Working with a recruiter is a wonderful tool to utilize when seeking contract, contract to hire, or direct hire positions. Learning the recruiter’s vocabulary will be helpful. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these common terms recruiters use when communicating with candidates. The ability to “speak the language” can give you better insight into their process and a better idea of what you need to do to breakthrough.
Background check: Employers use background checks to verify the information a job applicant provides, well as to check references and criminal records. Not every employer runs background checks, and the extent to which they do will vary by company, industry and/or role.
Contract-to-hire: Contract-to-hire describes a position where an employee is hired temporarily, but may be employed full-time in the future. This often depends on the amount of work needed, the quality of performance and if the budget allows.
Cover letter: A cover letter is a brief letter you send with your resume to provide more context around it, explain why you are qualified for the job for which you are applying, and show employers your personality.
Company culture: Company culture (also known as corporate culture) defines the environment in which employees work. Company culture develops through the beliefs, values, and expectations a company holds and imposes on its employees. For example, some companies have cultures that emphasize teamwork, while others encourage employees to work more independently. Looking for the right “cultural fit” has become increasingly important to both employers and job seekers.
Contract/temp worker: Contract workers or temps are generally hired for special projects, maternity leaves, or holidays. They can be short or long term assignments.
Hourly pay: While most full-time employees receive annual salaries, most temporary employees receive an hourly wage. Unlike salaried employees, employees who receive hourly pay generally do not get benefits like health insurance or paid time off, and only get paid for the time they work; however, if they work overtime, they are entitled to time and a half.
Keywords: Recruiters look for keywords in your resume. The right keywords in your social profiles can also make it easier for recruiters to find you through online search engines.
Recruiter: Oftentimes, when employers need viable candidates for open positions, they turn to recruiters for help. Recruiters seek out, screen, and interview candidates before presenting them to their clients. Resource Staffing has professional, in-house recruiters who will work with you. Remember to dress professionally and bring an extra copy of your resume with you when you come in to interview with our recruiters.
Resume: Almost every job you apply for will require you to send in a resume. As one of the first things employers look at when assessing potential candidates, your resume is one of the most critical elements of your job search. Your resume is a document that includes your work experience (job titles, employers, duties administered, etc.) and education (school attended, field of study, etc.), along with special skills and professional accomplishments.
Salary: Salary is the fixed payment an employee receives in exchange for work performed. Full-time employees generally receive annual salaries, while temporary, contract, or employees are paid by the hour.
Soft skills: Soft skills are the hard-to-measure skills employers look to evaluate a candidate’s level of professionalism and work ethic. These include interpersonal skills, communication skills, leadership skills, and management skills. We believe skills are just as important to most employers as hard (or technical) skills
Talent Acquisition Specialist: Talent Acquisition Specialist enables job seekers to upload their information (name, contact information, resume, etc.) into a company’s database or directly receive resumes. Once a resume is received, the TAS team reviews the candidate’s resume seeing if their skill set meets the requirements. Once the Talent Acquisition Specialist determines the candidate is qualified, a brief phone interview is conducted and an interview will be scheduled with a recruiter at one of our branch locations.
Temp: Short for “temporary worker” is a worker hired for a set amount of time. Temps usually fill in for employees on vacation, to pick up the slack while a company replaces someone who has quit or to lend an extra hand during particularly busy periods, such as the holiday season. Temps are usually paid on an hourly basis.
Transferable skills: Transferable skills are skills that aren’t directly related to the job in question but can be applied to a wide range of jobs and industries. These skills are usually learned on the job, at school, during volunteer work, through community activities, at networking events or even in everyday social activities.