Provisional Blog

Gossiping. Drunken karaoke. Throwing up in the bathroom. A frat party? Nope. We’re talking about the office holiday party. As a Seattle employment agency, we’ve heard it all. But acting inappropriately at a work party can seriously damage your reputation and, in some cases, even result in you losing your Seattle job. So how can you ensure you get through your office party without a hitch? Start by avoiding these 5 blunders:

1.) Skipping the office holiday party.

Everyone has busy schedules and a lot to do, especially at the end of the year. But that’s no excuse for skipping out on your office holiday party. One reason your company throws a holiday party is to recognize and reward employees. By not attending (without a really good reason), you’re signaling that you’re not a team player.

2.) Not taking full advantage of networking opportunities.

Your office party is a great opportunity to mingle with your best office buddies, as well as connect with people you don’t get to work with regularly. So get out of your comfort zone and invest the effort to introduce yourself to people you don’t know.

3.) Drinking too much.

While drinking at most holiday parties is perfectly appropriate, getting completely wasted is not. You could do or say something stupid and harm your reputation, or worse, get fired if you make a really egregious error. When you’re at your office holiday party, don’t make drinking the main focus and limit your drinking to one or two cocktails. If you do drink too much, and you behave poorly, then make amends and apologize the next day. Don’t ignore the behavior and hope no one noticed. Trust us, they did.

4) Dressing provocatively.

Dressing provocatively, no matter how festive the occasion, is distracting and inappropriate for a work party. Dressing poorly can impact how others perceive you and ultimately hurt your credibility. Tight, sexy, or suggestive attire should be left at home. That said, you don’t have to dress in the same clothes you wear to work. A party dress or more casual attire is fine, as long as it’s tasteful.

5) Bringing people not invited.

Thanks to budget cuts, it’s not uncommon to not invite an employee’s spouse to the holiday office party. If that’s the case, then don’t bring your husband, wife, children or second cousin. If you’re unclear whether or not your spouse is invited, then ask your boss ahead of time. Don’t make assumptions.

What about you? What are some of the worst office holiday party blunders you’ve encountered?

You’ve been searching for a job in Seattle for months. You keep submitting your cover letter and resume, but either get a form rejection note, or you hear nothing at all. So what can you do to improve your results and shorten your Seattle job search? Here are some tips:

1) You need to be proactive.

It’s easy to submit your resume and sit back and wait for the phone to ring. But in order to shorten your Seattle job search, you need to be more proactive. If you don’t hear anything back a week after submitting your resume, follow up with an email or a phone call. The worst that can happen is you are told your qualifications aren’t a good fit. If that’s the case, then you’re actually in better shape then when you started because you won’t spend anymore time thinking about the job opening. You can cross it off your list and move on.

2) You need to be targeted.

As you probably know, sales is a numbers game. And in a job search, you’re essentially trying to sell yourself to an employer. That said, you should not just submit your resume to every available job opening in Seattle. You may feel more productive by doing this, but you probably won’t get great results. Instead, take a more targeted approach. Focus on very specific industries, employers, or kinds of positions.

3) You need to network, even if you don’t see immediate results.

Good networking takes a lot of time and energy. And sometimes, it can be frustrating if you don’t see positive results right away. But keep at it. Networking is one of the best ways to find a new job in Seattle. So whether it’s in person, or online, make sure you’re getting in the game through networking. Also, when you see an opportunity to help or connect other people – seize it. As the saying goes, “what goes around, comes around.”

4) You need to customize your cover letter and resume.

When you’re searching for a job for a while and sending out lots of resumes, it can be tempting to submit the same cover letter and resume to every single job opening. But it’s important you customize both for the particular job opening for which you’re applying. That doesn’t mean re-write your resume every time you submit it. It simply means that you need to include examples of how your skills and background are a good fit for a particular position and company.

5) You need to tap into the hidden job market.

Develop a relationship with a Seattle employment agency. You’ll benefit in a variety of ways. First, employment agencies have access to job opportunities in Seattle that aren’t advertised. They also have relationships with employers and know what kinds of skills they’re looking for. In addition, a Seattle employment agency can help you craft a stronger cover letter and resume, as well as help you prepare for an interview.

If you’d like to learn more about how a Seattle employment agency can help you shorten your job search, please contact Provisional.

LinkedIn offers a variety of advantages to job seekers. It provides invaluable networking opportunities, it’s a great way to promote your skills, and you can even search for jobs in Seattle, Spokane, and throughout the Northwest.

So if you’ve never used LinkedIn before, here are 7 tips for getting started:

Tip #1: Create a profile.

Your LinkedIn profile is similar to an online resume. On it, you can list your employment history, education, and other skills and qualifications. When creating your profile, make sure you include keywords – like “Seattle accountant” – so that prospective employers can find you easily. Also, if you have a professional looking headshot, consider uploading that as well to your profile.

Tip #2: Develop a network.

The larger your network, the more potential opportunities you’ll have access to. With that said, don’t try to connect with everyone out there. Keep it simple and connect only with those professionals that you already know and trust.

Tip #3: Reach out.

Contact the people within your network to let them know you’re searching for a job in Seattle. Many job openings aren’t advertised to the general public, so you may find some interesting opportunities this way.

Tip #4: Ask for recommendations.

Recommendations are like testimonials. They can truly position you in the best possible light and are therefore invaluable. Ask a variety of your contacts – former bosses, colleagues, and subordinates – for recommendations for your LinkedIn profile.

Tip #5: Use the “Find Jobs” section.

In the “Find Jobs” section, you can search for Seattle jobs that may interest you using a title, company name, and other keywords.

Tip #6: Get involved.

LinkedIn has a section entitled “Answers.” Here you can post questions you may have about your job search or about your professional field. You can also respond to questions other LinkedIn users may have. Doing so will not only increase your visibility among potential Seattle employers, but it will also help you build your credibility.

Tip #7: Check company profile pages.

Many Seattle employers have their own profile pages on LinkedIn. So if you have a company in mind that you’d like to work for, see if they have a page on LinkedIn. If they do, check out their “New Hires” section. If you notice a lot of new people have recently joined the company, then that company may still be hiring.

Also, review the company’s list of current employees. You may know someone on the list and be able to make a connection. Ask them the scoop on getting hired at the company and to forward your resume to the hiring manager. A hiring manager is more likely to review a resume that comes from someone he or she already knows.

Searching for a new Seattle job can be both challenging and discouraging. Therefore, you have to use every tool available to you – including social media – in order to get positive results. And if you’d like some additional help in finding a job in Seattle, or anywhere in the Northwest, please don’t hesitate to contact Provisional. As a leading Seattle employment firm, we can give you access to a variety of exciting and rewarding job opportunities.

Making good hiring decisions matters now more than ever for Seattle employers. The last thing you want to do is hire someone you thought was a star performer and have them turn out less than stellar.

So what can you do to make better hiring decisions? Use the right assessment tools.

Here are a few to consider:

Assessment tool #1: Qualifications screens.
This is the application the candidate completes to determine whether or not they meet the basic requirements of the position. Qualification screens offer an easy and affordable way to screen out a large number of unqualified candidates. But…your assessment of a particular candidate certainly shouldn’t stop here.

Assessment tool #2: In person interviews.
Once you’ve made your first round of cuts, it’s time to bring in the handful of qualified individuals that you’d like to interview in person. Your interview can be totally unstructured, carefully designed beforehand, or a mix of both. Regardless of the format you choose, you must be able to clarify responses and ask good follow up questions to get the information you need to make the best hiring decision.

Assessment tool #3: Skills testing.
Testing skills is an important way to ensure the candidate you hire has the knowledge you need. Depending on the position you are hiring for, you may want to give the candidate a knowledge test, have them engage in a role-playing exercise, or even have them come in for a day of work.

Assessment tool #4: Personality testing.
Besides skills testing, you may also want to conduct personality assessments to determine whether the candidate’s personality traits are a good fit for your company. A personality assessment can give you a clear picture of the candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and potential.

Assessment tool #5: Background investigations.
By using outside sources, you’ll be able to gather critical information about each candidate. Whether you simply do a reference check or conduct a full out criminal background check, these types of investigations can help you avoid a bad hire. Sometimes it can be tempting to skip over this step – however, it can also be potentially catastrophic.

When used properly, these assessment tools can help you to gain a better idea of a candidate’s ability to perform the job and also help you to avoid making bad hiring decisions.

If you’re not sure which assessments are right for your job opening – or you need help conducting effective candidate assessments, contact the employment experts at Provisional. As a leading employment agency serving companies throughout Seattle, WA, Provisional has the knowledge and experience to properly source, screen, interview, and hire the very best fit candidates for your positions.

Contact Provisional today to learn more.