow up on every single lead.

Even if there's not a current match, following up will allow you to cultivate the relationships that may lead to future employment.

Persistence pays

You'll up the odds of finding your dream job if you generate as many good leads as possible. Follow the 12 tips in this article, leave no avenue unexplored, and be persistent.

It may take a little longer these days, but eventually, with the right strategy, your hard work will yield the results you're looking for.

About BestLogic Staffing:

BestLogic Staffing (BLS) is a full-service staffing search firm that has diligently emerged itself in recruiting and placing qualified and quality candidates with expertise in Accounting, Finance, Executive Management, A/E/C, Engineering, Environmental, Manufacturing, Energy, just to name a few.

Our Services
* Temporary Staffing * Temp-to-Hire * Direct Placement * Executive Search * Payrolling * HR Consulting

Whether you are looking for a job, adding to your staff, or need any advice within the scope of hiring-we will do whatever it takes to help you succeed!

Responding to Job Postings

2011-02-07T13:00:00.001-08:00

Responding to Job Postings

(Source: www.rileyguide.com)

The fastest way to respond to Internet job listing is to e-mail your cover letter and resume to the person or organization indicated.

However, there are some simple rules to follow before hitting the “send” key. Look at it this way.You have 15 or 20 seconds to get someone’s attention using email. In that time, you must convince the recipient to

open your email
read your message
not delete your email

Do it wrong, get into the wrong mail box, or make someone’s job harder, and the best resume in the world from the most qualified person in the world will be trashed.

Getting your email opened, read, and actually considered really comes down to some simple rules.

Use the right Subject. “Seeking employment” is not an acceptable subject. If you are responding to an advertisement, use the job title or job code cited in the advertisement to make it easy for your e-mail to be recognized and routed to the appropriate person. If you are “cold calling” an employer, put a few words stating your objective or in the Subject line.
Include a cover letter in your email and address it to the recipient. “Here’s my resume, please tell me if you have any jobs I might fill” is not a cover letter and does not encourage anyone to look at your resume. Whether or not you are responding to an advertised opening, the cover letter will introduce you, specify how you meet the needs of the employer, and will encourage the recipient to read your full resume.
Always send your resume in the body of the e-mail message, not as an attachment. Force someone to open an attachment just to get to know you and your 20 seconds are over before they even start. Put that resume right in the message so the recipient will see it as soon as he or she opens the message. This technique also helps you get through e-mail systems that reject all attachments in this day of rampant computer viruses.
Make sure your resume is properly formatted for e-mail. Plain text resumes not formatted for email can be unreadable, and unreadable resumes will most likely be deleted. Take the time to make sure it will look as good on all computers and in all email systems as it does on your screen. This means shorter text lines, spacing between sections, and text-based highlights.
If responding to an advertisement, read the application instructions and follow them. Failing to follow application instructions not only delays your resume, it labels you as someone who doesn’t take direction well. It’s the Trash bin for you. They might specify an email address and job code to use. They might even actually ask you to send your resume as a Word attachment. Whatever they want, you do.

Always remember: It only takes a second for someone to delete an e-mail message. Don’t give them a reason to trash you! Think before you respond!

Check out our websites:

BestLogic Staffing www.BestLogicStaffing.com

AssembleMyResume.com www.AssembleMyResume.com

Great websites to start looking for employment

2011-01-31T13:35:00.001-08:00

Great websites to start looking for employment – ( BestLogic Staffing )

America’s Job Exchange – http://www.americasjobexchange.com/

careerbuilder.com – http://www.careerbuilder.com/

careeronestop - http://www.careeronestop.org/

Indeed (one search-all jobs)

- http://www.indeed.com

job-hunt – http://www.job-hunt.org/

Monster - http://www.monster.com/

Yahoo! hotjobs – http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/

Simplyhired - http://simplyhired.com

craigslist - www.craigslist.com

BestLogic Staffing

Our Services
* Temporary Staffing * Temp-to-Hire * Direct Placement * Executive Search * Payrolling * HR Consulting

Whether you are looking for a job, adding to your staff, or need any advice within the scope of hiring – we will do whatever it takes to help you succeed!

Using Social Networks for Your Job Search

2011-01-24T14:15:00.001-08:00

Using Social Networks for Your Job Search ( By Neha Bawa – BestLogic Staffing)

The good thing about social networking is that it allows you to create a brand or an image for yourself in a very public sphere with very little cost to you. At least financially.

With social networks expanding beyond the reach of teenagers and college students, creating and utilizing professional contacts is become easier and daunting at the same time. The key is to know how to separate the grain from the chaff. In other words, when you’re using networks such asTwitter, LinkedIn or even Facebook, begin with researching and following people in your industry.

Websites such as Twitter allow the option of creating lists that you can follow; therefore staying current with the industry becomes quite easy.

However, for professional purposes, LinkedIn is probably the best place to begin because you can tap into your own network contacts, which can include your friends, employers and school networks.

About.com has a list of recommendations to follow when establish an online presence geared specifically for job searching. Bear in mind that creating a credible online presence takes a lot of time, effort, consistency (i.e., becoming a subject matter expert) and frequent updates. Although frequency is a relative and subjective term, an absence of longer than two weeks may become detrimental to your online persona.

Other resources VisualCV TweetMyJobs

For more information, go to our websites:

www.bestlogicstaffing.com & www.assemblemyresume.com

Five tips for using Facebook & MySpace for Job Searches

2011-01-17T20:15:00.001-08:00

Five tips for using Facebook & MySpace for Job Searches

(By Neha Bawa -BestLogic Staffing – www.bestlogicstaffing.com )

Increasingly, people are beginning to turn more and more to online social networks to tap into their job search potential. And while they’re online, it’s easy to forget that an electronic trail is much harder to cover up than a paper trail, so establishing a few rules of decorum that won’t hinder your job search process or your employment possibilities.

1. Stay current

While it’s important to stay abreast of developing trends in your field, it’s also important to keep your own online persona active. If you’re in the market and looking for work, keep yourself in the public eye. You can’t be considered if people don’t know you’re around.

2. Keep your status updates relevant to your job search

This part of networking is rather flexible. We all tend to connect with friends and family on online social networks, so, as far as possible, keep your status updates related to your quest for employment and career. Mentioning your efforts to expand your qualifications is also noteworthy.

3. Establish boundaries for social networking against professional networking.

The last tip is actually a great segue for this one. Yes, we all interact with friends and family on social networks, especially on Facebook and MySpace, but an online presence is very easy to track and research. Therefore, establishing boundaries between social and professional networking becomes essential. The best rule of thumb with boundaries is: “If you don’t want your mother to see it, then don’t post it.”

4. Don’t complain about your employer, internship, professor or colleagues. You never know when that could come back to haunt you.

A quick internet search will show you a lot of stories of people who have vented about their employers and colleagues online only to regret it with drastic steps taken against them. Yes, it’s possible to lose your job over letting out a little steam in the public sphere. So hold yourself back when the temptation to whine is high.

5. Limit the number of photos posted.

Being active online means considering the repercussions of every step taken. College students tend to post pictures of parties and drinking nights, which don’t reflect very well in the public sphere and they hinder the prospects of future employment. A future employer may not be willing to develop a generous opinion of you or your professionalism after stumbling across a photo-journal of a wild, drunk night of yours.

Make sure to Visit our websites:

www.BestLogicStaffing.com & www.AssembleMyResume.com

Resume Writing Tips - College Grads

2011-01-11T06:33:00.001-08:00

Resume Writing Tips (written by Neha Bawa – Bestlogic Staffing)
All right – so you’ve picked up your credits, done your time in school and you’re ready to begin working. But you’re worried that you don’t have enough experience to put down on your resume. Or you’re worried that you don’t have a good resume. In fact, you may not even have an actual resume at all.
But that’s all right. Because identifying the problem is the first step. Doing something about it is the second one.
The Anatomy of a Resume
Field of work notwithstanding, all resumes need to have a few key elements: – - An Objective: Describe your career objective in 1-2 sentences. – Education: List any degrees completed, in progress or relevant certification and course work. – Experience: Beginning with most recent position, list your past employers, internships and/or major projects that relate to the position you’re applying for.
How do I write mine?
By keeping active keywords at the forefront of your mind. Employers search their databases using certain keywords, so it’s important that you include these keywords when you submit your resume. Most times, you’ll be able to find the words you need in the job description, e.g., job titles and skill headings. All it means for you is that you tweak your resume slightly for every job that you apply for. Moreover, using numbers to describe your achievements and responsibilities can greatly expand and elevate your image. Using numbers and quantifying creates vivid images in our mind when we read them, whereas general statements are easy to skip over or forget. Typically, the more specific you can be in describing your duties, the better.
How long does it need to be?
Long enough that it covers the length of your relevant experience but short enough that it doesn’t put prospective employers to sleep. Sometimes a single-page resume just doesn’t have enough space to cover all the information you need to convey. How do I get it out there? Use the power of networking and the Internet to aid your job search. While job boards are a good source, use your online and on ground social network. Consider posting your resume on a personal web site or social networking sites like LinkedIn.
The First Impression
Common sense helps when you’re out applying for work. Before you submit your resume, take the time to: – - Spell check. Misspelled words and grammatical errors don’t help. – Get a second set of eyes. Ask someone – a teacher, a supervisor, a tough friend – to give your resume a quick look to make sure you’ve done every thing right. Don’t ask your mom.
www.bestlogicstaffing.com & www.assemblemyresume.com

12 New Year’s Resolutions to Land a Job in 2011

2010-12-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

12 New Year’s Resolutions to Land a Job in 2011

BY PETER ENGLER, ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2010

Source (http://blog.mengonline.com/2010/12/08/12-new-years-resolutions-to-land-a-job-in-2011/ )

I will use December to get “into gear” regarding my career search with these resolutions:

1) I will ensure that my resume is current, two pages in length, proof-read, with a two-three line powerful summary statement at the top of the first page. I will ensure that my bio is current, interesting to read and would cause someone to want to meet me.

2) I will ensure my 60-second “elevator speech” is current and as interesting as my bio. I will practice delivering it until it is second-nature.

3) I will re-contact my references (three supervisors, three peers, three subordinates) to update them on my search status, remind them of my key strengths and thank them for being willing to act as a reference. I will avoid over-using my references and thank them when I “land”.

4) I will create or re-energize my support network and meet them and new contacts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

5) I will create a CRM program (www.freecrm.com is one option) and keep a careful record of all contacts that I have ever met that are pertinent to my search. I will follow-up on all opportunities with alacrity and energy.

6) I will consider working with an executive career coach and taking some assessments to sharpen my sense of my professional profile, interests, skills, and needs. This step will help me clarify my search objectives and create an effective and vital search action plan that will result in the right position for me (I will “look for work, not just a job”).

7) I will draw a 40-mile circle around my home and identify all the companies in that circle where I would like to work. I will learn all that I can via the internet and contacts about how their business could benefit from my expertise, skills and interests. I will contact the most likely executives, including board members, to establish relationships that might lead to consulting or employment.

I will consider obtaining presentation skills and interviewing training to sharpen my presence and confidence in interviews. I will prepare for the wide range of questions that I will be asked. I will be expert in how to interview effectively by phone and in person.

9) I will dedicate a specific amount of time each week, ideally the same days and times, to my search. I will treat my search as seriously as I do (did) my job.

10) If I am not working, I will find a part-time job that keeps me feeling active, pays something and is consistent in some way with my career objectives if possible.

11) I will keep my family, friends and support group current regarding my search and I will enlist their support and love to keep me energized and focused.

12) Once I land that next consulting role or full-time employment, I will keep doing all of the above to be well-prepared for the next “work interruption”.

What will your resolutions be? Please share them with us in the comments; we’d love to hear from you!

Make sure to check out our website www.BestLogicStaffing.com

U.S. 2011 Employment Outlook: Nowhere to Go but Up, Right?

2010-12-22T14:34:00.001-08:00

U.S. 2011 Employment Outlook: Nowhere to Go but Up, Right?

By Theresa Minton-Eversole (http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/staffingmanagement/Articles/Pages/NowhereToGo.aspx)

U.S. employers report that they expect small staffing gains for the first quarter of 2011, according to the seasonally adjusted results of the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released Dec. 7, 2010, by Manpower Inc. The results are the most positive indication revealed in the survey since 2009 that post-recessionary hiring in the U.S. is on the rebound.

The quarterly report gathers data from nearly 64,000 employers across the globe. The latest survey reveals improved hiring expectations from 12 months earlier in 28 of 39 countries and territories, including the G7 countries, where hiring plans are stable or improved from the fourth quarter of 2010 and the same time in 2009. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the net employment outlook improves slightly from both three months ago and from this time in 2009.

Manpower’s net employment outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers expecting an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

Reporting the most optimistic hiring expectations since 2009, U.S. employers forecast small staffing gains for the first quarter of 2011. Specifically, this quarter’s survey reveals:

Five straight quarters of employment growth in the U.S.

Widespread stability: The percentage of employers planning to keep staff levels unchanged persists at unsurpassed levels; those in seven of the 13 industry sectors surveyed expect to remain relatively stable compared to the fourth quarter 2010.

The current outlook is still below the past decade’s average: Despite positive signals, the

Quarter 1 2011 outlook is nearly 5 percentage points below the average outlook from 2001 to 2010.

These results are similar to those released by the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) report on Dec. 3, 2010. The LINE report examines four key areas: employers’ hiring expectations, new-hire compensation, difficulty in recruiting top-level talent, and job vacancies. It is based on a monthly survey of private-sector human resource professionals at more than 500 manufacturing and 500 service-sector companies, which make up more than 90 percent of the nation’s private-sector workers.

The LINE report revealed that in December 2010, the hiring rate is projected to be at or near a four-year high. “HR professionals are also saying they are finding it harder to locate the talent needed for key positions,” said Jennifer Schramm, GPHR, manager, SHRM workplace trends and forecasting. “This is another sign that at least for some types of in-demand high-skilled jobs, the market is improving.”

"Across nearly all geographies in the world, the confidence to do additional hiring is improving," said Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres. "However, like the U.S., the lack of robust demand for products and services is creating a persistent level of uncertainty."

Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed, 14 percent expect an increase in staff levels in their first-quarter 2011 hiring plans, while 10 percent expect a decrease in payrolls, resulting in a net outlook of 4 percent. When seasonally adjusted, the quarter’s outlook becomes 9 percent. Seventy-three percent of employers expect no change in their hiring plans, while 3 percent indicate they are undecided about their hiring intentions.

“The fact that hiring expectations are trending upward is an encouraging sign,” said Jonas Prising, Manpower president of the Americas. “This quarter’s survey responses paint a picture of a job market that is easing up, although not as quickly as anyone would like. We are still stuck in first gear, but the ongoing sector-wide improvement we have seen over [2010] suggests that the labor market is ready to shift to a higher gear in 2011.”

Employers in 11 of the 13 industry sectors surveyed have a positive outlook for the first quarter of 2011: Leisure & Hospitality (12 percent), Professional & Business Services (11 percent), Information (10 percent), Wholesale & Retail Trade (10 percent), Mining (6 percent), Durable Goods Manufacturing (6 percent), Nondurable Goods Manufacturing (6 percent), Education & Health Services (6 percent), Other Services (4 percent), Financial Activities (4 percent) and Transportation & Utilities (2 percent).

The January 2011 through March 2011outlook is negative in the Construction (-9 percent) industry, while Government hiring is expected to be flat. Employers in two industry sectors, Mining and Wholesale & Retail Trade, expect their hiring pace to decrease compared to the previous quarter, while those in three industry sectors—Information, Education & Health Services, and Leisure & Hospitality—expect to see staff levels picking up. Hiring plans are relatively stable in the remaining industry sectors.

Compared to 2009, employers in all four U.S. geographic regions surveyed also expect an increased pace of hiring. Employers in the Midwest and South have the most optimistic view, with a net outlook of 10 percent. The net outlook is 9 percent for employers in the Northeast and 7 percent for those in the West. When adjusted for seasonal variations, employers in the Northeast, Midwest and West expect a moderate increase in hiring compared to 2009; employers in the South expect a slight increase. Quarter-over-quarter employers in the West report the strongest growth in job prospects, with a 6-point increase.

BestLogic Staffing - www.BestLogicStaffing.com

2010 Booming Jobs

2010-12-20T14:23:00.001-08:00

2010 Booming Jobs (www.cnnmoney.com)

Biomedical Engineer

10-year growth: 72% Median pay: $76,000

Telecommunications Network Engineer

10-year growth: 53% Median pay: $87,000

Environmental Engineer

10-year growth: 31% Median pay: $81,000

Software Architect

10-year growth: 34% Median pay: $119,000

Physician Assistant

10-year growth: 39% Median pay: $92,000

Environmental Health & Safety Specialist

10-year growth: 28% Median pay: $71,000

Physical Therapist

10-year growth: 30% Median pay: $75,000

Construction Estimator

10-year growth: 25% Median pay: $68,000

Occupational Therapist

10-year growth: 26% Median pay: $72,000

Employment Recruiter

10-year growth: 28% Median pay: $60,000

Still Looking ?

2010-12-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

Still Looking?

By Steve Higgins

http://www.linkedin.com/share?viewLink=&sid=s193553688&url=http://lnkd.in/XFNv_H&urlhash=PagS&uid=5418136292279980032&trk=NUS_UNIU_SHARE-lnk

Aldin Beslagic, President of BestLogic Staffing quoted in this magazine publication.

How YOU can succeed in your job search by NOT following the crowd!

2010-12-09T12:24:00.001-08:00

How YOU can succeed in your job search by NOT following the crowd!

Written on November 26, 2010 by Julie Walraven

http://bx.businessweek.com/work-life-balance/view?url=http://designresumes.com/2010/11/i-woke-up-no-internet-access/

The economy has been challenging for more than three years and I feel for the retailers who really need to make those sales. But I am still not drawn in by Black Friday type of sales. Mass crowds and craziness just don’t appeal to me. Some people thrive in those environments but I am definitely not one of them!

As a job seeker or individual who is seeking to make a career transition, you should not be one of those who follows the crowd if you want to be successful in the job search. Following the crowd will slow down your chances of connecting with the right people to move you forward in your search.

If you are following the crowd in your job or career search, you will:

Blast out resumes in volume because you think the more out there the better. (NO!)

Keep all your cover letters the same because it is only a cover sheet anyway. (NO!)

Concentrate ONLY on looking for jobs via job boards because you think all the jobs are posted there. (NO!)

If you choose to differentiate yourself from the crowd, you will:

Clarify specifically what you are looking for in a new position so that you have specific companies and targets in your search before you send out an accomplishment-filled, value-rich resume.

Look for innovative ways to connect with the decision makers and hiring managers using your network and LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter to find connections.

Write strategic cover letters that explain how your experience and talents meet the needs of the company and can help the company succeed. Think deeply about your differences when you write any of the critical documents in a job search: resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, or thank you or follow-up letter.

A career search, transition, or job search needs as much strategy and planning as any other important event in your life, doing things with a herd-like mentality will not make you the chosen one in the hiring manager’s eyes.

8 solid steps to restore and reinvigorate your routine after job loss

2010-12-03T09:39:00.001-08:00

8 solid steps to restore and reinvigorate your routine after job loss

Written on November 9, 2010 by Julie Walraven

http://bx.businessweek.com/work-life-balance/view?url=http://designresumes.com/2010/11/i-woke-up-no-internet-access/

I woke up this morning at 4:10am thinking I would get an early start on my day. After collecting my coffee, Daytimer, and my colored pens, I turned on the computer in my office only to find I had NO Internet access. Panic set in!

We grow reliant on the things that we expect to be there. For me, that now includes wifi access in my home when I turn on the computer. Loss of connectivity means the inability to do the things I do daily. No way to check my e-mail or worse, no way to connect on Twitter or Facebook. Without wifi, I can’t write posts or Google anything.

We do become dependent on the things we count on and it is easy to want to throw in the towel, call it quits, and not look for other options. I was already thinking about how I could pack up the laptop and go find access elsewhere for the day. Starbucks is just down the street, hmmm, I could have more coffee and wifi —definitely a winning combination!

As a job seeker, waking up to find that the routine you are used to — getting ready and going to work everyday — isn’t there any more can also cause a panic. You are now a statistic — you experienced job loss. You need to figure out the steps to get a sense of normalcy back. Put a routine in place to find your next position. Without a plan, you will continue to get the panic feeling.

Let’s build a check list:

Start each day by getting ready for work just like you did before. If you stick to your old schedule, you will feel more organized. Get up, shower, get dressed. If you are female, do your hair and if you usually wear make-up, put it on. No staying in jammies all day long.

Eat your breakfast. Your mind needs fuel so give it some. I know there are some people who are opposed to having breakfast but it really does get you on the right track.

Get that resume written and ready to go. Make sure it contains all the Tell me WHY reasons to hire you.

Start organizing your network. Don’t disconnect from the people you talked to before. Go to lunch, have coffee, continue your enjoyable pastimes. If you cut yourself off from your whole world, opportunities to network will dissolve.

Research other options to connect. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have grown astronomically in the last two years as ways to connect with people to gain information and access to people who do have the power to hire you.

Besides all of the job search activities, take some time to replenish yourself. If you like home improvement projects, prioritize them and starting working to complete the top of your list. If you like gardening, go out and work on the yard. If you like crafts, put some of your energy into working on them. If you like to read, spend some time reading up on your favorite subject. In other words, don’t just wallow in your frustration.

Get regular exercise. Everyone says that but it is proven that our mental attitude is improved when we exercise regularly.

In other words, replace the panic feeling of a job loss with a plan and you can move forward with confidence!

Networking

2010-11-17T11:15:00.001-08:00

Networking

Networking can serve as a valuable strategy at each and every stage of your career development.

What is it?

In short, it’s simply connecting with people, your most valuable resources at every phase of your pursuits.People can help you to assess your skills and interests; to explore industries and work functions and theirintersection with academic disciplines; to learn about challenges and opportunities, the skills required, thejargon, and the trends in specific fields; and they can help you to focus your career or job options. By talking topeople, you get information, advice, and referrals. And, since nearly 80 percent of all jobs are neveradvertised, you learn about opportunities that otherwise would go unnoticed. The more contacts you make,the more likely you are to uncover the hidden job market.

Types of Networking

When you’re networking for information, advice, or referrals and possible job leads, it’s most likely you’ll beconducting that activity in one of three ways: (1) through purposeful personal contact done by phone, email,business letter, online networking sites, or in person; (2) at a function or an event designed for “schmoozing” ormingling with other professionals; or (3) by happenstance. In all cases, you’ll want to be ready. You may besurprised, for example, at the number of internships secured on flights back to school after holiday breakthrough conversations with the stranger in the next seat. So, whether you are working a room at a social event,initiating a purposeful personal contact with someone, or seizing an opportunity that presents itself, you shouldfind the tips below useful.

Making Personal Contact

Before you actually start making personal contacts, do some homework. Begin with yourself. What is yourpurpose? Do you have a career or industry focus, or are you seeking contacts who might serve as resources tohelp you discover your interests and desires? Follow your hunches about the industries and work functions thatyou think would most interest you, and do some background research that might enrich any conversation orexchange you will have with the people who are actually in that line of work. Continue your homework afterdefining your purpose and researching industries or work functions by beginning to build your network ofcontacts, which includes learning as much as you can about the people you will be contacting.

Reed’s office ofcareer services has a variety of resources that can help you get focused in all of these areas.

Start to build your network by listing your natural acquaintances and contacts:·Family and their friends· Friends and their families· Reed Alumni Career Network· Volunteer affiliations (e.g., clubs, organizations, church, etc…)· Professors, advisers, coaches· Former or present work colleagues· ProfessionalsAsk yourself, “Who do I know?” and add anyone who comes to mind to your list.

Your goal at this stage is toconnect with your natural network to discover not only if they have direct advice but also if they know of othersmore closely affiliated with your interests.Let them know your interests and aspirations. The more people who know of your interests, the greater thechance that doors will open for you. Your chances of being in the right place at the right time are increasedwhen you are attentive to this fact. It’s sometimes called “managing your luck.”Before you make contact (with either your natural network or new people discovered through them), prepareyour introduction or “elevator speech.” This step will also be useful for those unpredictable moments whenyou are presented the opportunity to connect with someone new (e.g., on the flight home or at a social function).

Examples:

Dear Dr. Griffin,Professor D. Owl suggested that I contact you regarding your research. I will soon graduate from ReedCollege with a degree in political science and philosophy. After working this past summer as a legalresearcher for a law firm in Anchorage, Alaska, I’m back in Portland to finish my studies and hope to find a jobwith a local civil rights organization or public policy group. Would you have a few minutes to share any adviceor ideas with me?

*Elevator speech: who, what, why in 30 seconds.Hello (person’s name). My name is (your name). I was referred to you by (referral name). I am interested inlearning more about (material science, web development, whatever). I wonder if you would have a moment toshare with me any advice, ideas, leads, and referrals.*(Taken from The Foolproof Job-Search Workbook, by Donald Asher, a Reed alumnus, who has given us permission touse it).

Expand your networkAs you meet alumni and other people, focus on shared interests and common traits. Find parallels between yourexperiences and theirs. Do you share similar interests such as social justice, the environment, orentrepreneurship? Have you studied the same subjects or under the same professors? Identify and accentuatethe commonalities.As you develop a clearer picture of your work or career plans, you can begin to broaden your network ofcontacts beyond those closest to you. How? As before, people are your best sources. If you can get two to fournames from each of your natural contacts, your network will have expanded exponentially. When asking forreferrals to other contacts, be specific: “Do you know anyone whose work responsibilities include (duty A,duty B, or duty C)?” or “Can you suggest anyone in this industry or field whom I should contact?” followed by“May I use your name as my referral source?” In some cases, your original contact may even be willing tointroduce you.

Other sources for expanding your network include professional associations, many of which have studentmembership rates, BLOGS or other online networking sites, newspaper articles or other media features, andformal networking programs or events such as the Reed Alumni Career Network or special events or paneldiscussions on campus that feature alumni or other professionals. Most important: engage yourself; contributein your industry of interest. This means volunteering your time and skills to individuals or organizationsactively working in the industry of your choice. Establish working relationships with others in the industry andfind more contacts. Professional conferences are staffed by volunteers who can position themselves to meetyoung and senior professionals, for example.

At this point in your cultivation and nurturing of contacts you may be ready use the more formal tool called theinformational interview. You may have been employing it already, since you have been talking with others andgathering information to sharpen your focus and expand your network.

Need a Job? Find Out Which Companies Are Hiring for the Holidays

2010-10-21T12:14:00.001-07:00

Need a Job? Find Out Which Companies Are Hiring for the Holidays

By TORY JOHNSON
(http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/JobClub/job-companies-hire-holidays/story?id=11741056)

According to a new projection from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, retailers will hire between 500,000 and 600,000 workers for the holidays. (Last year, 501,400 were hired.) If you expect to nab one of those seasonal slots, now is the time to act.
Start now: Almost every employer I spoke with said they will begin interviewing in early to mid-October to make sure their seasonal staff is in place when they need them. Don't wait until Thanksgiving to pound the pavement. Now is your time.
Be flexible: You'll have more options on scheduling the earlier you apply, but flexibility on day, evening, overnight and weekend shifts will give you access to the most opportunity. Be clear on which days and times you're available.
Juggle Jobs, or Work from Home
Apply in person (where applicable): Apply in person where applicable. This may mean a paper application or a kiosk, depending on the company. Dress the part and chat up the manager, too, so you can put a face to your resume. If it's retail, visit the store and get to know the merchandise before applying. Ask if and when you can call on the status of your application so you're not in the dark.
Double up: Most seasonal jobs pay minimum wage to $12 an hour (again, just an average) and you'll likely have part-time, not fulltime, hours. This means if you're looking to work fulltime, you'll have to juggle more than one seasonal gig to make the most money.
For a comprehensive list of employers looking to fill more than 200,000 seasonal positions for the holidays.
Work at home: This category is one of the most popular among GMA viewers -- answering customer service calls from home. Calls to customer service explode during the holiday season, and five of the biggest home-based customer service providers will recruit more than 10,000 seasonal agents, many of whom will have the opportunity to stay on after the holidays based on individual performance. As a home-based agent, you'll handle customer questions, process online and catalog orders and other related duties.
So Who's Hiring?
Among the companies to explore: Alpine Access, Arise, Convergys, LiveOps, VIPDesk and Working Solutions.
Each company hires workers differently: employees, independent contractors and incorporated agents. Some offered paid training, while others do not. Ask questions and explore their websites in great detail before determining if there's an appropriate fit for you. (Also, if you've applied previously, but there was no suitable opening for you, you'll have to apply again to be considered for seasonal work.)
Retail: This is the most popular form of holiday work. I talked to a handful of the giants and this weekend I walked in to stores of all sizes to ask about holiday hiring plans. Every place told me they are planning to hire some kind of seasonal help -- sales, customer service and stock. And big box companies employ seasonal staffers 24 hours a day.
Shipping and Security Positions to Open Up
Some of the biggest national retailers are hiring big this season: JCPenney will add 30,000 jobs. Macy's says it will add 65,000 jobs. Toys R Us will hire 45,000 people, including 10,000 who'll work at their 600 new pop-up express locations. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, doesn't release its specific numbers, but says its seasonal hiring is on par with last year.
Walk your neighborhood or mall. Even though you may not see a HELP WANTED sign in the window, walk in and ask. Security and Shipping: More customers mean more security is needed for stores. One national company, Allied Barton, provides guards for retailers and office buildings across the country. The company will add more than 1,000 seasonal hires this year.
Buying gifts often means sending gifts to family around the country. UPS says it expects to hire 50,000 people, the majority of whom will be drivers and package handlers who help drivers make deliveries and who sort, load and unload packages.
Those are just two of the biggest companies in their categories, but there are many companies hiring on the local level. SnagAJob.com lists hourly seasonal jobs in security, shipping and retail with local and national companies.
Sitters Wanted
Sitting Services: The two biggest spikes are pet sitters (while families travel) and babysitters. Care.com sees a spike starting in about a month for pet sitters and SeekingSitters.com sees a big jump in childcare requests from Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, which is the only night of the year when families expect to pay a significant premium on services, typically as much as double the standard rates.

Unemployed find old jobs now require more skills

2010-10-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Unemployed find old jobs now require more skills
By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER (AP) – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON — The jobs crisis has brought an unwelcome discovery for many unemployed Americans: Job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for them.
They're running into a trend that took root during the recession. Companies became more productive by doing more with fewer workers. Some asked staffers to take on a broader array of duties — duties that used to be spread among multiple jobs. Now, someone who hopes to get those jobs must meet the new requirements.

As a result, some database administrators now have to manage network security.
Accountants must do financial analysis to find ways to cut costs.
Factory assembly workers need to program computers to run machinery.
The broader responsibilities mean it's harder to fill many of the jobs that are open these days. It helps explain why many companies complain they can't find qualified people for certain jobs, even with 4.6 unemployed Americans, on average, competing for each opening. By contrast, only 1.8 people, on average, were vying for each job opening before the recession.
The total number of job openings does remain historically low: 3.2 million, down from 4.4 million before the recession. But the number of openings has surged 37 percent in the past year. And yet the unemployment rate has actually risen during that time. Companies still aren't finding it easy to fill job vacancies.

Take Bayer MaterialScience, a unit of Bayer. When the company sought earlier this year to hire a new health, safety and environment director for one of its plants, it wanted candidates with a wider range of abilities than before. In particular, it needed someone skilled not just in managing health and safety but also in guiding employees to adapt to workplace changes.
Joe Bozada, chief of staff for Bayer's CEO, said the company initially interviewed 30 candidates. Then it did final interviews with seven. But none had the additional experience the company now wanted. Ultimately, Bozada said, the company chose one of its own employees it had already trained.

That shift, across multiple industries, has caught the eye of David Altig, research director at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Workers aren't just being asked to increase their output, Altig says. They're being asked to broaden it, too.

A company might have had three back-office jobs before the recession, Altig said. Only one of those jobs might have required computer skills. Now, he said, "one person is doing all three of those jobs — and every job you fill has to have computer skills."
The trend is magnifying the obstacles facing the unemployed. Economists have long worried that millions of people who have lost jobs in depressed areas like construction don't qualify for work in growing sectors like health care. But it turns out that some of the jobless no longer even qualify for their old positions.

Frustrated in their efforts to find qualified applicants among the jobless, employers are turning to those who are already employed.

"They're hiring a known quantity that already has this specific experience on their resume," said Cathy Farley, a managing director at Accenture. "It is slowing some of the re-hiring from the ranks of the unemployed."

Only 49 percent of people laid off from 2007 through 2009 were re-employed by January 2010, according to a Labor Department survey. It's the lowest such proportion since the survey began in 1984.
And more than 40 percent of the nearly 15 million unemployed Americans have been out of work for six months or longer. That's near the record high set during the recession.
Some of the unfortunate ones are information technology workers. One reason is that tech companies are increasingly combining business analyst and systems analyst positions.
Suppose a company wants a new software application. A business analyst would seek the least expensive approach and then propose the technical requirements. Separately, a systems analyst would build the technology.
But now, employers want "those two skill sets in one human being," said Harry Griendling, chief executive of DoubleStar Inc., a staffing firm outside Philadelphia.
The trend reflects the push that companies made during the recession to control costs, squeeze more output from their staffs and become more productive. Productivity measures output per hour worked. Economy-wide, it soared 3.5 percent last year. It was the best performance in six years.
And it means workers are bearing heavier burdens. In manufacturing, employees increasingly must be able to run the computerized machinery that dominates most assembly lines. They also have to carry out additional tasks, such as inspecting finished products, notes Mark Tomlinson, executive director of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Manufacturers advertised nearly 200,000 jobs at the end of August, a jump of about 40 percent from a year ago, according to government data. Yet hiring by manufacturers has risen less than 6 percent over that time — evidence that they are having a hard time finding qualified workers.
"There are jobs available, but the worker just has to have more skills than before," Tomlinson said.
Bob Brown, 49, of Dayton, Ohio, has felt the demand for broader skills firsthand. After working for 30 years in manufacturing, including 20 as a plant supervisor, Brown was laid off in July 2009.
He spent a year looking for a new job. His efforts yielded only three calls from employers in the first four months.
But once things began to pick up, Brown noticed something else: The plant management jobs he used to have, and that he was aiming for again, all required certifications in productivity-boosting management practices.
So Brown paid for courses at a community college to learn a management strategy known as "six sigma." It's an approach to cutting waste and raising efficiency popularized by General Electric. The courses allowed him to obtain his certification. In August, he was hired by an electrical product assembly plant near Williamsport, Penn.
"That's the way the industry's going," Brown said. "Everybody wanted certifications."
Human resource specialists say employers who increasingly need multi-skilled employees aren't willing to settle for less. They'd rather wait and hold jobs vacant.
HR specialists even have a nickname for the highly sought but elusive job candidate whose skills and experiences precisely match an employer's needs: the "purple squirrel."

Posted by BestLogic Staffing – For more information, please go to our website
www.Bestlogicstaffing.com

18 Ways to Impress a New Employer

2010-09-29T14:05:00.001-07:00

18 Ways to Impress a New Employer

It can take four to 14 months to find the right job... and fewer than 90 days to lose it. According to executive coach Linda Seale, most professional and managerial dismissals are due to failure to understand and fit into a company’s culture.
It is during these first weeks on the job that your boss and colleagues form the most lasting impressions about you. But remember, they don’t expect you to be perfect. As long as you show intelligence, versatility and a willingness to work and learn, people will be happy to have you aboard and rooting for you to succeed.

Here are 18 ways to make sure you get off on the right foot:
1. Take a break. Take a week’s break between jobs to clear your head. At the very least, get a good night’s sleep before your first day so you’ll be at your best.
2. Check your interview notes. Recall the names and titles of everyone you met and interviewed with so you will be able to greet them and pronounce their names correctly.
3. Study up. Collect back issues of the company’s newsletters, annual reports and press clippings. Check out your competitors’ literature, too, to get a better handle on the "big picture."
4. Work full days. Know where and when to report on day one. Get there 30 minutes early and leave when or after most of your co–workers do. Notice people’s schedules and work habits, so that you’ll know the optimal times and means to connect with others.
5. Project positive energy. Look and act as if you’re happy to be joining the team.
6. Look good. All eyes are on you, so pay attention to your grooming. Dress tastefully and slightly above dress code.
7. Keep a journal. Write down procedures, names of key people and contact numbers, so that you’ll look like a quick study.
8. Be flexible. Expect and embrace the inevitable challenges of your position. A flexible attitude will decrease stress for you and others.
9. Show appreciation. Be kind and appreciative to everyone who helps you learn the ropes.
10. Listen 80 percent; Talk 20 percent. Resist offering opinions or assessments –– that road is full of land mines. You’ll get more respect by listening and absorbing what your co–workers have to teach rather than by showing off how much you know.
11. Get to know your boss. Observe your boss’ personality and work style, and tailor your interactions to his or her preferences.
12. Clarify expectations. Make sure you and your boss are on the same page. Find out:
o What priorities and issues need to be immediately addressed.
o How often and in what format you should provide project updates.
o How your performance will be evaluated.
13. Connect with colleagues. Get to know as many people as you can especially your teammates and those with whom you will work regularly. Establish the foundation for a relationship, and trust and information will follow.
14. Identify key players. Find out who the decision–makers, influencers, stars and up–and–comers are. Notice the traits they have in common and try to emulate them.
15. Uncover hidden agendas. Identify any political forces at work. While you want to avoid getting involved in politically charged situations, it’s helpful to be aware of undercurrents.
16. Take initiative. As you finish assignments and are ready to handle a bigger workload, ask for more. Pick projects that have support from upper management and buy–in from your staff.
17. Don’t make major changes. Even if your interviewer told you the company was looking for fresh ideas, proceed carefully. Show respect for those who have invested energy in a project or system before trying to change it. There may be obstacles you aren’t aware of. Ask why things are done the way they are and seek feedback from people whose support you need. Applaud what is being done right and frame changes as enhancements.
18. Be a team player. Don’t engage in gossip. Always make your boss look good. Share credit with your workmates.

How to ask your boss to work flextime?

2010-09-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

How to ask your boss to work flextime
By Anne Fisher www.cnnmoney.com

Dear Annie: I hope you and your readers have some suggestions for me, because I'm just about at the end of my rope. My 89-year-old mother, who has what her doctor calls "moderate" Alzheimer's disease, came to live with us a few months ago and needs constant supervision. We are lucky enough to have a licensed practical nurse who comes in on weekdays to be with her, but the nurse leaves at 3 p.m., which is right around the time my two teenaged kids get home from school. They've been great about pitching in, but I don't feel it's fair to ask them to give up extracurricular activities in order to keep an eye on my mom. The long and short of it is I really would like to be able to work from home in the late afternoons and early evenings.
The problem is my company expects everyone to be at his or her desk from 9 to 5 (or later), no exceptions. With the technology we have now, I could work more flexible hours without any problem, but my boss says there is no policy allowing this and that it would be "disruptive" to the office routine. How can I convince him otherwise? -Frazzled

Responds from Anne Fisher:
You surmise correctly that many other people share this dilemma, or a similar one. According to a raft of recent surveys, the so-called sandwich generation -- made up of people like you who are trying to care for children and parents at the same time -- is under more pressure than ever these days, partly due to ever-lengthening workdays brought on by the recession.
A whopping 89% of Americans say that balancing work and the rest of life is a problem, and more than a third (38%) say it has gotten worse because of the economic downturn, according to a new poll by research firm StrategyOne (www.strategyone.net).
More than 80% of Baby Boomers ages 45 to 54 are experiencing "high levels of stress" from juggling responsibilities at work and at home, says another survey, this one by the Hartford Financial Services Group and consulting firm ComPsych. Nearly half (46.6%) said that they were worried about how care giving is affecting their job performance.
The good news here is that many employers are aware of the struggle: About one-third of employees that responded to a recent global workforce study by the human resources consulting firm Towers Watson said that they were permitted to work from home either full-time or part-time, and an additional 50% said that they have the green light to do so "occasionally."
Moreover, new research by a nonprofit called WorldatWork suggests that -- partly in hopes of keeping their best people from quitting when hiring finally picks up again -- employers are showing more interest in offering their workers help with work-life balance, including flextime.
Elder care programs in particular are on the rise. Jamie Ladge, a management and organizational development professor at Northeastern University in Boston, notes that about 33% of large employers in the U.S. now offer elder care assistance of some kind, up from about 15% just 10 years ago.

How Are We Going to Put Americans Back to Work?

2010-09-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

How Are We Going to Put Americans Back to Work?
By James P. Pinkerton
Published September 13, 2010

OK, nearly one ten American workers is unemployed. The jobless rate, to be exact, is 9.6 percent; that’s the highest level in 27 years. Indeed, if unemployment stays above nine percent for another four months, that will mean the longest spell of nine-percent-plus unemployment since 1941. President Obama’s much touted “recovery summer,” in other words, seems destined to join “prosperity is just around the corner” in the forlorn annals of misplaced presidential optimism.
So how will we put America back to work? Where will the new jobs come from? Those are serious questions in America today. After all, whenever corporate outsourcers hear the words, “good jobs at good wages,” they ask themselves: Could those good jobs be done for “bad wages” overseas?
Let’s review three categories of jobs for the 21st century, and see how they stack up--because one day, we’re going to have a president who is serious about reducing unemployment.
The first category is “green jobs”-- you know, the jobs touted by Obama and his ex-aide, Van Jones. We don’t hear so much from Jones anymore, but as the president himself said in June 2010, “The transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of jobs.” Well, sure it does--the potential is there, even if the reality is much trickier. After all, it was this administration that made it possible for 79 percent of “stimulus” money for wind-energy projects to end up overseas, employing foreigners. OK, that was 2009. Could we say that perhaps the Obama administration has learned anything since about funding domestic jobs--as opposed to foreign jobs?
Well, not really. As The Washington Post reports, some 200 workers at the GE lightbulb factory in Winchester, Va., are losing their jobs, thanks to Green legislation.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN
Ten Worst Places to Live
President Changes Tune on Health-Care Costs
6 Top Car Insurance Myths
3 steps to take when disposing of your computer
Filling your car's tires with nitrogen not worth the added cost
How so? Back in 2007, one of the first actions of the newly elected Democratic Congress was to pass requirements effectively prohibiting the familiar incandescent light bulb by 2014, in favor of the new energy-saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. But as The Post put it, the legislation had “unintended consequences, because the new bulbs could be made cheaper in China: “Rather than setting off a boom in the U.S. manufacture of replacement lights, the leading replacement lights are compact fluorescents, or CFLs, which are made almost entirely overseas, mostly in China.” Oops. And yet of course, it never seems to have occurred to the Obama administration, nor Congress, to change the 2007 law. “Green” by itself, it would seem, is much more important to top Democrats than “green jobs.”
As one Winchester plant worker told The Post, “Everybody's jumping on the green bandwagon. . . . We’ve been sold out.” Even more perversely, the CFL bulbs are dangerous. As Scientific American magazine--not in any way a right-wing publication--explains, the mercury inside the fragile bulbs is “highly toxic . . . especially harmful to the brains of both fetuses and children.” So we can also see that “green” is also more important than “health.”
So now we can see the full idiocy of the new policy: Uncle Sam passed a rule shutting down American factories, so that we can spend good money importing billions of little “hazmat” globes from China. And the Obamans see nothing wrong with this picture.
But if Democrats are kidding themselves--and us--about the reality of “green jobs,” others are also in denial about future sources of employment. Let’s take high-tech as a second possible source. We might consider this headline in The New York Times: “Once a Dynamo, the Tech Sector Is Slow to Hire.” Uh oh.
For years, both parties have put their emphasis on high-tech jobs in cool industries such as information technology (IT). Yes, it’s fun to think about Google and Apple, but in reality, they are small fish, employment-wise. Google might be a $150 billion company, but it has just 20,000 employees, while the vast bulk of Apple employees--in the form of contractors, held at arm’s length from America (and from the EPA, OSHA, unions, etc.)--are over in China.
As The Times notes, high tech profits have been “soaring,” and yet those same companies have been “slow to hire, a sign of just how difficult it will be to address persistently high joblessness.” Indeed, domestic employment in such IT fields as data processing and software publishing has actually fallen. As The Times explains, the issue is offshoring and outsourcing to countries that not only pay lower wages but also might have superior skills: “Emerging economies have been harvesting their long-term investments in math and science education and attracting high-tech firms...to their shores.” Obviously it’s important, as a matter of national strategy, not to give up on high-tech computing jobs, but since the U.S. workforce is expanding by 1.5 million or so every year, we have to consider all possible avenues for pumping up employment.
So if not green jobs, and if maybe not IT, what’s left, job-wise? A third promising area is health care. Health care jobs are labor-intensive, few of them can be outsourced, and their number will naturally expand as the population ages; senior citizens, now 12 percent of the population, will be 19 percent of the population in just two decades. So job growth in the health care sector is inevitable--unless, as we might add, the government does something drastic to crimp it.
As Fortune magazine notes, “The number of registered nurses is expected to swell to 3.2 million by 2018, accounting for approximately 581,500 new jobs. . . . That's up from 2.6 million today, and it represents the largest overall growth projection out of all occupations in the U.S. economy.” Sounds pretty good.
But wait--the Obamans do indeed want to do something drastic to crimp health care, and thus to crimp health care employment: They want to shrink that sector, too. As the president said back in July 2009, he had two goals for Obamacare: To cover everybody and to reduce costs: “My bottom lines will remain: Does this bill cover all Americans? Does it drive down costs both in the public sector and the private sector?”
But how can that be? How can the health care sector be shrunk, even as demand is expanding?
Answer: It can’t. It won’t happen. The Obamans might wish to apply their British National Health Service-admiring, ration-everything, small-is-beautiful approach to yours and my health and medicine, but after the November elections, they won’t have the power to do it.
Indeed, the reality of the upward march of health care costs is obvious: As the headline in last Thursday’s Wall Street Journal: “Health Outlays Still Seen Rising.” So much for all the those Obamacare promises about “bending the curve” downward on health care costs. Continued cost-escalation might be bad from a fiscal point of view, but it’s good from an employment point of view, to say nothing of a health care point of view.
Right now, Americans agree, creating jobs and restarting the economy is a higher priority than reducing the deficit and debt. And people always care about their health, and the health of their loved ones, which is why, say, Medicare rarely takes so much as a nick.
Of course, some might argue that the real goal should be to deliver cures, not just health care, so that we can save money and have a healthier population. But let’s not hope for too much, all at once. First we have to get the Obama administration to stop poisoning us in the name of green jobs, and then we have to stop kidding ourselves about the millions of new jobs to be found in IT. We’ve dug ourselves into a pretty deep hole, here, and it will take a while to dig ourselves out. And as we have seen, one place to start is health care.

Responding to Job Postings

2010-05-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

Responding to Job Postings
(Source www.rileyguide.com)

The fastest way to respond to Internet job listing is to e-mail your cover letter and resume to the person or organization indicated.

However, there are some simple rules to follow before hitting the "send" key. Look at it this way. You have 15 or 20 seconds to get someone's attention using email. In that time, you must convince the recipient to
open your email
read your message
not delete your email
Do it wrong, get into the wrong mail box, or make someone's job harder, and the best resume in the world from the most qualified person in the world will be trashed.
Getting your email opened, read, and actually considered really comes down to some simple rules.
Use the right Subject. "Seeking employment" is not an acceptable subject. If you are responding to an advertisement, use the job title or job code cited in the advertisement to make it easy for your e-mail to be recognized and routed to the appropriate person. If you are "cold calling" an employer, put a few words stating your objective or in the Subject line.
Include a cover letter in your email and address it to the recipient. "Here's my resume, please tell me if you have any jobs I might fill" is not a cover letter and does not encourage anyone to look at your resume. Whether or not you are responding to an advertised opening, the cover letter will introduce you, specify how you meet the needs of the employer, and will encourage the recipient to read your full resume.
Always send your resume in the body of the e-mail message, not as an attachment. Force someone to open an attachment just to get to know you and your 20 seconds are over before they even start. Put that resume right in the message so the recipient will see it as soon as he or she opens the message. This technique also helps you get through e-mail systems that reject all attachments in this day of rampant computer viruses.
Make sure your resume is properly formatted for e-mail. Plain text resumes not formatted for email can be unreadable, and unreadable resumes will most likely be deleted. Take the time to make sure it will look as good on all computers and in all email systems as it does on your screen. This means shorter text lines, spacing between sections, and text-based highlights.
If responding to an advertisement, read the application instructions and follow them. Failing to follow application instructions not only delays your resume, it labels you as someone who doesn't take direction well. It's the Trash bin for you. They might specify an email address and job code to use. They might even actually ask you to send your resume as a Word attachment. Whatever they want, you do.
Always remember: It only takes a second for someone to delete an e-mail message. Don't give them a reason to trash you! Think before you respond!

Check out our websites:
BestLogic Staffing www.BestLogicStaffing.com
AssembleMyResume.com www.AssembleMyResume.com

Always move from industry to a specific job search

2010-05-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Always Move From Industry to a Specific Job search

While searching for employers and opportunities, looking for job listings at several levels, and thinking about moving from industry and resources to specific sites and positions.

Tips

Start with www.indeed.com and www.simplyhired. The following websites allow job seekers to find jobs posted on thousands of company career sites and job boards.
Make sure to check out the employer’s website, even if you find that they’ve listed jobs in other locations. Job Boards are expensive and companies tend to list more job requirements on their own website.
Target the online industry journals and newspapers for your profession.
Scan through the appropriate professional web sites and journals to find job listings marketed to specific jobs, industries, and locations.
See if you know anyone at the company where you are applying to. If you do, try networking with that individual.
Even if you don’t know anyone there, maybe you are connected to someone through www.linkedin.com . Another great networking website. If you have a connection on linkedin.com, ask the person to introduce you to the hiring manager.
Once you have applied to a position, make sure to follow up in a week or two. We always recommend that all our candidates keep track of all the places they have applied to and follow up with the person in charge.
FYI… (Source www.CareerXRoads.com )
Referrals make up 27.3% of all external hires!
The Company Website represents 1 in 5 of all external hires (approx 20%).
Hires attributed to specific Job Boards (Monster.com, CareerBuilder and HotJobs) and generic Niche Boards represent only 12.3% of external hires.

Check out our websites: BestLogic Staffing – www.bestlogicstaffing.com
AssembleMyResume.com – www.assemblemyresume.com

Best Practices for LinkedIn – Using another growing form of social media to network

2010-04-11T17:18:00.001-07:00

Best Practices for LinkedIn – Using another growing form of social media to network ( BestLogic Staffing - www.bestlogicstaffing.com )

LinkedIn has emerged as the social media network of choice for professionals who would like to build their career oriented networks. As our previous posts have shown you, using a social media platform comes with personal responsibility, and LinkedIn is no different in this arena. However, because it has been created exclusively as a professional network platform, the stakes for maintaining a clean image are even higher.

1. Begin with your profile.
And keep it current. List all your former employers and schools – the more exposure you have, the easier it becomes to network.
2. Make your profile public, and include the link to it in your email signature.
3. Add a professional photograph of yourself to your profile.
Network contacts and potential employers prefer being able to put a face to a name. Having a professional photograph of yours uploaded to your profile increases your credibility and demystifies your professional persona.
4. Use career related keywords in your professional headline.
5. Personalize your network invitations.
We’ve all used the “I’d like to add you to my professional network” message, which is not always a good way to go. Include a short, personalized message that details your reasoning for seeking a new connection with that particular person.
6. Separate quality from quantity.
The difference between LinkedIn and every other social media platform is that LinkedIn is not about increasing exposure through numbers alone. When you begin expanding your network, try and remember whether you’re connecting with just anyone or connecting with the right people.
7. Build your network using your own Outlook and e-mail contacts and by adding your real friends.
8. Stay away from spamming and lying about how you know someone.
9. Be proactive about building your network.
10. Once you’ve established a basic structure for your new network, find groups on LinkedIn that relate to your career goals and sign on as a member. And once again, keep yourself visible and proactive.

Visit our Website: www.bestlogicstaffing.com or
www.assemblemyresume.com

Effectively Using Twitter to Find a Job

2010-04-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Effectively Using Twitter to Find a Job (BestLogic Staffing www.bestlogicstaffing.com )

We can’t say this enough – using social media to find work is finding the balance between propriety, brevity and creativity; especially with a service such as Twitter that offers an extremely limited space for a status update.

The Internet is replete with stories of people finding jobs through their social media and Twitter networks, so obviously, it can be done. Having a positive attitude helps.

The first rule is “keep it short.”

The second rule is to use strategy and maximize the scope of Twitter’s reach for your benefit.

A simple “How To” and other job search resources for using Twitter:
Connect with recruiters online – You can find recruiters in your industry via TweepSearch, a site that indexes Twitter profiles. A simple search by us yielded over 11,000 results, so remember to be specific.

Sites such as TheTalentBuzz.com recommend following Twitter profiles like @JobAngels, @JobShouts and even TwitHire to find and post leads regarding jobs.

Follow Miriam Salpeter of @keppie_careers (who has been mentioned on Forbes.com) especially to gain insights and helpful tips for social media jobs and training.

Mashble.com has an exhaustive list of Twitter profiles by industry, job type, and region.

BestLogic Staffing - We use twitter to list all of our current positions or any news that would be helpful to anyone… Feel free to follow us: http://twitter.com/BestLogic

BestLogic Staffing – www.bestlogicstaffing.com
AssembleMyResume.com – www.assemblemyresume.com

Five tips for using Facebook & MySpace for Job Searches

2010-03-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Five tips for using Facebook & MySpace for Job Searches
(By Neha Bawa -BestLogic Staffing – www.bestlogicstaffing.com )

Increasingly, people are beginning to turn more and more to online social networks to tap into their job search potential. And while they’re online, it’s easy to forget that an electronic trail is much harder to cover up than a paper trail, so establishing a few rules of decorum that won’t hinder your job search process or your employment possibilities.

1. Stay current
While it’s important to stay abreast of developing trends in your field, it’s also important to keep your own online persona active. If you’re in the market and looking for work, keep yourself in the public eye. You can’t be considered if people don’t know you’re around.

2. Keep your status updates relevant to your job search
This part of networking is rather flexible. We all tend to connect with friends and family on online social networks, so, as far as possible, keep your status updates related to your quest for employment and career. Mentioning your efforts to expand your qualifications is also noteworthy.

3. Establish boundaries for social networking against professional networking.
The last tip is actually a great segue for this one. Yes, we all interact with friends and family on social networks, especially on Facebook and MySpace, but an online presence is very easy to track and research. Therefore, establishing boundaries between social and professional networking becomes essential. The best rule of thumb with boundaries is: “If you don’t want your mother to see it, then don’t post it.”

4. Don’t complain about your employer, internship, professor or colleagues. You never know when that could come back to haunt you.
A quick internet search will show you a lot of stories of people who have vented about their employers and colleagues online only to regret it with drastic steps taken against them. Yes, it’s possible to lose your job over letting out a little steam in the public sphere. So hold yourself back when the temptation to whine is high.

5. Limit the number of photos posted.
Being active online means considering the repercussions of every step taken. College students tend to post pictures of parties and drinking nights, which don’t reflect very well in the public sphere and they hinder the prospects of future employment. A future employer may not be willing to develop a generous opinion of you or your professionalism after stumbling across a photo-journal of a wild, drunk night of yours.

Make sure to Visit our websites:
BestLogic Staffing AssembleMyResume.com
www.BestLogicStaffing.com & www.AssembleMyResume.com

Using Social Networks for Your Job Search

2010-03-19T14:27:00.001-07:00

Using Social Networks for Your Job Search ( By Neha Bawa – BestLogic Staffing)

The good thing about social networking is that it allows you to create a brand or an image for yourself in a very public sphere with very little cost to you. At least financially.
With social networks expanding beyond the reach of teenagers and college students, creating and utilizing professional contacts is become easier and daunting at the same time. The key is to know how to separate the grain from the chaff. In other words, when you’re using networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn or even Facebook, begin with researching and following people in your industry.

Websites such as Twitter allow the option of creating lists that you can follow; therefore staying current with the industry becomes quite easy.However, for professional purposes, LinkedIn is probably the best place to begin because you can tap into your own network contacts, which can include your friends, employers and school networks.

About.com has a list of recommendations to follow when establish an online presence geared specifically for job searching. Bear in mind that creating a credible online presence takes a lot of time, effort, consistency (i.e., becoming a subject matter expert) and frequent updates. Although frequency is a relative and subjective term, an absence of longer than two weeks may become detrimental to your online persona.

Other resources VisualCV TweetMyJobs

For more information, go to our websites:
www.bestlogicstaffing.com & www.assemblemyresume.com

Writing a thank you letter

2010-03-10T10:06:00.001-08:00

Writing a “Thank You” Letter
(Written by Neha Bawa – BestLogic Staffing)

Writing a thank you letter after a job interview is absolutely necessary. Really, we can’t over emphasize the necessity of sending a thank you letter to your interviewer within an appropriate amount of time, which usually should not exceed 24 hours.
Not only is a thank you letter courteous and respectful, it also reinforces your intention for seeking that particular position.

The format for writing a thank you letter is the same as for writing a cover letter. And just like the cover letters, thank you letters need to be customized for their recipients as well.
Begin your letter with thanking the person who interviewed you.

In the second paragraph, reiterate the particulars of the job that make you a good candidate for it, and once again, but briefly, remind your interviewer of your skills and achievements and state any achievements of yours that you may have neglected or forgotten to mention at the interview. Once again, keep your letter extremely brief.

If you are short on time and need to respond immediately, then sending an email to thank your interviewer is acceptable. Keep in mind that if a panel has interviewed you, then a letter needs to be sent to each individual at the panel.

Make sure to check out our websites:
www.BestLogicstaffing.com & www.assemblemyresume.com

Writing a cover letter

2010-03-10T10:05:00.001-08:00

Writing a Cover Letter
(Written by Neha Bawa – BestLogic Staffing)

A well-written cover letter should answer the question that’s foremost on every employer’s mind: why should I hire you? And it’s a really good question to ask, especially since every single applicant is competing for the same opportunity.

A good cover letter doesn’t get you the job – but it does get you to the interview. And that’s all you’re striving for in the first stages of your job search.

To begin with, the format is important. The header should be left-indented and include yours and the company’s identifying information. For example:

YOUR ADDRESS (City, State and Zip Code)
YOUR PHONE NUMBER (xxx-xxx-xxxx)
YOUR EMAIL
TODAY’S DATE
EMPLOYER/HIRING MANAGER’S NAME
TITLE
COMPANY NAME
ADDRESS
DEAR (Mr./ Ms.) EMPLOYER: (Salutation)

While writing a cover letter may be daunting, or even overwhelming, it’s easier to write one if the whole is broken down into its parts, paragraph by paragraph.
In the first paragraph, identify yourself, the position you’re applying for and why you’re interested in that position.

The second paragraph of your cover letter should address exactly why you’re qualified for that position. That is, use that space to highlight your specific skills, achievements and experiences. The key word here is “specific”. According to the Trinity College cover letter writing handout, you can cite specific jobs and accomplishments associated with your experiences. But, be careful to not quote your resume word for word.
Finally, in the last paragraph, refer to the enclosed resume and specifically state when you will follow up to inquire about an interview.

For example:
“I have enclosed my resume and references for your review, and I will follow up with your office in one week to discuss the possibility of scheduling an interview. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Your signature
Your Name

Enclosure(s)”
In short, to help you get to the interview, a cover letter should: -
· Be short, specific and simple,
· Bring forth your experience and talent in a paragraph or two, and
· Highlight your writing and communication skills.

Make sure to check out our websites:
www.BestLogicstaffing.com & www.assemblemyresume.com

2010-02-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

How to Prepare for an Interview (By Neha Bawa – BestLogic Staffing)

The Pre-Interview stage

Preparing for an interview begins with good research. You sent out your resume, you received and interview call, but there’s still a long walk to getting the job. Showing up unprepared for a job interview is not a good idea because you can shortchange yourself despite having all the required skills for the posted job description.

Remember to recount your stories of success at work. Did you ever lead a special project? Or negotiate a tough sale? Were you able to resolve an issue between coworkers without awkwardness? Did you meet a deadline despite continuous challenges at the work place? Keep all the stories handy – they prove how well you’re able to meet and resolve challenges instead of succumbing to them.

Before you walk in, make sure you’ve tried to find everything you possibly could about the company’s goals and objectives, their mission, their successes and their presence in their field.

Tip: - Always bring extra copies of your resume with you.

Professional experience

When you’re being interviewed, the information on your resume has to corroborate with the information you’re providing the interviewer. Are your technical skills true or have they been embellished? Did you really work on 5 different projects at the same time? Can you answer the questions about the Accounting software that you’ve mentioned in your resume? In other words, you have to be in person who you say you are on paper.

Talking about yourself

Most interviewers will ask you to tell them a little about yourself. Some people may feel stuck at providing the right answer, or they may stumble their way through. Or, they may even begin rambling. Remember that if you’re asked this question, this is an opportunity for you to reinforce the idea of your skills and professionalism – not a gap to fill with a miniature biography of your own life. Leave the personal details at home.

Your personal appearance at the interview

While the company may have a “casual Friday” dress code, showing up in your jeans and a t-shirt to your interview is definitely not a good idea. Not only does it negate the corporate standard, casual dressing also reflects poorly on your preparedness and interest in the position that you’ve applied for.

Your attitude

The person, or people, interviewing you will try to determine whether you’re a good fit for the job or not, and sometimes, the conclusion has to do with more than professional experience and technical skills or certifications.

Do you exude positivity and a “can do” attitude? Or do you only see obstacles instead of opportunities?

According to the blog, How to Prepare for an Interview, hiring managers look for a person who: -
1. Has good communication skills, especially listening.
2. Is optimistic and believes that he/she can make a difference.
3. Conveys honesty and openness.
4. Is a logical intelligent person who doesn’t “shoot from the hip”.
5. Can make a commitment and take responsibility.
6. Appears healthy, attractive and tasteful in dress.
7. Has compassion for others and is not egocentric.
8. On the whole is an interesting enthusiastic person who people want to associate with.

A lot of the times the interviewer will conduct background checks to understand whether you’re a “team player” or not, which means that at your interview, you need to find as much as you can about the culture of the company.

www.bestlogicstaffing.com & www.assemblemyresume.com

Resume Writing Tips

2010-02-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

Resume Writing Tips
All right – so you’ve picked up your credits, done your time in school and you’re ready to begin working. But you’re worried that you don’t have enough experience to put down on your resume. Or you’re worried that you don’t have a good resume. In fact, you may not even have an actual resume at all.
But that’s all right. Because identifying the problem is the first step. Doing something about it is the second one.

The Anatomy of a Resume
Field of work notwithstanding, all resumes need to have a few key elements: -
- An Objective: Describe your career objective in 1-2 sentences.
- Education: List any degrees completed, in progress or relevant certification and course work.
- Experience: Beginning with most recent position, list your past employers, internships and/or major projects that relate to the position you’re applying for.

How do I write mine?
By keeping active keywords at the forefront of your mind. Employers search their databases using certain keywords, so it’s important that you include these keywords when you submit your resume. Most times, you’ll be able to find the words you need in the job description, e.g., job titles and skill headings.
All it means for you is that you tweak your resume slightly for every job that you apply for.
Moreover, using numbers to describe your achievements and responsibilities can greatly expand and elevate your image. Using numbers and quantifying creates vivid images in our mind when we read them, whereas general statements are easy to skip over or forget.

Typically, the more specific you can be in describing your duties, the better.

How long does it need to be?
Long enough that it covers the length of your relevant experience but short enough that it doesn’t put prospective employers to sleep. Sometimes a single-page resume just doesn’t have enough space to cover all the information you need to convey.
How do I get it out there?
Use the power of networking and the Internet to aid your job search. While job boards are a good source, use your online and on ground social network.
Consider posting your resume on a personal web site or social networking sites like LinkedIn.

The First Impression
Common sense helps when you’re out applying for work. Before you submit your resume, take the time to: -
- Spell check. Misspelled words and grammatical errors don’t help.
- Get a second set of eyes. Ask someone – a teacher, a supervisor, a tough friend - to give your resume a quick look to make sure you’ve done every thing right. Don’t ask your mom.

Never be afraid...

2010-01-28T16:29:00.001-08:00

"Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic."

2010

2010-01-15T10:05:00.000-08:00

We have posted new positions at www.bestlogicstaffing.com and make sure to check out www.assemblemyresume.com .

Happy Holidays to Everyone

2009-12-25T10:40:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays... Please keep your eyes open for BLS - BestLogic Staffing in 2010... It will be a big year

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T04:14:00.001-08:00

happy thanksgiving to everyone... www.bestlogicstaffing.com

Quinnipiac Job fair

2009-11-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

Check out the Pictures from the Quinnipiac JOb FAIR http://www.flickr.com/photos/32512969@N08/4090912250/in/set-72157622646245867/

Graciano Brito - BestLogic Staffing

9 Effective ways to use Facebook

2009-09-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

9 Effective (and Slightly Badass) Ways to Use Facebook
by admin on December 30, 2007
( Source: http://clickwisdom.com/14/9-effective-and-slightly-badass-ways-to-use-facebook/)

I would like to help you avoid my pain.
When you join Facebook — and it’s a great networking and marketing tool, so you should — do the following.

1. Include a photo of yourself: Seeing the “?” in place of a photo is downright annoying. Ideally, you are joining Facebook to network, catch up with old friends, or market your business. People need to see a face to know if it’s you or not.
2. Incorporate Twitter: NOTE: If you don’t know what Twitter is yet, this will probably make no sense. You can share your Tweets (what you Twitter) on your Facebook profile page. This is a convenient way to share your blog post URLs, useful URLs from other websites, and random news that would be too small for a regular blog post. For an example, see my Twitter microblog. You can make your own Twitter microblog show up in your Facebook profile and update it from Facebook.
3. Post Links of Interest: Use the Post tool to share URLs that would interest your friends and business colleagues. You can include articles from other sites or your own articles. The title and an excerpt from the article will automatically appear, and you can include a brief explanation of why you’re posting it.
4. Fill Out Your Profile Info: This is how people find you. I hear people say (only occasionally, thank god) that they fill out false information or don’t fill out any at all so that they won’t receive Facebook ads. Think why you are joining this site. You want people to find you. That is the point of social networking. So, fill out the information you are comfortable providing and move on to creating your privacy settings. By the way, use your real name. Getting a friend request from “Baltimore Zombie” is going to disturb someone.
5. Change Your Privacy Settings: Go into the privacy tab and check what you want to share with others. Maybe you don’t want everyone to see your home phone and address. Select what you’re comfortable sharing with others.
6. Friend People; Don’t Sell Them Stuff: Don’t friend people, have them accept and then try to sell them something. Nothing will make me “de-friend” someone faster. Don’t friend people if you’ve never met them and have no connection to them. I get friend requests from people I’ve never met. They decided to friend me randomly. See #4 for why you should not accept a friend request from someone with a weird fake name like “Baltimore Zombie.”
7. Friend with Privacy: If you do decide to accept a friend request from someone you don’t know that well, keep in mind you can prevent them from seeing your entire profile. When you approve the friend request, you can click “can only see my limited profile.” I’ve done this several times with people I was not 100% sure about.
Once you fill out some profile information and find and add a few friends, you’ll start to get roughly one zillion friend requests. If you have your settings configured to send you updates via email, you’ll get a notice for each of these in your email. You might want to change that setting in the profile settings area. Personally, I like to receive the notices via email.
8. Calm Down When It Comes to Applications: After you add a selection of the zillion friends mentioned above, you’ll start to get “hotness requests” and sent “gifts” and basically receive numerous invitations to add applications. A lot of these are useless, don’t work properly or are annoying for various reasons. I added a few I get a kick out of such as one to share my current mood, one to share my carbon footprint, and one to share where I’ve been in the world. Of course, I also use the completely and 100% cool Twitter updater.
9. Bow Down to the Coolness of the Timeline and Feed: The feed is your communication tool on Facebook. In a way, the feed is the new email.

Don’t skip your personal home page and jump straight to your profile. Your home page houses the feed. Once you have some friends, start paying attention to what shows up there. I received a bunch of interesting articles from one friend and learned how to post my own links that will show up in other’s feeds. I get people to visit my site, and they’ve decided to come because they’re interested in what I’m saying. One friend recently posted about how an article I wrote helped her troubleshoot her PC.

For the record, I post my own links as well as links from other sites, and I only post URLs I think my friends will find interesting.
Here’s the other thing. If your friends hate what shows up in their feeds, they can give it a thumbs down and they won’t get feed bits like that in the future. If you thumbs up and thumbs down the items in your personal feed, then Facebook will get to “know” you and what you want to see there. I think this is a cool feature, because my friends straddle various worlds. The poetry people might not be interested in SEO and the SEO people might not be interested in poetry. This thumbs down/up feature gives everyone a chance to say what they want to see in the future. That’s good for me and for them.
When I started out on Facebook, I had no idea how good it would be. I tried MySpace (too trashy), Ryze (a bit clunky) and LinkedIn (very cool in different ways from Facebook) and liked Facebook for its ease of use and clean user interface.

I hope this article spares you some Facebook pain. The other day, I sent out a post to a group of 20 friends. What I did not realize is that every time a person responded, an email was sent to the entire 20 people. Yikes! How annoying for them. I looked pretty dumb, but I thankfully have understanding friends. All the same, I won’t be using that feature again anytime soon.

New accounting positions are posted...

2009-09-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

make sure to check out the new accounting positions...

www.bestlogicstaffing.com

Quote to live by...

2009-09-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”

Positions

2009-08-28T06:07:00.001-07:00

To view all positions, go to www.bestlogicstaffing.com

Bestlogic Staffing is here...

2009-08-25T12:22:00.001-07:00

Bestlogic Staffing is here

BestLogic Staffing

Economy - Items to Note & GDP

Items to Note & GDP

BestLogic Staffing (BLS) is a full-service staffing search firm that has diligently emerged itself in recruiting and placing qualified and quality candidates with expertise in various industries.

* Temporary Staffing* Temp-to-Hire* Direct Placement* Executive Search* Payrolling* HR ConsultingWhether you are looking for a job, adding to your staff, or need any advice within the scope of hiring-we will do whatever it takes to help you succeed!

Aldin Beslagic - President of BestLogic Staffing Visit our Website for more informationwww.BestLogicStaffing.comConnect with Aldin Beslagic on Linkedin.comhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/aldinbeslagic

Process Engineer | jobmagic

Tech sector layoffs fell dramatically in 2011

2012 Job Market: 5 Tips for Using Social Media to Find a New Job

2012 Job Market: 5 Tips for Using Social Media to Find a New Job

1: Manage Your “Digital Persona”

2: Create Your Network

3: Research Opportunities

4: Prepare Yourself for the Interview

5: Leverage Intel for Your Negotiations

Next Steps

Job Interview Tips

Job Interview Tips

Working with Headhunters (Candidates and Companies)

14 Reasons to Make a Sideways Career Move

12 Tips for Generating Strong Job Leads

Responding to Job Postings

Responding to Job Postings

Great websites to start looking for employment

Using Social Networks for Your Job Search

Five tips for using Facebook & MySpace for Job Searches

Five tips for using Facebook & MySpace for Job Searches

Resume Writing Tips - College Grads

12 New Year’s Resolutions to Land a Job in 2011

12 New Year’s Resolutions to Land a Job in 2011

U.S. 2011 Employment Outlook: Nowhere to Go but Up, Right?

2010 Booming Jobs

Still Looking ?

How YOU can succeed in your job search by NOT following the crowd!

8 solid steps to restore and reinvigorate your routine after job loss

Networking

Networking

Need a Job? Find Out Which Companies Are Hiring for the Holidays

Unemployed find old jobs now require more skills

18 Ways to Impress a New Employer

How to ask your boss to work flextime?

How Are We Going to Put Americans Back to Work?

Responding to Job Postings

Always move from industry to a specific job search

Best Practices for LinkedIn – Using another growing form of social media to network

Effectively Using Twitter to Find a Job

Five tips for using Facebook & MySpace for Job Searches

Using Social Networks for Your Job Search

Writing a thank you letter

Writing a cover letter

Resume Writing Tips

Never be afraid...

2010

Happy Holidays to Everyone

Happy Thanksgiving

Quinnipiac Job fair

9 Effective ways to use Facebook

New accounting positions are posted...

Quote to live by...

Positions

Bestlogic Staffing is here...

* Temporary Staffing
* Temp-to-Hire
* Direct Placement
* Executive Search
* Payrolling
* HR Consulting

Whether you are looking for a job, adding to your staff, or need any advice within the scope of hiring-we will do whatever it takes to help you succeed!

Aldin Beslagic - President of BestLogic Staffing

Visit our Website for more information
www.BestLogicStaffing.com

Connect with Aldin Beslagic on Linkedin.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/aldinbeslagic