Staffing360

One interesting industry-wide trend that has developed recently in IT Staffing is the idea of the Option to Hire (OtH) position (also known as contract to hire, right to hire and temp to perm). This strange hybrid of a permanent FTE position and a temporary contract position dominates the current employment landscape. This edition of Staffing360 will provide some historical perspective, attempt to sort out the advantages and disadvantages, and guide you in preparing for a “3 to 6 month interview” under the aegis of “option to hire.”   More »

I am often asked for advice about writing resumes and it’s easy to see why. In these harsh economic times, with unemployment approaching double digits, people are pretty anxious about making that first impression with a prospective employer. This edition of THE STAFFING BLOG will take a look at projecting the passion, drive, expertise and desires of an entire career onto a couple of 8½ by 11 inch sheets of paper (and as if that weren’t enough of a challenge we’re also going to try and make those pages sing).

Write, re-write and re-write again…

Communication is an important core skill for virtually every position out there. In many cases there is no requisite skill that is more important. We need to be aware that the manner in which your resume is written- grammar, spelling, syntax- will be serving as the primary screening device for HR professionals and hiring managers. Every day candidates are SCREENED OUT of the process because of sloppy verbiage. You need to be excruciatingly critical of yourself, write, re-write and re-write again (and don’t forget to PROOFREAD – multiple times).

Apply the “SO WHAT” rule liberally: 1) after you write a paragraph or a section sit back and put yourself in the position of a semi-interested reader; 2) read the paragraph you just wrote and ask/exclaim, “So what?”; 3) answer the question- in the form of a re-write; 4) repeat as needed. And remember that the best way to improve on a resume is to bring in examples; more examples and better examples. For instance, if a position requires an ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously don’t just write: “managed multiple projects simultaneously.” Instead, describe the scenario where you’ve done it in great detail, include detail of both the successful outcome and the benefit to the company. Be the candidate that gets SCREENED IN. More »

My name is Ernie Paolini and I’d like to welcome you to the maiden voyage of Staffing360, the new company blog of MISI’s Staffing Group. We look forward to sharing insight culled from the talent and experience of the MISI Staffing Delivery team; and to present issues of interest and importance from today’s rapidly changing world of IT staffing. If all goes according to plan we will use this space to enlighten, inform and maybe even entertain (a little). We hope that you; our clients, candidates and consultants; will enjoy the time that you spend here and share the experience with friends and colleagues. Let’s get started…