Talent4Boston Blog RSS Feed

Professional Career Checklist: The One-Page Resume

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:55:03 -0400

I hear a lot of talk about the One-Page Business Plan and how to effectively word the plan in a compact, yet clear and concise fashion. Well, couldn’t the same be said about a resume?

The Hiring Dilemma of the Great Recession

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:20:08 -0400

With the historically high level of unemployment in the United States, how can there be a shortage of talented employees?

A Successful Pessimist - Is It Possible or an Oxymoron?

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:18:06 -0400

Have you ever met a pessimist who was wildly successful in their chosen career path? I do not believe I have. In thinking back, I would identify all of the successful individuals I have met in my lifetime as optimists; a person who usually expects a favorable outcome.

The Value in LinkedIn Recommendations

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:10:12 -0400

I love reading recommendations on LinkedIn. I assume I will find information saying they do their job well, but the real value comes from the personality traits, soft skills and leadership skills mentioned. These recommendations really help to humanize the profiles.

Professional Career Checklist - Dress for Success

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:52:48 -0400

No, this is not your typical “what to wear to an interview” article. Instead, the focus is on dressing for the job you want, whether it is an internal promotion or a new job entirely.

Interview Tips - Let Your Personality Shine

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:12:20 -0400

Interviewing is like a game of chess, or at least that is what everyone wants you to believe. I think it is actually a lot more like dating.

Hiring Decisions and the Problem with Too Many Choices

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:55:56 -0400

I have seen this happen time and time again; a company schedules an “interviewing day” and brings in 4, 5 or even 6 people to meet all in one day. Then, inevitably, there is no one they like, no one person stands out from the bunch. They are paralyzed by indecision...

Employee Retention - Retaining Your Top Talent

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:22:05 -0400

Each day I focus on discovering the best available talent which is a basic expectation of our clients. Once a position is filled, it may take three to six months, or longer, before the hiring authority truly knows if the position was filled with “Top Talent.”

Technology Jobs and Hiring on the Rise in Boston

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:20:10 -0400

Here is the data to confirm the trend we have seen around the office – IT hiring in Boston is rapidly growing, landing Boston in the #9 spot on a list of fastest growing cities for technology jobs.

Human Capital Musical Chairs

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:34:03 -0500

Churn is the measurement of job-to-job movement that happens in the marketplace. Essentially, it is the game of musical chairs professionals play when moving from Company A for a better opportunity/fit at Company B...

Recruiters are NOT all the same

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:16:14 -0500

Some people think that the recruiting process is fun and I’m one of them. Unfortunately, there is a theme out there that having to cooperate with the dreaded, two-headed recruiter is a necessary evil...

The Value of Human Capital in Business

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:54:13 -0500

Do you agree that metrics on human capital value can add value to financial statements? Can you imagine yourself, or the CFO of your organization, reporting on an organization’s human capital financial statement?

Professional Career Checklist - Resume Update Appointment

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:02:47 -0500

Whether you are currently employed or not, you should schedule an appointment with yourself to review and update your resume every six months. This proactive approach will ensure that you are prepared for whatever life may bring your way.

Every Hire in 2012 must be an Upgrade

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:33:11 -0500

Every business is under pressure to win! If winning (revenue and profit growth) is in your company’s plan for 2012, then I believe every hire you make this year must be an upgrade.

How to Hire the Right People

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:24:23 -0500

A successful interview should leave the hiring manager with two basic questions answered: (1.) Can they do the job? and (2.) Do I like them? Most interviews focus on assessing whether the candidate has the technical competence to perform the duties of the job and often times shy away from asking the questions that provide insight into the individual’s personality.

Professional Career Checklist - References

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:14:40 -0500

Whether you are very happily employed or entrenched in a job search, you should always be mindful of whom you can call on for references. Typically reference checks happen at a point in the process when both you and the future employer are anxious to get to the next step, an offer. Don’t let your lack of preparation halt the process at this pivotal time.

Positive Employment Outlook for 2012

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:43:18 -0500

There is optimism in the air as we head into 2012. Consumer confidence is at the highest level in months and the employment outlook remains positive indicating job growth will continue on the strong path it has maintained since June 2011.

Has Cloud Computing Made Us More Impatient

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:04:58 -0500

Has cloud computing made us more impatient?

Granted, I work in sales and therefore patience is a foreign concept to me. But has the cloud made a fundamental change in our ability to tolerate the commute home from the office or the long line at the supermarket? The enhancement of technology is a wonderful thing; but why is it the end of my world when a server goes down?

Top 10 Overused Buzzwords - 2011

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:44:50 -0500

As the year comes towards a close, we tend to see many of those "Year in Review" or "Top Ten Lists" pop up. Usually, I take them with a grain of salt, and then I saw this great article that LinkedIn put together on their blog and I thought this is one I really should share.

Typical December - NOT

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:52:58 -0500

Typically there are not many down times of year in the recruiting business, but there are a few I have come to anticipate after doing this job for 7 years. One of the times where business is often slower is the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is the time where I anticipate I will accomplish all of those “special projects”

Meet Our Strategic Talent Team Matthew Boyle

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:37:08 -0500

My name is Matthew Boyle and I have the privilege of being the President of Strategic Talent. I believe I lead the most unique group of talent advisors who add exceptional value to talent seekers and talent finders every single day.

Meet Our Strategic Talent Team - Bill Appleton

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:53:19 -0500

Bill Appleton loves getting up every morning and going to work! He has a bright and cheerful disposition by nature and this adds to the success he has experienced in his 10+ years recruiting professional talent for growth companies.

Meet Our Strategic Talent Team - Michelle Pasqual

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:46:00 -0500

Michelle Pasqual may be the newest member of the Strategic Talent team, but she has a long history of success in the recruiting world. Her specialty is Information Technology...

Meet Our Strategic Talent Team - Tiffany Appleton

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:20:57 -0500

Tiffany Appleton has helped numerous business professionals find the “job of their dreams.” Her specialty industry may be Accounting & Finance, but her success spans diverse professional fields, including science and engineering.

MFA Announces its Annual Accounting and Tax Update Webinar Series

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:58:41 -0500

Our affiliation with MFA – Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico provides an outstanding resource regarding current issues that face accounting and finance folks today. MFA has announced the annual accounting and tax update series.

Unemployment is NOT the Same for All Job Functions

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:21:33 -0400

As you likely know, Massachusetts has an unemployment rate significantly below the national average. In addition to our state maintaining a strong employment environment, there are also job functions that maintain much lower unemployment rates.

Word Clouds

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:09:00 -0400

I want to share a great tool that can add an entirely new perspective to the task of fine tuning a resume (and job descriptions, but I will focus on the resume here). [...]

Sharing Some Good News - Boston Ranks in the Top 10 Cities for Educated Job Seekers

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:10:00 -0400

As you know, I like to try to share good news when I hear it. So here is some very positive news for the Greater Boston area job market. The Greater Boston area, which includes the whole metro area all the way up to Southern New Hampshire [...]

10 ideas for answering the "Tell Me About Yourself" question

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:14:00 -0400

Here is some excellent advice for answering that age-old interview question "tell me about yourself". This seems to be the one question that consistently stumps even the best and most confident of interviewers. [...]

The LinkedIn Bible

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:10:00 -0400

Here is a great article on how to set-up, use and even maximize LinkedIn. I like to think that I know a lot about LinkedIn, but I know that I don't know everything. I learned a few new tricks and I hope you can too :) [...]

Tis the Season for Networking Events

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:28:00 -0400

Networking groups are kicking their fall line-ups into full gear now that we have hit the unofficial end of summer. I am sure you have been told at some point in time in your life to "network" and you may or may not heed that advice. Networking comes in many different forms and I would like to encourage you to take advantage of some networking events that will be taking place this fall. [...]