For those of you busy with job-hunting, have you ever considered taking up a temporary position instead of holding out for the permanent position of your dreams? Well, why not? In a Forbes.com blog post from earlier this year, Kerry Hannon points out the many benefits that temporary positions offer to weary job-seekers.

Here are some of Hannon’s reasons Why Temporary Work Is Worth It:

• Gets you out of bed in the morning. You’ve got something to do.
• Gets you in the door. It may lead to full-time work with an employer eventually. Don’t miss the opportunity.
• Gets you decent pay. You can make your experience a plus. Employers are typically willing to pay you generously, providing you have the chops, if you solve their problem or need quickly. It lets them bypass the hand-holding and learning curve stage that a younger, less experienced, but lower-paid worker, might require.
• Builds your professional network. Nurture relationships with co-workers during your assignment. You never know where a contact may lead you, and who they might be able to refer you to for future jobs.
• Lands you new and au courant references for future employers to contact about what you’ve been up to lately.
• Keeps your resume alive. It’s a bone to stave off the disgrace of those gaping holes of idleness in your resume.
• Keeps your skills sharp. You know the mantra: Use it or lose it.
• Lets you get psyched about a work project–without the pressure of long-term expectations. No job is forever, anyway. This one just might be shorter than most, and that can be tremendously freeing.
  

     Along with outlining the networking, mental-health, and resume-boosting benefits that temporary jobs can provide, Hannon also uses data from a survey of over 3,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals to describe why temporary staffing is “the bee’s knees these days”.

     A CareerBuilder survey shows that 36% of companies will be looking to hire temporary workers in 2012, marking an 8% increase from 2009. Nearly a third of those employers are looking to hire their temporary staff members before April.

Read Kerry Hannon’s full blog-post here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryhannon/2012/01/19/why-temporary-work-is-worth-it/2/

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!

‘Tis the season for holiday parties, events, family trips…..and that means putting your job search on hold—but should it?

This is the time of year when job seekers tend to take a backseat approach to their job search. This reactive trend seems to be based on the assumption that employers will likely not extend offers or hire this time of year simply because they are on vacation or are too occupied with holiday parties and other commitments. In reality, this couldn’t be farther from the truth!

This presumptuous mindset will surely put your job search on the backburner come the start of the New Year! Why wait for more competition to get into the mix? Now is the time to conquer the job race! The Execu|Search Group is currently working with clients who are extremely eager to start 2011 off on the right foot with fresh new hires. Our clients, like many other companies and organizations, are wholly focused on receiving and reviewing new resumes and extending offers to great candidates!

Take this time to get your resume in order, research prospective opportunities and employers, and brush up on your interviewing skills. This way, you can submit your resume before the competition heats up in the new year and have an advantage when you do get called in for an interview! So if you’re going to make a list and check it twice this season….make sure to include “keep my eyes and ears open to new opportunities.”

After all, you don’t want someone else getting your dream job simply because you waited to make your job search part of a New Year’s resolution…..

Happy New Year!

Joy Kahlenberg
Human Resources / Office Support

You have an interview…Great!  This means the company has seen your resume and they think you have the right skill set for the position. They are bringing you in to learn more about your experience and to also make sure you are professional and have a good personality. They want to see that you will get along with people at their company and make a positive contribution.
 
Your non-verbals are extremely important, so here are 5 Tips to turn your energy level up and have a great interview!

1. If you are sitting when your interviewer walks in, make sure you stand up to greet them with a firm handshake. This will show that you are confident and assertive.
2. Make eye contact throughout your meeting.  Making eye contact with your interviewer will show that you are honest and trustworthy.
3. Smile! Smiling will show that you are friendly and easy going.
4. Stay positive! Staying positive and enthusiastic throughout the meeting will ensure that the company has a positive opinion of you.
5. You are 90% more likely to get an offer if you show them you are excited to be there and excited about the company!
   

Good luck!

Samara Chopra
Executive Recruiter

Social Networking is the wave of the future and here at The Execu|Search Group we are doing what we can to get involved and help educate our candidates on the best ways to get technology to work for them! Last week we held an informational (and free) breakfast for some of our healthcare candidates.

The main focus of the session was to teach candidates how to get started on LinkedIn.  We also went over how to use Twitter and Facebook for networking purposes and the do’s and don’t of social media.  It was a lively seminar with discussion amongst members about how they can and do use social media websites. 

• It’s easy to get started.  Once you sign onto any social media website there are directions on how to set up your page. 
• Make sure to keep everything professional and put as much information as possible to complete your profiles.  Even if you are not actively searching for a job, you never know what may come along.
• Social media makes it easy for you to connect with other professionals in your industry and stay up to date with the latest advances and technology.  In addition, you never know what types of opportunities may come up and just by having a profile you may get contacted for a position that is perfect for you!
• Check out our company profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and you can get up to date information about our openings. 
• 86% of recruiters use social media to research and search for job candidates.  In addition, 65% of nurses surveyed plan to use social media in the future for professional development (Nicholson Kovac, June 2010).  These statistics exemplify why its time for you to get involved now!

Visit www.execu-search.com/socialmedia/ to find The Execu|Search Group on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!

  Becky Garson
  Executive Recruiter – Healthcare

With the current state of the economy, it’s important to keep track of important economic indicators such as the employment situation across the country. The national unemployment rate for July, released earlier this month, was unchanged at 9.5%. At first glace, this seems to be a very good sign as it looks in recent months that the unemployment rate is beginning to fall.

However, when you break down the numbers the situation is much trickier than first perceived.  While the national average remains unchanged, employers cut 131,000 jobs in July with 14 states reporting an increase from June’s unemployment numbers. Additionally, 11 states posted rates of 10% unemployment or higher, though this is a decrease from 18 states in June. Currently, Nevada boasts the highest unemployment rate at 14.3% with North Dakota at the lower end at 3.6%. In general, the Midwest seems to be doing better than the country as a whole with unemployment rates well below the national average.

Another important employment indicator is weekly initial jobless claims. Jobless claims is the number of people filing new unemployment insurance claims, released every Thursday. Last week, jobless claims rose to 500,000. This continues a recently upward trend in jobless claims, indicating weakness in the labor market. However, it is important to note that this is still well below the highs of the recent recession.

The employment numbers are sending mixed signals to the public. While national unemployment is steady, the economy lost jobs last month. Yet fewer states are reporting rates over 10%. Jobless claims increased again for the 4th straight week, but is still well below last year’s numbers. Overall, the employment situations looks to be improving, but there is still severe weakness in the economy.

Marina Gurland
Recruiting Coordinator – Legal Division

You have probably heard this before, but searching for a job really is a full-time job – and searching for a career can take even longer. As a job seeker, you have a variety of responsibilities to fulfill if you want to have a successful job search:

• 

  Get the wheels in motion – get the momentum going – do your due diligence and find the right recruiter. 
• Define what you want and map out a path of how to get there – and a recruiter can certainly help you with this plan.
• Break out of your comfort zone – sometimes the most rewarding opportunities are the ones you might be most afraid of.  Utilize uncertainty and lack of familiarity as motivators – you’ll never know what you’ll find outside your comfort zone until you take that leap. 
• Take control of your situation, your career, and your life. Your future will be a definition of your thoughts and actions – take the time to make the most of both – and really focus – for this exercise might lead you to exactly where you want to be, both in your career and in life. It might not be immediate, but it will happen eventually. 
• Enlist a professional recruiter to help you – one who has knowledge, has patience, has the time to listen to your requests; one who is very proactive, and one who is very well networked.  There is a lot of competition out there and if you have someone in your corner who has a direct line to the hiring manager and the partners of those specific companies, your chance of starting or continuing your career greatly increases.

Spencer Smolinsky
Director – Legal Support

Regardless of the economy and your current job, a career awaits. However, there are three main things that lead to a successful search:
1.    Focus
2.    Determination
3.    A Professional Recruiter

Focus and determination are two very important ingredients for success, for without them you might not find your path.  The other very important ingredient is a recruiter – a knowledgeable recruiter is a free resource and a wealth of knowledge. Seasoned recruiters have an incredible network, they have the knowledge of their specific industry, and their guidance can help refine your search and make the most of your time.

A good recruiter will listen to your wants, understand your needs, help direct your actions, and be a springboard to help you succeed in your journey to hopefully find your career.  A recruiter who specializes in a specific industry will know the companies, the personalities of the people in those companies; they will know the cultures, both the good and the bad. 

If you truly partner with your Recruiter and listen to his/her advice and guidance, his/her expertise, and know that he/she is committed to your search, you will be that much closer in achieving your goal to find the perfect career.


Spencer Smolinsky
Director – Legal Support