NFL Chooses Eco TempLine Field Paints for 2015-2016 Season

The National Football league has selected Eco TempLine Celebration Colors to honor Super Bowl 50 during the season. Every team will exhibit the specified markings every game leading up to Super Bowl 50.

The TempLine Celebration Colors were specially designed for Super Bowl Promotion. The colors include Celebration Gold, Celebration Charcoal, and Celebration White. They are made to be used on both real grass and artificial turf, without hampering field conditions.

Eco Chemical is also offering discounts to individual NFL teams who wish to purchase these colors.

Just one great example of how coatings interact with our everyday lives, without us even really knowing!  

If you have any questions, please contact Connor | Caitlin Talent Solutions.

Beating Procrastination

We’ve all procrastinated. When you’re feeling tired or bogged down by your work, it seems so tempting to put off your responsibilities until later, hoping they will get easier. However, this is never the case, you just end up giving yourself less time to complete your work. This causes your work to be sloppy and you end up feeling more stressed out because of the limited amount of time you have to complete it.

To beat procrastination try to start off doing the easy work first. It is easier to start and it will give you enough momentum to start your more difficult tasks. Often, the hardest part about doing your work is simply starting it, so once you complete an easy task, your brain will be warmed up for the next one.

Try breaking your work into smaller pieces if you are feeling overwhelmed by a large project. This will make it seem much more manageable, making it easier to start. Also try to remember why you are doing your work. If you remember you’re doing it to make money for your family, to advance in your career, or to put yourself through school it will be much easier to get the work done.

If you have any questions, please contact Connor | Caitlin Talent Solutions.

The Power of the Card

A business card is often times underestimated in the workforce, which it shouldn’t be, considering it can be used as such a powerful tool. A successful business card should have a legible font that captures one’s attention, and enough information on it to make them memorable. Make sure your card has a good tagline that helps the recipient understand your role and business. It’s critical to always keep your card as up-to-date as possible.

 Aside from creating a professional looking business card, it’s a smart idea to carry a couple with you wherever you go just in case. Now, you don’t want them to be all wrinkled and smudged, so keep them in a place with good protection. There is an elusive power to promptly pull out a spotless card and hand it to your new connection.

            

When giving out your business card during an interview, it’s key to be polite and respectful about it. Possibly set your card on their chair before they come in, or on the desk in front of them so it seems subtle. Giving out your business card before a meeting or interview not only shows that you are professional, but it also helps others remember your name. On the other hand, when offered someone else’s card, take a second to look at it so they know you appreciate it. After that, place it on your desk so you can refer back to it during the meeting if needed.

Once you exchange business cards with someone, you might want to send them a LinkedIn connection request or a follow-up email in order to portray your mutual interests. A business card serves as a memory jogger after an introduction so new connections can remember why they should contact you.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information.

Life as an Intern

All interns have to do is get coffee for their boss and copy papers right? Wrong. Here at Connor | Caitlin,

an internship, in my opinion, is comparable to having a permanent job with the company. We are required to do a valuable amount of work and the work we do is used to benefit the other employees as well.

As an intern, my goal is to help out my colleagues with any extra work they need done to make their prestigious jobs a little bit easier. We are trained to use certain programs and websites for research, such as: LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Lead Ferret, Base Camp, PCRecruiter, etc. These are all tools I had barely even heard of before coming to intern at Connor | Caitlin.

Along with participating in the Internet research aspect, I also have the opportunity to write some of the blogs for our website. This gives me a break from the research portion and allows me to practice my writing skills. This internship has also been a huge learning experience not only in coatings and recruitment, but business in general. I have had the chance to sit in on conference calls, go to other businesses similar to ours, and even give my respective opinion on improvements for the company based on what I’ve learned.

Unlike most internships, I was asked to make a presentation on how we could advance the Connor | Caitlin website. This permitted me to explore other companies in the coatings and recruiting industry, and then branch out with suggestions for our company. This was especially an effective experience because all businesses will most likely expect at least one presentation from you sometime in your career. One of my suggestions for the website was video marketing. The other interns and myself will be creating an introductory video for Connor | Caitlin, this will hopefully boost our advertising and growth. See, this goes to show that not all internships are just catering to the needs of your boss.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information. 

Nailed the interview… What’s next?

Often times after an interview you might be asking yourself “what’s next?” It’s always important to be proactive instead of just sitting around waiting for that phone call. The first thing you should do, no matter what, is send out a follow up email or letter to the hiring manager. This shows that you are serious about the job and considerate of the time spent with the company you interviewed with. 

Prior to your potential second interview, make sure you research salary. This way when the hiring manager puts an offer on the table you won’t be unprepared. Preparing for that next step is vital.

           

You might consider working on a sample project or assignment for the company to impress them with your work ethics. In other cases, employers deliver a scenario and ask the candidates to create a proposition or solution for it. This usually helps the company make their final hiring decision. Before the final step you should contact your references and keep them updated with your progress. Remember, you can also ask the employer for references from people who currently work or have previously worked as well. 

The next time you meet with the employer you could even suggest an offer yourself, however this is only in certain circumstances. You could create a proposal that states a need they have, your services, the time you would dedicate, and the results they can expect. Next time you have an interview, remember to

be proactive in order to set yourself apart from the other candidates.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information.

Who’s Interviewing Who?

As the interviewer, you should always be aware that your potential employee could have several other offers. You are doing more than just interviewing your candidate; think of it as you are selling them the job. During the interview process your candidate is likely (hopefully) taking mental notes about you as well, and the company overall. Therefore, it’s important to not only ask questions, but also inform them about yourself and your position within the company.

            

When it comes to the interview process, always be respectful towards your candidate and attentive when they are speaking. This will make your candidate feel more comfortable and important. Let them know about your company’s culture and how your executives make an effort to get to know their employees on a personal level.

Your candidate should also be informed that their opinions matter and their feedback would always be considered. Also, knowing that there are competitors, it’s critical to make a better offer. This way your candidate can compare salaries, healthcare insurance, benefits, and hours. If your candidate brings up a counter-offer they received from another company, always counter the counter-offer.

Aside from being the interviewer, always be prepared for your candidate to ask you some questions of his or her own. They will often ask about their career path, which you should always answer in a long-term perspective in order for them to feel secure at your company. Make sure you are also well informed about your co-workers and what they do because your candidate may ask what they are like to see if they will fit in.

This is a candidate-driven job market, which means top candidates can afford to be particular about which offer to accept, so always make a good case because they are interviewing you too.

For more information please contact Connor|Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com

It's Not What You Know, it's Who You Know.

We’re all familiar with the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” When you are making new connections and expanding your network, it is important to take time to think through how you can make your network work for you to get the most out of your connections.

Each new person you meet can be a new point in your network, but planning ahead and having a strategy can exponentially increase the value of networking. By thinking through how you will network and coming up with your plan of attack, you not only will be more prepared to make better connections, but will refine your networking abilities and become a networking genius.

Begin with figuring out what kind of people you need to add to your network. This can be anyone from lateral employees at companies within your industry to higher ups in a field you are interested in penetrating into. Once you have determined what kind of people to add you can begin to look for specific people and events. After you have found events to attend, try to obtain a copy of the list of attendees to strategize whom to meet. When you are at the event ma

king connections, be sure to have meaningful interactions. It does you no good to meet someone if they will not remember you afterwards. Finally, after you have made your connection, be sure to follow-up quickly. Your follow up could be a quick note in an email, an invitation to coffee or lunch, or even a connect on LinkedIn.

Networking will never be an exact science, but with careful consideration and planning it can become a nearly perfected art. Do not be afraid to try different techniques and figure out what works best for you. Inevitably mistakes will be made, that is okay. Learn from the mistakes and do better the next time. With planning, networking prowess will soon be in your wheelhouse.

Contact Connor | Caitlin to talk more about networking and how you can improve your skills.  

Diving into Uncertainty

            No one can predict the future; therefore every day comes with uncertainties. However, uncertainty will not stop a successful individual from achieving their goals. To be able to predict and able to understand are two important concepts when it comes to overcoming uncertainty. It’s always critical to determine the possible outcome of events and prepare for them. Once you are able to make rational assumptions, you will not be as anxious about future. 

When it comes to being successful in your career, taking risks is an instinct everyone should have, seeing as human beings are naturally curious. Taking risks is driven by the desire to understand. Nobody likes an unresolved situation, thus if you don’t fix the problem you will never be satisfied. How will you know how to resolve the situation? Well, that’s where predicting and understanding the situation comes to mind.

            It’s always an individual’s first instinct to control a problem when it arises, or even before it does. Since people attempt to predict the future when they are uncertain, it gives them a sense of control so they feel more powerful in their position. Uncertainty is our reaction to external factors, so when that factor can be controlled the feeling of uncertainty disappears. In the time of doubt, if you don’t have sufficient information, it is always a smart idea to rely on your gut feeling. Trusting your subconscious can be very helpful considering your intuition about a person or situation is usually correct. 

Even when given no insight on a situation, successful people never let uncertainty stand in their way because they use their first instinct. Stressing about uncertainty is just a waste of time and energy, which is why it’s always important to use your instincts so nothing can hold you back in your career and everyday life.

For more information please contact Connor Caitlin Talent Solutions at www.connorcaitlin.com

Is professionalism dying?

As I was going through LinkedIn Pulse recently reading various articles, I came across this 

little gem. If you do not have time to read the whole thing, the gist is that a gentleman (we’ll call him Fred) was basically trying to make a sale via direct message on Twitter. I was pretty shocked to say the least.

Most of the time I think millennials get a bad rap for no reason. This though, this guy… even I said to myself, “stupid millennial.” (Disclaimer: I am a millennial.) As millennials, we are trying to convince employers that we are all that and a box of chocolates. We need employers to know that we are the best things to ever happen to them! Hey Fred, news flash, you’re not helping! We don’t like you! 

Twitter is an excellent tool for business and when used correctly, it can significantly help build your online presence and increase brand recognition. However, it should not be used for selling. Selling is an art. It is not something to be tossed around like a tattered old baseball in the backyard. It should be prepared for and done professionally.

People are possibly busier than they have ever been and Fred barely even acknowledges that fact, let alone respects it. Sales is all about treating the customer the way they want to be treated. It is all about solving a problem for your customer, not creating another for them to deal with.

Remember to always maintain professionalism on social media and everywhere! You never know when your conversation might become the inspiration for an online post.

Contact Connor | Caitlin at info@connorcaitlin.com