Monday, January 31, 2011

Office Manager/Bookkeeper in Alpharetta

DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking candidates for an office manager/bookkeeper position in Alpharetta. Opportunity will begin part time but move to 40 hours per week after a couple of weeks. Must have Quickbooks Pro experience as well as MS Excel and Word. Will be responsible for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, payroll, sales tax, phones, customer interaction, vendor tracking and processing payments. Must be comfortable working independently. $35-$40K once hired. Position will pay $15 to $17 per hour on a temporary basis.

Please submit resumes to resumes@discoverstaffing.com for consideration. Only qualified candidates will be considered.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

10 Smart Things for Job Seekers

It never hurts to have a refresher on the things that go the furthest when looking for a job. Careerbuilder posted this article on the top 10 things smart job seekers do.

10 Things Smart Job Seekers Do
By Beth Braccio Hering, Special to CareerBuilder

1. They realize a potential job lead could be anywhere.

Smart job seekers aren't afraid to mention occupational aspirations to their book club, their parents' friends or their dentist. One never knows whose golf partner might be the ticket to getting a foot in the door. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a partner at SixFigureStart -- a career coaching firm in New York City composed of former Fortune 500 recruiters -- recommends putting your LinkedIn public profile hyperlink in your automatic e-mail signature. "This is an elegant way to attach your résumé to every correspondence you send. Even friends who think they know you may click through to your profile, learn more about you and perhaps think of you for a job or lead that they might have overlooked."

2. They surf job boards for more than just open positions.

Ceniza-Levine calls job boards "goldmines" for research. "You might see companies you didn't know before -- add these to your list of targets. You might see the same requirements again and again -- this indicates a standard for the job you want, so incorporate these items into your pitch and cover letters."

3. They put adequate time and effort into their applications.

"Spend time to make your résumé the best possible written advertisement of you," says Lisa Quast, author of "Your Career, Your Way!" and founder of Career Woman Inc., a Seattle-based career development consulting company. "Analyze the job requirements against your own skills and abilities, and customize your cover letter."

Obviously, all correspondence should be free of errors and typos. And before sending off the application packet, look at the job posting one last time to ensure all desired material is included.

4. They do their homework.

Smart applicants know something about potential employers. From Googling a company to checking out its financial statements, they learn what they can -- and use the info to enhance their correspondence.

5. They know employers do their homework, too.

"According to [a 2010] Coremetrics [study], 75 percent of companies require recruiters to research job applicants online, so you'll want to be sure you know what they'll find," says Sherrie Madia, co-author of "The Online Job Search Survival Guide." Besides thinking twice about what you choose to post, she suggests doing a Google search on your name. If you find something undesirable, try to have it removed.

6. They make their value known quickly.

"An employer gives each résumé about a three-second window of time before he decides to either 'delete' or read further," says Patrice Rice, author of "How to Interview" and president of the recruiting firm Patrice & Associates in Dunkirk, Md. A smart applicant answers the question, "What can you do for me?" right off the bat with a summary of strongest accomplishments at the top of the résumé.

7. They look and act like a professional.

Simple but effective: A smart applicant arrives on time, dresses appropriately, both talks and listens, displays confidence and minds his manners.

8. They show that they want this job.

Smart job seekers are not "tire kickers." They focus on the needs of the employer and demonstrate how they are perfect for this particular position.

"Show enthusiasm during the job interview," Rice says. "Always make certain that the company you're interviewing with feels as if it is your first choice, no matter what other companies are involved in your job search."

9. They don't get ahead of themselves.

As much as she may be dying to know about promotions, raises and vacation time, a smart candidate doesn't jump the gun and tackle these issues during the first interview. She focuses on landing the position, then on whether the package is suitable.

10. They ask for the position, follow up and offer thanks.

"As strange as it sounds, you need to ask for the job," says Catherine Jewell, author of "New Résumé New Career: Get the Job You Want with the Skills and Experience You Already Have." "At the end of the interview, sum up your strengths, tell the interviewer that you are excited about the position and say, 'I would really like to contribute to this company. I am hoping you select me.'"

Then, a smart interviewee keeps his name in the game with a follow-up note reiterating interest and offering thanks -- knowing that a great last impression can seal the deal.

Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CBForJobSeekers on Twitter.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Electronic Assembly in Norcross

DISCOVER STAFFING is currently recruiting for an Electronic Assembly position in Norcross. Will be using small hand tools to assemble electronic components for gaming machines. Must have a strong work ethic and an understanding of how monitors, fans and keyboards are wired and the differences in the assembly of these components. $10+ depending on experience.

Please submit resumes to resumes@discoverstaffing.com for consideration. Only qualified candidates will be considered. Must be local to the Norcross area.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Job Hopping

Careerbuilder's blog The Work Buzz has posted this thoughtful essay about the pros and cons of Job Hopping and what it means to employees. As recruiters we find that clients seem pretty concerned about candidates who have worked at several jobs over the course of just a couple of years. People who have 3+ years experience at one company do seem to have an advantage in our market.

Is job hopping the new normal?
By Anthony Balderrama
If you had told workers in the 1950s that most offices today would consist of workers staring at flatscreen monitors and working on personal computers, they wouldn’t believe you. Well, they’d probably ask you what a personal computer is. But once you explained it to them, they’d probably call you a liar and/or accuse you of being a foreign spy.

But consider how quickly most workplaces have evolved over the last 50 years or so. You can walk into any clothing store and, if they don’t have your size, the worker can immediately find out if one of their other locations anywhere in the world has it and get it shipped to you. We take it for granted now, but that definitely deserves a “whoa.”

But one significant difference between today’s workplace and your grandparents’ is less obvious. The attitude toward changing jobs has shifted. Once upon a time, job hopping was considered a career killer. The conventional wisdom of the day was, “Who wants to hire someone who can’t commit?” If you took a job, you were expected to stay with it for several years and in some cases for the duration of your professional life. Today, that’s not necessarily the case for all workers.

Today’s workers aren’t afraid to hand in their resignation letters if a better opportunity comes their way, even if they’ve only bee with the company for two years. For some employers, this tendency to jump ship is a problem because finding new employees is expensive. By the time they post a job ad, interview several candidates, perform all the necessary paperwork, and possibly train them, they’ve spent a few thousand dollars just to get that person through the door. That’s not even taking into account the difficulty of transferring a previous employee’s workload to a new employee without losing any productivity.

In India, some information technology companies have instituted a three-month notice policy. If you work at one of these IT firms, you are required to give three months’ notice before leaving for another job. Previously the standard practice was to give one month’s notice, while here in the U.S. the informal standard is a notice of two weeks. Though, each organization has its own policies.

According to the Times of India:
Attrition levels in small and medium sized IT companies are now in the range of 25-30%, and for tier-I players, between 14 percent and 17 percent. With overseas clients resuming IT spends, companies are in a rush to fill up positions that were allowed to lapse during the recession. Job hopping has become so acute that some companies are finding it hard to include attrition levels in their quarterly performance reports.


But a recent article by Bob Moulesong in the Northwest Indiana Times looks at job hopping from both the employer’s and employee’s perspectives and finds the upside to each. Yes, even for employers. As Moulesong explains, when workers move from position to position, they garner a variety of experience that they wouldn’t have if they stayed in one job for a decade. Their companies reap the benefits because their workers have more experience to draw upon and can teach the lessons from other organizations.

For employees, the benefits can be even greater. First, the experience you gain is invaluable. But, as Moulesong notes, more work means weeding out the right jobs from the wrong ones. You can spend five years studying a subject in college, but the moment you enter the proverbial Real World, you might discover that’s not actually how you want to spend 40 hours of your week. Hopping from job to job is an easy way to decide what works and what doesn’t. And, as the article mentions, when many workers were downsized in the early 1990s, people realized how fickle employers can be.

For that reason, job hopping in the aftermath of the Great Recession makes sense. Chances are either you or someone you know was laid off in the past three years or at least faced a pay cut. Employee-employer relationships are still sensitive and workers probably don’t feel as loyal as they once did.

If you’re a job hopper or think you might be, here are a few issues to consider:

1. Don’t label yourself a job hopper to employers.
Your résumé will speak for itself, so writing “I can’t seem to stay in one place for too long” in your cover letter isn’t necessary. Instead, emphasize your experience and the different types of organizations you’ve worked in. Mention the range of your experience, from small start-ups to international corporations, and highlight how you’ve made a difference at each.

2. Be mindful of how much hopping you do
If you start a job, get into a fight with an overbearing boss during the first week, and quit immediately, leave that information off your work history. It’s an anomaly on your work history and is so brief no one will notice. If, however, you have held 6 jobs in the past year, you might want to reconsider your hopping practices because you’re not staying anywhere long enough to make a difference. No sooner do you settle before you’re out the door again. But because they constitute such a significant amount of time when combined, you can’t omit these brief jobs from your history.

3. Explain why you hop
You may or may not be asked about your overactive job history during an interview. Some interviewer might not consider it noteworthy, but some will be curious as to why you’ve had three jobs in 7 years compared to other applicants who were at one location for a decade. Did you hit a ceiling at the organization and needed to look elsewhere to expand your skill set? Did the position evolve to a role that was drastically different than the one you signed on for? Were you laid off when the company when bankrupt? Did you move? You probably had good reasons to make the moves you did. Find concise ways to explain your decisions in case the questions arise and you’ll do well.

In today’s workplace, the rules are changing. If you’ve seen this changing attitude toward job hopping evolve during your professional career, what do you think about it? Or have you not seen evidence of this in your job search? Let us know.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Receptionist/Administrative Support in Buckhead

DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking a receptionist/administrative assistant for a commercial real estate firm in Buckhead. Will be responsible for answering the phones, handling the mail, some light accounting and other office support roles as needed.

Please send your resume to resumes@discoverstaffing.com for consideration.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Part Time Billing Specialist

DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking a part time billing specialist for a small logistics company in Alpharetta. Must be comfortable working in a very small office environment. Must have excellent computer skills including Excel. Accounting experience helpful. Starting at $10 an hour for 32 hours a week with the possibility of a raise once the position goes permanent.

Please submit your resume to resumes@discoverstaffing.com for consideration.

Junior Graphic Designer

DISCOVER STAFFING is seeking an entry level graphic designer for a client in Roswell. Will be collaborating with the art director to design marketing materials. Must have a BA or BFA in graphic design or related field. Must have knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, Apple iWork and MS Office. Web design and audio/video editing a plus.

Please submit your resume to resumes@discoverstaffing.com for consideration.

A/R Collector

DISCOVER STAFFING is seeking an experienced collections specialist in the Norcross area. This will begin as a 30 day temporary position with the possibility of going temp to hire. The candidate must have experience working with consulting service or groups. Will be working with 50 clients to manage the receivables process. $18+ depending on experience.

Please send resume to resumes@discoverstaffing.com for consideration.

Research and Development Technician

DISCOVER STAFFING is working with a client in John's Creek seeking an experience R&D Technician with a chemistry background. Will be working with R&D Scientists doing chemical blending. Will conduct experiments and record data. Must have an associates degree in chemistry or similar field with 1 year relevant experience. Must have knowledge of MS Excel. Must be comfortable in a lab environment. $15+ an hour depending on experience. This is a non-medical laboratory. Will be mixing adhesives, blending powders and pastes.

Please submit resume to resumes@discoverstaffing.com for consideration.

Production Clerk

DISCOVER STAFFING is seeking an experienced temp to hire production clerk. Prior experience working in the medical or food industry with General Manufacturing Production and FDA regulations preferred. Attention to detail and ability to document activity precisely and accurately a MUST. Hours are Monday-Friday 6am-2pm and possible Saturdays from 5am - 2pm.

Submit resume to resumes@discoverstaffing.com.

Monday, January 3, 2011

New Career Advice for 2011

As we enter this new year, it might be time to re-evaluate your career search strategies. Careerbuilder, one of my favorite on-line resources for job advice, posted this article with tips for the new year.

11 job search tips for 2011
By Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder Writer

It's 2011 and it's time to take control of your job search. This year, it's no longer up to companies to hire you, it's up to you to get hired. Forget about how the economy is doing. Reflect on last year if you must, but then forget about that, too. This year, your focus will be on finding the right job for you and doing everything you can to be the best candidate for that job. The competition may still be tough, but here's how to turn the tables in your favor.

1. Narrow your search. Stop applying to jobs that you're not qualified for or don't really want. It's a waste of time. Be honest with yourself when evaluating job postings. If you had to start the job tomorrow, do you have all the skills you'd need to succeed? Or are there areas of the job description that you don't have experience in? While it's always great to be willing to learn, most companies want to hire someone who can jump right in and get started without being trained from scratch. Focus your time on creating great applications for jobs you are well-qualified for instead.

2. Know exactly what you want. Narrowing down your job search may force you to ask yourself tough questions like: What kind of job am I really after? And what skills can I offer an employer? If you're unsure of the answer, make one list of the job skills you excel at and one of the skills you like to use most. Use these skills as search terms in your job search.

3. Re-evaluate your skills. If you feel as if you've looked at every job posting on earth and you still can't find one your skills match up with, then it's time to get some new skills. The good news for those who are unemployed is that it's the perfect opportunity to go back to school. You won't have to divide your time with your job obligations, and there's also the possibility that the economy will have recovered a bit by the time you graduate, giving you a double leg up. Government funding and other programs are available for out-of-work job seekers who want to enroll in training or continue their education.

4. Set goals. Yes, your overall goal may be to get a job, but setting short-term, specific job search goals for the year will help you grow and force you to continuously evaluate your progress. Improve your networking skills, for example, by making January's goal to join a professional organization and February's to attend a college alumni event. Holding yourself accountable for achieving these goals will boost your self-esteem and motivate you to continue searching by providing you with new leads and information.

5. Try something new. If you're stuck in a job search rut, add a new strategy to your repertoire. Instead of only job searching online, try working with a recruiter and setting up informational interviews with industry contacts, too. A multifaceted approach will get the best results.

6. Get a leg up on the competition. If you come across a job that seems perfect for you, do something that will subtly help you stand out from the crowd. When you find a job posting you want to apply to, find out the name of the hiring manager or someone who works in the same department, and send the person an e-mail directly. It's 2011, which means almost anything can be found online, including names and e-mail addresses. A LinkedIn search on the company should turn up a list of employees and their titles, from which you can select the most appropriate person. Then, search the company website or press releases for the company's e-mail format.

7. Get a hold of your online reputation: When human-resources managers search for your name online [and they will do it] you can either take control of what they see, or you can leave it to the powers of the crawl search gods. Search results that are professional and consistent and that establish you as an expert in your field will be far more impressive than Facebook pictures from Thanksgiving. Things like a Facebook or LinkedIn profile and a Twitter feed will all show up on the first page, so signing up for these sites and populating the accounts with up-to-date, professional content will make a great impression.

8. Start a website: If you want to take your Internet presence one step further, starting a website will showcase your skills and talents in a thorough and interesting way, and it'll add to your professionalism and give you credibility. Plus, it's not as costly or as time-consuming as you might think. Domain names (i.e. YourName.com), can be registered on sites like GoDaddy.com or Bluehost.com for around $10, and web hosting can cost as little as $3 per month. If you're not particularly tech savvy, premade blog templates give you a professional look with minimal hassle. Wordpress.com has tons of template options and also provides great technical support for novices.

9. Stay current: You should always be in the loop, even if you're out of work. Read trade publications, comment on industry blogs and stay on top of any emerging technologies or policies that may affect your career path. This will not only help you have a great conversation with an interviewer and keep your professional edge, but it may also give you new ideas about where and how to look for a job.

10. Sell yourself: An interview is no time for modesty, especially in times like these. When you land an interview, go prepared with at least five examples that demonstrate your best qualities. That way, when an interviewer asks, "Why should I hire you," you can talk about how you're such a quick learner that you taught yourself Photoshop in a week and how your entrepreneurial spirit led you to start your first lawn-mowing business at age 16. Be sure to leave the interviewer with the phone numbers of references who will back you up with glowing recommendations.

11. Keep that glass half-full approach, all year: A job search will always have its frustrating moments, because things don't always happen when or how we want them to happen. But instead of letting setbacks ruin motivation, take them as lessons. Your lack of interviews may mean it's time to re-evaluate your career path or skills, which could lead you to a more fulfilling career. This type of positive attitude will be much more productive in helping you find your next job.

The bottom line is that job searching will be tough this year, but landing a job -- even your dream job -- can still be a reality. A proactive job search is your best bet, so take the necessary steps to ensure you get the job you want.

Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow @Careerbuilder on Twitter.