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Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com Lack of Company Knowledge Biggest Interview Mistake ST. LOUIS (PRNewswire), August 27, 2006 - They say job-hunting success is all about who you know. But how much you know about prospective employers plays a crucial role, too, a new survey confirms. Forty-seven percent of executives polled said that having little or no knowledge of the company is the most common mistake job seekers make during interviews. The national survey includes responses from 150 senior executives -- including those from human resources, finance and marketing departments -- with the nation's 1,000 largest companies. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Executives were asked, "What do you think is the most common mistake candidates make during job interviews?" Their responses: Little or no knowledge of the company - 47% Unprepared to discuss skills and experience - 17% Unprepared to discuss career plans and goals - 9% Limited enthusiasm - 9% Lack of eye contact - 3% Monopolize interview - 2% Focus on salary/benefits/perks - 2% Lack of self-confidence - 2% Inappropriate dress - 2% Late arrival - 2% Don't know/no answer - 5% "Candidates should learn as much as they can about a company before meeting a prospective employer," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies(R) (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). "The most successful applicants will have a beyond-the-basics understanding of the firm, including its history, chief competitors and business objectives. Armed with this knowledge, job hopefuls should be able to describe how their skills and experience can help the business reach its goals." Find information at your fingertips. By visiting the company's website, you can locate a wealth of information, such as the firm's mission and values, what products and services it provides, recent press releases and more. If it's a publicly traded company, call the investor relations department to request an annual report. Research the industry. In addition to learning about the company, research the industry in which it competes to gain a better understanding of the market and specific issues and trends that may affect the organization. Check your network. Ask your colleagues, friends and others for information about your prospective employer. Your contacts may have worked for or with the organization and could provide insight that may prove valuable during a job interview. Most Employers Report Plans to Increase Hiring in September ALEXANDRIA, VA, (PRNewswire), August 27, 2006 - September hiring projections appear strong as most employers from the manufacturing and service sectors plan to increase hiring in the coming five weeks. The findings are reported in the September report of the Leading Indicator of National Employment (LINE(TM)), a collaborative effort between the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations. This LINE employment expectations report references the same September period as the report the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release on October 6, 2006. LINE's employment expectations index indicates strong expansion for manufacturers and service-sector employers through September. There are clear indications, however, that while organizations are having success filling open positions, they are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit the skilled talent they need. This may be partially due to the fact that new-hire compensation remains flat, as also reported in the September LINE report. The LINE employment expectations index has consistently provided an early indication of the upcoming BLS numbers, with one important caveat: In July 2004, July 2005 and July 2006, the firms in the LINE panel did not experience the large mid-summer dip in employment that was reflected in the BLS data. The LINE data will be seasonally adjusted soon when sufficiently long time series is available. The indicator reports on four employment measures: job expectations, job vacancies, new-hire compensation and recruitment difficulty. The figure below shows how LINE, in red, has correlated with the BLS numbers, which come out five weeks later. Manufacturing The employment expectations for September increased from August, with 58 percent of employers reporting plans to hire in the next five weeks. Employers reported a small increase in the number nonexempt vacant positions, but overall there appears to be some progress in filling those positions. Manufacturers are finding it more difficult to recruit skilled workers, but it does not appear to be putting pressure on new-hire compensation. Service Fifty-three percent of service-sector employers reported plans to increase hiring in September. There was a 10 percent jump in the percentage of employers reporting vacant nonexempt positions, which follows a large July decline and may be the result of seasonal rebound from the July level. There was an increase in the number of HR professionals reporting difficulty in finding skilled workers, yet like manufacturing, this appears to be having little influence on new-hire compensation. 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