Working with a recruiter may be a great way to find a job quicker. How do you locate one? And what should you expect? An excellent way to locate a recruiter is to ask around. Ask any of your friends or family if they have had anyone specific recommended. Check the Yellow Pages (look under Employment Agencies) and the Internet (visit www.google.com and search for "recruiter" plus any industry or geographic area that applies to you; for example, "recruiter technology Nashville").

Look for a recruiter who specializes in the industry in which you want to focus. It is a common misconception that recruiters can help those who want to change industries or careers. Helping persons change fields is not the recruiter’s specialty. The benefit of working with a good recruiter is that he or she can introduce you to good jobs before they are ever advertised. A recruiter may offer tips on interviewing, too. The recruiter will probably know the types of questions the hiring manager is going to ask you, and being prepared for the interview is vital.

You should not have to pay the recruiter. The hiring company should pay the recruiter to fill the position. This situation is known as a contingency search, and it forces the recruiter to find the right person more quickly and work harder for you. You should never pay a fee.

It is fine to work with a few recruiters at once---you will not hurt their feelings, but if a recruiter takes your resume and presents it heavily to companies, staying loyal to that recruiter is wise.

You will be more respected if you sit down face-to-face with a recruiter. Only 5-10% of job seekers do this. Also, you should do the initial research if you can. If you call and say, “I've prepared a list of 15 companies I should be working for—companies that need me—and here's why,” that recruiter will love you because you have just made his or her job easier.

You can do corporate research and find target companies at www.hoovers.com and www.referenceusa.com.

Trevecca Career Services offers alumni professionals and friends of Trevecca the opportunity to develop relationships with students for the initial purpose of career support and direction. Students may locate and e-mail mentors by logging on to their Career Services Online account and searching for a mentor according to specific search criteria (locations, career field, etc.). Mentors are available to help students with career information, networking, job search, career resources, and general advice.

This program is a great way for professionals to give advice and expertise to students launching into their career. Students will get only the personal information that the mentor chooses for their review, and they may contact the mentor through e-mail. Mentors and their students can then develop the relationship however the two of them choose. A mentor can choose how many contacts to receive from students per month. Each mentor can decide whether or not to have any personal contact information shown to the student. The system will allow students to contact the mentor without knowing that person’s address information if the mentor prefers to keep that information private.

For alumni or friends of Trevecca who would like to have Trevecca graduates move to their area and church, this program is a great way to build those relationships. Homecoming is a wonderful time for mentors and students to meet.

Become a Mentor

Persons who want to register as a new mentor should:

• Click on "Mentor Registration" below. Go to the login page to register.
• Complete the profile (Required fields are marked with an *)
• Create a username and password of your choice (one you can remember)
• Once these steps are completed, click SAVE

Mentor Registration

The new profile will be submitted with a “pending” status so that it can be reviewed and made active by Career Services. Once it is active, the mentor can make changes to their information. Should a mentor want to de-activate his or her mentor status, that person can go to the “Allow Student Contact” field and select “NO.” When the person wants to resume participation in the program, he or she can select “YES.”

Be prepared when you go to your next interview. Know what your position should pay according to similar positions around the nation.

Websites with salary tables:

• Abbott and Langer

  Great site for salary and benefits survey reports

• Career Bank

• Economic Research Institute

  Find estimated mean salaries for the year 2018 in more than 4,700 occupations

• Economic Research Institute’s Surveys and Sources

  International, U.S. and Canadian salary surveys, and links to other tools for calculating salary

• The Salary.com Personal Salary Report

  Salary calculator that bases its response on profession, industry and location

• Information Week

  Calculator for the IT industry

• Salaries Review

  Review of employment statistics for beginning wage and salary data anyplace in US

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  Wages by area and occupation

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Wages by Area and Occupation

  Information broken down as aggregate national, regional, states and metropolitan areas

• NACE Salary Calculator

• For Recent College Graduates

Job Websites

• BoomerCareer

  This Website of a career and job publication is directed toward U.S. Baby Boomers (1946-64). An interesting collection of career articles and resources, all written and compiled with the needs and interests of boomers. Job-seekers can also search job listings and post your resume. Free to job-seekers.

• Experience Works!

  This site, from a nationwide staffing service, is dedicated to providing temporary and permanent employment opportunities to older individuals, dislocated workers, welfare participants, and other adults seeking employment and needed income.

• notyetretired.com

  This site offers career inspiration for job-seekers 50 and above. Includes information on starting a business, freelancing, finding a post-retirement job, and much more. The site is dedicated to reinventing retirement and re-imagining the meanings of work. Free to job-seekers.

• Retiree Careers

  This job and career advice site is intended for job seekers ages 50 and above. Job seekers can search job listings (by keywords, job category, employment type, and location) as well as post a resume. They can also register for a job search agent and find other career resources. Free to job-seekers.

• Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)

  This site offers a part-time employment program for low-income persons age 55 or over. Program participants work at community and government agencies and are paid the Federal or State minimum wage, whichever is higher. From the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to job-seekers.

• Senior Job Bank

  This totally free site provides a searchable database for seniors (older than 50), businesses, and homeowners to create income opportunities for older workers wishing to re-enter or remain in the job marketplace in a part-time, temporary, occasional, flexible, and full-time basis. Job-seekers can also post a skills summary and/or resume.

• Senior Service America

  This site runs the Senior AIDES Employment Program, an employment and training program that uses community service to update enrollee's skills so that you may rejoin a competitive workforce - currently operating in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Job-seekers must be 55 years of age or older. Other resources include job clubs that assist in networking, preparing resumes, and polishing interviewing techniques. Also includes other programs, resources. Free to job-seekers.

Other Career Resources

• AARP Working Options

  This site has a great collection of resources for older workers who are job-hunting, changing careers, or thinking about starting your own business.

• FortyPlus

  This career and job-hunting organization (mostly in California, but spreading to a number of other states) is intended for individuals at least 40 years old, with managerial or professional experience, and who annual earnings exceeding $40,000.

• Seniors4Hire

  This site is a great one for job seekers 50 and older, where you can search the job bank and company profiles of employers—and apply directly to job postings of interest. It also includes targeted career resources and articles for older workers. Free to job-seekers.