The Bagg Group Blog

There’s a myth that there is no point looking for a job during the holiday season.  Companies and recruitment firms work all summer long, so there’s no reason to believe all business comes to a complete standstill. At The Bagg Group, we advise that you don’t stop looking for a job until you find one, regardless of the season. 

There are some advantages to looking for jobs in the GTA during vacation times.  The pace at many businesses may be slower so it can be an ideal time to network over a coffee or to seek informational interviews.  As well, there can be less competition since many job-hunters do take the summer off.

Of course, we’d all rather be sailing.  That’s why at The Bagg Group we offer these tips for how to keep job-hunting and still enjoy the summer. 

Adopt summer hours.  Offices do it, and looking for a job is no different than any other work.  Get an extra early start to your workday and give yourself the promise that you’ll complete your job-hunting activities before the afternoon is out.

Use a daybook.  List two or three job hunting activities for the day.  These are tasks that are within your control to complete, such as researching job-boards, applying for a job, touching base with your references, rewriting your resume.   Estimate how long each task will take and schedule it like you would a meeting with yourself.  In this way, you can enjoy the rest of your day, guilt-free.

Consider volunteer work.  Many volunteer organizations need help in the summer when regular volunteers go off on vacations. This is a great time to help out and it’s good for your resume.  As well, volunteering is another way to network, and acquire references if necessary.

Temporary work opportunities.  Whether you are looking for a full-time job, a temporary job, or a contract job, the summer may offer up unexpected opportunities to serve as fill-in while regular staff is on holiday.  Any such opportunities are worth your while.

Finally, it’s important to stay-up-to-date in your field, year-round.  But there’s nothing that says you have to do your reading indoors.  Make a patio your office away from your home office.

We have seen candidates hired who have one poor reference but two to three great ones. So one bad reference doesn’t mean it’s all over for you.

What do recruiters want to learn from your references? At The Bagg Group, we focus on your strengths and areas for improvement.

Nobody expects that your reference will describe you as a perfect employee, since none of us are perfect. In any case, you can be assured that recruiters are extremely skilled at interviewing references, and at listening not just to answers but to tone of voice.

In other words, we know very well how to tell the difference between what is personal opinion and what is an objective assessment of a candidate’s skills.

Whether you are looking for a full-time job, contract work, or temporary work, you will need references. So make a point of staying in touch with your reference provider as you seek job opportunities in the GTA so that they are ready and willing to talk about you.

We put together this reference tip sheet to help you, and us, work with references.

Provide titles and contact information for each of your references. We only call the contacts you provide. If your reference is traveling or out of town, don’t worry. We will contact them by email. And by the way, recruiters prefer not to call references on cell phones. If we must, we have to call the reference provider’s company to verify their position.

Whenever possible, get a letter of reference. This is very helpful if, during the time of your job search, you are unable to locate your reference provider.

Tell your reference what type of role you’re going for. Let your reference provider know the type of job you’re applying for, and the skills it demands. This way, they’ll be able to respond more appropriately to questions.

Test the waters. Make a point of asking, “What type of reference will you provide me?” This way, you’ll know whether you want this person as your reference or not.

Be upfront with your recruiter. If you believe your reference may have areas of concern, tell your recruiter about it. We understand, and honesty is always the best policy.

Recruiters prefer to call three references. And you can list contacts at your volunteer work if you don’t have many references.

References almost always want to help you get a job, not stop you. Give your reference and your recruiter the accurate information they need, and let your expert recruiter handle the rest.

If the only voice you’re hearing is your own, then you are likely talking too much.

But you’re not alone in gabbing more than you should. According to a US survey, 36% of recruiters believe the biggest mistake job applicants make is talking too much in an interview.

It’s understandable. Many candidates believe a job interview is supposed to be all about them. It’s not. The reason for the interview is to find out how you can help an organization meet its needs. In other words, it’s all about the company, not about you.

Whether you’re meeting with recruiters or employers in the GTA for temporary work, contract work or full-time job opportunities, keep the following six tips in mind. They’re tried-and-true strategies for ensuring hiring authorities will stay listening to what you have to say.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Now think about your speaking points, and ask yourself, “Why should the company care?” Is the information you’re sharing clarifying how you can help meet the company’s needs? If not, you’re off topic, and you could lose the interviewer’s interest very quickly.

Think of your interview as a presentation. The interview may feel informal, but remember that this isn’t a casual chat with a new friend over coffee. Your interview is always a business meeting and the interviewer has an agenda. It’s helpful to think of your interview as a presentation, and the interviewer as your client. Your presentation must meet client needs and interests, engage them, and be to the point.

Make sure you’re having a dialogue, not a monologue. People get restless and irritated when they are talked at. So make sure you are talking with your interviewer and asking questions that show your interest in what they have to say. People want to know you have listening skills.

Do some research. According to an international survey of executive search firms, 22% of candidates make the mistake of not learning about a company before they go in for an interview. If you are seeking contract work or full-time job opportunities in the GTA, you will want to do some research into the organization so that your conversation will be more informed.

Role play. At The Bagg Group, we help candidates prepare for interviews. Here’s a good way to prepare if you are on your own. Write down a list of questions and answers you expect to be asked. And be sure to anticipate follow-up questions too.

Here’s how this works. You can expect to be asked, “What’s your biggest weakness?.” (By the way, the best way to answer that question is to show how you are improving in an area of challenge.) But let’s say you choose to answer: “I’m a workaholic.” Be prepared for a follow-up question. The interviewer may ask, “So how many hours a week do you work?” or “What time do you usually arrive at work in the morning and what time do you leave?” Do you have an honest answer ready?

After you answer the question, stop talking: When people are nervous, they often tend to repeat themselves. And the longer you talk, without saying anything new, the more you reduce the value of your answer. So make your point and stop. You make a greater impression when you give the interviewer a chance to respond to what you’ve been saying or ask you another question.

Above all, never lose sight that the interviewer isn’t meeting with you to be entertained or to hear your life story. The interviewer just wants to hear about how you can contribute to the company. Stay focused on that, and the conversation will work for both of you.

At The Bagg Group, the first thing we would tell you is, “Please, don’t take it personally.”

Of course, we know that’s easier said than done. But here’s why we say it.

There are many, many factors that go into every recruitment decision. If we don’t call you for an interview this time, it’s likely for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with you.

Recruiters understand that you are eager to work, whether you’re seeking full-time job opportunities in the GTA, or temporary employment or contract work.

But here are the top two reasons why staffing agencies may not call you for an interview, even when you feel you meet all the job requirements.

As an example, a GTA employer could specify that the first round of people they want to interview are those who have worked within a particular industry, or even a specific company, for a minimum period of time.

Or they may give preference to candidates who, in addition to meeting essential criteria, also have expertise in a complementary area.

And finally, it’s not uncommon for employers to change their criteria as the job search progresses.

Even as we continue our search, we present solid applicants to our clients.

It could be that the employers are happy with the initial candidates we put forth and don’t wish to interview more.

It can also happen that the employers decide not to fill a position, or to put their search on hold.

But here’s a tip, particularly for those seeking temporary work opportunities: It may help your chances if you send your resume very late at night or very first thing in the morning so that it is at the top of the recruiters’ inbox when they get in to work the next day.

Revisit your resume if, over time, it has never generated interest. Make sure it’s a well-crafted resume that highlights you achievements in your field, and is free of typos, bad grammar, confusing descriptions, etc.

Avoid the temptation to call us…please. Put your time and effort into a new search instead.

To recap: If we haven’t called you for an interview, it’s either because the position is on hold or no longer available, the client is not interviewing any more candidates, or your resume doesn’t match the employer’s very detailed requirements.

Recruiters receive as many as 200 resumes every single day, and we do screen them. But as you can imagine, there aren’t enough minutes in the day for us to field calls from applicants wondering why they haven’t been asked for a meeting.

Remember, as recruiters, we use several avenues for networking and so should you. Consider social and peer networking, volunteer work, meeting former colleagues for coffee.

Visit this blog often for job-hunting tips.

Keep looking, there will be other opportunities.

Finally, and most importantly, don’t get discouraged and don’t take it personally!!

Great question. Many people approach their meeting with a recruiter as a casual get-together. In fact, it’s better to think of it as a dress rehearsal.

Your recruiter is the stand-in for the employer. When they meet with you, they have to consider: How would this candidate come off in front a hiring authority?

At The Bagg Group, we’ve been working with GTA employers for so long that we know what they expect, and what works for them and what doesn’t.

You may be surprised to learn that there are a few casual behaviors and habits that a lot of us do without thinking which are frowned upon by hiring authorities. As always, it’s the little things in life that can lift you up or bring you down.

Here’s a list from our experts for What Not To Do when meeting with an employer or a recruiter, whether you’re meeting to talk about temporary work, contract work or full-time employment:

Don’t wear sunglasses on your head. Sunglasses dangling from shirts or on top of the head suggest a flippant attitude.

Don’t bring your own coffee into the meeting. Many people don’t think twice about picking up a latte to take into a meeting. But staffing experts urge you to think again. The protocol is that unless you’ve called ahead and asked the recruiter if they’d like a coffee, save the java for after the meeting.

Don’t remove your shoes. Believe it or not, recruiters and hiring authorities at top employers in the GTA have many stories of people casually slipping out of their shoes during meetings. And these are not stories with happy endings. Often people wear uncomfortable dress-up shoes to attend a job interview, but no matter how much the shoe pinches, try to grin and bear it.

Don’t shower in perfume. Too much of a good thing can give someone who is sensitive to fragrance a serious headache. You don’t want the interviewer to pick up any odors, of any kind. If your after-shave or perfume overwhelms them, they’ll be thinking more about getting away from you than hiring you.

Don’t smell of cigarettes. If the interviewer is a non-smoker, you face the same problem as above. If you smoke heavily, you may not notice the smell of tobacco on your clothes, but in a closed office, an interviewer, who is not a smoker, may find the smell overpowering. Try to wear smoke-free clothes to any interview.

Avoid the soft-chair slump. A good interviewer makes you feel comfortable. But you can’t afford to get too comfortable in your chair, according to the experts on body-language. Here’s why:

• If you slouch, it may appear that you’re not taking the interview seriously. And you risk coming off as a slacker. 
• If you put your hands behind your head while talking, you project arrogance.
• If you sit with your legs placed wide, you are perceived as acting over-familiar.
• If you lean too far forward, you may off as aggressive.
• If you lean far back, you come off as overly casual.

The experts say there’s only one way to sit in an interview—with a straight and upright body. This way, how you sit doesn’t distract the interviewer from what you’re saying.

You want to be yourself in any interview and keep the focus on what you have to say. You are the star of the interview. So you don’t want the little things, like too much perfume or a sore foot, to upstage you.

Leave a silly message on your machine and that click you hear may be the sound of a recruiter hanging up on you.

Recruiters make dozens of call a day, so they don’t have the interest, or time, for anything but a message that gets right to the point.

Besides, while some people may laugh at, “Hello, I’m Jane’s answering machine. What are you?” others may just groan and question your sense of humour.

So before you give your phone number to any recruiter, make sure you clear your answering machine message of jokes, music, barking dogs, crying babies and kids, and all references to late night parties.

Whether you are seeking full-time employment, temporary work, or contract work, your message must to be professional. It should sound like the message you hear when you call someone at an office.

Here’s a tip sheet, compiled by recruiters at The Bagg Group, for how to leave a message to impress human resource professionals:

Short and simple is the way to go. “Hello, this is (name). I’m sorry I’m unavailable to take your call, but please leave a message. Ill return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.” That’s really all you need to say.

Put a smile in your voice. According to studies, 85% of a person’s impression of you over the phone is determined by the quality of your voice. In other words, how you say your message is even more important than what you say. If your voice has no energy and you sound exhausted or depressed, hiring authorities will be put off.

Articulate. Often people speak so fast that the message sounds like one garbled word: “Hi, plzseezeamsagemelateatbeep.” That doesn’t make a good impression. And all accents sound stronger on the phone, so be sure to enunciate every word.

Borrow a voice. It doesn’t have to be your voice on the recording. Many people have friends or family who are natural voice talents to record their message for them. But don’t use a young child. The voice may be adorable, but the impact is unprofessional.

Ask relatives to let the machine pick up when you are not home. Recruiters say it’s not unusual for someone to pick up a phone, bark, “He’s not home” and hang up before they have a chance to leave their name and number. That doesn’t help you land the job opportunity. Unless you can trust the person to take a message well and deliver it, insist members of your household let the answering machine do the work.

Update your message. From Monday to Friday, your message has to sound like a work message. So don’t forget to delete “Heeeeey, party at my place tonight. Prepare to go wild,” message from the weekend.

Make sure you have an answering system. It’s not a big investment to get a message feature for your phone and it’s an essential one for every job-seeker. If people can’t leave a message, they’ll move on to the next person on their list. And check your messages frequently.

Finally, when leaving a message with a recruiter:

Give your full name and speak slowly when giving your phone number. Recruiters tear out their hair when they receive messages from people who identify themselves only by their first name or who speak so fast that they can’t catch the phone number.

Hold back the cough until you put down the phone. It’s not unusual for people to call in sick and cough their way through a message. This makes it impossible to catch key information. Rather than feeling sympathetic, the receiver of the message just feels annoyed.

For more tips, read How to make a better impression on the telephone.  

Attention to detail will help you when you apply to staffing agencies, such as The Bagg Group. So pay attention to your email address to make sure it’s working for you, and not against you.

Here’s a good list of do’s and don’ts. And if you’re unsure whether your email address is appropriate, play it safe and don’t use it.

A basic, standard email address won’t, in any way, hurt your chances for job opportunities. But an inappropriate email address may get you kicked off the island.

What not to do:

• Don’t use a friend’s email address, or your spouse’s. You can always get your own email account with free email providers like gmail or hotmail. Why is this important? Firstly, you appear more professional when you own your email account. Secondly, staffing agencies that work with temporary or contract employees in particular send out large numbers of emails. It makes it easier on us when your name and your email address match.
• If your only email address is a non-professional moniker, like balletmom@ or Ben’sDad@ or SailorBob@ you must get another one for your job search. You always want to keep attention focused on your professional life, not your private one.
• Whatever you do, do not use a cute name intended to charm, like Perfect.Choice @ or The Answer to Your Prayers @. What may work for online dating services won’t impress anyone at a staffing agency. Trust me, human resource experts are won over by professional behavior, not seductive strategies.
  
• If you are seeking new work opportunities while currently employed, don’t use your office email address. Remember that an office computer and email is not your own private property, but belongs to the employer who has the right to access it. What’s more, potential employers may not be impressed that you’re seeking work on company time.

• If there’s a particular skill you wish to emphasize to recruiters, you could consider it making it part of your email address. For example Mary.ITpro@ email.com or JoePayablesExpert@ email.com So long as the contact name is professional and relevant to your job search, it can serve as an easy way to reinforce your area of expertise.
• The standard practice is to use your name, and there’s nothing wrong with doing that. For example, janesmith@ or jsmith@ or j.smith@ is not eye-catching, but it’s fine. And you don’t have to worry about whether your address sends off the wrong message.

It’s not unusual for human resource professionals to conclude one of three unflattering things about you when they spot an error.

• They think you can’t spell,
• They think you don’t know how to use spell check,
• They think you can’t proofread a simple document.

The reality is spell check is not fail proof. Let’s say you accidentally type boast instead of boost when writing of an increase in sales. Spell check won’t save you. And when it comes to the word ‘their,’ you’re on your own. Don’t expect to be beeped if you were meant to spell the word as ‘there’ or ‘they’re.’

So knowing this, you print out your document and you read it carefully. Or so you think. Professional proof-readers know that our eyes can deceive us. Often we see what we expect to see, and not what really is.

I asked the professionals for some solutions for you. Here’s what they suggest to make sure your resume doesn’t get trashed for a tipo, I mean typo.

• Wait at least an hour, if possible, after typing your work before proofreading it. That gives your brain a chance to read it as if for the first time.
• Take a break from thinking about your resume and covering letter before you re-read them. The idea is to ensure that when you review, you’re not reading from memory. 
• To help you see the text with fresh eyes, read paragraphs out of order once or twice. Read the bottom first, and the middle paragraph second.
• Ideally, have someone else also proofread your documents.
• Read your printed resume and covering letter with a pen in hand. Cross out each word after you read it. This forces you to examine the text one word at a time. It’s tedious, but it’s effective.

As a final word of advice. Once you feel you have polished your resume, it can be tough to revisit it. But do re-read it after a week, and after a month. It’s a living document, something that can always be updated and like us all, improved with time.

For some more proofreading tips, check out the Online Writing Lab.