One interview secret that will help you land that job!

Hi All!  I recently read a good article about connecting with others.  It was called 11 Surefire Ways to Instantly Connect with Anyone – it’s a great read and you definitely should have a look.  The article got me thinking about how it applies to interviewing.

Most people assume that in interviews the potential employer is focused on your answers and your experience.  This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Instead, I think that most employers are instead looking at your potential fit within the organization – after all if you have a good resume they already know that you can do the technical potion of the job. 

This is why it is so important that you connect with your interviewer.  Connecting with them gives you a leg up as people remember those that they connected with in a more favorable light.  Every time the employer sees your resume they will instantly be reminded of the positive feels from the connection. 

The article offers several great tips that are applicable in an interview situation.  They include:

• Make a great first impression
• Ask good questions
• Smile
• Use their name

All of these are really good tips that you should follow.  However, there is one surefire way to connect with the interviewer that always works!  What is it?

Ask them specific questions about themselves and why they like working at the company!

Outside of death and taxes there is one other thing that I’m certain of.  People like to talk about themselves.  If you ask me about my kids, gardening, DIY fixes in my house or Disneyworld – you will be in for a long one-sided conversation that will probably leave you bored and me happy because I was able to tell you all about the stuff that makes me happy.  The majority of people that you interview with feel the same away about their job – otherwise they would be on the other side of the table with you.  This means that if you get them talking about how much they love their job and company they will remember you positively – and this will help you land the job!  

As always I can be reached at sthompson@csgrecruiting.com  or by leaving comments below.

Lying on your resume - How big of a deal is this?

Hi all!  I recently read a great article from Sam Becker that talks about the Hloom project.  Essentially, the Hloom project surveyed 2,000 hiring managers and employees about lying on your resume and how serious of a problem it is.  The response?  It's a big deal!  Below are the links to both of them:

The Worst Resume Lie

Hloom Project: Resume Lies

This is something that I've written extensively about in the past.  At the end of the day I've found two things to be true:

1.  Lies are almost always found out at some point in the process.

2.  Lies will stop you from getting the job or get you fired.

For more of my thoughts on lying in the interview process have a look at some of my other posts:

Five White Lies People Tell in the Interview Process

Lying in Your Career Search

What Happens When you Change One Letter on Your Resume?

As always I can be reached at sthompson@csgrecruiting.com  or by leaving comments below.

Tons of Employee Benefits Jobs Nationwide!

I’m seeing a ton of benefits jobs right now across the nation and wanted to see if I could get your help.  Please take a moment to review them and pass them along to anyone that might have an interest. A For a listing of all of our jobs please go to current insurance job's page.    Thanks so much and have a great day!

Operations/Management Roles

Vice President, Employee Benefits Sales Leader – Southeast

Operations and Service Leader, Employee Benefits – Atlanta, GA

Service Team Leader – Employee Benefits – Chicago, IL

Service and Operations Manager, Employee Benefits – Greensboro, NC

Vice President, Employee Benefits Operations – Los Angeles, CA

Client Service/Account Executive Roles

Employee Benefits Account Executive – Birmingham, AL

Employee Benefits Account Executive – Los Angeles, CA

Employee Benefits Account Manager – Denver, CO

Employee Benefits Account Manager – Boston, MA

Account Executive Employee Benefits – Chicago, IL

Employee Benefits Account Manager- Nashville, TN

Employee Benefits Account Executive – Indianapolis, IN

Employee Benefits Account Executive – New Orleans, LA

Senior Employee Benefits Account Executive – Detroit, MI

Account Executive, Employee Benefits – Raleigh, NC

Senior Employee Benefits Account Executive – Dayton, OH

Senior Benefits Consultant – Greenville, SC

Employee Benefits Account Manager – Madison, WI

Employee Benefits Account Manager – Charlotte, NC

Production and Business Development Roles

Vice President, Employee Benefits Producer – Los Angeles, CA

Senior Consultant Employee Benefits – Denver, CO

Senior Employee Benefits Producer – Palm Beach, FL

Senior Employee Benefits Consultant – Atlanta, GA

Employee Benefits Producer – Chicago, IL

Employee Benefits Producer – Cincinnati, OH

Employee Benefits Producer – Harrisburg, PA

Insurance Producer Employee Benefits – Houston, TX

Lots of Insurance Jobs Nationwide!

Hi there!   I hope you had a great Labor Day!  I’m working on a ton of jobs right now!  Please take a look below and feel free to email me at sthompson@csgrecruiting.com or by phone at 515-216-5455.  Have a great short week!

Southeast

Employee Benefits Producer – Atlanta, GA

Commercial Insurance Producer – Atlanta, GA

Commercial Insurance Account Manager – Nashville, TN

Commercial Account Manager – Mobile, AL

Director of Agency Training and Learning – Birmingham, AL

Employee Benefits Account Manager – Memphis, TN

Personal Lines Account Manager – Atlanta, GA

Senior Commercial Claims Consultant – Birmingham, AL

Senior Loss Control Consultant – Birmingham, AL

Employee Benefits Account Manager – San Antonio, TX

Commercial Lines Account Admin – Atlanta, GA

Commercial Account Manager – Memphis, TN

Senior Group Benefits Account Executive – Nashville, TN

Regional Marketing Manager – Dallas, TX

Group Employee Benefits Producer – Jackson, MS

Commercial Lines Producer – Jacksonville, FL

Northeast/Mid Atlantic

Senior Employee Benefits Account Executive – Charlotte, NC

Commercial Lines Producer – Charlotte, NC

Employee Benefits Producer – Charlotte, NC

Commercial Lines Marketing Manager – Trenton, NJ

Employee Benefits Producer – Greenville, SC

Private Client Personal Lines Account Executive – New York NY

Commercial Account Manager and Quality Assurance Coordinator – Boston, MA

Public Entity Underwriting Manager – Richmond, VA

Commercial Lines Producer – Greenville, SC

Midwest

Employee Benefits Account Manager – Omaha, NE

Group Benefits Producer – Cincinnati, OH

Commercial Lines Producer – Cincinnati, OH

Employee Benefits Account Manager – Cincinnati, OH

Personal Lines Account Manager – Menasha, WI

Commercial Lines Account Executive – Cincinnati, OH

Personal Lines CSR – Omaha, NE

Director of Commercial Lines Major Accounts – Des Moines, IA

Commercial Account Manager – Chicago, IL

Commercial Agency Claims Manager – Chicago, IL

Loss Control Consultant – Chicago, IL

Managing Director – Chicago, IL

Employee Benefits Account Executive – Indianapolis, IN

Commercial Lines Transportation Producer – Fort Wayne, IN

Employee Benefits Producer – Detroit, MI

West Coast/Mountain West

Commercial Insurance Producer – Denver, CO

Commercial Lines Account Manager – Pasadena, CA

Commercial Lines Account Executive – San Francisco, CA

Commercial Lines Account Manager – Denver, CO

Commercial Lines Producer, Oil and Gas – Denver, CO

Construction Practice Leader – Denver, CO

Employee Benefits Producer – Denver, CO

Yacht Underwriter – Portland, OR

VP Solution Sales – Seattle, WA

Did you dread coming back to work today? If you did it might say something about your job!

Hello world!  Happy Fall!  I hope you all had a great labor day weekend!  I know that I did.  It was restful, relaxing and I came back today recharged and ready to close out the year.  I can tell you that I wish everyone felt this way after a three day weekend.  However, I’ve often found that a three day weekend is a great barometer for how you feel about your job. 

Let’s first start by saying this – I didn’t want to go back after a three day weekend.  I had such a great time that I wished that I could have another day. After all - it's hard not to have a great time with kids around:

Just Chillin on Memorial Day!

 However, I didn’t get depressed last night either nor did I dread going back this morning.  Why is this?  It’s because I’m in the right job with the right company for me.  The real question is if you are in the right job.

If you are ready to start looking, I recommend that you reach out to a good recruiter.  They can be invaluable.  Also if you are pondering a move feel free to take a look at some of my previous posts shared below:

Can Changing One Letter on Your Resume Really Make That Big of a Difference?

When should you pull the plug on an interview?

Lying in Your Career Search

Does your resume font really matter?

Jumping through hoops

How to deal with recruiters

Do I need a resume to get a job?

Five dumbest things you can say in an interview        

Interview Killers: 5 Things on Your Resume that Will Stop Them From Calling You

As always I can be reached at sthompson@csgrecruiting.com  or by leaving comments below.

Hot Insurance Job Opportunities in Ohio!

Hi there!

I hope you are having a great start to your week!  I’m reaching out today because I’m working on some awesome insurance jobs in Ohio.  I’ve included a brief description of each of them below.  Please feel free to pass these along to anyone that might have an interest or let me know if you have any questions.  Have a great day!

Commercial Insurance Account Manager - Cincinnati, OH

Commercial Lines Account Managers for this large regional firm in Cincinnati are responsible for providing a high level customer experience and managing a lot of the behind-the-scenes policy administration.  Two large, established books of business need dedicated client management support, so the agency seeks individuals with strong experience in policy administration, marketing and direct client consulting to assume responsibility for the accounts as well as mentor less experienced staff.    At a minimum these accounts generate $100k-$500k in annual premium and vary across many industries however have they often have ties to construction.

Senior Commercial Insurance Producer - Dayton, Cincinnati, Springfield, Cleveland

The Senior Commercial Insurance Producer is first and foremost a sales position and will serve right alongside the regional leadership team to grow the central and southern Ohio regions.  Every insurance brokerage needs top notch sales executives.  What distinguishes this position is that the current needs go beyond individual success.  This firm has an established practice that in recent years has added junior sales executives to the property and casualty team.  Therefore, they seek to balance the team with experienced commercial producers who possess proven experience writing large business (upper middle market and risk management accounts). Additionally, everyone will benefit if you have the ability to co-sell, mentor and help younger producers close bigger accounts thus creating a very strong team based sales model which has thrived in other regions of the firm.

Group Employee Benefits Producer - Columbus, OH

The Group Employee Benefits Producer opportunities expand this insurance brokerage’s full service footprint into all of its satellite offices and work closely with the property and casualty sales executives to prospect larger accounts. Designed like a national brokerage they compete at that level on risk management business but remain committed to the middle market space. They seek experienced group employee benefits producers in Columbus and Cincinnati to join their team and who can immediately impact the agency through new business production. Your focus will be larger, more complex accounts needing creative administrative and program resources with 200-2,000 employees.

Commercial Lines Account Executive - Cincinnati, OH

With a strong reputation for client service and program innovation our client has a unique opportunity in its commercial insurance practice. As the Commercial Lines Account Executive you’re dedicated to managing all aspects of a senior producer’s property and casualty book of business.  This includes quarterbacking all the service deliverables, executing sales and renewal strategies, leading marketing and serving as a technical expert to the account management team.

Employee Benefits Producer - Cincinnati, OH

The Group Employee Benefits Producer opportunities expand this insurance brokerage’s full service footprint into all of its satellite offices and work closely with the property and casualty sales executives to prospect larger accounts. Designed like a national brokerage they compete at that level on risk management business but remain committed to the middle market space. They seek experienced group employee benefits producers in Columbus and Cincinnati to join their team and who can immediately impact the agency through new business production. Your focus will be larger, more complex accounts needing creative administrative and program resources with 200-2,000 employees.

 Small Business Commercial Insurance Account Manager – Cincinnati, OH

The Small Business Commercial Insurance Account Manager role is critical to this independent agency’s customer service platform. It segments out the resources available to effectively market, service and attract new small business accounts.   In this role you’ll be given a lot of responsibility and autonomy for managing commercial property and casualty accounts generating less than $50k in annual premium.  You’ll directly advise on coverage, manage the entire renewal process and also secure new business revenue through internal leads and by identifying coverage enhancements for existing clients.  This is an excellent way to propel your insurance career forward within a client service position if you like small business accounts or want to work into a middle market book of business with an insurance agency large enough to have both divisions.

Group Benefits Account Manager - Cincinnati, OH

A Group Employee Benefits Account Manager in this Cincinnati agency will have significant responsibilities for client handling including direct communication about group health plans, renewal strategies and value added service options as a part of the agency’s consulting approach.  This is a position that requires experience with large employer groups (over 100 employees) with strong knowledge of fully insured and self-funded health plans who possesses a strong work ethic and excellent communication skills.

Beware! What you say on social media can and will hurt your career!

Well, it’s that time again.  Just like stores start selling Christmas decorations in October, the campaign for president has begun 16 months before the actual election.  Whether this is right is a conversation for another day.  Instead, I’m going to discuss one of the unfortunate byproducts the campaign season. 

Fifteen years ago political speech for most people consisted of putting a sign in your yard in September every two years.  Today we have this terrible/wonderful communication tool called social media and every 2 – 4 years it has been exploited by politics.  In an attempt to create a viral sensation, each side of the aisle creates media that is intended to be shared.  What gets the most shares?  Cats – we all love cats.  But the second most shared thing on the internet are things designed to be incendiary.  Let’s be honest here.  Most of the things created for political speech are designed to make one side say “this is awesome!” and the other side say “I’m so angry.”

The two things that drive the internet - cats and divisive comments...

 Social media  has allowed us to become more interconnected than ever.  Think about it – now we no longer share our private thoughts and beliefs with a small circle of friends who actually know you and the person that you are.  Instead, we connect with every trivial relationship that we have.  That friend of of a friend that was so nice at that party one time – twenty years ago you’d never see them again.  Today you are Facebook buddies and they see things about you.  Even worse often times their friends do too!  The problem is that these people don’t really know you and have no capacity to look at your posts in context.  The odds are that you have probably offended someone who doesn’t know you well enough to know what you meant. 

Is this fair?  The answer to this question is pretty simple – it doesn’t matter.  Facebook and the like has amped up the right to free speech to the nth degree.  You and every other person has the right to post or say whatever you want.  You also have the right to hurt people’s feelings, offend people, and appear to be a hypocrite.  That’s the double edged sword that comes with the freedom.  That’s what I’m here to talk to you about today.  This can hurt your career.  This can derail your career.  This can limit your options.

Here’s the deal.  Employers can choose not to hire you or fire you for what you say on Facebook or other social media outlets and you have no recourse.  Your right to free speech is only protected in that the government can’t persecute you for it.  It doesn’t extend to the workplace.  If you don’t believe me – please Google fired for Facebook post.  Here are some results from the first page of the Google Search:

17 People Fired for Facebook Posts

11 Brutal Reminders that You Can and Will Get Fired for What You Post on Facebook

Facebookers Beware - That silly update can cost you your job  

So how do you protect yourself?  Here are some options:

1.  Make all of your settings private

This is probably a good idea.  However, this doesn’t entirely protect you.  Here are the holes in this solution:

-your connections can still see your posts (problematic if you are friends with bosses and coworkers)

-Once something is on the internet it is there forever

-you have no control over what others that are allowed to see your posts do with it – they can always screenshot posts and share them in other ways.

2.  Drop out of social media

While it is an effective solution, it is horribly impractical and self-defeating.  After all, car accidents are the #7 killer in the United States.  Should you stop driving.  No you shouldn’t drive drunk and should always wear a seatbelt.  If you drop out of social media you miss out on a ton of opportunity both professionally and personally.

3.  Watch what you post

This is by far the best way to handle things.  Just stop and think before you post.  I want to be clear here.  I’m not advocating that you mind your posts because of some politically correct belief that you need to be nice.  Instead, I’m suggesting this because I think that your number one priority is to look out for numero uno.    Before you hit post  you should  consider the following things:

-why am I posting this?

-what am I gaining from this post?

-Does it involve race, sexuality, religion or the like?

-Could someone take this out of context?

Additionally, you should remember that intent is irrelevant.  In the business world and in your career perception is everything.  What you do is far less important that what you are perceived to have done. 

The fact of the matter is that we live in a polarized country right now.  We are a nation divided on several issues.  If you choose to post about divisive issues, the odds are that half of the people you know don’t agree.  Some of them might disagree passionately. Now, some of you might feel that I’m advocating being politically correct and am somehow against free speech.  I’m not.  In fact, I think we have gone too far with our outrage culture.  However , my opinion  doesn’t change reality.  The reality is that your actions on social media impact your career;  50% of the world probably doesn’t agree with you; and what’s fair doesn’t matter.   Do you want to leave your career prospects up to a coin flip?