• Talent Advantage Path

Talent Advantage Path

The research is clear! Workers who are volunteer leaders and thought leaders are the talent of choice.

45 percent of employers use search engines, such as Google to research potential job candidates, with 20 percent saying they do so frequently or always.

In this same survey by CareerBuilder, they found that 51 percent of employers who research job candidates on social media said they’ve found content that caused them not to hire the candidate.

Marketing yourself and your personal brand is more important than ever before. You have to stay up to date with what employers are looking for and be sure you have your best foot forward on all fronts.

This is the right time to elevate your career and raise your professional stock!

We have an amazing selection of opportunities and you are looking for a great position. It’s a match made in heaven! Ascent knows why you’re a good catch but what is it that makes us stand out from other staffing agencies? Our extensive network? Our years of experience? Our recognition as an industry leader? Our proven success in placing the best with the best? Yes, yes, yes and yes. But the real reason we are a catch is because we put you first. Our objective is to help you elevate your career and we will support you every step of the way.

The Talent Advantage Path is the route to get the most from your job, your career and your calling. We provide a wide range of resources to help you increase your marketability and value. We offer training in self- development, team development, visibility, leadership, work/life balance and volunteering your talents as a effective way to gain more experience. Today’s employers are not just looking at your job history. More and more they are looking for passion, engagement and the capacity to go above and beyond. We have developed tools and resources that make sure you are doing everything you can to become a more desirable candidate and land the job you have been looking for.

Explore the components of the Talent Advantage Path program

  • Self Development

    70% of hiring managers consider candidates with skills-based volunteer experience more favorably than those that don’t.

    Raise your level of expertise in any domain by putting in the work. Connect with organizations that are seeking help and need someone in your field. The possibilities are endless, from teaching a class to taking on a valuable project that will give you additional experience you are looking for.

    Here are some basic steps to get you started.

    1. If you have volunteer experience that is relevant, highlight it.
      • Make the connection with your skill-set.
      • Highlight how it demonstrates your leadership.
    2. Research Different Causes
      • There are many different nonprofits and they all exist for different reasons.  Research their causes to see if your passion aligns with their missions.
      • Having a focus is always more helpful.  Try to find a service opportunity where you can leverage your professional skills.
    3. Find Organizations That Are a Fit
    4. Take Your Volunteer Job Seriously
      • Be professional.
      • Offer ideas and help in areas of need.  Many times in the nonprofit world individuals wear multiple hats to accomplish their jobs.
      • Be sure to honor your commitments.
      • Get a Linked In recommendation from the service organization that highlights your skills and leadership is valuable.

  • Team Development

    80% of hiring managers consider candidates with team leadership volunteer experience more favorably than those that don’t.

    Add the experience of organizing and leading a team through relevant service projects or events. TAP into well-established organizations with immediate opportunities.

    Here are some basic steps to get you started.

    1. If you have volunteer experience that is relevant, highlight it.
      • Make the connection with your skill-set.
      • Highlight how is demonstrates your leadership.
    1. Research Different Causes
      • There are many different nonprofits and they all exist for different reasons.  Research their causes to see if your passion aligns with their missions.
      • Having a focus is always more helpful.  Try to find a service opportunity where you can leverage your professional skills.
    2. Find Organizations That Are a Fit
    3. Take Your Volunteer Job Seriously
      • Be professional.
      • Offer ideas and help in areas of need.  Many times in the nonprofit world individuals wear multiple hats to accomplish their jobs.
      • Be sure to honor your commitments.
      • Getting a Linked In recommendation from the service organization that highlights your skills and leadership is valuable.

  • Board Leadership

    Our recent study shows that almost 80% of the hiring managers that participated look at candidates with Board Service leadership either slightly more favorably or more favorably when compared to a candidate that doesn’t have this experience.

    Elevate Your Career by Adding New Leadership Experience to Your Skillset

    Board Service and volunteering will open the door to a wide range of options for leadership opportunities. Gain the experience you need to take you to the next level.

    One of the easiest ways to gain experience on a Board is with a Not-for-Profit.  Here are some basic steps to get you started.

    1. Ask yourself…
      • What causes am I interested in?
      • What organizations do I already have a relationship with?
    1. Find an organization and get to know how they work and what they are all about
      • Online resources:
    1. Contact the organizations of interest.
    2. Ask about the organization’s process for including new board members.
    3. Provide your résumé.
    4. Start the conversation…

  • Thought Leadership

    82% of hiring managers view candidates with Thought Leadership experience more favorably than those without it.

    Show managers that you are a professional with a demonstrable track record of thought leadership in your domain area. Take advantage of TAP by presenting to your peers, contributing blog articles or writing white papers and abstracts.

    Here are some basic steps to get you started.

    1. Discovery
      • Create a list of areas of expertise – what are you an expert in?
      • Break those down into sub-topics
      • Have a list of 3-5 key topic areas you could talk to or write about
    1. Do your research on other thought leaders
      • What are they saying?
      • What would you say differently?
      • What vehicles are they using?
      • Could you do what they’re doing?
    2. Find a good resource like Content Gems that will deliver daily content to you to stay in the loop on related topic trends
    3. Put together a written plan
    4. Start jumping in and joining conversations with online groups and sources
    5. Determine your delivery platforms and start building content.  Blogging; Articles; Panelist/Webinars; etc…
    6. Be sure to utilize the power of social media and your network of friends and family to help you promote your content.
    7. Let Ascent help promote & feature your articles.  We can also help provide a platform for hosted webinars featuring YOU!



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