Not only are the stars big and bright in Texas, so is the job growth.

Last week, the Dallas Morning News reported that the state of Texas has added 33,000 jobs during the month of April.

This increase – as well as the 326,100 jobs added in the last 12 months – has made Texas the number 1 state in job creation.

This incredible news is welcoming to all of us in the career staffing industry, especially for those of us located in the great state of Texas.

Texas was the No. 1 state again in job creation,” said Jason Frederick, a senior economist for BBVA Compass bank. In March, “we saw a little blip and I said then that it wasn’t enough to worry about.”

The state’s seasonally adjusted job growth in April comes after it lost 5,200 jobs in March, which was revised from an initial 4,100 job losses

Texas’ unemployment rate is currently below the national average at 6.4 percent. While the national unemployment rate is 7.5 percent.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, every state – excluding three – has seen job gains in the last 12 months, but Texas is expected to grow the most with at least 3 percent for this year.

Texas’ fastest growing industry has been construction, which added 41,500 jobs in the last year. 6,000 of them in this past April alone. This has also had a great affect on home prices, which are up by 1/3 in the first quarter. Even if you’re not in the construction or real estate industry, this is good news for all.

Dallas alone has added 14,300 jobs and currently has a 6 percent unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the state.

If you live in Texas, this is reassuring news for your job search. If you do not currently live in Texas and you are looking for a new job, we’d love to have you. Once you get here, look no further than Maxsys Solutions for all your job searching needs.

An elevator pitch is described as a “short summary used to quickly and simply define a person, profession, product, service, organization or event and its value proposition“.

If you think about time you spend in an elevator, you typically only have about 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Now, you don’t have to wait until you’re in an elevator to use your pitch, but it is important to create and practice a quick speech for yourself while you are searching for a job.

To make sure you do not let that elevator door close on a fantastic opportunity, here are a few tips on creating your elevator pitch:

Start the Conversation

Elevator pitches do not work if you do not get the conversation off and running. They also do not work if you start right out of the gate with your elevator pitch. You’ll also need to dedicate a few sentences to your introduction.

Make Your Job Clear

Be sure to include your field and what type of job you are looking for. If you do not clearly state what type of position you want, how is someone supposed to help you get it?

Answer the Right Questions

Forbes Magazine advises that you answer these three questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for?

The Nine C’s of an Effective Elevator Pitch

This list is from Elevator Pitch Essentials:

1. Concise
2. Clear
3. Compelling
4. Credible
5. Conceptual
6. Concrete
7. Customized
8. Consistent
9. Conversational

Practice Makes Perfect

A good tip is to practice saying your elevator pitch out loud, then ask others to listen to it and offer some advice. You may want to consider having several pitches to tailor it to your audience.

When all else fails, Harvard Business School has an elevator pitch creator.  It includes suggested words, tips and even an analyzer when you’re finished.

For more assistance in finding for your perfect job, contact Maxsys Solutions.

Networking can be extremely intimidating, but it is an important part of any job search. The key to networking is to be friendly and genuine. Yes, you are there to essentially market yourself, but it is important to not come across as pushy and full of yourself.

We have searched the web for the best networking tips to help you become better at self-promotion:

Skip the Sales Pitch

The main goal of networking is to build a relationship, so if you are just spouting up some rehearsed sales pitch it is going to come off as insincere. Start the conversation off light and informal. You’re not only there to get a job, but to meet and form relationships with people within your industry. It’s a known fact that people tend to do business with people they like.

Get Prepared

Know the type of people and businesses you want to form a relationship with. Do not attend an event without knowing a little bit about the key people. Make lists of the names and little bits of information you’ll want to remember about each person.

You also want to be prepared to answer questions about yourself and your work. Create a mental list of your career accomplishments and practice working them into a conversation without it sounding like you’re reading your resume.

Ask Questions

People love to talk about themselves, so ask questions about them. An important part of networking is listening to what people have to say. Their stories may also help you in your job search. Pay special attention to come across as authentic and do not hijack the conversation.

Give, As Well As Take

Helping others makes you feel good. If you can provide any sort of assistance to someone, they will be more apt to help you down the road and that can potentially lead to a job opportunity. This is a great way to start a relationship.

Remember Your Manners

Very simply – offer a firm handshake, repeat the person’s name, do not interrupt, stay focused, maintain eye contact, and SMILE. Many people forget to smile if they’re nervous. Smiling will not only make you feel less nervous, but it will let others know you are approachable and friendly.

Nurture Your Network

Once you have met people and created a little network for yourself, it’s important to keep in contact with them. Try to contact one person a day with either an email or a quick call. Remember, it does not always have to be about business; if someone is a huge football fan, call them on Monday morning to discuss the big game from the day before.

What are some of your tips for networking? For more ways we can help you in your job search, contact Maxsys Solutions.

If you are a college senior, there is no doubt that obtaining a job is first on your to-do list. In just a few weeks you will graduate, leaving behind those fun years in college and entering into the – not as much fun – world of full-time employment.

There is a good chance that you are nervous about the unemployment rate. We are here to tell you that there are jobs available, but the competition has increased. You are competing with other recent college grads, but also many in the work force who have lost their jobs.

Here are some tips to prepare you for your job search:

Tackle that Resume

First things first – you resume needs to dazzle. The best tip is to remember that your resume is the first impression you will make with a potential employer, so it needs to be perfect. Be sure to read out list of things not to do on your resume. Many college grads will not have much experience, so it is important to make sure you highlight your strengths, as well as the courses you took which are relevant to the job you want. Fox Business published a great piece on Resume Mistakes College Seniors Should Avoid.

Emphasize Experience

Even if you did not get paid for an internship or volunteer work, does not mean it is not experience. Other experiences to include: summer jobs, extracurricular activities, research projects and papers.

Network

Yes, searching for a job online or using a staffing agency is the way to go, but you also need to sell yourself at every opportunity. Make sure you are promoting yourself when appropriate and, of course, use social media to your advantage.

Practice Interviewing

There are plenty of articles providing interview tips, but it is a good idea to practice interviewing. Whether in the mirror by yourself or with friends. This is not a time where you want to “wing it”.

Be Professional

You are an adult now, act like it. Clean up your Facebook page, make sure your email address is not something like “ilovebeer@gmail.com”, and change your voicemail greeting so people can clearly understand who they are calling and you do not end it with “Check ya lata!”.

Remember that looking for a job is a full-time job and you must treat it that way. For more information and help in your job search, contact Maxsys Solutions.

A recent article in the Dallas Morning News has many people in the IT industry excited. Especially for those of us living in DFW.

Over the past five years, tech professionals in Dallas-Fort Worth have seen a 13 percent salary increase. The article sites Dice, Inc’s data in which they describe “tech professionals” as those who code and develop software, manage databases, analyze data and provide help desk support.

In the DFW area, job postings for these tech professionals are filled within 15 days. This accounts for the unemployment rate for these positions have steadily run at half the national average, around 3.5 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t track the unemployment rate for technology professionals by cities or markets, but it does monitor employment for the sector. Dallas-Fort Worth has added 500 technology professionals so far in 2013. In 2012, the area added 4,600 tech jobs.

This had led to a slight decline in tech jobs in other cities that once dominated the tech market – Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Washington D.C. Areas with lower costs of living are the ones that are taking off including major cities in Texas, as well as St. Louis, Charlotte, Phoenix and Detroit.

If you are looking for a tech career in Dallas-Fort Worth, please check out our services.

Whatever tactics you are using to find a job – on your own or through a staffing agency -you will need to keep your resume impecable and updated at all times. According to Monster.com, your resume will get less than 15 seconds when it is first looked at by potential employers.

So even before your interview, this is where it is especially true that you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Here is a list of things that will prevent your resume from getting tossed into the trash:

- Do not misspell words. This is a biggie, proofread, have a friend proofread, have your mother proofread, and then proofread again.

- Do not lie. Another valuable tip learned in Kindergarten. Just don’t do it, it never ends well.

- Do not include that part-time job you had in high school. There is no need to include jobs over 15 years old, unless they are in the same field and will help you land the job.

- Do not include personal information. If you feel any personal information will help you in this position, save it for the interview.

- Do not print your resume on colored paper. Yes, it was cute in that Reese Witherspoon law school movie, but this is the real world. White paper only.

- Do not use cute fonts. Stick to Times New Roman or Arial for easy reading.

- Do not exclude information. If you leave something off your resume, like a date or an address, it can be a little suspicious.

- Do not use pronouns. Stay away from using “I”, “me” and “my”.

- Do not include references. Save your references for when they are requested.

It’s important to keep in mind that your resume is a reflection of you as an employee, make sure it reflects you properly.

If you have any questions about your resume or any other job related questions, please contact Maxsys and a member of our team will be happy to help.

It’s a little known secret that sometimes a temporary job in a company can lead to a full-time position.

According to a recent Forbes article on temporary positions, Melanie Holmes, a vice president at ManpowerGroup advises, “Working as a temporary employee gives you the opportunity to be on the inside and ultimately gives you an advantage over external candidates when applying for permanent jobs.”

Now we know that there are lots of reasons why you would not want to accept a temporary position, but we wanted to present an argument on why you should.

1. According to CareerBuilder, “Temporary and contract hiring are filling some hiring gaps: As market demands increase, more companies are turning to staffing and recruiting companies and temporary workers to fill the gap. Forty percent of employers plan to hire temporary and contract workers in 2013, up from 36 percent last year.”

2. If a company is hiring for temp positions, it is most likely they they are busy. If they are busy, they have openings, or at least they will in the near future.

3. Some companies use temps to get qualified candidates in the door, sort of like how you would rent a house with the option to buy.

4. Accepting a temporary position means that you can get your foot in the door of a company you’d like to work for and see if you would really enjoy working there.

5. If you like working for a company as a temp, you have the ability to be the first to learn when new openings are becoming available.

6. Temp-to-perm positions show a willingness to build your network.

7. Working in a temporary position may allow you to learn new skills to add to your resume.

With the unemployment rate at 7.6%, it can be a difficult decision on whether or not to accept something that is temporary. But you have to remember that while a job may be posted as temporary, some are actually temp-to-perm positions. It helps to keep an open mind.

If you have any questions on temporary positions, please contact a Maxsys team member.

Forbes Magazine recently released its picks for the best cities within the United States for great jobs. They used many different criteria to form their list, including current employment rates, wages, per capita income, and expected job growth.

Data for their article was obtained for 100 of the largest metropolitan areas from Moody’s Analytics, which gets much of their data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Our fellow Texans will be happy to learn that not only did we not suffer as much as the rest of the country in the recent financial crises, but five of our fine cities ranked in the top 10:

1. Dallas
2. Houston
3. Austin
4. Fort Worth
5. Seattle
6. San Antonio
7. Oklahoma City
8. Denver
9. San Francisco
10. Salt Lake City

To explain why Dallas is number 1, Bernard Weinstein says “…we have an incredibly diversified economy”. Weinstein has been tracking the north Texas economy since 1975 and is associate director of Southern Methodist University‘s McGuire Energy Institute. “As the national economy improves, we’re getting better”, he adds.

Now some people may question the quality and the income of the jobs in Texas, but “not only is the Dallas-area per-capita income of $39,548 comfortably above the national average of $37,000, but it’s growing fastest in the top half of wages above $16 an hour.”

What brings all of the jobs to Texas? Well, earlier in the year Governor Rick Perry did make a plea to businesses in California to consider moving to the Lone Star State. But we also have to remember the lack of state income tax helps too.

The industries greatly expanding in Texas include energy, financial and professional services. Tech companies are relocating to Austin in droves. High cost of living, as well as demand for housing have tech jobs moving out of California.

The other cities on the list are in the tech (Seattle), oil and gas (Oklahoma City), construction and mining (Denver) industries.

Are you surprised by this list? If you are interested in more information on businesses in the Dallas area, please contact us.

photo credit

For most people seeking new employment, when they get that phone call to schedule a job interview, there are two feelings as they hang up that phone – excitement and panic.

Excitement because you are one step closer to the job you want and panic because you are one step closer to loosing the job you want with a bad interview. Here are eight mistakes most people make:

1. Confess to multiple weaknesses. We all know it is coming and we all dread it, the infamous “what is your biggest weakness?” question. Interviewers are asking this because they want to see if you are humble. Answer the question, just don’t be too humble that you talk yourself out of a job. Name one weakness that is relevant to the position and explain how you plan to improve.

2. Saying disparaging things about your previous employers. No matter how bad your former boss was, anything negative you say will make you look disgruntled and bitter. That will guarantee that you will not be hired.

3. Not knowing anything about the company. You always want to research the company you are interviewing with and the position you are interviewing for. This will show that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you are genuinely interested in working for their company.

4. Not asking any questions. At some point during an interview, you will be asked if you have any questions and it is a big mistake to say “no”. Before your interview prepare some questions, either about the company or even ask the interviewer about their experience with the company.

5. Bringing in your phone or not turning it off. Do we really need to even elaborate on this? Any noise that comes from your pocket or bag is not going to make a good impression.

6. Rambling. The night before your interview, prepare a script, but obviously be flexible because you’re not always sure the direction in which the interview will go. But it’s a good idea to remember answers to the most common interview questions. Always keep your answers short and to the point.

7. Forgetting your manners. We were all taught them around the age of 5. Always say “please” and “thank you”, look the person in the eye, smile and offer a firm 2-pump handshake.  And please, please do not forget to send a thank you note after the interview, either by snail mail or email depending on the position.

8. Leave the interview open-ended. Be sure to ends the interview to ask if they need anything else from you and make sure they know you’re interested in the position. Do not forget to follow up with an email or a phone call within one week.

Do you have any job interview mistakes? Let us know by chiming in and telling us your experience.

If you would like to work one-on-one with the recruiter give us a call or contact us today at Maxsyssolutions.com.

For those who are in the IT industry, finding a first job, or finding a new job might seem like a challenge. But, if you work with a reputable professional staffing agency, the task is going to be much easier. Not only do they have the expertise to place you, they are going to find the best companies to match you up with, depending on the type of IT work you do, and the level of expertise you have as a candidate.

The search –
When searching for an IT position, many are not posted in newspapers, or job search sites. For this reason, working with a professional staffing agency, as opposed to finding limited openings through online search sites and other job posting boards – will help you land your next career DREAM job. When starting your search, working with a professional agency, that caters to the IT industry, is the best way to find the right position. Agencies are also going to pair applicants up with the best employer, and the position they are most qualified for. Working with an agency will cut your search time down, help you find the right position, and will ensure you find the best pay rates, for the position you are eventually matched with.

Tailor your resume –
When choosing the professional staffing agency to work with, it is important that your resume is tailored to the employers the agency works with. Depending on whether it is a small or larger employer you want to work with, you have to create a resume that focuses on only the essentials. You want to highlight previous work experience, education, certification, training, and any licenses you have as well. Making sure you showcase all the skills and qualifications that make you a better candidate than others as it’s important in a competitive industry.

Interviewing for a position –
Once you have been matched up by the staffing agency to an employer that your qualifications match, you have to prepare for the interview. You must research the employer; from when they first opened their doors, to the type of IT work they do, and who their clients are. Knowing as much about the employer as possible, is important to show the employer you are truly interested in the position. You also have to know what is going to be asked of you. In IT, unlike other careers, you might not deal with customers as often. So, many employers will not ask behavioral questions, but will instead focus on qualifications, the training you have, and what licenses you hold, which qualify you for the position. Knowing what will be asked of you, and how to answer questions, is an important part of showing the employer you are the best fit.

When searching for a job in IT, there are several employers you might never have heard about, without the assistance of a professional professional staffing agency. So, rather than try to find positions on your own, work with a professional staffing agency to ensure you find the most open positions, and to ensure you find the best fit for your qualifications, at the highest pay rates.

How about you…Are YOU Ready to work with a professional staffing agency? Give us a call or contact us today and get moving towards YOUR next dream job!