Charleston JobSpot

We've Combined Our Blogs Into One Site

2008-12-14T20:29:00.000-05:00

Since the economies and the job markets of both North and South Carolina are so closely related and intertwined, we have combined all of our blogs into one site. To read interesting post and articles about employment in the Carolinas, click here.

5 Tips for Being Prepared for an Interview

2008-10-24T10:43:00.002-04:00

Here's some tips for preparing yourself for that big interview coming up!

1. Cover All Your Bases
Be prepared in all respects. Dress for the interview, be on time or early, look focused and like you want the job. Go in feeling confident and that this job is right for you. Words aren't the only form of communication, body language, appearance, eye contact, listening and firm handshake are some non-verbal forms of communication that will help you cover all your bases.

2. Researching
Finding out all you can about the company will help you understand what you're getting into and help you form intelligent questions to ask. With the vast knowledge that can be found on the internet, use it! Find out who their competitors are and how this can relate to the position you are applying for. This information can be used to help you stand out. Know where you're going for the interview and how to get there.

3. What to Bring
Bring a copy or two of your resume. The recruiter will probably have a copy of your resume already but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared with one. You may also want to bring some extra paper to take notes during or about the interview. Do not bring your cell phone into the interview or at the very least turn it off or silent.

4. Questions, Questions
Definitely practice beforehand with a list of standard interview questions. As weird as it may feel to practice in the mirror or with a friend beforehand it will help you feel more confident and know your responses when asked a question--especially tough ones like "What is your greatest weakness?" This way your answer seems more fluid and prepared. Also have some questions prepared to ask the recruiter. You're interviewing not just for the position but you're interviewing the company. You want a position that suits both you and the company.

5. Time Commitment
The length of an interview can vary. It's probably a good idea to ask the recruiter beforehand how long you can expect to be there. Sometimes employers require you to fill out an application or questionnaire. Other times you'll be asked to take a skills test, personality test or some other type of testing. It's always good to plan ample amounts of time for an interview both before and afterwards so that you have time to follow up right away.

Any other recruiters or job seekers want to weigh in? What else do you need to do to prepare for an interview? What shouldn't you do during an interview?

- Rosie Reilman , Photo by llawliet

Watch the Columbia Job Fair Live

2008-10-21T08:45:00.002-04:00

Ever wondered what a job fair was like? Now you can watch our Columbia, SC Job Fair live as it happens, Tuesday, October 21st, 10 am - 1:30 pm ET. Click HERE to watch live on the day of the event or a recorded version at other times.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - October 20-26, 2008

2008-10-20T15:06:00.000-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - October 20-26, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - October 13-19, 2008

2008-10-13T13:15:00.000-04:00

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Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

Charleston Job Fair Live on October 14, 2008!

2008-10-07T10:53:00.004-04:00

We're always striving to bring you relevant information about employment in the Carolinas and our newest feature is streaming video of our Job Fair events. Our first event was October 1st in Winston Salem, and now we're going to be in Charleston October 14th. We will stream our job fair event Tuesday, October 14, from 10 am until 1:30 pm.

If you are unable to attend the job fair but want to see what our events are all about, simply bookmark this post and check back during the job fair to watch all of the action. We may even surprise you with tips from some of the recruiters.

We hope you can attend the Job Fair in person, but if you can't, we'll cover it for you. (The live event will appear in the box below. If it's between 10 and 1:30 on October 14, 2008, please hit the reload button in your browser to start viewing the live stream.)Free Webcam Chat at Ustream

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - October 6-12, 2008

2008-10-06T12:46:00.001-04:00

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Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - September 29 - October 5, 2008

2008-09-29T10:23:00.002-04:00

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Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - September 22-28, 2008

2008-09-23T13:16:00.000-04:00

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Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - September 15-21, 2008

2008-09-17T10:40:00.001-04:00

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Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - September 8-14, 2008

2008-09-08T12:26:00.000-04:00

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Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - September 1-7, 2008

2008-09-03T09:44:00.000-04:00

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The Employment Guide Charleston September 1-7, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - August 25-31, 2008

2008-08-27T11:09:00.000-04:00

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The Employment Guide Charleston August 25-31, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - August 18-24, 2008

2008-08-18T16:39:00.000-04:00

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The Employment Guide Charleston August 18-24, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - August 11-17, 2008

2008-08-12T09:36:00.000-04:00

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The Employment Guide Charleston August 11-17, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

Still Trying To Figure Out Gen Y: Listen, Utilize Technology

2008-08-07T09:30:00.006-04:00

There is a great article at AllBusiness that you need to check out if you were interested in my last post about how companies can work to keep Gen Y candidates.

Some people might think Millennials are coddled, arrogant Facebook addicts who feel a strong sense of entitlement and aren't willing to work hard for the great rewards they expect.

In reality Millennials are the first generation of "digital natives," that is, they have never known a world without digital technology. As a result Millennials experience the world in a completely different way than previous generations. They experience the world through technology, like older generations experience the world through their organic senses. This intimacy with the digital world is one of the Millennials' greatest strengths. It also presents the greatest challenge to those companies that need highly qualified applicants. Managers need to determine ways to capitalize on their strengths and work with their weaknesses with business goals in mind.

Millenials are such a hot topic and companies are trying so hard to figure out what they want. Maybe because I'm part of the Gen Y generation, I find it interesting to see companies falling all over themselves trying to figure us out. The AllBusiness article has an excellent quote that will be really important for employers who want to attract (and keep) this generation:

...nothing makes Millennials unhappier than doing tasks with traditional methods that can be done better and more efficiently with the right technology or more sophisticated methods.

Gen Y is all about the 4-hour Work Week. We don't want to waste our time doing something for 3 hours when it can only take 30 minutes. And why should anyone? But definitely check out the rest of the article for more.

Read: New Millennials in Workforce Present Challenge, Opportunity. AllBusiness

If you're still looking for resources, why not go to the source? BrazenCareerist.com and EmployeeEvolution are two communities of Millennials who are putting the very information that companies want to know.

- Rosie Reilman

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - August 4-10, 2008

2008-08-04T15:35:00.000-04:00

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The Employment Guide Charleston August 4-10, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

Hiring Outlook isn't all Doom and Gloom

2008-07-31T11:09:00.003-04:00

If you don't get ERE Daily and are in the recruiting industry, you really need to. Today there is an article by Kevin Wheeler called The Myth of a Talent Shortage. I like his post because it's not all doom and gloom. He talks about the changes in the workforce and some of the challenges in different industries that recruiters face.

Sure, thousands of baby boomers are poised to retire over the next decade or two and, yes, there are somewhat fewer young folks behind them; but is that really going to be a problem? And will the number of boomers who choose to retire reach the predicted numbers?
Studies I have seen indicate that boomers will most likely defer retirement for some time because they have not saved enough to make retirement possible or because they remain healthy and want to continue working.

You can check out WiserWorker and it's blog for proof of that. Definitely check out the rest of Wheeler's article for more on this topic.

Our current employment system is based on the assumptions that workers need protection, are victims, are not able to work or make decisions for themselves. We need to wake up to the fact that the workers we need and want to hire are making choices every day about who to work for and why. They are opting for employers that provide training, ongoing development, personal growth opportunities, and flexibility.
The concept of a talent shortage is based on projections that assume tomorrow will look like today.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - July 28 - August 3, 2008

2008-07-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

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The Employment Guide Charleston July 21 - August 3, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

Also now available is our Veteran's Transition Guide:

Veterans Transition Guide: Carolinas Summer Edition

Recruiting Advice Columnist

2008-07-23T09:03:00.003-04:00

While perusing RecruitingBlogs.com for blogging inspiration, I came across Claudia Faust's blog and saw several really good question/answers for recruiters. She is a great resource. Here's an example of one of the questions:

What can recruiters do to change a business culture of hiring with your hair on fire?? I'm a recruiter in a small company and we're growing fast, but our managers have no concept of planning ahead. This means that I never know what hiring to expect in advance, and each requisition is a fire drill to fill. I don't know if the company likes it this way, but I hate it; is there anything I can do as an individual recruiter to help my company plan better?

And you can find Claudia's answer here. Be sure to check out the rest of her posts here.

- Rosie Reilman

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - July 21-27, 2008

2008-07-21T16:38:00.001-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Charleston July 21-27, 2008

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

What Can Employers Do to Keep Gen Y

2008-07-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

You're trying to figure out how to retain the young talent that you've already hired. Or maybe you're trying to recruit and make your company more attractive to the Gen Y demographic.

The Employee Factor has a great post about how to do just that. Their tips include:

Regular meetings with employees
Job role rotations
Being prepared to move people around
Keep things interesting
Listen

Read the full article and more details here.

You can also read Greg's interview on the Orlando JobSpot with Hannah Seligson who has some good advice about targeting this demographic as well.

To attract the best available Gen. Y talent, companies should get hip to the value this generation places on our time. We are happy to put in the hours, we just don’t want to put in the hours for the sake of it (i.e. face time). So companies should definitely be highlighting their work/life balance initiatives. Also, finding meaningful work is huge for this generation. So anything that speaks to that will build very positive brand awareness.

Another resource would be to check out BrazenCareerist.com. BrazenCareerist is a community of Gen Y bloggers who dish about their work, their lives and what's important to them.

- Rosie Reilman

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - July 14-20, 2008

2008-07-15T09:26:00.002-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Charleston July 14-20, 2008

Some of this week's Employers who are hiring:

Ashworth Career School
Quick Fuel Fleet Services
Condustrial, Inc.
Rea Contracting, LLC
Andersen Services
Securitas

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Charleston Edition - July 7-13, 2008

2008-07-07T14:57:00.003-04:00

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The Employment Guide Charleston July 7-13, 2008

Some of this week's Employers who are hiring:

Andersen Services
Jiffy Lube
ECPI College of Technology
Dorchester School District
Pinkerton Government Services
Rea Contracting
Plaza Latina
Guardsmark

Don't forget to visit Charleston.EmploymentGuide.com for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

How Not To Interview

2008-07-03T09:48:00.005-04:00

There is a funny list of bad interviews. (Source.)

• "The candidate sent his sister to interview in his place."
• "A job applicant came in for an interview with a cockatoo on his shoulder."
• "The candidate stopped the interview and asked me if I had a cigarette."
• "We had one person who walked out of an interview into a glass door - and the glass shattered."
• "A guy called me by the wrong name during the entire interview."
• "An interviewee put his bubble gum in his hand, forgot about it, and then shook my hand."
• "A candidate fell asleep during the interview."

So these are definitely things not to do during an interview. Here are some interview tips that you can do to help you get the job. In the mean time, have a great 4th of July weekend!