by localeyesite on April 4, 2012
When it comes to finding a job, there are many resources available to help the job seeker find, apply for, and obtain the job of their dreams. Finding a job, no matter who you are, is a challenging task. In this blog series, we plan to equip you - the job seeker - with the power to land the job of your dreams in the eye care industry.
Job Search Tip #1: Keep and Open Mind About Your Career Options
Finding a job - whether you’re fresh out of school or a veteran of the job hunt - isn’t easy. Keeping an open mind in the job search is something everyone can benefit from. For the recent grad, keeping an open mind with respect to your career search is a wise approach - simply because you never know if a given opportunity is going to lead to something better or more desirable. For the veteran, it’s easy to stay in a job that is comfortable, but being open to new experiences leads to professional growth, more options and career staying power.
In either case, you may find yourself asking the question ‘how could I possibly keep my options open?’ There are variables such as location, employer, salary, benefits, and office culture to consider when looking for a job. In addition, being flexible with your job title will help in keeping your career options open. However, if flexibility with your job title isn’t an option, then you may want to consider other areas that interest you where you could use your skills in a different capacity. Either way, keeping your options open leads to more opportunities, which is something everyone can appreciate.
In short, not having an open mind in your job search can limit you from some great opportunities. Our advice for you is to make a list of things you can’t live without in your next job, while on the other hand creating a list of items you would be willing to change in order to achieve your career goals. That way, when the time comes for you to begin your career search, you’ll be readily equipped to find the job of your dreams.
by localeyesite on March 24, 2012
This morning Local Eye Site partnered with Vision Expo for a “meet and greet” jobs breakfast at Vision Expo East. The event was a terrific opportunity for job-seekers and recruiting employers to meet face to face. Optometrists, Opticians, Salespeople, and more attended and had the chance to meet with recruiters from many employers, large and small. The LES team was there to help job-seekers register to localeyesite.com, and to explain the relationship between LES and Vision Expo to the employers. Thanks to all, as the event was a big success!
Job Search powered by LES!
by localeyesite on March 23, 2012
The Local Eye Site crew is up in New York this weekend exhibiting at Vision Expo East. What a great show! We are promoting our new relationship with Vision Expo to power “Vision Jobs” as part of the LES Power Network. We’ll also be participating in a Meet & Greet breakfast to connect job-seekers and hiring employers at the show (8am until 9:30)…please join us!
Steven and Bill at the LES booth
by localeyesite on March 8, 2012
Searching for a new job can be a challenging, yet highly rewarding experience. There are certain steps a job seeker must take in order to get themselves noticed, especially when the job market is as highly competitive as it has been over the last few months. When I applied for this Marketing position at Local Eye Site, I knew the competition factor was going to pose a challenge for me – mainly due to my youth and years of experience. After a couple interviews, I was presented with the opportunity to prove my capabilities in the form of a project - and I ran with it. The project enabled me to not only show my desire for the position, but it also proved my work ethic, creativity, and professionalism.
Projects such as these are powerful tools in the job search process, since they can very easily help distinguish you from the competition when the playing field may not otherwise be in your favor. Likewise, assigning projects to prospective employees is great for the employer, since it allows candidates to demonstrate qualities and abilities that prove they can do the job.
I know this will be a rewarding experience for me, and I am excited to be apart of the LES team!
Steven
by localeyesite on February 28, 2012
Local Eye Site is pleased to announce a new addition to the LES Power Network - Vision Jobs powered by LES! Check out the article below for more information on this latest development. We are excited about this new partnership with International Vision Expo!
Vision Expo Press Release:
February 28, 2012
Norwalk, CT (February 28, 2012) – International Vision Expo, in partnership with Local Eye Site (LES), announced today the launch of a new job search portal, Vision Jobs, for eyecare professionals (ECPs).
“Vision Jobs is a custom-designed tool to help connect qualified talent with a wider universe of eyecare professionals year-round,” said Tom Loughran, vice president for Reed Exhibitions. “We are proud to offer top-notch education, products, trends and solutions to help all eyecare professionals expand their field of vision – and now their job search.”
Recognized as the premier online employment community for ECPs, LES will “power” job searches for International Vision Expo’s new portal, www.visionexpoeast.com/visionjobs. This online portal leverages International Vision Expo attendees and LES’s “Power Network” – which includes 16 publications, associations, and destinations – to provide the profession’s greatest distribution of vision career opportunities and the largest online audience of ECPs.
“This partnership between International Vision Expo and Local Eye Site promises to be a terrific recruiting opportunity,” said Brad McCorkle, founder of Local Eye Site. “Participating organizations can leverage LES’s online technology and Vision Expo attendees for uniquely powerful employment branding.”
International Vision Expo East, held March 22-25, (Education: March 22-25, Exhibition: March 23-25) in New York City, will play host to a special Job Search Meet and Greet Breakfast on Saturday, March 24 from 8:00-9:30am in the all new Optometry Club (Booth 1A20), located on Level 1 of the Javits Center. Experts will be on hand to discuss career opportunities for ECPs and to showcase International Vision Expo’s new job search portal. Career seekers are encouraged to bring their resume and businesses looking to hire should bring business cards. To learn more about Vision Jobs and to register for International Vision Expo East, visit www.visionexpoeast.com.
About International Vision Expo
International Vision Expos, the worldwide conference and exhibition for eye care and eyewear, are trade-only events which draw more than 30,000 eye care professionals each year. Co-owned by Reed Exhibitions and The Vision Council, International Vision Expo gives back to the entire ophthalmic community. Proceeds from International Vision Expo are used by The Vision Council to educate consumers about the importance of vision care and the options in eyewear and other related products. In 2011, The Vision Council reached millions of consumers with its messages through marketing materials, public relations outreach and strategic partnerships.
About Local Eye Site
Local Eye Site, the premier online employment community for eyecare professionals, enables practices, groups and vision care organizations to recruit online for ophthalmologists, optometrists, technicians, opticians, administrators, contact lens techs, optical salespeople and other positions. After openings are posted on localeyesite.com, jobs are automatically posted and/or promoted on the websites of the organizations in the LES Power Network, including 20/20, Vision Monday, Review of Optometry, Review of Optometric Business, Review of Ophthalmology, SightNation, ATPO, JCAHPO, ASORN, OWL and other associations and web destinations.
by localeyesite on February 2, 2012
Raleigh, N.C. – Local Eye Site (LES), the premier online employment community for professionals in the eye care industry, today welcomed Steven Squires as the newest member of the Local Eye Site team. Mr. Squires joins LES as a Marketing and Sales Support Analyst.
Mr. Squires joins Local Eye Site with three years of experience in Online Marketing, Recruitment, and Project Management from his prior roles in advertising and university recruitment. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.
Mr. Squires will be responsible for the creation and management of Local Eye Site’s strategic marketing plan, and will focus on working with the company’s media partners to further develop the LES brand, create online awareness, and promote the company’s services through a nationwide network of media outlets.
“Local Eye Site is an extraordinary company with a rapidly expanding customer base,” said Squires. “What LES offers to the eye care industry is something to brag about. As a marketer, you can’t find a better opportunity to do just that.”
“We’re thrilled to have someone as creative and driven as Steven on board at Local Eye Site,” said Brad McCorkle, President and Founder of LES. “As LES expands the number of media partners, and verticals we operate in, it is imperative that a talented and energetic person manage our marketing internally. Steven is a great fit, and we’re thankful to have him.”
Local Eye Site is the premier online recruiting community for all eye care professionals. Local Eye Site is more than a destination recruiting site; LES is the engine that powers online recruiting for the entire eye care industry.
by localeyesite on January 31, 2012
In December, we emailed the Local Eye Site community referencing the Right Management study (see here) that reports that 84% of surveyed employees intend to actively seek a new position in 2012. According to the article, “Workers continue to feel trapped in their jobs and want to find new employment elsewhere, according to a new poll of more than 1,000 employees in North America by Right Management, the talent and career management expert within ManpowerGroup.”
In follow up to that, I recently received an email from Linked-In that graphically depicted the number of my “connected” associates that have in fact changed jobs in the last 12 months….134 of them! Now, I’m connected to nearly 600 professionals on Linked-In, but still, that’s about 25% of my connections have recently changed jobs, and that doesn’t include those that did so and didn’t bother to update their profile. Hmmm…according to Linked-In, “2011 was a year of change.” What will 2012 be like?
by localeyesite on January 30, 2012
Several recent economic indicators have are pointing towards an improved Optical business climate in 2012. Jobson Research released the results of two recent surveys reporting that the eye care industry is growing. The Optical Business Barometer survey for December 2011 reports our industry’s best results since March of 2011. In addition, the New World Order Special Report was released this month in which “65.8 percent of respondents reported their online ordering activity increased in 2011 versus 2010.”
Included in Jobson’s Optical Business Barometer was reporting about broader economic indicators: “The National Federation of Independent Businesses Index increased in December by 1.8 points to 93.8. This is the 4th consecutive month of increase after 6 consecutive months of decline. The Consumer Confidence Index increased from a revised 55.2 in November to 64.5 in December. It seems worthy of note that the Consumer Confidence Index stood at 40.5 in October. The final 2 months of 2011 showed quite unusual increases as confidence among consumers buoyed.”
These trends will certainly have impact on the labor demand and supply in our industry. Is your business properly staffed and equipped to take advantage of the changing business environment?
by localeyesite on January 20, 2012
Local Eye Site (LES), the premier online employment community for eyecare professionals has announced a new partnership with Ophthalmic Women Leaders (OWL) where LES will “power” job searches in OWL’s new Career Center. OWL is an organization dedicated to the professional growth and advancement of women in ophthalmology.
“At LES, the overwhelming majority of customer and prospect contacts that we deal with on a day-to-day basis happen to be women,” said Brad McCorkle, president and founder of LES. “So, a relationship with OWL is very important to our company. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to power the OWL Career Center and empower the women we serve everyday at LES.”
“The OWL Career Center offers members a unique way to reach qualified applicants in ophthalmology, research consultants in our field, brush up on professional skills, or look for new opportunities themselves,” said Jan Beiting, president and co-founder of OWL. “We are excited to partner with LES, a leader in online ophthalmic recruiting, to ensure that our members can take advantage of a highly targeted database of job seekers and job postings in ophthalmology.”
The OWL Career Center powered by LES is now live on the OWL website. All positions posted via the OWL Career Center are distributed and/or promoted across the vast “LES Power Network,” that includes localeyesite.com, and the websites of Review of Ophthalmology Magazine, Vision Monday, 20/20 Magazine, Review of Optometry, SightNation, Review of Optometric Business, the ATPO Career Center, the ASORN Career Center and more.
See published story on Vision Monday
by localeyesite on December 20, 2011
Here are thoughts from Local Eye Site on strategies and things to look for while recruiting for a position in your practice. Paying attention to these details will help you make better hiring decisions.
A contributing factor in differentiating between the mediocre and good candidates is to consider whether or not this person really wants to work for your company, or are they just looking for a job? A great opening question is “what can you tell me about our company?” or “why do you want to work for our practice?” Sit back and listen. I’ve interviewed MBA students with no clue why our company exists or what services we provide. The silence can be very awkward, but telling. Conversely, I’ve interviewed candidates that have personally used our site in the past to find work, and later to recruit, and that experience shaped their desire to work for our company. I believe those kinds of connections, although not always possible, can create a foundation that increases the odds of a long-term fit.
Another great question is “what have you done to prepare for this interview?” Interview preparedness is also very important to me because I believe it’s a marker of the types of candidates willing to go the extra mile, and sometimes points to those passionate about what you do. A very prepared candidate can represent a great recruiting opportunity. Most experts agree that the cost of turnover represents at least 100% of annual salary. That’s an expense we’d all like to avoid, and one way to decrease the likelihood of turnover is to hire people that are passionate about ophthalmology, and more specifically want to work for your practice. If your candidate can’t tell you much about how they’ve prepared, or at least a well thought-through reason why they want to work for you, perhaps it’s a sign they are not the right fit, so I would encourage you to proceed with caution.
A great sign of preparedness is when the candidate asks insightful questions. Good questions from the interviewee can be markers of several things:
- He or she spent time researching the position. It’s likely that if you’ve prepared, then a question or two has come to mind.
- An active mind. Active minds often have good ideas that can help your business down the road.
- A candidate with options. You would expect the best candidates to be sought by more than one practice, and if they have options, they will probably come with questions geared to help them make the right choice.
Cover letters are an old staple that seems to have lost favor, but assuming they are well written specifically for my position, I still like when candidates provide them. I received one recently that began with “I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing and Sales Support Professional position listed on the LES website.” The letter went on to succinctly explain how the applicant’s background and experiences translated into an ability to excel in this position. Call me old fashioned, but this tells me that this is a candidate that actually wants to work for MY company (as opposed to just wants A job), and is probably the type of person that is willing to go the extra mile to do a great job.
I’m also a fan of transparency. What I mean is that I prefer when people are open about gaps in their resume, or situations they wish had gone differently in their careers. Let’s face it, most of us have had a professional situation in our past that we’d rather not discuss. Those struggles don’t have to be a strike against the candidate however because they may contribute to the maturation of the candidate, and how the candidates handles the discussion may help you separate a person’s willingness to be open about their mistakes from those that are more liberal with the truth.
Lastly, give yourself more time to recruit, more experience with the candidate, and when possible, recruit pro-actively. It’s difficult to find the a great fit for your job, and your company’s culture. It’s not likely that you can consistently make great hiring decisions when recruiting in a rush. How many times have you met with your candidate, and have you met with them in different environments? Have you solicited help from others in your organization with regards to making a decision about this candidate? Do you have a pipeline of candidates for the future? Perhaps you could even have a few candidates complete a project for you prior to making the employment decision so that you get a feel for their style. The more robust your experience with the candidates, the more likely you’ll make the right hiring decision.