If You Are a Candidate: 

• PMA offers targeted career guidance.

• PMA specializes in unique career opportunities not available through traditional job listings and job postings.

• PMA represents opportunities at hundreds of the most sought after companies in the United States.

• PMA does goal oriented interviews geared to understand both your current and future aspirations. 

• PMA will treat your information with complete confidentiality.

• PMA will put you at the right place, at the right time, in front of the decision makers.

• PMA walks hand in hand with you through the entire interview process.

• PMA offices are staffed with well-trained, salaried consultants with previous experience of various levels in the management industry. We know the industry, who the "players" are and how to access them.

• PMA has the highest concentration of Certified Personnel Consultants in the United States specializing in Restaurant, Hospitality and Retail Management.

SAMPLE RESIGNATION LETTER 

I want to thank you for all you have done for me here at (company).  It’s been a pleasure working with you, and representing the company as your (job title).  I have accepted an offer with another firm and have decided to tender my resignation as of today.  This decision has nothing to do with the exceptional opportunity you have provided for me here.  You and the company have been more than fair with me, and I genuinely appreciated all you support. My decision to leave (name of company) is final and I would appreciate it if you respect that decision.  It is something that I have entered into with much thought and I know that this is the right career move for me at this time.  I wish (company) continued success and I want to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your team. .  My last day of employment with (name of company) will be on  __________.   Please feel free to contact me at any time if I can be of further assistance with a smooth transition.

Another example….

           I want to take this time to thank you for the professional relationship and leadership you have provided during my tenure here.  I have enjoyed the work environment provided by you and the company.

          However, I have accepted a new position with another company.  My last day of employment with (name of company) will be on  __________. My decision to leave (name of company) is final and I would appreciate it if you respect that decision.  It is something that I have entered into with much thought and I know that this is the right career move for me at this time.

          I appreciate all that you have done for me in the past and hope we can maintain a cordial, professional relationship in the future.

SAMPLE RESUME

Name of Person

Address, Telephone Number, Email

Objective: On a mission to implement my formula for unlimited success; mix a high level management position in a large and well established organization with my exceptional leadership skills.

Work Experience:

1997 - Present         Name of Company

Title: District Manager

Created the “Dream Team” of General and Support Managers. Motivated, focused, competitive, strong belief in people’s goodness and will not stop at anything until the job is complete.

In 2001 I was awarded “Area Coach of the year” in the Taco Bell System (Franchise side).

In 2001, and 2002 five of my stores were ranked in the top 10 among 4,555 stores. Superior customer service and safety was the platform of the contest.

Improved Sales by an average of 9% a year in the last 5 years (17% increase last year).

Designed a comprehensive accountability system that tracks the daily store performance in sales& cash, cost of sales, turnover, staffing...Etc. This system became the standard in Century Fast Foods and many other franchises in LA.

Supervised the opening of 9 stores in the company. Helped refine operations to include concepts like Pizza Hut, KFC, A&W and Long John Silvers with our Taco Bell stores to continue providing outstanding service to our customers.

I command a complete mastery of P&L. I have passed on the knowledge to my general managers who score the highest margin of profit in the company year after year.

1995- 1997              Name of Company

Title: Restaurant General Manager

Increased store Net Sales by 27% (from 37K to 47K per week). My store was recognized multiple times by Taco Bell Corp. in 1994 and 1995 for “highest sales growth” in the Great Western Market (CA, AZ, and NV).

I created a comprehensive training system that ensued continuous development of all employees in my store.

Was selected to be the Director of Training in the company, which enabled me to recruit and supervise training of all salaried managers in the company.

1993 - 1995                 Name of Company

Title: Assistant / General Manager Trainee

Through absolute hard work and dedication I worked my way up from a crew member to an Assistant Manager in 2 months.

Learned all the responsibilities of a store manager and had the chance to apply that knowledge when the Market Manager assigned me a store to run as a General Manager Trainee.

Education:

1990 – 1994 Wright State University, Dayton, OH

Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering

GPA 3.15(General), 3.78(Major)

Fall 2003 – Present California State University, Northridge, CA

Masters in Business Administration

Still Enrolled.

References: All references are on file and will be provided upon request

COUNTEROFFER ACCEPTANCE - "THE ROAD TO CAREER RUIN"

-Written by Paul Hawkinson

Matthew Henry, the 17th century writer said, "Many a dangerous temptation comes to us in fine shiny colors that are but skin deep." The same can be said for counteroffers, those magnetic enticements designed to lure you back into the nest after deciding its time to fly away.

The litany of horror stories I have come across in the years as an Executive Recruiter, Consultant and publisher, provides a litmus test that clearly indicates counter offers should never be accepted . . .EVER!

I define a counter offer simply as an inducement from your current employer to get you to stay after you've announced your intention to take another job.  We're not talking about those instances when you receive an offer but don't tell your boss.  Nor are we discussing offers that you never intended to take, yet told your employer about anyway as a "they want me but I'm staying with you" play.

These are merely astute positioning tactics you may choose to use to reinforce your worth by letting your boss know you have other options.  Mention of a sure counteroffer, however, carries an actual threat to it.

Interviews with employers who make counteroffers and employees who accept them have shown to be as tempting as they can be.  Acceptance may be CAREER SUICIDE!  During the past twenty years, I have seen only isolated incidents in which an accepted counteroffer has benefited the employee.  Consider the problem in its' perspective.

What really goes through a boss's mind when someone quits?

• "This couldn't be happening at a worse time."

• "This is one of my best people.  If I let him/her quit now, it'll wreak havoc on the morale of the department."

• "I've already got one opening in my department.  I don't need another one right now."

• "This will probably screw up the entire vacation schedule."

• "I'm working as hard as I can, and I don't need his/her work, too."

• "If I lose another good employee, the company might decide to "lose" me."

• "My review is coming up and this will make me look bad."

• "Maybe I can keep him/her on until I find a suitable replacement."

What will the boss say to keep you in the nest?  Some of these comments are very common.

• "I'm really shocked.  I thought you were as happy with us as we are with you.  Let’s discuss it before you make your final decision."

• "Gee, I've been meaning to tell you about the great plans we have for you, but it's all been very confidential up until now."

• "The VP has you in mind for some exciting and expanding responsibilities."

• "Your raise was scheduled to go into effect next quarter, but we'll make it effective ASAP."

• "You're going to work for who?" 

Let's face it, when someone quits it's a direct reflection on the boss.  Unless you are really incompetent or a destructive thorn in his/her side, the boss might look bad by "allowing you to go.  His/her gut reaction is to do what has to be done to keep you from leaving until he/she is ready to let you go.  That is human nature.

Fortunately, it's also human nature to want to stay unless your work life is abject misery.  Career changes like all ventures into the unknown, are tough.  That’s why bosses know they can usually keep you around by pressing the right buttons.

Before you succumb to a tempting counteroffer, consider these universal truths

• Any situation in which an employee is forced to get an outside offer before the present employer will suggest a raise, promotion, or better working conditions, is suspect.

• No matter what the company says when it is making it’s counteroffer, you will always be considered a fidelity risk. Having once demonstrated your lack of loyalty (for whatever reason), you will lose your status as a team player and your place in the inner circle.

• Counteroffers are usually nothing more than stall devices to give your employer time to find a replacement for you.

• Your reasons for wanting to leave still exist.  Conditions are just a bit more tolerable in the short term because of a raise, promotion or promises made to keep you.

• Decent and well-managed companies don’t make counteroffers, EVER!! Their policies are fair and equitable. They will not be subjected to counter offer coercion or what one may perceive as blackmail.

IF THE URGE TO ACCEPT A COUNTEROFFER HITS YOU, KEEP ON CLEANING OUT YOUR DESK AS YOU COUNT YOUR

YOUR BLESSINGS!!!!

TEN REASONS FOR NOT ACCEPTING A

COUNTER OFFER

(Provided by Industry Trainer, Bob Marshall)

 1.      What type of company do you work for if you have to threaten to resign before they give you what you are worth?

 2.      From where is the money for the counteroffer coming?  Is it your next raise early? (All companies have strict wage and salary guidelines that must be followed).

 3.      Your company will immediately start looking for a new person at a lower salary price.

 4.      You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy. From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.

 5.      When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who was loyal and who wasn’t.

 6.      When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutback with you.

 7.      The same circumstances that now cause you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future, even if you accept the counteroffer.

 8.      Statistics show that if you accept a counteroffer, the probability of voluntarily leaving in six months or being let go within one year is extremely high.

 9.      Accepting a counteroffer is an insult to your intelligence and a blow to your personal pride, knowing that you were bought.

 10. Once the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy with your co-workers will never be the same. You will lose the personal satisfaction of peer group acceptance.

10 Mistakes Made By Job Seekers

1. "Insert Job Here": Most job seekers are looking broadly at any available position that fits within their interests and skills set. Therefore, they send out undirected résumés and, even worse, form cover letters differentiated only by the value in the "insert job here" space. Spend a few extra minutes to learn about the organization, and personalize your letter and resume reflecting what makes your candidacy special.

2. Read and Follow Directions: Does the application call for a writing sample and a salary history? Are you being instructed to mail by post all materials, or would the organization like applications submitted electronically? Job description writers pay to advertise specific directions for a reason. Follow them.

3. Think About the Message You Send: Rehearse the voice mail message you plan to leave. Consider a more serious e-mail address. Does your home voice mail play strange music or have a silly outgoing message? Is your résumé printed on purple paper? All of these things factor into a headhunter's first, and indelible, impression.

4. A Poor Résumé: Too many résumés cross my desk and end up in the trash can. The really good ones grab my attention and get read, and even better, get forwarded onto a hiring committee. The really bad ones list tasks and skills, rather than accomplishments and results. Stop writing about your hobbies; start writing about the change you brought to an organization and the constituency it serves.

5. Spell Check: Nine out of ten résumés I have seen claiming that the applicant is "detail oriented" have a typo on it somewhere. Some of these typos are tricky, like extra spaces and missing hyphens. Others, sadly, are not. Don't forget to look over headers and addresses, even your name – several weeks ago I consulted with a Phylllis who had just sent out a hundred résumés in a mass mailing – for pesky mistakes.

6. Dream, Within Reason: If I've seen your resume cross my desk for jobs way out of your range, I won't be inclined to believe your interest or fit when you apply for something perfect. Of course you can move into increasingly senior positions – I spend all day every day helping job seekers do exactly that – just don't try to skip too many steps up the ladder or you might become the boy who cried wolf.

7. Know Your Weaknesses: I am always willing to consider imperfect candidates. No candidate ever has everything the search committee wants. I'm never inclined, however, to consider applicants who are imperfect but think they are the best thing going. If you are missing a key skill or some years of experience, own the weakness, but then describe how your other skills and experiences will help you compensate or catch up quickly.

8. Curiosity is Key: Nothing saddens me more than a candidate who seems ideal at first, but then asks me no questions about the organization I am representing. If they aren't curious about the position or the group, then I begin to second guess whether they are really the right fit. Once a hiring manager's excitement is dampened, it's hard to get it back. Note: questions based on the salary or benefits do not count.

9. Thank You Notes: Call me old fashioned but, I like thank you notes. Thank you letters are the perfect opportunity to remind your interviewer why you should be hired, or for you to insert into the equation a key fact that you forgot to mention when you met. These letters are so uncommon, sadly, that candidates who thank me for spending time with them stand out in my mind. I become more attached to them, I campaign for them more vigorously, and they get hired more often.

10. Get a Second Opinion: Send your résumé to a friend, a colleague, a mentor or a résumé professional who can give you an outside perspective. Often, job seekers think that they have been exceptionally unambiguous about their proudest career moments when, in fact, their résumés are unclear to anyone who wasn't sharing the same conference room. An outside pair of eyes will shed light on your résumés' strengths and weaknesses, and help your materials shine.  

Successful Interviewing TIPS

1. CONFIRM: Verify the time, date, and location of the interview.  Allow yourself plenty of time to arrive 15 minutes early to the interview.

2. PERSONAL APPEARANCE: Men’s hair should be perfectly trimmed & well groomed; women’s hair should be simple.  Wear conservative clothing in subdued colors.  Keep jewelry and/or make-up to a minimum.

3. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: YOU MUST HAVE AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF ENERGY!  Smile often!  Have a positive attitude / outlook on everything.  A firm handshake & eye-to-eye contact are a must!

4. THE INTERVIEW: BE FOCUSED!  Three items that you must convince an employer:

     A. Can you do the job?  B. Does your personality fit in with the personality of the company & position? (Management positions require a self-motivated, high-energy personality - A LEADER!). C. Will you be with the company long-term?

5. DOING THE JOB: Bring out to the employer at least FIVE points about yourself that you are proud of...i.e. your family; awards/achievements; how you may have increased profits/sales, etc.

6. PERSONALITY: Again, ENERGY IS EVERYTHING...also, ask questions about the employer. How long have you been with the company?  Why did you go to work for the company?  These questions make the interview more personal and, as a result, the interviewer can see your personality fitting in better with the company.

7. LONG TERM: You must convince the employer that you will be with the company for a long time. Questions such as, “If I give 110% effort & do an excellent job, where can I be with your company five years from now?”  Certainly go a long way in convincing the employer that YOU ARE FOCUSED, not just on today, but the future as well.  It also shows that the training the company will invest in you will be well worth it.

8. DO'S & DON'TS: DO ASK FOR THE POSITION AND BE CONFIDENT. Smile - often! Listen.  DON’T talk money/benefits (if you do, you’ll be convincing the employer that you are more interested in money vs. future advancement). DON’T talk negatively of current or past employers.

9. EMPLOYERS FAVORITE QUESTIONS: Tell me about yourself.  Why do you want to leave your present job?  What are your assets/liabilities?  Why should I hire you?  Your responses should be positively constructive, upbeat, short and to the point.