17 Finding the Right Job - Walrath Recruiting, Inc.

Link Roundup 4/7/17 Finding the Right Job - Walrath Recruiting, Inc. Big Jobs Miss: Employers Add Disappointing 98,000 Jobs in March While this year was off to a great start in terms of job growth, it seems that growth has been stifled somewhat. While economists were predicting 180,000 jobs to be added in March, the reality was only 98,000. The drop has been attributed to a few different factors, the largest of which is the winter weather that plagued most of the Northeastern U.S.. This weather and other factors affected job growth and payroll gains. However, its not all bad. The U.S. unemployment rate continued to decline, and fell to 4.5%, from 4.7% previously. So while there are less jobs available, there are more people working. 3 Questions I Ask Every Job Candidate to Test Their Soft Skills Its not uncommon that interviewees overlook the importance of soft skills. It is absolutely important to do research and speak to technical skills and qualifications. However, many job seekers gloss over the importance of soft skills. While they arent usually expected to appear in a resume, they should show up in an interview. Not only should you be able to talk about them if questioned, you should also exhibit them during the interview process. This article from Fast Company shares three questions a hiring manager uses to discover the level of a candidates soft skills. Read it over to get in the right mindset for your next interview. One of LinkedIns Top Executives Explains How to Manage Your Boss The relationship between a manager and their employee goes two ways. While it may not always be explicitly obvious, its always a two way street. LinkedIns CEO Jeff Weiner has realized the importance of this exchange. When Mike Gamson (now the SVP Of Global Solutions at LinkedIn) started, he established clear expectations and ideas. The article goes in depth about the relationship between the two, and the communication that makes it work. All too often, a failure to communicate between a superior can result in mistakes, lost business, termination, or willing departure from a company. Keeping an open dialogue between managers and employees is good for both parties, and the company as well. The Best Way to Keep Your Job Search a Secret Conducting a job search can be especially stressful when you are currently employed. If youre unhappy  with your current employer and searching, its best to keep that to yourself  in most cases. This article from Times Money Magazine will help you conduct a search without raising any eyebrows at your current place of employment. It contains some great advice, and will protect you from slip ups that may not occur to you until someone notices you are looking. How to Improve Your Networking Skills Have you ever gone to a networking event and come home with a handful of business cards but no real connections? If so this article has a few pointers that may help you get more out of your next networking opportunity. It can be easy to get caught up in the game of card collecting, but establishing a few meaningful connections goes much further than a thick stack of business cards. If youre looking for a way to push past the small talk and have a worthwhile conversation, this article has some great open questions to spark good discussions. Former Interns Tell How They Landed a First Job Its almost May, which means many college students will be walking away from their educational institution with a degree. What this means is a group of fresh faces in the job market. If youre one of those people, this article could help you set yourself apart. In this NY Times article, a few young professionals breakdown how they were able to transition from interns to active members in the workforce. They have a few tips that may help anyone in a similar situation stand out and make strong impressions. If youre looking for employment after college, definitely give this article a read. These High School Journalists Uncovered a Principals Resume Lie Our last link for today is a fun story about a group of high school students. However, it also serves as a lesson in the dangers of bending the truth. Pittsburgh High School in Kansas recently brought on a new principal. Looking for some more information on the new principal, student journalists began digging into their background. What they found was quite shocking. They discovered the university their principal had two degrees from (a M.A. and Ph.D.) were false. The years of the degrees were 1994 and 2010, but the institution had closed down in 1986. The principal has since resigned, and the students were rewarded with a day off from school. While it may be tempting to stretch your qualifications on paper, they will get found out. Be honest about your skills and qualifications, its the real you that will be doing the job!