But it also can present a challenge for some job seekers.  It is becoming more and more difficult to maintain our privacy on the Web.  Some people believe that anyone can find anyone on the Web.  It is becoming more common for prospective employers and recruiters to surf the Web looking for information on candidates beyond the typical background check.  More and more clients are asking how to bury information on the Web they don’t want employers to see.

So I went out and polled some internal and external recruiters.  They said that the higher the position, the more likely they will dig for information.  Some recruiters stated that they will go out and dig if there are some red flags or inconsistencies on the resume or application.  Other recruiters said they just don’t have the time to do alot of digging on the Web and need to trust the background check and references.

So my advice to clients is to remember that public information is public to everyone – even prospective employers.  If there is public information out there you aren’t proud of consider removing it or disclosing it before they find it.  This way you can explain it before an employer uses the information to eliminate you from the candidate pool.

First step – Google yourself and see what’s out there, then device a plan to either remove or manage that information so it doesn’t derail your search.

The role of pre-employment testing varies greatly across employers.  In fact not all employers use testing in the hiring decision.  For those employers that do use it, the weight it holds in the decision also varies.

The good news is that if you are asked to undergo testing, you know you are a finalist.  Testing can be very expensive for employers so they wouldn’t ask you to go through the process unless they were seriously interested in you.

Pre-employment testing can range from an hour to a day long.  Sometimes it is all on the computer and sometimes you are interviewed by an organizational psychologist.  It can occur on site at the employers or off site at the testing agency.

The kind of test varies also by types of job.  Typically they are a combination of aptitude tests, or general intelligence and personality tests.  Sometimes an “in-box” exercise is included which tests your decision making and prioritization skills.

Employers use the results of these tests often to see how you fit with the role you are being considered for and how well you fit in with the team.

A few tips I offer clients who are undergoing pre-employment testing.

1. Try not to take the test on the same day that you have interviews, it can be too exhausting.

2. Do not try to outsmart the test.  There are factors built in to standardized testing to test for this.

3. Understand how much the test results are weighted in the hiring decision.

So don’t be intimidated by pre-employment testing, view it as just one step closer to that job offer.

Good Luck

10:00-12:00pm

Come together to address and discuss fears and concerns related to job loss.  This professionally facilitated session will help individuals:

• Regain perspective – discover and tap into positive energy
• Develop and bolster coping strategies
• Create a resilience plan to carry them through these challenging times

Cottage Grove Service Center

13000 Ravine Parkway South • Cottage Grove, MN  55016

Refreshments made available

First of all there is no law or universal rule dictating how long a job needs to be posted.  Each company can set its own policy or guidelines on this.  A job can be posted for as little as a single day.  When this occurs it typically means the company has either an internal or known candidate already identified.

Another reason a job posting may disappear is that funding or internal support for the position has been lost.  This doesn’t necessarily mean the job is gone for good, just for now. 

Sometimes a job posting disappears because it needs to be amended or revamped because it wasn’t attracting the right type of candidate or the company realizes they need something different. 

On the contrary, sometimes jobs seem to stay on a website well after a pool of candidates is selected for interviews.  This is because an employer wants to be sure they continue to collect resumes in the event the existing pool doesn’t produce a finalist or the finalist declines the job.  This way they don’t have to start from scratch. 

The best advice I can offer is as soon as you see a job online that looks good – print it out right away.  This will give you time to review it more closely, before it disappears.

This does not mean however that job seekers should not take this this part of the selection process seriously.  Here are some tips to make the most out of your references.

1. Assemble your references early in the search process.  Do not leave this task until the last minute and find yourself scrambling.

2. Identify 3-4 references.  These are people who have seen you in a work or volunteer situation and can speak to your professional skills.  Resist the tempation of choosing people with big titles who may not be able to speak directly to your work.  Personal references hold less weight these days.  At lease one of these references should be a former supervisor or boss.  The absence of one on the list is a red flag to a prospective employer.

3. Talk with your references ahead of time about what they are comfortable talking about.  If you, as a job seeker are highlighting certain skills, make sure your references are reinforcing those qualities when talking to a prospective employer.

4. When a prospective employer indicates that they will be calling references, call your references to put them on alert.  References also appreciate having a current copy of your resume and the job description of the job you are applying for so that their comments are relevant to the job you are applying for.

5. Be sure to keep your references apprised of your standing whether you get the job or not.

In job search, give yourself the best possible chance to compete by managing every detail in your search, including how to make the most of your references.