With new technology all around us and websites such as LinkedIn available, the search for a job has become immensely easier. With that said, after a few months of searching you just can’t seem to get any interviews. You’ve changed your resume a million times and you just can’t seem to have any luck.

A key aspect to getting a job is not only having a top-notch resume, but having a developed professional network. For instance, if you know someone who works for a company that you would like to work for, if you have a qualifying resume, you have someone to internally vouch for your skills and personality. As a recent graduate or someone entering a new field of work, you may not have a developed professional network just yet and that’s where recruiters come in.

Network Help

Recruiters are your “in” with a certain company or position. In a staffing agency setting, the company will have trusted relationships with the staffing agency and the recruiters. From there it is the recruiter’s job to fill positions based on what the company is looking for. For example, Professional Alternatives, we are based in Houston and Dallas. We have trusted relationships in the credit and collections, mortgage and finance industries, just to name a few. These employers come to us to find quality employees and that’s where you come in. If you have all of the skills required for the position, a recruiter will call you in for an appointment.

If you impress your recruiter and demonstrate that you would be an all-star employee, they will recommend you for an interview and go to bat for you to get the job. A recruiter’s opinion can go a long way in the hiring process and can be the difference in you landing a job!

Resume Editing

Before a recruiter takes you on, they will screen your resume. If they like your experience and skill set they will call you in for specific positions. They will usually have a copy of your resume and will give you tips on how to boost your resume to its fullest potential. Receiving resume help from professional job finders can be crucial in you furthering your career. Let’s be honest, we all could use another set of eyes on our resumes. Think about it, you have someone who sees stacks of resumes each day able to give you updated and career-specific advice.

Salary Negotiation

Negotiating salary is about as fun as getting a root canal but it’s a necessary conversation to ensure both the employer and employee are satisfied and on the same page. If you scored your job through a recruiter or staffing agency, your recruiter will take care of your salary negotiation, saving you the time and worry. Say the mortgage job you just landed pays $80,000 yearly and you want $100,000. Your recruiter can take this information to the employer and as they vouched for you to get the job, they can vouch for you to potentially get paid more.

Having a recruiter is an ally that can only enhance your career. Make your life easier and call a recruiter today. If you are seeking employment in the Houston and Dallas area give us a call at (713) 572-2100 or contact a recruiter. We offer our services at no charge to you and we pride ourselves on being the Top Staffing Agency in Houston!

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Finding a job can feel like a job all on its own. Whether you’re unhappy with your current position or a recent college graduate, the job search and application process can be a huge headache. That’s where recruiters come in. A recruiter can be your foot in the door and golden ticket to a certain position you’ve been eyeing. In order for your relationship with a recruiter to be successful, we’ve compiled some tips for you to blow Houston recruiters away!

• Be On Time

We hate to state the obvious, but being on time will get you far in life, especially with your recruiters. Recruiters are typically handling a number of clients and every minute makes a difference for their busy schedule. Being on time proves to your recruiter that you are punctual and dependable, (skills they can mention to your potential employer). Houston recruiters are no stranger to traffic so don’t let that be your excuse. If you know you’re leaving during a busy time, make sure to account for delays on the road. Sometimes being late is inevitable. If you know are going to be late, be sure to call your recruiter and let them know your estimated time of arrival to be courteous of their time.

• Take Notes

Upon meeting with a recruiter you may get a lot of information all at once. In order to reflect that you’re organized, and so you don’t forget crucial information, bring a notebook and something to write with. Padfolios are great to take notes with. Not only do they look sleek and professional, they have pockets for you to store copies of your resume and business cards. Holding on to business cards is great for networking purposes especially if you tend to be bad with names or want to contact someone in the future

• Dress the Part

Although this is not a formal job interview, when you meet with your Houston recruiter dress business professional. Remember, your recruiter only has a short time with you so the better impression you leave on them the more likely they will go to bat for you to get the job. If you need some tips on how to dress for interviews, check out this article for specifics on how to dress your best.

• Do Your Research

An important part of landing any job is being familiar with the company. If you are going after a job at a certain company, take some time to look at the company’s website/social media and take a few notes before you meet with your Houston recruiter. Knowing details about the company gives you a leg up on the competition and shows your recruiter that you’re serious about pursuing this position. The last thing your recruiter wants is to get you an interview and you decide that you don’t like the company.

• Follow-Up

In any part of the job application process it is important to follow up and your recruiters are no different. Following up can be as simple as sending an email to your recruiter after meeting with them thanking them for their time. If you end up landing the job, write a hand written note and mail it to your Houston recruiter. It may seems a little old fashioned but in the this age of technology sending a hand written note can make you stand out and add a nice personal touch. Make sure to ask if you can add your recruiter on LinkedIn. It’s always a great idea to maintain relationships with recruiters, especially ones that you have worked with before in case you are ever on the job hunt again or if your company is ever looking to fill a position.

Recruiters are the gatekeepers to employment and their recommendations can go a long way in impressing your potential employer. Making a good impression is crucial and by following these steps you can ensure that your Houston recruiters will be more than happy to continue working with you.

If you’re interested in meeting with one of our Houston recruiters, fill out this form on our site or give us a call at (713) 572-2100.

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Seeking a Finance Job in Dallas?

We asked one of our talented finance recruiters how to effectively start your search for a great finance job in Dallas:

What degree(s) do you need to snag a finance job in Dallas?

According to our finance recruiter, a bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting helps if you want to work in corporate finance. An MBA will also increase your overall marketability.

Which finance job should recent grads consider?

Our finance recruiter advises to consider entry-level or junior financial analyst or accounting roles. These positions allow finance professionals to understand how corporate finance looks at operating results. It’s a chance to cultivate skills such as budgeting, forecasting, cash flow analysis, month-to-month analysis and financial planning and analysis (FP&A) function.

What are some interview questions that a candidate should be prepared for when seeking an accounting job or finance job in Dallas?

Our finance recruiter suggests that you hone your answers to the following…

1. “What is the difference between accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP)?” (This is one of the elementary accounting interview questions hiring managers use to find out more about the general accounting knowledge of entry-level job candidates for an accounting job.)
2. “When a company is using double-entry accounting, what elements of a given ledger must be equal?” (As is true with the first question, this is a very basic inquiry.  However, the manner in which the applicants reply, may indicate whether they are under or over-qualified for the particular accounting job.)
3. “If a company has three bank accounts for processing payments, what is the minimum number of ledgers it needs?”
4. “What are two or three types of special journals?”
5. “What methods have you used for estimating bad debt?”
6. “Why is it easier for someone to perpetrate fraud using a journal entry than with a ledger?” 
7. “Which enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have you used?” 
8. “What is your experience with developing business metrics?” (Though somewhat general, this finance job interview question can elicit answers useful in evaluating entry-level business or financial analyst candidates all the way up to mid-career professionals who possess budget and staff oversight responsibilities.)
9. “If a private company with break-even operations received a $10 million investment, how would you develop a strategy to spend or invest that money?” (This is one of those interview questions for an accounting job that falls into the category of situational interview techniques, a tactic useful in gauging an applicant’s ability to think through a scenario.)
10. “What challenges have you faced in leading a team through an analysis project?”

What’s the outlook for employees looking to transition to a finance job in Dallas?

It can be more difficult for candidates who have been part of the workforce in another sector to land careers in finance. According to our finance recruiter, it’s not impossible for employees in other sectors to transition into careers in finance. “Candidates have to take a more proactive approach in this market than just applying for jobs”. The most effective ways to do this are:

• Work with a specialized financial recruiter
• Perfect your communication skills
• Get in front of hiring managers by writing an appealing resume
• Use LinkedIn contacts to find connections to hiring managers or finance recruiters

Are you one of the many candidates considering a finance job in Dallas?  Let one of our talented and specialized finance recruiters help!

It is officially Summertime.  If you’re a college student or a recent graduate, that means joining the workforce and finding a Summer job for extra cash.  While it may seem hopeless to seek employment for a few short months, there is a perfect option – a temp job.  There are countless temp jobs in Dallas and some great reasons to accept any one of them.

Experience

This is your chance to pick up a few new skills. A number of job seekers use temp jobs in Dallas to gain the new skills and experience needed to change careers, or to open the door to an industry they have not worked in before. If you are a recent college grad, the same benefit applies. Temporary employment is your chance to pad your resume with the hands-on experience you did not get as a student.

Income

This should be obvious but, “A job is better than no job.”  Even if you are not working in your desired field, there is value to being in the work force. In addition, hourly wages for temp jobs in Dallas can be higher than direct hire positions.

Flexibility

The initial perk to a temp job is literally in the name; it is temporary. Many of the temp jobs in Dallas are contract positions lasting 1 to 3 months, for which a recent college grad or a student home for the Summer is a perfect fit, giving those candidates a great advantage.

 Temp-To-Hire

It is absolutely possible for temporary work to become permanent. To be offered a permanent position, you must treat every day on the job as a working interview. Arriving early, staying late when needed, and taking on additional responsibility will get you noticed by your employer. Combine those with an impressive work ethic and a pleasant personality, and you’re looking at the recipe for an indispensable employee.

Temp jobs in Dallas are a great way to evaluate an employer and determine if either the company, the position, the location within the city, or the new career path is a fit for you. The connections that you make while on a temporary assignment, could lead to solid references down the road.

Your Recruiter

The recruiter that you partner with to find your temp job in Dallas, will became a valuable asset to you upon graduation or when you are looking to make a career move in the future.  Your recruiter will get to know your skill set, your work ethic, and your professional personality.  Thus, creating a solid foundation and network for future job hunting!

There are wonderful temp jobs in Dallas and some amazing employers looking for a candidate just like you! – a student home for the Summer or a recent college grad. Temp jobs can provide great work experience, some extra Summer cash, and even yield some really positive career results!

The hiring trends in the mortgage and title industry have been consistent with supply and demand. The amount of job opportunities mirror the economic downturn and the industry is becoming a game of Musical Chairs – Companies are taking the best talent instead of creating more opportunities. We were eager to take an inside look at the industry and shed some light on these hiring trends, so we turned to the experts in our Lending Services division here at Professional Alternatives.

Joanne Gierspeck is our Senior Account Representative. She has been in the industry for over 30 years, logging 10 of those with Pro Alt. Ariana Morris came to us from the mortgage and title industry and is now our Staffing Coordinator, working closely with Joanne to form a team of highly talented industry experts.

What are the hiring trends that you see in the mortgage and title industry right now?

(JG) Our mix of business has changed quite a bit over the last year. Traditionally our concentration has always been Temp or Temp-To-Hire. Over the last 12 to 16 months, it has been more Direct Hire driven primarily because of the database of candidates that we are working with. This industry tends to go from one extreme to the other – we will have a lot of title needs and then it will switch and we will have a lot of mortgage needs. Right now, the industry is leaning towards more mortgage opportunities.
(AM) On my desk, I definitely see more mortgage needs.

What is the biggest hiring-related challenge facing your desk right now?

(AM) I think the biggest problem in the industry right now, is that companies don’t want to train employees. They want candidates coming in with 5 to 7 years of experience. They want consistency. If a candidate takes a year off to pursue other avenues, we are finding that companies hesitate to hire them. If you step out and dip your toe in another pond, it is going to be hard for you to come back. Because of that, it makes our candidate pool very, very small.

Is there a high demand for one position in particular?

(AM) Closers. The TRID Compliance came out last year and that skyrocketed the need for Closers. Closers are actually making more money than Processors now. Underwriters are in demand as well, but that been a consistent trend.

Is there any demand for a certain new skill, software, or training?

(JG) On the title side, we see a lot of requests for candidates who know RamQuest, Calyx, and EnCompass.
(AM) Right now, the focus is TRID. A candidate that is TRID trained and has TRID experience is in high demand.

Has the economic downturn/oil and gas slump in the Houston market affected the growth in the mortgage and title industry? Are you seeing companies adding jobs or has it stayed pretty flat?

(AM) It’s a game of musical chairs. We are seeing a ‘she’s better than her’ mentality, where companies are taking the best talent, more so than creating new positions.
(JG) We are seeing really strong mortgage companies in Houston flourish despite the slump. As far as growth or increase in jobs, those numbers have stayed steady. No major increase. Like Ariana said, right now it’s about finding the best talent. However, our Dallas market is growing! There are so many mortgage companies either moving-to or starting-in Dallas.
(AM) They are hiring like crazy in Dallas!

Any advice for mortgage and title job seekers?

(AM) Stay consistent. If you want a lucrative job within the mortgage industry, don’t step out of it. There is so much growth in this industry. You can move from set up, to a Processor, to an Underwriter, to a Manager – Quickly! It doesn’t take forever to get into a six figure job. There is so much opportunity to grow and progress.
(JG) When you get in the mortgage industry, it gets in your blood. Go with the flow – the ups and downs.

So if we have readers/job seekers who would like to get in touch with you, how can they contact you?

(AM) Call me! I’ll have you send your resume, but I really enjoy talking to people. I appreciate a phone call to discuss your background and career goals.
(JG) Visit our website and Link-In with us, but we are ‘people’ people! We are always looking for qualified candidates and we pay referral fees! Professional Alternatives is very different than other staffing firms who try to be ‘everything to everybody’. The recruiters in the Lending Services division have been concentrating solely on the mortgage and title industry since day one. We talk the talk and walk the walk! We don’t have a lot of true competition in this area. So, Houston, Dallas, Austin, the state of Texas – we are some of the best in the business.

Heading into Q4, Houston continues to face economic uncertainty. But we’ve been here before – for the fifth time in 35 years, in fact. Oil has slipped below $40 per barrel. The energy industry has cut exploration and training budgets, laid off workers, and eliminated everything from travel to office supplies. Concerns about a repeat of the 80’s economic collapse are valid, but has Houston diversified enough so that the oil industry’s troubles may not sink us like an iceberg?

Don’t get out the lifeboats just yet. History is not about to repeat itself. Energy will undergo a restructure, but it won’t eliminate half its workforce as it did in the 80s. Real estate will soften, but it will not collapse. Outstanding energy loans will not crush the financial system. Houston won’t sink into recession, but the growth will be much slower. While energy struggles, other industries will prevail.

The Greater Houston Partnership’s forecast calls for growth in construction, retail, finance and insurance, educational services, health care, arts and entertainment, accommodation and food services, transportation, and government. The Partnership projects that more than 8,000 freighters will dock at the Port of Houston next year. The Texas Medical Center will treat 7.2 million patients. Houston refiners will continue to supply a quarter of the nation’s gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. And chemical plant construction will continue to surge for at least another year. These were The Partnership’s job predictions for 2016, which gives us hope for the second half of the year…

Construction

Any decline in commercial, single-family, and multi-family construction will be offset by increases in civil and heavy industrial construction. The Greater Houston Partnership forecasts the construction sector to add between 8,000 and 10,000 jobs.

Retail

The retail forecast assumes neither a boom (12,000 new jobs) nor a mediocre year (only 2,000-4,000 jobs), thus we are looking at the addition of 5,000 retail jobs by the end of 2016.

Medical

More than 90,000 babies are born in Houston each year and more than 30,000 Houston residents join the over-65 population, thus more checkups, vaccinations, and specialist visits. Nearly 1 in 9 job holders in Houston works in health care and this isn’t going to change much. Health care will add 9,000 jobs this year.

Government and Education

The forecast for 2016 is conservative, calling for the public sector to add 5,000 jobs in 2016, with 4,000 of those in education.

Professional Services

This sector includes accounting, legal, architectural, computer systems design, marketing, advertising, and consulting which, in Houston, is closely tied to oil and gas. To manage costs, the oil and gas industry has postponed projects, reduced legal and consulting services, and halted improvements on computer systems. The forecast in this sector is lean, but it will call for 4,000 jobs.

Accommodation and Food Services

Houston is scheduled to open around 300 new bars and restaurants and at least 45 hotels and motels this year, all of which will need staff – to the tune of 5,000 new jobs.

A clearer understanding of what is driving economic growth (or loss) will help the business community make better investments and staffing decisions. And while losses will continue to plague oil field services, exploration, and production, it is predicted that Houston will create a total of 21,900 jobs in 2016. Opportunities will emerge to replace those lost in the downturn and Houston will remain an attractive place to live and work. Cue sigh of relief.

In the quest to make informed hiring decisions and avoid bad hires, managers risk overstepping the line between being cautious and excessively drawing out the process. And unfortunately, a lengthy hiring process costs more than time – it can result in missing out on top talent. Learn more about the impact a long hiring process can have on talent acquisition and why it’s necessary to streamline as much as possible.

Lowers the Quality of Candidates

Top talent has the luxury of not needing to jump through hoops for a job, simply because they are confident of having other options. If you have an arduous application or interview process that frustrates candidates, the most in-demand talent is unlikely to put up with it, leaving you with a lesser quality pool from which to select.

Lose Top Talent to Competitors

Even if the prior portion of the application and interview process moves along nicely, the time it takes to make a decision and extend an offer is crucial. Top candidates are likely being courted by your competitors, so if you wait too long to reach out with an official offer, they may have already accepted another one elsewhere.

Makes Candidates Second Guess

When candidates apply for a position, they put forth time and effort perfecting their resumes and preparing for the interview – along with possibly taking time off from their current jobs. If they feel their time is not respected due to a long hiring process that keeps them waiting around, they may second guess their desire to work for the company.

Increases Hiring Costs

The longer a job goes unfilled, the more money is lost in both hiring costs (such as advertising) and lost opportunity costs (such as reduced productivity from an unfilled position). Being prepared with a hiring strategy that outlines the specific factors candidates should be evaluated on can speed up the process while still allowing for objective decision making.

Get top talent in the door more quickly by utilizing a staffing firm. Professional Alternatives has been serving Houston employers since 1998 as a resource for their hiring needs. We work closely with our clients to determine the specific qualifications and traits needed for success in their available positions, and find the best matches from our pool of candidates. Contact us today to learn more about our employer services.

With the current uncertainty in the energy sector, many are wondering what impact this is going to have on jobs. Christine Norris, Division Manager with Professional Alternatives, discusses the current hiring climate with Rigzone.com.

http://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/137031/Recruiting_Professionals_Discuss_Oil_Gas_Hiring_during_Industry_Slowdown/?all=HG2

Looking for a new job?  Christine Norris, Executive Search Consultant with Professional Alternatives, discusses with Rigzone.com some things that candidates need to be aware of during the interview process that can ensure they are best positioned to secure employment…http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?hpf=1&a_id=120901

Professional Alternatives, one of the premier staffing organizations in Texas, recently announced the rebranding of all their operating companies under the Professional Alternatives name. The company supported the rebranding by introducing a new logo, website and social media channels.

“While our existing brands had a strong following and tremendous name recognition in the markets they service, this was definitely the right time to consolidate the brands under a common name,” said Chris Myers, President and CEO of Professional Alternatives. “We believe this will help us better leverage our market share, expand our marketing efforts and simplify the process for our clients.”

The existing operating companies, Credit Alternatives, Mortgage Alternatives and Office Alternatives, will continue to specialize in their specific disciplines, but will be rebranding under the Professional Alternatives umbrella as the credit and risk group, lending services group and professional search group, respectively.

About Professional Alternatives – Since its inception in 1998, Professional Alternatives (http://www.proalt.com) is an industry leader in providing staffing solutions to a wide variety of industies. The organization has been recognized every year since 2001 as one of the largest staffing firms by the Houston Business Journal, and was selected as one of the fastest growing companies in the city on two different occasions. Our beautiful offices in Dallas and in the prestigious Galleria area of Houston provide a professional setting for us to satisfy the needs of our clients and candidates, while providing our employees with an unmatched environment to achieve their maximum potential.