Springs Jobing Community Blogs

We are thrilled to announce our new Applicant Tracking System is live! A huge plus for you is the ability to create a profile and upload resumes/cover letters which will be searched by our team of Staffing Specialists when new positions are posted. If your profile matches job requirements, we will contact you via email notifying you of the opening and encouraging you to apply if interested. Some other advantages is the ability to apply for jobs with just a click and keep track of your statuses for every position you apply for. Take a look at our brief video for more information. Visit www.csu.org to create a profile today.

 

Recovery…what recovery?  Technically the recession is over now that we have had a quarter of economic growth, but that does not mean we are through with the ugly economy anytime soon.  It does mean there are some things you can do today without investing huge amounts of money to start preparing your company.  Look to the following areas to start positioning your company for growth:

 

Your Markets

Get out of the office and start visiting with current customers, and while you are at it join your sales people on sales calls.  You will hear firsthand what is going on with your customers and prospects, which will allow you to make adjustments to your marketing mix. 

 

A quick refresher on marketing mix… it is your products, price, promotion (marketing and advertising), and placement (distribution).  These are the key ingredients to the products and services your company sells.  A miss in any one of these areas can be the difference between success and failure.

 

Your Leadership

Review your leadership team and assess their knowledge, skills and ability (KSAs).  Are they in the right position for their KSAs?  Did they get to the position they are in just because they have been with you a long time?  Are they effective? Are you effective in letting them lead their part of your business?

 

This is a difficult task, since we all work very closely with our management teams.  Review your team objectively and get outside help.  This is the one critical success factor in your business growing.

 

Your Employees

You need your employees to help dig out of the situation the economy has put your company.  They have firsthand knowledge of your customers, processes, and products.  Get them helping by increasing your communication efforts. 

 

You may think you communicate enough, but you do not.  In difficult times you need to step your communication to make sure your employees understand the situation.  With a void of information your employees will make up scenarios of what is happening and in all cases these scenarios tend to be worse than reality.  Communicate through a variety of media to include regular (monthly) all-company meetings, one-on-one discussions, departmental meetings, emails, bulletin board postings.  Anything all allows you to reinforce your message.

 

Diversity

Diversity is one of those words that I learned to hate in corporate America because it meant reviewing affirmative action reports from HR and adjusting my hiring decisions based on the makeup of my department or company.  In reality, it means getting the right person in the right job and not hiring in our likeness – this means diversity of thought, background, ethnicity, age, etc. 

 

Not only does it mean to hire the best person for the job, but include them in decision making and respect their point of view.  Remember… the whole is smarter than the individual.  ALWAYS!

 

Conclusion

You can start working on your business today, with a little work during this period before the economy takes off.  Use this period to get employees engaged, put the right people in the right positions, provide training where training is needed and learn yourself to delegate and get out of the office.   

 

 

To hear more about how you can get your company ready, join us for Prepare for the Recovery executive briefing on November 13 in Lakewood.  For more information, visit www.roundhouseadvisors.com/prepare.htm 

 

Larry Turner is CEO of Roundhouse Advisors, Inc. and has over 25 years experience growing, starting up, repositioning, and revitalizing organizations.  Roundhouse Advisors is a business consulting practice focused on helping businesses increase enterprise value by managing pain, growth and owner exits.  Larry is a consultant, public speaker, and the author of “Owner Exit Planning: Leave On Your Own Terms”.  For additional information visit www.RoundhouseAdvisors.com

 

Please join the Colorado Springs SHRM "Stand by Me"  Diversity Conference

The Colorado Springs Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (CSSHRM)  along with partners Colorado Springs Diversity Forum and Colorado State SHRM Council will host the 2009 CSSHRM Diversity Conference in Colorado Springs at Embassy Suites Hotel.  Social networking begins with programs on November 4th at 7:00 p.m.  The full day event on November 5th is designed to benefit organizations of all sizes who want to add value to their operations with a better understanding of diversity and inclusion practices. 

For more information please contact Shirley Martinez at 719-233-1465 or Carla Elam-Floyd at 303-628-6334, or go to website www.csshrm.org.

 

Hope to see you there!

 

My friend Patricia is probably the only person I would call a natural networker. Her worldly possessions have been in storage for most of the last 10 years as she goes where her heart tells her to (always beautiful places: Hawaii; Aspen; Naples, FL;  San Diego; hey! Why not?). Jobs and projects fall into her lap no matter where she goes (and right now she’s in Austria after having spent a couple of weeks in Spain).  She always has friends to stay with or a house to borrow.  I would say she’s female version of Tim Ferris. But she’s her own self.  And she makes her way in the world through relationships she builds along the way.

 

You ever have one of those right-words-at-the-right-time moments that blasts all your illusions away?  Patricia gave me the right words at the right time and showed me the way to think about networking.  It was a few years ago while she was visiting me on Cape Cod. I was feeling rudderless, pitiful, unnecessary, unwanted,  all those un’s that make it such a drag to get up in the morning. Patricia and I were sitting in the livingroom wrapped in blankets and drinking coffee (well, she was drinking herbal tea, of course). I was saying that I just couldn’t bring myself to knocking on Cape Cod businesses begging for a job.  And she gently said this:

 

“It’s not about what you need, it’s about what you can contribute.”

 

Oh.

 

Ohhhhhhhhhhh.

 

I’d been thinking about networking all wrong! It wasn’t about what a pitiful needy, loser, user I was. It was about letting the world know that I was here to help. Patricia certainly isn’t a needy, loser, user. She moves through the world like a queen (in a good way), and people take their cue from her – treating her accordingly.  And she benefits a lot of lives as she goes.  She may not have a permanent address (other than her Naples PO box). But she has real friends who love her, and she earns an honest living (thanks to laptops and cell phones), growing spiritually, emotionally  and professionally along the way.

 

You may not want to live the life that Patricia has (although, for me, every time she breezes through Santa Fe, where I live right now, ever fiber of my being screams ROAD TRIP!).  And you may not have the flexibility of treating the entire planet as your own personal marketplace.

 

But then again, maybe you do.  At the very least the marketplace that you most naturally belong to needs you! But it may not know you’re there. If your resistance to networking is keeping you shy, I don’t blame you. So maybe the thing to do is examine your beliefs around networking. And maybe change your mind just a little.

 

Networking is a waste of time.  It could be, depending on what you expect from your networking activities. If you want a job right this very minute (of course you do, just bear with me here for a minute), you’re probably going to think that networking activities are a waste of time because what are the chances that any given networking encounter will result in a job offer? To be honest – practically zero. 

 

Yes, I get that you need a job – right this very minute. And networking will eventually bring you that job. But it’s a cumulative effect kind of thing.  One person leads to another who leads to another who leads to five others.  As my coauthor for Unlock the Hidden Job Market, Duncan Mathison, says: Networking is about planting seeds. Lots and lots of them. Some will sprout. But the more networking you do, the more of those seedlings will sprout. And some – not to drive a metaphor in the ground or anything – will bear fruit.

 

Still not convinced?  What are the chances that staying at home will result in a job offer? Guaranteed: Zeeee-roe.

 

The only people I meet at networking events are people who are out of work themselves. That would be true.  Those networking events are the worst.  They suck the life right out of you. They waste your time. And feed your growing sense of despair and overwhelm. So. Stop going to them.

 

Networking is not  about going to networking events. It’s meeting people one-on-one, showing sincere interest in what they do, your shared industry or profession, your community, future trends, ideas, etc. 

 

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t network with other people who are out of jobs. But still make those one-on-one events, high-quality conversations where both of you end up with a growing list of ideas, connections, phone numbers, companies, introductions. 

 

People don’t want to meet me. How do you know? Somewhere someone needs you.  And that will only happen if you get the heck out of the house.

 

Just because you don’t have a job, that doesn’t mean you don’t have value and that you have nothing to contribute. People need you. To use Patricia’s philosophy: Get out and find out who they are.  Under other conditions would you let negative self-talk prevent you from lending a hand where your unique strengths and gifts can really make life easier for someone?  Of course not. So why let the inner gremlins have the power now?

 

People only want to hire to people who already have jobs. That’s a myth.  If you’re unemployed right now, you actually have some advantages working for you.  You’re available now.  You’re not coming in with that entitled “what can you do for me” attitude. You won’t be taking their offer back to your current boss to try to snag a sweeter offer.  Everyone knows that really great talent is on the loose right now because of the massive trend of lay-offs.  The fact that you’re between jobs right now is not a black mark on your record.  It’s just one of those things.

 

There’s no point in starting now, since the holidays are around the corner.  Wrong. This is absolutely a terrific time to look for a job. Budgets are being formulated for Q1. So while you might not start until January 1, you’d be making great use of your holidays by networking your brains out.  And just think,  if everyone else thinks that there’s no point in job hunting right now, you are out there with very little competition.

 

For a great article on this subject, check out: T’is The Season To Follow the Money.

 

I look like hell.  That might be true. If you’ve been stuck at home all day, not having seen the business end of a razor in weeks,  it might be time to put on your go-to-meetin’ clothes (assuming they still fit) and see if your car will start.  

 

Not judging here. In recent months I’ve been stuck at home writing books. Yoga pants and t-shirts have been my friends.  My business clothes have been on the floor, serving as bedding for the cats.  And just yesterday I spotted a coyote sauntering past my windows. And, while I was admiring its glossy coat and bushy tail, the thought came to me that it is better groomed that I am.  I picked up the phone and made an appointment. For tomorrow.  Can’t wait.

 

If you look like hell, you know what to do.  You probably won’t look like Heidi Klum, once you’ve spruced up. But you won’t look like Tom Hanks in Castaway either.

 

People will know that I’m only networking because I need a job.  So what?  You’re not the only one looking for a job. The question is: are you the person they’re looking for? It’s up to you how they’ll regard you. They’ll take their cues from you. If you act ashamed or frustrated, they’ll pick up shame and frustration and treat you like you have a contagious disease.  Figure out what it will take to behave with confidence, calm and professionalism. And do that.

 

Focus your conversation not on what you need but on what they need, what they think, who they might introduce you to, who you might introduce them to, etc.  Remember: It’s about contribution, not need.

 

I’ve already done everything I can think of to get my resume into circulation. No you haven’t.  Networking is not about bugging your family, friends, the Rotor Rooter man. A reader actually wrote to me saying that she gave her resume to her mail carrier.  

 

Networking is about expanding your circles of contacts, acquaintances, colleagues. It’s about making lists of people and their phone numbers. Then picking up the phone and calling those folks.  It’s difficult, I know, especially for people who don’t enjoy calling strangers.  But remember, you’re calling colleagues and peers…people you have something or someone in common with.

 

These are people you might be able to help.

 

And that’s what it’s all about.

 

Special note from Martha:  These principles have been borrowed from my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market, which I wrote with Duncan Mathison. To learn more, visit our website!

 

 

  Feeling like you're losing control of your career? Nobody's responding to your applications? Wishing someone would return your calls? Your career is your own! Time to reclaim control over your future! This is the article for you! I hope you enjoy it!

 

If you’ve been between jobs for, like, an hour, you already know that wishing will get you only so far. Now. Luck. That could be another matter altogether. While you can’t control everything in life, you can certainly help good luck along by the actions you take and the way you take care of yourself while you’re looking for your next job. You need all the advantages working for you. And that includes luck.

Now that you’re looking for your next, great job, let’s see how we can give it a nudge in your direction, shall we?

Expect that the right job really is out there waiting for you to find it. Yes, even in these days when it appears that “no one is hiring,” people are getting new jobs. You’ve got to hold onto the belief that you will too. If you don’t, you’re going to be sending out those freak-out vibes that will tell potential employers that you’re about to self-combust right then and there. And who wants to hire that? Keep that grounded core of calm, solidified by the belief that, yes, you’re on your way to your new job.

Be prepared to meet your opportunity when you least expect it. I don’t mean you have to be dressed in go-to-meetin’ clothes, with your resume at the ready all the time. In our new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market, my coauthor, Duncan Mathison, and I tell a great story about a client of his who meets his next opportunity while standing on the beach in San Diego, dripping wet, battered and bruised after a raucus competitive ocean swim. He was CFO caliber, and the guy he met was a CEO looking for a CFO. Suffice it to say, not exactly your dress for success moment. (Personally, I’m imagining an ill-advised Speedo and a decidedly snotty nose. If this guy can land a job with that as a first impression, just think what luck you’ll have just being dressed!)

Keep your mind open. Duncan Mathison and I also tell the story of one of his clients who found a job through a friend of his mother’s. The daughter of a friend of his mother’s, no less. But it took this guy four weeks to pick up the phone and make the call that would ultimately land him the job. Whether it was generic sexism or mom-snobbery that was holding his client back from making the call that could change his life, who knows? Either way, it’s a good story to keep in mind when you’re inclined to say “nope” to hope.

Look at what you have to offer from the point of view of your potential employer. The line, “look, I really need this job,” is compelling only in the movies. In real life, it’s darn pitiful. And will net you sympathy, not a job offer. Don’t lead with your need. Present yourself in terms of what you have to offer. So look at your pile of gifts, skills and experiences from the standpoint of how they will solve a company’s problem or meet a need. That’s a conversation that will inspire the right person to say, “How soon can you start?”

Tell your career story in a positive way. When you launch into the response to, “So, tell me about yourself,” stay away from “…and then I got laid off.” Emphasize the results you achieved, talk about the people who noticed your performance and chose to promote you to the next level, tell about the teams you worked in or led. As you near the sad-sack conclusion that takes you to how you’re out of work now, don’t gloss over it. But quickly turn the tables and ask your interviewer a question about the company, his or her own experience in some similar project or team, his or her opinion about the current state of your profession.

Release your attachment to the so-called system. Amazingly, 70% of all jobs never get published or advertised in any way. That’s why we call it the hidden job market. But even though those jobs are hidden, you can still find them. But that means you have to release your grip on the expectation that “the system” will deliver up a selection of jobs for you to choose from every morning. It might have before (like in 2005) but it won’t anymore. The hidden job market is where you’ll find the great jobs. But you have to go looking for them.

Take that as good news. Sure you have to be more proactive than you were a few years ago. But the hidden job market puts you in the drivers seat. You have the power to go out and find the great jobs and companies that meet your criteria. That’s so much better than just sitting back and waiting for a diminishing stream of the wrong jobs trickle by you.

Finally, keep your standards high. Luck won’t find you if you’re targeting job opportunities that are clearly beneath your abilities. When you keep your standards high, you will be at the right place at the right time. On purpose. And by design.

So much better than just crossing your fingers, wouldn’t you say?

A special note from Martha:  These ideas come from my brand new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough. This book tells you how to find that great job that’s waiting for you!

The Colorado SHRM Conference next week, can you believe it?  If you’re like us…you’re excited and getting ready for a great professional education and networking event.

Over the course of the conference you’ll have the opportunity to engage in fantastic educational sessions and hear from some wonderful motivational keynote speakers like Mark Sanborn and Puruse the Passion! You’ll also have the opportunity to meet with conference sponsors, like Jobing.com – so come by and visit with us at Booth #301! If you haven't registered to attend the event, there is still time - visit www.coshrm.org to register today!

Jobing.com is proud to once again be a major sponsor of the Colorado SHRM Conference! We’ll be in the Exhibit Hall with information on exciting new products and services to help you meet your goals and even to create some new ones! Drop by and visit with us on October 1st and 2nd. You will learn why we’re much more than just a job board and why we should be your first choice for Local Talent!
The conference photos will be uploaded to http://www.flickr.com/groups/coloradohr. We will be uploading photos at the conference so that you can see the photos immediatley!

For more information watch the official conference video! See you soon!

There are lots of resources out there offering resume tips that will help you get that first interview.  Check out this list of common mistakes and make sure you avoid them.  Get in the door for that first interview and show them you’ve got what it takes!

Mistake 1 – Focusing Too Much on Responsibilities – Yes, you should be noting what you did but make sure you also mention the results.  Instead of saying made 60 sales calls per day, say made 60 sales calls per day to establish 5 leads and set 1 appointment.  Instead of saying created an automated billing system, say created an automated billing system which saved the company $500,000 per year in administrative costs.

Mistake 2 – Spelling, Formatting and Punctuation Errors – Right or wrong these errors tell the recruiter your attention to detail is lacking.  Perform spell checks, have friends review it and proof it yourself several days later.

Mistake 3 – Focusing on Yourself and Not the Employer – People tend to get wrapped up in describing themselves and their past work experiences.  Winning resumes indicate to the employer what you can do for them.  Of course you have to include both but make sure you comment on how your skills apply.  This is particularly important on cover letters as well.

Mistake 4 – Having Only One Version of Your Resume – In a perfect world, each resume you submit will be customized and sent with a customized cover letter.  It is amazing how much this will help.  At a minimum have several resumes ready for varying types of jobs.  A friend of mine recently created more than five versions…standard sales, sales job for which he’s slightly under qualified, sales job requiring management experience, sales job requiring travel, etc.

Mistake 5 – Gimmicks –  Rarely will using bright paper, unique layouts or crazy fonts get you an interview you wouldn’t have received anyway.  Recruiters are busy.  Send them a resume and cover letter they don’t have to decipher before getting to the details.

As summer draws to a close, many of us are emerging from our summer's seclusion. All of the organizations I belong to take the months of July and August off from meetings, returning to their regular schedule after the U.S. Labor Day weekend. That puts pressure back on salespeople to re-charge their networking batteries and start renewing familiar contacts and beginning new ones.

A client confessed in a recent coaching session that he felt "pressure to perform" in networking situations. He likened it to the moments before an unprepared performer takes the stage; equal parts anticipation and dread! If that sounds familiar, try thinking less about getting your message across, and more about approaching networking as "objective curiousity."

Here are three great questions to include in any networking conversation:

1. What brings you here?
2. Tell me about yourself?
3. What distinguishes your business from your competition?

Come prepared to answer those questions as well, because nine times out of ten your conversation partner will want to know the same things about you.

At events you attend, look for wallflowers. They're the people on the edge of the action. Perhaps they're new to the group, or uncomfortable in large gatherings. Everyone has a story, and the only way you'll find the stories of great value will be to ask. If wallflowers aren't readily available, seek out and join the conversation group that looks like they're having the most fun! An opening like "I'm new to the group, what can you tell me about today's event?" opens doors like magic!

A book I highly recommend for people who want to learn how to break the ice is Debra Fine's The Fine Art of Small Talk. Check out http://www.debrafine.com/ for more information on her books and speaking engagements.

My next book is titled The 89 Greatest Business Development Questions Ever! This quick read will be available in paperback at year's end, and you can pre-order to avoid the holiday rush (will fit in a stocking) at http://www.mikefaber.com/store.php

The American Payroll Association is part of an initiative to eliminate the use of paper paychecks nationwide. Currently, employers can go paperless in about 20 states. We’re tackling the rest state by state, and we need help from employers! We’re posting sample letters pre-addressed to the state officials in those states that currently keep employers from enjoying a paperless payroll. If you are an employer, please download a copy of the letter, personalize it, and send it on company letterhead.

The focus of the request is to allow employers to mandate direct deposit. Where employees do not provide their bank account information, employers should be able to provide paycards instead of paychecks.

Please join the effort!

Sample letters can be downloaded from the “ Green State ” link at:

www.americanpayroll.org/government/

Contributed By:   Senior Vice President of People & Talent of Jobing.com, Nicole Spracale

I am often asked this. I mean, after all - does it really make a difference, is it really of value?

For me, the answer is yes! I truly believe getting your certification is of value and can make a difference in both securing employment, while providing you a level of credibility among your peers and with your employer (current and future). As a professional in any field, taking the time to earn appropriate certifications and maintain them is important. We often look for accountants to have a CPA, and project managers have their PMP. So shouldn't an HR professional do the same?

Of course, if the certification itself and body of knowledge that comes from preparing for and completing the certification exam doesn't have value to you as an individual, then taking the test is just an exercise in regurgitating information. If your passion isn't to be the best you can be in the profession, then this test and the re-certification process will take a great deal of time that is better suited towards exploring something that will help you be the best at what you aspire to do.

I won't lie - the test is challenging, it isn't just a no-brainer fill-in-the-bubble exercise. By preparing for the exam either through the SHRM learning system, a local certification course, or by going through one of the published study guides you can purchase at most bookstores, along with meeting the experience guidelines that are provided via the HRCI website, you will put yourself in the best position to succeed. As a bonus, the study process will probably re-familiarize you with some aspect of the HR practice that you either have not touched in a while, or haven't yet worked with in your career - which certainly can pay you immediate dividends even before you sit for the exam.

I passed my PHR exam many years ago, and then took my SPHR exam a few years later. To this day I still say with pride that I am a certified professional, and I work to stay current with my certification. Do I believe it added value for me? Absolutely! Which is why I always recommend the process to anyone who is passionate about their career in Human Resources.

Following virtually every interview you’ll be asked, “What questions do you have for me?”  Do you know what to ask?  Do you know what not to ask?  This is a critical time of the interview where you must perform.  You have the opportunity to show you’ve thought about the job and what is important to you.  Asking good questions can set you apart from other applicants.  Asking bad questions can drop you from consideration.  My suggestion is to have several written down and ready to ask prior to your interview.  Even if the interviewer has already covered your questions you can still go through your list to show you were prepared.  Mention to them what your questions were.  Have the interviewer elaborate on a couple of them.

A few good questions to ask:

• Why do you like working here?

• What do successful people in your organization have in common?

 

• What is the company culture like?

• What values does the organization hold most important?

• Why do customers do business with you instead of your competitors?

• Where do you see the business five years from now?

• Is there anything you’d change about the company?

Best of luck in your first interview! Stay tuned for more interview tips.

 

 

Call me an optimist but I’ve been reading a lot lately about the economy starting to turn and the job market starting to pick up.  Here is a brief list of industries that are expected to supply a great deal of jobs for 2009 and beyond.

   1. Computers and Engineering – Projected to increase by 20% over the next decade, you can’t go wrong by getting skills in the computer and engineering fields.  Keep in mind, as these companies grow they’ll need administrative, accounting and sales personnel to go along with the techies.
   2. Government – Always a steady field of work.  Make sure you check for local government jobs frequently as they often have limited application periods.  Follow application guidelines closely to ensure you are considered.
   3. Renewable Energy/Environmental – Many initiatives are underway to save our great earth.  Think about solar power, electric cars, recycling and everything green.  Firms in this industry are poised for significant growth
   4. Healthcare – The healthcare field is constantly in need of great people.  It also ranks near the top of every list for jobs during the next decade.  Just like the high tech industry remember you don’t have to be a healthcare professional as these employers hire many different types of people.
   5. Construction – Construction is one of the first sectors to experience a flurry of hiring following a recession.  Many of the stimulus package inclusions are targeted to the construction industry as well.

Keep your chin up and keep digging.  The jobs are out there!

 

In our effort to continue to help job seekers and employers connect in Colorado Springs we have now partnered with the Southern Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce. Now more than ever it is crucial to network to find a job in this business climate. This chamber is a great outlet for you to build new relationships so that you can find your next employer.

Here are more reasons to get involved:

Support for women in business. As the SCWCC's mission states, the Chamber's purpose is to support, develop, and promote women in business through education, information exchange, partnerships, and alliances with other organizations promoting commerce, and to create opportunities for women in business.

Network. The primary reason most business people join a business organization is for the networking opportunities. SCWCC monthly luncheons and annual networking breakfasts provide great opportunities to network. Members frequently comment they particularly enjoy the smaller more intimate gatherings of the SCWCC because they have more meaningful interactions and don't feel like just a face in the crowd.

Programs. Designed to teach women how to maximize their economic and leadership opportunities, topics include civic and community issues, leadership and subjects relevant to today's career professional.

SCWCC regularly polls the membership for areas of interest and suggestions, and plans accordingly.

Community involvement. SCWCC recognizes outstanding contributions to our local business community through its Business Person of the Year Award program.

SCWCC supports Girl Scouts, the premier leadership development program for girls, through scholarship donations.

As a member of the Chamber Coalition, SCWCC actively participates with other regional chambers to produce the annual Diversity Awards Luncheon to recognize local companies and organizations with innovative diversity programs.

The SCWCC has taken the lead in developing a Women's Summit to increase the voice and influence of women in our community by bringing together representatives from a variety of women's organizations in the Pikes Peak region.

A place for everyone. The Women's Chamber has a diverse membership, including people from all types of business and non-profit organizations, whether owners or employees, female or male. It is an organization in which everyone can feel welcome and fully participate as a member.

For more information on how to get involved visit: www.scwcc.com

In a new initiative aimed at helping military members gain payroll certification, the American Payroll Association has joined with several military programs to offer educational assistance and certification testing on military installations. APA’s online certification prep courses are being offered to military personnel and their families through a partnership with Excelsior College ’s Center for Professional Development (CPD), with military education benefits covering 60% of the cost.

APA is also now a recognized member of DANTES, the Department of Defense’s education program for military personnel and families, whereby both the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) exams will soon be available at more than 500 DANTES military installations around the world.

In addition, as of May 2009, the cost of FPC and CPP certification testing is eligible for tuition assistance reimbursement through the G.I. Bill.

If you or someone you know is a veteran or active duty military, send an e-mail to education@americanpayroll.org for more information.

Leaving the military?

Hire a veteran?

Step 1. Check your military education benefits eligibility at www.gibill.va.gov.

Step 2. Consult www.americanpayroll.org/certification to determine if you should prepare for the FPC or the CPP exam.

Step 3. Enroll in online payroll courses, including: PayTrain®, Fundamentals of Payroll, and PayTrain Mastery.

Step 4. Consult your DANTES representative to schedule your certification test.

Step 5. Go to www.americanpayroll.org/job-board to view job postings.

 

A lot of people ask me what NOT to do at a job fair.  Below are my suggestions.

 
What not to do at a job fair:

    * Do not underestimate the opportunity - Job fairs have booths staffed with HR professionals. These are the people who have a direct say in who will be hired. Treat this opportunity as a first interview. Dress professionally and come prepared.


    * Do not show up with out a plan - It is important to use your time wisely by selecting a top 20 list of employers to visit. Research these companies and their open positions prior to the event.

    * Do not ask the employer questions that can be answered by the information on their website - Employers want candidates who are prepared, professional and serious about their openings. If you ask a question that can be answered from the company website, it shows you did not take the time to do your homework

    * Do not have a bad attitude - we know times are tough right now, but a job fair is not the place to discuss this. Please do not disclose personal or financial issues to the employers. They want employees who will bring a positive attitude and work ethic into their workplace. A negative attitude can be contagious and not welcome by employers.

    * Do not attend without your 30 commercial prepared - Job fairs are not only for job seekers to learn about employers, but for employers to learn about the candidates. Be sure you can sum up what you are looking for and why you are a great candidate concisely in 30 seconds.

    * Do not expect to just drop off your resume - many organizations have applicant tracking systems in place to manage the hiring process. This means the recruiters may ask you to submit your resume online. Rather than use the job fair as a resume drop off, use it as an opportunity to get first hand information from someone who knows what it's like to work there.

    * Do not forget to follow-up - send a hand written thank you note to all the employers you met with. Even if a company do not have the right position for you today, they may in the near future. Always work to make a positive impression. Address the conversations you had in your cover letters. Remind the employer of who you are and discuss something you learned about the company from the event. This will help the employer see why you would be a great fit for the organization.

 

Best of luck at your next job fair!