I’ve been saying this for a long time… It’s been on our blog before, and I’ve even been on the news to discuss it…

When you’re in the job market, you need to make sure that you’re managing your online image.  Including your social media profiles!

As one of the region’s leading technology staffing and recruiting firms, we work with some of the area’s most talented IT professionals.  It still surprises me when someone who’s been in the workforce for a while and has a career in technology keeps less than flattering information on their Facebook profiles!

Businesses are increasingly using Facebook & other social networks for marketing – and recruiting.  In fact, we just launched a full-on social media recruiting campaign for a large, national financial firm.  So, it’s no shock that 70% of recruiters have denied someone based on information they found online.

Take a look at this article from the Consumer Reports blog, consumerist.com:  http://consumerist.com/2010/04/if-youre-looking-for-a-job-that-facebook-profile-can-only-hurt-you.html

I’m happy to see that we’re not the only ones signaling the alarm anymore!

When it comes to staffing, G.1440’s leading the way in Baltimore!

The Baltimore Business Journal just published their list of the Largest Professional Search Firms in the Baltimore Area, and guess who made the cut?  That’s right!  G.1440 was the top firm focused exclusively on IT Staffing!  Overall, G.1440 came in at 17 this year – and when you rank them by average salary, G.1440 jumps to number 5.

The Baltimore Sun’s Tech blog was just a twitter with the buzz of G.1440’s growth in Tech Staffing & Recruiting.

From our perspective, more and more companies are realizing that they can’t afford to waste time and money on a lengthy hiring process, and they certainly can’t afford the costs of hiring someone to find out that they’re not as good as they seemed.  G.1440’s staffing services go the extra mile to help companies cut through the clutter and get to work.

It’s nice to be recognized for excelling.  It’s nicer to be recognized when we help our clients excel.

Most of us know the pain of job seeking – and for some, it’s been especially hard recently! Over a million fewer jobs were posted online in January than 2 months prior, marking the sharpest decline since 2005.  The job seekers in December outnumbered open positions by 7.3 million. Not only does this paint a scary picture for the job seekers, but with more people applying to a smaller selection of jobs, employers have to sort through a larger amount of applications, taking away vital work hours.

A survey in 2005 reported 90% of companies in Northern America use staffing services to hire temporary and permanent staff. These companies are on the right track!  A staffing firm, like G.1440 (the best for IT Staffing!), can save a company a significant amount of time and money in making sure the right candidate is chosen for the job.  In this economy, no one can afford to sift through the ever growing pool of applicants looking for the diamond in the rough – which is why we’re excited to be a staffing agency that’s always focused on bringing a handful of quality candidates rather than a stack of papers.

And, of course, if you’re looking for a position – don’t be afraid to check out a staffing firm!  Agencies like ours are aware of job openings much faster than Internet job boards because of the relationship with upper management. And, contrary to what you might think – a staffing firm isn’t competing for your salary.  Companies pay the best agencies to find the best talent – often for a commission based on a placemen’t pay. Who woudn’t want an advocate on their side fighting for the most money possible?

It’s scary out there.  Maybe we can help!

This is a special one-day referral “blitz” contest, and the winner gets tickets to the Ravens vs. Steelers game this Sunday! If you know an IT professional who has a Top Secret Clearance, or higher, just send their name, email, phone, IT specialty and security clearance to marketing@g1440.com. We have opportunities in the Ft. Meade, Laurel, BWI, and Northern VA areas.

Each referral is one entry. On Friday morning at 9am, we’ll randomly select a winner to go to the game this Sunday! And, of course, if we place anyone you refer, there’s $500 with your name on it!