The EPG Connection

Congratulations to our January 2009 employee of the month, Mary Fahrenholz!
Mary registered with Emerson Personnel Group in October of 2008 and we sent her on an assignment with one of our legal clients that very same month. At the completion of her first assignment, she went on to successfully complete additional assignments for us. Because our original client was so happy with Mary, they requested her back and she is still there! Mary’s success is due to her pleasant, can-do attitude. She is truly a joy to work with! Congratulations Mary!

Have You Polished Your Elevator Speech?
presented by Dynamic Resumes
www.dynamicresumesofNJ.com
Most of you have heard of an “Elevator Speech”, right? The story goes something like this – let’s say you have an interview for a job you really want. You get into the elevator on the first floor of the building and find out the other person in the elevator is the head honcho who is going to have the final say in whether you get hired. You now have about 60 seconds to ride in the elevator with her to the top floor. When she finds out that you are the candidate under consideration, she seems curious about you. What “speech” can you give her in that elevator ride to peak her interest and ensure that you get the offer? Ahhhhh! If you don’t know, then you need to figure this out – and fast!You meet people all the time, especially if you are networking, attending professional organization meetings, and actively pursuing job leads. Sometimes, you really only have about an “elevator ride” worth of time to impress someone or not. So what can you do? Try to identify what you really want to market about yourself and what sets you apart out there. Think about the impacts and successes you have had in the last few years. What would your manager say about you? What value do you add? What do you want other networking professionals to remember about you? Practice your “elevator speech” out loud. Listen to other people’s answers when you ask them what they do – what impresses you? Who do you remember and why? These are not easy questions to answer – but investing some time and careful thought into your “elevator speech” can create a lot of opportunities for you. Best of Success!

Do I really need an objective in my resume?
presented by Dynamic Resumes
www.dynamicresumesofNJ.com
Okay, folks - read this: “Creative, motivated professional with a background in legal, financial, sales, marketing and more importantly management. Effective organization and communication skills developed through extensive client management experience. “ Now, please tell me what this person’s expertise is? Are you able to figure out what their current career goal is? This person looks like a “jack of all trades”. This “Jack” appears misdirected and unfocused.Recruiters do not know what to do with these people……and they do not have the time or desire to figure it out……especially when there are so many resumes in their pile…… so usually they move on. So, unless you want to be passed over, your resume MUST clearly convey your intended objective. You do not need to use the word “objective” – you can use a more up-to-date synonym, such as “target” or “goal”. You can be even more cutting edge by using more of a headline objective to identify your goal, such as “Accountant” or “Teacher”. Be sure your objective does not focus on what your needs are such as: “a position where I can grow and develop.” And if you are looking for a variety of positions that are very different, like our friend “Jack” above, then you might need to consider having more than one version of your resume, each with it’s own objective (such as one legal, one sales / marketing), different profiles, and careful attention to the responsibilities and accomplishments that you highlight in your resume. I realize that this is a lot to consider. But as a job seeker, I hope you now realize the importance that an objective plays in helping you make it into the pile.