Beware of Recruitment Cowboys!

Beware of Recruitment Cowboys! The best people in your industry would never work with bad recruiters so why should you? There are very low barriers to entry in the world of recruitment; there is no training or license required. Anyone with a telephone and a computer can call themselves a recruiter. This allows for a great deal of competition which is great most of the time. The trouble starts when the recruitment bottom feeders cut corners and make concession on their ethics. This article is about knowing when you are dealing with an unprofessional recruiter, allowing you to filter these out in favor of the top recruiters you should deal with. The definition of working with a recruiter is actively sharing information and letting them represent you to job opportunities. A recruiter with little experience or simply lack of ethics can hamper your quest for a new job, as they can misrepresent you to the best companies. In this game you only get one chance so we have to make the most of it. The tell tale signs of a recruitment cowboy: Insufficient information: When the recruiter cannot give you the right information about the vacancy (such as salary, tasks, reporting lines), the company and sometimes even about the industry. There could obviously be legitimate reasons for this but in general this will be a bad sign. Bear in mind that a good recruiter would not work a vacancy without this information. Contingency (no win, no fee) assignments only: This means they have never actually been given the formal instruction to work on behalf of a company (retained search assignment). They are instead sending some candidates out to a job with the hope that the client will want to interview. Unless the client is game, you and the recruiter can do little else than wasting time. Only ever speaks with you when they have a role that fits: If you are not interested, they quickly move on to the next person on the list. Although this is the nature of the beast that is recruitment, a good recruitment company should stay in touch with people on their books regularly. This would typically be a call every 3-6 months for information sharing and general catch ups. This is essential for really understanding a candidate and knowing exactly what you are looking for. Not specialized in your field: There are many generalist recruitment companies of size that try to break in to niche job markets. Although the recruitment company may be well known, the recruiter doing your market might be working on their own and tasked to ‘build their market’ which is not easy and will certainly not help you. Focused on salary: Concentrates on your wages and other cash remuneration as opposed to what should really matter to candidates, e.g. growth, training and promotion opportunities. Again, a good recruiter would take a more holistic approach and see what will really make you happy with a new position. Very pushy: Tries to talking you into taking a job, sometimes not giving you enough time for your decision making process. This will inevitably lead to candidates making the wrong decisions and changing their mind shortly thereafter. Liberal with information: Drops names of your coworkers and managers in order to sound knowledgeable. This might impress some but in the end you know they will drop your name on the next call, which you are not likely to appreciate. Asks YOU for money: You should never have to pay for the services of a recruiter as the client (hiring company) pays the fees. If you are asked for money by a recruiter, ask exactly what it is for and then tell them where to stick it. If you come across recruiters like these, politely tell them you are either doing your own search or that you are exclusively working with another recruitment company. If they keep contacting you, ask to be removed from their books. By law they have to remove you and even send you a letter confirming the removal. Please note that the vast majority of recruiters out there are very professional and work hard on your behalf. And believe me when I say they are just as weary of cowboys as you are. RELATED: Do You Expect Too Much from Recruitment Agencies?

YELP Best Resume Writing Services - How Do They Help?

YELP Best Resume Writing Services - How Do They Help?The popular blog 'Yelp Best Resume Writing Services' has recently started offering tips on how to improve the formatting of resumes. The fact that there are over five million employees on this site is already proof enough that the site can be trusted. What it fails to show is that its writers could do a better job at improving the quality of the work of its writers.This trend of hiring writers with more or less formal education is also evident in the way YELP best resume writing services. These articles fail to provide any tips on writing resumes. They simply recommend these services as the solution to resume writing.It is possible to achieve a good writer who can do good work if you follow their suggestions. Below are some of the tips on writing resumes and why they are ineffective:First, do not use a penmanship that fits your education or lifestyle. A good resume contains nothing but facts and there is no need for too much style or jargon. Besides, the people on this site have never been on the other side.Second, do not write at the level of a fiction writer. As a result, you will have to give up the pretense of being an expert. In essence, you will be writing like a newspaper column. There is no reason for you to enter into the world of novels if you want to win over people.Third, do not make it too long because people do not read resumes that contain half a page. And they definitely do not want to read one that is filled with bullet points. Instead, be concise and state the real worth of the person's skills.Fourth, consider changing the order of your resume. It is not a good idea to start at the very bottom of the list. By doing so, you will be surprised to find that the first three positions are already taken by the applicants.There is no reason to believe that a good writer cannot produce something good on his own. If you are one of the lucky ones who get a chance to hire YELP best resume writing servic es, you must remember that the best writers and the worst writers have in common the same skill. Do not go for the 'best' unless you are convinced that you can learn from them.

Interview Questions You Should and Shouldnt Ask Product Managers - Algrim.co

Interview Questions You Should and Shouldn't Ask Product Managers - Algrim.co Here are some interview questions related to product management that should and should not be asked in an interview. These questions are apt as interview questions related to Product Managers, both for an interviewer or interviewee. I would recommend you don't pick all of these, of course. But this should give you some insight when thinking through future interviews and act as a resource. The ‘should ask’ question examples â€" for interviewer. Introduction and Technical Background These questions are aimed to get some information about the interviewee, their education and experience. 1. What makes you fit for the job? 2. Explain how your technical background is going to help in product management. 3. What’s a challenging aspect of engineering? 4. Tell us one reason why we should not hire you. 5. What aspect of product management do you find the least interesting? 6. Have you ever struggled to get your point across to the team? 7. Have you let down your team at any point in time? 8. Cite an incident where you influenced someone. 9. Are you detail-oriented or result-oriented? Strategic These questions help analyze the brainstorming and planning skills of the interviewee. 1. Sell me this broken pen. 2. Propose a strategy to promote Tinder in India. 3. How can you optimize collaboration between the design and marketing team? 4. What features can you add to our product? 5. What did you do to overcome a failed product feedback? 6. Propose a strategy to control market demand. 7. How would you design a chair? 8. How would you improve our product? 9. How will you adapt our product to a new market? 10. Can the company perform even better in the current scenario? How? 11. How would you determine the price of a fashion accessory? 12. How would you go about designing an app for children’s’ education? Reasoning and Approach These questions invoke thinking and urge the interviewee to express their opinions. 1. How do you explain Product Management to a 5-year old? 2. Is market fluctuation good or bad? Why? 3. What factors sales more - features or pricing? Why? 4. When can you term a product to be successful? 5. How much does the public bus transport cost the state? 6. Rank them in order of their importance - execution, creativity, strategy, growth. 7. What is one of the worst things about the market? 8. What would you do â€" invest high on high revenue short-term product or spend low on low revenue long-term product? 9. What makes the market? 10. How many footballs will fit into a bus? 11. Can you predict product failure? If yes, how? 12. What has more value â€" a successful product or a successful product after failure? 13. Is competition a necessity or a by-product? 14. Is our product going to fail in the future? If yes, how? If no, why? 15. Is consensus always a good thing? 16. What breaks a team? 17. I assign you a project and ask for an estimate, which I accept. Halfway through the project, you realize you’ve underestimated by a lot, and it will take three times as long as you told me. What do you do? 18. I assign you a project with a deadline that both you and I know is impossible, but I tell you our investors have demanded we meet the deadline or they will cut off our funding, and the company will close. What do you do? 19. How many gas station are there in the county? 20. Are you the smartest person you know? 21. How big is the room where we are seated right now? 22. Where do you see the industry in ten years? 23. What factors indicate a well-designed product? 24. What factors indicate a successful product? 25. A Boeing 747 is full of jelly beans; how will you empty it? 26. Have you used our product? If yes, what’s your opinion about the product? If no, why? 27. There was a technical problem in the office. Explain how will you go about to solve it. 28. You have 15 horses that run various speeds. You own a racetrack on which you can race the horses, and this track holds a maximum of 5 horses per race. If you have no stopwatch or other means of telling exactly how fast the horses are, how many races would you need to run between the horses to be sure which horses are first, second, and third fastest? 29. How are you going to deal with a team member who does not work and doesn’t get along with anyone? 30. If you had to recommend one of our products to a friend, which one would you choose and why? 31. How many times a day do the clock’s hands overlap? 32. What is the number of geysers sold per year in the UK? 33. You have the opportunity to create two products from scratch but are constrained by time and resources to build only one. How would you decide which product to build? General Information, Experience and Vision. These questions are set to put the interviewee’s vision and experience to test while them as a part of the company. 1. Highlight the difference between leadership and management? 2. How ideation differs from conceptualization? 3. What factors contribute to a product to be successful? 4. What have you learned about ideation till now? 5. What is our source of revenue? 6. What trending topic has you on your toes right now? 7. Give a single account of your management skills 8. What was the last problem that you helped resolve? 9. Share some info about a project that you are proud to have worked on previously. 10. Cite your biggest product management mistake. 11. How do you decide what to build? 12. How do you say NO to people? 13. What would be the most effective method to involve customers in the development process? 14. How do you interact with customers/users? 15. Tell me about a project completed under your guidance. 16. What are the recent industry trends? 17. Tell us about one of the best ideas you had. 18. What’s the difference between leading and supervising? 19. What’s the most significant difference between engineering and product management? 20. What makes a customer buy a product? 21. How much do you rely on data to make key development decisions? 22. What contributes to the failure of a product during its development phase? 23. What is the least exciting aspect of product management and why? 24. How can you align your team to complete the task in hand within the deadline? 25. Where do you see the company in four years? Eight years? 26. Have you ever been let down by your team? 27. Suggest a new feature for Pinterest. Case study These questions have concentrated information and conditions to help the interviewer examine interviewee’s problem-solving skills when faced with specific limitations. 1. How can Rich Energy beat the likes of Red Bull and Monster Energy? 2. What does Amazon lack? 3. What made Facebook so popular? 4. What are the three long-term challenges facing our business? 5. What is the marketing strategy of Apple? 6. How can Snapchat expand in Asian countries? 7. How is the Kors-Versace deal going to benefit Versace? Questions you 'should' ask â€" for interviewee. General questions These questions are aimed at the interviewer by the interviewee to know more about the company, its mission and functioning structure, and also the job at the offer. 1. What is the company’s mission? 2. Why is the position available? 3. What kind of role do you want me to play? The idea box? Guide? Supervisor? 4. How much does the company concentrate on team development? 5. How is this role responsible for the growth of the company? 6. What are your expectations of me for the first three to six months? 7. How do you handle the faults made by beginners? 8. How do you communicate with the customers? 9. What is the team structure within the management? 10. Where do you think the areas of opportunities lie? 11. How is the roadmap or strategy communicated to the teams within the organization? 12. What are the input factors that go into the development of product strategy? 13. What are the KPIs used to measure performance and success? Who sets them? 14. What are some of the challenges the company faced during the product development? 15. How does the company recognize success and measure it? 16. How did the company handle past failures? 17. How is the information communicated between the teams involved? 18. How does a product manager contribute to business development? 19. How much are the other groups involved in the development process? 20. What types of metrics are tracked and during which phases? 21. What methods and indicators you refer to get the information you need to make decisions? 22. Who are your biggest competitors? 23. How do your competitors affect your product decisions? 24. Elaborate the challenges faced when writing direction for engineers. 25. How do you prioritize features? The ‘shouldn’t ask’ questions. Don't ask questions about visual design or code language preferences Visual design preferences of anyone bar the customer is pointless. So, including questions about visual choices in an interview should be the least of concerns. Instead focus on the creativity or brain-teasing questions to help gauge their thinking skills in the relevant field, i.e. product development. Just like visual design preferences, knowing one’s coding language preference won’t benefit much. Every coding language comes with its pros and cons. However, one thing that remains common is the final result, i.e. user experience. Customers only care about the product, not its inner workings. So, avoid preference queries to have a compelling interview. Don't ask generic, open-ended questions Generic, open-ended questions talk about a broader sense. Although the point of an interview is to know the interviewee as a whole, putting out open-ended questions won’t aid in filtering out the strengths and weaknesses. Effective interviews are to the point, concentrating solely on a specific aspect and gauging it. Provide particular requirements and constraints to contain them within the So, questions like ‘What have you built?’ should be reworded as ‘Which of your project best highlights your managerial/technical ability?’ Avoid loaded questions and questions which blend into other disciplines For example, a Product Manager doesn't have to be an amazing designer. That's the product designers role. But it should be said that the Product Manager knows how to interact with designers in an efficient way and knows how to produce results from that collaboration. Aim your questions at trying to understand that perspective. Also, realize that there's no one size fits all when it comes to the questions. The best thing you can do is look at experience levels which are unique, as they will be more enlightening than having someone who has been in a particular discipline for many years. These were some of the questions that intend to demonstrate some aspects of a Product Manager interview in the perspective of both interviewers and interviewees. Sources: https://www.productplan.com/questions-product-manager-ask-interview/ http://irfanebrahim.com/2015/10/25/the-questions-you-should-ask-when-interviewing-for-product-manager-role/ https://www.productschool.com/blog/interview/the-ultimate-list-product-manager-interview-questions/ https://www.kennorton.com/essays/productmanager.html https://blog.ellenchisa.com/an-intro-to-pm-interviewing-a7b2e730cfbc https://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-brain-teasing-questions-to-ask-when-interviewing-it-professionals/

3 Skills You Should Learn to Become More Employable

3 Skills You Should Learn to Become More Employable There are so many different career paths that you could choose to pursue after college depending on your areas of interest. However, getting employed isn’t always something that happens instantly. Aside from applying for jobs on a daily basis, there are other things you can do with your time. One of them is to gain or improve your skills so that you look more attractive to prospective employers.  You may be wondering what skills that employers look for in potential candidates and how you can develop such skills. You’re in luck as this article is going to look at three skills you should learn to become more employable. Problem Solving Most of the time, companies are looking for employees that can help them solve problems. For this reason, you should practice developing your problems solving skills and work on being solution-oriented. To develop problem-solving as a skill, try learning to do so in your everyday life. Employers want to be confident that you are able to change with the times and offer solutions when unforeseen circumstances and problems arise. Other ways to improve your problem-solving skills include playing logic puzzles and games and learning to be creative in your solutions. By doing so, you should find that you are much more attractive to employers. Online Marketing If you want to become more employable, one of the skills that you should learn is that of marketing. This is a skill that can be used in just about every industry as it helps create awareness about a brand and can ultimately improve sales. Some basics of marketing that you can add to your knowledge-base include learning how to work your way around social media beyond posting selfies, mastering the art of SEO as well as learning the fundamentals of e-mail marketing. You should also consider getting familiar with tools that can be used for online marketing such as Mailchimp email marketing, as well as resources to assist with social media campaigns, design and SEO research. Communication Strong communication is another skill that most employers are typically after. This is because effective communication is a core skill needed to work with a team of people, bring in new business, excel in your role and help an organization reach their goals. You should, therefore, look for ways to improve your written communication by writing more and reading more on how to improve your writing skills. In terms of your verbal communication, some ways that you can improve in that department include taking up opportunities to engage in public speaking, reading resources on effective communication, and practicing using the people around you. Learning new skills while in the process of job hunting can help you feel more productive as well as boost your confidence. You should, therefore, identify key skills needed in your industry and see how you can spend time developing them so that you can become more valuable to employers. By doing so, you should find that the chances of you having the career you’ve always hoped for increases.

Writing Resume Objectives - Why Writing Resume Objectives Can Be Difficult

Writing Resume Objectives - Why Writing Resume Objectives Can Be DifficultWriting resume objectives can be a challenge, but with the help of resume objective samples, you can actually find that a sample resume objective is quite helpful. Although it can be very frustrating when you find yourself short of what you need to write in your objective section, using a sample will allow you to follow the instructions, so you won't have to worry about getting confused.The first thing you need to do is find a sample. This can be difficult, but even though there are not many, there are still websites where you can find samples. Some places offer samples for free, while others will charge a small fee for the unlimited usage of the sample. It's really up to you whether or not you want to pay for the sample, but many people who try these sample websites swear by them.What most people look for is the basic instruction and information that they will need to write. This allows them to see what they w ill be writing in the section. Using a sample will also make it easy for you to write the specific instructions you need to give. There are many instructions that are found in sample resumes, but the two main pieces of information are your contact information and a description of your previous employment.The samples vary in length depending on how much information you want. The length of the sample will be based on the type of job you have and the type of situation you are looking for. If you are looking for a job in a certain occupation, like nurses, there are some samples that only list jobs that fit into that occupation.You should not use the sample as the basis for your actual resume. Remember that the sample is just a guide to help you write your own sample. It doesn't matter how long the sample is, as long as it is written exactly the way you would write it.Of course, you will also want to make sure the sample you use has everything that you need. There should be enough inform ation to be able to write the exact objective. If the sample doesn't contain everything that you need, chances are you won't be able to find it in the website.Keep in mind, though, that the sample you are using may only be the minimum requirements. In some cases, the sample will be the same as the one that the person wants to apply for. So if you want to find samples, it might be in your best interest to look for websites that have a large variety of samples for different fields.Writing resume objectives is not a task you can do in a day. If you plan on writing a sample on your own, you will need to spend a little time to find the one that works for you.

How to Dress For That Job Interview

How to Dress For That Job Interview 4 Tips on Dressing Formally For An Interview We often ask advice from “people like us” â€" our peers. To get a different perspective, I asked Joey Randazzo, 2016 graduate of University of Puget Sound and Project Manager for Paleo Magazine, for his thoughts on dressing for a job interview. Here is his advice as he begins his career journey. You’ve probably heard that “You have to wear a suit to an interview.” Well I disagree. You may just have one outfit that will work for a job interview, a coffee meeting, or a Skype call… Find Your “One Interview Outfit” To make your life easier, plan out your go-to interview outfit. It doesn’t have to be a suit, but it does have to be professional. For men, this could be a nice button-down, some slacks, and dress shoes. For women (you have more options â€" jealous!), this could be a dress, or a blouse with a pair of dress pants, or maybe a skirt with a sweater. Figure out what works best for you. You can wear this to an interview, to coffee, or for a Skype call. You won’t have to worry or stress before the interview â€" you’ll already know what you’re wearing. Do Your Research Above are general rules, but of course every situation is different. It’s ultimately going to depend on the company you’re interviewing for. If you want to be a fitness model for Nike, then you should probably be wearing Nike gear. Or if you’re interviewing for a position at a fashion design firm, then you should probably be wearing something trendy and hip. If you’re interviewing for a position as an investment banker, then an expensive-looking suit and wristwatch are a must. It’ll depend on the situation, and while your “one interview outfit” will work for most scenarios, you may have to change it up. “You wore what!?” Things to Avoid Wearing to an Interview You should avoid… Wearing dirty or wrinkled clothes to an interview. Dousing yourself in cologne or perfume. Women, avoid really low-cut blouses or skirts/dresses that are too short. Wearing over-the-top piercings or showing all your tattoos. Be Yourself (To An Extent…) If you absolutely love the Los Angeles Lakers, consider wearing a subtle Lakers tie. If you’re bold, wear that brightly colored blouse. But if you only wear flip flops because that’s just who you are, then I’m sorry to inform you that you’re going to have to leave the flip flops at home. Your outfit should be a representation of you are and reflect your personality. So make it you. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class now and get the most comprehensive job search system available!

Future Lawyers Heres How To Find Which Area of Law Is For You - CareerAlley

Future Lawyers Here’s How To Find Which Area of Law Is For You - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Law is for You Its no straightforward matter deciding to become a lawyer, just as its no straightforward matter deciding to do anything, career-wise. Its a big commitment! Especially with all the schooling that you need to go through. Then, once you can see the end in sight, you need to begin thinking about which area of law you want to practice in. With so much choice, how does anyone ever decide? Below, weve put together some useful tips thatll make finding the right path for you a little bit easier to decide which area of law is for you. Source: Pexels.com Take Your Time First of all, its important that you take your time and avoid rushing into anything. Its easy to feel panicked and to think that you need to just pick something so you can start working on your career, but recognize that this would not be a smart and rational course of action. And if youre going to be a lawyer, then you need to specialize in smart and rational actions! Its fine to take your time and wait for the answers to come to you. While you can always change your specialty further on down the line, things will be a lot easier if you give yourself some space to get the right answer the first time around. Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash Identify Your Passions If you can identify where your passions lie, then youll never steer too far off course in life. Of course, if it were easy to identify passions, then everyone would do it! It can be tricky. To begin, have a think about what aspects of life not necessarily law gets you excited, and then go from there. You might be concerned with the environment, in which case an environmental agency would be the right solution. You might find that youre passionate about the working world, in which case a law firm that specializes in labor and employment law, such as Ogletree, would be a perfect fit. The world of law is large in scope; whatever your interests are, therell be a law firm thats right for you. Whats your motive for going? In the interest of making sure the three-year and six-figure investment is the right one for you, heres the truth behind some common motives and some important things to consider before taking the plunge And Your Strengths Of course, passion wont always walk you directly to the right area of law. You also need to keep in mind what your strengths and characteristics are. If youre a whizz with numbers, then you might want to consider working with tax law. If youre naturally outgoing and combative, then litigation would be a suitable match for your personality. If you can combine your passions and strengths, then youll find the area you belong in. Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash Being a lawyer can take you anywhere from a niche role like a construction accident lawyer to being a barrister who is standing in court for someone on a daily basis. Tweet This Talk to Experienced Lawyers Youre not the first person to go through this struggle, and you wont be the last, either. Every lawyer has also had to answer this question, so why not use them as a source of advice? Speak to lawyers working in all fields about the process they used to find their practice area, and whether they would change anything if they could do it all again. Whatever area you eventually decide upon, make sure that youre doing it for the right reasons. Career As a Lawyer Price: $6.99 A career as a lawyer is an exciting one! But do you really know what it takes to become one? This book takes you inside the career and shows you the day and the life of a lawyer. Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search