4 Tools That Can Reinvigorate Your Job Descriptions

4 Tools That Can Reinvigorate Your Job Descriptions Ah, the noble job description. It plays such an important role in drawing candidates to your open positions, and yet, (how do I say this gently?) … many of them suck. OK, so maybe that wasn’t so gentle but it is true. And now that we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, let’s talk about how to fix them (see, we’re all about solving problems here). If you take an honest look at your descriptions and think that they too might (…gulp!) suck, then consider these factors as you work to re-write them. Then, let’s zoom ahead and look for a few companies that can help improve your job descriptions. 1. Textio Website: textio.com Pricing: Free (for some of the service) Quick snapshot: Evaluation and recommendation engine for your text-based job descriptions The essence of your job description is the written word. But, what so many companies miss is that they let their lawyers or compliance team write what should be an enticing, appealing call to action. But, creative writing isn’t usually a lawyer’s best skill, right? So, enter Textio, which has analyzed millions of job posts and provides guidance on how to improve yours. It can examine factors in the text itself like gender tone/diversity (i.e., does your language appeal more towards men, for instance), reading difficulty or repetitive phrases and then generates an overall score for your job description based on best performing ones. According to Textio: On average, hiring teams with a high Textio Score recruit 25%  more people qualified enough to interview and 23%  more  womenâ€"and they do it 17%  faster. Much of the initial upfront evaluation of Textio is free. And, they provide some really great tips on their blog, too, so be sure to check that out as well. Now, once you’ve written a compelling job description, it’s time to think about the visual aspect. One study has shown that the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 65 percent of the population learns better through visuals, so images are clearly key to engaging people. Let’s examine a few vendors who can help visually as well. 2. Visual.jobs Website: visual.jobs Pricing: Charge per job design Quick snapshot: Creative agency that designs images and infographics The team at Visual.jobs starting off by examining the history of job descriptions for an e-book, and they realized that not much has changed in the last 20 years or so. So, they set out to improve job descriptions themselves by designing them visually. The company, which is part of CKR Interactive, will evaluate your job description needs and design an attractive image to correspond. Most companies use them as infographics, social content posts or for printed flyers at job fairs, but be aware that the image is a static one if you place it on your website. 3. Ruutly Website: ruutly.com Pricing: $100/month for 10 jobs (other options available) Quick snapshot: Integrated technology to give your jobs a visual pop Ruutly, a Toronto-based company, takes it a step further and has built a technology that brings a visual design to your online job descriptions. The tool integrates with your ATS and can effortlessly push out visual job descriptions for a few specific requisitions or all of them, depending on your needs. We’re building relationships with companies that want to blow their candidate experience and employer brand out of the water,” said Ryan Porter, CEO of Ruutly. Where as Visual.jobs produces a static image, Ruutly creates a living, breathing design that can easily be incorporated into new requisitions as they open. The designs highlight key aspects of the job such as work location, salary information, main responsibilities and desired experience. Their main value proposition? We’re bringing better quality applicants as they learn the company’s brand story, understand what’s important about the job and connect it to their skills in an easier-to-understand way, said Porter. 4. TMP Website: tmp.com Pricing: TBD, based on company needs Quick snapshot: Recruitment agency that offers strategic support and technology services TMP, one of the top global recruitment agencies, offers a myriad of services, which now includes visual descriptions. TMP’s visual description product is baked into their Talent Brew careers website platform, and automatically takes your pre-determined, text-based job descriptions and converts them into a beautiful design, complete with icons, logos, different fonts and colors. Much of this can be customized, and according to TMP: Clients using our Advanced Job Descriptions have a better qualitative conversion rate. So it takes fewer applications to get the most qualified candidates. Which means your recruiters spend less time vetting applicants, and more time choosing between highly qualified applicants. Their visual descriptions product, however, requires you to purchase TMP’s entire Talent Brew platform. So, if all you want is the visual job description component, TMP may not be a great fit. But, if you’re in the market for an agency partner and an upgraded careers website, then check these guys out. The essence of the job description still has to be well-made from the inside out. It’s up to you to determine what bits and pieces should go into the mix, and then these four companies can help you make them more appealing for your job seekers.

Tips For Online Resume Writing For Students

Tips For Online Resume Writing For StudentsAs an online resume writer, there are several aspects you need to focus on when preparing your first online resume. If you want to stand out from the rest of the candidates, then read ahead and learn how to make an impact with your potential employer.When it comes to online resume writing for students, I think it is important to keep the information short, simple and to the point. Your goal should be to create an effective first impression that will get you the interview. Of course, the most important thing is to follow up in some way so that the person reading your resume will remember you and the information you provided.It is also important to provide any references that you may have, and make sure they match the previous employer's references. Another thing to consider is what specific skills or certifications would you like included? Make sure they match with what the employer is looking for.The company's requirements can change over ti me. Some companies have hiring freezes, while others require open applications. The information you provide needs to be up to date with current knowledge and skills.A strong personality and outgoing personality are vital qualities when it comes to a good first impression. If you do not have a compelling and comfortable social demeanor, then it will be hard to build a trusting relationship with your prospective employer.The resume also needs to look professional, and it should display your professional history. Is it formal, or is it informal? I recommend that you do not leave this part to chance.Other points of interest to consider including which courses you have completed, and the positions you have held. Experience and certifications can be easily verified from your personal profile page. Having more than one personal experience or certificate is usually okay to include, but make sure the information is relevant to the position the employer is looking for.To summarize, when it co mes to online resume writing for students, prepare your resume in a way that is concise, and is to the point. Provide the correct information, and follow up in some way if possible to ensure that your potential employer will remember you.

DrinkAdvisor The Must Have App for the Perfect Night Out

DrinkAdvisor The Must Have App for the Perfect Night Out Good news, ladies! The perpetual Friday night question “Where do we go” has come to an end. Whether you’re in a different city looking for the best cocktail lounge to mingle in or a simply looking for a new happy hour spot in the neighborhood, DrinkAdvisor is here to save the day/night! DrinkAdvisor is the #1 FREE app for Android and IOS that provides a quick and easy way to find the best Bars Night Clubs in 200 of the biggest cities in the world. The DrinkAdvisor team takes their night outs seriously, getting the insider info on more bar and clubs daily. Unlike other apps in the App Store and Google Play, DrinkAdvisor is the only app specializing in nightlife, bars, nightclubs and drinks with up-to-date information provided by experts. You can get the low down on the newest spots or local classics with a few taps on your phone, wherever you are! If you’re planning a girl’s night out this is the easiest way to check the scene. Looking for something chic? Pictures of the interior are shown on the app. Planning to do an all-nighter? This app lets you check out how early or late the bar/ club goes for. Best of all you get user reviews, so you won’t need to waste your outfit while enduring a night of missed expectations. Another impressive feature is its social aspect. DrinkAdvisor connects to your social sites like Facebook or Twitter, allowing you to easily set up an event with your preferred venue, time, and other details, and then easily sending it out to your friends. Now isn’t this an easier way of collecting RSVP’s than calling each one of them to check if they can make it? While drinking moderately is always an indispensable rule of thumb to keeping your reputation intact, nobody is stopping you from being adventurous once in a while! Whether you simply want to expand your knowledge of straight drinks and cocktails, or want to be the full-fledged party connoisseur â€" you can refer to DrinkAdvisor for different cocktail mixes or facts about your alcohol. It also helps in times of doubt â€" It won’t hurt to make a quick search of what’s in that drink the crazy party host is serving! One of the important things I remind Career Girls of is this â€" It’s okay to have fun. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of deadlines when climbing up the career ladder so you have to consciously make time for the occasional night on the town or drinks at home with the girls. Balance is everything, so go ahead and plan a fun night! You owe it to yourself to have a memorable and crazy one! DrinkAdvisor is free to download! Get it now on the   App Store / Google Play

How to Rebuild Your Career After Struggling With Addiction

How to Rebuild Your Career After Struggling With Addiction We don’t like to talk about addiction, but it’s a widespread problem in the United States. In 2016, there were more deaths from drug overdoses than there were deaths during the entire Vietnam Warâ€"around 62,000 people. And the problem doesn’t have to be that severe to affect you; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that 16 million people in the United States have some kind of alcohol abuse disorderâ€"which is 5 percent of the adult population. Trying to rebuild a career after addiction, or start one from scratch, after facing your demons can be intimidating, but it’s certainly possibleâ€"and you might come out stronger at the end of it because of your efforts. Rebuilding a Career After Addiction Making a new career for yourself will be easier if you follow these important steps: Focus on staying clean. Staying clean after recovering from addictionâ€"even if you’re months or years past your habitâ€"is the hardest challenge you’re going to face, so it deserves to be your top priority. If you feel your career is making it harder for you to engage in the habits and practices that are keeping you clean, it’s okay to put your career on the backburner. Only shift your focus to a career when you feel ready. Stay involved in a support group. You shouldn’t have to do this alone. You probably won’t have the opportunity to discuss your struggles with your coworkers, nor would they understand as intimately as your support group, so make sure to keep your support group meetings as a top priority in your life. Attend regularly and connect with some of the people there; they’ll be able to help you when no one else can. Be honest about your past. You don’t have to disclose your past to your employerâ€"nor should you, in most cases. However, if asked directly, or if the company has a drug testing policy, it may be in your best interest to be honest about your use in the past. Framing it as a positive, by describing addiction as a challenge you’ve been able to overcome, can help increase your chances of getting hired and finding success. Take baby steps. Don’t try to become a CEO in your first month of professional work; instead, take things one step at a time. This phased approach will help you get acclimated to your new work environment gradually and will prevent you from scaling your stress level too quickly. The more time you have to think through your decisions, and the more gradual your working changes are, the more stable your foundation will be. Treat failure and rejection as opportunities. It’s hard for anyone to accept failure and/or rejection, but you may feel extra vulnerable since you’re building a new career and recovering from a major personal struggle. Instead of dwelling on the sting of each rejection, turn it into a new opportunity; learn from the mistakes you made in the original process, and use it as a springboard to your next big chance. Lean on your support network. Don’t try to internalize all your stress, and don’t keep your successes or stresses to yourself. Your family and friends are there to support you, so take advantage of that network. Spend as much time as you can with your loved ones, and be honest with them about how you’re doing. They’ll be there for you if you need the extra support to get through the day. Find new coping strategies. Starting a new career is going to be immensely stressful, so you’ll need to find a new outlet for all that stressâ€"and one that isn’t self-destructive. Consider starting a new physical exercise regimen, or finding a new hobby you can get immersed in. You could even pick up a side gig to supplement your primary income, or volunteer on the side to meet new, interesting people. One Day at a Time Depending on what stage of your recovery you’re in, you may be faced with a daily struggle as you attempt to rebuild your life. Accepting that, and understanding that this process won’t be easy, will make it easier for you to manage the stresses associated with it. Take things one day at a time, and don’t let your past interfere with the possibilities of your future.

How to Write a Resume

How to Write a ResumeWhy writing a resume is really important in order to land a job. If you are getting a job, it is necessary for you to keep the prospect at bay. In order to do this, you have to write the right kind of resume that will be convincing to get you an interview. Writing resumes can be an easy process if you follow these simple tips.The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that you give enough information about yourself and your basic information. You need to make sure that you fill up all the information that is required. You should include all the skills, education, and experience that you have in your resume. If you are the only one in your company, then you can also include your personal details like name, phone number, and email address. When writing a resume, you should also include all the information that the employer is looking for.Your resume should include the job description and the duties that you can perform with your potential employer. Also, y ou should include the skills and education that you can apply to the job that you are applying for. You need to be sure that you have included all the skills and the knowledge that can be applied to the job that you are applying for. Also, you should include the responsibilities that you have done in the past. As many as the employer asked for your resume, so they will also want to know why you were not hired.Another important factor that you should consider when writing a resume is your professionalism. Do not include any grammar mistakes that will not be correct for a job application. There are many people who do not use a computer or cell phone, so they cannot type well. You need to make sure that your resume is not filled with spelling errors. You should also make sure that you are punctual in sending your resume.Make sure that you always send your resume on time and with the right information. Always send your resume early. If you wait until the last minute, your chances of get ting a job will be high. You can avoid your chances of being passed by other applicants when you send your resume early.There are many people who get overwhelmed when they are looking for good ideas for a resume. This is a problem that can be avoided if you know what to include in your resume. You should be sure that you include only the relevant information, so that it will appear impressive.You should avoid writing anything on your resume that can be found in other paper files. Be sure that you remember the details of all the fields and the information that you have written. This will make sure that you are able to quickly read your resume and locate the important information.These are just some of the important tips that you need to keep in mind when looking for a proper way on how to write a resume. Remember that you need to make sure that your resume will be attractive to your potential employer. If you will remember these few tips, you will be able to find a job with ease.

Make your organization happy - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Make your organization happy - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Hal Rosenbluth had made a provocative decision: As CEO of Rosenbluth International, a corporate travel agency employing 6.000 people, he decided that his company would put the employees first. Where other companies aim first to satisfy customers or investors, Rosenbluth made it their first priority to make their employees happy. The results were fantastic. Record growth, record profits and, most importantly, customers raved about the service they got from Rosenbluths happy employees. Hal Rosenbluth explained the companys approach in a book whose title elegantly sums up his philosophy: Put The Customer Second Put Your People First And Watchem Kick Butt. A companys commitment to its values is most thoroughly tested in adversity and Rosenbluth hit its share of adversity right after 9/11. Overnight, corporate travel was reduced to a fraction of its former level and it recovered more slowly than anyone predicted. Rosenbluth tried everything in their power to avoid layoffs. They cut expenses. Staff took pay cuts and so did managers and executives. But in the end they had to face it: Layoffs were inevitable and they decided to fire 1.000 out their 6.000 employees. How do you handle this situation in a company that puts its people first? In his books most moving chapter, an epilogue written after 9/11, Hal Rosenbluth explains that though layoffs dont make employees happy, not doing the layoffs and then going bankrupt at a later date would have made even more people even more unhappy. Hal Rosenbluth recounts how he wrote a letter to the organization explaining the decision and the thinking behind it in detail. The result was amazing: People whod been fired streamed into Hals office, many in tears, telling him they understood and thanking him for their time at the company. Rosenbluths letter also contained a pledge: That those remaining at the company would do everything they could to bring the company back on track so they could rehire those whod been fired. Six months later, theyd hired back 500 out of the 1.000 and the company was solidly on its way to recovery. Choose happiness Once youve made yourself happy at work, its time to spread that good mood inside the organization and make more people there happy at work. This is obviously a bigger job but it is entirely possible and while some companies are born happy, many more are made happy somewhere along the way. The next few chapters are for leaders at different levels, who want to spread some happiness in their team, department, division or, heck, clear across the entire business. To give the process some structure, well reuse the model for positive change presented in chapter X and take it in three steps: Positive attention notice whats already good and what has worked previously Positive intention make a positive intention that focuses on what you want more off, not what you want to avoid Positive action- do something positive to fulfill your intention First, attention. How happy is your organization? Start by taking stock of the current situation. The question of How happy are people in our business is typically handed over to HR who can then distribute a job satisfaction survey that results in a lot of statistics which can then be sliced and diced in any nubmer of way to produce any number of results. You know lies, damned lies and statistics. Im going to provoke you here and state that any leader worth her salt knows how happy her people are. This is a leaders most basic responsibility. You shouldnt need to see a bar chart you should know already. In fact I challenge you to a simple exercise. It goes like this: Make a list of all the people who report to you. Also add other people you work very closely with. Finally add your boss to the list. Next to each person, put a number from 0-10, based on that persons happiness at work. 0=desperately unhappy, 10=ecstatic. Next to each number write what made you choose that score. What have you observed that person doing/saying/not saying that led you to that particular score. Heres an example of such a chart: Alice Smith 8 Always sounds positive at meetings, continually praises co-workers, greets everyone with a loud, cheerful good morning every day John Wallace 4 Very quiet in meetings, looked sad at lunch last week, has called in sick often last three months Mia Jensen ? Good question. Never complains but never looks particularly happy. Mike Wagner 9 Always cheerful, arranged that great picnic a month ago. Customers rave about him. Can you do it? Can you do it for all of your people or only for some? If youre not reasonably confident of all your scores or if youre unable to rate som of your peoples work-happiness add step 3b: 3b: Observe your people for a few days to gather more data. Dont tell them what youre doing, just observe them. Dont be weird about it or anything, but take a closer look at your people to find out how happy each of them is. Once you have more data, update your chart. Then comes the last step: Verify your scores. Have a fifteen-minute chat with each of your people to find out how happy they are. Ask them to rate themselves from 0-10. Also ask them what makes them happy at work and what could make them happier. And dont forget to ask them what they think of how youre doing your job! Do this exercise now and then repeat it periodically. Every three months is great. As I sit here writing this paragraph, I can almost hear the collective cry going up from the leaders reading this: I dont have time for your shenanigans I have too much on my plate already. Lets turn that objection upside down: You dont have time not to do it. This will cost you fifteen minutes per employee every three months but it will save you enormous amounts of time because you install an early warning system that tells you when things are starting to go badly for your people instead of when they finally blow up. You make them happier at work and your organization will reap the benefits. There is one thing you need to be prepared for: You may be told things about your leadership that you didnt know and which may not sit well with you. Be open to whatever criticism and/or praise you recieve. You cant possibly act on all the feedback you get, some of which may even conflict, but you need to receive it openly and constructively. Do not get defensive. When criticized ask follow-up questions to make sure youve understood the criticism fully and then thank the person for their honest feedback. You also need to act on the feedback, to show people that youre committed to improving as a leader and that youre actually receiving their feedback. Intention Google is known as a great place to work and this helps them attract the best people from the IT world and to lure people away from their competitors. The philosophy that drives this includes: Life is beautiful. Being a part of something that matters and working on products in which you can believe is remarkably fulfilling. Appreciation is the best motivation. Work and play are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to code and pass the puck at the same time. Boldly go where no one has gone before. There are hundreds of challenges yet to solve. Your creative ideas matter here and are worth exploring. You?ll have the opportunity to develop innovative new products that millions of people will find useful. From a list of Top 10 Reasons to Work at Google found at http://www.google.com/jobs/reasons.html. So now you know how happy your people are and why. The next question is: Are things fine as they are or do you want to do something? Do you want to form a positive intention to make your organization a little happier? This doesnt necessarily mean putting happiness at work before everything else, but there are three things you could consider doing: 1: Put happiness at work near the top of your list of priorities Saying Our most important goal is to be happy at work. Right after weve turned a profit, satisified our investors, grown our market share, created three new divisions, increased overseas sales and is hardly going to impress anyone. Saying Our most important goal is to be happy at work and nothing beats that priority. is a bold statement that is much more likely to energize and motivate people. And as shown in chapter X, happy people will help the company reach all its other goals. This is what Rosenbluth International did and it got them amazing results. 2: Announce those priorities to your part of the organization Theres no reason to keep this intention a secret quite the contrary. People need to know that this is going on. This also creates accountability ie. people can hold management to it and energy and people can get involved in making the organization happy. 3: Stick to those priorities This is of course the difficult part but announcing the priorities and then blowing them off when they get too hard to stick to is worse than doing nothing. This results only in cynicism and a sense found in depressingly many companies that Yeah, the executives announce a lot of fancy new programs but nothing ever comes of it. We just carry on as usual until it blows over. Once youve formed an intention to make your organization happier, what will help you hang on to that intention? The answer is clear: If youre convinced that happiness at work will make your people more productive and make your job as a leader easier, then use that conviction to hold fast to your intention to make your people happy. Thats what Google are saying. They recognize happiness at work as one of the most important success factors. And note this: This is not about sacrificing customer satisfaction, profits, investor returns or market share for happiness. Its about improving customer satisfaction, profits, investor returns and market share through happiness. As we saw in chapter X, happy organizations consistently outperform their unhappy competitors. Its not about happiness or results, its about happiness and results. Nevertheless, its a bold statement and one that might not sit well with the board or with investors. Well tough. This is where executives need to take charge and show their conviction that happy employees is a great way to better bottom line results. The story of Irma from chapter X shows a CEO who did just that and the outstanding results it got his company. Its important that you form a positive intention based on what you want not what you want to avoid. As stated in chapter X you cant base your future on the things you want to avoid it just does not work. Good, positive intentions include: I want all my people to be happy at work I want our staff meetings to be fun and creative I want people to balance their work and private lives well I want happy employees who make the customers happy Make one that is relevant to your business. Once youve formed a positive intention to create more happiness at work its time to start doing something about it. But first, theres a simple model you need to know about one that determines where to focus your efforts to make your organization happy. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The Process and Pitfalls of Education Verification - Pathfinder Careers

The Process and Pitfalls of Education Verification - Pathfinder Careers The Process and Pitfalls of Education Verification This is a guest post was generously provided by Gordon Basichis, Co-Founder of Corra Group (http://www.corragroup.com/) which specializes in pre-employment background checks, business research, and corporate investigation. Corra Group services companies throughout the United States and around the world.   Thanks, Gordon, for providing a very insightful post from a recruiter point of view on education! *************************************************************************** While employers have long conducted education verification checks on their employment candidates, it appears that increasingly more staffing and recruiting groups are being made responsible for conducting this and other background checks as part of the employment screening process. Education history, of course, outside of criminal records, is one of the more significant searches.     For many positions,   education is not just a prerequisite but also vital to employment candidates incumbent skill sets and the legitimacy they bring to the job. Those employment recruits who claim to but who do not possess the required skills can cause untold embarrassment to employer or recruiter alike.   Both can lose clients over it, and in extreme cases, can incur law suits. Most notable, if a candidate lies, chances are he is lying about his education.   With employment history, a fair number of applicants will exaggerate their role at a job or otherwise stretch the truth.     But seldom do they out and out lie about working for an employer.     This is not so much the case with education histories.   Here is where the employment candidate will attempt to magically transform his two years of college into a full blown bachelors degree.   Or in some cases, they never set foot inside the school. I have often wondered why the candidate decides to select the school he has never been to.   Did he like the football team?   The debating club?   The school colors?     Or was it a large university with high levels of enrollment and he thought any degree verification efforts would somehow get lost in the shuffle?   But then sometimes they speak a smaller school, an ivy-shrouded liberal arts college in New England or somewhere, where they might think no one would bother searching.     Its hard to say what goes on in their minds, but I have considered the implications of the schools they select. To be sure, most employment candidates do not lie about having their college degrees. The overwhelming majority  in fact are reputable and honest when it comes to claiming their certifications and degrees.     Verifying education with most recruits is a fairly simple and straightforward process.   Once we get from the client the type of degree the candidate has obtained,   the name of the school, the location of the school, type of degree, major and year of graduation, the rest is pretty simple.   Either we obtain verification from the school registrars office, the name and position of the verifying party, or we get it from the third party databases.   All fine and valid. There are exceptions.   But for the most part, again, these are honest mistakes or simple oversights that are easily rectified.     With common names, sometimes the degree is not enough.     The researcher may require the major and the actual campus of the college or university.   The campus is always important as most colleges and universities, despite the myriad branches, do not centralize their databases.   The records for graduates and post-graduate degrees are housed with the registrar of that particular campus. The wrong graduation date can cause confusion when conducting an education verification background search.     With the wrong graduation date, it is sometimes difficult to find the student in the database.   In some cases, and good to remember, those applicants who are lying about actually graduating from that college or university, will provide a fictitious graduation date.     By doing so they try to hide the fact that they were enrollment only or never attended at all.     So we often need to verify the graduation date. Female graduates often go to school under their maiden names and then, years later, forget and provide only their married name.   Time can be wasted searching for the candidate under her married name, when in fact, she attended school under her maiden name.     When you, as a recruiter or human resources executive, are trying to get someone hired, this can cause delays.     So it is always best to find out up front if her current name is the same name she used while attending the college or university. With international students attending domestic colleges, there is a similar condition as with female college graduates. Often a foreign student went to school under a formal, native name.     And then, over time, theyAmericanize,   their names.   Bao Wynn Nguyen is now Ben or Frank.     His recent colleagues, the recruiter, and most others now know him as Ben or Frank.     But the school still has him records with his native name.   When we are unable to verify, initially,   it is necessary to go back to the candidate and ask if what name he or she used to register as a student.   Again, this can cause delays in the hiring process. Be aware of diploma mills.   Diploma mills have increased in prominence over the years.     Those who run diploma mills, usually have several schools all running out of the same physical location.   Often they are located for tax and legal purposes offshore.   When conducting our research, we find them in places like Gibraltar or the Seychelles. Diploma mills are the easy and spurious way to a higher education. This is where the employment candidate has spend all of a couple hundred bucks and twenty minutes, sometimes, in qualifying as a graduate from some mythical Internet school under the guise of life experience.   Diploma mills often have them high falutin names that can sound like real schools.     Often the name of the school is selected so you will associate the graduate with a prestigious university. They are not.   They are not legitimate remote or distance learning institutions.   They are bogus, unaccredited by anyone other than themselves, and the degree is worthless. Sometimes, when all else fails, it is incumbent upon the employment candidate to supply a copy or his or her degree or transcripts.   We request this when the registrar is unable to locate the student in its database.   Sometimes its a technical glitch, sometimes its an oversight on the part of the registrar. If the candidate produces his college degree, you cannot accept it at face value.   A common joke around our office is bogus diplomas is but one more reason G-d invented Photoshop.     Or in the case of diploma mills versus versus an actual university, the college crest just isnt the same.   There are variations, notable differences in both the crest and the proverbial paper it is written on.     Another key is to examine carefully the officiating personnel who are listed or who have signed off on the graduation diploma. We had a recent case where the university could not find the candidates graduation records for love nor money.     We requested from our client a copy of the candidates diploma.   Sure enough, here it came.   At first glance it looked authentic enough.   But upon further review, something was askew. The diploma was real enough, only the candidate graduated eleven years before that college president had taken office.   The candidate had apparently taken someones legitimate diploma, swapped out on Photoshop that name for his own and then presented the diploma.   An oversight on the part of the candidate and a serious mistake.   When we reported our discovery to our client, she immediately invalidated the candidate for any further consideration. We also get a lot of shuck and jive when we request a copy of the diploma or transcription.     I cant find it.   Its not here but with my parents.   My dog ate it.     Whatever.   Sometimes what the candidate claims is true, and most of the the timewell, its tough to be caught in a lie.     When it comes to explanations and excuses, we have heard quite a few.   Some are   even pretty creative.     One chestnut was the lament, The school just cant get its s**t together. Too rare.   So be careful when recruiting.   With degrees that have been verified by the school registrar or through the third party databases, you can move forward with your candidate.     But when the glitches show up, either resolve them by reviewing the candidates name while attending school, major, year of graduation, and, if necessary, a copy of degree.   If this method fails to find resolution, then you may have a problem on your hands.     Red flags are what they are and while everyone wants to get their person hired, there are few things more embarrassing than your client discovering your candidate had lied.