Signature Source Blog

Setting Your Career Path For 2016

Here it is November already, which means it’s the perfect time to evaluate your career path, setting your direction for the New Year.

7NOVEMBER 20, 2015 – Today, Signature Source offers 10 suggestions for advancing your career in 2016. Each takes time – some more than others – and some might not pertain to your job or personality, which is why we are offering 10. Pick and choose what works best for you, but we would advise you to consider Nos. 1, 2 and 3 as must-dos! And if you can’t work on all these at once, pick one a month. Read More

LinkedIn Uncovers Why People Switch Jobs

To retain top talent – and attract new employees – it’s important to understand why people leave their companies.

October 15, 2015 – LinkedIn recently analyzed the job-changing behaviors of 7 million of its members, discounting those who were promoted or transferred within their companies. Then they grouped the remaining job-changing members into various groups, finally surveying 10,536 people who changed companies between December 2014 and March 2015. Read More

Interview Red Flags: How To Keep Them From Waving

True story: Imagine the shock of a hiring manager when the candidate appeared for the interview with her parents, who said they wanted to sit in and listen to what their daughter had to say. Obviously, that interview never happened.

At Signature Source, our job is to send only top candidates to our corporate clients. Today, we share 10 red flags that in most cases are guaranteed to remove a job candidate from the race for a job.

10 Questions To Avoid Asking – And 5 To Ask – During An Interview

AUGUST 24, 2015 – We all have our thoughts about what a candidate should and shouldn’t say during a first interview, and the list often includes salary, when raises are expected, flex-time options and when to expect a promotion. At Signature Source our job is to dig deeper, so candidates understand the best way to present themselves, putting them on the short list of candidates that return for a second interview.

The Muse recently published an article on questions you should never ask – and some you should – that we feel has great merit for any candidate. Of course, if the interviewer brings up any of these topics, that opens the door for discussion. But in most cases, asking the following questions can often make it seem as if you already assume the position is yours.

And of course once an offer is made, any of these questions should be asked and answered if they are important to you.

Never ask:

Any question related to salary, benefits, sick time and vacation/personal days is better left for discussion once a job offer has been made.
Avoid questions beginning with the word “why,” because it can seem confrontational and put the interviewer on the defensive, exactly where you do not want him or her to be.
“Who is your competition?” makes you sound as if you have done zero research on the company. In fact, searching the Internet before the interview to find out all you can about the company is compulsory today.
Asking how often reviews occur could make the interviewer think you are focused on the negative.
Questions about work hours, flex time, and whether you can adjust your hours to arrive early or work late usually revolve around personal situations and could make the interviewer think you will be more concerned about your own needs than that of the company’s.
If the job description did not specify you can work from home, do not ask if you can.
If an interviewer asks for references provide them, but not until asked.
Promotion policies are another no-no, leaving the impression that the candidate is arrogant or entitled.
Working conditions – office or cubicle? – are another topic to avoid.
And finally, asking if the interviewer will be monitoring your social media profiles gives the impression that you have something to hide. Now is the time to clean up all your profiles and never post anything disparaging about work, co-workers or employers.

Ask away:

Questions about company culture, and examples on how the company upholds it, offer an insider’s glimpse into the company. And when asked this way, it might answer some of the questions you should never ask.
How employees are recognized provides an awareness into the value the company places on its employees.
People love to talk about themselves, and asking the interviewer what he or she likes most about the company can key in on the inner workings of the firm.
Companies value team players, so asking about collaboration between employees is valid.
“What are the most important things you would like to see me accomplish in the first 30, 60 and 90 days of employment?” shows the interviewer that you will be invested in the job and the company and that you are a goal-oriented person.

Eight Traits That Top Athletes And Top Talent Have In Common

JULY 8, 2015 – Has it ever occurred to you that Bill Gates and LeBron James might share traits that have led to their success? Thousands of studies have been done to pinpoint success in business, and the list of traits that a person should possess is long.

At Signature Source we have narrowed the list to eight, and each one of them is a quality that top athletes and top talent share. Although at first blush it might seem unusual to look at athletes and successful business people in the same light, the drive it takes to succeed, their dedication and the self-confidence that success can bring all can spell victory be it on a field or in an office. Read More