Stand Out in a (Pandemic) Job Hunt

By Linda Chang, Talent Resource Manager at Green Room Communications

Job searching is hard. Add a pandemic on top of it and forget it … the act itself feels like you are climbing up an escalator that is moving in the opposite direction. It is a tough job market. Companies are closing their doors with many more on the brink of closing. But as I write this, there is hope. With vaccine programs rolling out, we are taking steps globally to get back to where we once were.

As a talent resource manager, I spend a lot of time scanning resumes and talking to candidates. I see my role as a matchmaker – connecting experience with opportunity. Even though interviews are now conducted on Zoom, the essence of interviewing has not changed. Hiring managers want to get to know you and give you an opportunity to get to know the company. Below are some tips that have helped job seekers successfully stand out to me:

  • Start by updating your LinkedIn profile and include a photo. If you know who the hiring manager is, you can also reach out via LinkedIn.
  • Perhaps most important right now, is to get comfortable with Zoom! Without the ability to meet face-to-face, there is more emphasis to make sure your personality makes it across the screen.
  • Prepare an elevator speech in anticipation of the ever-popular statement, “Tell me about yourself.”
  • Review the job requirements and look for parallels. Be prepared to tout your skills and experience as it relates to the job. Keep it short and sweet.
  • Research the company. Understand the company’s mission, values, and services.
  • Be curious and ask questions. You are interviewing the company, too! Your questions will provide insight into your thought process and can be a segue into how you can add value.
  • Send a follow-up thank you note or email.
  • If the process moves slowly, periodically check in so that you stay top of mind. Things can change in an instant and showing proactivity and continued interest says a lot about you.

This is all basic advice, but when you are not interviewing on a consistent basis, it is easy to forget these things!

If you are in a lull and are having a hard time finding a job, make the most of the time you have right now and be productive with it. Employers want to see initiative and drive. Spruce up your resume to make sure it is easy to read and highlights your relevant experience. Continue to apply for jobs. Consider freelancing – often times these opportunities can lead to full time jobs. Obtain additional training and certifications. Network and volunteer your talents.

Most importantly, keep showing up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and continue to climb your way up the downward escalator. With time, patience, and perseverance, you will make it up to the top.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning about current opportunities at Green Room, please reach out to me at Linda@greenroompr.com!

 

 

BOONTON, N.J. (May 16, 2016) – Green Room Communications, a specialty agency focused on healthcare public relations, creative design and media strategy, is proud to announce that its founders and Managing Partners, Karen Qualter Carolonza and Deborah Nettune Sittig, have received New Jersey SmartCEO’s 2016 Brava Award, an annual recognition for top women business leaders who demonstrate exemplary leadership as evidenced by company growth, community impact and mentoring.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a female leader in the New Jersey business community,” said Carolonza. “This award builds on another recent milestone in Green Room’s history – our certification by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) in March 2016. We are committed to fostering a community of women who deliver results that demonstrate value to our clients and bring ahead-of-the-curve thinking to anticipate and address challenges as well as identify opportunities.”

New Jersey Brava Award winners are selected annually by an independent committee of local business leaders from the following three categories: CEOs, Executive Directors of nonprofits, and C-suite executives. Carolonza and Sittig were recognized for their irrepressible entrepreneurial spirit, passion for giving back to the community, local philanthropy, mentorship of up-and-coming leaders and company growth. Along with the other recipients, Carolonza and Sittig will be featured in the July/August issue of SmartCEO magazine and honored at an awards gala on June 23 in Old Bridge, NJ.

“We’re honored to be in the company of other talented New Jersey women who have been recognized for their business leadership and for paving the way for others,” said Sittig. “Companies today need innovative business models and a diverse talent base to respond to the financial and technological changes in today’s economy. At Green Room Communications, we are fortunate to be surrounded by women who strive to make an entrepreneurial and philanthropic impact every day.”

With a diverse client base in the pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology industries, Green Room builds and supports career growth opportunities for women in communications in STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and math. Its unique, non-hierarchical skill-based agency model ensures support for changing client needs and provides a competitive business edge. The company fosters career opportunities for women through a strong communications internship program.

About Karen Qualter Carolonza

A Short Hills, NJ, native, Karen Qualter Carolonza is a proven strategic public relations and communications professional with global experience in the healthcare, chemical and television news industries. Before founding Green Room in 2008, Karen was the global director of worldwide public relations at BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, and was responsible for the creation of the first-ever global public relations department for the company. Karen has served in communications roles at corporations and agencies, including the Pharmacia Corporation, DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Exxon Chemical Company, and Ruder Finn Public Relations. Karen spent the first part of her career as an NBC affiliate television news reporter in the Midwest and East Coast. Currently, Karen serves committees of the Lakeland Hills YMCA. She also serves on the board of Soft Bones: The U.S. Hypophosphatasia Foundation as well as the local chapter of the Progeria Foundation. She is a member of the ExLPharma Steering Committee and has chaired its annual PR & Communications Summit for a decade. She was named one of the Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of New Jersey (LWE) in 2014. Karen is the mother of three children and currently resides in Mountain Lakes, NJ.

About Deborah Nettune Sittig

Deborah Nettune Sittig, who grew up in Bernardsville, NJ, began her career as a broadcast journalist, spending more than a decade as a television reporter and news anchor in major markets across the country as well as working in television production. She produced newscasts and acted as a videographer, field producer, editor, writer and associate producer for ABC and FOX News affiliates in Long Island, NY; Burlington, VT; and Chattanooga, TN. She also served as a general assignment reporter and associate producer at KDFW, the FOX affiliate in Dallas, TX. Her PR experience started at DWJ Television where she served as media director and headed up a team of eight Media Placement Specialists. In 2003, Deborah opened Original Media Concepts, a PR firm specializing in media strategies and placement. Deborah is also the founder and current president of the Board of Directors, Soft Bones: The U.S. Hypophosphatasia Foundation, a non-profit organization to raise awareness for the rare bone disease. Deborah was selected as the Boy Scouts “Woman of the Year” in 2014 and was named one of the Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of New Jersey (LWE) in 2014.

About Green Room Communications

Green Room brings a new approach to classic communications needs. From corporate positioning and PR strategy to media and digital relations to integrated creative design, its unique, skill-based model aims to meet the needs of a new communications landscape requiring communicators to remain strategic and relevant in an evolving marketplace. Green Room customizes fluid, nimble teams with specific skill sets to address individual projects. This flexibility allows for scaling up or down using a global network of public relations experts to ensure support for changing client needs. The company’s unique ability to harness this intellectual capital and infuse it with energy and passion provide a competitive edge. Green Room was named a WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise in March 2016 by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Media Contact:

Candace Disler
Green Room Communications
Phone: 973-263-8585 x228
Cell: 973-650-7975
candace@greenroompr.com

BOONTON, NJ  (March 29, 2016) – Green Room Communications, a specialty agency focused on healthcare public relations, creative design and media strategy, is proud to announce that the company has received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The certification recognizes women-owned businesses that demonstrate entrepreneurial excellence, service and leadership.

The WBENC national standard of certification is a meticulous process including an in-depth financial, administrative and organizational review of the business and a site inspection. The certification process is designed to ensure the business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier and vendor diversity programs.

“Green Room is honored to receive certification as a women-owned business,” said Karen Qualter Carolonza, Managing Partner, Green Room Communications. “The certification is a wonderful milestone in our company’s history and will allow us to better serve our existing and prospective clients by helping them meet their vendor diversity requirements.”

“It is an honor to receive the WBENC certification and to be recognized in our industry as women business owners and leaders,” said Deborah Nettune Sittig, Managing Partner, Green Room Communications. “This award not only recognizes the contributions women make in terms of building businesses and supporting commerce across the country, but also acknowledges the important role women play in sustaining a diverse workforce.”

With a diverse client base in pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology industries, Green Room creates and supports career growth opportunities for women in communications in STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and math. Its unique, non-hierarchical skill-based agency model ensures support for changing client needs and provides a competitive business edge. The company fosters career opportunities for women through a strong communications internship program.

In 2014, Carolonza and Sittig were selected among the Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of New Jersey (LWE).

About WBENC

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC’s certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs.

About Green Room Communications

Green Room takes traditional communications in a new direction. Our five divisions – Green Room Public Relations, Green Room Solutions, Bridges Advocacy, Green Room Creative and our dedicated team of media specialists at Q Communications – cover the complete span of communications needs. We are passionate about our work. From public relations and social media strategy through stakeholder engagement and creative design, Green Room’s new school approach puts clients’ programs in a class of their own. Our philosophy is simple. We build nimble teams with the specific skills and chemistry to match the individual needs of our clients, and deliver smart, efficient solutions to drive business and produce results that exceed expectations.

Media Contact:
Candace Disler
Green Room Communications
candace@greenroompr.com
973-263-8585 x228

BOONTON, NJ (July 27, 2015) – Green Room Communications, a specialty agency focused on healthcare public relations and media strategy, has been certified by the State of New Jersey as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) effective July 9, 2015. As part of the certification, Green Room is listed in the state’s Selective Assistance Vendor Information (NJSAVI) database composed of small, minority- and women-owned businesses. The certification can increase visibility of the company among corporate decision makers seeking to diversify their pool of business partners and contractors.

“Becoming WBE certified is an important part of Green Room’s growth strategy,” said Karen Carolonza, principal of Green Room Communications. “Many corporations and state agencies have programs that encourage working with women-owned businesses. When companies choose to do business with a WBE certified company, they demonstrate their commitment to supporting diversity in the marketplace.”

Founded in 2008 by Karen Carolonza and Deborah Sittig, Green Room submitted a state application and documentation that proves the company meets the state’s requirement that a WBE be at least 51% owned and controlled by women. The certification is valid for three years with the option to renew.

“WBE certification further differentiates Green Room in a competitive marketplace,” said Deborah Sittig, principal of Green Room Communications. “We created Green Room in response to growing need among clients for a more flexible business model that taps into the right resources and skill sets. Since 2008, Green Room has experienced extraordinary growth and we expect WBE certification will continue our success.”

About Green Room Communications

Green Room takes traditional communications in a new direction. Our five divisions – Green Room Public Relations, Green Room Solutions, Bridges Advocacy, Green Room Creative and our dedicated team of media specialists at Q Communications – cover the complete span of communications needs. We are passionate about our work. From public relations and social media strategy through stakeholder engagement and creative design, Green Room’s new school approach puts clients’ programs in a class of their own. Our philosophy is simple. We build nimble teams with the specific skills and chemistry to match the individual needs of our clients, and deliver smart, efficient solutions to drive business and produce results that exceed expectations.

Media Contact:
Candace Disler
Green Room Communications
candace@greenroompr.com
973-263-8585 x228