No matter what you’re into or what part of your life you need to optimize, there’s probably an app that will help. From fitness to relationships, from food to travel and beyond, the convenience of having a tool to make sense of it all is somewhat irresistible.

However, as we have all come to discover, not all apps are created equal, especially when it comes to searching for your next job opportunity. You need to do your research to be sure you are investing wisely –in terms of both time and money – before you commit, but that takes time. And time is a commodity in itself.

If you are looking for a great job search app, we’ve done our own research and narrowed the field for you just a little. Here’s what we found:

1) Glassdoor

Glassdoor is famous for their company reviews from an employee perspective. It makes sense that their app is geared toward employee happiness too. The job listings give you information on salaries and benefits, and you can find out more about the company’s office culture directly from current and past employees. It also helps you prepare for interviews by giving you “typical” questions to answer and real interview experiences to review.

Glassdoor download on the App Store or Google Play

2) CareerBuilder

The AR-powered CareerBuilder app helps you by filtering jobs according to your location. Add your own detailed filters to find jobs that are best suited to your skills and career trajectory. One nifty feature the app offers is the ability to see what skills are needed for specific job titles. This might be something you want to explore if you’re looking to advance. The app also includes a resume builder and a feature that allows you to scan your resume with your phone’s camera and convert it into an editable document.

CareerBuilder download available for Apple or Android

3) Monster

You might think of Monster as somewhere in between a job search app and a dating app as it allows you to swipe left or right on opportunities and potential employers. Their AI-powered in-app concierge offers job search tips and technical help for the app itself.

Monster download available for Apple or Android

4) ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter pulls in opportunities from more than 100 job boards. Once you have set your preferences, it will send you job matches based on your objectives. One unique feature it has is that it will send you a notification every time your resume is viewed.

ZipRecruiter download on the App Store or Google Play

4) LinkedIn

As a social media site tailored to business pursuits, LinkedIn is unmatched in its access to the world’s top employers. Setting up your profile is free, and so is searching for available jobs. Simply click the job search icon on your homepage and fill out your keywords and filters. The free version gives you a lot of features, but the paid version adds enhanced profiles and the ability to connect directly with hiring managers and strengthen your brand.

LinkedInDownload on the App Store or Google Play

Are you still having a tough time landing your dream job? Professional Alternatives’ recruiters in Houston and Dallas can help. Reach out today to get started!

Employers, we all know the last thing you want at your company is a high employee turnover rate. This not only wastes your time, but can also make for a very stressful workplace without having those positions filled with high quality people.

The following information is received from our recruiter’s interviews with candidates at Professional Alternatives locations in Houston and Dallas, Texas.

1. Health Care Insurance

This is the most requested answer when speaking to a candidate about an available position at one of our clients companies. Especially with people that have families. Being hired for a company that has a health care plan and benefits in place is highly attractive to a quality candidate’s eye.

2. Retirement 401K Plan

All major hiring business establishments should have a retirement savings plan set in place for their employees when they are hired on to the company. Because to be quite frank, everyone wants to retire from their job one day. If you can provide that option to start doing it at your company, that not only gives the candidate incentive to accept the position, but also to stay at your company for a longer time frame as well. Especially, if your company matches the percentage that the employee is willing to put in from their checks.

3. Paid Time Off

This one is definitely more popular now than in the past. People want a fair amount of PTO days where they are employed to be able to take that time off for family events, vacations, etc.. Some companies structure their PTO time with all the hours up front and others make it to where you have to earn your days each month. However you want to plan it out, just know that this is very important to the people that you are hiring to work for you.

4. Work Place Flexibility

Having the option to work from home is becoming more and more attractive to candidates we speak too. Technology is going to continue to evolve, and your office should too. In some companies this may not be a possibility, but it should be fairly easy to provide this option to most of your employee’s positions.

If your company is currently on the hunt for an award winning staffing solutions agency, you’re at the right place. Contact Professional Alternatives here on our website and we will get back to you with more information for your staffing needs.

Candidates ask recruiters if submitting a cover letter with their resume is still something employers are wanting in today’s hiring process. Our recruiters at Professional Alternatives have the top three most asked candidate questions specifically about cover letters answered here!

Do you read the cover letters you receive?

Yes, the cover letter is what presets the entire resume when you are not meeting with a potential candidate in person yet. This shows a side of their personality, unlike a resume does. Cover letters are for the in between on your factual resume. When receiving a cover letter attached with a resume it shows that this candidate applying is more serious about getting hired in the applied position.

What is the most common error you see on cover letters?

When the cover letter exceeds over one pages length. Your cover letter should not be in an essay format, but in an organized insightful letter formatted on to one page with around 3 paragraphs in it. Cover letters always end with your signature and contact information and are placed before your resume as a precursor.

Are applicants without cover letters criticized?

It completely matters on the position the candidate is applying for. If they are applying for a higher level role, a cover letter is expected. More entry level or admin positions can get away with not having a cover letter, they may not have much more to add apart from their resume with being so fresh on the job market and that’s okay.

If you are currently searching for a new career opportunity, contact one of Professional Alternatives recruiters TODAY! If you click here, you will be taken straight to our contact page where one of our recruiters will be reaching out to you. Our website also has a Job Board Page where the most recent positions posted by our recruiters are located. Our award winning staffing firm looks forward to aiding your search in the future.

To any recent college graduates reading this, congratulations on your hard work and dedication that goes in to achieving your diploma. After all of what goes into those 4 years, we know that you want a career that you can be proud of. That is why you should meet with a recruiter at Professional Alternatives upon graduation, this can enhance your career search significantly. So many recent college graduates leave without knowing where to start next on finding a job that suites them. Here are some tips if you proceed on teaming with a recruiter after graduation.

Resumes

Have a resume that includes all of your education, past employment/internships, organizations involved with and volunteer work. It is important to frame all aspects of your activities in your college years if you were not able to work or have an internship. The more information your recruiter has from you, the better they can make your resume to present to a future employer for an interview.

Mindset

Come with an open mind that your first job will most likely be an entry level position. Have realistic expectations with your recruitment professional as no one will find you the perfect job without you doing the necessary work on your side. The recruiter can only do so much; you have to help the recruiter help you.

Availability

Be open and available to all possible positions that your recruiter will present to you that match your skill set and personality. Direct hire or a temp-to-hire position, either or you should not focus on that, but more so focus on the position at hand. Focus on the experience you will receive, that will add to your resume in the future.

Honesty

Be honest with your likes and dislikes to help the recruiter understand what company culture you belong in. As well as your wants and needs from a company! The more open and honest you are with your communication to your recruiter, the better off you will be. This is how you form a relationship with your recruiter and where they can really understand you to find the best fit possible for you.

Listening

Listen to what advice your recruiter has for you. You are fresh out of college diving into the job market. Our recruiters have been doing this for over 20 years, they know what it looks like out there. Here at Professional Alternatives our recruiters truly care about YOU, and want the best possible option for you. You are not just a number to our company, like how most staffing agencies come off as in today’s world.

Do you have more questions about the recruiting process? Please feel free to reach out to Professional Alternatives! Contact us at 713-572-2100 or email us at resumes@proalt.com. Our mission is to provide our candidates and clients with the highest level of expertise to insure a smooth and enjoyable experience when working with our staffing solutions firm.

Our Houston office is located in the prestigious domain known as Uptown Houston or the Galleria Area. Just by having our staffing solutions firm located here, it helps us provide more resources to our candidates due to the increasing amount of employers surrounding the area. There are over 3,000 companies within 6.2 miles of our building in Uptown Houston. Professional Alternatives doesn’t stop there though, this location is just the beginning. We staff employees and work with companies in all areas of Houston, Texas, and multiple other states within the U.S. as well.

Professional Alternatives has provided careers for people over 20 years now, giving us the title of top recruiting company in Houston. Our clients and candidates agree with this title as well, we have been given the highest ratings on google reviews out of all the other staffing firms in Uptown Houston. We truly want the best for our clients and candidates. Each company and person is different, therefore it deserves a process that is specifically catered to what best fits them. That is where our recruiters differ from the rest, you won’t just get an email sent to you with the same cookie cutter information that everyone else gets. They will meet in person or over the phone to get your exact details recorded to create a custom experience for you or your business.

If you are in the Houston area and are in need of a recruiting company please reach out to our office at 713-572-2100 or email us at resumes@proalt.com. We would be honored to help you with your professional search.

Let’s go ahead and put it out there, if you’re currently a job seeker and changed the status on your LinkedIn to “Open to Opportunities” for recruiters to see you most likely had a full inbox the next day. This could be an annoyance to you or it could get your hopes up. Most recruiters on LinkedIn get the reputation of just looking at you as a dollar sign, but if you get the right help from the right company that is far from the truth.

We constructed a survey with our candidates here at Professional Alternatives in our Houston office. They were asked why they picked us instead of the other multiple staffing firms in the greater Houston area. Multiple responses arose, but the recurring answers that stuck out was that our recruiters:

1.       CALLED them to connect instead of EMAILING  
2.       Asked to meet in PERSON for an interview
3.       Stayed in DIRECT contact the entire job search process

The answer to my main surveying question of “Why Professional Alternatives to represent you?” is simple. People want compassion, people want to feel cared about, and people do not want their time wasted. That is our goal here at Professional Alternatives between all of our teams
(Credit & Risk, Lending Services, Professional Search and Financial Services). Our recruiters still treat you like a human being, instead of just a chat bot or a dollar sign. We want our candidates to not only succeed in their career, but also love where they end up.

Meeting with a recruiter will only help you enhance your career and make sure you are in a position that is the right fit for you. Give yourself a break and call one of our extremely helpful recruiters today! If you are seeking employment in  the Houston or Dallas area give us a call at (713) 572-2100. Our services are no charge to you and we pride ourselves on being the Top Staffing Agency in Houston!

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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