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Giving Employers What They Want

What do employers want from their employees? While the answers will vary from company to company, field to field, and manager to manager, there are some common skills and qualities that employers look for in their new employees.

Great team members all have certain characteristics, and they are the characteristics that managers want to see in every new employee. If you are hoping to make a good impression on your new employer, keep in mind that these are likely the traits they are looking for in you:

Dependability – Show up on time, dress in a professional manner, turn in the same quality of work each day, commit to the team, and give your manager a sense that when she passes a project on to you, she knows it’s in good hands.
Self Motivation – Managers dislike micromanaging their employees almost as much as employees dislike being micromanaged. They want their teams to hit the ground running each day, they want employees to seek out new projects and overcome obstacles on their own.
Brand Ambassadors – Employers want strong representatives of their brand – whether they are on the clock or off the clock.
Flexibility – Change is inevitable. Employers want team members who can roll with the punches, adapting their approach quickly in the face of change.
Teachability – Are you open to learning new skills? How quickly do you pick up on them? Employers want their team members to be open to learning.
Empathy – Not every person on a team is going to get along with every other person all of the time. Conflict is a fact of life. But employers want to see a high level of empathy from their employees. Can you put yourself in others’ shoes and overcome conflict to get the job done?
Proactivity – When something needs to be done, don’t wait to be instructed to do it. Roll up your sleeves and get things done without having to be asked or told.
The Ability to Act on Feedback – When a manager tells you that you’ve done something well, do you repeat that behavior? When you’ve been given a plan for improvement, how quickly do you act on it? The ability to receive and act on feedback shows a high level of engagement in your work.

Employers want employees who have the necessary qualifications to get a job done. But that’s not the full story. When you take the time to understand the “human” qualities that employers want to see, you will be better equipped to deliver results for your manager and your company.

If you are professional in engineering, IT, sales, marketing or operations, the professional recruiters at The Prevalent Group can help you become a candidate that hiring managers want for their team. We work with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the country, and we can help you take the next step in your career. Contact us today to learn more.

How To Deliver Results At Work

Ever since The Great Recession, U.S. companies have adopted a lean approach to business. Everyone has been doing more with less for quite some time, and employees continue to feel the pinch. Delivering solid results when faced with a crippling workload is never easy, but it can be done. Follow this guide to ensure that your boss views you as someone who can deliver “the goods” time and time again.

First, Eat Your Peas

We often put our least-favorite tasks at the bottom of our to-do lists. Try flipping things around and “eating your peas” first. Each day, choose the task you dread the most and get it done right away, saving the remainder of your day for tasks you find more interesting and enjoyable.

When you make your least-favorite tasks a priority, your overall productivity will improve. When you save them until the end of the day, you’re more likely to drag your feet on other projects, thereby “putting off” your most unpleasant work and falling into the procrastination trap.

Say Yes to Less

Every time you accept a new project or task, you are adding more to your plate. If you’re starting to get backed up, it’s time to speak up. Drop by your boss’s office with your task list and show her your current workload. Ask for permission to delegate some tasks. It might make sense to have a more analytical co-worker complete certain spreadsheets, or a more eloquent team member draft deliverable documents, for example. If the goal is quality results, some shifting might make sense for the entire team.

Remember, there is more honor in raising your hand when you feel you’re drowning than there is in delivering poor results because you’re overworked.

Review Results Regularly

Block out time each Friday afternoon to review your week. What did you get done? What went well? Where did you stumble? Are you taking too much time to complete tasks that aren’t a priority? Take stock of what happened, where you spent your time, and which of your goals you achieved. Use that insight to plan your Monday accordingly. It can be beneficial to share your self-reviews with your boss, as well. It doesn’t have to be formal, you can simply send him an email outlining your thoughts and asking for feedback.

When your boss sees how you are spending your time, he might have some insight into future workflow. If he’s been assigning you tasks that waste your time or talent, he can make that assessment when he sees it in black and white.

If you are someone who delivers results time and time again – but you are on the hunt for new opportunities and challenges – contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters work with professionals in sales, marketing, engineering, IT and operations, and they can connect you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals.

What Interviewers Want Candidates to Know

As a job seeker, wouldn’t it be great if you could read your interviewers’ minds? Well, you can’t become a psychic, but you can get a glimpse into the things that hiring managers wish candidates knew about the interviewing process. Here are a few secrets to help give you an edge in your next interview:

They Already Know Quite a Bit About You

Before you even received a call for an interview, the hiring team Googled you. They looked at your LinkedIn page, your other social media profiles, they read your blog, and they conducted various other forms of recon on you. This means you need to always be mindful of your online presence. Even if you think you do a good job of keeping your personal profiles private, it never hurts to Google yourself from time to time so that you can see what potential employers will find when they search for you.

Appearances Do Matter

Nobody likes to admit that they judge books by their covers, but in truth, everyone does. Hiring managers will make assumptions about you based upon the way you dress and carry yourself in an interview. This means that you should always dress professionally and conservatively. For men, a suit and tie is always in order. For women, necklines and hemlines should always be modest. Choose neutral colors, limit jewelry, and go easy on the cologne or perfume. Walk with confidence, use a firm handshake, and make strong eye contact.

Everybody is a Perfectionist and a Team Player

Almost every candidate that sits in the interview chair regurgitates the same canned, practiced and rehashed interview answers over and over again. If hiring managers had quarters for every “team player” and “perfectionist” who walked through their doors, they could all retire. An interviewer genuinely wants to learn about you, so relax and be yourself, and try not to spit back robotic, memorized answers. Be genuine and let your true colors shine through.

The Most Qualified Candidate Doesn’t Always Get the Job

The most qualified candidate is not necessarily the best choice for every job. Hiring managers must consider how well a candidate’s personality will mesh with the team, they must consider a candidate’s values and ethics, and they must also consider soft skills. If a candidate is extremely likeable and passionate about the job, they may actually have a better chance than the most qualified, yet unenthusiastic, candidate. In an interview, you never want to assume that your resume will speak for you. If you want a job, don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm to the interviewer. And if you aren’t the most qualified candidate, you can increase your stock by demonstrating passion and an eagerness to learn.

An excellent way to brush up on your interviewing skills is to work with a professional recruiting firm. Recruiters know their client companies inside and out, and they can help adequately prepare you for each step of the process. If you are looking to work with an effective recruiter, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with experienced managers and executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We can help you locate job opportunities that align with your long-term personal and professional goals.

What to Do On Your First Day of Work

The first day on a new job is exciting and terrifying all at the same time. No matter what you may be feeling inside, however, you want to make sure that you make a great impression on your first day.

Plan Your Outfit The Night Before

Plan your “first day” outfit the night before and make sure to have one backup in case you spill coffee on yourself right before you walk out the door. Make sure you are clear on the office dress code. Remember “business casual” at one company could mean something completely different at another.

Leave Home Early

You should have already planned your driving route to work, which means you should know how long it is going to take you to get there. Leave much earlier than you think you will need to, just to avoid any potential rush-hour traffic snags.

Get Your Shaking Hand Ready

You’re going to meet a lot of new people over your first few days on the job. Be prepared to introduce yourself over and over again. Try to say more than, “My name is Susan.” What do you want them to remember you for? Engage in conversation, make eye contact with everyone, smile pleasantly, and offer a firm handshake.

Make a Serious Effort to Remember Names

When meeting someone new, always repeat their name out loud. “Very nice to meet you, Bob.” If you did not catch a person’s name or you are unsure of the pronunciation, ask the person to repeat the name, and then make a concerted effort to remember it.

Accept a Lunch Invitation

If your colleagues invite you to lunch, accept the invitation, even if you’ve packed yourself a healthy, balanced meal. Saying no could offend your team members. During your first few weeks, you should accept all lunch invitations to get to know your co-workers and to help build camaraderie. Once you’ve settled in, you can go back to your regular lunch routine.

Take Notes

Take a notepad and pen with you everywhere you travel on your first day. Write things down so that you don’t have to ask the same questions over and over again. Taking notes shows that you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you and that you are interested in learning.

Don’t Bolt at 5:00

Don’t watch the clock in your early days. Try to stick around a few minutes after the close of business to show that you’re interested in getting the job done.

If you are looking for job search guidance, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement firm that works with experienced professionals in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We look forward to working with you.

Be Prepared for Reference Checks

Most job seekers put so much time and effort into preparing their resumes, targeting their ideal employers, and brushing up on their interviewing skills that they forget one of the most important steps in the process: reference checks. Taking the time to prepare your references can have a significant impact on your ability to land your ideal position.

While it is true that many employers don’t conduct thorough reference checks, there has been a push in recent years to focus more on this step of the hiring process. Employers are looking to improve their retention rates, and they are starting to understand the value of references. As a job seeker, you should never underestimate the potential positive impact of glowing references, or conversely, the potential negative impact of even a single lukewarm reference.

What are the keys to preparing for reference checks? Use this checklist to ensure that you – and your references – are ready for your potential employer:

Leave references off your resume – Don’t use up valuable resume space on a list of references. Keep a separate list, and only provide that list when the employer requests it.
Create a strategic list – Your references don’t always have to be former supervisors, especially if you have any reservations about what they may say. Choose references who have deep, first-hand knowledge about your skills and accomplishments. Sometimes co-workers or supervisors from other teams may make better references than a manager.
Include a variety of categories – You want to create a list that will allow hiring managers to get a feel for your work ethic, your skills, performance on the job, and accomplishments. This will typically mean using former co-workers and supervisors, but it can also mean including mentors, personal references, customers, colleagues, supervisees, or references from your volunteer work.
Always get permission to use someone as a reference – Never include someone on your reference list without asking for their permission. Most people will be more than happy to help, but you should always give them the courtesy of seeking their approval ahead of time. Be ready for someone to decline your request, and don’t take it personally if someone turns you down.
Verify their contact information – Once you’ve sought someone’s approval, be sure to ask them how they prefer to be contacted. Some may not want you to use their personal cell phone number or their work email address, for example. Verify that you have the correct telephone and email once they let you know how they prefer to be contacted.
Provide them with a copy of your resume – To ensure your references are prepared, provide them with a copy of your resume.
Say thank you – Thank your references once they give you permission to include them on your list, and when you land a job, reach out again and thank them for their help in the process.

Always remember that references can make or break a hiring manager’s decision. Approach your reference selection strategically, and put as much thought into your list as you put into your resume, cover letters, and interview preparation.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations looking for new opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help you create a resume, cover letter, and reference package that will dazzle hiring managers.

Common Interview Mistakes That Even Experienced Candidates Make

There is nothing worse than the feeling that you did something wrong in a job interview. It’s important to remember, however, that we all make mistakes, especially when we are nervous. And while it may seem that some people are masters of the job interview, even experienced candidates can blow it from time to time.

Some of the most common interview mistakes are easy to avoid if you know what they are and how to proactively combat them.

Talking Too Much

When we are nervous, we can often talk too much, which typically leads to poor listening behaviors. From the moment you sit down in the chair, make an effort to listen very closely to each question and to watch your interviewer for nonverbal cues that will let you know if you are rambling. If she starts fidgeting in her chair, for example, it’s probably time to wrap up your answer and move on.

The Big Salary Mistake

Candidates commonly make a big mistake when it comes to salary negotiation. They bring up the subject far too early in the hiring process. Interviewers can be turned off by those who jump right into salary talk.

If the interviewer brings up salary, then it’s perfectly acceptable to talk about your feelings with compensation related to the position. If the topic isn’t broached, then wait until at least the second interview and ask an open-ended question – “What salary range do you have in mind for this position?” Listen carefully to the response before continuing the conversation.

Bringing a Beverage

If you need to fuel up before your interview, it’s only natural to turn to coffee, tea, or soda. While it’s perfectly fine to drink a beverage on the ride to the employer’s office, it’s essential to leave the cup behind. Having a drink in front of you makes it very easy to become distracted – you may stare at the cup out of nervousness, miss a question while taking a sip, or you may even spill the drink on yourself, the desk, or the interviewer.

Letting Your Guard Down Too Much

When you’re really getting along with your interviewer and you find you have several things in common, it can be very easy to let your guard down and reveal too much personal or irrelevant information. Always remember that no matter how much you may like the interviewer as a person, you must remain professional at all times.

Lack of Preparation

Even the most seasoned job seeker can underprepare for an interview. Underpreparing can take many forms. It may mean you didn’t spend enough time researching the company, perhaps you didn’t realize that the interview would include behavioral questions or that the format would be team-interview style.

Do as much research as you can before stepping into an interview. Use resources like Glasdsoor’s interview tool to help you learn what the process is like, and what you can expect from your interview. Research the company and be ready for an interview that may include behavioral questions.

Another great way to prepare for interviews and avoid potential mistakes is to partner with a professional recruiter. If you are a professional in engineering, information technology, operations, sales, or marketing, and you are looking for new and exciting career opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with innovative organizations in Northern Illinois and beyond. We can help you locate job opportunities that align with your long-term personal and professional goals, and we can help prepare you for interviews so that you make a positive impression each and every time.

How a Recruiter Can Enhance Your Career

As a job seeker, you may have toyed with the idea of working with a professional recruiter. Some professionals hesitate to explore recruiting relationships because they just don’t know what to expect, nor do they understand the ways in which a recruiter can help them enhance their careers.

Recruiters can give you a leg up in the job market by providing benefits that you simply can’t attain if you approach a job search on your own. Those benefits include:

Access to Unpublished Opportunities – Job boards are fine, but remember, thousands of other people are viewing and applying to the same postings. Professional recruiters have long-standing relationships with their client companies, and they are often actively recruiting for jobs that have not been published on job boards or even on the company website.
Keeping Your Resume Out of the Black Hole – If you’ve been on the hunt for a job for any amount of time, you know the frustration that can come from the resume “black hole.” It may take weeks to hear back from an employer, or you may never hear anything at all. When a recruiter presents you as a candidate, you know that the hiring manager will receive your resume, and you know that your recruiter will stay on top of the process, letting you know where you stand every step of the way.
Providing Feedback – When you’re all alone in your job hunt, you never quite know what an interviewer thought of you, which means you can make the same mistakes over and over again without ever realizing it. Working with a recruiter, however, you will receive feedback on each interview so that you can grow and improve your skills.
Letting You Know Your Market Value – You may think you know your value in the marketplace, but a professional recruiter can tell you precisely what types of jobs you are qualified for, and what type of salary structure you can command in the marketplace.
Conducting a Confidential Search – Keeping a job search confidential is essential while you are employed, but unfortunately it is also extremely stressful. It can be difficult to conduct a search when you have to worry about your boss noticing your LinkedIn activity or stumbling across your resume on a job board. A recruiter can help you keep your search confidential, acting as your liaison to hiring managers. They will know when to call you, so that they are not interrupting your workday, and they will know which email address to use to ensure the utmost discretion.

Best of all, the services of recruiters are free. This means that there is no risk involved in testing the waters, and you only stand to benefit from their efforts and advice.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations looking for new opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we will work as your advocate, helping you to achieve your long-term career goals. Let us connect you with the next phase of your career.

Why Networking is Still Important

It doesn’t take an expert to realize that over the last decade, human communication and interaction has become less personal and more digital. We don’t call our friends, we text. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the mediums by which we keep in touch with our friends and family – even if they live just a few miles away. The digitization of communication has also affected professional interactions, which has led many people to reduce the time they spend networking. However, networking is still critical to career development, whether you are new to the workforce or you are 20 years into your career.

To get the most from networking in the digital age, it helps to know how to turn online interactions into professional connections.

Spend More Time on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most effective professional social media platform for networking with people in your industry. It’s not enough to have a profile on LinkedIn, however. You’ve got to create an optimized profile that is not only robust, but also searchable. You also have to know how to work the platform to grow your network and make real and meaningful connections.

Joining and participating in groups is an ideal strategy for maximizing your time on LinkedIn. Not only will you connect with like-minded professionals, but you also have the opportunity to showcase your unique knowledge and skills in discussions. Many hiring managers and recruiters join LinkedIn groups to spot new talent, and groups can be an ideal platform for showing off your expertise.

It is important to stay in touch with LinkedIn connections. Be sure to take the time to personally email or InMail your contacts so that you are cultivating real relationships. Whenever possible, take the conversation offline and invite contacts to coffee or lunch for some analog, face-to-face networking time.

Join Local Meetup Groups

Meetup.com is a digital platform that takes online networking into the real world. Users can sign up and join local groups that meet in their area.

By seeking out meetups based on your professional expertise and interests, you can connect with local professionals in your industry. Join several groups, as you won’t always be able to attend scheduled meetups, and some gatherings simply won’t be of interest to you. Joining several groups allows you to pick and choose the events that are the most relevant to you, and exposes you to the widest variety of people possible.

Commit to Making a New Connection Every Week

In order to ensure that you’re constantly growing your network, set a goal of making a minimum of one new connection every week. Whether it’s on LinkedIn, through Meetup.com, or through some other channel, adding one new, relevant connection to your network can help you stay plugged in to what’s happening in your industry.

Always remember that networking is a two-way street. You have to give if you hope to receive. Be sure that you aren’t approaching networking with a “me first” attitude, and do whatever you can to be of assistance to your professional contacts.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations looking for new opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help perfect your networking skills to ensure you cultivate a strong set of professional connections.

How to Show Enthusiasm in a Job Interview

Landing a job interview can be exciting – but it can also be stressful. There are so many things to remember throughout the course of an interview, and “career gurus” offer so many conflicting suggestions about how to conduct yourself, that it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the entire process.

One of the most important things to remember when you’re sitting face to face with a hiring manager is to demonstrate your enthusiasm. You may feel nervous, stressed or even scared, but you should do your best to let your enthusiasm for the position and your chosen field shine through.

Be Enthusiastic About Yourself

It’s important to show enthusiasm for the job, but many candidates forget to show just as much enthusiasm for themselves. Some people shy away from this, assuming that it can come off one of two ways: desperation or arrogance. Abandon both ideas. Remember, you’re there to sell yourself to the employer, and if you don’t demonstrate that you believe in yourself and your abilities, you’ll never be able to convince a stranger that you deserve the job.

Before an interview, prepare a list of stories from your career that showcase your skills and achievements. Talk about times in which you felt pride in overcoming obstacles. Frame everything as a story and an illustration of a real-life situation, so that you don’t feel as though you’re bragging for bragging’s sake. The interviewer can draw his or her own conclusion from your examples.

Don’t Beat Around the Bush

If the idea of working for an employer thrills you to your core, don’t hide it. Be direct and tell the hiring manager that working for the company would mean achieving a very specific goal. If their company is your first choice, say so. Let them know that you are interviewing at other companies, but if they were to offer you a position, you’d accept.

Ask Thoughtful Questions

As a job seeker, you know how important it is to ask questions during your interview, but you want to be sure you are asking thoughtful questions. Avoid talk of raises, job security, benefits, and turnover in your first interview. Those subjects can be discussed later on in the process.
Another great technique is to ask questions naturally, as topics come up in conversation rather than holding all of your questions until the end. This shows that you’re paying close attention to the flow of the interview and helps the interaction take on a more conversational tone.

Ask What the Next Step in the Process Will Be

At the end of the interview, do not forget to ask about the next step in the process. Ignoring this step can lead the hiring manager to believe you aren’t interested in moving on. You can also ask the interviewer how you stack up to the other candidates they have seen, and if there is anything about the interview that would prevent them from calling you back for the next round.

Don’t Forget the Thank You Note

Follow up after an interview should never be ignored. As soon as you get home, sit down and craft a thoughtful, enthusiastic thank you letter that reminds the interviewer of your relevant experience and expresses your continued interest in the position.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations actively seeking new and exciting career opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help perfect your interviewing skills to ensure that you feel confident exhibiting your enthusiasm with each interaction.

How To Ace Your Next Phone Interview

Telephone interviews are easy to gloss over. They aren’t as formal as in-person interviews, and you can get away with participating in your pajamas. However, phone interviews are a critical step in the process, as they give both employers and candidates a chance to evaluate fit. Acing a phone interview all comes down to preparation. With the right amount of advanced work, you can enter each telephone interview with confidence and poise.

Revisit Your Research

You likely spent time researching the potential employer before you applied for the position, but as you gear up for your phone interview, you should revisit that research, and spend some time digging a little deeper to get a better understanding of the company’s history, structure, and current position in the market. Spend some time researching the people you may be interacting with, as well. LinkedIn can be an invaluable research tool for phone interview preparation.

Prepare Questions

Your interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. It’s important to have some thoughtful questions prepared to show the interviewer that you are truly interested in the positon. Good questions may cover topics such as training and onboarding processes, career development opportunities, and the steps involved in the hiring process itself. Be sure that your questions are open-ended, rather than yes or no style questions. Always, always, always remember to ask the interviewer about the next steps.

Let Your Enthusiasm Shine

Even if your interview is scheduled first thing in the morning, be sure that your tone of voice is cheerful and enthusiastic. Take advantage of the fact that you’re on the phone – it’s far less intimidating than face-to-face interviews, and you can sit in a position that is most comfortable for you. If you are extremely nervous, a great tip is to smile while you speak. After a while, your “fake” smile will become a real smile and you will start to relax.

Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

At the end of the call, be sure to thank the interviewer for his or her time. If you are still interested in the position, be clear about that interest and get a firm confirmation of the next steps. Make a note of the interviewer’s timeline so that you can follow up if you do not hear back.

Partner With A Recruiter

If you are looking to work with an effective recruiter, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with experienced managers and executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We can help you locate job opportunities that align with your long-term personal and professional goals, and we can help you perfect your interviewing skills so that you ace both phone and in-person meetings with hiring managers.