Your Next 9 to 5 Newsletter
SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER AND THE U.S. EMPLOYMENT INDEX CLIMBS
March 2011
www.yournext9to5.com
In This Issue
Career Opportunities
Top skills Employers Really Want
Want to make a Career Change?
Behavioral Interviewing – STAR*
CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES
Immediate need for an experienced Payroll Specialist at a large company in Oakland County, Michigan. This is a contract to Permanent opportunity with a well established company that offers upward mobility, and a fast paced working environment.
Job Duties/Required Experience:
•Full-cycle payroll processing from entry to mailing checks
•Processing of 1000 to 5000 checks weekly
•Salary, hourly, union and non-union processing experience
•Multi-state and Canadian payroll experience
•Time & Attendance System functional experience and ADP Software
•Identify inaccuracies and secure the correction of the mistake
•Reconciliation of payroll reports
Qualified candidates – please send resume to michelle@yournext9to5.com
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Let’s SPRING into the new season with Good News! The U.S. Employment Index continues to climb. In February we had our fifth straight monthly increase and the employment index is up more than 8% from a year ago!
What Do Employers Really Want? Top Skills and Values Employers Seek from Job-Seekers
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Most job-seekers wish they could unlock the secret formula to winning the hearts and minds of employers. What, they wonder, is that unique combination of skills and values that make employers salivate with excitement?
Every employer is looking for a specific set of skills from job-seekers that match the skills necessary to perform a particular job. But beyond these job-specific technical skills, certain skills are nearly universally sought by employers. The good news is that most job-seekers possess these skills to some extent. The better news is that job-seekers with weaknesses in these areas can improve their skills through training, professional development, or obtaining coaching/mentoring from someone who understands these skills.
The best news is that once you understand the skills and characteristics that most employer seek, you can tailor your job-search communication — your resume, cover letter, and interview language — to showcase how well your background aligns with common employer requirements. more…
Contemplating making a Career change but not sure how to begin?
How would you like to take your existing strengths and skills and transfer them to a Career you really enjoy? Would you like to be as happy on Monday as you are on Friday? As your Career Coach, I guide you through every step of the career search process and help you achieve your career passion by following my 5 step “DISCOVER” Program.
DESCRIBE what you want
INVESTIGATE your options
SQUARE AWAY a game plan
CARRY OUT your plan
OBTAIN your goal
In my 5 step program, my goal as your career coach is to help you get clear on what you want (DESCRIBE Phase).
Then I direct you through the research process so you can see if what you want is doable (INVESTIGATE Phase). We will also get all your unanswered questions answered so you can make a decision about what to do next in your career.
Next, I will help you create a workable plan (The GAME PLAN phase). The plan will be very specific and will include a roadmap for its competition.
Finally, I will help you reach your goal (CARRY OUT YOUR PLAN Phase). I will be your support, someone to brainstorm with, and hold you accountable to the promises you make each week.
I will also celebrate with you, encourage you and enjoy your accomplishments, and then challenge you to take on bigger goals (The OBTAIN YOUR GOAL phase).
Let me help you DISCOVER your long-buried passions and lead you to the excitement and fulfillment you’ve been longing for.
Contact Michelle Hunsanger, CCMC
586.477.0777 or michelle@yournext9to5.com for a complimentary 30 minute consultation.
Michelle Hunsanger participated in a Behavioral Interview Presentation at St Irenaeus Career Group on March 1st . The event focused on allowing candidates the opportunity to practice in a mock interview format using STAR* approach. What is the STAR Approach?
*STAR Interview Response approach for candidates:
Situation: give an example of a situation you were involved in that resulted in a positive outcome
Task: describe the tasks involved in that situation
Action: talk about the various actions involved in the situation’s task
Results: what results directly followed because of your actions
Preparation is the key for interviewing. Before your interview, identify two or three of your top selling points and determine how you will convey these points (with STAR stories).
It is helpful to frame your answer as a story that you can tell. Typically, the interviewer will pick apart the story to try to get at the specific behavior(s) they seek. The interviewer will sometimes ask you open ended questions to allow you to choose which examples you wish to use. When a part of your story relates to a skill or experience the interviewer wishes to explore further, he/she will then ask you very specific follow-up questions regarding your behavior. These can include “What were you thinking at that point?” or “Tell me more about your meeting with that person.” or “Lead me through your decision process.”read more…
Sincerely,
Nora Jucius
Michelle Hunsanger
Your Next 9to5
www.yournext9to5.com
