Resume Headers As my favorite leading lady Julie Andrews once sung on screen, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” In this series, however, we’re not going to learn how to sing (at least that’s not the plan). Instead, we’re going to learn how to write a resume, starting at the top and working our way down. The Alps and singing nuns might not be involved (again, not in the plans), but we do guarantee you this: if you follow these guidelines, step by step, your resume will convey professionalism and help you look like …

Email Address: Part of your Professional Image One of the most common resume mistakes we see is with email addresses. Your email address is just one of the many elements that can contribute to your professional image. Certain e-mail addresses do not convey professionalism: Hotmama78@hotmail.com or Benchpress247@yahoo.com, for example. Aside from a professional-sounding address, for consistency of personal branding, I recommend an email address that closely matches the name on your resume. This kind of address has the added bonus of always being recognizable; it takes the guesswork out of a contact list. Common Email Mistakes Certain details that should not …

Being Friendly to Expand your Connections Recently, I heard about a rule that the Mariott hotels make their employees live by. It’s call the 10 and 5 Staff Rule. It’s a pretty straightforward rule: if a guest passes within 10 feet of an employee, the employee is required to make eye contact and smile in a friendly way. If a guess passes within 5 feet, the employee must also greet the guest. Imagine: what would your life look like if you lived by this rule? Expanding your Network Studies and surveys have repeatedly found that the key to getting a job …

What to Do After an Interview? You walk out of your interview feeling great. You were nicely dressed, well-spoken, and answered every question spot-on. What do you do now? Tips for Following Up After an Interview The next day, send a brief email to the person who interviewed you. If it’s a high-level job, a physical card in the mail would be even better. Whether it’s an email or a physical note, here’s what it should cover: Thank you for meeting with me I enjoyed learning x, y, and z about your company I am excited about this role Thank you again …

Crafting a resume? Unsure about handling references? Get expert guidance to navigate this crucial step with confidence.

Resume Templates Whether you’re newly to the workforce, newly seeking a job, or simply unhappy with the results you’re getting with your existing resume, have you thought about starting your resume from scratch? It may seem intimidating, but the good news is that there are many, many websites out there that are great resources. And your new resume may provide the boost your job search needs. It’s easy to find articles about improving and optimizing your resume–but what about a site that actually creates your resume for you? I call these the “plug and play” options. Welcome to our master list! resume.com visualcv.com …

Advice for Email Follow Up On Your Resume Practice proper email etiquette. In general, your messages should include full sentences, short paragraphs and detailed information on who you are and the purpose of your correspondence. Avoid all caps, acronyms or slang, emoticons, and unprofessional signatures. Keep the message as concise and to the point as possible. This might all seem obvious, but you’d be surprised. Be overly polite. Keep in mind that email communication can be easily misread, and it’s best to err on the side of formality. Many people try too hard to stand out from the crowd and end up coming across …

Tips for Following Up After You Apply After submitting an application, it’s often considered best practice to follow up with the hiring manager if possible. In general, it’s ideal to send your message to an actual person, rather than a generic inbox. However, keep in mind that some recruiters might be turned off by candidates who do not follow explicit instructions in the job posting. If it says not to call or walk-in, for instance, then it’s probably best not to do so. When crafting a message to a potential employer, it’s difficult to know what level of formality to …

Tips for Networking Happy New Year from all of us at Peak Performers employment agency! It’s the start of another rotation around the sun, and many people are full of resolutions — to eat healthier, to exercise more, and maybe even to make the world a slightly better place. My guess is that most of you haven’t thought much about networking. Schmoozing can seem intimidating for some, but we’ve got a few unconventional tips to help you excel in your job search and perhaps be a better person in the process. Get to know your neighbors. According to a report …

Giving Back The title of this post comes from a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, spoken to an audience in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1957, and often repeated throughout his life’s work. Dr. King is widely remembered for leading a radical, nonviolent civil-rights movement that rippled across the world. Today we commemorate his life in the same way he lived it, by giving back to others. Volunteering in our community is an obvious way to give back, but there are also substantial benefits for job seekers. Service opportunities can be an additional way to increase your network, keep your …

Advice for Attending Job Fairs Job fairs can either be an incredible networking opportunity or an incredible waste of time. Like most aspects of the job search, thorough preparation and strategic follow-up are crucial to success. Also, many job fairs have moved online with Covid-19–that said, you should still prepare for them the same way you would with in-person networking events. Here’s how to make the most of your next event: Come prepared. Once you find out what companies will be present, do some additional research to help prioritize the ones you’d like to target. Don’t waste your time talking …

Tips for Dressing for your Interview According to the Austin Business Journal, there are an estimated 157.2 people moving to our area every single day. Central Texas has been one of the fastest growing regions of the US for many years. More and more people are drawn to Austin’s growing economy, laid-back atmosphere and mild winter weather. We’re also proud to be ranked 2017’s best place to live by the ubiquitous assessors at US News & World Report. If you’re new to our beautiful city, we feel confident you’ll assimilate quickly. With so many fresh job seekers from other parts of …

What Should You Ask During an Interview? Most job seekers understand the importance of asking good questions during the interview. Not only is it essential to come prepared with answers, but it’s also critical to ask the right questions. Your inquiries communicate a lot about who you are and what your expectations are for the position. By asking genuine and engaging questions, you’re showing the interviewer that you actually care about the position, the company, and how you might be able to contribute. Think of the questions you ask as being statements that can help set you apart from competing …

Past Employee Showcase Welcome to the inaugural post of Sneak Peak, an on-going series highlighting the career path of one of our former associates – how they got started, what they’re doing now and what advice they have for current job seekers in Austin. Our Peak recruiters ran into Darwin. recently at a local community meeting. In a city becoming synonymous with gentrification and displacement, Darwin is a 5th generation Austinite. He is also an active volunteer, community leader and board member for several local civic organizations. Darwin was gracious enough to share a glimpse of his journey in his …

Writing Cover Letters Six seconds. That’s the amount of time recruiters typically spend reviewing an individual resume. That’s the same amount of time you probably spent reading the previous sentence. Or about how long it takes Usain Bolt to sprint across a fifty-meter finish line. That means you’ve got to catch their attention quickly and hope they somehow stay engaged long enough to consider your actual qualifications. When you’re trudging through the muck of a job search, much of the process can feel painfully automated. Resume. Application. Follow-up. Rinse and repeat. And then there’s the cover letter. It’s typically the …

Welcome to Sneak Peak, our on-going series highlighting the career paths of our former associates – how they got started, what they’re doing now and what advice they have for current job seekers in the great city of Austin, Texas. One of our staff recently reconnected with Tammy over lunch. She is a gifted coordinator and administrative professional with a knack for getting things done. Tammy has the energy to consistently take on new projects, and despite having had no prior office experience, she has built a successful career with the State of Texas. She was generous enough to share …

Peak Performers Hiring Process Welcome to Peak Performers! As a nonprofit, we’re also driven by the mission to create a new standard of employment for qualified applicants with a disability. We’ve compiled some information to help you know what to expect at your interview. If you haven’t submitted your resume to be reviewed by our recruitment department, you can do so by clicking here or you can apply for one of our many openings. After You Apply and Following Up We follow up with candidates who align with a current opening or anticipated future opening. We typically follow up via …

Austin Job Clubs Looking for work is hard. It’s even harder if you try to do it alone. The job club model is designed to utilize the collective power of a group to help job seekers find and keep employment opportunities. Each group tends to have their own culture and flare, but they all typically include weekly meetings, networking, resource sharing and guest speakers who provide a wealth of information on the job search process. Our recruitment team benefits from staying connected to various job clubs in Austin, and we thought we’d share some insider information on our three favorite …

Your resume gets you the interview . . . you get the job! Resume writing can be a long process with lots of conflicting advice. As a recruiter for Peak, a staffing agency in Austin, I’d like to share some of our recommendations and then also share tips from other top websites. One thing that recruiters and hiring authorities agree on is that the purpose of your resume is to provide a snapshot of your experience and skills with an emphasis on how they relate to the job you want. Tailor your resume. This can be hard, especially if you …

Elevator Pitches and Job Searching Frequently Asked Questions What is an elevator pitch and why do I need one? An elevator pitch (for job seekers) is a short speech meant to pique the interest of a prospective employer. The idea is that it’s a short introduction speech that could be delivered on your way up an elevator with a stranger you’re trying to make an impression on. You will need one in order to quickly introduce yourself in order to get a business card from someone on the inside. How long is an elevator pitch? The length of an ideal …

Advice from Peak Performers founder and CEO For many of us, growing up is a time of exploring ideas and our relationship to life – to others around us and the universe in which we live. It’s a big and complex universe with an enormous number of choices to be made. Many of us spend the first 25+ plus years of life just figuring out which choices will aid our survival the most (and which ones are most harmful). Most schools emphasize getting to college as soon as High School is done and that often means entering the full time …

Tips for Austin Job Seekers over 50 It’s hard finding a new job or transitioning careers, especially when you might be thinking more about retirement. Things can be extra challenging these days competing with tech savvy millennials who will work for lower wages and can relocate easily—however your future is still bright! Here are 5 tips to compete in the job market! 1) Stay positive, stay current Employers can sense energy and enthusiasm—they appreciate perspective but don’t want someone stuck in the past. Make sure to stay positive and in the present both on paper and in person. Remember that …

Top Job Hunting Websites for Austin Texas There are a lot of job hunting websites out there. We often get asked which are the best ones to use? Short answer: all of them. It is so easy to get your resume multiple places that you might as well. The bigger task then becomes managing all those resumes and the correspondence you may receive from recruiters. Here’s one recruiter’s take on the top job search websites for job seekers to get noticed in Austin, TX. ZipRecruiter ZipRecruiter has taken the hiring market by storm. They aggregate many millions of …

Looking for Work for Recent Graduates: So you’ve graduated—now what? Maybe you’ve moved out on your own or maybe you’re looking to. Maybe you’ve already got your foot in the door with an organization, or maybe you’re bussing tables to make ends meet. Fear not—employers are looking for energetic and enthusiastic young people like you who are ready to change the world! And there are tons or opportunities out there for the eager recent grad. 5 Tips to Get Started 1) Start somewhere: It may not be your dream job right away, but it helps get you there. Every …

Focus Your Job Search “So…what do you do?” Don’t you hate that question? You get it at parties, you get it at job fairs, you even get it at the dentist! I don’t know about you, but I’m a lot more than just my work. If I’m a job seeker, though, my resume is not the place to tell you who I am. Employers get hundreds (sometimes thousands) of applications for every position that they post. This creates a mountain of reading that recruiters just cannot do. Often, computers read your resume first and rate it based on how relevant …

Focus Your Job Search “So…what do you do?” Don’t you hate that question? You get it at parties, you get it at job fairs, you even get it at the dentist! I don’t know about you, but I’m a lot more than just my work. If I’m a job seeker, though, my resume is not the place to tell you who I am. Employers get hundreds (sometimes thousands) of applications for every position that they post. This creates a mountain of reading that recruiters just cannot do. Often, computers read your resume first and rate it based on how relevant …

Peak Performers employment agency is an active part of the recruiting and job seeking community and connected to many organizations and resources that may help job seekers find work. Here is our curated list of Austin job seeking resources: General Job Seeker Services Workforce Solutions is the operational arm of Texas Workforce Commission in providing various job seeker services. Peak Performers does not provide job seeker services and will usually refer job seekers onto Workforce Solutions. You can turn to Workforce Solutions for services such as: Unemployment benefits Free or discounted training and education opportunities Workplace accommodation resources Childcare assistance …

11 Tips for Virtual Interviews Virtual interviews have become increasingly common, including with state government agencies in Austin, TX. Before COVID-19, Peak Performers had been transitioning to conducting mostly virtual interviews because of their convenience for all parties. Now, living with the virus, you will find most employers, including Peak Performers, are conducting their interviews via phone or video chat or some combination of the two. Let’s look at some tips for both jobseekers and employers: Treat it like a normal interview. It’s important to take all interviews, regardless of how they are conducted, with the same level of seriousness. …

Are cover letters necessary in 2022? The utility of the cover letter will vary between jobs and between job seekers in Austin. While somewhat old fashioned, cover letters are a nice way of introducing yourself and expressing your interest in the job. We are often told that recruiters spend 6-10 seconds per resume in the initial evaluation. So then what’s the point of a cover letter and does it still get read? For our part at Peak Performers Staffing Agency, cover letters are nice to have though are not a requirement for our process. Recruiters usually read cover letters if they’re …

For job seekers Is work from home the new normal? I get a lot of questions these days about work from home (WFH) jobs. I also get a lot of job seekers that are only looking for remote options. Here’s my perspective: Depends on the job. If you are an office worker, it is more common for your job to be WFH, as opposed to two years ago. There are many jobs that are obviously excluded from WFH options, such as retail, hospitality, and essential roles. What’s less obvious is that lower-level jobs are often still asked to be …

Celebrating Veterans’ Day with Jobs! Last week was Veterans’ Day. Peak Performers, a nonprofit employment agency, appreciates the sacrifices veterans have made in service to our country. Thank you. Tips for Veteran Job Seekers If you are a veteran or know one looking for work, we can help. Feel free to reach out to Myles or to apply online. 1) Seek out support resources. Veterans (and often their spouses) have access to a wide range of resources. In Texas, the Texas Veterans Commission helps orient thousands of veterans every year to a variety of services available, including helping them find work. 2) …

Tips for Comparing Job Offers Many job seekers now may be getting multiple competitive offers and be faced with a new predicament: which job do I accept? While it’s tempting to look only at the bottom line—the pay—there are many other intangible factors to consider. To start off with, as you begin your job search, it can help by making a list of what matters to you. Then seek to compare apples to apples. For this I included a video that can help you evaluate all the offers of benefits packages. Factors to Consider When Comparing Job Offers Compensation This …

Timing Your Job Search Hiring often comes in cycles. As a job seeker, you can take advantage of these cycles in order to apply at the right time. Here are several examples of hiring cycles: Budget-based Hiring Cycles Typically we see an increase in hiring activity towards the end of the fiscal year for government agencies as they seek to fill headcount and get projects done with their leftover budget. The federal end of fiscal year is September 30 and state of Texas is August 31. Many private companies begin their budget year January 1st. Seasonal Hiring Cycles Retail will …

Job Seeking Challenges If COVID-19 and the last couple years has taught me anything, it’s to take a step back and focus on what I can control (because there’s an awful lot of things I can’t!) I feel the same goes for job seeking… I talk to many, many job seekers who are feeling frustrated, burnt out, and like their situation is hopeless. They feel like they’re either stuck in a job that they don’t like or stuck without work altogether. This in spite of employers nationally struggling to find workers. So what can you control? -What jobs you apply …

Job Search Referrals Ask around for job recommendations and referrals when looking for your next job. When I first moved to Austin, I needed to find a dentist. So I asked my co-workers and friends. Who do you use? After talking to a few people, I found one who was in my area, covered by my insurance, and well-regarded by multiple co-workers. And they’ve been great–which is especially valuable to me since I’m afraid of going to the dentist! The jobs we see online are typically the ones that are best advertised. After all, Indeed and Ziprecruiter make a lot …

Picking the Best Staffing Agency Whether you’re a job seeker or an employer, picking a top rated staffing agency in Austin is key to your success. Staffing agencies are key partners. Here are some considerations to keep in mind to help you pick the top rated staffing agency. Staffing Agency Considerations Staffing Specialization When considering the best staffing agency, consider first your industry specialization. Many staffing firms will specialize in particular kinds of staffing. The leaders of these staffing firms often have experience recruiting for that industry and plenty of connections. Furthermore, the search process for an accountant or information …

Picking the Best Employment Agency in Austin If you’re looking to work with an employment agency in Austin, you have many to choose from. ResumeSpice lists at least 100 of them! So if you’re looking to compare agencies, here’s our tips for doing so: Tips for Comparing Employment Agencies Look at their jobs An employment agency isn’t going to do you much good if they don’t have a job that aligns with your skills and career goals. Also, many employment agencies will specialize. For example, we don’t often staff for warehouse or janitorial roles and many of our positions are …

Answer the Phone to Recruiter Calls Many people dread phone calls. They will do just about everything to avoid phone calls, even if they’re looking for a job. But in the business world, the phone is still the go-to communication tool. That means if you’re looking for work, answer the phone. You should answer your phone when job hunting because it might be a recruiter phone call. Phone Etiquette for Recruiter Phone Calls and FAQs about Answering Recruiter Calls Question: If job hunting, do I need to answer an unknown or out-of-area number? Answer: You should absolutely answer unknown numbers. …

Advice for getting a job (without a perfect resume) I’m a little jealous of my wife’s perfect resume. She’s known she’s wanted to be a children’s librarian since high school. When you look at her resume, she is the obvious choice candidate since all of her experience is applicable. When she first was applying for jobs as a children’s librarian in Austin, she got an interview for every two jobs she applied for. Most of our paths are not that linear. Most adults will switch careers 5.7 times according to Zippia. This can leave us feeling unqualified for the positions that …

Expressing your passion while looking for work Last week I was working with a job seeker who almost got declined for an interview, despite being incredibly well qualified. This was due to his not being overt about his desire to work at the organization. I had to convince the customer that he wanted to work for them. Sometimes a job is just a business arrangement where one party gets talent and the other gets a paycheck. However, many organizations view themselves in a more egalitarian light. (Here at Peak Performers Staffing Agency, passion for the mission is critical to getting a …

Even if You’re Unemployed… Your time is still valuable We all know the adage: “time is money.” But it’s easy to forget this if we’re not employed and not currently making any money. Furthermore, it’s painful to think about spending money/time on job seeking activities that don’t pan out. However, it’s critical that you approach your job seeking as though your time has a monetary value. Why This Matters: 1) Focus and productivity Thinking about your time as money means that you will focus harder on job seeking. Each time you submit a resume, scroll Indeed, and drive to an …

Tips for Video Resumes Everything you Wanted to Know about Video Cover Letters Video cover letters (sometimes called “video resumes” or even “video CV”) were pioneered by TikTok in 2021. Since then have seen more job seekers filming them, and more employers requesting the. A video cover letter can be great to put on your LinkedIn in order to help you “jump off the page” from your resume. In this article, we address some of the top questions about them. Also check out the video featuring Eliana De La Garza from Austin Community College sharing her thoughts on video cover …

Advice for Online Job Search The Problem with Indeed and Ziprecruiter Here’s how most people look for work these days: they scroll through Indeed or Ziprecriuter, apply for promising roles, and then keep scrolling endlessly. Most of the time, they never hear back. There is a better way to do your online job search. The problem with this technique is that most jobs posted online are not actually posted on these platforms. It costs companies hundreds or thousands of dollars to advertise jobs on these platforms. Companies, just like you or me, want to save money. In fact, many companies …

Learn how securing a solid employment reference shapes perceptions and influences hiring decisions and makes an impactful impression in your professional narrative.

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Disability and Employment Based on Census Bureau data from 2015, there were an estimated 1.6 million working-age Texans with one or more disabilities. In the same year, Austin was home to nearly 72,000 residents living with disabilities or roughly 8 percent of the city’s population. These are significant numbers, and they likely do not include many invisible disabilities as defined by the ADA Amendments Act (2008). While the situation is improving, many challenges remain for job seekers with chronic medical conditions in the United States. Discrimination in the workplace, lack of accessibility and inaccurate perceptions are all contributing factors to a disability …