Ask a Recruiter

Question:
What should I look for in a recruiting firm?

Answer:      
“Pick a recruiting firm that specializes in an employment niche that fits your skills, background and interests.  Firms and recruiters that work in your niche will have a much better understanding of your work history, skills and the trends in your industry.  They will also be working with employers and jobs that have the best chance to align with your needs and will have the knowledge to advocate for you effectively with their clients.”

– Stowe Blankenship, Recruiter

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Stowe? Have further questions? Leave your thoughts in the comments section and Stowe will reply!

Announcing: The IR Roadshow!

We are excited to announce a brand new offering from Intellect Resources! We are embarking on a roadshow offering free career management workshops in a variety of US cities. The first is in NYC. For more details, click on the widget below. To see a full listing of US cities on our tour, continue scrolling.

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Future stops include:
July - Tampa, FL
August - Atlanta, GA
September - Houston & Dallas, TX
October - Charlotte, NC
November - Baltimore, MD

Full details to come soon. If you would like to see other cities added to our list, let us know!

Ask a Recruiter

Question:
Are cover letters still pertinent?

Answer:     
“Cover letters are intended to provide a quick summary of your intent in applying for a position with a quick overview of your skills sets; basically the trailer to your feature length resume.  Because we rarely receive cover letters and our clients use the overviews we write regarding our candidates in lieu of a cover letter, I can only speak from our limited point of view and not to the industry as a whole. Because emails are the most common delivery method of resumes, I  encourage candidates to write a very short intro email explaining why they are interested in a position and the skills they have to contribute with accurate contact information and suggested best times to connect. Be sure to check the spelling, grammar and tone of the email. You want it to be error free, positive and brief.”

– Tiffany Crenshaw, Owner & Recruiter

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Tiffany? Have further questions? Leave your thoughts in the comments section and Tiffany will reply!

Travel Tips: San Antonio, TX (Part 2)

This is a continuation of our previous post on spots to visit in San Antonio, TX.

Do yourself a favor, and book a Yanaguana River Cruise ticket. The colorful Yanaguana open-air boats carry you along the banks of the San Antonio River and past an almost never-ending assortment of specialty boutiques and eateries. A bit touristy? Perhaps, but this ride is also surprisingly educational. The Yanaguana Cruise Guides are well-schooled in the history of San Antonio and the area’s crown jewel, The River Walk (El Paseo del Rio). They will detail the architectural beginnings and inspirations of many of the area’s  oldest structures, as well as share a few quirky, fun facts. For instance, they’re very happy to provide you with the latest “river rescue” stats (the number of folks – mostly tourists- who have tumbled into the shallow river at everyone else’s bemusement). These boats also provide a nice vantage point for the free shows at Rivercenter Mall, where there is always a great lineup of local talent. One of my personal favorites is the group “Andean Fusion.” (Yanaguana Cruise tickets run $7.25/person.)

It is said that Ernie Pyle once described the River Walk as "The American Venice." I whole-heartedly agree (although I’ve never even been close to Italy)! Venice or not, the River Walk is ranked as the #1 tourist destination in the super-sized state of Texas. So, I suggest you check-it-out!

Ask a Recruiter

Question:
What are some of your resume pet peeves?

Answer:
“Bad punctuation, grammar, misspellings. Resumes that are more than 3 pages long. Resumes that look crammed with information. Photographs. Inclusion of irrelevant information like height and weight, marital status, and high school attended. Purposeful misrepresentation of information, including degrees. Resumes that have lots of buzz words but very little content.”

– Jennifer W. Salter, Senior Recruiter

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Jennifer? Have further questions? Leave your thoughts in the comments section and Jennifer will reply!

Travel Tips: San Antonio, TX (Part 1)

Here’s a bit on San Antonio, TX from a candidate of ours:

If you’ve never been there, then it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to San Antonio, Texas! San Antonio happens be one of my favorite places to visit and explore. Positioned in the heart of Texas and designed to embrace both the area’s rich history and natural winding water source, San Antonio is definitely a must-see!

What’s on my list of recommended stops? Let’s see…

You must, of course, plan to tour The Alamo (the original Misión San Antonio de Valero)! The Alamo is hallowed ground and represents Texan pride and ultimate human sacrifice. Once serving as a mission home to native converts, this structure is best known as the final battleground for many brave Tejano and Texan soldiers. As history goes… In 1836, approximately 150 men (estimates widely vary), including Jim Bowie and Davie Crocket, took up arms and decidedly and valiantly fought til’ their deaths against General Antonio López de Santa Anna's massive army. Today, the structure is an official Texas landmark, preserved and protected by the DAR. Inside, visitors hear the audio story outlining the days leading up to the battle and personal bios of the men who died.

Beyond the Alamo, there are a number of other historic mission sites that I encourage you to visit during your travels. Among them: Mission Concepción, Mission San José, and Mission San Juan.

There are so many fantastic places to eat in San Antonio, that you probably don’t need my help planning your meals. But just in case you are dying to know my top picks…  Boudro’s is a great place to grab a sandwich or salad, along with a “Prickly Pear Margarita” to wash it down. For a much more elegant meal, make dinner reservations at The Tower of The Americas. Wow! The skyline view, from a revolving 750 ft. tower, is reason enough to go, but the food is equally incredible! If you have a sweet tooth, like me, trust me when I tell you their Crème Brulee is absolutely the best!

Ask a Recruiter

Question:
How many pages should my resume be?

Answer:   
"Most resumes can be condensed to one or two pages. Any longer than that and your resume will scare aware the recipient. We suggest that you only put completed degrees and employment history directly related to the industry. If you are concerned about leaving off pertinent information; you can always create addendums such as a listing and brief summary of each project you have led (for project managers) or a listing of each application you have worked with and an example (for analysts).”

– Tiffany Crenshaw, Owner & Recruiter

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Tiffany? Have further questions? Leave your thoughts in the comments section and Tiffany will reply!

Travel Tips: NYC, NY

Our favorite NYC girl, Ashley, is back with a few more suggestions for your next trip to NYC.  Enjoy!

Bar 89

(Image from allthatsfab.com)

Great cocktails and you have to go just for the bathrooms.  The doors are see-through, but they fog up when you go in and lock them.  So fun.  Great spot, overpriced drinks, typical Manhattan cocktail bar.

Asia de Cuba

(Image from chinagrillmgt.com)

In another part of the city, you can check out Asia De Cuba.  This is the place that a friend met me at one night and said he felt like he was in a Sex & the City episode.  It's on Madison Ave between 37th & 38th in the Morgans Hotel.  I've been to that one and to one in London.  I've gone there with friends just to the bar without a reservation, so it's a fun place to go and you should be able to get in.

Cellar Bar

 
(Image from hotelchatter.com)

Final hot spot is the Cellar Bar at the Bryant Park Hotel, which is on 40th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues.  Lots of celeb sightings there, another overpriced drinks bar, but if you want a real NYC experience, I recommend it.  I haven't been there in a while and they recently renovated it, but I used to go there after work and never had a problem getting in.