Monday, November 30, 2009

Accounts Services Coordinator

DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking candidates for an Accounts Services Coordinator in Alpharetta. Our client is seeking candidates with a background in distribution and inventory. Consumer goods experience and bilingual preferred. Will be processing orders by phone, mail, fax, Internet or email. Update customers on status of orders, prices, or additional information. Will be entering orders for merchandise or material and tracking PO's. Client prefers individuals with tangible product inventory or distribution experience, not call center. Position pays $16.00+ depending on experience.

Candidates must be local to the Alpharetta area and have reliable transportation. Only qualified candidates will be considered. Please send your resume to laura@discoverstaffing.com for consideration. No phone calls please.

Facebook Tips For Working Professionals.

Posted on Yahoo! Hotjobs, I liked this article for it's practical advice. This time of year, when more people are spending time being social and gearing up for the holiday and the end of the year you may find that social networking is the best medium for focusing your job search. The following are tips for the working professional, but they are good to keep in mind for any step of your job search and career.

Facebook Tips for Working Professionals
by Doug White, Robert Half International

To friend or not to friend, that is the question.

As more people embrace Facebook and other social media websites for business purposes, the already fine line between what's professional and what's personal continues to blur. It can be difficult to determine which work-related contacts to connect with and what content to share. Here is some friendly advice:

Let your boss make the first move. According to a new Robert Half survey, nearly half of executives polled said they are uncomfortable getting Facebook friend requests from people they manage.

Regardless of how much rapport you have in the office, your supervisor simply might not want to connect with employees on personal networking sites. Avoid awkwardness by waiting for your boss to reach out to you first. And if you choose to accept the friend request, make sure you don't post anything you wouldn't want him or her to see!

Protect your privacy -- and your professional image. Familiarize yourself with Facebook's privacy settings. Remember: Unless you use this feature, every word or image you post can be seen by all of your Facebook friends. Do you really want coworkers and clients to view your vacation photos?

Adopt a better-safe-than-sorry approach by creating a separate "work" list and limiting the content you make accessible to those contacts. You can even go a step further and customize your settings to block specific individuals from viewing certain sections of your profile, such as photos of you and your friends.

Exercise good judgment. This common-sense message bears repeating: Don't be your own worst enemy. If you have a bad day, cool off before clicking. Badmouthing your boss, a colleague, or a hiring manager through Facebook is a highly risky move that's come back to haunt many professionals. Similarly, if you're currently employed (and you want to remain so), think twice before writing status updates about your search for a better job. In addition, avoid becoming a fan of potentially controversial people or products, or taking online quizzes (for which there are no privacy controls) that could be deemed unprofessional.

Consistently monitor your online reputation. Managing your so-called "digital footprint" requires more than merely monitoring what you post. Check your Facebook account regularly to keep tabs on the information others are broadcasting about you.

You'll want to act quickly if someone makes an inappropriate comment on your Facebook wall ("Steve, are you still working for that boneheaded boss?") or identifies you in an embarrassing photo. You can easily delete comments posted on your wall and untag yourself from pictures by clicking "Remove Tag" under the image. You also might contact the person to express your displeasure and politely request that he or she keep your professional reputation in mind in the future.

While Facebook enables savvy professionals and job seekers to build key connections, there are also many pitfalls to sidestep. By taking the tips highlighted above, you can be sure that Facebook helps -- not hinders -- your career.

Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 360 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, please visit rhi.com. For additional workplace articles and podcasts, visit workvine.com.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Auditor and Scheduler Positions

DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking candidates for Auditing and Scheduling positions.

Candidates for the auditor position must have a degree in English or a related field and experience as an editor, writer, journalist or similar. Must be proficient in MS Word, Excel and Outlook as well as have excellent grammar, vocabulary and spelling skills. Must be available to work evening and weekend hours. Some of the work will be completed at home so must have a home phone line and reliable Internet access. $13per hour. Candidates who speak French Canadian also encouraged to apply.

Candidates for the scheduler position will be responsible for contacting independent contractors and scheduling them for events. May make up to 60 phone calls an hour. Required evening and weekend hours. Will be working both in the office and from home so a home phone line and reliable Internet access is required. Must have prior experience with call center or telemarketing. Candidates who speak French Canadian also encouraged to apply.

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

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Job Searching during the Holidays

We are just two days away from Thanksgiving this year. If you are out of work, the holiday season can seem daunting. About.com shares the following article on how to use the holidays to your advantage during your job search.

Holiday Job Searching
Don't Believe the Myths

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

Many job searchers are convinced that job searching between Thanksgiving and the middle of January is a waste of time. If you buy into this myth about holiday job searching, you are losing one of the better job searching seasons of the year. During this holiday job search season, you enjoy reduced competition for jobs and more. Debunk the common holiday job searching myths.

During this holiday season, you enjoy reduced competition for jobs and easier access to decision makers who are actually in the office. Fall trade shows are over and holiday vacations have yet to kick in.

You have the opportunity to help people spend their budgets before year end. Hiring managers, with fresh goals for the new year, are eager to find people who can help them get the jump on goal accomplishment. If nothing else, many organizations interview in December for positions starting at the first of the year.

Holiday Job Searching Tips
If you're ready to drop the seasonal holiday job searching blues, here are several tips that will help your holiday job search.

Use holiday events for schmoozing with family, friends and acquaintances. You never know who will produce your next job lead. Attend as many events as you can reasonably fit into your calendar. You don't want to be obnoxious about your job search and aggravate friends and relatives. But, do prepare a brief statement that tells people you are looking for a job and the kind of job you seek.

  • Send holiday cards with your business card enclosed to hiring managers with whom you've recently interviewed. Send one to well-connected friends as well.

  • Create a job searching schedule with at least one item to accomplish every day. Don't get lazy or depressed; keep your spirits up by taking positive action during the entire holiday season.

  • Check the classifieds in your target job searching markets from late November through December. Those employers are still conducting their searches, unless they happened upon a "perfect" candidate. Continue to check the online job boards as well. And, don't forget to check company Web sites if you have selected employers for whom you'd like to work.

  • Check professional association websites for advertised positions.

  • Take seasonal work during the holidays to tide your finances into the New Year. Temporary agencies also see an increase in employer requests as companies struggle to complete annual goals and enable employees to use their vacation time.

    Take all of the job searching tips you've gathered throughout your job search and work doubly hard to accomplish them during the holiday job searching season. You won't be sorry.
  • Wednesday, November 18, 2009

    Service Technician

    DISCOVER STAFFING is working with a great company in Kennesaw looking for a Service Technician for an innovative technology. Background in computer repair or automotive technology required. Bilingual Spanish helpful, but not required. Great opportunity to grow with this company. $15 to start with possibility for larger salary or salary plus commission. Position may evolve to include national or international travel to sites for product repair.

    Candidates must be local to the Kennesaw area. Only qualified candidates will be considered. Please send your resume to laura@discoverstaffing.com for consideration.

    Tuesday, November 17, 2009

    Part Time Receptionist

    Thank you for your interest in this position. The client has made a hiring decision at this time. Please continue to check back for our most up to date job postings.

    DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking candidates for two part time receptionist positions. Our client, located in Lawrenceville is looking for two experienced receptionists to job share. One shift would be from 8:30am to 1pm and the other would be from 1pm to 5:30pm. Candidates must have 2+ years receptionist experience, good phone presentation, customer service attitude, and computer skills including Excel and IM. $12 per hour. Temp to hire opportunity.

    Candidates must be local to the Lawrenceville area and have reliable transportation. Must have recent receptionist experience. Please send your resume with a cover email to laura@discoverstaffing.com for consideration.

    Friday, November 13, 2009

    Form I-9 Compliance

    The following is from our DISCOVER STAFFING Career Resource Center archives. If you are new to our website, please feel free to browse our previous articles for great information to help you in your job search.

    When you apply with DISCOVER STAFFING or any staffing service, you will be asked to bring with you IDs to show that you are eligible to work in the United States. So, what does that actually mean to you? Please check out the official PDF form of the current I-9.

    On the fourth page, you will see a list of approved documents. These are the forms that you need to bring with you when you apply. You only need to provide either one document from List A or a combination of one document from List B and one document from List C. Companies cannot accept two forms from the same list. Companies also cannot specify exactly which forms you provide.

    What the I-9 actually does is verify that the employer has reviewed your employment eligibility status and determined that you are eligible to be employed legally in the United States. Companies face stiff penalties from the Department of Homeland Security for not completing this information accurately.

    Thank you so much for your cooperation in the I-9 process.

    Wednesday, November 11, 2009

    References in the 21st Century

    With the use of social networking such as LinkedIn and Facebook, the 21st Century Job Search is very different from the techniques of the past. This great article from MSN Careers provides advice on culling references from these sources.

    Facebook friends as job references?
    These days, hiring managers can talk to anyone about you

    By Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC contributor

    Time was you could control the references a prospective employer contacted because you provided them with a well-thought out list of colleagues and former bosses you knew would provide glowing recommendations.

    But with the proliferation of social networking sites loaded with lists of your contacts, and your contacts' contacts, it's like the Wild West of references for job seekers. You never know whom a hiring manager may end up talking to about you.

    Almost every human resource professional I talk to lately admits to using these social networking sites to check out applicants, beyond just public profiles and résumés. In many cases, if an HR person shares a job seeker's connection on a networking site, they'll just e-mail that contact to find out the dirt on the applicant without permission from the applicant.

    The thinking is, there's nothing illegal or unethical about it because you're flaunting your connections in the public domain.

    So it's time to think long and hard about the many friends and contacts you now have on your social networking pages. Just because someone is on your list of friends on Facebook doesn't necessarily mean you want that individual as your reference for a job.

    "The old days of a page with three references and three phone numbers on it that you controlled are over," says Jennifer L. Berman, an HR attorney with consulting firm CBIZ in Chicago. "With these networking sites, you've opened up your rolodex for the whole world to see."

    Cybersleuthing
    Indeed, Sergio Alvarez, executive vice president of Internet sales for Internet advertising firm Ambassador Media Group, recently used LinkedIn to get the skinny on a candidate he was considering hiring.

    "This sales person was on LinkedIn and he had a contact on there from one of our competitors. Since everyone knows everyone in this industry, we contacted someone there directly," he explains.

    The job applicant had no idea Alvarez was doing the stealthy online reference check, but it worked out well for the candidate because he got a positive recommendation and the job.

    If you don't want prospective employers calling certain people on your friends' list, you could list those individuals on a private list, which many sites now offer. But that sort of defeats the purpose of these sites: networking.

    Many of these networking sites now include functions allowing contacts to include written recommendations or you're-a-great-person labels. LinkedIn literally has an icon of a thumb pointing up to signify a friend or associate has recommended a contact.

    On Jobster.com, there's a section where you can ask your colleagues to send you a letter of recommendation.

    Here's the canned e-mail you can send out: Would you write a brief recommendation of my work that I can include on my Jobster profile?

    Recommendation dos and don'ts
    These are all great tools, but beware of recommendation hoarding, either getting too many or giving too many.

    If you have a bunch of your non-work pals writing testimonials on Jobster, or recommending you on LinkedIn, employers may be turned off if they call your cyber connections to find out what kind of employee you may be, only to find out that you were just drinking buddies.

    "This opens the door for the prospective employer to request to speak to these references, thinking that the relationship is professional in nature, to validate claims made by the candidate during the interview process about their achievements and experiences," says Lee B. Salz, author of "Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager." "When they find that the reference is personal instead of professional, a trust issue develops between the employer and prospective employee."

    For managers who give out recommendations on social networking sites, the rules of reference non-engagement still apply. Companies have for some years put the kibosh on bosses giving out good or bad recommendations for fear of being sued by former employees, and cyberspace should be no exception, says Rich Falcone, an employment attorney with Payne & Fears in San Francisco.

    "Some managers may have the feeling of freedom in cyberspace, doing things from home when they don't feel the restraints of the office with the HR person looking over their shoulder," he says, "but we recommend they just give out name, rank and serial number."

    You also don't want to give a recommendation to every Tom, Dick and Harry. Recommending someone who's incompetent could undermine your credibility in an industry or a company, says Diane Danielson, CEO of career networking site, Downtown Women's Club and author of "The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?)"

    But you want to make sure you have some recommendations on your site. Danielson suggests having at least three recommendations but no more than 10.

    Honing your references
    Creating a list of recommendations on your site helps give you back a bit of control, says CBIZ's Berman. "A lot of hiring managers are kind a lazy, so if you give them a lot of good information, odds are they will be less aggressive in finding things out on their own," she adds.

    Be sure to hone your references to people who are specific to the industry you want to enter, and place the most influential contacts at the top of your list.

    That said, don't get mired in cyberspace. Just because you have a long list of virtual recommendations doesn't mean you should be dropping the ball on the traditional development of your three-person reference list, which is still a key hiring tool for many human resource managers.

    As Chuck Pappalardo, managing director of Trilogy Search, a retained executive recruitment firm headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, says: "At this juncture, Facebook is simply not a serious site for business at the level I place folks. LinkedIn, however, is becoming increasingly more useful as a networking tool and in identifying candidates. But any posted reference can't be taken seriously on any level."

    Since the references on these sites are often solicited, many have come to realize such references may not always be the most honest reflection of an individual.

    "While some of the comments are certainly genuine with regard to service or capability, to truly check references and be satisfied that we have a 360-degree view of the candidate, we need to go beyond the obvious," Pappalardo says. "And this means making phone calls and speaking directly to those who know the candidate, including not only relying on provided reference information."

    Ambassador's Alvarez says he uses the information he gets from social networking sites as just one piece of his hiring strategy.

    "I won't rule out someone who's not on Facebook or LinkedIn, but having recommendations and references up on networking sites can only help you," he says.

    Eve Tahmincioglu writes the weekly "Your Career" column for msnbc.com, aiming to tell daily grinders how to make work life work for them by sleuthing out career-ladder secrets rung by rung.

    Tuesday, November 10, 2009

    Temporary Projects For The Holiday Season

    Are you interested in short term project work for the holiday season?

    DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking candidates for a variety of temporary projects throughout the holiday season, including:

  • Receptionist
  • General Office Projects
  • Warehouse

    Positions located in Gwinnett County, North Fulton County and Cobb County areas. Candidates must have reliable transportation and flexible schedule. Please send resumes to laura@discoverstaffing.com for more information. No Phone Calls Please.
  • Thursday, November 5, 2009

    Why positions aren't being filled

    Yahoo! Finance today had a fascinating article on why positions are going unfilled in this very tight job market. We thought this would be very informative for job seekers.

    Despite millions of job seekers, many positions sit open
    By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer
    On 1:50 pm EST, Tuesday November 3, 2009


    Despite millions of unemployed job seekers desperate for work, many open positions are languishing unfilled. The reason? Not enough candidates.

    With job openings largely concentrated in specialized industries like health care, green technology and energy, some employers say the problem is finding qualified workers, which are in short supply. Meanwhile, they are inundated with eager candidates from other industries who lack the skills and experience that the job requires.

    According to a recent survey by Human Capital Institute and TheLadders, more than half of employers said "quality of candidates" or "availability of candidates" are their greatest challenges -- despite the recession.

    Mary Willoughby, the director of human resources at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, New York, has been trying to hire registered nurses, home health aides and service coordinators for several of the agencies that she oversees.

    Many of the positions, which require specific skills and offer salaries in the range of $30,000 to $45,000, have been vacant for six months or longer.

    The job postings, which appear on CareerBuilder, Craigslist and some regional sites, garner a lot of attention, she says. "We get tons of résumés from people. We are just not getting highly qualified candidates."

    The problem, according to Willoughby, is that they are bombarded by résumés from job seekers without the two years or more of health care experience necessary. "We're seeing a lot of people trying to break into the health care arena," she said.

    As a result, human resources spends too much time sifting through résumés for people who aren't remotely qualified, and can't find many that are. "We've gotten close to 300 résumés for a service coordinator position. Out of that we brought in four people," she said.

    Those that didn't make the cut included someone with previous experience as an office clerk and a job applicant with a bachelor's in mathematics, currently employed at a café.

    Willoughby recently instituted a hiring incentive program to encourage existing employees to refer viable candidates. Those responsible for bringing in new hires are eligible to receive $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the position. She has also added in a signing bonus for the new employees.

    Things are even worse on the higher end of the pay scale. At wireless leasing firm, Unison Site, a position for director of lead generation, which pays $90,000-$140,000, has been open for three months, with no candidates in sight.

    "With the job market the way it is, we should be able to recruit really good people and it hasn't worked quite as well as we wanted," said Joe Songer, co-founder and chief financial officer. "My problem is when I put an ad out I just get bombarded with people that aren't qualified."

    Typically, the jobs that are the hardest to fill are those that require unique or extensive work experience, according to management professor Peter Cappelli of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

    For job seekers, applying to those types of positions may be worth the off chance that one responds with a request for an interview. "They think, I've got nothing to lose," Cappelli said.

    Recruiters recommend that job seekers create a targeted list of companies with a clear match to their background and tailor their experience to the job they are applying for, rather than blanketing all available job openings with the same résumé.

    "Eighty percent of jobs are being obtained on personal referrals so candidates that are spending the bulk of their time sending their resume out blindly are not being the most fruitful," said Carolyn Thompson, president of CMCS, a boutique staffing firm near Washington, D.C.

    Thompson advises job seekers to network within those target companies, whether in person or through social networking sites.

    Without a contact at the company, résumés should highlight and emphasize any relevant experience specific to the job opening, added Jennifer Becker, market director for Ajilon Professional Staffing. "You really want your résumé to very quickly and easily reflect your relevant skills and the value you can bring to the position."

    "If the client has to look for it, you are probably going to get passed over."

    Current Open Positions

    DISCOVER STAFFING is currently seeking candidates for the following positions:

  • Senior Internal Auditor - must have Sarbanes Oxley and ERP Experience. CPA required. 50% travel (national and international). Alpharetta area.
  • Senior Accountant/Financial Analyst - must have 2-3 years public accounting experience with one of the "Big 4". Alpharetta area.
  • Customer Service Representative - Bilingual Helpful. Alpharetta area.
  • Auditor - Journalism/English background. Available evenings and weekends. Norcross Area.
  • Scheduler - Customer service. Available evenings and weekends. Norcross area.
  • Electro Mechanical Technician - familiarity with FDA procedures, medical manufacturing. Alpharetta area.
  • Soldering - 1st or 2nd shift. Alpharetta area.
  • Injection Molding - 1st or 2nd shift. Alpharetta area.
  • Clean Room - picking and packing in a sterile environment. Alpharetta Area.
  • 2nd Shift Production Supervisor - FDA and ISO experience required. Alpahretta area.
  • Temporary Receptionists - The Holidays are almost here. Our clients may be making requests for vacation coverage. North Fulton, Gwinnett, and Cobb Counties.

    Please submit your resume for consideration to laura@discoverstaffing.com. Please include an email indicating which position you are applying for and how you are best qualified. No phone calls please.
  • Tuesday, November 3, 2009

    How to address a layoff

    Today's employment climate has changed significantly in a very short period of time. At DISCOVER STAFFING we are often told by our clients that they do not want to see candidates who are "job hoppers" - individuals who have had a new job every 6 months to a year. At the same time, we are talking with candidates who have faced layoffs, sometimes multiple layoffs, causing them to have resumes with several shorter term positions listed over the last two years. Yahoo! Hotjobs has this great article on how to address your current situation in interviews.

    The Do's and Don'ts of Explaining Your Recession Layoff
    by Liz Seasholtz, WetFeet.com

    Getting laid off is an embarrassing experience -- and not a particularly fun one to relive again and again during interviews. But the way you handle the topic can make or break an opportunity to restart your career and leave the past behind.
    To help perfect your approach, we've compiled the following advice for how you should -- and shouldn't -- handle the discussion.

    DO be the first one to address your layoff.
    One of the first questions a recruiter is likely to ask is, "Can you tell me about yourself?" Reveal your passions and career motivations first, and then take this as an opportunity to explain your recent layoff. "You'll get credit for bringing it up," says Lewis Lin, founder of Seattle Interview Coach and former hiring manager for Microsoft and Google. "You'll get to frame the layoff and explain it on your own terms, as opposed to letting the recruiter ask about it."

    DON'T weave a complex story.
    You may still feel wounded from your layoff, but don't be too sensitive and over-explain why you were let go. Weaving a complicated story (like you were laid off during a restructuring even though your boss promised your position would be safe, but instead your colleague was chosen to stay because she had a lower salary requirement -- whew!) will raise red flags that there was some deeper meaning behind your termination. Just say, "There was a restructuring and unfortunately my position was eliminated." Then move on to the next question.

    DO mention if it's a recession-related layoff.
    It's perfectly fine to use the recession as an excuse for your departure. In fact, although layoffs typically carry some shame for the interviewee, Lin says many recruiters aren't even batting an eye when candidates mention they've been laid off as a result of the poor economy.

    DON'T speak poorly of your last employer.
    This is just unprofessional, and again, will make your interviewer think twice about why you were laid off.

    DO mention if you were involved in a mass layoff.
    If you were one of many laid off at your company at one time, you should say so. "If it's a mass layoff, it draws less attention to why you, specifically, were laid off," says Lin. "A single person getting laid off draws more scrutiny." A good, objective way to phrase this kind of layoff is to say, "There was a reduction in force. One hundred positions were cut, including mine."

    DON'T be afraid to say you're not comfortable answering.
    If your interviewer presses for more details, don't be afraid to say you'd prefer not to talk about it. "Candidates forget they can choose not to answer," says Lin. "Especially in this recession, many people feel like they are begging for the job, and that they need to answer every question. It's a matter of dignity, and it's OK to decline."

    DO discuss how you've filled your time.
    Before the interview, you should come up with a solid answer about how you've been filling your days -- and catching up on "Days of Our Lives" doesn't count. Lin advises his clients to be honest, clear, and confident. "I had a client this week who was getting caught up about how to explain what he'd been doing, and I advised him to just be honest: he should say he took two months of vacation to relax, and then for the past two months he's been consulting on some tough engagements." It's also acceptable to explain that job-searching and networking has become your full-time job.

    Want more? Visit CareerTV.com for this video on addressing interview questions about past conflicts. For more articles on resumes and cover letters, visit WetFeet.com.