Category Archives: Starting a New Job

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.

Following Up With a Thank You Email After An Interview

If you leave an interview knowing in your heart that you want the job, and that you’re the right person for that job, your very next step must be to sit down and craft a thank you letter. When your future is on the line, you want to make sure you take every chance you can to make a positive impression on the hiring team. Once the field has been narrowed to the final few candidates, the team will look closely at the way each candidate performed throughout each step of the process. You won’t want to be the only person on the short list who didn’t send a thank you letter.

Thank You Letter Basics

Some career gurus will tell you to write a handwritten note, but there is nothing wrong with sending an email. Cards and letters can make an impression, but timing is also important when it comes to thanking your interviewers for meeting with you. When it comes to a thank you letter, the message is far more important than the medium.

Use your thank you letter as a way to reinforce the fact that your skills and experience are a great match for the position. You can also use your thank you letter to include something you may have forgotten to mention in the interview.

Send the letter as soon as possible, and try not to let more than 24 hours pass after the interview. Some candidates keep thank you notes in the car, and write them as soon as they leave the interview, while others make it a point to sit down and craft an email as soon as they get home. Whatever you do, remember that time is of the essence. If you wait too long, it shows a lack of interest in the position, and your letter will seem like an afterthought.

Sample Thank You Letter

Every thank you letter you send should be original, but if you’re looking for a starting point, here is a guide to get you started:

Your Name

Your Address

Your City, State, Zip Code

Your Phone Number

Your Email

Date

Interviewer’s Full Name

Title

Organization

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

Use the first paragraph to sincerely thank the interviewer for his or her time. Reinforce your interest in the job and express your enthusiasm for the position and the organization.

The second paragraph should remind the interviewer of the unique qualifications that make you an ideal candidate. Be sure to list specific skills that are relevant to the position.

The third paragraph can be a good place to mention anything you may have forgotten to say in the interview. Keep it brief, however.

In your closing, thank the interviewer once again for their consideration and let them know you are looking forward to hearing from him or her.

Sincerely,

Your Name

If you a job seeker looking to take the next step in your career, the recruiting team at The Prevalent Group would love to talk to you. We are always seeking relationships with experienced professionals who have the skills and the ability to deliver results for our diverse group of client companies.  As a nationally recognized management and executive placement recruitment company, we place executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. If you are looking for new opportunities in these fields, visit our job board to scan our current openings, and then contact us to learn more. We look forward to connecting you with your next job.

Goals To Set For 2015: Where To Take Your Engineering Career

With the new year fast approaching, now is a great time to sit down and think about where you want to take your engineering career in 2015, especially if you’ve been feeling stalled in your current position. Goals give you something to strive for throughout the year, and help ensure you’re constantly pushing yourself to achieve more.

Every engineer will have his or her own unique recipe for success. Whether you are a new engineer or a seasoned professional, it’s important to set goals that will keep you moving forward, and goals that are realistic and attainable. While your overarching goal may be to land a new job, it can help to set smaller goals to create the forward motion that will set you up for success. Goals to consider to help you advance your engineering career this year include:

  • Getting out and meeting people in your industry is critical for professional success. Whether or not networking results in a job offer, expanding your professional network is always a good idea. Attending professional networking events, industry association events, conventions, and other functions will afford you the opportunity to meet new people and learn new things in 2015.
  • Document your accomplishments. The most effective resumes quantify achievements. It can be difficult to pull all of your accomplishments out of your memory when you decide it’s time to revamp your resume. If you keep a running list of those achievements as they happen, and update your resume accordingly, you can be sure none will get left out. This year, make it a point to track and document your accomplishments on the job.
  • Know your value. Engineers should always be aware of their value in the marketplace. Research local engineering salaries online so that you know where you fall in terms of your experience and education. You don’t want to find out the day after you accept a job offer that you’re actually getting paid $20,000 less than what you’re worth.
  • Learn something new. The one constant in the world is change. What can you do this year to keep your skills sharp and learn something new? Whether you take a class or attend an industry conference, do something to enhance your skills this year.
  • Focus on work-life balance. Engineers work hard, and getting ahead in the field can mean clocking long hours, often to the detriment of personal time and family time. What can you do this year to give yourself more time for the people and hobbies you love?
  • Partner with a recruiter. Searching for new opportunities can be difficult for busy engineers. Partnering with a recruiter can help you connect with exciting jobs that aren’t necessarily posted on public job boards. A recruiter can also help you set goals, polish your resume, and perfect your interviewing technique so that when the right opportunity comes along, you are prepared to rise to the challenge.

If you are an engineer in northern Illinois looking to grow your career in 2015, the engineering recruiting consultants at The Prevalent Group would love to meet you. We work with market leaders in a variety of industries that are always on the lookout for strong engineering talent.  Our recruiters can connect you with  engineering jobs in northern Illinois that align with your skills and qualifications, and we can work with you to help you achieve your career goals in 2015.

How To Handle Being Let Go From An Engineering Position

Being let go from a job is never easy, no matter the circumstances. Even so, it is a situation that engineers can handle if they take a strategic approach to getting back into the workforce quickly.  The faster you take action, the more likely your chances of getting back in the saddle without disrupting your life or your career goals.

Accept the Situation

It is easy to become mired down in fear, anger, and shame after being let go from an engineering job – even if you were laid off due to cutbacks or closings. Instead of getting caught in a cycle of negativity, accept the situation for what it is. Give yourself a day or two to feel your negative feelings, but the faster you accept the circumstances, the better – both for your job search and your mental health.  Layoffs are common in this post-recession economy, and people get fired from jobs every day. A job loss does not have to prevent you from reaching your goals.

Reframe the Loss as an Opportunity

In some cases, a job loss can be a long-term blessing. Perhaps your old company did not offer engineers a clear career path. Perhaps they had frozen raises or cut benefits. Treat your loss as an opportunity for growth. Make a list of your career goals. Now that you are unemployed, you have the time and energy to focus your search on companies that will help you advance in your career.

Get Down to Work

Searching for a job is a job in itself. Refresh your resume and start making a list of your target jobs and organizations. Start applying for openings and making connections with hiring managers immediately.  Know that your days will be eaten up with job-search activities, and you likely won’t land a job right out of the gate. However, the work can be a good distraction from any lingering feelings of depression or negativity you may be feeling.

Make Personal Contacts

While looking on job boards and LinkedIn can be a good use of your time, don’t forget to network. Reach out to old colleagues and supervisors to see if they know of any openings at their current organizations. Attend industry networking events and get out in front of as many people as possible. The social interaction will also be good to help keep your mind busy.

Connect with an Engineering Recruiter

Recruiters who work with engineers can be an extremely valuable resource for you if you’ve just lost your job. Research companies that focus their energy in your field, so that you can find a recruiter who understands industry market trends. Recruiters can help take some of the legwork and pressure off of you, and they likely have contacts at some of your target employers.

If you are an engineer who has recently been let go, or you are looking for new opportunities, the recruiters at The Prevalent Group would love to talk to you. We are always on the lookout for experienced professionals who have the skills and the ability to deliver results for our client organizations.  As a nationally recognized engineering recruitment  recruitment company, we place engineers in a variety of disciplines with some of the most innovative firms in the country. We encourage you to visit our job board to scan our current openings, and then contact us to learn more. We look forward to helping you get back to work.

Four Ways To Deal With Relocation

Making the decision to relocate for a job is never easy. That decision may often turn out to be the least stressful part of the move. Uprooting your family and your life to live in a new place can be extremely overwhelming. With a little bit of planning, however, you can ease some of the mental and emotional strain that comes with relocation. Here are four tips to help you manage that stress:

1. Take Advantage of Relocation Services

Many organizations offer relocation services to their employees. This typically involves working with a concierge who can help you with everything from locating a new home, to scheduling your moving van, to connecting you with local utilities. If your new company does not offer such a service, ask the HR department to connect you with a local, private relocation company.  Having a single point of contact to manage the details of your move can help minimize stress.

2. Stay Organized

Keep a calendar and detailed to-do lists for your move. Those lists should involve not only tasks, but also deadlines and important contact numbers. Keep a hard copy of each to do list as well as a digital copy in order to prevent loss. Lists will not only help you stay organized, but will allow you to break down large tasks into smaller, easy-to-handle steps.

3. Schedule a Visit to Your New City

If you’ve never visited your new city, schedule a trip for you and your family before moving day. While you certainly can take time to sightsee, the trip should be more about getting acclimated to your new surroundings. Show your family your new home or apartment. Figure out where the closest grocery store is, where the closest department stores and home improvement stores are, etc. If you have children, schedule a visit to their new school so that they can actually go inside the building, meet their teachers and see where they will attend class. This can ease some of the anxiety that you and your family are sure to feel in the first few days and weeks of relocation.

4. Create a Social Safety Net

Moving means leaving behind your social support network. Before you relocate, look for clubs and organizations that are similar to those you currently belong to.  If you use a site like Meetup, you can even connect with new people that share your interests before you move. The sooner you and your family can create social connections, the sooner you’ll feel at home in your new town.

Relocating for a new job can be overwhelming, but it can also be exciting. If you take steps to plan your move properly, it can ease some of the stress and keep you focused on doing well in your new position.

If you are an IT professional seeking new opportunities for professional growth, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of experienced recruiters can help you locate ideal information technology jobs in northern Illinois that align with your skills and your long-term career goals.

Seven Deadly Sins for New Hires

By Larry Buhl
As seen in career-advice.comcast.monster.com

Congratulations, you landed the job! The hard part is over, right? Not exactly. Your first few weeks in a new company are crucial — they can determine whether your future is paradise or purgatory. And we’re not talking only about mastering the technical aspects of your new job. How you behave in your new work environment is just as important — if not more so.

So when you start a job at a new company, avoid these seven deadly (or at least career-killing) sins:

1. Ignoring the Culture
“Our company asked 250 advertising and marketing executives what the greatest challenge was for those starting a new job, and four out of 10 said it was acclimating to the corporate culture,” says Donna Farrugia, executive director of CreativeGroup.com. How much should you socialize? Do coworkers prefer phone calls, emails or face-to-face conversations? Dress shoes or sneakers? Many aspects of a company’s culture can be subtle and easy to overlook. Instead, observe everything. “Come in 30 minutes early and stay a little late just to observe how people behave — when they get their coffee, where they take their lunches, how they wrap up at the end of the day,” Farrugia says.

2. Arrogance
“Companies can set up new hires for this by treating them, when they’re hired, like they’re saviors,” says Sue Edwards, leadership team coach and president of Development by Design. “As a result, they sometimes come in and insist on doing everything their way, because they’re supposedly so brilliant.” Instead, listen and learn. Take time to understand the company and how things work before you decide to be a maverick.

3. Hiding Out
The flip side of arrogance is timidity, which hunkering down with your own work can look like. Instead, build relationships from the first day. “Take the time to network with your colleagues by having informal conversations to learn what others do and how it affects you,” Edwards says. “It’s also a good way to learn the culture.”

4. Not Clarifying Expectations
When you don’t know what’s expected of you, it’s hard to deliver. Instead, meet with your manager to discuss the responsibilities of your position and how success will be measured. What are the priorities? How should you provide project updates? How will your performance be measured?

5. Refusing to Admit Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, and new hires make plenty. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that if you don’t admit them, nobody notices them. Instead, accept ownership, learn, make the correction and move on.

6. Rocking the Boat
Implementing changes before you get buy-in from others — and before you understand why things are done the way they are — can lead to jeers, not cheers. Instead, keep an open mind. Fully understand the current processes and procedures before proposing your changes (if you find they’re necessary), so you can make a good case for why they should be made.

7. Not Asking for Feedback
You don’t have to wait six months or a year to learn how you’re doing. In fact, waiting that long could put you, your team and even the company off course. Instead, ask your supervisor for a brief meeting after one month. Discuss what you’ve done right, where you’ve hit some snags and how you can make corrections.

You Can Turn Vice into Virtue
Beginning a new job is never easy. If you know you’re prone to one of these sins, stop and turn that knowledge into a virtue — before it’s too late. “Remember, nobody knows you on your first day,” Farrugia says. “You want to make a lasting impression, but be sure you stand out for the right reasons.”