Massachusetts’ unemployment rate rose slightly in May, from 6.4 percent in April to 6.6 percent, according to the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Massachusetts employers increased hiring for the first time in four months, adding 3,500 jobs, but that wasn’t enough for the 9,000 workers reported looking for work.
Nationally, the unemployment rate is 7.6 percent.
Q: I’m new to the workforce (just graduated college) and not sure how to dress for interviews. What do you recommend?
A: First, congratulations on your graduation and on knowing that first impressions and appearances are important in a job search.
Sometimes new graduates don’t realize that they should invest in an interview suit or plan to have access to one. There are recruiters who will tell you never to put a mission statement on your resume and those that will tell you it’s an essential part of the resume. Similarly, there are interview experts who will tell you it’s important to match your outfit to the office style, i.e. wear business casual if that’s what current staff wear. However, I feel it’s important to always look as professional as possible even if you’re dressed more formally than the office norm when you interview. Even if the office where the interview will take place is laid back in style, I recommend wearing a suit. Playing it safe with your interview attire eliminates the chance that you’ll offend the interviewer.
For men, this means wearing a fresh button-downed shirt and a plain, conservative tie. For women, it’s important to wear stockings when wearing skirts and closed toe, heeled shoes.
Some other tips:
About the Recruiter
Katy Leveque is a Senior Group Manager at PSG. Katy learned the recruiting business from the ground up. She joined PSG shortly after graduating college over five years ago and today Katy oversees the service teams that support some of PSG’s most valued clients.
PSG President Aaron Green talked to CareerBuilder.com about how temporary jobs can influence your career over the long-term.
See his comments and read more about the benefits of temping to find permanent employment, as well as tips for working with temporary agencies in this blog post.
Q: I’d like to move into a management role. How can I position myself and convince my boss or a new employer I’m ready?
A: It’s a bit of a Catch-22 that employers prefer to hire people with management experience for management roles, making it tough to break into that level of employment. When candidates with non-management experience move into these roles, it’s typically after working in the same company for awhile, i.e. employers also like to cultivate managers from within their organization.
However, it’s not impossible to move into a new management position. To do so, I recommend:
Demonstrate mastery of your current role. If you haven’t been in your current position long enough, it may be too soon to be considered for management. Go the extra mile to get recognized and demonstrate consistency over time. This will earn you the right to ask for the next step, or it will prompt your employer to come to you.
Let people know of your interest. If you’ve been there a long time, have you expressed interest? Find out what you need to do to qualify.
Make sure you’re in line with, and that you support and reflect, the corporate culture. Reinforcing corporate culture is part of the management role so employers look for management candidates who are good examples of their company values.
Act like a leader. Demonstrate that you’re capable of managing others and look for leadership opportunities, e.g. managing projects, leading presentations and people. Ask for new responsibilities and show initiative.
Split your role. If you have an in-demand skill set, it may be possible to create a player/coach situation where you continue to perform your work, but take on manager responsibilities and oversee or assist other group members.
About the Recruiter
Frank Gentile is a 20+ year veteran of the staffing industry and an experienced recruiter. As a Director at Professional Staffing Group (PSG) Frank oversees the permanent placement division.
According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s most recent jobs numbers, the State’s unemployment rate remains at 6.4 percent. The unemployment rate remains steady, even though Massachusetts employers cut 1,400 jobs last month. April is the third consecutive month that the number of jobs in the state has declined.
Massachusetts’ unemployment rate remains lower than the national average unemployment rate, which is 7.5 percent.
Q: I’m graduating college this year and still working on my resume. Do you have any tips?
A: Congratulations on your graduation and welcome to the workforce!
We often help recent college graduates with their resumes. One of the most common mistakes new job seekers make is not providing detail on the jobs they held during school. For instance, a candidate who worked as a receptionist in the Dean’s office might list their duties as “answering phones,” overlooking and failing to mention other valuable office experience like: planning meetings, greeting important people and organizing events.
I recommend thinking about all the work experience you have from college – including part-time or unpaid jobs, internships, work study and extracurricular activities – and the responsibilities you were given in those roles. Then think about the special achievements you accomplished during each experience. Use bullet points to call out each item.
However, don’t succumb to the other common mistake new job seekers make of writing about every detail you can think of. Keep it relevant to the job you’re seeking or the kind of work you want to do. For example, if you worked as a lifeguard during school, it would be appropriate to include the details of that experience if you’re looking for new lifeguarding jobs. If you’re pursuing office work, you should think about the aspects of your lifeguarding experience that are relevant to office employers, such as record-keeping, managing schedules, etc.
Rather than providing detailed information about special events, trips or assignments, just list them and save the big story for the interview. If the employer is interested in your trip to China during your internship, they’ll ask you about it. Conversely, if they’re not interested, it doesn’t benefit you to include all the details on your resume.
Finally, I can’t stress enough how important it is to proof-read your resume. Print it out so that you can see what it looks like from the eyes of the recipient. Is it formatted correctly and is there enough ‘white space’? Employers aren’t likely to read every bullet, so you want to make sure your important information stands out. Ask a friend, family member or professor to proof-read it, too. They may catch a mistake that you’ve overlooked.
About the Recruiter
Katy Leveque is a Senior Group Manager at PSG. Katy learned the recruiting business from the ground up. She joined PSG shortly after graduating college over five years ago and today Katy oversees the service teams that support some of PSG’s most valued clients.
PSG’s Greg Menzone recently offered advice to Boston.com readers on how to tell when it’s time to makeover your resume. Read the article here.
PSG is proud to sponsor the annual Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA) Diversity & Inclusion Gala, which was held last Thursday, April 18. At this year’s Gala, PSG presented Boston student David Castillo with a $3,000 scholarship. Castillo is currently a student at Boston Arts Academy. He plans to attend Boston University next year.
PSG also co-chairs the NEHRA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which is committed to educating members to the different dimensions of diversity that reflect the extraordinary differences found in today’s workplace. The Diversity Committee selected Castillo and the winner of another NEHRA scholarship, Taylor Robinson, who are both shown in this photo with PSG President Aaron Green. Taylor Robinson is the recipient of NEHRA’s Norma Kornegay Clarke Scholarship.
NEHRA’s 2013 Annual Diversity & Inclusion Awards Gala reflects and celebrates the power of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Keynote speakers shared stories of triumph and challenge; high school scholarship winners inspired faith in the future; and colleagues from across the region networked with one another. Research continues to demonstrate that workplaces that harness and leverage the unique differences and similarities within its employees will not only be great places to work but the positive impact on business goals will be enhanced and strengthened.
PSG President Aaron Green with David Castillo, winner of the PSG Diversity Scholarship, and Taylor Robinson, winner of the Norma Kornegay Clarke Scholarship
The Massachusetts unemployment rate dropped to 6.4 percent in March, according to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. However, officials say the drop was largely due to the more than 6,000 people who stopped looking for work. Only those who actively seek jobs are counted as unemployed by labor officials. Additionally, Massachusetts employers cut 5,500 jobs in March. In the previous month, employers cut 800 jobs, according to revised numbers.
Across the country, unemployment rates fell in more than half the U.S. states in March, even though job growth slowed. Twenty-six states reported lower unemployment rates, 7 states reported higher rates and rates stayed the same in 17 states. Rates fell largely because many of those out of work stopped looking for jobs and were no longer counted as unemployed.
Q: Can you share advice for starting a career in Human Resources?
A: The good news for the human resources jobs market is that demand for HR workers is up and jobs that had been cut during the Recession are coming back.
Human Resources professionals contribute to business viability and success through the strategic management of human capital. Jobs in this field range from HR generalists to specialists in areas such as workforce planning and development, HR development, total rewards, employee and labor relations and risk management.
In the Human Resources industry, there are a few criteria that all employers look for:
Education – There are Human Resources professionals with a wide variety of educational backgrounds. However, many HR positions require candidates with a minimum of a four-year degree. Candidates with Bachelor’s degrees and a major in business, marketing and communications can be well-positioned for careers in Human Resources, especially if they’ve taken courses that cover topics such as management, recruitment, training and compensation. Internships during college or participating in co-op programs are a great way to break into the HR field, too. A master’s degree can be helpful, particularly one that specializes in a specific area of Human Resources or in a field that can be related to HR, e.g. an advanced degree in communications, marketing, sociology or education.
Relevant experience – It’s a bit of a Catch-22 and it can make it difficult to break into the Human Resources sector, but employers prefer to hire HR staff with previous experience. If you’re trying to transition into an HR role, or switch from one type of HR position to another, consider these tips:
Above-average communications skills – Good communication skills are necessary for all types of Human Resources roles. Since HR professionals handle confidential information, and must be comfortable interacting with employees at all levels, companies often seek people who are mature and experienced professionals—especially for higher-level positions in HR.
Strong track record – Employers look for candidates who can show a successful career track record, which includes demonstrating longevity or loyalty to past positions and employers, as well as good career progression with regular promotions and growth in responsibilities over time.
About the Recruiter
Jessica Salerno Incerto has 10+ years of experience in the staffing and recruiting industry. As a director and member of the management team at Professional Staffing Group (PSG), she oversees career placement, client consultation and management and training. Jessica is also a member of NEHRA’s Diversity Committee.
Professional Staffing Group 