Are you an employer who is searching for your next super star employee? Or are you a prospective employee needing to know where to look for that career you’ve been going to school for? Toni Griffin, Account Director and Executive Recruiter, Control System Integrators; and Phil Gardner, Executive Director of Michigan State University Career Services, shared their insight and experience with Marsha Zimmerman, Marketing Manager for Dart Development (www.dartdevelopment.com)on Michigan’s Big Show and during the 9 AM edition of the Michigan Business Rap on June 18, 2014. Highlights of the discussion:

• Toni mentioned that when you work with a Recruiter, it’s like working with a matchmaker, in that the Recruiter is challenged with the task of aligning the employee with an employer who is looking for the skills and assets of that employee.
• As a candidate, working with a Recruiter is free, which is an incredible resource to take advantage of. The Recruiter can look at your resume and make any tweaks and changes if needed. A Recruiter can also help you set up a designated email space so all employment emails will go to one place.
• Fees for using a Recruiter for a company/business vary depending on what the company/business is looking for. Recruiters can work with small and large businesses.
• Phil said that the Career Services Department at Michigan State University serves as the interface between the student and the prospective employer. The Career Services Department starts to work with students as early as their freshman year, obtaining background history and working towards the last step, which is to match the student with their next employer.
• The students who have prepared themselves in their four years of college, building skills and competencies, and starting their job search early on, have a tremendous head start upon their graduation. Many times these students will already have been offered a job due to internships, summer work experiences and/or their strong networking abilities over the years.
• Michigan State University works a lot with interns during the student’s college years and helps align the student with an employer who is in need of their skills.
• Useful websites for your job search: LinkedIn, Monster.com and Glassdoor.com. Always keep your resume updated.
• Helpful tip to employees searching for a job – be responsive. Lack of communication, whether verbal or written, will not work to your advantage.

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