Tag Archives: Facebook

LINKEDIN – HOOKUP FOR WORK

Posted on February 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam  Gavriel 

You may have found yourself reading our last blog here on why submitting resumes online is like throwing them into a black hole, and perhaps gotten a bit down in the dumps. We understand that not everyone is going to have that “inside man” that they need to get their resume to the right person and get that best chance of being hired (that’s why we so highly recommend using us! More on that later).

What LinkedIn provides to the user is a way to try and meander their way inside.

LinkedIn, in its essence, is the everyday market place for hiring, looking for work, and making connections. The big three in what it takes to get from the unemployment line to the bank. LinkedIn has its uses whether you’re a recruiter, someone looking for work, or a company looking to expand your market value and awareness.

First off, if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, make one today. If you Google yourself, you’ll find that the first thing that comes up (if you have a profile) is your LinkedIn profile. If I Google my own name, it goes in this order: LinkedIn, and my two Twitter profiles. If a company is seriously looking at making you their new hire, you better believe that they’re going to be putting in the research on you.

With a LinkedIn profile, these companies will find all the useful information they need to find on you in one place. LinkedIn is like having another digital resume to re-affirm everything you’ve already told to the company.

Some quick tips for LinkedIn users:

Make sure your profile is 100% complete. This means having all of your work experience on there (benefit, it can be longer than one page on LinkedIn), having a photograph of yourself (keep it professional, this isn’t Facebook!), and even including what areas you’re looking for work. Right away companies can see everything they need to know about you. This is your “home base” for LinkedIn, and what hiring managers will be looking at.

LinkedIn provides a much deeper service though, as it is also an online job board. Utilize the “saved searches” function and make sure you set it to update to your e-mail as often as you need it. You can have multiple saved searches where you change a keyword, or you can have a saved search for all the locations that you’d like to keep available to you. With the e-mail update function, you’ll have a weekly reminder that there are more jobs that you should be looking at within your saved searches.

One of the most underrated functions of LinkedIn is that on all the job ads, it is visible who posted the ad. Not just the company, but the LinkedIn user that posted that specific job ad. This makes it much easier to personalize your cover letter and trust me, that goes a long way.

Unlike Facebook, on LinkedIn you can even see who views your profile page. If you upgrade to LinkedIn pro (which comes highly recommended) you can see a full list of those who view your profile. LinkedIn pro also gives you the opportunity to send an “InMail” to another LinkedIn user, providing another way to get your foot in the door, and keep those connections climbing.

In a recent update, LinkedIn has allowed users to “endorse” other users on their skills. We understand the want to keep all your connections happy; however we HIGHLY recommend that you do not endorse anyone whose work you cannot specifically vouch for. If you endorse blindly, it looks bad for you and the user that you have endorsed. If you are going to take the time out of your day to endorse another user, make it count, and make sure it’s from the heart.

That should be enough to get you going and get yourself started on LinkedIn and building your professional network.

If you do decide to join LinkedIn today, remember to follow us at Crossroads Consulting to keep up with all things in our recruiting world.

At Crossroads Consulting we want to be your first step in busting out into the career of your dreams. With job openings spanning across the nation, and a resume service, there’s no excuse to not be contacting us today!

Remember, we’re here to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources’

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TWELVE TIPS FOR 12-12-12

Posted on December 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

Whether you follow the American DD/MM/YY model, or the European MM/DD/YY model of the date, today’s date is 12/12/12, the last repeating date of this century. To me, this is just another one of those menial things that people tend to make a big deal about for a little bit, and then forget soon after. However this date could bring more in significance due to Madison Square Garden’s 12/12/12 concert to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy tonight, which is sure to be a fantastic event. But I digress…

In honor of the day, here are 12 tips to hopefully get you hired faster!

  1. Make sure your resume is right. Nothing turns off HR professionals quicker than a poorly written resume. Make sure your spelling is correct, and your grammar is top notch.
  2. Include a cover letter. The cover letter seems to be a lost art these days. I know when I get cover letters; I read them word for word. It’s another area to talk about your skills a little more in-depth than your resume to make sure the hiring professional has the most information necessary to gauge your skills.
  3. Connect. Connect. Connect. You never know when your neighbor, acquaintance, friend of a friend, friend, old boss, old co-worker, etc… etc… can come in handy in letting you know about that opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
  4. Take care of your “online persona.” This goes double for recent grads. One of the first thing potential employers is going to do is Google your name. Make sure your Facebook profile is clean, or the privacy settings are set to the max.
  5. LinkedIn. More people need to utilize LinkedIn. I myself have a Facebook profile, a LinkedIn profile, a few online blogs, and a couple of Twitter accounts. When I Google my name the first hit that comes up, aside from a few windsurfing videos of an Israeli man who shares my name (lucky for me), is my LinkedIn profile.
  6. References and recommendations, get them and use them. Another area where LinkedIn comes in handy as friends or employers are able to easily write recommendations for you.
  7. Utilize all available outlets. There are plenty of job boards on the web, not to mention job postings on company websites. The jobs are out there people, find them! (we can help you there….)
  8. Stay productive. As we’ve preached here before, time unemployed is not vacation time. Learn a new skill to put on your resume to set yourself apart from the millions of others out there looking for work. Learn a new language; make sure you utilize all outlets to help you get that position.
  9. If an application allows you to submit samples of your work, DO IT. Self-explanatory here. If you’re applying online and the website allows you to add a sample of work, do it. Writing samples, a work sample, any sample you can think of, upload it. You would be automatically ahead of everyone in the process who skipped that step.
  10. Phone interviews are not phony. If you’re lucky enough to get to this step, make it count. The phone interview is the screening process between those the company is willing to bring in in-person, and those who they will not be “wasting” their time on anymore.
  11. Don’t get down, and keep at it. We know the job-searching process is frustrating and can be, at times, downright devastating. More and more Americans each day are giving up their search to find employment. We implore you to stay at it, and help us get the countries unemployment levels back to a reasonable number!

And of course, last but not least…

  1. USE US HERE AT CROSSROADS CONSULTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are here to help, no way around it. With over 50 current job openings across the nation, and resume optimization services, there is no reason NOT to be checking us out and asking us to assist you in your search for employment.

It is our belief that the job-hunting process should be relatively stress free, and we try to accommodate that mentality into our everyday work ethic. Remember, we’re here to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources.’

Contact us today!

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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SPRING CLEANING

Posted on March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

When it’s March 21stin Buffalo and outside there are people tanning, in shorts or t-shirts, throwing a football around, you know something has to be wrong. That’s one of the signs of Armageddon in Revelations isn’t it?

One of the warmest winters in recent history has come to a close and the start of spring is just around the corner. Finally, here at the University at Buffalo it looks like a college with people outside congregating and doing the things you see on every college flyer, handbook and website instead of avoiding snow covered roads and running for cover in the comfort of nearby buildings.

What usually happens though at this time of year is that many American’s will engage in the yearly tradition of spring cleaning when early April rolls around. Like a New Year’s Resolution, spring cleaning can come in many different forms. Of course there’s the obvious straightening up your home, changing the air fresheners to that sort of resemblance of the smell of flowers or as in-between-the-lines as it gets of cleaning up everything.

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EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS FROM CANADA PAINT PORTRAIT OF AMERICAN CONDITIONS

Posted on March 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

Leave it to the Calgary Herald to release a report that many American’s were dying to hear. As the unemployment rate remains too high for comfort in America, many of its citizens are trying their best to get back into the job market. When the recession was at its deepest from 2007-2009 many American’s found looking for work to be tedious, time consuming, and overall a dreadful experience. These factors led many of those potential employees on the outside looking in.

Today the Calgary Herald released a report that the labor force participation rate, which is the percentage of working-age Americans either with a job or looking for one- experience its biggest monthly jump since April 2010 as it rose from 63.7% to 63.9% in January.

Also noted in the report is the figure that the United States economy created more than 200,000 jobs for the third month in a row, slowly picking away at the millions of jobs lost in the recession.

Many of the unemployed who never gave up on looking for work are starting to see the dividends pay off from their perseverance. Whether it was continuing to hunt the job market, or trying to build accomplishments for their resumes like learning new skills or obtaining a master’s degree, these prospective employees are finally finding a place to settle their feet.

In a speech on Friday, President Obama said, “We can’t go back to an economy that was weakened by outsourcing and bad debts and phony financial profits. We have got to have an economy that’s built to last and that starts with American manufacturing.”

It is certainly a dream to get more American manufacturing, to keep jobs in America while keeping costs down and lowering the unemployment rate all at the same time. A dream that if accomplished, those looking for work and those looking to hire will be able to pick and choose who or what they want, rather than waiting to be in the right place at the right time and hoping for the best.

Through the recession Crossroads Consulting has been focused on finding the opportunities that many times the person at home simply can’t. We’ve also searched for people with resumes who we can help fill those opportunities or guide them to finding one through our services. If you’re looking to hirethe right individual to fill whatever positions they are, remember we’re here to help.

Crossroads Consulting is your resource to the best employment and best employees.

If you have any questions about our services which, if you’re looking for a job includes resume preparation, submission and/or interview preparation you can submit your resume in MS Word format. If you’re a perspective client includes both contingency and retained searches we want to hear from you as well. All inquiries should be sent to Info AT crossroadsconsulting DOT com.

If you would like to share your comments on the recession, how you’re dealing with it, or any ways you think we can make your life easer at Crossroads Consulting, feel free to comment in the comments section below.

Also make sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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WORD IS SPREADING

Posted on January 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

We were very happy to see that the media has taken notice of the way that we do things. It’s exceptionally rare that there is a NEW way of doing anything. Virtually everything that is out there is a variation on something else. Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying that, “There is nothing new under the sun…”

Well, Crossroads Consulting is something new under the sun. Trust me, it’s NOT easy pioneering a new trail. Sure executive recruiting has been around almost as long as business itself, but it’s ALWAYS the same thing. If you’ve ever dealt with a recruiter you know exactly what I’m talking about…

You’re inventory and treated like it.

NOT AT CROSSROADS CONSULTING… and that’s what makes us different.

I’ve been out of work more times that I care to remember and I know how incredibly humiliating it is; how degrading it is and especially how much of a swift kick to the groin the constant rejection is to deal with. It’s because I know that feeling that you don’t get treated that way here.

Read this wonderful piece that was put out on us and then feel free to reach out any time and we’ll be more than happy to chat with you.

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ANY QUESTIONS? ANYONE? BUELLER?

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

Human resource departments of organizations do not take the interview questionnaire process lightly. With questions ranging from analyzing how they feel you’ll perform on the job, to personality questions, to mind-teasers that would make anyone scratch their heads. These are the kinds of things an applicant needs to be prepared for when taking the dive into an interview.

I can specifically recall my 16 year –old self going from pharmacy to pharmacy back home applying for a job as a customer-service associate. A friend and I travelled to a mom and pop pharmacy, Eckerd (now Rite-Aid) and CVS. It was the CVS pharmacy that gave us fits in the application process. When asking the employees for an application, they pointed us to a corner of the store where a machine was set up. This machine would be our application. This machine would ask us 50 personality trait questions, though it seemed like hundreds.

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NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Posted on December 23, 2011 | 1 Comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

As we come to the conclusion of 2011, a year where unemployment remained too high for comfort, it is only natural to take a look ahead to what 2012 may offer us.

Though if you believe the saying that you can only help yourself, you may be looking at 2012 as a new year to exploit your skills and put your mind to good use. Or if you’re like me, the hope that the lottery will finally hit one of your numbers soon and you’ll never have to worry about resumes, unemployment, interviews, or anything of the sort ever again. That is of course until the lottery curse kicks in and you lose all your money because of bad investments.

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NOT-FOR-PROFIT DOES NOT MEAN NOT-FOR-ME

Posted on December 15, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

I already know what you’re thinking, not-for-profit? Pass, I want to make money. Toss that preemptive thought away. Not-For-Profit (NFP) organizations are all around us every day. Think the American Red Cross, or the public schools you went to as a child, or the public schools you send your children to today.

Some quick facts about NFPs in the United States …

  • 1,574,674 tax-exempt organizations, including:
    • 959,698 public charities
    • 100,337 private foundations
    • 514,639 other types of nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues.

(Source: NCCS Business Master File08/2011)

  • In 2009, nonprofits accounted for 9% of all wages and salaries paid in the United States.
    (Source: BEA 2010)
  • Nonprofit Share of GDP was 5.4% in 2009. (Source: BEA 2010)

Just because a company is entitled a NFP does not mean that its employees do not get paid. State governments are NFP organizations, but do you think those guys work for free? I don’t think so.

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A “KNOW-IT-ALL” LOOKS AT SMALL BUSINESS

Posted on November 20, 2011 | 1 Comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

As a college student I think I know everything…or so Jim Rome told me when I get to hear his voice on the bus to campus every morning. Why the driver insists on listening to Rome every morning is beyond me, but he’s always good for one quote to stick with me the rest of the day. This week when discussing the Penn State scandal Rome had no problem enlightening us with facts on college students specifically that, “They think they know everything.” Well Jim, I do!

Recently I’ve discovered that my MGO 403 (Strategic Management) that I’ve mentioned before here has been one of the most informative classes I’ve taken at the University at Buffalo. This past week discussing small businesses we learned that small businesses in America make up for 60-80% of the employment spectrum.

Working for a small business, Crossroads Consulting, LLC, hearing that  inspired me to do some more research and to see if I could uncover some more facts on the importance of small businesses in terms of employment. As a side note, our small business has just added three new team members to our team who I wanted to welcome aboard.

* Juan Montalvo joins Crossroads Consulting after a very successful career practicing law as Director of Business Development. He can be reached 203-459-9969 x103 or at  Juan@crossroadsconsulting.com.

* Donna Munzer comes to Crossroads from a successful career in Interior Design and Fashion Consulting as Business Development Manager. Donna can be reached at 203-459-9969 x101 and her email is Donna@crossroadsconsulting.com.

* Crossroads new IT Recruiting Manager is Jim Morman who has spent his life in various aspects of Information Technology. Jim’s email address is Jim@crossroadsconsulting.com  and his phone number is 203-459-9969 x104.

Here’s some small business statistics that you may not have known:
•    Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
•    Employ half of all private sector employees.
•    Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
•    Generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years.
•    Create more than half of the nonfarm private GDP.
•    Hire 43 percent of high tech workers ( scientists, engineers, computer programmers, and others).
•    Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
•    Made up 97.5 percent of all identified exporters and produced 31 percent of export value in FY 2008.
•    Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau and Intl. Trade Admin.; Advocacy-funded research by Kathryn Kobe, 2007 (www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs299.pdf) and CHI Research, 2003 (www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs225.pdf);U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

· Small businesses employ about half of US workers

· Small firms accounted for 65 percent (or 9.8 million) of the 15 million net new jobs created between 1993 and 2009.

If you want to see a list of all the stats and more information on small businesses, check out this link: http://web.sba.gov/faqs/faqIndexAll.cfm?areaid=24

Don’t forget to check out our current openings, and make sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!

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IN A WESTERN MOOD

Posted on October 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

Back in July on the blog we posted this picture (see below) that showed how many job postings there were in a certain area per 1000 people. As you can see, the bigger the red circle, the more jobs there were. These figures represented the month of June in those areas.

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Today’s blog will make note of one of the biggest circles on the map, California, specifically San Diego.

In a report at the Voice of San Diego the online periodical reported that in an economy that continues to falter San Diego’s job trend continues upward from its decline in 2009. Between September 2010 and September 2011 San Diego’s employment shot up 1.4% while the countries unemployment rate went from 9.6% to ~9.1% and California’s unemployment rate went from 12.5% to ~12.1% showing that San Diego’s specific unemployment has been steadier than the Nation’s. As economic experts continue to forecast that the recession we are in will last steadily affecting unemployment, San Diego continues to try and dig itself out of the hole the nation finds itself in.

Conversely like the rest of the nation from 2007 to 2009 San Diego experienced a huge drop in employment numbers, however the recent upward trend remains strong and optimism to get back to a good level is in full effect out west.

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Although a Connecticut based firm, Crossroads Consulting has current openings all over the nation. Not ready to apply for a job? Let us take a look at your resumefor you. We offer all the services you can think of for the job market and are ready to help as we continue to put the “human” back into human resources.

Also make sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!

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