Archive for February, 2009

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HR Roundtable member Dionna Keels provides tips on how best to market yourself as a job seeker in a tough job market:

The current job market is challenging to both employers and those whose quest it is to become an employee once again. Recruiters, who struggled to find qualified candidates a year ago, are now faced with the unique challenge of sorting through several, sometimes hundreds of qualified candidates and determining which candidate is the best fit for the position, their company and the uncertain future. Applicants are now faced with the challenge of separating themselves from the pack. In this brutal job market, where competition is intense, landing your next job can seem like an impossible task. However, there are proactive approaches to increasing your marketability in a tight job market.

Addressing short tenures: Having a steady work history is increasingly important in a tough job market. Employers view steady work histories as an indication of the …

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RICH ADDICKS / raddicks@ajc.com

HR Roundtable panel member Michael Haberman gives advice to job seekers on how to stand out in a crowd of applicants at a job fair:

KIA Motors recently held a job fair in Georgia, as did the Federal Government. Hundreds, if not thousands, showed up to fill out applications. In a situation such as that how do you stand out from all the others? If the hiring company is only accepting applications and not doing onsite interviews you have to concentrate your efforts on your resume and the application. The human resources staff will be reviewing your paperwork and they will be looking, initially, for reasons to screen you OUT. Resumes that are too long, pictures attached to the resume, misspelled words on both the resume and the application, very poor handwriting, and very long time gaps or too many jobs, even for a poor economy, are all things that will screen you out.

Once your paperwork has made it through the initial screening you may get invited …

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HR Roundtable panelist and SHRM-Atlanta member Bill Pinto delves into the controversial subject of being “overqualified” from both a human resources and a job seeker perspective:

With all of the recent layoffs, the market is full of individuals with years of experience and/or advanced degrees. Many of these people would love to find a job just like the one they left for the same pay. In a different market, that might be possible. In today’s market, many find themselves looking for any position that will provide income for their families. But when they try to apply for certain positions, they are told that they are overqualified for the position.

There are two sides to the overqualified conundrum. First, employees are legitimately concerned about earning a living – even at lower wages and in entry-level positions. Employees with longer work histories should be prepared to address the “overqualified” issue. Why are you interested in this position? Perhaps the …

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HR Roundtable panel member Dionna Keels discusses how the unfortunate increase in unemployment can be a great resource for employers looking to hire:

In recent months, some of Atlanta’s largest corporations, government agencies and non-profits have found it necessary to restructure and cut jobs. Many of the employees who have found pink slips in their inboxes are simply casualties of war. Some, who have never experienced a lay-off themselves, may incorrectly assume that everyone affected was laid off because they were not valuable to their organizations. Remember, value is subjective. An employee whose talent is not valuable to one company may be extremely valuable to another. Many of these employees are well educated, highly skilled and possess years of specialized experience. One might assume that with this increase in viable candidates, companies with hiring needs would focus some of their efforts and resources on reaching this talent pool; however, often this is not the …

Continue reading One company’s trash may be another’s treasure »