Author: Scott Schnierer

Applying for a job is one of the most stressful endeavors, especially in this ever-increasing competitive job market.  So how does one make a resume stand out in the crowd of hundreds of candidates applying for the same job?  Keep in mind the warp speed at which an employment agency reads a resume.  This is truly the chance to shine on a document and take a moment to light your way!

Now is a good time to take advantage and work with an employment agency because of the 50-year low unemployment rate and shortage of unemployed candidates.  An employment agency searches for a well-crafted resume from the most qualified applicant to place at their client.  Recruiters are always open to continually engaging with available employees who are hoping to find a new opportunity.   

How one presents herself on a well-crafted resume will determine the perception of a recruiter at an employment agency.  Remember to highlight technical, customer service, and computer skills as well as work history and important accomplishments.  A recruiter instantly determines whether or not a candidate is qualified for the job.  Use each job description posting as a guide and craft the resume for each position by choosing certain keywords to instantly grab the attention of the recruiter.  Only apply for a job if the entire description has been reviewed.  Imagine the embarrassment when a recruiter calls saying, “Tell me where and when you used this specific skill.”  Suddenly you’re on-the-spot to disclose, “I’m not really familiar with that software”.

With regards to formatting text, choose a basic, simple, and clean font.  Arial and Calibri convert easily from device to device.  Fancy fonts are distracting and messy when transferred.  Keep the information in an easy-to-follow order:

Contact Information – Write your name and use an email address, even if you need to create a new one, which will present yourself as a business professional.  There is no need to include a home address, especially if applying for out-of-area jobs.  If you really want to stand out, include the specific position you’re applying for.  Leave off a photograph; save it for your social media sites.

Summary or Career Objective – Highlight what you will be offering to this company by matching the position you’re applying for, not what you’re looking to do.  You might miss an opportunity by mistakenly appearing to be seeking a completely different position.  Carefully read and review the job posting from the employment agency for relevant experience and skills required.

Skills – List hard key skills first such as technical, computer software competencies.  If a completed up-to-date certification is required for the job, get the original stamped document from the institution.  Even if it isn’t absolutely required – if you list it, present it.  Also, list soft skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, and self-development.

Education – Honesty is the best policy!  If you have graduated with a college degree, it’s usually understood that have a high school degree.  List the degree obtained, field of study, the school, and achievements obtained during your education, if they make sense for your career.

If your college degree is incomplete, list the courses taken.  If you are currently attending classes, write “currently enrolled” and “intended completion date”.  There have been cases where candidates listed the year which they wanted, but did not graduate.  The recruiter from the employment agency requested a completed transcript directly from that college.  When the response is “Sorry, she/he did not graduate,” it can be a disaster.  The hiring process fizzles with the client, as it appeared to be falsification of degree.  

Employment History – List in chronological order each previous employer and include the month/year started and month/year ended, as well as each company’s City/State location.  Avoid the common mistake of using a confusing Job Title that is so specific to a previous employer, but not relevant to the industry.  Intertwine your exceptional communication skills into your past positions, highlighting how you successfully created opportunities to grow with continual learning and joining members of your team for growth opportunities and reaching goals together.

If you were a top performer and were recognized with an award, highlight those meaningful responsibilities and achievements to an employment agency.  Showcase how you were treasured and kept on as a great talent!  If you were internally promoted or moved into other roles within the organization, demonstrate your flexibility and valuable qualities, especially the wish for continual career development. 

Share your tactics of how you improved group performance, helped your employer meet goals, and built a positive work environment for the team.

References – There is no need to list references on the resume.  A recruiter will request them if and when the interview process progresses.  Word to the Wise – never fake them.  A recruiter in an employment agency will call each one for their assessment of your work track record.

Also remember to have someone else review the resume for spelling errors, incorrect punctuation, and grammatical flow, before sending it to an employment agency. 

Start a new journey on your never-ending career path.  You never know where life will take you!

How a New Jersey Temp Agency helped me with my Career Change – from Perfume to People, an HR Manager’s Adventure!

The most common daily questions we get from callers are: “How do I switch my career?”, “I lost my job and I don’t know what else I can do” or “I want to explore my options and see what else is out there”.  Throughout our working years, we sometimes find ourselves in a role where we feel stuck, confused, or unsatisfied for so many different reasons.  For some, it’s the corporate culture, the commute, the hours, the boss, the department, the plane, train, or automobile travel for work, etc.  Sometimes we just wish to try out something new!  Why not?!  Hold on… the idea of starting a new career can feel daunting, like “Where do I begin, who do I call”?

A well established New Jersey Temp Agency entertains and takes career change requests seriously, especially since UNIFORCE Staffing Solutions did just that for their HR Manager, who herself began as their own Temp.  After energetically studying and becoming proficient in the languages of Spanish and French, she spent years travelling domestically and internationally, successfully involved in the launch of everything perfumed – fine fragrances, cosmetics, body and household products.  She “dreamt” new product development concepts, then worked with perfumers and chemists to conceive, scent and package them into tangible real products. She also wrote supportive PowerPoint presentation and presented live to product manufacturers, designers, and celebrities.  Yes, the creative work was invigorating, the clients were glamorous, and the travel allowed her to ‘see the world’ of Asia, Latin America, Canada, Europe (skiing with colleagues in the Alps), and many US States. Unfortunately, with her kids nearing the teenage years, the time came to calm the commute, spend time at home in New Jersey, and perhaps try something new and different.  “Whaaat?”, her colleagues exclaimed.

She had no idea that a local New Jersey Temp Agency could help with a career change using her current skill sets of creative writing, media design, public speaking, administration, emailing decks to worldwide affiliates, speaking English/Spanish/French, and finding, hiring, and training her own department staff.  It was luck that a friend had worked through the Temp Agency, Uniforce Staffing Solutions, to restart a career.  Maybe there was hope!

Thrilled to find and help this marketing maven with a career change, Uniforce Staffing Solutions recruiters thoroughly probed and uncovered a multitude of useful administrative and people skills.  The exploration gave recruiters a keen determination of how these skills could be marketed to a new opportunity, and at which clients, right here in New Jersey. This gave her hope.  Her crossover of expertise afforded the Temp Agency to hire her repeatedly for required projects and positions. In some assignments, she helped write the marketing plan at a college and at others, she handled administrative and layouts at designer label manufacturer. She also handled market research at a food company, and corporate front desk reception.

What an awesome opportunity to try out different industries, companies, products, and people!  They benefited by easily filling their positions with her, always receiving positive feedback about ‘consistent solid work ethic, effective interaction, always on time, never out’.  Why not use her everywhere, and Uniforce Staffing Solutions did!  Some clients’ assignments were staged to last a week or two, which turned into a month or two, some into a year or two.

In between assignments, this New Jersey based Temp Agency hired her to ‘woman’ their busy front desk, as their full time employee eventually retired.  Happily, this outstanding and several times “Employee of the Month” was invited to join them permanently, fully supporting the Team.  With past experience recruiting in the fragrance industry, she reignited this former skill by recruiting Temps herself, then segued into all areas of Human Resources as HR Manager of Uniforce Staffing Solutions.

Her product was perfume, now her product is people. Helping each candidate find a job allows them to feel good in many ways – the reward of a career change to HR Manager by a Temp Agency!

Not surprising, she is grateful and sincerely “Thanks” Uniforce Staffing Solutions, and they appreciate her as a welcomed addition. 

Yes, a NJ Temp Agency can help you with a career change!!