A top notch resume and killer interview skills is what it takes to stand out from the crowd of eager job seekers around the Capital Region, according to Renee A. Walrath of Walrath Recruiting, Inc. The Clifton Park woman runs an Albany-based recruitment agency that helps both job seekers and employers looking to hire.
I decided I wanted to do a career change which got me into staffing. I’m a numbers person and on the other hand I’m a people person, said Walrath, who spent 17 years in accounting and four in staffing before opening her own company. `In this industry I really make a difference in someone’s life because I’m helping someone find a career, a career path, or helping clients fill a job, so it’s making a difference whether in an applicant’s life or client’s life. I’m improving someone’s livelihood.`
Unemployed job seekers or clients looking to fill a position can reach out to Walrath through her website, www.walrathrecruiting.com. Her role is to make the process easier for everyone involved.
`I pre-screen every applicant that comes in, not just over the phone but they come in here and I interview them to make sure their skill set does match,` said Walrath.
Walrath said she saves clients looking for an employee time because they don’t have to wade through piles of resumes, do reference checks or waste time interviewing an incompatible individual.
`Sometimes a skill set might match but the personality might not jive. I like to get to know my clients well and their work environments,` said Walrath. `Some people are more comfortable in a conservative work place or a relaxed atmosphere, so I make sure not only the skill set is a good match but the personality would work within that environment.`
Walrath advertises for available positions on her website and other job posting boards, although she said she gets a lot of referrals too.
Since opening in October, Walrath has placed 12 people and has around 35 open jobs she’s looking to fill. They’re `good, valid` jobs, she said.
`It seems I’m seeing about 70 percent direct hire and seeing higher end positions, like I have two attorney positions, a CPA, an accountant, positions in information technology; they’re well over $50,000 salary positions,` said Walrath.
She has some tips for job searchers.
`[Their resume] is their tool to get in the door, their marketing piece, so they need to make sure their resume is crisp, no spelling errors,` said Walrath. `When they go on an interview make sure they actually research the company and know about who you’re dealing with and talking to.`
Walrath said interviewees should bring a few copies of their resume to the interview and have three to five questions ready about the organization. Last, but not least, make a point of stating that you want the job.
`If you want the job, tell them at the end of the interview, ‘I’m very interested and would appreciate the opportunity,’` said Walrth.
Another tip that people frequently forget is the `thank you` note.
`Obviously follow up with a ‘thank you’ note. Not many people do that but it sets them apart from their competition,` said Walrath.
Unemployment rates still suggest a struggle but Walrath said she’s optimistic.
`From my perspective, I think it looks good, especially in the medical industry; there are plentiful jobs within the medical industry,` said Walrath. `I’m positive about the new year and excited about my business.`
Walrath said she wants to find a way to set her recruiting company apart from other similar agencies. She thinks she already stands out because she offers resume critiquing and interview preparation, but she’d like to go a bit further.
`I’m meeting with an organization in New York City that works with another staffing agency in Pennsylvania to partner with them to assist veterans when they come home, getting jobs,` said Walrath. `This is how I would be different this is probably one area where I would be different from everyone else.`
Nothing is set in stone and details or a plan are nowhere near being done, said Walrath, but she hopes discussions will allow her to offer some sort of veteran service somehow, someday.
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