How Long Does the Search Process Take?
Searches vary in length.  It is always a matter of timing.  If a recruiter is currently working on a position when the prospective candidate is contacted, the average length of time to hire is between two weeks to one month.  It often depends on the employers needs, (i.e. is the position a vacancy or a new position?)  Searches can take much longer if no matching positions exist at the time a candidate begins working with a recruiter.  Recruiters maintain relationship with employers who may be interested if the right candidate surfaces.  These positions may take time to cultivate if they are being developed around a candidates background - be patient.  A good recruiter will keep you informed as it evolves.  

Tips for Phone Screens
The most important thing to remember is that you are working towards obtaining a personal, face-to-face meeting with a prospective employer.  If you can create the proper first impression on the telephone your chances of being invited for a personal visit are greatly enhanced.  Here are some tips you should keep in mind:

Prepare your answers to the obvious questions such as:

The best way of answering this last questions is to do research on the company you will be interviewing with:  check out the company's web site, do your homework, find out what they are doing and be prepared to point out how you can help them achieve their goals.  As a parting comment let the potential employer know that you are very interested in the position and why.  The enthusiasm you display could be the deciding factor between you and another candidate.

Please call your Consultant immediately after the phone interview to discuss a follow-up strategy.

Ten Reasons for Not Accepting a Counteroffer

1. What type of company do you work for if you have to threaten to resign before they give you what you are worth?
   
2. From where is the money for the counteroffer coming?  Is it your next raise early?  (All companies have strict wage and salary guidelines, which must be followed).
   
3. Your company will immediately start looking for a new person at a lower salary price.
   
4. You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy.  From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.
   
5. When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who was loyal, and who was not.
   
6. When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutback with you.
   
7. The same circumstances that now cause you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future, even if you accept a counteroffer.
   
8. Statistics show that if you accept a counteroffer, the probability of voluntarily leaving in six months or being let go within one year is extremely high.
   
9. Accepting a counteroffer is an insult to your intelligence and a blow to your personal pride, knowing that you were bought.
   
10. Once the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy with your co-workers will never be the same.  You will lose the personal satisfaction of peer group acceptance.

Your Feature - Accomplishment - Benefit Presentation
When we present your background and experience to an employer, we want to show how your employment will benefit both the organization and the employer as an individual.  We want to demonstrate how you can help improve profits, reduce costs and just make things run better.

We have developed the Feature - Accomplishment - Benefit Presentation (FAB for short) to use in presenting your background and experience to an employer.  Features are listed in the left column, accomplishments in the center, and benefits in the right column.  The FAB presentation does several important things.  It show specifically what you can do for the employer - how you will benefit him or her and the organization.  It details what you have accomplished in your current and previous positions.  Finally, it highlights your unique features and experiences.  How do you prepare a FAB presentation?  Let's start by defining some terms:

Next prepare a chronology of your work history.  Make sure you have included all of the positions you have held.  Do not forget the promotions!  After you have prepared the chronology, list all of your significant accomplishments for each of the positions.  Go ahead and list them all.  This is not the time to be humble.  The accomplishments should be very specific and contain quantitative measures where appropriate.

After your list of features and accomplishments have been completed, study them over.  Now identify what you can do for a new employer.  How you can benefit him or her?  What are the most compelling reasons for a new employer to want to hire you over someone else?  Put these answers in the benefits column.

After you have completed your FAB presentation, go over it.  Study it carefully.  Have you forgotten anything?  Where can you include additional quantitative measures?  Numbers tell!  Can a benefit be rephrased so you will look more attractive to an employer?  Is there an accomplishment for early in your career that is particularly significant that should be included?

And finally, when you go to your interview take your FAB sheet with you and be sure to answer questions by relying on your FAB information--especially stressing how you can benefit the new company.

Resignation Letter

Dear Boss:

Please accept this letter as my official notice of resignation.  I appreciate the work we have been able to accomplish together at (company name), but I have now made a commitment to another organization, and plan to begin with them in two weeks.

Know that it is my intention to work diligently with you to wrap up as much as possible in the next two weeks to make my resignation as smooth as possible.  If you have any suggestions on how we can best accomplish that goal, I hope you will share your thoughts with me, as I am eager to leave on the most positive note possible.

Sincerely,