Multiple Job Offers? No Problem!

If you find yourself in the position of having multiple job offers, congratulations! For many people multiple job offers is great news, especially in a recovering economy. However, for others that do not handle their job offers in a considerate way towards their prospective employers, things can get a little messy. Make sure that you don’t burn any bridges and keep relationships with employers healthy and ethical to ensure a successful job and career.

Below you will find some tips on how to manage multiple job offers:

Ask for extensions if you need them: If you’re a great candidate it is no surprise to employers that you should have multiple offers. Make sure that you tell the employer, who you’ve asked an extension from, how much time you will need. Positions need to be filled as soon as possible so give them an actual date on when you will get back to them. Therefore, you should already know when you should be hearing back from the employer whose offer you are waiting on. This information is vital!

It’s perfectly acceptable to reach out to employers you haven’t heard from: At the end of every interview you should know when to expect to hear back from a prospective employer (either they told you or you asked them during the interview). If you have not heard from them, call them the following day and ask for feedback and the decision they made. Clarity plays a big part in handling multiple job offers.

Weigh your options: If you have the time, review all of your offers. Even if you know there is a certain job that you would prefer, you do not have to accept on the spot. Ask yourself questions that you value in a career. For example: “Where can I advance the most within five years?” “What company will take the time to train me?” “What job would I love going to work to every morning?” If you know what you want in your next career, handling multiple job offers will be a breeze.

Happy job searching!

You can reach out directly to Edith at edith.botello@mattressfirm.com.
 

How to be S.U.C.C.E.S.S.ful at a career fair

S- Study the companies that will be attending. Find out what type of positions they have available and what they are looking for. Then ask yourself, “Is this what I am looking for?” If the answer is yes, make sure you visit them at their booth!

U – Uncover what the company representative likes about the organization. This will help you discover why you would like to work there.

C- Carry a simple portfolio with plenty of resumes to hand out. There may be a company not listed in the directory that you would like to meet with and they will not be able to contact you if they do not know how to reach you.

C – Confidence … be confident Maintain eye contact when you are speaking with a representative, have a strong hand shake, good body language – don’t slouch and look closed off and most importantly SMILE 

E – Exhibit professionalism! Make sure you take a shower, brush your teeth, comb your hair and wear your best suit! First impressions are everything at a career fair.

S- Study your story. Have your 1 minute story of yourself rehearsed so you can relay what you have been doing and you can impact their company. Practice in front of a mirror several times and make sure you are confident when speaking.

S – Send a thank you email within 24 hours. Get the recruiters information from the companies that you feel would be a great fit for you and send them a thank you email. This is going to set you apart from your competition and will help them remember who you are.

Share your S.U.C.C.E.S.S with brandee.baker@mattressfim.com.

Addressing Your Potential New Address

It’s time to make that move to a different city. You begin to apply to all positions that are hiring. Let’s face it; you need a job as soon as you get there. Relocating can be a frustrating process, and many are baffled on how to prepare for the job search. Below is a list of steps you should take to land the job before you get there:

1) Start your research. Begin researching the companies in your city of choice. Contact the Chamber of Commerce to get a list of companies. Go to the library or visit company’s Facebook pages.

2) Personalize your cover letter. Address the fact that you are relocating.

3) Put your new address on your resume (if you have that information.) If you have a friend or family member with whom you plan to stay when you first arrive, use their address. This could take away any concerns employers may have about your relocation. (i.e. paying for your relocation or wait time for you to move to your new city.)

4) Get a Linked IN account. You can join groups in your area, and plan to attend networking events in the area. Target your companies of interest and network with employers.

5) Plan to make visits to the area. Sometimes you have to be there physically. Employers want to know when you’re available to interview face to face. So, consider your travel expenses.

6) Consider looking for a temp agency in the meantime. It’s understandable that you may have limited funds or need to move fast; this process could take awhile.

7) Remember that there is a job out there for you. So stay positive and don’t let your frustration show. Employers love a new hire with a great attitude Good Luck!

You can connect with Daja at daja.pope@mattressfirm.com

Is your resume Oscar-worthy?



http://www.bigscreenanimation.com/



And the Oscar goes to…

It’s that time of year-- movie season is upon us and people all over the world are flocking to the movie theaters to see movies the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has given their ‘Oscar nods’ to. And while this one time of year certainly encourages movie-goers to attend movies, throughout the rest of the year, how do Producers get people to their movies?

The movie trailer.

Movie trailers serve as an incredibly important means to advertise a movie. A successful movie trailer can either make or break a movie. In fact, according to Cinemaadvanced.com, a website that provides tips to aspiring filmmakers, making a really solid trailer may be more important than the movie itself. It is, in fact, what will get people to come see your film. They outlined three important points to making the trailer a success:

• Study other trailers—Watch the trailers of big movies. You only have 30 seconds to make people want to come see the movie.

• Sell the Sizzle—the site says “Put really cool shots in the in the trailer. Put really cool lines in the trailer. Sell the sizzle, not the steak.” Don’t put the entire plot in the trailer, put what is going to be intriguing for people to come see it.

• Build Curiosity—if you give the movie-goer just enough to pique their curiosity, they are going to have to come see it.

So, if you consider yourself a “Blockbuster-hit” in the job market, is your resume encouraging people to come see your show? Consider the steps above as it relates to how you are presenting yourself to hiring managers?

• Have you studied other “successful” resumes? Have you had someone review or critique your resume? Do you have multiple versions of your resume for different audiences?

• Are you including every mundane part of your previous positions, or are you including the stuff that matters? Make sure the “sizzle you are selling” is intriguing enough for the hiring manager to invite you in.

• Have you included something that might pique their curiosity? Have you included an interesting mission or objective statement or made a compelling case in your cover letter?

When on the job market, it’s important to remember that you are selling yourself. No matter how much work you do to prepare yourself, if you don’t produce a solid trailer (i.e. resume) and “sell the sizzle”, you may be left eating popcorn alone in an empty theater.

Have a question about how to sell out your show? Contact Abby Ludens at abby.ludens@mattressfirm.com.

New Year’s Resolution Rules You Can Break

Several New Year’s resolutions consist of finding a new career opportunity. Many of the job search rules you are used to have changed in the past few years. According to Career Advice at Monster.com, there are seven job search rules you should feel free to break.*

1. Apply Only if You Meet All Requirements

Sometimes online job descriptions include ALL of the potential requirements that can allow you to be considered for the position and are not entirely correct. According to Jean Baur, senior consultant at outplacement firm Lee Hacht Harrison and author of Eliminated! Now What? Finding Your Way from Job-Loss Crisis to Career Resilience, “if you match 85% of that ad, fill out a job application and send your resume anyway.”

2. Do a Mass Mailing to Maximize Your Chances

For example, if you have 10 New Year’s resolutions it’s hard to keep up with all of them. So, narrow down your list of companies to just a small few and do extensive research on them so you can tailor your materials (resume and cover letter) to what they are looking for.

3. Emphasize Your Education

Don’t get me wrong, education is definitely important, but if you don’t have any job experience, then it is good for you to emphasize more on your activity on campus. If you don’t have a strong educational background or collegiate activity, then focus on your duties you were responsible for within your work experience. Hiring managers are less concerned about what job it was, just as long as they know you are dependable and can get the job done well.

4. Don’t Call

Yes, employers will say they do not want a bunch of phone calls but, if you sit around and wait for them to contact you, you won’t get far that way either. You will not be a pest if you call a few days later to follow-up to your submission.

5. Use the Interview to Talk All About You

Take the time to prepare some good questions to ask the interviewer about the company. In an interview, not only are we seeing if you are a good fit for the job, but you are seeing if we are a good fit for you. Asking good questions will give the impression that you are truly interested and serious about the job!

6. Be Vague About Salary

Be ready to provide a range in which you are comfortable making and be sure you’re alright with being offered the lowest amount in your range because that is most likely what they will offer you.

7. Don’t Contact the Company Again If It Rejects You

If you don’t get the job, it only means there was someone more appropriate for the job at that particular time. It’s okay and beneficial to follow up and say you’re still interested in the company.


*www.monster.com ( Article: Seven Job Search Rules to Break by Larry Buhl; http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/getting-started/jobs.aspx)


If you're looking for a new career opportunity for a new year, feel free to contact ashley.gonzales@mattressfirm.com

Happy Holidays from the Recruiting Team at Mattress Firm!



Meet Tanya Cruse

Learn a little bit about this Mattress Firm team member and what her experiences with recruiting have been.

Tanya graduated from the University of North Texas in 2002 with a degree in Psychology. While working on her degree, she began looking for a job that would give her experience and fulfillment. She came across a Career Builder posting for Mattress Firm and after interviewing for a Manager in Training position in the Dallas market, she became very excited about what Mattress Firm had to offer. She spent the first 6 months as a Manager on Duty, where she traveled to different stores learning how to become a manager. She soon became a manager of the Denton location where she was able to grow as a manager and salesperson. Based on her performance, she was soon promoted to an assistant manager of a medium size store.

As she was finishing her Master's degree she began to get an itch to move out of the Dallas area. After speaking with her Area Manager, he recommended that she try out one of the markets in Florida. Six months later she moved to Tampa, Florida. Her experience in Tampa was very valuable. She was able to begin training and recruiting. She trained new hires, interns, and the people that would be moving to the new markets in Orlando and Miami. She also started attending career fairs, to find people that would like to work for such an energetic company. During her time in Florida, she also discovered how much she enjoyed training and developing the people around her.

During the time she completed her Master's degree in Professional Education, she became homesick for Texas. She made the decision not to pursue a career in education, but to pursue a career at Mattress Firm. She grew to love her job and the people that worked at Mattress Firm, and couldn't imagine leaving such a great company. She chose to transfer to Mattress Firm's headquarters city, Houston, because she felt that she would learn a tremendous amount by being near the corporate headquarters. Shortly after moving to Houston she became an Area Manager. As an Area Manager she ran 4 stores, and her main focus became training and developing her team to become better salespeople, better managers, and grow within the company. She is very excited of all the opportunities that will come with Mattress Firm’s continual growth!

Tanya’s advises job seekers to explore industries they may not otherwise consider:

“I would tell job seekers that although selling mattresses may not be what you envisioned as a career, it can be an amazing career that you will enjoy. In addition, when you go for an interview be confident, show them your personality, and have fun.”

What she looks for in candidates:

“I always look for people that are professional, outgoing, confident, and who seem like they are willing to learn and be successful in their career.”

You can meet other Mattress Firm members like edith.botello@mattressfirm.com