Wednesday 09/23 – Bangor

Are you new to the job market? Want to know what your options are? We are hosting an open house in our Bangor office on Wednesday, 09/23. We ask that everyone interested please call ahead. 

Tuesday 09/29 – Old Town

We are hosting an on-site recruiting event at Old Town Canoe on Tuesday, 09/29. Looking for Assemblers, General Laborers, Machine Operators – $9-11 per hour – all shifts are available for these long-term positions.

Thursday 09/24 – Milo

We have several production jobs and a customer service representative position available at JSI Store Fixtures that we are eager to fill. On Thursday, 09/24 we are holding interviews at the Milo town office. Sign up today!

Schedule Your Interview Today!

We want to help you make the best use of your time, and that begins with pre-scheduling interviews. To schedule your spot call 942-6178 or email Bangor.ME@Manpower.com. Come to your interview prepared to speak in depth about your skills, experience and career related goals. Bring two forms of identification and be dressed to impress! We look forward to working with you!

Friday 09/25 – Houlton

We are looking to hire a few good men and women in Houlton, and are hosting an on-site interview at Smith & Wesson on Friday, 09/25. Production jobs ranging from $12.85-13.25 per hour. Call to schedule.

1. Know What Is Expected

In almost any performance review you will be measured on whether or not your meet expectations. If your are not clear on the expectations it is hard to measure your own performance. Ask for clarity early and often. Take the time to actually read the employee manual that is handed out when you are hired, many questions will be answered there. Then work with your manager to fill in the blanks. 

4. Never Stop Learning

Take time to continue your learning! This could mean taking a professional development class or furthering your education. But, learning doesn’t always have to cost money or be in a formal setting. Get advice from one of the top-performers at your work or read trade journals. You would be amazed at what you can learn from a simple Google Search. Learn, try new things and share the knowledge.

2. Be A Good Employee

This is a matter of personal accountability. Every job and organization has it’s challenges, but whether you are a good employee is all within your control. Show up on time, be tactfully honest, be a team player that people can count on, and always remember what they pay you for. If you are on your “a-game” every day you will stand out, and this can lead to career growth.

5. Record Your Accomplishments

Did you receive an award, win a big account, offer a cost saving solution, get a great performance review or a customer compliment? Record them as they happen. This will help you if you find yourself needing to recall your accomplishments for a new job, and, there is nothing more powerful when you are having a rough day to look back on those successes you had.

3. Dress For Success

Dress for the job you want, not the one you have – within reason of course. Dressing for success does not just mean what you wear. It encompasses your entire presentation, including: hygiene, how you speak, and how you treat others. This isn’t just about how others perceive you and whether they take you seriously; when you present well you feel better, when you feel better you perform better. 

The Future Is Yours

Work. It’s more than a place we inhabit for a few hours each day. It can be what inspires and guides us, and sometimes even defines who we are or become. It makes sense that achieving career success ranks high on most people’s agenda. Take the time to define what success means to you, aim high and go after all your goals. We believe in you!

1. Slow Hiring Practices

With a 4.7% unemployment rate in Maine, the high-quality candidates that are currently in the market, will not be there for long! If you have a great candidate in front of you there is no time to delay. Every day that a formal offer is not made is another day that your perfect candidate is applying to your competitors. Be prepared to take immediate action and seal the deal!

4. Complicated Systems

According to a recent CareerBuilder study, 60% of candidates have begun an online application only to quit before it was completed due to it being long and complex. While you could assume that this is weeding out those who are less than committed to the job, think about this: When are you most likely to give up on and application? When you know you are in-demand or, when you are desperate?

2. Compensation Challenges

While pay is only one part of the equation, it is certainly a big one. With the cost of living continually on the rise, and the public debate around living wages heating up, there is no better time than now to take a deeper look at your compensation. There are a variety of resources out there to help you determine if your compensation package is competitive.

5. Limited Exposure

With more than 40,000 businesses in Maine, it is impossible for one to know about every business out there, and specifically when they are hiring. Sure, you can place an advertisement up on a job board easily enough – but are the right people looking at it? And, more importantly, can they find your advertisement in the sea of other postings? What other methods are your using to get the word out?

3. Uncompromising Expectations

When unemployment was at record highs, employers were able to be more selective with their applicant pools. That lead to increased demands in experience levels and education requirements. With the active talent pool shrinking, now is the time to review what it takes to be successful in your open positions and make reasonable compromises. 

Don’t Miss The Hiring Train!

Where recruitment and hiring is one small piece of your business, for Manpower Maine it is our business! Our team members are poised to help you take your hiring to the next level and to help make sure you never miss another great hire!

1. Be Forthcoming

Between interviews, reference verifications and background checks – there is little in your career history that you can hide. And, chances are you likely recognize the areas that could be considered red flags. Be upfront. However, this does not mean you need to go into extreme detail, but you will do yourself no favors by hiding anything. This includes over-stating your experience & qualifications.  

4. Show You Have Learned

Occasionally, employees continue to make the same mistakes time and time again. Most hiring managers are forgiving of mistakes, but repeated instances of the same things points to a large problem. If you are having a difficult time not repeating the same mistakes, we recommend finding someone to talk with about strategies to help, be it a professional or a friend. You are the key to your success!

2. Take Responsibility

Hiring managers realize that everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that you can reflect on a situation and find areas in which you can take some personal responsibility. When faced with two candidates, both of whom made the same mistake and are equally qualified for the job, a hiring manager is more likely to make the offer to the candidate that demonstrates personal accountability. 

Choose Your Job Wisely

If you are unemployed, you may find yourself settling for a job that you know, will not work. Whenever possible, you need to avoid taking that job at all costs. Whether it is knowing the schedule is not going to work long-term, or you could tell in the interview the culture was not right for you, you should look to the future. Will this choice help you or hurt you down the road? Don’t set yourself up for any career failures.

3. Keep It Drama Free

Staying inline with being forthcoming, it is also key that you keep your explanations short and simple. Make sure when you are explaining your career shortcomings that you edit your comments. Stick with facts and less storytelling. Now matter how compelling your story may be, an interview is a professional setting and should be treated as such. 

 Common Career Missteps

If you are not sure whether you should be concerned about career missteps, here are some common ones:

• Chronic Absenteeism/Tardiness
• Frequent Job Changes
• Terminations of Employment
• Workplace Conflicts

If any of these are in your career history, it is time for some reflection. 

Hospitality & Tourism

We do live in “Vacationland”. And, with that come plenty of opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry. These include: hotel administrative positions, housekeeping, banquet servers, kitchen staff and retail positions. 

Customer service skills and a positive attitude are critical for all of these roles.

Construction & Landscaping

Construction and Landscaping are a natural fit for those looking for work this time of year. These positions can include: clean up crews, general laborers, yard maintenance, greens keepers and equipment operators.

Strong physical health and reliable transportation are required for this work.

Warehouse & Distribution

With the uptick in many industries during the spring and summer months this creates a demand for warehouse and distribution staff. These roles includes: stockers, packers, forklift operators, and palletizers.

Being able to work at a fast pace and stand for long periods are a must have. 

Food Production

While seafood takes center stage in Maine, many food production facilities often have seasonal peaks. These positions can include: sorters, graders, bottle fillers, production line workers, quality control and more. 

Relevant work history and safe food practices are important for food production roles. 

Durable Goods Manufacturing

You make in the spring what you sell in the winter. So with the demand for quality Maine winter products, the hiring picks up for positions including: welders, fabricators, machinists, weavers, mechanical engineers and machine operators. 

Technical skills, hand-eye coordination and attention to detail are all valued.

What We Look At For All Positions:

• Recent Work History

• Good Attendance

• Verifiable Work References

• Strong Work Ethic

And, of course…

The right fit for both you and the employer we represent.

Expanding Your Candidate View

As a hiring manager, you are charged with managing and mitigating the risks associated with hiring. In an employer’s market, you were in the fortunate position where you had a larger candidate pool to draw from, which meant you could be more selective in the risks you took. But now that the market has shifted, you are faced with an unsettling choice: either risk productivity by increasing the time it takes to hire, or expand your applicant pool and take some calculated risks.

Either choice can cause you to lose a little sleep at night. But we can help put your mind at ease and make hiring less risky for you!

Life Happens – But People Can – and Do – Change

While many can say they have experienced the occasional hiccup in their career, some have more than others. Manpower has a long history of working with those candidates and through that experience has developed a proven process to effectively screen and place them in positions that will be a win for all parties involved. This requires having staff that is trained on recognizing transferrable skills and when a candidate has made a personal and professional commitment to change.

Some red flag candidates we have experienced long-term success with include those with:

Working Interviews

Many organizations chose to work with Manpower Maine for the sole purpose of our working interviews. Temp-to-Hire positions are a great opportunity for you to take a low-risk chance on a candidate with some red flags, but who you believe could be a good fit.

Call Us Today for More Information!

We’re Here to Help!

We can help a little, or a lot – you decide!

1. Tailor It To The Job

A well crafted job description will clearly tell you what the employer is looking for – so pay attention. We recommend printing out the actual job description and highlighting the responsibilities and any key words that are used. By doing this, you will be able to clearly identify what skills and experience the employer is looking for so you can effectively match your experience. 

4. Keep It Relevant

While you assume your resume is all about you, and you are partially right, you must always keep in mind the needs of the reader, because in their mind it is all about them. Keep your messaging relevant to the position for which you are applying. Your resume is not an exhaustive list of all your skills, but rather a document explaining your qualifications for a specific position. 

2. Formatting Matters

You want to make sure that your resume is pleasing to the eye in terms of style, font, and spacing. Use clear headers and stick with modern and professional fonts like Arial or Times New Roman with a font size of 12. While you want to make the document visually appealing, it is the content that matters most, so steer away from images and colors. For some more creative roles (i.e. marketing) you may want to consider adding some professional design to it. 

5. Proofread

Never send off a resume without thoroughly proofreading for spelling, grammar, punctuation and relevance. Before you submit your resume to a prospective employer ask a couple of trusted friends to review both the job description and your resume, and ask for and graciously accept their feedback. The more honest and critical feedback you receive, the better your final resume will be! After the edits and before sending, ask yourself “would I hire me?”

3. Grab Their Attention

Fold a piece of 8.5×11 inch paper in thirds, as if you would be sticking it in an envelope. That top section is the amount of time you have to grab the hiring managers attention. Use that space wisely – we suggest beginning with a qualifications summary, and a list of 3-5 bullet points matching your qualifications to the position they are hiring for. Also, be sure to not embellish your qualifications, as most times they will be verified. 

Resume Facts from BeHiring:

– On average a resume is reviewed for 6 seconds.

– There is a 17% chance your cover letter will be read.

– 76% of resumes are ignored if your email address is unprofessional.

1. Assume Good Intentions

Rarely is it the case that someone actually enjoys giving negative feedback. When approached by someone with negative feedback, assume that they are taking the time to give difficult information because they not only care about the work itself, but they also want to help make sure you are successful. When you assume good intentions, you are more open to hear what they are saying. 

4. Be Thoughtful With Words

Whether you are having a conversation in the moment, or following up after you have had time to reflect, it is imperative that you choose your words wisely. Stick to facts and demonstrate that you are taking their feedback into consideration. If you are challenging one of their critiques, calmly explain your position by saying, “I hear what you are saying, please allow me to explain”. 

2. Avoid Emotional Reactions

It is natural to go on the defensive when you feel your work is being picked apart, but you must understand it is not personal. At all cost you should avoid arguments even if you believe you are right. You cannot control what another person says or how they handle a situation, however you can control how you react. You must remain  calm and professional at all times. 

5. Always Follow Up

When given harsh feedback, it is likely that the person providing the feedback is looking for some action. Remember, you have assumed their good intentions, so thank them for taking the time to help you and offer to follow up with them in a reasonable amount of time with a plan of action. This shows a tremendous amount of personal accountability and professionalism. 

3. Take Time To Reflect

While it is important to respond and/or take action on the feedback, it is okay to use some time to reflect. It is perfectly reasonable to politely acknowledge that they have given you a lot of to think about, and you would like to reflect on their feedback so you can give it the attention it deserves. This not only gives you the opportunity to look at things with a fresh set of lenses, it also will prevent you from reacting in the moment. Time equals perspective.

Feedback Isn’t Always Formal:

Keep in mind that feedback can come in a variety of ways including a casual conversation, a quick comment, a formal review or through an email. Regardless of what medium is used to provide the feedback, the key is to focus on these 5 tips and you are sure to handle it well!