We can all learn a thing or two from reality shows. For example, The Bachelor teaches us how to date 25 potential love interests at once, and we have learned the joys of fist-pumping and GTL (Gym, Tan Laundry) from the cultured young cast of Jersey Shore. But MTV has recently turned a new leaf and created a reality show of value. Aptly titled Hired, the new show provides viewers (and job seekers) with useful information such as the do’s and don’ts of resume submission, interviewing, and a first-hand look at how employers approach the hiring process. The show chronicles companies as they set out to hire junior-level employees with each episode focusing on a different company and position.

In the debut episode, which aired last Monday, Los Angeles-based PR firm American Rebel PR sets out to hire a new Junior Account Executive with the primary job requirements being strong writing skills and an outgoing personality. Within one day of posting an online ad, over one thousand resumes are received and subsequently plowed through by the show’s “headhunter,” career coach Ryan Khan. Khan’s role in the show is to weed out unqualified applicants, conduct first-round interviews, and give candidates tips to better interview with the firm’s Founder/CEO, Chris Detert.

What the show offers viewers is a bird’s eye view of how employers often see job seekers:  fumbling for answers to questions, stoically engaged in conversation, and awkwardly seated across from the interviewer, thoroughly unprepared. While the show is geared towards a younger demographic, there are things that job seekers of all ages and experience levels can learn from Hired:

• Be confident in your skills and experience, no matter how limited they may be. One of the applicants that made it through to the final round of interviews was a somewhat inexperienced candidate named Bailey who exuded a “quiet confidence.” Her confidence let her potential employer know that what she lacked in working experience, she made up for in skill-set. This was enough for Detert to call her back as part of the final group of three candidates. While she ultimately wasn’t offered the job, we saw the importance of exuding confidence, not arrogance.
  
  
• Be prepared. This seems like an obvious one, and while college students are bombarded with career advice from counselors, many seemed to have scoffed at the importance of preparation. Do a background check on the company. More than one candidate showed up to the interview with a confused expression when the interviewer spoke about the details of the job and the company. One didn’t put together the “PR” in American Rebel PR with the “PR” in Public Relations. One candidate boasted about her prolific portfolio with great writing samples, then failed to produce it as she fumbled through her folder, realizing that she forgot to bring them with her. These seemingly small missteps play a huge factor in how the employer perceives candidates; Detert was visibly vexed and irritated that seemingly qualified candidates didn’t take a couple of minutes to check out the company’s website.
  
  
• Personality is key. If you don’t have a personality, applying for a position in which the primary requirement is “outgoing personality” isn’t the best idea. One applicant on the Hired premier sat straight-faced through his first-round interview. The recruiter felt perhaps he was being shy, and urged him to smile when he met with Detert, to which the applicant said to the camera, “I thought I was smiling.” Having a winning personality can land you the job, even if your qualifications and experience don’t stand out. The candidate that was offered a job at the end of the show was chosen for his outgoing, upbeat personality, despite his less than impressive writing skills (which were actually the worst of the final three candidates). Detert said that he would have regretted not hiring the applicant because he believes he would be an asset to the company.

Hired doesn’t have a dramatic plotline like so many other reality shows on the air these days, and that’s because it doesn’t need to have one. The anxiety of being a young job seeker is dramatic enough- with thousands of applicants vying for a single position, the competition is genuine, not contrived. Although the advice rendered on the show is not anything we haven’t already heard, seeing ourselves and our behavior in an interview setting are tremendous assets to helping us refine our techniques and approaches to interviewing.

Hired airs daily on MTV at 6:30pm 

  Melody Yaghoubi
  Interactive Resources

We are proud to announce that one of our temporary employees, Christine Mathurin, was nominated for the New York Staffing Association’s Staffing Employee of the Year Award. She was chosen as one of four finalists invited to attend the awards ceremony and luncheon presentation hosted at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York on Tuesday, May 18, 2010.

Healthcare Staffing Coordinator Amanda Bleakney nominated Christine because she feels that Christine embodies the five key messages of the American Staffing Association: jobs, flexibility, bridge, choice, and training. These five messages relay what the organization believes to be the major benefits of working as a temporary employee.

Christine’s flexibility in choice of assignment allowed her to work at four different clients of The Execu|Search Group.  Her work as a temporary employee helped to bridge the gap until she found a permanent job offer.  She was able to choose when and where she worked while gaining experience and knowledge of a variety of organizations.  With these assignments, Christine increased her population-specific skills through orientation and free training thus increasing her overall marketability as a great candidate.

“Christine Mathurin has always been a pleasure to have working on our assignments,” said Staffing Coordinator Amanda Bleakney.  “She is positive, flexible, a great communicator, always gives extra effort, and is a shining example of what we look for in our temporary employees.” 

The Execu|Search Group would like to congratulate Christine on her nomination and a job well done for exemplifying the qualities that all employers are seeking in their ideal candidate.

For more information about the New York Staffing Association, please visit: www.nystaffing.org
 
For more information about The Execu|Search Group’s temporary staffing services, please visit: www.execu-search.com/PracticeAreas/TemporaryStaffing.aspx

For more information about The Execu|Search Group’s Health Services division, please visit: www.execu-search.com/PracticeAreas/HealthcareServices.aspx

About The Execu|Search Group
The Execu|Search Group has been one of the City of New York and the Tri-State area’s leading recruitment and temporary/consulting and retained search firms since 1985. Headquartered in New York City with additional offices in Purchase, NY and Bridgewater, NJ, The Execu|Search Group has an excellent track record for providing uniquely personal, top-level service to clients and candidates alike. Recruiters at The Execu|Search Group specialize in practice areas including Accounting/Finance; Architecture & Engineering; Creative; Financial Services including Front Office; Health Services: Allied Health, Healthcare, Physicians; Human Resources; Information Technology; Legal; Non Profit and Office Support.

To read more about The Execu|Search Group, please visit: www.execu-search.com

It’s not every day we get to see our co-workers flex their muscles and model running shorts around the office, but on Wednesday June 16, 2010, that’s going to change. We’re proud to announce our participation in the 34th annual J.P.Morgan Corporate Challenge taking place in Central Park. Besides this being the perfect opportunity to compare our colleagues’ calves and assess their athletic agility, it’s also a great opportunity to promote physical health and fitness.

32 Execu|Search employees have signed up to trade in their suits for sneakers and face off against hundreds of New York City employees in this 3.5 mile run/walk in Central Park. In addition to the race day competition, J.P.Morgan is also hosting a T-shirt contest, where participating companies are invited to design a t-shirt (to be worn at the race) and have the chance to win $1,000 donated to a charity of their choosing. This is a great chance for us, as well as other companies, to showcase our creativity while making a difference in the community.

We’re looking forward to a fun filled evening, not to mention seeing our recruiters lose their ties and break out the tracksuits. Be sure to check back for photos of the event in June!

For more information about the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge, visit: http://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/

Updated by: Melody Yaghoubi
Interactive Resources Department

This post was contributed by Terri Klass of Terri Klass Consulting.

When hiring new people for your organization, it is important to decide what would make a great team member. Asking the right questions always depends on knowing what you are looking for. Deciding on the necessary qualities of a new addition to your company can be the key to finding the perfect fit and balance to your present team.

Meridee A. Moore, founder of Watershed Asset Management was interviewed recently in the NY Times about how she hires new employees. What caught my attention was that she always asks the candidate if they have ever been in anyone’s wedding party.  She feels that if the person’s answer is yes, it means that they are trusted by at least one person in the world. What a great way to find out how trustworthy a person is!

This question points to many important qualities that a candidate should possess in order to play a significant role on a team:

• Honesty and trustworthiness, not only in the work environment, but also in their personal lives
• Open communication and the willingness to share ideas
• Exceptional listening in order to truly understand
• Passion and drive to achieve
• Giving credit to others when deserved
• Ability to overcome obstacles or challenges

Creating questions that can get at the heart of your important team member characteristics can promote a successful hire. Anecdotal stories of how a candidate dealt with both personal and work situations, can give you great insight as to how they will handle different situations on your team. Asking them if they ever recognized someone in their life for outstanding performance and how they shared that, could show how well they support others on a team. Just take the time to find those great questions.  It is well worth it.

       -Terri Klass

A training consultant for over 20 years, Terri believes in helping people do their best and achieve their highest potential. She provides results-oriented training programs and workshops which inspire people to grow and develop in their careers. She is a member of the New Jersey ASTD, the National ASTD, the American Management Association and SHRM.

To find out more about Terri and Terri Klass Consulting, visit http://terriklassconsulting.com/

Thanks for visiting our blog! The Execu|Search Group is excited to bring you another resource to help you throughout your job search! We hope the blog will give you some insight into your career- whether you are currently looking for new opportunities or not! From job search tips to informative articles written by our experienced recruiters- keep checking back for great content!

Also feel free to send us any job questions you may have- we’ll get back to you ASAP and might even feature it in a future post!