Posts Tagged ‘Diversity’

New Clients for CPGjobs

Thank you to the following companies in the last 60 days for becoming a part of our CPG Talent Network.  Far from “just another job board,” CPGjobs offers clients personal service (yes, we mean a real, live person), industry leading technology and value “beyond the board,” saving you time and money as you build your recruiting pipeline.

I welcome you to our CPGjobs Talent Network.

Pinnacle Foods
Beach Body – Partner Products
Bob Evans Farms
National Cooperative Grocers Association
G L Mezzetta
Curtis Circulation Company
Farmland Foods
Aquahydrate
Foster Dairy Farms
Perrigo Company
United Dairy Farmers
Straus Family Creamery
Rosina Foods
Buxton Company
JT International USA
JD Power & Associates
Airbourne
Big Train
Ghiradelli Chocolates
Visual Latina
Canine Hardware
Peapod

References: A Critical Interview Prep Exercise

By Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, CCMC

Quite often I’m asked “do I provide references with my resume” – the answer is a resounding “NO”! You want to make your own first impression.

What you do want to do, however, is have a list of 3-5 references prepared to provide at the interview. Here are a few tips to help you develop an effective list and also prepare your references to maximize the information that is shared about you.

Who belongs on your list?

You want to carefully choose individuals who can speak to your professional capabilities, expertise, credibility, and accomplishments. They need to possess first-hand knowledge of your work performance. Obvious candidates will be your direct/indirect supervisors, colleagues, peers, or subordinates (current and past employers). Also consider clients, vendors, professors, and professionals from industry/volunteer associations. Take care not to include anyone who could compete for the same position, and of course, friends, relatives, or outside-work acquaintances aren’t appropriate.

What information should be included?

Make contacting your references easy for the potential employer by providing as much information as possible – email address, office, cell, and/or home phone numbers, and mailing address. Confirm with each reference the contact information that is acceptable to provide. Also include on the reference page how you know that person, i.e., direct supervisor at XYZ Company. Format the page similarly to your resume with your contact information at the top. Bring several copies of this list, as well as your resume, printed on quality stationery to the interview.

What can you do in advance to prepare your references?

There are several things you can do to ensure that your references do a good job of positively representing you. First, let them know the type of position that you will be applying for and your skills, accomplishments, education, and qualifications relevant to that position. Next, ask each reference to speak to a specific strength. For example, you might ask one reference to discuss your leadership abilities, another could talk about your problem solving skills, and the third your integrity and work ethic. Finally, be sure your reference is aware of another reference they can provide the interviewer. Quite often, knowing that you are providing people who will have good things to say, a hiring manager might ask the reference for the name of someone else who can speak about your work performance. Strategizing another name in advance will ensure the hiring manager speaks with people who will make a positive impact.

What will your past employers say?

If there is any doubt surrounding what your previous employer(s) will say, give their human resources department a call – posing as a potential employer – to confirm what they will say. Or there are professional firms that will conduct reference checks for you to determine what will be said. Being aware of this information will give you the opportunity to determine the “spin” you want to put on the information when you are in an interview situation. If there is doubt about how to handle “sticky” information, hire an interview coach for an objective opinion and assistance in figuring out how to neutralize the situation.

Finally, after you’ve landed your new job, let each reference know the outcome of your search and thank them for the contribution they made to your success

For more than two decades, Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, CCMC and her team at A Career Advantage have been providing professionals with world-class resume consultation and writing, career coaching and personal branding services.
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The California Diversity Council Wants You

As a minority owned firm, CPGjobs is dedicated to workplace diversity. We actively support and participate in leading diversity organizations.

I am the newly named Vice-Chairman of the Board for the California Diversity Council (CADC), a non-profit organization that is rapidly establishing itself in California to work toward the promotion of diversity and inclusion best practices to meet the challenges of the 21^st Century.

One unique aspect of our CADC entity is that we are seeking involvement and representation from academia as well as a variety of business industry sectors.  Our intention is that the fusion of emergent research in these areas with real world business and community environments will offer a powerful engine for creating a “next level” conversation in California around these important topic areas for the good of all Californians.

We are actively growing our Board of Directors and Sponsors and are looking for strong executives and companies who are visionary and have a passion for diversity and inclusion.

Our current Board consists of individuals from leading companies and include:

Mary Campbell, Ph.D: Chairman (Assistant Vice President, Career Services,
University of Southern California)
Michael Carrillo, Vice Chairman (President and Founder, CPGjobs)
Dawn Martin, Secretary (Director, Diversity Inclusion & Culture Initiatives, Cricket
Communications)
Carmen J. Smith, (Vice President, Global Strategies for Diversity & Inclusion, Disney
Parks & Resorts)
Elana Hobson, (Regional Vice President, Jack In The Box)
Cathy Campbell, (Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Charles Schwab)
Frank Nainoa, (Senior Manager of Professional Development University of Phoenix)
Tom Wright, J.D. (Director, Strategic & Academic Alliances, The Apollo Group)
Dennis Kennedy (CEO & Founder, National Diversity Council)

In addition to Board Member position involvement, we have sponsorship, speakership, and symposium opportunities, as well as a number of other ways you and your organization can become involved.

I would like to connect with you to see if the CADC is an organization in which you would like to participate.  Please connect with me directly or forward this information to the person at your company who is responsible for diversity/inclusion efforts.

I look forward to hearing back from your organization.

Thank you,
Michael Carrillo
President, CPGjobs
Vice Chairman, California Diversity Council

Diversity – Wherefore Art Thou?

There are a lot of unfortunate effects of the recession,” wrote economist Howard Wall in a recent article for Dunn & Bradsreet’s All Business, “One of them being that many of the gains made by black women over the last 20 years have been erased."

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Women in Leadership Symposium – Los Angeles

California Diversity Council Presents
Women in Leadership Symposium

Symposium Theme:
“Rising Force – Women Leaders in Business”

Location
Davidson Conference Center,
University of Southern California

Address:
3415 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0874

Room:
Embassy

Telephone #
714.906.3304

Time:
07:30am – 08:00am Registration & Continental Breakfast
08:30am – 12:00pm Symposium

Individual Tickets: $89