This month’s charitable organization is Leake & Watts in conjunction with the Young Professionals Committee! Each month, The Execu|Search Group partners with an organization or charity to raise funds; in exchange for a donation, employees get to wear jeans to the office!

To learn more about Cases 4 Kids, or to get involved with the YPC, please email: leakeandwattsypc@gmail.com

After just a few days of being open to the public, Google+ has nearly 3.5 million members and counting! With its multiple features and easy to use platform, you can already tell it’s going to be significant in the future of networking and job searching.

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter take some time and patience to learn but Google designed Google+ in a way where it’s clear-cut and self-explanatory—even my mother understood it immediately. There’s also no need to create two profiles, one for your professional life and one for your personal life, since you can separate these in multiple “circles”. Simply drag and drop your contacts into buckets, one at a time or multiple at a time, to form these groups or circles.

Once Google launched this social network a few weeks ago, they also released the +1 button. Google stated: “When you click +1, you’re telling your friends, your family and the rest of the world, ‘this is something you should check out!’” The +1 button is essentially the “Like” button on Facebook, but instead your ‘+1’s’ are collected in your profile and presented to your connections. When you share articles, videos, and other information, you decide who gets to see it—select ‘public’ if you want it to be visible to everyone, or select certain circles to post it to.

Google+ also gives you a chance to network face-to-face with employers, experts, and recruiters, by incorporating the ability to “facechat”. Skype is already a popular form of interviewing, but when you include a profile filled with articles and work history; this gives the interviewer a greater idea of your interests and expertise!

Lastly, make sure your profile is complete and honest since this is what hiring managers and recruiters will be seeing first. Make sure you add a professional profile photo, work history, and links to your current blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Good luck in your Google+ adventures!

Dustin Willoughby

Marketing Department

Congratulations, recent college graduates! Now that your caps and gowns have been put away, what’s next? That’s right, the dreaded job hunt begins.

Have you considered a career in sales? You should, these openings are listed as one of the top ten jobs for college graduates. In the present economy, companies are looking to hire sales people first to beef up their business.

In these roles, entry-level candidates can gain valuable skills that will serve them well throughout their careers. As a bonus, compensation is growing at a rate of almost two times that of other corporate positions.

All that being said people are still skeptical about entering a career in sales! Why? Stereotypes. Here are some of the negative stereotypes about sales and reasons why they aren’t true at all:

• Sales people are dishonest – Honesty is the best policy when it comes to sales. People want to be able to trust you and you want them to come back with any future needs they might have. The most successful sales people know that it is in everyone’s best interest to stick with the truth.
• Sales jobs are not secure – Job security feels like a very elusive thing these days. With any job you need to be motivated and passionate to succeed. The same is definitely true in sales.
• Sales jobs require considerable travel – Long gone are the days of the traveling salesman. With email and phone you can connect with your potential clients almost instantaneously. When you need to communicate face-to-face, online video calling is right at your fingertips. You don’t even need to leave your office!
• Sales positions are more stressful – It is true that sales can lead to high-pressure situations but with the right skills you can easily and effectively navigate the challenges you are faced with without worry or stress.

Hopefully, you can now see how positive a career in sales might be for you. If you are interested in exploring some career opportunities and obtaining an invaluable professional skill set please visit our Careers Page!

Iris Colon

Internal Recruiting and Training Coordinator

On Wednesday evening, June 1, 2011, Amanda Bleakney, Director of Health Services and I hosted the second segment of our 3-part “Building your Brand” series at New York Association for Ambulatory Care (NYAAC). The keynote speaker was Marc Cenedella, CEO and Founder of TheLadders and he provided the health industry members and attendees with strategy and advice on “Building their personal brands.”

Marc shared his approach when formulating an elevator pitch about your job background and skill sets. He advised job seekers to refrain from using “$5 words” which are exhaustive and unnatural phrases. Instead, he encouraged people to try the “The Bud Test.” Would you say your elevator pitch to friends and acquaintances over a beer at a backyard barbeque? If your answer is yes, your pitch should be effective. It’s important to speak naturally and relay information about your personal brand as you would to a peer.

Marc also suggested preparing three main talking points prior to going in to an interview. If the conversation gets sidetracked, you can always come back to the three talking points of what you can do for them and their organization. Also, he emphasized the importance of not speaking about “you.” Rather, explain what you can accomplish for the Hiring Manager and organization. Marc suggested asking ”How do I help you get a gold star on your review next year?“

One important element of building your personal brand that Marc spoke about was to think of your personal brand as the modern small business. With a small business you have to devote time and effort to marketing the message of your brand.

Marc recently published a book, You’re Better Than Your Job Search, in which he conveys techniques on how to relay your personal brand to others.

We are looking forward to launching our third and final part of our series, with “Building Your Brand through Social Media.” This event will take place on Monday, June 20th and including a networking event! Jason Seiden and Vincent Gatti, Co-Founders of Ajax Social Media will speak to NYAAC about adopting social media into their corporate and personal brands. You can register for the event by clicking here!

We’re looking forward to the event, so sign up now and we’ll see you there!

  Allison Klass
  Director – Healthcare, Temporary Division

I wanted to let you know about an exciting event taking place TOMORROW, Wednesday June 1st and invite you to attend!

It’s the second session of the New York Association for Ambulatory Care’s (NYAAC) “Building Your Brand” session and it’s all about personal branding!

Personal branding is key to success in your professional life! Come join other professionals and learn how you can use your talents and skills to promote yourself!

• • • • • • •

New York Association for Ambulatory Care (NYAAC) Presents:

Building Your Brand: A Three Part Series
SESSION TWO: Wednesday June 1st, 2011 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm
Beth Israel Medical Center
Phillips Ambulatory Care Center
10 Union Square East New York, NY

Personal Branding “The key to success lies within yourself.”

• How to develop a personal brand and represent yourself appropriately in today’s increasing job market
• The importance of networking to present your personal brand
• Working with recruiters and executive search firms
• Climbing the ladders of success – how to partner within your own company for advancement
• What key executives look for -The WOW factor -how to set yourself apart

Featuring renowned speaker Marc Cenedella, Founder and CEO of TheLadders

To register for this event, click here!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

  Allison Klass
  Director – Healthcare, Temporary Division

Career expert Barbara Safani responds to job seekers‘ most common questions about post-interview Thank You letters.

• Do hiring authorities really read thank-you letters? Some do, some don’t. Some hiring managers feel that the thank-you letter is a good indicator of the candidate’s professionalism and proof of their interest in the open position. Others don’t read the letter, but still expect one. Some don’t expect them or read them, but it doesn’t hurt to send one. Since you never know what type of hiring manager you are dealing with, it’s always best to send one.

• What information should be included in a thank-you letter and how long should it be?
  • The first paragraph should communicate gratitude for the opportunity to meet.
  • The second paragraph should recap your strengths and draw a connection between those strengths and the needs of the employer.
  • The third paragraph should reference something specific from the conversation with the hiring manager that shows your interest in what the person said and proves that you understand their hiring needs.
  • The fourth paragraph should reiterate your continued interest in the job and express that you look forward to hearing from the employer regarding the next steps in the employment process.
  Keep the thank-you letter to four paragraphs and approximately a half page in length.

• Should I send the thank you letter via email or snail mail? While both methods are acceptable, I recommend sending the thank-you letter by email. It’s best to write the thank you letter within 24 hours of the interview. By using e-mail you expedite the delivery process and create another touchpoint with the hiring manager while you are still “fresh in their mind.” In addition, the email serves as an “electronic breadcrumb” that can be easily and quickly shared with others in the organization.

• Which is more appropriate: a typed or a handwritten thank-you? I recommend sending a typed thank-you letter. This way you can be sure that the receiver can clearly read and understand your message. I recognize that some hiring managers do like the personal touch of a handwritten note, but in general the typed note is a more effective strategy.

• If I interview with more than one person, do I have to send them all a thank-you letter? Yes! Send a thank you note to anyone who assists you in your job search, including networking contacts and recruiters. If you meet with several people for interviews related to the same position, try to pick out one specific highlight from your conversation that personalizes the letter. For example, you might write, “I appreciate the information you shared with me regarding the company’s global expansion plans and I am confident that my background is a strong match for your company’s future goals.”

If you have a question about your job search for Barbara or any of our recruiters, ask us in the comment section below or visit us on Facebook!

  Barbara Safani
  Career Solvers

This article originally appeared on the AOL Jobs Blog. Career Solvers is a career counseling service in partnership with The Execu|Search Group. Learn more about Career Solvers here!

The Execu|Search Group is excited to announce the winner of our 2nd annual MSN Nursing Scholarship, Giuseppina Gaglio. The scholarship was awarded by the Greater New York Association of Nurse Recruiters and sponsored by Execu|Search.

Giuseppina stood out to us for a few reasons; she did not begin her career as a nurse. She began her career as a Senior Center Director and then went on to become an insurance broker. It wasn’t until the age of 31 that she decided to go back to school and follow her dreams of becoming a nurse. We admired her commitment to pursuing her dreams and starting a new journey, despite the challenges that starting a new career path would bring. She is an inspiration to her 14 year old daughter, setting an example to never walk away from your true calling. As Giuseppina says, “I want my daughter to know that nothing should stand in the way of being the best you can be.“

Giuseppina attended Long Island University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BSN; she is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in the Adult/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner program at Hunter College while working at NYU as a Senior Staff Nurse in the Cardiac Cath lab.

From left to right, Kelly Mattice, scholarship recipient Giuseppina Gaglio, and Managing Director – Health Services, Katie Niekrash

Kelly Mattice
Senior Managing Director, Healthcare

I constantly come across the same five outdated resume-writing methods, which keep getting passed down from generation to generation of job seekers. It’s time to break the cycle and dispel some common resume-writing myths once and for all.

1. Keep the resume to one page. Whether you have a one-page resume or a 300-page resume, no one is reading it word for word. They are skimming it. Your job isn’t to squeeze as much information as possible onto one page; it’s to prudently edit the content to focus on shining accomplishments and the most relevant content. Sometimes this takes one page; sometimes it takes two pages. Just because something is on one page doesn’t make it easier to read. Aim for a user-friendly design strategy with clean lines and information that is easy to find, and stop getting so caught up in the length of the document


2. Always include an objective. An objective is of no use to a hiring manager. It doesn’t tell them how you will fix their problems or the unique value you can bring to the company. It’s generally all about you and what you want in your next job. And hiring managers don’t really care about what you want. Explain how you can ease their pain, up front at the beginning of the resume, and increase your chances of getting an interview.


3. Never add color to a resume. Years ago, color wasn’t really an option on a resume. Today, color, shading, bold, and other design elements can be incorporated into a resume quickly and easily to make key information stand out. Have you ever read a marketing brochure that used graphic design and other visual elements to improve their messaging? Make no mistake …your resume is a marketing brochure. Why shouldn’t you use similar design techniques to get noticed by hiring managers?


4. Left justify dates of employment. Dates were left justified when people were writing resumes on typewriters and there was really no better way to do it. If your resume looks like it was done on a typewriter, that’s a problem within itself. Beyond that, left justifying dates is a poor use of valuable space on a resume. Right-justify employment dates and save that space for more important information about the value you bring to employers.


5. List references on your resume. This may have made sense if you were conducting a search prior to 1999. But now, no one is going to solely rely on the references you list on a resume. Most hiring managers Google candidates before ever calling them in for an interview. They don’t need to look at the references you supply; they can dig up all kinds of information about you online.

  Barbara Safani
  Career Solvers

This article originally appeared on the AOL Jobs Blog. Career Solvers is a career counseling service in partnership with The Execu|Search Group. Learn more about Career Solvers here!

Are you wondering what you are going to do after graduation? You could attend a Career Day at a company in which you’re interested!

The Execu|Search Group is hosting a College Grad Career Day on Wednesday, April 13th where interested entry-level candidates will meet with senior members of our team to learn about the exciting, fast-paced world of recruiting. All attendees will interview for some of our open positions and could potentially walk away with a job offer!

Not sure how to stand out at a company’s Career Day like this one? Here are some tips to keep in mind!

• Timeliness – Make sure you arrive 15 minutes early, at most. Since Career Days generally take up a 6-8 hour time span over the course of one day make sure you come back promptly from allotted breaks. You don’t want to be singled out as the person who showed up late or is holding up the group.
• Attire – Make sure you are impeccably groomed and dressed to impress as if you were headed to an interview or even your first day of work with the company.
• Interview Readiness – Do your research prior to the event and try to be as well versed with the company and their products or services as you can. Have extra copies of your resume on hand and a few questions in mind to ask during the interview.
• “Always Be On” – Show consistent interest and enthusiasm throughout the day! Although every facet of Career Day might not be as interesting as others you should appreciate the time and effort that goes into each piece and stay engaged until the end.
• Professional Attitude – Turn your phones off and don’t chitchat with your fellow attendees! Be respectful of the professionals’ time and give them your undivided attention. Make notes regarding things that you might be interested in discussing at a later point during the event.
• Follow Up – At an event like this you will probably walk away with more than a few business cards. Make sure you send a brief email to each of those individuals thanking them for their time and the experience you had at their firm.

If you are interested in attending our career day please submit your resume to icolon@execu-search.com. Qualified candidates will receive a phone call with further details regarding our College Grad Career Day.

   Iris Colon
  Internal Recruiting and Training Coordinator

Want to network your way to a new job but don’t know where to start? Check out these great starter tips from Nkrumah, an account executive here at Execu|Search!