What's Impacting You?

Interesting article...

2010-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Below find a link to an interesting article about new careers that have adapted to our ever changing world! From our friends at Yahoo!

I'm not much for video games but that one sounds pretty fun!

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/breakout_new_careers.htm?kid=1A8G8

To do....or not?

2010-07-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is a blurb from a Career Builder article that I came across today. I thought this was a really great way to attack a to do list. The rest of the article talks about how to help alievate a heavy workload. Of course everyone knows about "to-do" lists but I'd never heard of exposing one task at a time...

It's a neat tip- I think I might try it sometime!

Make a to-do list, then cover it up

"It may sound strange, but it works, says Jessica Carlson, an account executive at Blufish Design Studio, an advertising consulting firm.

Carlson says her team uses to-do lists to stay on task and highlight items that are a priority. "Cover up the list, except for one high-priority task at a time," she suggests. "This will allow you to focus better on the task at hand. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you're looking at a to-do list that spans an entire page. Focusing on a single item will make your tasks seem like they are more doable," Carlson says."

Interesting Article

2010-07-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

From our friends at Career Builder...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/07/12/cb.employers.your.credit/index.html?hpt=Sbin

In honor of today...

2010-03-17T06:43:00.001-07:00

For a little twist on the blog today we've decided a history lesson on St. Patrick was in order. From our friends at Mental Floss- you can read all about him at the link below!

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/23661

Be sure to get your fill of Irish treats today...

Yes -please remove your Bluetooth on an interview!

2010-03-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/50-Worst-of-the-Worst-and-usnews-3658564314.html?x=0

The article above has the top 50 interview mistakes...

Clearly the Bluetooth advice is our favorite!!!

Join us on Twitter!!

2009-10-27T08:30:00.001-07:00

For updates about current openings please follow us on Twitter!

A little story about temping...

2009-10-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is a true story, and a wonderful one at that! It demonstrates our motto that you just never know where a temp job can take you...

We got an email today from a temp who has worked with us throughout the past three years or so. She started temping when she came home from college over the summer and returned each summer after that. Last May she graduated and, like many, had found the market incredibly difficult so she decided she'd continue to temp until she was able to secure a permanent position.

We've sent her out on several assignments since May but one of our clients kept requesting her. Each time we'd call her, she'd gladly accept the assignment....BOY DID IT PAY OFF! During the course of this assignment she was introduced to a gentleman who worked in the field she was looking to get into, through the generosity of our client- who she was temping for.

Today's email was to let us know she had secured a permanent job working for our clients contact!

We can't think of a better temp story. Most people think that temp jobs lead nowhere-not true friends, just simply not true! Not only did our temp make some extra money by temping, she extended her network and utimately came out a winner with an excellent job- one she is incredibly excited about!

How sweet it was...

2009-05-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who attended our networking event at Sweet Rexie's on 4/29. The event went really well. It was a gathering of some great professionals in the Fairfield County area for a night of chocolate and wine...what could be better?

It gave the people who attended an opportunity to get to know each other in a casual and relaxed setting...more like a fun and colorful setting with delicious treats on the side!

Moral of the story...you never know what can happen when you network!

A big thanks to Nanci Lewis of Sweet Rexie's in South Norwalk!!!

"Pink Slip Party" Recap

2009-04-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Theresa and I attended the Fairfield County Jobs "Pink Slip Party" on Tuesday night. We were impressed with how positive all of the jobseekers were. In tough economic times like these it is hard to stay optimistic! Kudos to all the people who came out on Wednesday night! Stay positive things will improve!

Pink Slip Party

2009-04-21T10:53:00.001-07:00

Join us April 21st at the Fairfield County Jobs "Pink Slip Party" at Hula Hanks in downtown Stamford from 5:30-8pm. We will be available to discuss our open positions and temporary employment.

Join us at the Fairfield Public Library on March 4th

2009-03-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Hello again-

Join Maryann at the Fairfield Public Library on March 4th to learn about utilizing staffing agencies in your job search. Specifically Maryann will address interviewing and temporary employment.

See you there...

"Let's hear it for the STUDENTS"

2009-02-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

Kudos to all the students who participated in the Sacred Heart University and Fairfield University career fairs.

You were all very prepared and presented yoursleves extremely well, considering this economy is less than motivating...

Keep your chins up! Things will get better, and continue enjoying school!

Career Fairs

2009-02-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Join us at Sacred Heart University on February 11, 2009 from 1-4pm.

We will also be at Fairfield University on February 12, 2009 from 11am-3pm.

We will post more about our experiences at both career fairs in the days ahead!

SEE YOU THERE!

Monday's Fun Fact...

2009-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

Did you know???

2.96 million people per day are employed by staffing agencies!

Visit www.americanstaffing.net for more statistics such as the one above.

Networking...

2008-09-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

You know that old saying "It's not what you know, but who you know"....Well I'm not sure that there is 100% truth to it, but we here at Impact certianly know that Networking is an important part of our business.

There are a variety of ways to stay "Networked", if you will...

Utlize free internet hosting sites like LinkedIn or Plaxo.
Join the local chapter of whatever organization is dedicated to your profession. Like the Society for Human Resource Management(SHRM), for example, is one that we belong to in an effort to stay in touch with and meet new people.
You could also join your University/College Alumni site or become a member of the Chamber of Commerce in your town.

All of the ways listed above will help you to Network yourself and/or your business so you can always stay on top of current trends or just make people aware that you're out there!

Happy Networking!

Interesting Article!

2008-06-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1810690,00.html

She misspelled herself right out of the job!

2008-05-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

True story and it happens more often than you would think! The perfect candidate goes in for an interview to one of our toughest clients. Perfect match! She loves them, they love her, her background is a great fit for the role…This person could do the job with their eyes closed!

Then the kicker comes…

The candidate sends a thank you note to our client directly and doesn’t bother to use spell check!

And there you have it, SHE MISSPELLED HERSELF RIGHT OUT OF THE JOB!

Paying it back...

2008-05-16T11:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/right.on.your.money/

Grads take a look at this article from CNN on how to start paying back your loans...

Job Fairs

2008-05-08T08:02:00.001-07:00

Today I sit at a job fair close to my office, nice atomosphere, the people hosting have done a very nice job in putting things together.

However, and this is a big however....If you are a attending a job fair, please put your best food forward. It's not acceptable to come in your baseball cap and sneakers.

I said it once and I will say it again- BEST FOOT FORWARD. Be confident in yourself and your abilities. Research the companies that are going to be attending the job fair, come with questions and copies of your resume.

We are there because we want to to meet you and hear about your background!

Assertive or Aggressive?

2008-05-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Fine line between the two! But they aren't to be confused, sway to close to aggressive and you may rule yourself out!

Certainly don't be the candidate that goes into the interview and doesn't ask questions, or puts their head down after their one word answer. But....remember not to be the candidate with a list of demands or the person who cuts your interviewer off mid sentence because you can't wait to say what's on your mind...

Don't settle, but maybe you'll have to take a pay cut to get into a company that 2 years down the road will have you making more than you ever thought in the first place. Or it will give you the necessary experience to move on in 5 years.

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY...Find the balance between being assertive but humble, after all you are looking for a job.

Don't be a Debbie/Danny downer...

2008-04-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

The last thing you should do on an interview is bring the focus to something depressing...Example: THE CURRENT ECONOMY!

I know it can be frustrating searching for a job with the situation we find ourselves in right now, but please, leave that out of the conversation. Answer the questions you are asked in a clear/concise manner and don't let your frustrations get the best of you.

That's your time to shine. Give it your all, and show the recruiter or hiring manager who you are through your upbeat and energetic, yet professional attitude. Don't talk about all the things that are going wrong and how you can't believe you are even interviewing for a job, since you thought there were no jobs out there...You're there because someone thought you were qualified enough to interview in the first place!

By being a Debbie/Danny downer you'll only hurt yourself in the interview process and continue to get down on yourself and others!

Hi there again 2008 grads...

2008-04-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last week I spoke to a career planning class at Quinnipiac University. They were a great group with well thought out questions. I took a lot away from that talk, the most important being, every college grad is afraid of falling flat on their face! I was too when I graduated from Quinnipiac four short years ago...

Some of the things that we talked about were the fundamentals of preparing for an interview, from dressing appropriately, to arriving on time and bringing multiple copies of your resume. The surprising thing to me was that the students really went beyond the fundamentals and asked questions like: What do I do if I have prepared for the interview but I am asked something and I'm not sure how to answer? My answer: Be honest, be concise and give the best educated answer you can with the knowledge you have on the company...I'm not sure that is what they wanted to hear, but it is what I believe to be the truth!

I have fallen and gotten back up a number of times since then, and I can't think of any better way to learn. I think college grads these days, more so than when I graduated, are looking for a definitive answer to all their questions, and things aren't black and white all the time and that's ok... as a matter of fact a lot of the job hunting process falls into gray area.

What Not to Say!

2008-03-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Interesting article from Career Builder that we found on AOL today...

You'd be surprised what people feel it's okay to share on an interview!!!

http://jobs.aol.com/article/_a/leave-this-info-out-of-your-interview/20080312114409990009?ncid=AOLCOMMjobsDYNLprim0001

What NOT to Wear!

2008-03-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

No, it is not ok to wear your hot pink macrame mini skirt on an interview. True story! I once interviewed someone who was in transition and was looking to temp while she looked and came in wearing exactly what I just described!!!

Please always dress appropriately for an interview...as they always say, first impression is everything. Maintain a polished apperance when job hunting. Please!!!

Good rule of thumb: No matter who you interview with, wear a suit! You can't go wrong with black, grey or navy....

Enjoy your day!

2008 Grads...

2008-03-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. We are steadily approaching May and it's time for college seniors to say goodbye to the good life and enter the real world! The bottom line for grads this year is --DON'T WAIT!! The days of taking the summers off to travel and taking your time looking for a position are long gone in today's market.

Now is the time to get serious. Do you have a career fair coming up at school? Attend it! Dress the part, get some copies of your resume together and get out there. If you have attended those fairs start applying for jobs directly and through agencies. Don't rule out temping as a possible way into a company, you never know what temp job could end up a temp-to-hire!!!

See below for an encouraging article about the forecast for entry level jobs in 2008, from http://www.collegegrad.com/.
http://www.collegegrad.com/press/topemployers.shtml