My strong interest in the recent NFL coaching carousel, which left eight head coaches with “pink slips”, extends far beyond my fervent curiosity for the sport. A paradigm of sound versus shaky recruiting practices can be observed. Case in point the Chicago Bears versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Both cities have blue-collar roots. Furthermore, both teams interviewed almost a dozen candidates before coming to final decisions today. Fortunately the Bears’ was based upon sound recruiting practices versus the Eagles’ was based upon a lot of hype!

The Bears General Manager Phil Emery, was slow, methodical and thorough in his approach. He formulated a long candidates list, crisscrossed North America to interview them, graciously quickly alerted candidates when they were out of contention and then quickly pared his list down to three finalists. Then he and the organization moved swiftly to both re-interview all three and then secure their man, Marc Trestman.  Coach Trestman quickly proved his mettle by selecting Aaron Kromer, from the high-powered New Orleans Saints offense, to be his offensive coordinator on the same day he was selected head coach!

By contrast, meddling Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, approached many candidates who go contrary to NFL success. Historically, very few successful college coaches have had any success in the NFL! The ones that do, like Jim Harbaugh, were very special cases (e.g. his dad, Jack, was a successful coach and he had a very successful NFL career). Most other college coaching “gurus”, such as Nick Saban (15-17-1 in two seasons with the Miami Dolphins), Steve Spurrier (12-20 in two seasons with the Washington Redskins) and Bobby Petrino (3-10 in one season with the Atlanta Falcons), failed miserably! Even Pete Carroll, who had a marvelous season with the Seattle Seahawks, failed twice previously (with the New York Jets and New England Patriots respectively)! Now Lurie tries to woo two college coaches named Kelly before finally selecting one named Chip. This goes contrary to all historical recruiting data for the NFL.

If you get a chance, I’ll be live on WGN Radio on Saturday, December 29th from 12:30 to 1 p.m. CST (720 on the AM dial) discussing a new, lower-cost alternative (10% of the cost) to outplacement for displaced workers, called World2Work™

You can also listen in to this broadcast live on the Internet at http://www.wgnradio.com/about/listen/ and then click on “Click here to listen live” towards the top of the page.

Lastly, please let me know if I can be of assistance.

Here is a tip that can help you with your job search CandidateTips 6-9-09-Interviewing Tip #1 A-MPEG-4 Improved NTSC for CD

The 171,000 increase in jobs reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) today was only the tip of the iceberg. We have noticed over the last few weeks an exponential increase in search inquiries. This has been across the board and across the country ranging from several CIO positions to many hardware and software engineers to even an R&D chef, which is a position no one has inquired about for several years!

Unfortunately, countless companies have significantly reduced HR staff over the last few years. Furthermore, they have demanded a lot more from the remaining staff. This has over burdened the Personnel department and created a recruiting vacuum in scores of organizations. As a result, I recommend that all hiring managers sharpen their recruiting skills. One tool I have to offer is the 12 Commandments of Recruiting. Please go to http://www.strategicsearch.com/technical-recruiting-tips/technical-recruiting-tips.php to learn more.

Though the unemployment rate dropped by .3% to 7.8%, which marked the first time in 3 ½ years it dipped below 8%, a lot more needs to be done. For example, if you total: a) Unemployed (12.1 million) b) those involuntarily working part-time (8.6 million) and c) those who have just given up looking (2.5 million), the aggregate figure actually rose from 23.1 last month to 23.2 million Americans this month! Fortunately, there is a three-pronged approach to increase job seeker’s probability of success:

1. Developing a quantitatively laced resume.
2. Selectively using recruiters
3. Networking, which is the most important of the three!

Let’s take these from least important to most important. First, having a resume is a necessary evil. Most hiring managers (especially human resources) require it. Therefore, you need to mold your resume into a quantitative one. Please go to http://www.strategicsearch.com/interview-preparation-tips/interview-preparation-tips.php and review my 1st Commandment of Interviewing. The key is seeding your resume with numbers (e.g. % improvements or dollar savings to employers).

The Second prong is the selection and use of recruiters. I recommend using both recruiters who place full time and temporary positions. Access both: a) The Directory of Executive and Professional Recruiters for full time and b) the website http://www.americanstaffing.net/jobseekers/find_company.cfm for temporary agencies. There is no magical formula to selecting recruiters. Instead, develop a list of questions to ask, contact them and select a few that you feel meet your needs. However, DO NOT RELY UPON ANY RECRUITERS! Some may provide some assistance, but the primary way to land a good job is through networking.

Finally, the third and most important of my recommendations is networking. There are two types of networking: a) the old fashioned form of meeting people and b) e-networking. Please refer to my 2^nd and 3^rd Commandments of Interviewing for more information. However, one of the cornerstones of any networking approach is developing and applying a 20-30 second elevator pitch. During this pitch you want to quickly convey three things:

1. Who you are?
2. What you are looking for (be specific)?
3. Your 2-3 greatest strengths.

Practice pitching this information aloud into either: a) a tape recorder or b) the mirror at least 50 times until you feel it is very concise, “rolls off your tongue” and conveys everything you wish to convey very powerfully. Also, time yourself with a stopwatch until you can complete it in no longer than 30 seconds!

Once you have a pitch finalized that you feel comfortable with, you want to use it on everyone you know and meet. Also, use the written version of this pitch on social media sites like LinkedIn. Join appropriate business groups and meet people. When you meet someone new, don’t forget to share your 30-second elevator pitch because you don’t know who might know about your next job.

This is a very tedious process that requires a lot of diligence, but there is no secret to landing a job especially in this terrible jobs market. You have to be work harder than everyone else since there are so many people now out of work! Finally, remember that networking is your most important tool. As part of that you need to develop a very strong, 30-second elevator pitch.

The U.S. economy added 163,000 jobs in July, the most in five months. However, the unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.3% as more and more workers scramble to enter the job market. This has created an uneven recovery heading into this fall’s presidential election. Fortunately, a cure exists in applying SEO to job-hunting.

As both: a) an expert on jobs, careers and workplace issues and b) a recruiter specializing in high technology, I came to realize several years ago the benefit of applying SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to job hunting and recruiting. As a result, I built up the largest, non-profit, professional SEO group in the Chicago area with almost 600 members. Our main objective is to explore cutting-edge SEO techniques.

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 4^th starting at 10:30 a.m. at 200 S. Wacker we will host our first ever symposium devoted to analysis of one’s online presence. Two major goals are: a) to evaluate one’s Internet footprint (or lack thereof) and b) to suggest improvements.  These techniques can significantly increase a job seeker’s chances of getting noticed by prospective hiring companies and being hired.

Recently, I have been bombarded by requests by friends, family and clients to help them find a job. Unfortunately, there is no secret to landing a job especially with this terrible economy with the real unemployment (including those who are involuntarily working part time because they cannot find a full time job and those that have given up looking) at about 16% or 1 in 6 workers! However, I do recommend being very diligent and using a three-pronged approach including:

1. Developing a quantitatively laced resume.
2. Selectively using recruiters
3. Networking, which is the most important of the three!

Let’s take these from least important to most important. First, having a resume is a necessary evil. Most companies (especially human resources) require it. Therefore, you should mold your resume into a quantitative one. Please go to http://www.strategicsearch.com/interview-preparation-tips/interview-preparation-tips.php and review my 1st Commandment of Interviewing. The key is the mantra: numbers, numbers, numbers. As a rule of thumb, when you put some wording in your resume, ask yourself the questions: a) “so what?” or b) “what does this mean to an employer?” or c) “what is the benefit of this to an employer?” Then add one of the following (or some variation) sales bridges to what you say:

1. The benefit of (whatever you wish to say) was (e.g. a 40% increase in sales or $560,000 profit etc.).
2. That was important because (tell the benefit in quantitative terms).
3. The result of (whatever you mentioned) was (mold the result into dollars or profit or percentage change).

You should not lie on any of these “numbers”, but you can error on the high side. Remember that your resume is an advertisement about you! It is not an encyclopedia of your entire life. It is only meant to quickly share your highlights. For example, if you think you saved your employer somewhere between $10,000 and $45,000 with a new computer control system you selected, then say, “the result of the new computer control system was about $45,000.” Once again, the key is to seed your resume with: numbers, numbers, numbers! Also, try and keep it concise (e.g. no more than two pages). However, do not spend too much time, effort or money on developing a resume, because as my 2^nd Commandment of Interviewing says, “Resumes don’t get you hired, you do!”

Second is the selection and use of recruiters. I recommend using recruiters who place both full time and temporary positions. To access full time recruiters, I recommend getting a copy of The Directory of Executive and Professional Recruiters. Please go to http://www.recruiterredbook.com to learn more. It is available at most libraries. It divides recruiters into two main categories: a) retained and b) contingency. Retained recruiters, like myself, work mainly for the company to find talent. Contingency recruiters only receive their fee when they place someone. It also further divides each group into their specialty areas.

I also recommend using temporary (also called contract or staffing) agencies. This is an often-overlooked tool. Please review my 9^th Commandment of Interviewing for more details. The key is one of the trends today is towards temp-to-perm conversions. This means companies hiring you on a temporary basis, trying you out and then hiring you full time after you have proven yourself. Unfortunately, many people think temporary positions are beneath them. However, if you overlook this avenue you may loose out on a tremendous job! Please go to http://www.americanstaffing.net/jobseekers/find_company.cfm to view and select several temporary agencies.

I recommend selecting 1-2 retained recruiters, 4-6 contingency recruiters and 4-6 temporary or staffing agencies within your areas of expertise. The reasons are: a) contingency recruiters and temporary or staffing agencies will probably work harder for you since they will only get paid if they place you b) temporary or staffing agencies may know of a few good assignments that will lead to full time work c) temporary agencies can probably find you more immediate income (and you can continue your job search with a pay check coming in) and d) it helps to also add a few retained recruiters because they have access to higher level jobs. There is no magic formula to selecting recruiters. Instead, you should follow several steps:

1. Review The Directory of Executive and Professional Recruiters find: a) 5-6 retained recruiters and b) 10-15 contingency recruiters in your specialty areas.
2. Review the database of temporary or staffing agencies and find 5-10 that seem to meet your needs.
3. Develop a list of questions to ask these recruiters (e.g. how many searches have you done in the last two years in my area of expertise).
4. Call these recruiters and narrow it down to: a) 1-2 retained recruiters b) 4-6 contingency recruiters and c) 2-4 temporary or staffing agencies that you feel comfortable with. Some may ask you for an exclusive. I would tell them they have an exclusive, but do not sign anything. You do not want to narrow your possibilities!
5. DO NOT RELY UPON ANY OF THEM! They will all help to some extent, but your main way to help yourself is networking (below).

The third and most important part of my recommendations is networking. There are two types of networking: a) the old fashioned form of meeting people and b) e-networking. Please refer to my 2^nd and 3^rd Commandments of Interviewing for more information. However, one of the cornerstones of any networking approach is developing a 20-30 second elevator pitch. During this pitch you want to quickly convey three things:

1. Who you are?
2. What you are looking for (be specific)?
3. Your 2-3 greatest strengths.

To develop this pitch, I recommend following these three steps:

1. Write down on paper your most pertinent information.
2. Work and rework this information until you have a very concise document that fits into 2-3 paragraphs.
3. Practice pitching this document aloud to yourself into either: a) a tape recorder or b) the mirror at least 50 times until you feel it is very concise, “rolls off your tongue” and conveys everything you wish to convey. Also time yourself and do not take any longer than 30 seconds to complete your pitch!

Once you have a pitch that you feel comfortable with, you want to practice it on everyone you meet and know. Also, use the written version of this on social media sites like LinkedIn. Join appropriate business groups and meet people. When you meet someone new, don’t forget to share your 30-second elevator pitch because you don’t know who might know about your next job.

Remember, there is no secret to landing a job especially in this terrible work environment. You have to be very diligent. However, remember that networking is the key and as part of that, you need to develop a very strong, 30-second elevator pitch. I hope this helps.

Contrary to recent advances, the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted in June for the first time since July 2009 as new demand crashed, according to data released today by the Institute for Supply Management. The ISM’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index fell to 49.7 last month from 53.5 in May. A reading above 50 indicates expanding activity.

Because the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) mentioned manufacturing as one of the few sectors to create jobs last month with 12,000 added, I shared this as one promising jobs creation area on my recent TV appearance on First Business with 495,000 new jobs generated since the low point of January, 2010. However, today’s report from ISM gives me cause for concern.

The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) recently reported that the unemployment rate rose to 8.2% in May because only 69,000 new jobs were created. However, many fields have continued to grow including: a) Health Care, which added 33,000 in May and 340,000 over the year, b) Manufacturing, which added 12,000 in May and 495,000 since a low point in January, 2010 and c) Transportation and warehousing, which grew by 36,000 last month. This has created a shortage of key talent in countless areas. What can a hiring manager do to win this war for talent and gain differential advantage?

On Saturday, Saturday, September 8th from 9 to 11 a.m. CST in Chicago we will host a symposium sharing many of our top recruiting techniques. The foundation will be our 12 Commandments of Recruiting. Please go to http://www.strategicsearch.com/technical-recruiting-tips/technical-recruiting-tips.php to view. Normally only offered during on-site, ½ day client workshops at $5000! However, as a special introductory offer for only $199, you will gain both: a) much of the same benefit and b) insights working beside peers who are experiencing similar recruiting problems.

During this special event, we will sequentially discuss each of the 12 Commandments and then break up into small work groups to practice them. We will critique your applications and offer suggestions for improvement. Then we will repeat this process for each of the twelve. At the end, will be a summary and question and answer session.

Space is limited so please sign up quickly.

The BLS reported two alarming statistics today: a) paltry jobs creation and b) a spike in Americans involuntarily working part time. Only 69,000 new jobs were created in May as the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2%. Furthermore, the number of reluctant part-time workers, because they could not find a full time job, rose by 200,000. This means that the total number of U.S. workers who are either unemployed or underemployed (i.e. involuntarily working part-time or just giving up and as a result not being reported) reached 23,200,000 or a gain of 400,000 over April. This is 1 in 6 of all Americans! Fortunately, a cure exists in applying SEO to job-hunting.

Because of my coverage of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) over the last several years for several media outlets, I have come to realize its importance to energizing job searches. As a result, I launched the largest, non-profit, professional SEO group in the Chicago area with almost 600 members. Our main objective is to explore cutting-edge SEO techniques. On Saturday, August 4th starting at 10:30 a.m. at 200 S. Wacker we will host our first ever symposium devoted to analysis of one’s online presence. Two major goals are: a) to evaluate one’s Internet footprint (or lack thereof) and b) to suggest improvements. These techniques can significantly increase a job seeker’s chances of getting noticed by prospective hiring companies and being hired.

If you would like more information about this topic, attend our upcoming symposium or to interview Mr. Sargis about his expertise on jobs, careers and workplace issues, please call 312-944-4000 or e-mail ssargis@strategicsearch.com

With the mega IPO pending for Facebook, I am reminded that LinkedIn has been a much better business networking tool for our firm. Though Facebook is trying to push into the business market, they still seem to be more slated towards personal contacts. This contrasts with LinkedIn, which has netted me a lot more useful passive candidates for very difficult searches. That is why I have put very little effort into either Facebook or Twitter as business networking tools. Instead, I have put a lot of effort into building up 1300 key connections on LinkedIn, which makes me one of the top 1% of all LinkedIn networkers!