APR’s Fresh Start Program

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By: Vanessa Chavez – HR Assistant

APR Consulting, Inc.’s Wellness Program is proud to announce that they have begun their amazing new program called Fresh Start Program. This program is all about inspiring employees to tackle their bad habits such as drinking, smoking, overeating, or any other bad habits that could affect their health. Quitting a bad habit is never easy, and doing it alone seems almost impossible.

With this program employees will receive support from their peers and APR, resources, advice, and group or individual meetings to make sure employees do not lose faith in themselves. At the end of the program all participants will be rewarded with a healthy lunch paid by APR.

The Fresh Start Program is yearlong in order to give employees plenty of time to experiment with different approaches to quitting their bad habit. We do not expect employees to give up their bad habit completely on the first day, instead we recommend they take small steps, and assign themselves reachable goals each month. No one is perfect, but we do know APR employees are tough enough to accomplish great things. We should all feel inspired to take the necessary steps to better health, and APR believes you can do it too.

Do you have a bad habit you’re looking to quit? Follow us Facebook and Twitter for some Fresh Start tips to help you along your journey. Let’s Start Fresh. #FreshStart

Let’s Get Moving!

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Every New Year’s Eve you may have made the same New Year’s resolution, “I will exercise more” or “I will try to be healthier this year.” Sure, you may start off great the first two months, but by the time you reach March, your falling back to your old ways. Don’t worry, you are not alone. It is difficult to find motivation or support to help you commit to your goals. Because of this APR Consulting, Inc.’s Wellness Program has created a “Get Moving Challenge” for its employees.

The “Get Moving Challenge” is a 5-week friendly competition where employees keep track of the steps you take from Monday through Sunday on a weekly log. Employees are entered into a weekly drawing based on how many active days they have and at the end of the month, there will be a grand prize winner.

Exercising has many benefits such as it helps control your weight, combats health conditions and diseases, improves your mood, boosts energy, the list could go on and on.  Which is why APR Consulting, Inc.’s Wellness Program would like to encourage you to “Get Moving”. Grab a buddy, join a group, or just lift yourself up, and get out there. Start small, make realistic goals for yourself, and do something you’ll enjoy. It may be difficult, but YOU are worth it. Please see below for motivation tips:

  1. ​Set your workout clothes and equipment where you can see them
  2. Give yourself a real reward: i.e. a smoothie or allow yourself to watch an episode from your favorite show
  3. Sign a commitment contract: pledge to yourself you will work out 30 minutes 3 times a week and have a friend or family member be there to witness you sign this pledge
  4. Think Positive: i.e. Instead of complaining on how early it is, think about how nice it will be to see the sun rise or the feeling of morning air on your face.
  5. Give yourself realistic goals
  6. Surround yourself by people who will support you
  7. Get a work out buddy
  8. Do an activity you would enjoy and mix it up throughout the week
  9. Get sufficient workout clothes
  10. Eat healthy​

Let’s get inspired and inspire others. How do you “Get Moving”? Let us know by using the #getmoving @aprconsutling on Twitter!

By: Vanessa Chavez | HR Assistant

A Recruiter’s Perspective – Part 2

Last month we introduced “Recruiter’s Perspective – Part 1”, where we sat three of our top recruiters in on a roundtable discussion and asked them career centered questions. This is part 2 of the round table discussion.

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Question 1: As a recruiter who represents candidates, what are your expectations of the candidate once you’ve mutually decided to work together in pursuit of an assignment?

“Be reliable and dependable. Show up to the interview on time and keep your recruiter in the loop as to what is going on. For instance, if you’re sent on an interview, call us after and let us know how it went. We want to know that you’re interested.” – Irene

 “If something changes with your job status, let us know. We want to support you however we can.” – Michelle

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Question 2: What advice do you have for candidates who have to answer the interview question: “Tell me about yourself?”

 “This is your sales pitch about yourself as to why my client should hire you. This is your time to shine. Don’t tell me about what you like to do on the weekends. Keep it brief and professional.” – Irene

“Keep it professional and specific to the job you’re interviewing for. If the job requires someone proficient in Excel, explain to me how you can meet up to that requirement.”– Michelle

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Question 3: Of the hundreds of positions you’ve filled over the years, please describe one or two really successful placements that stand out the most in your memory and why.

“I once had a candidate who previously worked for a nail salon and was hired for a temporary 2 week filing job. The two week position turned into 2 years, and then permanent!”  – Irene

“I was trying to find someone for a temporary 3 month position. I received a phone call from a lady who was retired and looking for work. I described to her the 3 month position and while she was hesitant at first, she went in for the interview and got the job. She ended up working for them for 3 years!” – Jackie

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Question 4: What do you like most about recruiting?

“We get the chance to help people find their next career. It’s different every day and it keeps you on your toes.” – Michelle

“I love that I get the opportunity to help people. Trying to find the right people for the right position is like a treasure hunt.” – Irene

“There is never a dull moment. It’s rewarding when you see a candidate go from temporary to permanent.” – Jackie

Do you have a question for our recruiters? Email your question to [email protected] and it might get featured on the next Recruiter’s Perspective.

A Recruiter’s Perspective

If you’ve never worked with a recruiting firm in your job search, applying for jobs at XYZ Company could seem intimidating.  But what if you could ask a recruiter any question you wanted? From interviews and resumes, to what it is recruiters actually do; we sat three of our top recruiters in on a roundtable discussion and asked them some of these questions. Here are the first four questions we asked them.

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Question 1: You receive or find resumes from two different people who have the EXACT experience and qualifications you’re seeking to fulfill a client’s job. What would make one resume stand out over the other?

“Personally, I like a resume that is clean, thought out and not thrown together. As a recruiter, I see hundreds of resumes a day. For me, it’s important to find your experience quickly. I shouldn’t have to search through paragraphs or pages to find your experience. Bullet points are always a plus compared to paragraphs.” – Michelle

Phone Interview

Question 2: What makes one job seeker stand out in a phone interview compared to others?

“Personality. This is their opportunity to sell themselves. For instance, if I’m hiring for an HR Coordinator position, the nature of the job requires you to be friendly and personable. If you’re dull and giving me one word answers, then I might move on to the next job seeker.” – Irene

“Attention and Professionalism. If I call you to talk about a job opportunity, I want to know that you are giving me your time and focus, without having the TV blaring in the background.” – Michelle

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Question 3: What advice would you give to a job seeker on how to successfully work with a staffing/recruiting firm?

“Be open minded when working with a staffing firm. You never know where a job opportunity might take you.” – Jackie

“Treat the staffing firm as your actual employer. We work directly with the company you’re trying to get a job with and at the end of the day, with a temporary or contract job, we will be your direct employer.” – Michelle

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Question 4: What would you say are the advantages of taking a temporary/contract assignment?

“It’s an opportunity for you to get more experience and exposure in an industry you’re looking to work in. You can build your experience and skill sets that might open up more opportunities in the long run.” – Jackie

Do you have a question for our recruiters? Email your question to [email protected] and it might get featured on the next Recruiter’s Perspective.

The Best Tools for Success for Job Seekers

Once a week we feature a “Tool for Success” that can help in your career, job search, and more. Here is a roundup of five tools we previously featured that can specifically help job seekers be successful in their job hunt.

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1. Job Dash – A free program that can help set goals in your job search and organize your applications and interviews.

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2. Wix – A free website creator you could use to create a website and show off your skills and experience.

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3. Photofeeler – A free program that rates your professional photos so you can find the best picture to represent you.

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4. About.Me – A free tool where users can create a profile that pulls their contact information, bio, and interest. Use this tool to increase your professional online presence.

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5. Prezi – A free website dedicated to making presentations interactive. Create a presentation version of your resume and share it to potential employers.