If you are an employer and, in the course of your recruiting, you come across applicants who seem to have more education and experience than are required for the job, don’t reject them out of hand.  As a matter of fact, give them serious consideration.

As much as this seems to intuitively go against the grain, new research is revealing that workers considered to be overqualified usually outperform other workers – and they don’t leave any earlier than any other workers.

The bias of hiring managers against employees who are considered to be overqualified is common throughout the business world.  Businesses usually look for candidates who match the job requirements as closely as possible, as opposed to someone who has more education or experience than is required.  At first glance, this seems to be a good policy, because studies have shown that employees who believe themselves to be overqualified tend to be more dissatisfied at work.  A recent study of more than 150 call-center workers showed just that – there was a strong connection between workers who were overqualified and dissatisfaction at work.

And rejecting someone because he or she is considered to be overqualified conforms to all legal guidelines, unlike other discrimination cases based on age or gender.  Moreover, the refusal to consider people thought to be overqualified has cast them into the pool of those who have been unemployed for more than year, labeled as the long-term unemployed, a group that now makes up about half of all those who are out of work.

But even before the recession hit, having too many overqualified workers was a problem around the world, especially in emerging countries where education levels are rising and the job market cannot keep pace.

However, by not looking at these workers, businesses are passing up a tremendous opportunity.  One study  looked at people with above average intelligence who washed cars and collected garbage.  Not only did these people perform better than others on the job, they generally stayed on the job longer than other employees.  Money was not the key consideration.  For some, it was the lifestyle that the job offered, such as the working hours, or the values of the company.

The studies also showed that companies can lessen the feelings of job dissatisfaction of so-called overqualified employees by giving them more decision-making authority on the job.  By empowering them like this, it makes them more engaged and happier in their jobs.

If you have a need for qualified and reliable workers for your Washington Metro company, contact RealStreet Staffing. We can source and vet hard-working individuals for your temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire assignments. We look forward to hearing from you.

When it’s tough to find a job, the tough….write a recession-proof resume!

Here are some tips to help you craft a resume that will help your application stand out from others.

Most resume writers craft a resume using the standard chronological format, in which they list work experience in reverse chronological order (current or last job first, followed by previous jobs). But if you’ve been out of work for a while, or if you have some obvious gaps in your employment history, you may want to write what is known as “combination” resume. This type of resume places more emphasis on your skills and accomplishments instead of your previous positions and dates of employment.

So instead of just listing where you worked, your job title and a few of your job tasks, break out your resume into different sections. For example, a system administrator may want to divide his resume into “Project Management,” “System Skills,” and/or “Training Skills.”

Combination resumes also work best when you’re looking to change professions because they can help you better highlight previous work experience, education and skills that can transfer to the new career and help you make the transition. You want an employer to see how what you’ve done in the past will help her in the future.

Focus on results and how you’ve contributed to previous employers’ bottom lines. For example, if you’ve worked as a plant layout engineer in the past, state how your review of one project found cost efficiencies not already in place and how your suggestions saved your company several thousand dollars (be specific as possible with the dollar amount), or saved it a certain percentage in construction cost (be sure to provide that percentage number).

One thing many job seekers neglect to do is to customize their resume to each company and position to which they’re applying. Yes, this takes more work than just using the same resume for every position. But you should study each position carefully and fine tune your resume so that it speaks specifically to the employer’s needs.

Doing so will truly help your resume stand out from others.

Check, check and check your resume some more for mistakes. Write it one day and leave it be until another — you’ll see it with fresh eyes. Ask someone to proof it for you.

Your goal is to make the resume mistake- and typo-free. No misspellings. Hiring managers look at mistakes in resumes as an indication that you’re sloppy, don’t have attention to detail and/or don’t care about how you present yourself.

In these days of high unemployment, businesses are loathe to “take a chance” on someone who appears unqualified, lax and indifferent. Work hard to showcase how you can help solve an employer’s problems in your resume and you’re on the right path towards finding a new job no matter what the economic conditions.

Use RealStreet Staffing, as well as a focused, achievements-oriented resume, to help you find a terrific position quickly in Washington Metro construction, architecture and engineering companies. We look forward to hearing from you.

Let’s say you currently have a terrific job, with great pay, with a wonderful boss and fun coworkers. You’re not looking for work and you don’t plan to in the foreseeable future.

So the idea of keeping your resume updated hasn’t occurred to you in a long while — since you started at this wonderful job with the terrific boss and great coworkers.

But it should.

You always should keep your resume current because things do happen. Your terrific boss could leave, landing you with a boss from Hades. Salary freezes could take place, leaving you with a paycheck holding steady while your responsibilities increase. And your wonderful co-workers? Laid off next week, leaving you wondering if you’ll be next.

But aside from the fact that your terrific job could become a) awful in no time or b) leave you awfully quickly, you should continuously update your resume for two good reasons:

1) You won’t forget your accomplishments
and
2) It will be ready to go should a great opportunity pop up its happy head waving Hello!

It’s simple human nature; we do something wonderful (bring in the big client, streamline data processing, build a new website, etc.) and then promptly forget about it. Oh, we remember it, but did the XYZ Account come in in February or was it April? Did I stay late all week finishing up the Smith Project before or after spring break?

You get the picture.

Instead, after every major accomplishment, after every promotion, after every new skill learned, update your resume.

Because (bringing us to Reason 2) it never fails: you’re contacted by a headhunter about a terrific opportunity, or your friend tells you about a great opening at her company that’s just perfect for you. But instead of being able to pounce on these great opportunities, you spend days — if not weeks — updating and crafting your resume.

Instead, update it as the accolades and accomplishments happen.

Terrific jobs do happen here at RealStreet Staffing. Our Washington Metro staffing firm has many temporary, temp-to-hire and direct placement opportunities for those who are prepared to come get them. We look forward to hearing from you.

Never stop networking. Even if you’re currently job searching or you have a position that you believe will be there for you until the day you decide to retire, networking is a wonderful tool to improve your live professionally and personally, no matter what your present circumstances might be.

The primary reason to network is because it gives you the opportunity to meet new people. The more people you know — and the more who know you — the better your chance of using that network when you need it, whether you need a new job or the name of a great dentist.

Most people get the best jobs from people they know. Even if you’re not looking for work now, you may be looking for work sometime in the future. If you have a wide network, you’ll have even more people who can refer you for job openings, to hiring managers, to people who may know people who know people who are hiring, etc.

This is the era of continual learning. Skills become outdated quickly and need to be improved constantly. Meeting others in or out of your profession keeps you on your toes and allows you to learn things you never knew you didn’t know — and needed to learn. Learning goes both ways, of course; don’t be shy about sharing your knowledge with others, too.

Continually networking means people will continually know you exist. When they need a terrific building/coding specialist — or when a friendly firm in another city needs one and mentions it to one of your contacts — you easily could receive a call about a new opportunity, one that will move your career forward even if you’re happy where you are now.

We know the right people at RealStreet Staffing. We know hiring managers at some of the Washington DC area’s best construction, architecture and engineering firms. When you’re looking for a new opportunity, we want to hear from you.

Last week we touched on questions you should ask in an interview. But what about those you should NEVER ask?

Ask these questions and you can probably wave good bye to any chance of getting hired or getting the salary you truly deserve:

How much paid vacation time do I get? While there’s inherently nothing wrong with this question, this one becomes a job-offer killer depending on when you ask it. Ask it during the first interview and you come across as wanting a job only to get a paid vacation. Most employers want their employees to have some R and R after working: employees come back refreshed and ready to be productive, but this questions smacks of “what can you do for me, Ms. Employer?” rather than “Here are my skills and knowledge and here’s how they will benefit your company.”

Can you see the difference? The first gives the impression that you don’t understand why employers hire people. Hint: they are not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. Businesses hire people to solve problems. Show an employer how you will solve her problems! That’s truly the key to a successful job interview, one that leads to a job offer.

So save questions about vacation, benefits, etc. for the second or third interview. If the employer happens to mention in the first interview how much vacation time you may expect, thank her for the information and leave it at that.

How much does this position pay? There are two big problems with this question. First of all, it shows the employer you haven’t done any research about her company nor the position for which you’re applying. You should have a general idea as to a salary you can expect for the type of position, the industry and the area of the country where the business is located

The second reason you should never ask this question is that it puts you at a distinct disadvantage. Why? Because 1) if the employer answers with a set amount or even range, you have no wiggle room. The salary is what is, even if you are able to show the employer that your skills are more valuable. 2) The hiring manager actually is most likely to ask you what kind of salary you are looking for.  You pretty much have to answer because it was you, after all, who brought the topic of salary up. So you mention a number/range and, poof! there goes any leverage you had for negotiation.

Never bring up salary until your second or third interview. If the company will be hiring based on just one interview, wait for your interviewer to bring the salary question up.

Residents of the Washington DC area with construction, engineering, architectural and project management skills looking to work with some of the best Metro Washington companies, should contact RealStreet Staffing. We have the contacts, resources an experiences to help you take your career to the next level. Contact us today!

If you have a large gap in your work history, you may be worried that you’ll have an even harder time finding work in today’s tough economy.

That needn’t be the case. Here are some tips to help you handle questions about “holes” in your employment history:

If you’ve just found yourself “between jobs,” as you search for new employment, consider taking on freelance or consulting work. If that’s not possible, offer to volunteer in more of a managerial role with our favorite charity. The freelancing and/or volunteering sting are perfectly legitimate to place on your resume.

If it turns out there’s nothing you can do to fill the “gap” in your resume, as you write it, opt for a “functional” resume rather the typical “chronological” resume, the one that lists your jobs/duties/accomplishments in the order of when you had the jobs (most recent position first). Use caution, however: some recruiters look at functional resumes as red flags: “this applicant has something he doesn’t want to tell me!”

A functional resume details the your background, skills and accomplishments you’ve accomplished over the length of your career. The focus is on what you’ve accomplished for former employers, it’s not just a “list” of your previous jobs. A chronological list of your previous jobs goes at the end of a functional resume.

If there truly is a big fat hole in your work history, you may want to bring this up right away in your cover letter. Write a short one- or two-sentence explanation of the reason for the gap (you left work to take care of a sick relative, to raise children, you couldn’t find a job after being laid off for two years, etc.) Don’t go into too much detail and definitely don’t whine about how long it’s taking you to find a job. Instead, state the facts, and then immediately segue into how your skills and background are a good fit for the open position.

If you’re interviewing and the gap in your job history comes up, once again, briefly state the reason you gave in your cover letter. Then change the subject — ask the interviewer for more information about the job duties, what kind of person they’re looking for etc. And then detail how your backgrounds and skills can help the employer. Take the focus off your gap and on to what you bring to the table

If you’re worried that a large gap in your job history is hindering your search for work, let RealStreet Staffing help you find a great job. We can place you on exciting assignments at businesses throughout the Washington Metro area. In fact, many of our assignments are temp-to-hire or even direct placement! Contact us today.

As funny as it sounds, being too qualified for a job can sometimes go against you.  When interviewers say you are “overqualified,” here’s what they are concerned about:

1. You’ll be bored in this position.
2. You won’t be satisfied with the salary they’re offering.
3. You’ll leave as soon as you get a better opportunity.
4. They’ll have to go through the time-consuming and expensive process of hiring and training someone all over again.

This may or may not make you feel better about being “overqualified,” but you must admit those are legitimate concerns.  So here is a strategy to address the issue of being overqualified head-on:

• Be the first one to raise the “overqualified” issue with a potential employer. If you bring it up yourself, you can discuss it openly and convince the interviewer that it won’t be a problem.
• The key–as with every job interview issue–is to anticipate and prepare. Before you go to the interview, think about what you’ll say and how you will convince them that they should hire you, even if you are “overqualified.”
• After explaining how you will be a great asset for their company, tell them why you are applying for a lower-level position. Do not say, “I can’t find anything else and I really need a job.” Though that may be the case, this approach is a little too honest and will reinforce their fear that you will leave at the first opportunity.
• Say something like, “You can tell that I’ve worked at a higher level before, but this position is exactly what I’m looking for.” Then, depending on the job and your circumstances, explain why. For example:
  - “I’ve always wanted to work for your company (or in this industry), and I’m willing to take a lower-level position to get that opportunity.”* “It will allow me to use my skills and expand my experience in a new field.”
  - “I’m looking for something a little less stressful, with fewer responsibilities, so I can spend more time with my family.”
  - “This position provides the stability and long-term growth potential I’m looking for.”
  - “The salary is not my top priority. I’d have no problem with earning less than I’ve earned in the past.”
• Be very enthusiastic about the job. Explain how you can meet their needs now and in the future as the company grows. And most important of all, convince them that you will not quit as soon as something better comes along.
• If you are convinced that this job would be worth it, you might even try this: offer to sign an agreement stating that you will stay on the job for a minimum of 12 months. Whether the hiring manager actually takes you up on that offer or not, it will definitely make a very positive impression!

If you anticipate the “overqualified” issue and address it up front, it will not be a drawback to your success!

Candidate A had the exact skill set the company is looking for.  He nailed every interview question.  He shared specific examples of how his skills and experience can be applied in this position.  He left feeling confident.

Candidate B had most of the skills needed.  He stumbled on one or two questions but overall did well.  He explained how his experience could help him be successful.  He left feeling a bit unsure how the interview went.  And two days later he got the job.

What I didn’t tell you here is that Candidate A showed up to the interview in wrinkled pants, a short sleeve shirt and uncombed hair.  Candidate B showed up in a suit and tie and was neatly groomed.  The simple truth is that your appearance has a big effect on first impressions.  If you really want to nail a job interview, not only do you have to be prepared, but you have to dress the part.  When in doubt, follow these suggestions:

Interview Attire Basics for Men and Women

• Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
• Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
• Clean, polished conservative shoes
• Well-groomed hairstyle
• Clean, trimmed fingernails
• Minimal cologne or perfume
• Empty pockets no bulges or tinkling coins
• No gum, candy, or cigarettes
• Light briefcase or portfolio case
• No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.) or tattoos

Men’s Interview Attire

• Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern
• Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
• Dark socks (black is best)
• Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews
• Fresh shave; mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed
• No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)
• No rings other than wedding ring or college ring
• No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)

Women’s Interview Attire

• Wear a suit with a jacket and skirt or slacks; no dresses
• Shoes with conservative heels
• Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
• No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
• If you wear nail polish, use clear or a conservative color
• Keep your makeup simple and natural (it should not be too noticeable)
• No more than one ring on each hand
• One set of earrings only