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Clean Up Your Resume

When looking for a job, your resume is the first impression you will give to a potential employer. Essentially a summarization of your professional self on paper, your resume is a reflection of your skills and past jobs. That being said, your resume should be clean and organized in order to provide the best possible first impression to employers. We want to help you spring clean your resume, so try these tips to tidy it up!

Watch the Length: A resume should not exceed one or two pages. If your resume does, try sizing down or changing your font. Go no lower than 11 point font, however. Decreasing the size too much may decrease your resume’s readability. Also, try shortening down sentences. There is no need to be overly verbose when only a word or two would work just as well.

Remove Fluff: Only include the most relevant and recent jobs and skills in your resume. You may have an extensive list of past jobs, but not every single one needs mentioning. You can tailor your resume depending on what type of job you are applying to. For example, you may have worked in the oil industry previously and are applying for a position in another oil-related company. When submitting your resume to this company, include your past oil job. But if you are applying to a job in another field, perhaps remove it if other previous employment is more related to the job you are applying for.

Organize: Your resume should be easy to read and in logical order. Begin your resume with your name and contact information which should be bolded or in larger font than the rest of your resume so it catches employers attention and is easier to find. Instead of having bulky paragraphs with your information, try using bullet points. Easier to read and less intimidating than long paragraphs, bullet points will help make your resume look clean and simple. Also, make sure to list your past employment in chronological order, going from most recent to oldest.

After you’ve completed your resume, always proofread it, carefully checking to see if it flows well. Maybe have another person read and edit it, as well! When you are ready, submit your resume to us here and we can start your job search!

The Corpus Christi Oil Industry

It comes as no surprise that Corpus Christi has always been a major player in the oil and gas industry. The Corpus Christi Bay, where the majority of offshore drilling occurs, is the 5th largest bay in the United States, with 6 oil refineries and over a thousand oil wells. Corpus’ onshore oil drilling is also quite lucrative. Jobs in this industry are fruitful due to the large amount of positions offered by the various oil wells and refineries, but the industry just hit a huge boom, increasing job positions available. The end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 brought the largest surge of oil exportation since 2007 with the new movement of Eagle Ford crude oil through the Corpus port. According to Caller.com, the annual number of oil exportation vessels passing through Corpus Christi have increased by almost a thousand since 2011, and the amount of crude oil barges doubled. This boom has benefited the economy, in addition to providing many new jobs.

So let us help you! The Wilson Group are very familiar with the Corpus oil and gas industry and we’d love to help you find a job within it. As the export rates continue to go, so will the number of careers available. Check out our available positions here or give us a call at 316-883-3535 and we’ll find you the perfect job match.

What’s Up With That Interview Question?

There are some common job interview questions that always seem to stump candidates, no matter how well they’ve prepared beforehand.

The questions are not complicated. But candidates often fumble around or give inappropriate answers because they don’t understand the reasoning behind the questions – what the interviewer is REALLY getting at.

Here are a few common interview questions, with explanations of what the interviewer is actually trying to determine about you.

“Tell me about yourself.”
For the record, the correct answer is not, “Everything you need to know is on my resume.” Besides possibly coming off as a bit of a jerk, you’re not really telling the interviewer what he or she wants to know. They want to know that you can intelligently and succinctly sum up your professional accomplishments and goals without giving your whole life story, throwing in irrelevant information or going off on a tangent.

You should have a one-minute maximum answer – also known as your “elevator speech” – rehearsed and ready. If you don’t have an elevator speech prepared, here is an excellent article from Forbes to get you started.

“What are your weaknesses?”
This may be the most universally dreaded interview question, and the most challenging to answer. However, it’s a very common question, and you should be prepared.

Many people have been advised to try to spin a weakness into a strength. For example: “I’m a serious perfectionist,” or “I’m a workaholic – I’m just too dedicated to my job and I’m always in the office until 8 p.m.” Contrary to popular belief, this is not the right approach. First of all, interviewers can see right through your well rehearsed martyrdom. Everyone has weaknesses, and they want to know if you’re honest enough to own your shortcomings. It’s difficult to coach and develop employees who are afraid to admit they’re not perfect.

How do you answer the question? First, you should only discuss your weaknesses as they relate to a work environment. Your personal shortcomings relating to family and friends are irrelevant in this case. Second, be honest. Every human being has weaknesses – even the one interviewing you. Finally, be prepared to discuss the steps you are taking to overcome your weakness or make it work to your advantage. For example, people who are described as “too shy” are often great listeners.

Please check out this excellent resource if you’d like more help formulating your answer to the “greatest weakness” question.

“Why do you want to work here?”
One simple rule – this is NEVER the time to tell the interviewer what you hope to gain from the company. Answers like “I’ve heard you pay well,” or “I need benefits,” won’t go over well. This question is designed to determine two things: 1. How do you think your skills and background will benefit the company? and 2. Are you excited/enthusiastic about the company and the position?

This is a good chance to show the interviewer you’ve done some research on the company and tell them why you think you would be a good fit. For example, “After studying your website, I can see you do a lot of work with the Widget industry. I love Widgets and I have a lot of experience with them, so I saw this as a perfect chance to put that knowledge and passion to work for a progressive, stable company.”

If you are consistently having difficulty with these or other tough questions, The Wilson Group offers one-on-one interview coaching designed to improve your interviewing skills so you can land the job you want. Contact us today for more information.

The Value of Honesty in the Job Search

In a tough job market, the temptation to stretch the truth in your application materials can be enormous. This temptation has hit headlines in the form of Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson’s computer science degree from Stonehill College, who confirmed that Thompson only earned an accounting degree during his time there.

It’s true that busy human resources staffers and even busier business owners may not have time to fact-check your resume and chit-chat with your every reference. However, you never know when one might take the time or which piece of information they will check, and that alone is enough reason for most people to stay honest in their resume and professional profiles online.

There is another good reason not to lie on your resume, and that is simply that you may wind up in a situation where you suddenly need to have knowledge that you don’t have. There are wild tales of people who faked being doctors or pilots for years (or both, in the case of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr.), but these stories are few because most people get caught.

And finally, the best reason to be honest in your job search: a lie may get you in for the short run, but people appreciate honesty in the long run. Rather than pretending to have skills which you don’t have, turn yourself into an eager learner. Many companies would rather have an employee who can and wants to learn five skills than an employee who sticks stubbornly to one.

Honesty, integrity, and reliability are golden values in an employee. Get in touch with us if you’d like to learn how to project these values in your job search!

Networking in the Insurance Industry

It’s not true that everything is about who you know, but knowing people who can vouch for you certainly helps in the world of job searching. Networking isn’t always easy, however, and since we’ve been talking about jobs in the insurance industry we thought we’d spotlight some opportunities to network within that industry. We’re based in Corpus Christi, Texas, so these resources are either local to that area, or based online.

– Insurance Professionals group on LinkedIn
With over 63,000 members, you’re sure to find people who can help you on your way to a job in insurance in this group! LinkedIn designates it “Very Active” so be wary about sending auto-updates to your inbox— but there will almost always be someone around to chat with.

– Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce
Business owners and workers of all type attend the various events at the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. Be sure to bring your business cards!

– Insurance Networking News
In addition to blogs that you can comment on to meet and discuss with others, this site offers information on a variety of online and offline seminars and meetups.

– Insurance Campus
This basic social network allows insurance industry professionals to connect easily online. Check it out!

And remember, you can always count on The Wilson Group to keep you in touch with the insurance industry as well. Check out our job listings or contact us directly today!

There’s More to Insurance than Sales

When people think of the insurance industry they often think of insurance sales and claims adjusters. Both of these are important positions, but there’s a great deal more to the insurance industry than these two positions! Here are some examples:

Administration
Like most industries, insurance relies heavily on administrative staff to keep their businesses running smoothly. This can include everything from answering phones to data entry and more. Administrative experience is helpful, especially if it’s an industry that is relevant to the insurance company such as healthcare, auto, etc.

Account Management
Some insurance companies work primarily with consumers, such as auto, homeowners, and some health insurance firms. However, the bulk of insurance companies work with other businesses: employers, law firms, etc. In these cases an account manager serves as the primary contact between their insurance company and a particular client, processing enrollments and generally facilitating communication between the two companies. This position generally requires an undergraduate degree and/or relevant experience.

Underwriter
An underwriter determines risk and reward for each insurance holder. That is to say, they determine how much coverage the holder should receive, and how much they should pay for it. Like account management, an underwriter usually has a bachelor’s degree or significant relevant experience. To advance in the insurance industry ranks, an underwriter will generally acquire a Direct Endorsement (DE) or other certification.

Are you interested in working in the insurance industry? Be sure to contact us today!

Breaking In to the Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry is seeing a major boom in the United States, and if you’re looking for a new career, you shouldn’t overlook the possibility of breaking into it! With the boom come some very large paychecks, as well as great experience in a career that you can grow in.

There are a lot of jobs out there, and many of them are entry level or can be entered from another field! Here are a few to consider:

Field Workers
If you like getting out and working with your hands, this is the way to go for you. No college degree is required, though it helps to be certified in CPR and industry-related skills such as driving an ATV, confined space entry, drilling, team management, and other abilities. An understanding of heavy equipment is also helpful, so if you’ve worked in construction or other labor-intensive jobs, this might be a great fit for you.

Operators
These jobs involve managing the various equipment involved in oil and gas acquisition. They form the backbone of oil drilling and there are more of these jobs than any other in the industry! As such there are a wide variety of opportunities which you can acquire with or without a college degree (if you’re still picking your major, go with chemical or mechanical engineering). This position may fit someone who’s worked with high-tech machinery before, such as operators from manufacturing fields.

Admin/Clerical
Every business needs administrative staff to help keep things running, and oil is no exception! If you have administrative or clerical experience from another field, consider making a move into this industry for a pay bump. If you’d like to hop above some of your competitor candidates, consider getting certified in skills related to administrator or the petroleum industry specifically.

While many of these jobs don’t require a post-secondary education, it never hurts! If you’re not sure about these careers or want career coaching to evaluate your ability to get into the industry, please come visit us in Corpus Christi, Texas!

Image © Ed Schipul

Meet the Match-Maker: We Are The Wilson Group

Hiring in the oil and gas industries is complex. There are many fine staffing agencies out there, but if they don’t have experience in the industry, they have a much harder time finding the best candidate for each position. As a result, they may push forward the wrong candidate, or be unwilling to wait for the right one.

At The Wilson Group, we have many years of experience staffing in this particular industry, and we are experts who hire up and down the ladder from executives to engineers to administrative assistants. This is just one of the many advantages that we offer as a company to both candidates interested in oil and gas, and to the employers working in that industry. Here are some of the others:

Our motto is “the perfect match every time,” and we mean it. We are tenacious, award-winning staffing and recruiting professionals who take our work seriously to ensure that our client companies are happy with their candidates and vice-versa, and not just in the short run but in the long term. Our success stories are full of people who found not just a job but a happy employer-employee relationship thanks to our efforts. We don’t take those kinds of relationships lightly!

We know the oil and gas industries. We have been working with them for years and are based right in the heart of Corpus Christi, where the Eagle Ford Shale continues to bring funds and strong, secure jobs. We are an active part of our community as well, both because we love and care about our home here and to ensure that we always know who’s around in town and needs a new job or employee!

If you have an opening, or may have one soon, please contact us at 361.883.3535 or via our website. We can help you build your business with a strong, devoted, and happy workforce. And remember: we provide you the perfect match…every time!

Corpus Christi’s Snail Mail to be Processed in San Antonio – Will It Affect You?

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Last week we learned that the Corpus Christi mail processing facility is going to be consolidated into San Antonio’s, part of a major endeavor on behave of the U.S. Postal Service to cut costs quick. In fact, the CC sorting facility is one of 223 slated for closure throughout the U.S.— of a total 461. Yes, very nearly half of our mail sorting facilities are closing.

It’s unclear what this will mean for Corpus Christi’s businesses. Part of the reason for the post office’s situation is that the sheer volume of mail being sent out, both by individuals and by businesses, has declined steadily as people have adopted email and cloud computing. The change may not affect you or your business at all…but on the other hand, it might, so now would be a good time to start preparing.

First and foremost, if you’re not already using your email for general correspondence, start! We’re not saying to stop penning hand-written notes to your pen-pal, but if you or someone you know is sending event invitations or resumes out by snail mail, now would be a good time to go electronic.

The second step is to start minimizing the number of documents you have to send or receive in the mail. Paperless billing is a great tool offered by many service providers, like your cell phone or cable company, and it saves paper and trees, too. If you find yourself sending a lot of documents or large files by mail, be aware that there are a wide variety of options for sharing these files online now. Consider using a service like DropBox to share large files (such as video or high-resolution images) with clients, coworkers, or family members. For smaller documents, like a resume or a contract, most email services will let you send attachments as large as 10 or 20 megabytes. If yours doesn’t, consider setting up an account with Yahoo!, Gmail, or another service, at least for sending these kinds of files.

The digital world is changing an awful lot of things about the analog world, and in a hurry. It’s no surprise that the U.S. postal service is having to downsize. Expected or not, though, it’s a shame to see people losing their jobs. If you or someone you know is among those, feel free to send them here to upload their resume!

Photo © Jon Parise

Lessons Learned from Steve Jobs’ FBI File

Steve Jobs' FBI File Teaches Job Seekers a Lesson

The FBI’s file about Steve Jobs, compiled in 1991 when he was being considered for George H.W. Bush’s Export Council, offers a great lesson on being prepared for your employer’s scrutiny. In the file, Jobs’ use of recreational drugs during his youth was revealed, and although people who worked with him spoke highly of his intelligence and abilities, he was also called manipulative and stubborn, especially when he didn’t get his way. In this case, the “employer”— the government —hired Jobs anyway, but in many situations that kind of information would leave your resume in the trash can.

Of course most of the people you send applications to won’t be able to conduct such thorough background checks and interviews…but they also don’t need to. They may already have direct access to you and your history, thanks to your participation in social media.

Whether you’re just starting a job search or are in the middle of one, you should take some time as soon as possible to look over all of your social media profiles. Look at every tweet, every status update, every photo, and ask yourself: “Would I have said this in front of or shown this to my toughest boss?” If the answer is no, get rid of it, either by deleting it or marking it private.

This is especially important on Facebook as the company gets ready to roll out Timeline, forcing every user to adopt the new standard. Here are a few tips:

First, check and see what your profile looks like to the general public (people who have no relation to you), how it looks to a friend, and how it looks to a “friend of a friend.” You can do this easily by going to your profile and clicking the “View As…” button in the upper-right corner, below the menu bar. Make sure you know what a potential employer can see— and what they can see if they ask you to friend them. (They might!)

A second helpful tip: if you go into your privacy settings, you can set what your posts default to in terms of privacy. You will probably want them to go “Friends Only” by default, but if you have divided your friends into Lists on the site, you can specify the individuals who you would like to have see every post.

Also on the privacy settings page is an option called “Limit the Audience for Past Posts.” To the right of this option you’ll see a link that says “Manage Past Post Visibility.” By clicking this link, you can automatically set all of your past posts to be viewable only to friends.

In today’s job market, you need to remove every possible disadvantage…and certain kinds of social media posts can be just that.