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by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

7 Reasons Job Seekers Should Embrace Text Recruiting

7 Reasons Job Seekers Should Embrace Text Recruiting

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Recruiters are making the hiring process more cost-efficient for employers by using text recruiting software. If you’re a job candidate who hasn’t received a text from your friendly neighborhood recruiter, you eventually will. Recruiters working for employers increase hiring efficiency while sorting through scores of candidates per position using Artificial Intelligence (AI) via a chatbot or human recruiter.

Upon receiving your permission via the employer, a recruiter or chatbot sends a text asking you to follow a link to schedule an appointment, fill out a questionnaire, or learn about the next steps. For both parties, it’s like a real-time conversation you would have with friends, although you shouldn’t respond as you would to your friends. In most cases, there is no need to wait hours for a response. According to Jobvite, job seekers respond 45% faster via text than email.

Text recruiting communication could challenge some candidates:

  • You must be responsive immediately. The recruiter is also texting other candidates with information requiring an immediate response. Failing to respond to the text could disqualify you.
  • The content of your texts matters. It’s essential to keep in mind that “autocorrect” is not an excuse for poor messaging.
  • Keeping up with several companies via text recruiting will require organization skills and good recall of what you said to whom. Sending the wrong response to the wrong employer means…well, you know.
  • Tech adverse candidates will be exposed as being tech unsavvy. (Remember when you put that you’re “tech-savvy” on your resume?)
  • Your words weigh the heaviest. There’s no way to use intangible body language (smiling, laughter, rapport) to impress or inform.
  • Your mistakes in texting (grammar/spelling/inappropriate language) are a documented reflection of your inability to communicate in writing.

Here are a few of the advantages:

  • It’s time-efficient and saves you travel time to an interview.
  • You can show you’re tech-savvy and a great communicator.
  • You will be judged solely on your responses.
  • A great conversation will stand out because it’s documented.

Text recruiting can enhance your hiring experience and offer ways for you to make a good impression if you:

Know your audience. When you receive a text, it’s likely an automated message rather than a personal message. Interpersonal chatter is not appropriate; therefore, answer the inquiries sent.

Write well. You want to double and triple check your message to ensure the message you send represents you. It’s not appropriate or professional to use casual text language, (e.g., 2, U, K).

Respond to the right sender. If you’re confirming an appointment but send your response to the wrong person, you may disqualify yourself. Make sure you are replying to the correct sender.

Call if you are confused about the message. One text message from an employer does not negate the value of talking person-to-person. Call if you receive an unclear or inappropriate message. Think it doesn’t happen? Read these text messages from recruiters. Nothing replaces face-to-face communication.

Don’t follow-up via text to an unanswered text. No answer to your texted question? Call. It’s the surest way to facilitate clarity between both parties. Technology is not perfect, and neither are you.

Keep it Sweet and Simple. Text messages are easy to misinterpret and misunderstand. Call or meet face-to-face if the message requires more than a few sentences. If you need to ask a question, then shorter is better. If you fear your answers aren’t clear, then call.

You are what you text. How you communicate in person is what will come across in all written communication, including texting—tone, brevity, clarity, and personality count. You must exercise caution in every kind of communication during the hiring process.

To be seen as a reliable and qualified professional, you must act professionally no matter the communication medium the company uses to hire. Content and context matter during every phase of the hiring process. If you’re uncomfortable with the nuances of technology, it will appear in text messaging.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers," career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. I help the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and under-appreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. I aim to give a safe place online to those with different needs, cultures, and ethnicities to find their voice in the job market. Thousands have read my career advice throughout the web as I write about everything from job search strategies to the mobile job search. I have published more than 400 articles on this blog and some of the largest career sites such as Recruiter.com, YouTern, and Come Recommended. I've been quoted in major online publications such as Monster, TIME/Money, Fortune, Business Insider and MSN. FlexJobs, JobMonkey, Aerotek, Career Pivot, and CareerSherpa listed my podcast as one of the top podcasts to help your job search. Love for you to sign up for the weekly newsletter. I share the latest articles I've written, new podcast episodes, and answer any questions you may have. The new job search is scary and if you need help, I am here for it!

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Filed Under: Interview, Job Search, Mobile Technology, Recruiters Tagged With: Job Search, Mobile Technology, text recruiting

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

Hire Veterans: Talking Points for Job Interviews

Hire Veterans: Talking Points for Job Interviews

 

 

Editor’s note: This week’s article is written by Brad Miller, TheMilitaryGuide.org

Veterans leave the military equipped with a variety of life and job skills that most professionals don’t possess. For that reason, businesses actively target recently discharged veterans when recruiting talent.

 

But if you’re a former service member, you still need to advocate for yourself in cover letters and interviews to make sure potential employers know exactly why you’re valuable and how your military skills can fulfill the company’s needs.

 

The good news is, you can answer the age-old interview question, “What are your strengths?” with several of these significant reasons why any company should consider hiring you — and other veterans.

Listen to Career Transition Strategies for Military Veterans

Veterans have strong job experience

The U.S. military invests a lot in training its members. Regardless of position or specialty, it’s guaranteed that a person in any branch of service receives superior training and comes out with top-notch skills. For example, depending on your military job, you may carry such certifications as:

  • Medical skills — first aid, CPR, or AED use
  • Security skills — handling detainees, maintaining public safety, or operating firearms
  • Construction skills — operating heavy equipment, estimating budgets, or oversee completion of projects
  • Inventory management skills — keeping track of gear, sensitive equipment, or weapons

 

Due to the intense and thorough training received throughout a military career, veterans emerge well-prepared to fill jobs across many industries. On a résumé, a skill may look “too military”; however, you can often persuade an interviewer to dig a little deeper. Once they grasp exactly how your military skills and experience transfer to their industry, they’ll see why hiring you can be the right decision.

Veterans possess highly sought-after ‘soft’ skills

While hard skills are necessary to do a job, they can be taught, or existing skills enhanced through education and additional training. However, soft skills are another story: These are often innate qualities or ones instilled by repeated lessons — and not everyone has them.

Read The Military to the Civilian Job Market Transition

According to one survey, a whopping 93 percent of employers said soft skills are an “essential” or “very important” consideration when they look to hire new employees. Many of those employers also said these attributes are hard to find in job candidates. When interviewing, you should be able to explain to potential employers that veterans tend to possess the top soft skills they’re seeking:

  • Problem-solving — You instinctively know how to troubleshoot because the military trained you to do so, often under intense pressure. One survey found that  62 percent of employers sought candidates with strong problem-solving skills.
  • Leadership — Military members are trained to lead by example in any given role. You instinctively understand how direction, delegation, inspiration, and motivation are all important leadership tools.
  • Time management — The military runs by the clock, and employers who hire veterans can rest assured that their team members will make the most efficient and valuable use of their time. You’ve become highly skilled at getting things done because punctuality is ingrained by rote as part of the military timetable.
  • Communication — In the armed forces, teams rely heavily on communication to complete a mission and/or remain safe. This means you understand the importance of clear communication and pay careful attention to what is said. Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, and there is no room for that in military missions.
  • Adaptability — Considering that active-duty military members relocate or move every three years on average (not including deployments in between), potential employers should understand how effectively veterans adapt to change — in this case, relocation, frequent travel, or off-site meetings — without complaint. Organizational change is often cited by employers as a tough challenge to overcome, making veterans a perfect choice in such situations. You not only adapt to changes; you’re typically able to lead people through them.

Veterans strengthen your team

When employers are looking for a motivated and ethical person who’s willing to work hard, you can assure them that hiring a former service member makes good business sense. Built on the foundation of a strong work ethic, the collection of positive attributes that veterans possess is often hard to find in other candidates.

  • Well-versed in teamwork — You thoroughly understand how to cooperate as a proactive, positive and diligent team member. Ingrained feelings of responsibility toward fellow team members make veterans especially considerate when working with others.
  • Able to work independently — Military members are also trained to be able to work independently when needed. This makes you a valuable solo asset as well as a useful leader.
  • Adept at conflict resolution — Living a military life usually means you’ve faced serious conflict. Every military branch trains its members to navigate conflict and find a workable solution. Let potential employers know that conflict resolution is a huge strength they can find in their veteran hires.
  • Strong performers under pressure — Military life comes with pressure; it’s a part of the job description. You well know the implications of tight schedules and limited resources. After surmounting sometimes-literal life-or-death situations, veteran hires often easily transition to coping in high-pressure business environments.
  • Quality customer service skills — You’re used to cooperating with others, and your strong communication skills transfer nicely to customer service jobs. Veterans often excel at managing customer communication and interactions.
  • Dedicated to following protocol — Without rules or accountability, things fall apart; you’ve likely learned this throughout your military career. Veterans understand the importance of regulations and protocols, having lived through conditions with and without them. As a result, most vets adapt to their place in an organization and take job responsibilities seriously.
  • Possess an accelerated learning curve — As military policies and missions change, so do your job requirements. Remind potential employers that former military members are used to consistently demonstrating an aptitude for quickly learning new skills and concepts.

 

Employers that actively recruit former service members find they acquire employees who are able to take on leadership roles right from the start. Even if they don’t, these employees tend to advance quickly due to their personal attributes, belief systems and willingness to dedicate themselves to doing a good job.

 

You can use your job search and interview process as an opportunity to advocate for yourself and other former service members — all the while educating potential employers about the many good reasons to consider hiring a veteran. Former military members retain the “mission” mindset, meaning they focus on “achievement, cooperation, and personal development” — all important attributes that make a workplace better, stronger, and more competitive.

 

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers," career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. I help the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and under-appreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. I aim to give a safe place online to those with different needs, cultures, and ethnicities to find their voice in the job market. Thousands have read my career advice throughout the web as I write about everything from job search strategies to the mobile job search. I have published more than 400 articles on this blog and some of the largest career sites such as Recruiter.com, YouTern, and Come Recommended. I've been quoted in major online publications such as Monster, TIME/Money, Fortune, Business Insider and MSN. FlexJobs, JobMonkey, Aerotek, Career Pivot, and CareerSherpa listed my podcast as one of the top podcasts to help your job search. Love for you to sign up for the weekly newsletter. I share the latest articles I've written, new podcast episodes, and answer any questions you may have. The new job search is scary and if you need help, I am here for it!

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Filed Under: Interview, Military, Veterans Tagged With: Job Interview, Military, Veterans

by Mark Anthony Dyson Leave a Comment

5 Tips to Find Your Next Job in 2019

5 Tips to Find Your Next Job in 2019
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In this special episode, my friend Bob McIntosh asked to interview me on my show. In the past, I have replayed my interviews from guest appearances on other podcasts. This is the first time in over five years of the show I will be interviewed for the show. 
 
This show is centered around my article, 14 Tips to Help You Find Your Next Job from Recruiter.com, and also found on my blog. 
 
I would love to hear from you. 
 

You are more than welcome to join the discussion. Here are three ways you can:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
– Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Here’s more information about Bob McIntosh:

Bob is the founder of Things Career Related blog. He has robust information on LinkedIn, interviewing, and introverts. He works for the Career Center of Lowell as a Career Strategist, LinkedIn Trainer, Workshop Facilitator, and a LinkedIn Profile and Resume Consultant.
Here are some highlights from my interview
 
  • I talk about preparing for the new interview tools such as intra-department group interviews, Skype interviews, and other types. Instead of practicing with one person asking questions, simulate the interview situations even if it’s a remote interview
  • We have to be in constant negotiation mode, so it won’t be an event, it will be an ever-exchanging transaction. Be ready to negotiate all of the time 
  • I talk about how it takes work to create a quality network. It doesn’t happen by accident, and if you grow it with intent, you can eventually elicit responses and deepen your ask 
  • I offer instances where shared core values matter and how it will affect job search decisions of the job seekers (and vice versa) 
  • We discuss the role of texting in job search and how it will be used to promote positions and be the center of setting up and conducting interviews
  • I suggest job seekers tell their career stories that offer robust energy and invites engagement from hearers
 

Reminder:

Use my contact information above to inquire about individual or group coaching. Or leave a message anytime on the “send voicemail” button on the side of any page of my blog.
 
You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to be on the early list of my free e-Guide, “219 Modern Job Search Tips for 2019!” If you have already subscribed to the newsletter, it’s in your email box as of this morning!
 
One episode is left in this season of the podcast. The last episode of the fall season will be December 11 (next Tuesday evening). The winter season of episodes will begin on January 15, 2019!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers," career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. I help the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and under-appreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. I aim to give a safe place online to those with different needs, cultures, and ethnicities to find their voice in the job market. Thousands have read my career advice throughout the web as I write about everything from job search strategies to the mobile job search. I have published more than 400 articles on this blog and some of the largest career sites such as Recruiter.com, YouTern, and Come Recommended. I've been quoted in major online publications such as Monster, TIME/Money, Fortune, Business Insider and MSN. FlexJobs, JobMonkey, Aerotek, Career Pivot, and CareerSherpa listed my podcast as one of the top podcasts to help your job search. Love for you to sign up for the weekly newsletter. I share the latest articles I've written, new podcast episodes, and answer any questions you may have. The new job search is scary and if you need help, I am here for it!

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Filed Under: Interview, Job Search Tagged With: Interview, Job Search, negotiate, Networking

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Listen to my NPR podcast interview on “Jazzed About Work” with Beverly Jones!

Watch this interview about today’s job search!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCrEi8h2r0I&t=45s
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