Indianapolis Jobs

My name is Amber Crosby and I am a Recruiter with That's Good HR.  My focus in on the recruitment and placement of  Accounting and Finance professionals for temporary, temp to hire and direct hire placements with our clients with Indianapolis job openings.  When the topic of blogging surfaced a year ago in our office I thought, 'what a novel idea', but I certainly didn't think I had anything to contribute.  I was just starting my career as a professional recruiter after spending 10 years in accounting roles.  However, over the last year I have stumbled upon many topics I wanted to share with my current or potential candidates and thus here I am joining our blogging staff.  I see my job as a Recruiter to be one that not only matches local talent with Indianapolis employers, but also offering guidance and advice that will help my candidates land the job they are seeking.  So job seekers, I hope you not only enjoy reading my blog but find it helpful in some way as well! 

As an experienced recruiter and in the Indianapolis staffing industry I'm seeing a trend recently of candidates we are interviewing not being able to provide solid references.  Frankly, I'm shocked!  As a headhunter who knows a great reference can put you head and shoulders above your peers in the final selection process, I'm left wondering why professionals would feel this is no longer important.  Let me address below why you want to have strong references:

• Great references set you apart from your competition.
• It makes the company you are interviewing with feel more comfortable with their hiring decision.
• Job offers come much faster if references are completed during the interview process.
• Most job offers are contingent upon reference checks, so why sweat it out once you have made it that far!

Now you are probably wondering, "How do I get a great reference?".  The first part is in your control.  You have to do a good job for the company, leave on good terms and treat managers/peers with professional courtesy.  Once you accept another position or you get the dreaded "We are downsizing/eliminating your position/outsourcing this department/laying off due to lack of work" then the first step is to secure your references.  To do this, follow these steps:

1. Ask, ask, ask - you don't get what you don't ask for.  Never assume your manager will give you a reference if you did not ask them to. 
2. Get their personal contact information - you want their personal information (phone, address and email address) because if they leave that company or the company closes, you will still need that reference and that means calling them on their personal phone.  I also ask for their home address and send them a holiday card every year.  They won't forget about you if they see your smiling family on a card each year.
3. If you are on LinkedIn, ask for a recommendation on your work and return the favor for your reference.
4. Keep in touch - reach out to them a couple times a year to keep good contact information.  Don't be afraid to disclose some personal tidbits as well and make it a friendly touching base email. 
5. Make sure you call your references by the time you reach the 2nd interview with a company.  If they know to be expecting a call, chances are they will return the reference call much quicker.  This will also give you the heads up if someone is going to be unable to be reached due to a travel schedule, vacation planned or just being out of the office for an extended period of time. 
6. Know what they are going to say about you.  If there was an attendance problem at that time, or if you are like me and are notoriously late to everything then make sure the company you are interviewing with knows this so they don't get any surprises during the reference check process.  If you give good reasons for the issue and how you have learned from your mistake this will only make you look better.  If you don't mention it and they do, rest assured you probably won't get the offer you are waiting on.  As all football fans know, the best defense is a good offense.  You want to get all their possible reasons for objections out of the way early on, not during the reference check process.

Obviously, this is the best case scenario, so what do you do if company policy prohibits your manager from giving a reference?  This depends on the level of trust between you and your supervisor.  I have always been close with mine so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable asking them if they would talk "off the record" to the company I'm interviewing with.  If you aren't close then chances are they won't be comfortable with this.  You will need to alert the company you are interviewing with when they ask for references that this will be the response they get.  Offer additional references from other companies, volunteering activities, or external customers you worked with at that company. 

To address the question I get from new graduates, "I don't have any work experience so how do I get a reference?".  Use professors for a reference.  This will take extra work on your part but I'm a firm believer in the advantages of staying connected to professors after graduation.  If you have a professor more than once for your area of study - Ex.  Accounting professor for accounting students then they would be the most optimal reference.  You also have many other potential reference resources that you might have considered during your time at school. Summer jobs, volunteer opportunities, extra-curricular activities, student leadership posts and many more. To get them to give you a reference, make sure you follow the 6 steps listed above. 

Now go add your references to your holiday card mailing list!!!  Happy Holidays from That's Good HR!!

Have you said those words recently?  I know I have!  Whether its sharing an app that tracks my exercise for the week or discussing the new CareerBuilder app which gives Indianapolis employers and recruiters a chance to review resumes on their smart phones, we are all talking about our smart phones.  It seems that every company is coming out with an app for something!  With the new technology it seems that we can't do anything without our smart phone in our hand...let's face it according to this survey taken by Career-Builder, we are using our phones everywhere...and I do mean everywhere! 

The beauty of the smart phone is that most of us can stay connected and take care of any issues that arise at any time without actually being in the office.  But what happens when we are in the office?  If you are like most, you are not only getting your work email on your phone but also your personal email, Facebook and LinkedIn updates, Tweets and text messages from friends and family that don't talk to you much any more because of the hustle and bustle of daily life.  So the question arises, how do we resist the urge to look on our smart phone at that hilarious status update your best friend just posted on Facebook while sitting in a boring meeting with your boss and co-workers?  Or maybe CareerBuilder just sent you a notice about a new job in Indianapolis that got posted today that is just the job you have been looking for?  No one will know what you are looking at, right??  The truth is they may not know for sure but once doubt is created it's very difficult to overcome!  The last thing you want is your boss to think you are playing on Facebook or looking for a new job on your smart phone...especially if they are footing the bill (partially or completely).  So while smart phones may make it easier to find a job than ever before, follow these tips to make sure your smart phone doesn't land you in the unemployment line!   

• Keep your phone in your desk drawer, purse or pants pocket to avoid the temptation to pick it up and play with it.  Chances are once you pick it up and start one thing, you will be on it for 15 minutes without even blinking an eye!  Trust me, I've done that one before!

• Let's face it - life happens and sometimes you have sick kids (or parents) to worry about so if you are expecting an important call or text message give your boss a heads up.  They will appreciate your honesty and this should eliminate any doubt that might be created if they catch you on your phone (talking or texting) during work hours. Just don't take advantage of this tactic.

• Use your lunch hour to catch up on your smart phone via social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and text your family/friends back about where to have dinner that night at that time.  The wonderful thing about smart phones is you can use them anywhere, so while you are waiting in line for your lunch or munching down by yourself you can get your daily mental check out without being tied to your computer. Just don't slow down the drive through lines at the local fast food restaurant so you can finish a call!

• Take direction from upper management and follow cell phone usage policies put in place by your employer.  Most policies are outdated and still only include personal calls but with smart phones the policy could include anything from checking personal email, looking at Twitter updates or even checking out www.thatsgoodhr.com for a new job in Indianapolis!  If you aren't sure about the policy then ask HR or management before picking up your phone the next time the green light is flashing with an update you just 'have' to know about.

• Last but not least... if it is brought to your attention that you are using your smart phone to an extent that your employer is not happy or comfortable with, correct it immediately!  The worst thing you can do is to become defensive.  Employers will doubt your sincerity about correcting the excessive smart phone usage if you don't own up to your mistake and promise to take corrective action immediately. 

Don't let your smart phone make you look stupid...use common sense and while at work, make sure you are working. Your long and successful career will thank you.

As an Indianapolis recruiter for Accounting and Finance professionals, one of the most common complaints I hear is when candidates apply to positions and never hear back.  Many fear technology has hurt their chances of getting an interview to showcase their skill level.  After pondering this over the past week and spending several hours on CareerBuilder sorting through candidates that applied to our Accounting and Finance positions for Indianapolis based companies, I came up with the following tips to help you land in the "To call" pile versus the on the other end of the delete button. 

1.  This may sound insignificant, but first impressions count. Make sure that your name is capitalized in the right places.  It's not a text message so you should capitalize your first and last name.  This means you have to set your account up correctly.  Under account settings you will be able to see how your name appears on the job posting you apply to. 

2. Double check the email address on your account settings as well.  This is the same email that your CareerBuilder updates come to and should also be your login.  Be careful that it's a professional name because that email appears when you apply for a position even if you have the professional one on your resume it does not look good to have "BabyMama123 or Thuglife4ever" as one of the email addresses on your application.  I would also make the suggestion that you go with a national email account versus the home Internet branded one.  If you change from cable/Internet providers then your email address will change again.

3. Apply only to the positions you qualify for!  I know this seems like a no brainer, but if you are applying to 5 different positions within the same company then most likely the same recruiter or HR staff member is looking at those resumes and you lose credibility if you are applying for positions you aren't qualified for.  Or if you are inundating their inbox with your resume daily.

4. Verify that you have updated your most recent work experience under the application portion of CareerBuilder. This shows up as a summary for the person reviewing resumes on the job posting and if it's out of date then they may just delete your application without ever looking the resume because the job title is very different from the position they are recruiting for (and it's your job title from 3 years ago).  Also, pay attention to the dates of employment as employers are paying closer attention to the length of employment or as noted in a previous TGHR blog post the length of unemployment for applicants. 

5. Phone numbers should be up to date!!  I bet I call four resumes a day that only have one number listed and it's been disconnected.  You have to change the number on your account settings as well, not just on your resume.

6. Always answer the screener questions honestly.  It doesn't mean they won't call you if you don't have everything they are looking for but I can tell you that if you exaggerate your skills and experience or your capabilities, it will come out during the phone screen or interview and you will look bad.  I've never brought in an applicant that answered the screener questions inaccurately. It's a matter of integrity. 

7. If you are moving to the area and looking for a job, address this in your cover letter along with the approximate date of arrival.  Answer any concerns they may have about how quickly you can move to the area, whether you looking for an employer to pay for your move or why you want to be in the area. This information lends creditability to the decision.  Otherwise, recruiters just assume you selected the wrong state while doing your search and will delete your application without fully reviewing it. 

Follow these simple steps to help ensure you aren't getting passed over for reasons other than your background isn't what they are seeking at the present time. 

As 2011 has begun you might be looking at your New Year’s resolutions and thinking which to tackle first.  For some of my friends their goal is to meet that certain someone and hopefully begin a lifelong relationship with an Indianapolis recruiter. 

Wait, what?!  I thought they wanted to find a new person to date!  I quickly found out that their approach was pretty much the same if they wanted to find a recruiter or staffing agency to partner with for their Indianapolis based job search or a new person to spend their spare time with. 

To start, they both hit the Internet:  one was searching Indianapolis headhunters, recruiters and staffing firms.  The other Match.com, eHarmony, and Yahoo singles.  Once they set up their profile on the sites (CareerBuilder, Monster, Match.com, eHarmony, Yahoo) the calls started pouring in.  They were both so excited and it felt good to be sought after by so many! 

Then came the next quandary... should they accept a date with every suitor that came calling?  Wasn't that a little fickle? How would they find the time?  What if they really liked one but not the others, was that just a waste of time and energy?  How could they all get to know them well enough to really be focused on them and their future? As you can imagine,  they quickly went from feeling excited and desired to feeling overwhelmed and confused. 

When they started telling me about their situations, I gave them both the same advice:

It was time to take a step back and see which suitors would be worth their efforts. 

• Start by having a phone conversation with each suitor or recruiter.  By doing this they would be able to quickly tell if there was a connection with the person they would be meeting with. 

• Go prepared with questions – if you are unsure about something ask, for referrals or recommendations!

• Be honest! – A relationship with a recruiter is the same as other relationships, if you don’t tell the truth then you set the relationship up for failure and that can have major ripple effects on your career.

• Stick with those who demonstrate a true interest in you. Do they ask questions about what you like, what you don't or what you want to be when you grow up? Always steer away from those who talk more than they listen, as clearly their priority is NOT going to be you.

• The most important advice: Do not pay anyone for a date or for a job placement relationship! In both situations, this is never a good idea, even if you are desperate.

At That's Good HR, we forge great long term relationships with our candidates every day. Remember, it is a two way street so don't show up expecting your new date or your new recruiter to do all of the work in building a strong relationship. Start your search off right and make informed decisions along the path!  Happy match making! 

It has come to my attention recently between my own recruiting and others in my office that candidates coming in to interview may be confused about whether this is a ‘real’ job interview.  I thought it might be helpful to provide some advice on that topic.  It is so important to prepare for an interview with a recruiter just like you would for an interview with a potential employer.  This is the only way a good recruiter can accurately represent you to potential employers for your Indianapolis job search.  I recently had to tell a candidate that I did not feel comfortable representing him because he took a call and scheduled a meeting right in the middle of our interview.  He responded that he did not think this was a real interview or he wouldn’t have done that.  I was a bit shocked by that comment and it has since sparked this blog.  I have been mentally preparing a list of things to do and not to do when interviewing with a recruiter that I hope you will find helpful as you continue your job search. 

Do

1.            Show up on time

2.            Dress in attire appropriate for an interview

3.            Bring a clean, professional copy of your resume and references

4.            Come prepared to answer questions about your career achievements

5.            Be honest about why you left previous positions.  We’ve heard it all or will find it 
               out during our reference checks, so just be up front.  One misrepresentation is all
               it takes to ruin the recruiter/candidate relationship. 

6.            Treat this interview just like you would with any potential employer because we 
               might just be your next employer.

7.            Have clear and concise answers

8.            Put your best foot forward in the interview and make the most positive impression
               you can.  It might make the difference between landing your next job or not.
 

Don’t

1.            Show up any earlier than 5 minutes for your scheduled interview.  It throws your 
               interviewer’s day/schedule off and this may frustrate them before they even meet
               you. 

2.            Use your cell phone during the interview.  It should be turned off before you enter 
               the building.  

3.            Ramble when answering questions. Have practiced clear and concise answers.  
               The more you are able to communicate clearly what you have accomplished in your
               career the easier it is for us to present you to our client.

4.            Assume that just because you showed up, you got the job.  You still have 
               competition even if a recruiter is assisting you so it’s important to display what 
               sets you apart from your competition.

5.            Give general answers like, “I’m different because I’m a team player, a hard-worker
               and I have a great work ethic”.  These are subjective and general answers that
               do not really tell us anything concrete about your past experiences that 
               demonstrate these abilities. For example, “I graduated with honors while working
               full-time and attending school in the evening” or “I was selected by the CFO as 
               the only person from accounting to head up three projects over the last year and 
               a half.”  Your answer should be personal and something that ties back specifically
               to you. 

6.            Name drop during the interview.  It has no merit and most recruiters or potential 
               employers won’t care that you are on a first name basis with Peyton Manning if    
               you cannot do the job. 

I recently read an interesting article with great interview tips on Careerbuilder - you should check it out for more valuable information!

I wasn't surprised when the Bureau of Labor statistics reported that volunteer hours were up in 2009.  It seems some people are catching on that volunteering can be a great way to spend the extra time you now have from a recent downsizing or company closing. 

Obviously, you need to spend time searching for a new position and going to interviews but that should still leave a fair amount of time left for other things.  True, you could organize your garage (which if it's like mine, is long overdue) but I don't think that is going to help you land a new job.  You may be wondering how volunteering can help you land a new position and so I would encourage you to consider the following:

• While volunteering you are meeting a lot of different people with their own network of individuals you've never met.  This network could be very advantageous for you.

• You are keeping your social skills fresh, even if the work you are doing isn't related to your career.  The social skills will help you during an interview.  If you haven't talked to a stranger in months, chances are your first interview isn't going to go so well.  If you are interacting with strangers regularly then it becomes more comfortable for you.  Plus it always looks good to have volunteering on your resume.

• Some of the people you volunteer with might be in the same situation you are and therefore you can provide moral support to each other, it’s quite possible that you would make a new friend.

• Once you do land an interview and they ask you a behavioral based question that goes something like this, "Tell me about a time when you were released from a position involuntarily.  What was your reaction?  What did you do next?"  If you answer, "I applied to a few jobs on CareerBuilder and cleaned out my garage" chances are your competition is going to answer something like this, "I started by reaching out to my network, I searched the job boards and applied for positions that I felt fit my background, and then I spent the extra time volunteering with XYZ organization to assist them with XYZ."  Which do you think sounds more motivated?  Employers want to hire people whom want to work. 

• Lastly, quite possibly the best benefit to volunteering is the internal reward you receive in return for your efforts.  Ever heard someone say, "I think I got more out of the volunteering than I could have ever given"?  I couldn't agree more.  Sometimes it’s difficult to handle the stress of a downsizing or lay-off, volunteering may bring some hope back into your life. 

Hopefully, I have convinced you of some of the benefits of volunteering.  If I have and you are ready to go find the next volunteering opportunity keep these three things in mind:

1. Even if you begin volunteering for the more selfish reason of networking, make sure you see the value in what you are doing, believe in the mission the not-for-profit is trying to accomplish or otherwise the message is lost on you.

2. Build a network naturally (without stalking, forcing people to keep in touch with you, etc) as it should be one that you keep in your life for many years to come whether you land that new job or not.

3. Check out Indyambassadors.org or volunteersofamerica.org if you aren't tied to a specific not-for-profit.  These both offer volunteering opportunities with many different organizations in Indianapolis.  If you have a specific not-for-profit in mind, feel free to contact them directly, they are bound to need help in some area. 

Everyone wants to make more money and a look back through our 10 year history only encourages that thought.  Lately I have been getting a lot of questions about salary and pay so I thought I would post a few thoughts regarding this issue. 

The question I get most often would be:  The position pays less than what I was making, should I consider it?  My advice:  Stay open minded but evaluate thoroughly. 


Ask yourself these questions to help guide you through this question:

1.  Is the position one you desire - for reasons other than monetary value?

2.  Is the company one you would be proud to say you work for?

3.  Does the culture and environment seem like a good fit?

4.  Are you unemployed or about to be laid off/downsized?

5.  Is this company in an industry that's stable or even growing?
 
If you answered yes for two or more of these questions then my advice would be to strongly consider the offer even though it's less than you were making.  As an Indianapolis staffing recruiter with That's Good HR I have met many people over the past year who have been affected by the recession.  This may come in the form of them being downsized, their hours cut, mandatory pay cuts or being put on furlough.  You have to think about the reality that when these companies are starting to recover from the recession, they may not be able to afford what they once could in terms of salaries and benefit packages.  If companies were forced to institute a mandatory 10% pay cut, they can’t make an offer for a new employee that would be more than the employee that stayed and took the 10% pay cut.  Some companies are looking more closely at their numbers and figuring out exactly what they can pay employees in order to maintain their business, even if it means they are less competitive than they once were. 

I would encourage you to look at more than the money in a time of economic recovery.  Even if it’s less pay, the benefits of the position, the learning experience, growth potential and just overall being happy with your career should make up for the loss of salary. Besides, if you are really that good at what you do, it will just be a matter of patiently demonstrating your competence and proving your worth and it will come back to you in the long run.

It's that time of year again for Indianapolis companies to gear up for some serious campus and college recruiting.  Already this week, That's Good HR has participated in many local campus events.  I went to Indiana University - Indianapolis to speak to their recruiting class, conducted mock interviews for the Kelley School of Business and today I will be attending the collegiate career fair.  Yes, it's a busy life for Indianapolis staffing companies, recruiters and headhunters.

There is something great about being back on campus in the springtime and remembering what it was like trying to decide what to do for the summer.  Ahhh, the good ol'days that seemed so carefree!  It's true that most Indianapolis based professional staffing firms attend the college career fairs in the fall but most students are narrowly focused on their companies of choice for internships or employment after graduation at that time.  The spring recruiting events are great for Indianapolis based staffing firms because now is the time that students will stop by to discuss how we can assist them in their job search.  What is it that we can do for them, you ask??

1.  Share our network with them.  We have network connections with over 250 Indianapolis based companies with whom we regularly meet with and hear about what's going on in their business, their industries and current hiring trends.  This can be a huge advantage to college students just based on the wealth of information we have at our fingertips about indianapolis job openings.  We might be able to suggest companies to look into that they haven't heard of but we know that they are currently seeking summer and fall interns. 

2.  Offer summer employment opportunities in their fields of study.  We can help those college students that weren't fortunate enough to land an internship for the summer but are staying in Indianapolis by presenting them with temporary employment opportunities in the areas of accounting, finance, HR, and administration.  Keep in mind that when graduation day arrives some work history looks better on a resume than none at all. 

3.  Help them find a full-time permanent or temp to hire opportunity here in Indianapolis with one of our clients.  When graduation day comes and goes and they are still searching for a full-time position (which, as discussed in an earlier blog posted by Mary Springer, unfortunately can happen as we emerge from the recession) we can assist them in their Indianapolis job search.  Our clients frequently hire new grads that have worked for us in the summer months.  They feel it shows ambition and they trust that we know their skill level due to the assignments they completed for us.  It never hurts to have headhunters considering you for their clients during your job search whether you are a college student or an experienced veteran!  After all it's a free service for you!  

Tell your college friends, co-workers or children to stop by to introduce themselves at one of our upcoming career fairs:

• Collegiate Career Fair at the Convention Center on Thursday, February 18, 2010
• Butler University Networking Fair at Butler's Campus on Tuesday, March 23, 2010
• IUPUI 'Just in Time' Career Fair at IUPUI on April 1, 2010 

 We look forward to meeting you!