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Employment InterviewersNature of the WorkWhether you are looking for a job or trying to fill one, you could find yourself turning to an employment interviewer for help. Sometimes called account representatives, manpower development specialists, counselors, or personnel consultants, employment interviewers have two principal duties: They help jobseekers find employment and help employers find qualified staff. Working largely in private personnel consultant firms or State employment security offices (also known as Job Service centers), employment interviewers act as brokers, putting together the best combination of applicant and job. To accomplish this, they obtain information from employers as well as jobseekers. Employers generally pay private (but not public) agencies for finding them workers. Either way, the employer places a "job order" with the firm that describes the opening and lists requirements such as education, licenses or credentials, and experience. Depending on the kind of job to be filled, an interviewer might visit the employer's facility to get a better feel for the firm as well as the job in question. Site visits also provide a chance to discuss future staffing needs and develop rapport with the employer. Maintaining good relations with employers is an important part of the employment interviewer's job since this helps assure a steady flow of job orders. Successful employment interviewers know that employers need a supply of prescreened applicants. Frequent telephone calls and visits help identify an employer's present and future needs; help demonstrate the employment interviewer's dedication to finding the best applicants possible; and allow time to test and prescreen applicants with the employer's needs in mind. Employment interviewers know that being prepared to fill an opening quickly is the best way to impress an employer. Besides helping firms fill job openings, employment interviewers help individuals find jobs. The services they provide depend upon the type of agency they work for and the clientele it serves. In Job Service centers, for instance, interviewers' duties reflect the fact that applicants may lack marketable skills. Upon entering a Job Service center, applicants are asked to fill out forms that ask for educational attainment, job history, skills, awards, certificates, and licenses. An employment interviewer reviews these forms for completeness and legibility before interviewing the applicant. During the interview, the interviewer asks about the type of job sought, salary range, and any special needs such as requirements for the handicapped. Applicants may need help identifying the kind of work for which they are best suited. Some of have no preference. In such cases, the employment interviewer evaluates the applicant's qualifications and either chooses an appropriate occupation or class of occupations, or refers the applicant for vocational testing. Applicants sometimes have exaggerated expectations. Employment interviewers must be tactful, but persuasive, if an applicant's job or salary requests are unreasonable. Once an appropriate type of job has been identified, the employment interviewer searches the file of job orders seeking a possible job match, and refers the applicant to the employer if a match is found. If no match is found, the interviewer shows the applicant how to use the public job listings, and may suggest that the applicant return every few days to review them since they are frequently updated. These listings do not always provide the employer's name or address. The jobseeker must request this information from an employment interviewer, who approves the match before making the referral. Applicants with limited job skills and no clear idea of what kind of work they can do pose a challenge for Job Service personnel. But some applicants are hindered by additional obstacles: Poor English language skills, no high school diploma, a history of drug or alcohol dependency, or a prison record, for example. The amount and nature of special help for such applicants varies from State to State. In some States, it is the employment interviewer's responsibility to counsel hard-to-place applicants and refer them elsewhere for literacy or language instruction, vocational training, transportation assistance, child care, and the like. In other States, specially trained counselors perform this task. Employment interviewers in Job Service centers have other duties as well. They may coach applicants in interview techniques; at least one State videotapes mock interviews which are reviewed and critiqued for the job-seeker. They may explain the grounds for complaints of job discrimination, and initiate referrals to job training programs. Employment interviewers in private placement firms are generally called counselors, a title used regardless of whether or not they have completed formal coursework in counseling or hold professional credentials in the field. They usually place job applicants whose educational background or job skills are such that little extra assistance is required. Counselors in private placement firms do, however, offer tips on personal appearance, suggestions on presenting a positive picture of oneself, background on the company with which an interview is scheduled, and recommendations about interviewing techniques. Many private placement firms specialize in placing applicants in particular kinds of jobs-- secretarial, word processing, engineering, accounting, law, or health, for example. Counselors in such firms must be familiar with these fields. Some employment interviewers work in temporary help service companies. These companies send out their own employees to companies that need temporary help. Employment interviewers take job orders from client companies and match their requests against a list of available workers. The employment interviewer notifies the selected worker that work is available and refers him or her to the firm requiring assistance. Subsequent to the referral, regular checks are made to insure that the temporary employee has been properly placed. Regular evaluation of employee job skills is an important part of the job for those interviewers working in temporary help service companies. Initially, interviewers evaluate or test each new employee's skills to determine their abilities and weaknesses. The results, which are kept on file, are referred to when filling job orders. Periodically, the interviewer may evaluate or retest employees in an effort to identify any new skills they may have developed. 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