The Job blog

6 hottest skills for 2010 (Tech and programming jobs)

2009-12-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article that I found online about good skills to have in the tech industry in 2010.

This article refers to the US job market but most certainly applies to the Canadian market as well. Here it is:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/345529/6_hottest_skills_for_2010?taxonomyId=0&pageNumber=1

How to ask for a Pay Raise

2008-05-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

Asking For a Pay Raise

Asking for a pay raise might not be easy for you, just as it isn't for most. Even if you eventually muster the courage, there are no step-by-step instructions, sure ways of asking or "magic pills" that guarantee your success. However, following the guidelines below might at least increase your chances.

Asking for a Pay Raise Guidelines

Before asking for a pay raise, it's important to know that many companies don't grant pay raises to most employees except during employee-review cycles. Additionally, many companies pay competitive, industry-standard wages, which they periodically adjust for cost of living. If you work for one of these companies and you ask for an "out-of-cycle" pay raise or more than the industry standard for your position, your chances for success are likely to be slim.

Check your employee policy manual (or similar document) for information related to asking for a pay raise.

For example, if a policy states how to go about it, then follow it to the letter. But if a policy unconditionally states that your employer will not grant an out-of-cycle pay raise, it might be a good idea to stick it out until your next review and request a better-than-usual pay raise. Asking for such a pay raise will probably go over better than trying to buck the system.

It's not a good idea to justify asking for a pay raise by simply stating, "I need the money." It's a much better idea to prove that you deserve a pay raise, by emphasizing your value to the company. Documenting your accomplishments is a good way to do that. For example, you might include your accomplishments in a "presentation" to show your boss, a "cheat sheet" to refer to while negotiating your pay raise, or a letter asking for an appointment to discuss it. Be specific, use examples, and include impressive things like:

Revenue you've earned
Money you've saved
Customer satisfaction you've achieved
Tight deadlines you've met or beat
Solutions you've implemented
Products or services you've improved
Initiative you've demonstrated
Extra hours you've worked voluntarily

Consider asking for more responsibilities to justify your pay raise. That'll go over better than simply asking for more money, especially if your current responsibilities don't require you to do much above the call of duty and your employer thinks that you're adequately paid.

Command a pay raise, don't demand it. For example, you might tell your boss that you'd like to know what you can do to increase your salary or hourly wage in the near future, instead of insisting on a pay raise for your past accomplishments.

Think twice about threatening to quit if you don't get a pay raise. It rarely works. No matter how valuable you think you are to the company, don't make the mistake of thinking that you're indispensable. Eager beavers willing to learn your job for less pay are almost always waiting in the wings. If you do quit later for lack of a raise, be careful what you say in your resignation letter so it doesn't bite you down the road.

Have a reasonable figure in mind (e.g., from salary surveys) and prepare to negotiate. Be nice but firm when negotiating, and don't get emotional. (Remember, it's business, not personal.) If your employer doesn't grant you a satisfactory pay raise, try negotiating concessions such as performance-based bonuses, or extra paid time off, perks or benefits. Whatever you succeed at negotiating, ask for it in writing with authorizing signatures.

Follow the chain of command when asking for a pay raise. For example, if your immediate boss is a supervisor, don't go over your boss's head to the department manager. Instead, approach your immediate boss first and let him or her tell you the next step.

A meeting is likely to be more effective than a letter asking for a pay raise. A letter is an inflexible, one-way communication, making it easier for your boss to say no. A meeting is a flexible, two-way communication, that will allow you to present your case as required and overcome objections on the spot. However, a letter will allow you to organize your thoughts, accomplishments and such before presenting them. So, you might consider some combination of the two, such as a letter that highlights your accomplishments to justify your request in the same letter for a pay-raise meeting.

Source: about.com

Job-Hunters: Dress for Success

2008-04-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

When Job-Hunting: Dress for Success

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

It's probably one of the most overused phrases in job-hunting, but also one of the most underutilized by job-seekers: dress for success. In job-hunting, first impressions are critical. Remember, you are marketing a product -- yourself -- to a potential employer, and the first thing the employer sees when greeting you is your attire; thus, you must make every effort to have the proper dress for the type of job you are seeking. Will dressing properly get you the job? Of course not, but it will give you a competitive edge and a positive first impression.

Should you be judged by what you wear? Perhaps not, but the reality is, of course, that you are judged. Throughout the entire job-seeking process employers use short-cuts -- heuristics or rules of thumb -- to save time. With cover letters, it's the opening paragraph and a quick scan of your qualifications. With resumes, it is a quick scan of your accomplishments. With the job interview, it's how you're dressed that sets the tone of the interview.

How should you dress? Dressing conservatively is always the safest route, but you should also try and do a little investigating of your prospective employer so that what you wear to the interview makes you look as though you fit in with the organization. If you overdress (which is rare but can happen) or underdress (the more likely scenario), the potential employer may feel that you don't care enough about the job.

How do you find out what is the proper dress for a given job/company/industry? You can call the Human Resources office where you are interviewing and simply ask. Or, you could visit the company's office to retrieve an application or other company information and observe the attire current employees are wearing -- though make sure you are not there on a "casual day" and misinterpret the dress code.

Finally, do you need to run out and spend a lot of money on clothes for interviewing? No, but you should make sure you have at least two professional sets of attire. You'll need more than that, but depending on your current financial condition, two is enough to get started and you can buy more once you have the job or have more financial resources.

Hints for Dress for Success for Men and Women
Attention to details is crucial, so here are some tips for both men and women. Make sure you have:

clean and polished conservative dress shoes

well-groomed hairstyle

cleaned and trimmed fingernails

minimal cologne or perfume

no visible body piercing beyond conservative ear piercings for women

well-brushed teeth and fresh breath

no gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth

minimal jewelry

no body odor

Finally, check your attire in the rest room just before your interview for a final check of your appearance -- to make sure your tie is straight, your hair is combed, etc.

For more great articles, please visit:

http://www.quintcareers.com/

New graduates: Negociate your salary and benefits well!

2008-01-28T07:35:00.001-08:00

Many people feel anxious and uncomfortable when the time comes to negotiate salaries and benefits. When looking for work try to leave any serious talk about salary until as late in the recruitment process as possible. You will be in a much stronger position if the employer is keen to employ you.

How negotiable are graduate and entry level salaries?
Salary negotiation can depend upon numerous factors including the position, the hiring person, the organisation or company, your perceived value and your experience.

Entry Level and Graduate Positions have salaries that are either set or have defined salary ranges. The range may be as much as $3000 – $5,000
Mid-level Positions typically have salary ranges and benefits that are more open to negotiation.
Higher-level Management and Executive Positions offer the greatest negotiation opportunities, and may build in benefits like company cars, share options, etc.
Government Positions have relatively set salary scales that are based upon education and experience. Often salaries are negotiated collectively, for example through an Enterprise Agreement.

What to Research?
Market Trends
Information about salaries can be gathered from a variety of sources:

Job advertisements
People who work in the industry
Other job seekers and people you know
Recruitment agencies and recruitment professionals
Professional associations
Internet resources

What Am I Worth
There are a variety of factors that influence what you are worth:

Your aptitudes, skills and experience
The value you can add to an employer in terms of objective criteria
Your needs in terms of living requirements
Your ambition

Use this information to determine an acceptable salary range. For a graduate position a range of $5000 would be suitable, eg. $33K to $37K.

Remuneration
Remuneration takes into account both salary and other benefits. Consider the complete package in the salary negotiation process. Some examples of benefits include:

Flexible hours
Company vehicle
Share options
Study support in pay and or leave
Payment of professional memberships
Additional superannuation contributions

Salary Negotiation Tips

Show confidence and be prepared to support your worth
Do your research before you negotiate
Be honest about your skills and experience
Let the employer mention the salary first
Only discuss salary when you know the employer wants to hire you
Request time to consider a salary offer, ask for a day to think about it
Remember to look at the complete remuneration and opportunities the employer has to offer
Once you have agreed on salary, ask for it in writing

20 typical Interview questions

2007-12-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

20 typical Interview questions

1. Tell me about yourself

Keep your answer to one or two minutes; don't ramble.
Do not go back to childhood experiences, just give a brief outline of where you are from and where you want to be going.
Use your CV introduction as a starting base.
Say only positive statements

2. What do you know about our company?

Show that you have done your research. Know what their products are, how big the company is, roughly what their annual revenue is, what reputation it has within the industry and on the street. Know the company's history, image, goal, and philosophy.
Project an informed interest which allows the interviewer to tell you some more detailed aspects about the company.

3. Why do you want to work for us?

Don't talk about what you want; first talk about their needs and what you can do for them.
You wish to be part of their company: identify its strengths.
You relish the challenge of solving their company problem/s.
You can make a definite contribution to specific company goals.

4. What would you do for us? What can you do for us that someone else can't?

Talk about successful past experience where you have helped an employer solve a problem and relate this to the job being offered.
Stay positive and don't be seen to criticise other candidates.

5. Which aspects of our position do you find the most attractive? Least attractive?

List three or more attractive factors and only one, minor unattractive factor. Aspects to pick up on could include; office location, company reputation, the chance to work with esteemed colleagues, training opportunities etc.

6. Why should we hire you?

Because of the knowledge, experience, abilities, and skills you possess. Be very positive and confident in your reply, not vague.

7. What do you look for in a job?

An opportunity to use my skills, to perform and to be recognised.
The opportunity to develop further skills; throughout life we should be constantly learning.
Relate your answer to the job for which you are applying e.g. "I enjoy a challenge and I believe this position would offer me that."

8. Please give me your definition of a ... (the position for which you are being interviewed).

Keep it brief; actions and results oriented.

9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?

Very quickly after a little orientation and a brief period of adjustment.

10. How long would you stay with us?

As long as we both feel I'm contributing, achieving, growing etc.

Management and Experience Questions

11. What is your management style?

For example 'Management by Coaching and Development (MBCD)' where Managers see themselves primarily as employee trainers. 'Open door' is also a good one.

12. Are you a good manager? Give an example. Why do you feel you have top managerial potential?

Keep your answers achievement and task oriented.
Emphasise management skills - planning, organising, leadership, interpersonal, etc.
Describe relevant personal traits.

13. What did you look for when you hired people in the past?

Skills, initiative, adaptability, team players.

14. Did you ever fire anyone? If so, what where the reasons and how did you handle it?

You have had experience with this and it worked out well.
Describe how you spoke to the person and explained precisely but tactfully where they were underachieving.

15. What do you see as being the most difficult task in being a manager?

Getting things planned and done on time within the imposed constraints e.g. budget.
Do not imply that these are insurmountable difficulties.

16. What is your biggest weakness as a manager?

Be honest but don't dwell on it and end on a positive note.

Industry trend questions

17. Why are you leaving your present job?

No longer provides a suitable challenge, time to move on, I wish to move into .…(the area this company specialises in).
Give a "group" answer if possible, e.g. our department was consolidated or eliminated.

18. How do you feel about leaving all your benefits?

You feel the challenge and satisfaction this new role will bring outweighs the benefits lost.

19. Describe what you feel to be the perfect working environment.

Where people are treated as fairly and equally as possible.
Don't mention 'naked Fridays!'

20. How would you evaluate your present firm?

An excellent company which afforded me many fine experiences.

Article from:
http://www.jobsite.co.uk
Please visit their amazing website

How to conduct a perfect interview from a recruiter's perspective

2007-12-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

This article will give you some insight on how recruiters operate.

While the interviewee chair may be no bed of roses, the Hiring Manager’s Aeron certainly has its own thorny issues, and in an industry where the possession of very specific skills can make or break a project, no management function is more critical than hiring. Yet, despite the vital importance of hiring the right people, most hiring tasks are often pawned off and neglected. While you may think you simply don’t have the time right now to devote to putting together an organized interviewing program, you’ll have much less time when that only marginally qualified new employee you hired in desperation botches the job or simply walks out the door.

Having in place a structured interview process will save you countless hours, heartache, and headache, and could even avert a lawsuit, if you will simply devote even a modicum of preparation time. This article is designed to provide you with a set of guidelines to optimize your interviews and, consequently, your hires.

Hiring right in the first place avoids loads of problems in the long run. Before going into an interview, determine precisely what it is you’re looking for. Think of it like placing a personal ad to find the perfect mate. Do you just want a person who also "likes sunsets, long walks, and sleeping in on Sundays" or do you want a person "between the ages of 28 and 38, non-smoker, vegetarian, no kids, and loves curling"?

A 55 year old meat-eating smoker with three kids and an aversion to all ice sports, may also like sunsets, long walks, and sleeping in on Sundays. The point is the more general and vague your job description, the greater the likelihood of receiving thousands of responses, most of them unqualified. On the other hand the more specific and precise your job description, the greater the chance of pinpointing and getting a person with very specific skill sets.

In short, the more time you spend at the onset of the process, determining exactly what it is you really want and need, the less time you’ll spend wading through a sea of unqualified candidates.

Starting with the phone screen.
Once you’ve determined the precise qualifications of your ideal candidate, and placed your ad or job order detailing those qualifications, your next interviewing step is the phone screen. Beginning with this step, you should approach the interviewing process with the same respect you expect from the candidate. If you scheduled the phone screen for a particular time, be ready and give yourself enough time to conduct the phone interview uninterrupted. And don’t do anything else while interviewing. Don’t take other calls and no matter how quietly you think you’re typing, the person on the other end will be acutely aware that you’re attention is not entirely devoted to them. Don’t lose sight that you’re not just chatting on the phone, rather, this is someone you may want working for your company. Further, bear in mind that this candidate may be considering a life-altering decision by interviewing with your company, show them the same consideration you would expect if positions were reversed. The phone screen should last just 20-30 minutes and the same tips and caveats that will be discussed below apply at this stage.

Structure is a good thing.
As a member of the company, you will be one of the clues that the candidate looks at to determine how things are done. Be sure to come to the interview on time, and fully prepared. That is, be sure you have read the candidate’s resume, and you have drafted standardized, structured questions to ask.

According to the Harvard Business Review, since World War I, extensive research has been conducted on the efficacy of various evaluation methods – including interviews. Unquestionably, the research has shown that structured interviews are the most reliable of all techniques for predicting performance.

While structured interviews render the best results, most interviews tend to devolve into loose conversations. While this makes for a warm and fuzzy "interview" and the candidate strolls away relieved, what have you actually learned about this potential employee? And, as the Harvard Business Review also concludes, the costs of unstructured interviews are many, but perhaps the most damaging one is invisible; rejecting a highly qualified candidate who simply didn’t excel at chitchat.

Anatomy of the interview.
A structured interview entails a prepared interviewer, as well as pre-prepared and well-prepared questions. Further, these are questions that you prepare, not just a list of questions copied and pasted off a website. You’re going to get the right person for the job only if you ask the right questions for the job.

You know more about the job requirement than anyone else, so the job detail specifics are best left in your court. However, there are question basics to keep in mind including ways to best elicit the information you need and ways to not get the company sued. A truly structured interview is also much more than a series of questions, it’s about tone, tempo, body language and mindset.

Be prepared to play both sides of the desk.
During the course of the interview you must act as both participant and observer. You participate by asking questions, receiving answers, and probing for further clarity and truth to those answers. Further, you control the pace, integrity, content, length and quality of the interview. On the other hand, you must also observe by effectively remaining emotionally detached, by practicing "active" listening and assessing the interviewee throughout the entire interview.

Initial pleasantries set the tone.
Once you’ve pre-screened possible candidates based on their hard and soft skills, spoken over the phone, and determined that this person is worthy of a face-to-face meeting, you now find this person standing in your office.

Start building rapport immediately. Break the ice and set the probably nervous candidate at ease by greeting them by name (and continue to use their name throughout the interview). Introduce yourself by name and title, asking if they had any trouble finding the office, inquire as to whether they would like some water, and would they like to remove their coat, etc. The more comfortable your candidate, the more of themselves they will reveal. The preceding may sound obvious, but when you’re in crunch mode and have a thousand other issues on your mind, it’s the most obvious niceties that may get skipped. Don’t skip them. You will not only have a better and more honest interview, you will also get a better, and more honest feel for the person.

The first ten minutes.
Even before one of your prepared questions is asked, the structured interview begins when the candidate first enters the room. Immediately get them talking. Say "I’ve read and reviewed your resume, but why don’t you take ten minutes and talk me through the high points." This gives you a moment to listen to how they present themselves and time to consider the following:

[] Are they outgoing or shy?
[] Do they speak clearly or mumble?
[] Concise or verbose?
[] Do they gloss over ambiguous areas of the resume or take the time to clear things up?
[] Over-explain or under-explain?
[] Do they say "I" or "we"?
[] Give credit to others? Hold themselves accountable for failures?
[] If you ask them to speak for two minutes do they go on for twenty?
[] Do they speak positively or negatively of their last employer?

Body language.
Next, in addition to listening to what they’re saying, take note of what they’re doing. Half of human communication takes place on a nonverbal level, through body language. If your candidate sends different verbal and nonverbal messages, you will subconsciously trust what you see and not what you hear. You can also use your own body language to control the interview and the candidate. If you appear relaxed, friendly, and interested then the candidate will mirror your emotions and feelings. Likewise, if you appear rushed, defensive, and unprepared, not surprisingly, they will surmise you consider them an inconvenience. The following body language clues will help control the pace of the interview:

[] Sit forward to show that you are arriving at an important point.
[] Sit back to conclude an idea or to let the candidate digest what you have said.
[] Sit or look sideways to indicate the transition to another question or topic.
[] Sit upright, shuffle your papers, or put down your pen to indicate the interview is coming to an end.

Interviews are also time to employ your best poker face skills. Be careful of facial expressions that show obvious pleasure or displeasure to the candidate’s response.

After voice, eye contact is the most powerful tool for communication. Eyes either bind you to, or separate you from, your audience. Eye contact directly reflects the level of attentiveness and concentration to the interview. Make eye contact! And, similarly, take note of whether the candidate also makes eye contact. In addition to avoidance of eye contact, other "negative" candidate clues to look for include:

[] Crossed arms
[] Redness of chest
[] Rubbing of face
[] Shifting in seat
[] Distracting you when they don’t want to answer something
[] "Forgetting" to answer your question

The art of asking questions.
Effective interviewing must entail more than simply reading your list of questions. To gain genuine insight from those questions, try the following simple techniques:

[] Don’t rush to fill the silence if they take a moment before answering. Give them a minute, look away, rephrase it if necessary, or ask them if they’d like you to come back to it later, but make sure you do come back to it.
[] Don’t lead them to your preferred answer ("You won’t have any problem learning Maya, will you?")
[] Not sure what you heard them say? Sum it up and ask for their confirmation that you got their answer right. "So, if I understood you correctly…is that right?"
[] Bring them back on topic if they stray. "I don’t feel like I got a full answer to my question on why you left your last employer, could you please elaborate?
[] Use the last few words to prompt the person for more information. Example:
Answer: "Yes, I felt that my manager had unreasonable expectations …"
Your counter "…unreasonable expectations?"

Closing the interview.
If you’ve asked all your questions and feel like you’ve received complete enough answers to help you make an informed decision, it’s time to shuffle your papers, put down your pen and close the interview. In wrapping up, be sure to ask the candidate for any final questions, including whether there was anything you didn’t ask that they would like for you to know. Inquire as to their interest level, but it’s best to not let on to yours with proclamations such as "You’re our best candidate yet!" Thank them for their time and let them know the company will be getting back to them.

Evaluating the interview.
Most likely you will interview several candidates about one position. And, odds are, you will forget the details of each interview, leaving you with just a "gut" feeling. The structured interview doesn’t end when the candidate walks out the door. Rather, at the end of the interview, write your own brief evaluation of the candidate. In particular, note what struck you as this person’s strengths and weaknesses relative to the requirements of the position.

Other general tips

You are the company. When approaching the interview, bear in mind that you represent an entire company. You represent the president and you represent your buddy down the hall.

Tell the truth and nothing but that truth. In the eyes of the law, an employment relationship may begin long before the employee’s first day on the job. If a candidate joins a company based on false promises and misrepresentations, it may result in legal exposure for the employer. As the interviewer, don’t make inaccurate claims to heighten a candidate’s interest in the job. If the claims are, ultimately, not realized, there is a legal liability potential. While telling the truth should always be the case, this is particularly key in situations when inducing a candidate away from another currently secure position or when bringing someone in from another state or country. Your company’s legal counsel should be able to provide you with more specific advice in this regard.

Don’t write on the resume. This comes back to legalities. As crazy as it may sound, a simple circle around a graduation date could indicate you considered age and, if the company is sued for age discrimination, could take away your defense that age didn’t matter in the selection criteria. There are a host of other examples, but, the basic rule is short and simple: do not write on the resume. In many companies, solicited resumes are required to be kept for one year in the event a suit is brought against the company.

Conclusion.
When the candidate leaves your office, you should not be thinking "I’m not really sure what he meant by that" or "She said X initially, but I think she said Y later." The interview is the time to respectfully confront discrepancies and get to the truth. It’s up to you as the interviewer to gather all necessary information and dispel all uncertainties to make a sound decision. If you conduct a structured interview from the very beginning, you will decrease the odds of an unhappy ending.

Article courtesy of Marc Mencher

Author's Bio: A specialist in game industry careers, Marc has helped thousands of job seekers land jobs with the hottest gaming companies. Before joining GameRecruiter.com he worked for game companies such as Spectrum Holobyte, Microprose and 3DO. Marc served as President of the International Game Developers Network, then as an advising board member for the following year. He has spoken and held roundtables at several Game Developers Conferences, is a regular speaker at International Game Developers Association (IGDA) events around the country, and was a featured panelist at E3 2002.

The perfect resume for Gaming and Tech industries

2007-11-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

By Marc Mencher

As a recruiter in the game industry, I have seen virtually every type of resume ever written. And even with the plethora of career-related advice available to job seekers today, I still see an inordinate number of resumes that need some serious help. In Writing the Perfect Resume, I will help you put together your most effective resume.

Some initial thoughts . . .

When putting together your resume, it's important to keep a few thoughts in mind. First, most people in the United States have a 5th grade level of reading comprehension. Not surprisingly, they don't typically enjoy any type of reading, much less reading a boring resume. Furthermore -- and I know this may sound strange if you are applying to a game company -- you cannot assume that the person who will initially read your resume at a game company knows anything about the game industry. Because this industry has grown so quickly over the last few years, hiring managers and HR departments have been forced to turn to less knowledgeable help just to get through the ever growing influx of resumes. You should definitely not assume that the person who will be reading your resume knows, for example, how well the titles you created sold, or the technical significance of the products, or the platforms on which the games were released. Rather, you must create a resume that is simple to read and you must use words that are easy to understand. In short, too much game jargon can kill your resume!

If you have a funky title like "Development Director" but know that your function would be interpreted by most in the industry as simply "Producer, " then you need to just suck up that vanity and pride and simply use the common industry title. Yes, our egos love those impressive sounding titles, but to serve your best employment interest, you need to use the title that the industry as a whole will understand. Your resume is a tool to get a company interested in talking to you. Don't get yourself rejected as a candidate because the company was looking to hire a Producer but you confused the reader by calling yourself a Development Director.

Next, keep in mind that people generally do not read resumes. Instead, they quickly scan and then determine if it is really worth going back to pay more attention to the details. Because your resume is probably on a manager's desk along with 30 others, presentation is key. Layout the resume so that with one simple glance, the person eyeing your resume catches: 1) what it is you do; and 2) what you have accomplished. Your resume should present your skills in a way to capture the attention of the reader.

Forget the one page resume rule. While this was the advice given in the 70s to the traditional business community, it does not apply to technology companies or creative people. Space out your resume. Make it comfortable to look at and read. Put yourself in the reader's shoes or eye glasses, as it were. Aren't you more likely to scan a 3 page resume that is nicely laid out and comfortable to look at, versus a one page resume that is written like a novel in tiny font. Crammed documents make the reader feel tense. And you don't want the reader's first experience with you to be a tense one, right? Be clear. Be snappy. And be succinct in your resume presentation. You're looking for the reader to feel comfortable and relaxed when scanning your resume -- think carefully about layout.

The rule of thumb with a resume is to design it for easy "scan-ability." Here are a few suggestions on how to accomplish this . . .

Use a clean font like Arial or Times New Roman.
Use regular 12 point type except when trying to draw attention at which time you can use larger type, bold, or italics. But use with discretion! Also, use MSWord whenever possible -- like it or not it has become the industry standard. When submitting a resume electronically, you may utilize different color fonts, etc. Again be careful when you use it, and less is always best.

No fancy shmancy
Gimmicky resumes or resumes printed on colored paper are certainly more fun from a creative standpoint, but HR usually makes a copy for the hiring managers and the original goes into HR's files. That is, most often the actual version of the resume that the hiring manager will see is a photo copy. Fancy resumes on colored paper will not photocopy well -- nor will the cleverly formatted resume which is sideways or made like a booklet. I once received a resume from a marketing person that looked like a direct mail piece. Although clever, it was annoying to try to get it on one or two pages in the photocopy machine. In short, stick to a clean shade of white paper and communicate who and what you are in a simple and easy to read way. If you are sending your resume electronically, most likely the electronic version of the resume will be distributed. Make sure the top portion of your document easily and succinctly summarizes who and what you are.

Be bold with discretion
Be very careful about what you highlight and bulletize within your resume. You are selling you, not the companies for whom you worked. Bold YOUR title not the company name. Also, bold and italicize any and all game titles you have worked on. Next, bold special skill sets and nothing else. Keep in mind that the reader's eye jumps to bolded text. If someone is just scanning your resume, think carefully about what sells you and what you want the scan read to say about you. Use bold and italics sparingly

Your selling points
Summarize your top 2 to 5 selling points right under your name. For example, if you are a Producer what do you think are the most important selling points to a potential hiring manager? Answer: type of games you have created, dollar size of budgets managed, whether you managed internal or external teams, and the number of titles you brought to market.

If you are a Software Engineer, what do you think sells you? Answer: programming languages, platforms programmed on, anything you have specialized in (graphics, game AI, client/server, engine design), and types of games or products.

In short, within the first few lines of your resume the reader can do a brief glance and quickly get get YOUR NAME, YOUR FUNCTION, and YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

Generally speaking, I do not recommend including an Objective Statement. Most are self serving and I find them a waste of space. Sell what you can do for a company, not what a company can do for you.

WRITER BIO ABOUT OUR US CORRSPONDANT:
Marc Mencher is a software engineer by training and worked for game companies like Spectrum Holobyte and 3DO, before joining GameRecruiter. Marc's articles have been featured in GameWEEK, GIG, and other industry publications. You can contact Marc directly at marc@GameRecruiter.com

Preparing a phone interview : some helpful tips

2007-11-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

Organizations use telephone interviewing during the hiring process for many reasons. Some say it saves them money, takes less time than a live interview, and allows an employer to interview candidates from a wider geographical area.

Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare for a telephone interview:

Prepare yourself:

Have a copy of your CV, transcript, and the job description in front of you during the interview.
Keep a list of companies and titles of jobs you applied for, which will help you be better prepared if you are called unexpectedly.
If possible, attend phone interview workshops and participate in mock phone interviews offered by different University or college career centers.
Practice and practice some more. Practice makes perfect!

Be professional:

Have a "prepared" response ready for a recruiter if you're caught off guard.
Turn off your radio or the TV during the interview.
Don't eat, drink, or chew gum during the interview.
Don't type on your computer during the interview and make sure you're in a quiet and relaxing area.
Don't put an interviewer on hold to take another call and don't reveal too much about your personal life (kids, dogs, political views and all the rest).

All of these things sound basic but they are often neglected.

Be sociable:

Being enthusiastic shows interest in the position.
Ask pertinent questions about the job, not just about salary, benefits, and/or hours.
Talk slowly and show self-confidence.
Thank the interviewer for his or her time.

As with any type of interviewing, the better-prepared candidate will have a definite edge. Phone screenings can benefit the job seeker by offering the candidate a chance to interview with an employer that may not be close to his/her home geographically, but may the type of organization in which the candidate wishes to work.

Competition heats up with the arrival of DRRecruitMe.com

2007-11-22T16:38:00.001-08:00

DR Recruit me is Montreal's youngest, hippest and most affordable recruitment agency currently serving businesses in the Montreal area. The competition might not like it but we sure do!

Our mission is clear, we aim and need to change the traditional landscape of recruitment in Montreal. Always beeing on top of the game by using various Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook, Blogger and Linkin, we bring the full power of tech and social networking to the recruitment industry.

Great news for employers, the power of technology to answer your needs!

Our agency will use all of the latest and hippest technology tools to help you find the best candidates. Our vast database as well as our use of various job sites, blogs and social networking tools to promote your job listings is surely to bring you some real results.

Forget about all these high priced agency that make you pay for their overhead....

Come and join us in this digital recruitment revolution!

By operating most of our business online, we can help small and medium size companies save close to 50% compared to "larger and less effective recruitment or head hunting firms".

Great news for candidates

Unlike the other guys, DR Recruit Me actually respects the integrity of each candidate applying for a position with its clients. We promise to respond in one way or another to your application within 72 hours of receiving it! We will work hard to get you the job you deserve. Our friendly telephone interviews and not so "formal" in-person interviews will put you at ease. We also value the principles of equality of chances; for us it's not just a slogan, it's a reality!

Employers email us at info@drrecruitme.com

Candidates email us at jobs@drrecruitme.com