Working with Workbridge
RSSLocation: Philadelphia (25)
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Tread Lightly When Discussing Reasons for Leaving Your Job
By Evan Gordon, Regional Director of Workbridge Philadelphia
In today's market, some candidates have trouble explaining the reason they left their last position in a way that doesn't set off red flags with their perspective employer. During the course of my career I have heard a multitude of reasons, because candidates often feel more comfortable being "blunt" with a recruiter. However, it is important to realize that a hiring manager or human resources professional will often use these facts to decide whether or not to move forward with a candidate. It is important to be honest, but remember to try and look for the positives when explaining why you are looking, or have left positions in the past.Let's look at a few common reasons for leaving a job:
- Career Growth
- Commute
- Technology
- Compensation
- Issues with coworkers/manager
Keep in mind that inherently, these may all be valid motives for looking for a new position. And quite frankly, the people you are interviewing with have probably left occupations in the past for some, or all, of the same concerns. A phrase I learned years ago applies here, “it's not always what you say but how you say it.” The way that a job seeker describes the situation which is causing, or has caused them to look for work is usually more of a red flag than the actual issue.
It is important, when explaining the above, to remain upbeat and go into as much detail as possible. For example, if your main motivation for looking for a new position is due to your career hitting a wall, explain this by going into specifics, instead of just saying "I am looking for a better opportunity." Instead, illustrate why you feel you stagnant, and how this new position will offer the possibility for career growth that is lacking in your current role.
Also, remember to be conscientious about what you say. Your explanation can be interpreted incorrectly and you don't want your new employer to think you will be quick to jump ship, which will most likely result in no job offer. Perception is reality, and the reality is how you explain your reason for leaving a position is usually a major factor in screening out potential candidates.
The best thing to do, when preparing for an interview, is to plan exactly what you want to say, and the desired perception. Once you have that down, do a dry run with a friend that you trust, and get their feedback. If your friend comes up with any questions, be sure to practice addressing the various concerns, and edit your explanation, if need be. This is a situation where the old idiom, “practice makes perfect” really applies. You don’t want to sound rehearsed, but going in prepared will make you more comfortable and confident. That will be sure to give you a leg up on your “looking for a better opportunity” competitors.
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Happy Clients and Job Seekers at Workbridge Philadelphia!
We at Workbridge Philadelphia could not be more happy for one of our .NET recruiters- Joe!
Joe worked tirelessly to find the perfect job seeker for a great client, and we're happy to report that of his effort paid off!
Joe hard at work!
Sometimes when recruiters are asked to find a specific job seeker for a client, they have a feeling that it will be an easy match to make. Sometimes, they get the feeling that it will be exactly the opposite. This was a case of the latter. When Joe got the requirements for his client's new position, he knew it was going to be tough one to fill, but he was determined to succeed.
Joe's client is one of the .NET team's favorite people to work with. The last time he was in the market for a new job, we were actually able to place him in an awesome management-level position. He's a great guy, and a pleasure to have in the office. He definitely has strict requirements for job seekers he is looking to hire at his own company, but we appreciate the passion and always enjoy a challenge!
This time around, he was looking for a brand new Senior Software Engineer. His company is UK-based, and was looking to make a big move to the states. This was a major hire for them, and the to-be-determinded job seeker was going to have a lot of impact and visibility.
It ended up being an involved process, with lots of nearly-perfect job seekers, but Joe persisted. He ended up finding the perfect person for the job! When we say he worked tirelessly, we mean it. He tried anything he could think of to find the right job seeker- and it paid off!
We hear that everything is working out great- for the job seeker, the client, and the company. We could not be more excited for everyone, and more proud of Joe.
If you would like to speak with Joe, please give him a call at 215-209-0100, or shoot him an email at Joe.Battaglini@workbridgeassociates.com
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Two Positions Filled by Jonelle at Workbridge Philadelphia!
We here at Workbridge Philadelphia are all incredibly proud of Jonelle, who was able to speedily fill two positions - all during the bustle of the holiday season!
Jonelle recently reached out to a new company in Delaware, who was looking for both a QA Analyst and a Senior Systems Engineer. They had been having trouble finding qualified applicants and were thankful for the help.
Jonelle was able to set up talented job seekers to interview for those positions. Our client loved the people Jonelle scheduled to interview with them and they found the perfect applicants to fill the available positions.
We were all overjoyed to be able to find not one, but two, people that the company was happy with! Jonelle was especially happy, "it made my holiday break even more rewarding!"
Congratulations to both people on their new job, and great job Jonelle!
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Another Happy Job Seeker at Workbridge Philadelphia!
Eric (seen below) is a job seeker recently placed by Marialice at Workbridge Philadelphia.
Eric had worked in the IT field years ago, but eventually became burned out and decided to make a major life change, becoming a tattoo artist. (Talk about a career transition!)
Recently, he'd been considering getting back into the programming world, and figured the best way to do that would be to teach himself one of the newest programming languages. So that's what he did! He taught himself Ruby, contacted Workbridge, and the rest is history.
Marialice set him up on an interview with a great company, he killed it, and they offered him an awesome position a few days later.
We couldn't be happier for him!
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Workbridge Philadelphia Lends a Helping Hand to Habitat for Humanity!
We over at Workbridge Philadelphia were super excited to spend an afternoon volunteering our time at our local Habitat for Humanity Restore last week!
If you haven't been to a ReStore, it's a Goodwill-esque system; people drop off unused furniture, homegoods, and also things like kitchen cabinets and appliances, the ReStore resells them at a great price, and then the proceeds are used to build more homes for families in need.
It's a wonderful organization, and we were pumped to be able to help them out in any way.
It was also really fun! Check us out having an awesome time in the pictures below.
Recruiters Joe, David and Ryan wrapping up glass doors
Taylor and Sarah cleaning newly-donated kitchen cabinets
Regional Director Evan working really hard to reattach cabinet doors 
Kate disinfecting and vacuuming a huge couch that was just dropped off (She genuinely LOVED her job) 
We spent a lot of the day cleaning... 
And moving furniture... 
And moving some more... 
Which produced lots of dirty hands.
But we had a WONDERFUL time!
The Workbridge crew with Javier- our ReStore ambassador!
Everyone at the ReStore was absolutely wonderful- including, of course, our buddy Javier. They were so helpful and appreciative of us coming. It was an amazing experience that we hope to repeat.
If you're in the Philadelphia area, please visit (or volunteer with!) the ReStore! They are located in Kensington at 2930 Jasper Street, Philadelphia PA 19134, and open Wednesdays - Saturdays, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
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Philadelphia's Tech in Motion Mixer and Can Drive Recap!
We recently planned an awesome tech mixer/can drive for our Tech in Motion event series.
With the holidays coming up, we wanted to do something fun and casual- with a little help for the community thrown in for good measure.
This was our first tech mixer, so we were a little nervous about how it would turn out, but it ended up being a smashing success!
All ready for the event to start!
Recruiters Jonelle and Kate manning the sign-in table and showing off our first donations!
The mixer was held at Ladder 15, a bar and restaurant just around the corner from the Workbridge Philadelphia office. They hooked us up with the most amazing food. I'm surprised I was able to snap a picture before it was all gone!
Networking Techies! Nothing makes us happier!
Our donation haul once we brought it back to the office- Not too shabby!
We hope to do many more tech mixers and events in the upcoming year. Hopefully they'll all be as great as this one.
If you're in the Philadelphia area, and are interested in coming to the next event, please join our Meetup group! http://www.meetup.com/TechinMotionPhilly We'd love to have you!
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Birthday Wishes for Evan in Philly!
A huge happy birthday goes out to Workbridge Philadelphia's Regional Director- Evan Gordon!
We commemorated the occasion with ice cream cake and singing, and we wish him all the best for the upcoming year!
(And sneak a peek at that sign behind Evan's desk. What do you think- brand new birthday sign, or repurposed Boss's day sign?)
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A Very Happy Birthday to Ryan Jacobs!
Woo! The Philadelphia office was VERY happy to celebrate Lead Recruiter, Ryan Jacob's, birthday this year. That might be because we love birthdays, or because Ryan's dad surprised him, and the whole office, with a magnificent hoagie tray.
Ryan seen here with said hoagie tray, and what would be his first of multiple Edible Arrangements.
Ryan, hope this is the best year yet! (And thank you, Mr. Jacobs!)