Tag Archives: CareerBuilder

Mistletoe and making dough: Wear the right shirt and attitude for holiday job

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This post was updated on Nov. 7, 2011

Zingerman’s Mail Order brings in about 300 temporary workers to send out sugarplums from Portugal and brownie bites from its Bakehouse. Toys R Us will hire some 40,000 temporary workers for its stores and distribution centers, and United Parcel Service and FedEx together could add 75,000 drivers, helpers and others.

‘Tis the season to work in retail, and it’s already Christmas time in the malls and Main Streets of America.

Almost 30 percent of retailers will add to their staffs for the busy holiday period and so will 10 percent of hospitality companies, about the same as last year, according to a new CareerBuilder survey of 2,600 employers.

That’s about 480,000 to 500,000 seasonal jobs, according to an estimate by the National Retail Federation, or maybe 627,000 positions based on a Challenger Gray Christmas estimate for this year.

While many of those jobs have already been claimed, one-third of the employers say they’re still adding staff this month and 10 percent will still be hiring in December, according to CareerBuilder.   November is the big month for hiring, according to Challenger Gray, which recommends going to the store and starting an in-person conversation with a manager.

So start now if you want a holiday job this year, but don’t go anyplace on a Saturday because most retailers and restaurants are too busy handling paying customers to consider potential candidates. Go on a weekday afternoon or another slow time.

Here’s three more  tips on landing a seasonal job:

  1.  It’s who you know and what you know.  Start your search at a store where you know someone or something, Challenger Gray suggests. “You should also target establishments of which you are a frequent customer,” CEO John Challenger said. If you are very familiar with the merchant, the store and the merchandise, show that clearly – by wearing their sweaters or shoes to the interview or commenting on their new line of hair care. If a friend works at the location 15 miles away, ask her to email or call the general manager the day before your interview and sing your praises.
  2.  Show success and customer-service savvy.  This may come from volunteering at a dance marathon or PTA fundraiser. It may appear in your leadership role in a student organization or working in your aunt’s shop on busy weeks.  But make sure it shows up in your application, even if the work was unpaid. Demonstrate your customer-focus mindset in the way you treat people before and after the interview, and if you see a row of books that needs straightening up or a person who needs assistance, jump in and do it.
  3.  Weekends and midnights – perfect! You must be available almost every weekend through New Year’s and some strange shifts that start or end at 1 or 4 a.m. If possible, be upbeat and enthusiastic about the chance to sell truffles or Teddy Bears at 6 a.m. every Saturday. Attitude matters – and so does availibility. People who are unwilling to work certain hours was the biggest turnoff to hiring managers in the CareerBuilder survey.

If you apply online as many retailers require, stop in at the store about three or  four days later. This helps you stand out from the crowd of candidates and allows you to show positive attitude and company attire.  “Have a three-sentence elevator pitch on why you’ll be a great employee ready,” said Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com. Then be prepared for a hello and a handshake or an impromptu interview.

MORE IDEAS / INFORMATION:

Home for the holidays? Here’s my WorkingKind post on making connections while you make merry.

Five tips for getting started on temping -in my Glassdoor piece.

 Fortune.com contributor Anne Fisher has advice on holiday hiring – and turning it into a permanent job.

If your company is sinking and you are starting to plan for your future, read my blog post first written for Borders Books staffers.

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More signs the job market is warming up

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Even in a spring as full of gray chilly days with snow and sleet as this has been, eventually the tulips bloom and we start planting carrots, oregano and pepper plants. The U.S. job market may also be warming up nicely, with  268,000 jobs created by private-sector employers in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the highest since 2006.

The report Friday had other encouraging news too: More than 200,000 long-term jobless found work or consulting projects, or were otherwise not counted as unemployed. And every sector, except government and temporary employment, added jobs last month, with retail, manufacturing and health care showing especial strength in hiring.

Two months ago, in a blog post for Glassdoor.com, I listed seven signs of spring  in the job market, including some BLS numbers and hiring by small businesses for 12 months. Lately, more green is showing up in the hiring fields – and more flowers are preparing to bloom. So with hopes that my optimism will ring true in the months ahead, here then are seven more signs of growth in hiring:

  1. Companies are recruiting more HR people. Human resources job penings increased 34 percent in the last year, same gain as health care, according to Indeed’s blog. Companies hire HR people when they need help with recruiting or retaining talent.
  2. Some areas experience labor shortages. Recruiters say it is increasingly difficult to find well qualified candidates, according to the latest Society of Human Resource Executives LINE survey. In IT security, database administration and nurse practitioner openings, there are more jobs than job-seekers, according to CareerBuilder. The two-to-one ratio of jobs for candidate is a standout.
  3. The number of quitters has inched up. The proportion of job leavers now is higher than the laid-off, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This is a big shift, and indicates people are confident they have other work options.
  4. Hiring on college campuses has increased. This year, 42 percent of college seniors who had looked for work has received a job offer by graduation, up from 38 percent last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. More seniors also were saying no to offers, holding out for something better or more appropriate.
  5. Metro unemployment rates keep declining. More cities are adding jobs, according to the BLS. And Indeed reports that 15 metro areas – from New York to Milwaukee to San Francisco – have one job for every candidate, meaning much less competition to land the opening you seek than a year or two ago.
  6. Job openings are more plentiful. SimplyHired experienced a 33.9 percent increase in postings in the year ended in April, CareerBuilder’s job listings rose 23 percent as companies hire staff “in nearly every role.” These openings will mean more hiring in coming months.
  7. Innovation seems to be increasing. Some jobs available today didn’t exist two years ago, and some  companies  hiring hundreds of people didn’t either. Think Etsy and Groupon and all those app makers. Think filmmakers for YouTube. Think about hiring on or creating another Google or Netflix in your city. Consider the virtual internships and start-ups showing up not just in Silicon Valley but in Saline, Mich., and Southern Georgia.

To be sure, there are concerns that could freeze some green shoots of hiring. High oil and gas prices are cutting hiring in the travel sector, SimplyHired reported. Initial jobless claims are rising, and many companies are sitting on the sidelines of hiring, or adding jobs outside the United States.  State and local governments continue to shed jobs and some are in danger of insolvency. We still have 13.7 million Americans out of work, and at current levels of hiring, it could take another five years to reach pre-recession unemployment levels, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Yet the pace of hiring is picking up – in the last three months it has averaged 233,000 jobs a month, double the rate of the previous three, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Small companies are being established and bringing on friends or part-timers to grow. Corporate profits are strong and many individuals have learned to grow gardens or their own jobs.

Call me an optimist, if you like, but the employment tulips have shown up in bright red and yellow and soon career roses and broccoli will bloom again – in the yards and lives of many.

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Shopping at work? Know the rules and be selective

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Planning to squeeze some holiday shopping in between answering customer calls or working on your next project?
If you’re checking deals on Cyber Monday or any other work day, first check out your employer’s policies on personal Internet use. Understand all the minutae of how many minutes of personal web use is acceptable or what constitutes excessive personal emails or chats.
And think through how your online shopping spree could change your perception and personal brand at the office. It may show your humanity and interest by buying gifts, but it also could put a chink in your hard charging, working like a ninja person.
So consider these three tips:
Go on the off hours. Arrive to work early to check the sales and do any “pre-shopping,” then buy on your lunch break. Let your boss know if you think that’s necessary, says Charles Purdy, Monster-Hot Jobs senior editor. Better yet: Announce to the surrounding cubes that you’re “Hitting the online sales now instead of going out to lunch. I’ll let you know if I find any good deals!”  This lets coworkers know what you’re up to so they won’t look surprised to see you on a store site.

Be selective. One third of employers allow employees to shop online but monitor for excessive usage, according to Robert Half Technology. So set an online timer and stop after 30 or 45 minutes of online shopping. And shop only when you’re ahead of work; use a 15 minute shopping spree as a reward for finishing a major task. Or shop online for some personal gifts after you’ve cleared your inbox and to do list for the day.

Prevent personal information from being ‘shoplifted.’ If a holiday offer looks too good to be true, it likely is, warns Robert Half Technology. Don’t click links or sites that could infect your company’s network with phishing attacks or viruses. Don’t go on those on your Blackberry or iPhone either – though those could be an option if your employer frowns on online shopping or is among half of employers that block online shopping sites.

Finally, know the costs and consequences of overstepping the shopping boundaries. One in five employers have fired a staffer for Internet use not related to their job and one in 10 have fired someone for non-work related emails, according to a CareerBuilder survey of 2,457 hiring managers. And lest you think the holiday spirit will save you, 5 percent of employers have fired someone for online holiday shopping. No one needs the gift of an unemployment check this season – so if your workplace has Scrooge-like policies on Internet use, take your lunch hour and shop from your personal laptop or iPhone.

More information:

A Monster HotJobs  article offers other smart tips on online shopping.

The Better Business Bureau gives 10 tips for safer online shopping, including paying with a credit card for the protections against fraud.

CareerBuilder’s survey shows nearly one-third of workers say they shop at the office.

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Smile and stop squirming. Body language speaks loudly in interviews

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Remember how your Mom used to tell you to stop fidgeting and look people in the eye?
Turns out her advice holds true – and especially if you’re at a career fair or job interview.
Lack of eye contact was the biggest body language mistake that could reduce your chances of being hired, according to a new CareerBuilder.com survey.
Skipping a smile came in second – so be sure to think happy thoughts just before your interview begins. And too much wiggling around tied for third worst with bad posture, according to the survey of 2,500 hiring managers who work full-time at non-governmental employers.
Non-verbal messages come through clearly and you want yours to say “I’m confident, competent and in control.” And you want to be seen as friendly and cooperative too. That means looking at the interviewer and smiling before you head to your chair. Then sit down easily, leaning forward  toward them to show you’re engaged and ready to begin.
A weak handshake, crossing your arms across your chest and frequently touching your hair or face also are body language mistakes that may work against you in interviews, according to the CareerBuilder  survey.
If you are shy or come from some other cultures, you may not be comfortable looking people squarely in the eye. Start working on this by looking first at the eyebrows or the bridge of their nose. Or look family or friends in the eyes and smile warmly – it’s easier to start with someone who cares about you rather than someone who’s judging your personality and professionalism.
So what else can you do to root out inappropriate body language?  Practice your smile or sitting calmly. Rehearse a handshake and an interview with a friend or friend of a friend, CareerBuilder suggests.  And if you can find a videocam, capture yourself on it – and play back your sample interview. You’ll see mistakes clearly and then can practice removing them day by day.
Forbes.com has a series on body language that offers insights on how to win an argument with your mannerisms and common mistakes women make.  Or you can check out some books on non-verbal communications – or read the full CareerBuilder materials online.
If you’re not sure whether your mannerism or body language are positive, ask a hiring manager or brutally honest friend to review your taped interview. Or go directly to your Mom – she’ll tell you what works and what doesn’t.

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5 ways to boomerang yourself back to a former employer

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Work is work – even if it’s a paycheck from people who pushed you out the door  just months ago.

More workers are hearing “You’re rehired” these days, from employers eager to rebuild their ranks and bring in proven talent. So if you’re looking for your next gig you may want to look back at your last two gigs.

Among those laid off and back to work in the last six months, 57 percent boomeranged back to their former boss or workplace, CareerBuilder reports.

More than two-thirds of those still looking for jobs said they’re willing to be rehired by a former boss, though one in five say they’d return only if offered more money than before.

Despite such aspirations, not every employer will welcome back laid off staff with gusto – and some have policies or practices that prohibit their return. Others may bring back some staff, but others are less welcome, either because of their work history or the way they departed.

Because of lawyers and legal restrictions, some employers are unwilling to give a direct answer to the question – “Am I eligible for rehire?” said David Miles, managing partner of  The Miles Lehane Companies / OI Partners.  His firm offers career transition and coaching services from its headquarters in Leesburg, Va.

Still, the candidate must ask the question and  carefully watch the response. Enthusiasm means you’re more likely to see doors open while a “send us your information” or other basic reply that any candidate would receive may indicate you’re not eligible or not really welcome, Miles suggests.

If you’re intent on a return gig, here’s five tips for getting rehired from Miles and me:

1.  REVIEW YOUR REVIEW. Pull out your last performance appraisal and notes from your boss. They will give you a sense of how you were judged. You may have made lots of progress on arriving to work on time or shushing your sassy mouth since that review was written, but the record of it will still be reviewed. Even if your boss left the organization after you did, your employee file sleeps somewhere in Human Resources and someone will wake it up.

2.  STAY IN TOUCH. ” Chances of being rehired improve when the individual has maintained an ongoing but positive communications with the company,” Miles said. The best approach may be this: “sometime shortly after all the paperwork is signed off at termination, a person should write a a positive note to HR and/or their supervisor thanking them for the departure package and expressing a desire for rehire if the situation turns around.” Then touch base every month or so, inquiring about career possibilities and expressing a zeal to work there again.

3.  BUILD YOUR TALENTS. Ramp up  volunteering and educational opportunities – and if there are areas that you know your boss thought needed work, spend some time there. Consult. Mentor someone. Learn to tango or Twitter. Make sure you stay current in your field through a professional association, contract work or other ways. Said Miles: “This is a real big one.  If a rehire candidate can not speak to why are they viable today, they will have a problem returning to the position.”

4.  GROW YOUR NETWORK. Make yourself known to the new executives by a volunteer leadership role in a trade organization or by sending some market research or ideas for strengthening the brand. Take a short-term contract assignment at your former employer – especially if it puts you in front of new managers.

Show up at the happy hour your team frequents occasionally – but only arrive when you feel confident and upbeat about yourself. Check in with contractors, retirees who still consult with the organization and interns you hired.  If it seems appropriate, show up at company open houses or annual meetings – and call yourself a proud alumni. Introduce yourself to brass in other departments – often you may land a second chance in a different area than where you worked previously.

5.  EXPRESS EAGERNESS. ” Do verbalize your passion for what you do and how the absence focused you more on how much you enjoy your professional area,” said Miles, who has worked in career arena for decades.  Wear the company T-shirt to charity fundraisers or races. You may even want to develop an elevator pitch that is promote yourself as an adjunct member of the team or someone who’s sitting on the sidelines ready to be called back to the game.  Prepare for the  interview, addressing your reason for returning and what advancements you’ve made in the months you’ve been away. Express some empathy for the company and its managers who also suffered from the downsizings, Miles said. “This rehire interview is really critical, so practice for it.”

About half of all employers at least occasionally rehire former staffers, OI Partners research last fall shows. The main reasons for re-recruiting people let go: They have demonstrated skills and they know the organization’s culture. Many think it’s less risky than hiring new staff.

One-fifth of employers say they never rehire laid off crew, and 29 percent rarely do – among those unlikely to encourage boomeranging are government agencies and health care.

What won’t work for a return engagement?  If you expressed a lot of anger as you were laid off, that could taint your tracks back. This “depends on what level of anger and how abusive the language was,” Miles said. “Intensity matters here” as does the number of people who knew of your outburst of displeasure.

Other issues could sidetrack your return too, including questions about your ability to change and adapt to a new environment or a leaner, harder working approach.

If you want to check on your reputation and residue, quietly ask a couple of friends at the office if they will recommend you for a job – and what hesitations they have in doing so.  Be clear you want their candid feedback as well as their support in returning. Ask only those who you are certain have strong standing and careers themselves. It does no good to be endorsed by someone whose future or judgment is questionable.

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Read the CareerBuilder.com media release on returning to an old employer here.

ABC News’ columnist Michelle Goodman has a piece on going back to your former employer.

To learn more about David Miles and his company, check the corporate website here.

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Late again? Not in this economy, or you’re likely to be fired as head clerk

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“Better late than never” doesn’t work in tight economic times. And it especially doesn’t work for anyone whose paycheck comes from a retailer, a hotel or other hospitality employer.

Punctuality is preferable when jobs are scarce – and  more workers are arriving on time, a new CareerBuilder.com survey shows. Only 15 percent of workers said they show up late once a week or more – that’s down from 16 percent last year and 20 percent in 2008.

Yet a few inventive staffers come up with crazy explanations for showing up late. Among the examples collected by CareerBuilder.com from hiring managers in the last two surveys:

-”My karma was not in sync.”

-”I dreamt I was at work already.”

-”I had an early morning gig as a clown.”

-One worker claimed she got hurt taking a fork out of the dishwasher.

-”I had to go to the hospital because I drank anti-freeze.”

-”My dog swallowed my cell phone.”

-Another said public transit was running late and produced a note signed “The Bus Driver.”

And this one, clearly offered by someone who’s living on subsistance wages: “My car door fell off.”

The biggest reasons for running late: traffic and lack of sleep. Eight percent of the tardy types blamed their children’s preparations, or drop off at school or day care, and others blamed their pets. In the 2009 survey, seven percent blamed weather. No word on how the winter’s wildness affected our on-time arrives this year.

Overall though, fewer workers showed  up for work late in the last year, CareerBuilder reports, based on a HarrisInteractive survey of 3,910 employees in December 2010 and 5,231 full-time employees in late 2009. CareerBuilder said the economy pressed people to arrive at their scheduled time.

Or perhaps workers got the message when a colleague was fired for oversleeping a few times.  One-third (34 percent) of employers surveyed by CareerBuilder say they have let go someone for arriving late, up a bit from the previous latecomers survey.

But some sectors are more of a stickler for on-time staff. Nearly two-thirds of the leisure and hospitality managers and half of retail managers surveyed said they had dismissed someone who was late, CareerBuilder reported. Least likely to fire slow pokes were government and IT managers.

It’s not just the repeat offender who’s late every day who’s at risk. Based on a survey three years ago, one-fifth of employers said they’d likely fire someone who was late only one to three times. Another 8 percent would take that drastic step after four to six late arrivals.

As one who has shown up after the usual start time at more than one newspaper, I’m hoping this punctuality trend loses  momentum as the economy gains some. And I wish that all my bosses and yours fall in the 43 percent who said arrival time doesn’t matter as long as the work is done on time, and with high quality.

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If you need help getting to work on time, start by looking for motivation and time saving steps.

Allen Teal’s blog post on Socyberty offers 10 common-sense tips for on-time arrivals. Among them: Raise the priority you put on your job.

And Deb Gebeke with North Dakota State University Extension offers some good advice, aimed mostly at working Moms or Dads, on avoiding the morning rush. Have children make their own lunches, if they’re old enough.

I welcome your best tips to increase punctuality – and hope you’ll add some here.

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