Consider Me Your VERY own personal Jerry Maguire – Sans Tom Cruise

Recruiter. Headhunter. Staffing Consultant. Placement Specialist. Talent Acquisition and Retention Specialist. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH! Let’s call it what it really is – we are your Agent. OH YES – think Jerry Maguire “Show ME THE MONEY” Cuba Gooding yelling in the bathroom kind of agent. And no – I will not scream into the phone for you. I love you – but that just seems weird and it’s been done already.

I’ve realized recently that candidates typically fall into one of two categories:

• The first camp, we shall call them the “I don’t believe in your value” team – call Recruiters when they are in dire straits and send half-done resume updates/portfolio samples because let’s face it – they are at the end of their rope and don’t see the value that we (THE AGENT) can bring.

• The 2nd group, I shall call them the “I TOTALLY GET IT and will CERTAINLY partner with you to make magic happen” team – they are responsive, helpful, updates resumes AND portfolios accordingly and view us (THE AGENT) as a valued partner and resource in helping them secure their next engagement (I know – it’s not a movie but we can’t all live in the world of Mark Wahlberg (HELLO! ENTOURAGE MUCH) and Rene Zellweger).

So the tough question (DUM DUM DUM….) – how do we shift the court of public opinion in group one to join the happily ever after of group two?

It’s simple – change the mindset. Build the relationship. Court a little. In this land of speed dating and internet match making – the same cannot be applied to creating a valuable agent/talent relationship. So let’s get back to basics people! Get to know one another and the things that make each member of the partnership awesome. And for the love of god recruiters – DO NOT EVER USE THE WORDS “TOUCH BASE.” Would you want your girlfriend/spouse/family to call to “touch base?” I don’t think so.

Want to see a grown man cry??? Take away his iPhone.

September 30th I attended MoMo Boston held at the Boston Harbor Hotel where there was the usual meet and greet of some of the finest minds in America but also a great panel discussion regarding mobile advertising, mobile platforms, the best types of phones, etc. Needless to say, out of a room of 200, there were probably 11 women. Oh well – it meant more white wine for me. And NO! I do not JUST go for the open bar – Jeez.

My reason for attending was compounded by the fact that one of the speakers was a young lad I watched accept an award with MITX for his brainchild – SCVNGR. SCVNGR is a revolutionary online mobile game for large scavenger hunts. Seth Priebatsch, the 20 year old CEO (dropped out of Princeton to start the company) fielded questions regarding the state of mobile along with fellow panelists from Getjar, Runkeeper, and Quattro Wireless.

The consensus:
• There are a LOT of mobile applications – some who last only days before being tossed aside by users.
• Mobile advertising is the future of the market.
• There are a lot of new styles of android phone coming out – 35 to be exact – but that means the need for strong UI/UX is HUGE.
• And the smart phone is here to stay.

Everyone is obsessed with smart phone technology. To prove this point - a lot has been written about iPhone addictions. There are even YouTube clips and hilarious blogs about it. However – I have first hand knowledge. OH YES friends. I have been given the “iphone shoulder.” Recently I was at a party and 4 out of the 6 participants in a card game not only sent continual text messages but all 4 whipped out their iphones to compare apps – this one downloaded a really cool way to scan his gym membership. And this one found a great way to keep track of his diet. ETC. ETC. ETC. ETC. ETC. All the while, none realized that they couldn’t even “unplug” for a 30 minute card game. Now if it was Monopoly, it could be forgiven. That game lasts for days!

Back to Momo: Worldwide there is some discrepancy regarding which platform is best. But the big take away – MOBILE ADVERTISING. I walked away from the event with some new knowledge regarding some AWESOME technology partnerships coming out – ie. You’re doing an online mobile event, and you haven’t eaten – well….. wouldn’t you know it. Your phone just sent you 3 restaurants within walking distance. GENIUS! Or you’re seeing a movie, and you use Goby.com to create your next adventure by quickly searching the vast expanses of the Internet from your phone. This could make living life spontaneously far more tolerable.

Did I leave feeling slightly less intelligent? You betcha.
Am I tempted to buy an iPhone – I plead the 5th.

Blue 32!!! Blue 32!!!!

“The same things win. It doesn't matter where you coach them. The game's the same.” Mike DuBose

“If you're bored with life - you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things - you don't have enough goals.” Lou Holtz

“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.” Vince Lombardi

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional.” Joe Paterno

“You can't get much done in life if you only work when you feel good.” Jerry West

Recently in a role-play, during the critique portion, my facilitator pauses and says to me “Do you realize how often you coach during a recruiting call?” At first I thought “OH CRAP.. is that bad??” She assured me it was not and expanded by stating that by coaching – I’m adding value to the conversation, giving something to the candidate, and overall, building rapport, trust, and becoming partners in the process. And I realized – business coaching and sports coaching - potato potato. My forte is resume revision and portfolio review – I LOVE helping the talent create something that on paper – accurately helps reflect their work. Let’s be honest – you only get one chance to make a first impression.

How often are we recruiters/agents/head hunters out there “coaching” our talent. How often are we helping them realize their strengths, helping them realize how best to showcase those strengths, etc?

What are your best coaching tips/tricks?

As a talent/candidate, what types of coaching would you enjoy or would you find beneficial?

The Ringmaster's on a smoke break...

Time management - oh the words sound so simple but are yet so darn tricky. How else are there several books, infomercials, classes, and seminars dedicated to this very topic? How often do we feel like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland singing badly along to "I'm late for a very important date..." while frantically staring at our pocket watch? We learn and adjust to suit the obstacles we face. But every so often I can swear I hear the blare of the Ringmaster's megaphone announcing me as the next act and wouldn't you know it - I'm on the tightrope.

As many of you know I started a new job at a GREAT company and I have to say - I am probably the busiest at work I've ever been which is a GREAT sign for the market. And as many of you experience every day I usually have two periods of panic – typically 11am and 2:30pm where I am so amazingly busy that I feel as though I'm spinning plates - but they aren't next to each other to allow for maximum spin potential. OH NO.... They are actually each on a different floor of the building. And the elevator is broken... and the stairs are filled with smoke. OK... The stairs aren't really full of smoke - by law I would have to evacuate the building and wait for the go ahead to come back in from the fire department. But you get the jist.

Here are my 10 tips for managing your day and time.

1. At the end of every day plan out the next day. Sounds tedious yes but what time is better to figure out what you couldn't get to today and what you should focus on tomorrow. And let's face it you're excited to be headed home so you're usually in a good mood, more relaxed, and putting those tasks down for several hours from now isn't so hard. Create a template, print out a copy every day and fill in the blanks.

2. Make your day manageable. Plan out time for each task. Do you have to devote time to training or is there something else you need to get done but can never seem to get to? Schedule it in and then DISCONNECT. Don't read your email or answer your phone. Impossible you say? Just try it once. Trust me.

3. Put the things you like doing the least, first on your list and TACKLE them.. head on. The rest of your day will be a breeze without those issues looming over your head.

4. Always plan in 30 minutes to an hour for administrative tasks – returning emails, checking the status of a report, filing papers, etc. at the end of the day. It's much easier to start your day and tackle number 3 if you've already gotten yourself caught up on the things that seem to take a long time while juggling plates. Trust me - if you try to file while plate spinning, it will take you much longer versus dedicating that time.

5. The things you don't get to - move to the next day. It will get done. Now if it's an urgent matter and your boss just said "Bob this needs to be done in an hour", please don't print this blog and hand it to him and say "I'm sorry Sir but The Headhuntress told me not

to." :) Case by case basis please.

6. Take a BREAK already. It's a proven fact that people who do not take a few minutes for themselves to move around, get some water, grab a smoke with the Ringmaster, etc. are less productive overall. It's ok to walk away for a few minutes and let me tell you - that 5-minute breather will add a lot more productivity on in the end. I schedule in a 3pm peanut butter cup break every day - boy do I look forward to those.

7. Multitasking is no longer viewed as awesome. To a lot of employers multitasking simply means doing a few things half as well as you would have if you devoted your full attention to it. So schedule it out - 1 hour of phone calls, 1 hour of research, 1 hour of (insert task here) - versus trying to do it all at once.

8. Stick to your plan. Perhaps enlist an office buddy who is also trying the planning strategy and play police for the other.

9. Schedule out of office appointments first thing in the morning or at the very end of the day. There is nothing more difficult than getting back from a 1pm appointment and trying to refocus and get back on track.

10. Write it down!! How often are we scrambling to get a few things done at the end of the day that we forgot to do earlier – if you write it down, it’s much easier to tackle, remember, check off when complete, etc.

In our pursuit of work, life, balance we often become overwhelmed by the pure amount of work we have to do. I liken it to tightrope walking and plate spinning but overall the message is still the same. If you're overwhelmed and often hallucinate the sounds of the circus (you know the song I'm talking about) and there just aren't enough hours in the day - try managing your time differently.

BYOBM - If you've got it, flaunt it!

Spring has sprung! Birds are chirping, pedestrians are darting out in front of my car, I narrowly avoid running into people on bikes – seriously some of you people are slightly dangerous. Ahhhhh…. Summer is on its way. And to top it off I’m seeing signs of an upswing in the market. WOO HOO!!

Recently, I was fortunate enough to take part in a few events focusing on job hunting, technology, new products, etc. at the Microsoft building in Cambridge, MA. Can we talk about how awesome the facilities are? 3 words – fully stocked fridges.

Highlights of the meetings included an evening devoted to discussing how best to use social media in an organization, 4 hours of resume review helping professionals market themselves, and yet another evening devoted to proctoring presentations for MITX (Massachusetts Information Technology Exchange) technology awards. And now I shall share what I’ve learned. I feel the need to put a “Confucius Say” here but will refrain.

Social Media:
First and foremost - BYOBM!! Be your own best marketer. Social media is what you make it. Are you Twitter savvy? Perhaps you are able to connect with millions via a group on Facebook? Or even better- you can do both and they are linked together? ROCK ON. The evening (Girls in Tech – Using Social Media in your organization) had 4 panelists answering questions regarding this very topic and I realized something when I left that night – if you are putting yourself out there – whatsoever – it will bring a response. Twittering (sending Tweets), updating your Facebook status, creating content for a website or (giggle) a blog.
BYOBM and they will come….

Resume Review:
I’m sure most of you know by now – I love helping people with their resume. Why? No clue. I get giddy knowing that I may be helping that person. And when it works – I sing the following song. The other night a gentleman who I had helped in a VERY packed resume review session came up to me at another event and said “I got an interview by using what you told me.” I had one of those moments where I had to think of what my face was looking like at that moment – because inside I was jumping up and down. Small win for him, a huge joy for me. HOWEVER – the moral of the story is: tailor your resume. BYOBM – don’t assume that a company will “guess” that you have the skills. If they’ve taken the time to write a description – you need to take the time to acknowledge the description. Assume that the first person who sees your resume will have NO CLUE who you are or what you do – then what?

MITX Awards:
OK – I have to say helping with MITX was probably one of the COOLEST nights. Technology companies far and wide came to Microsoft to show off the newest concepts in several categories. My categories – gaming and rich media. Can we talk about how awesome the future of gaming and rich media is going to be? There’s nothing like sitting in a room with insanely smart people (MIT, Harvard, Yale, Carnegie Melon – the gang’s all here) and feeding off of their intelligence. Stay tuned IN folks – join industry groups. You will learn a lot and it will allow you to BYOBM at the events.

The moral: To succeed in this crazy world – you have to BYOBM (SERIOUSLY GIVE IT A SHOT), attempt to help others, and spend a few minutes with a nerd. Trust me.

Lather Rinse Repeat......As needed???

Can I just say I’ve never understood rinsing and repeating? It seems to me that if the product can’t get the job done the first time, rather than lathering, rinsing, and then doing it all over again – the ideal would be to buy a higher quality product. No?

One thing about the current state of things is that I’m noticing a lot of repeating the same behavior and hoping for a different outcome (Ie. Using $1 shampoo and hoping for flowing shiny hair). Clients are shunning recruiters hoping to find stellar candidates through referrals and other means all the while – keeping jobs open for several months and finally after several months relinquishing the role to recruiters like myself. Candidates are sending over resumes directly to clients over and over again filled with typos with no strong commercial on their behalf – still no word. So I say – why not buy a better shampoo? Go straight for the salon quality and enlist the help of an agency that can filter through the hundreds of responses and send only the best. Candidates – why not enlist the help of a solid recruiter who has the shortcut to those clients?

I was recently talking to a client over lunch about the state of the economy, how things are going, etc. Most of these conversations usually begin with a head tilt and the obligatory – “So… How are things going for you? Pretty rough huh?” and I smile and say “Actually – companies are hiring albeit selectively, but they are hiring.” This is usually met with surprise and a flicker of hope in their eyes. We keep hearing over and over again the doom and gloom of the day – but truthfully, every time I hear the melancholy the following song pops into my head…

‘Ain't nothin' gonna to break my stride. Nobody's gonna slow me down, OH-NOI got to keep on movin' (Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder 1984)

Corny yes. Motivating – you betcha!

So this makes me wonder – in a recession, is the sheer paranoia of the situation causing us to essentially lather, rinse, and repeat several times in the same shower? Some could argue that washing your hair 3 times per day with $1 shampoo could be cheaper than once a day with the expensive brands – but is the outcome the same? Are my clients truly saving money by attempting to staff roles themselves or would finding a qualified candidate quickly save them more money in the long run? Are my candidates truly putting their best foot forward alone or are they lost in the abyss of resumes collecting in client inboxes? Is it time to bite the bullet and spring for the good shampoo?

Dr. Jekyll, Mr.... Tech Support??

A vast majority of my blog has been dedicated to candidate advice. I figured amongst the cold blasts of snow, a lighthearted candidate story or two would be appropriate.

#1 – The Cold Shoulder
I was working on a Technical Support role for a company in Boston. I had a lengthy phone discussion with said candidate, for sanity’s sake we shall call him “Bob.” Bob seems interested in the role, I explain the need to meet with him prior, etc. Shortly thereafter, I receive a few emails and a phone call from “Bob” asking a multitude of very pointed questions. We discuss them and hang up. Again, another phone call, and now a sound of frustration in his voice concerned about the location, etc. We discuss it, all is fine and dandy. He arrives for our in-person with a gift for me beautifully presented in a lovely piece of wrapping paper with a bow. He promptly gives me the gift explaining that he is very apologetic for being “difficult” over the last couple of days. I have him meet with the account manager for the client, we are in agreement that he feels like a strong fit, and he leaves – everyone feeling confident. Two days later, I get a very angry email from “Bob” demanding why we had not yet set up an interview. I explain to him that the client typically takes a few days and that as I had mentioned prior, they will do a phone screen first. He become more irate, demands an in-person within the week, or else – withdraw his resume. I assure him that I will check in with the manager and go from there. Angry email number three brings the demand “Remove my resume – I have lost all faith.” I inform the manager, the next day – they request an interview. J Long story short, I discuss the interview with him and after several phone calls we realize that he simply shouldn’t be interviewing with the client. His reason for being so sporadically angry you ask? He had been unemployed for two months and was simply tired of the process.

#2 – The Voicemail Bandit
Candidate who we shall call “John” was an out of state candidate for a mainframe position at a client in Pennsylvania. We discuss the position, he understands that they require an in-person interview after a phone screen and even exclaims with glee that he has family in the area so it would be a great trip to make. Sure enough, the client expresses interest in an in-person and the light-switch flips. The candidate refuses to attend an in-person and begins leaving fanatical messages on the company voicemail box for me and for the OWNER OF THE COMPANY. The kicker – the messages are so long that John repeatedly runs out of tape. On several of these messages, he discusses topics such as “how difficult it is to land an airplane” and my ever favorite message he left for my boss discussing that he must not be able to hire sales people because an in-person shouldn’t be necessary for someone of his caliber. My all time favorite “My wife told me that I am sounding a little crazy on these messages however…..” Long story short – he eventually stopped calling after approximately 8+ messages that were 10-15 minutes in length each.

I’m beginning to think that psychological profiles may be included in my interviewing protocol. Anyone else have stories to share?

Big Bucks NO Whammies.....

For those of you out there who were children of the 80’s (or perhaps a bit older), hopefully you will remember the show – Press Your Luck. Contestants would collect spins that led to prizes after the spin traveled around a makeshift digital game board, all the while yelling “BIG BUCKS NO WHAMMIES.” I promise this has a point.

The other day, I was talking with a friend who was flustered about their resume and cover letter in an attempt to find the perfect recipe for submitting themselves to a job. Should the cover letter showcase personality, should it be more formal. What about the resume? Do we really need to include “Excellent oral and written communication skills” in a resume? Would someone ever put “Lackluster oral and written communication skills” or perhaps “You can barely understand me but I promise I am a workhorse.” After a couple of chuckles, the conversation turned back to the process and I found myself feeling that anxiety that I felt watching press your luck when I saw the icon headed near a whammy and the impact truly hit me. You only have one chance to make a first impression. (Especially in a down market) So what perfect cocktail of cover letter and resume will yield a prize – versus a big, ugly, cape wearing, eerily creepy WHAMMY. Finito! You’ve lost your shot at the job. And then I thought to myself – how many Recruiters out there are giving candidates conflicting opinions? How many of us have altered a resume without giving any thought to the overall candidacy of that individual? Is there a way to remove the potential for a Whammy?

Tips to Avoiding …. The Whammy
First, I’ve discussed before the importance of having a few versions of your resume on hand. However, I have to say – it’s just as important to have matching versions of your cover letter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received resumes with a 2 page cover letter detailing how fantastic a person is for my Project Manager posting, and when I open the resume – I feel as though I’ve been duped. No talk of Project Management.

Secondly, it’s also very important to have one cover letter and resume that reflect your personality. If you are applying to a job that is asking for a very distinct personality – make sure that your resume conveys it. If the heading is “Looking for a high energy, enthusiastic, crazy lunatic who LOVES eating peanuts and throwing the shells on the floor” and that seems to be of extreme importance to the company – make sure your resume (at minimum your cover letter) discusses your fantastic ability to throw peanut shells long distances. Heck – put down your most recent record. 15 feet really?

Finally – cater, cater, cater. Not food silly. Your candidacy. I’ve used the term before BYOBM (Be Your Own Best Marketer) however, I can’t tell you how many times someone has applied to a posting I have with the wrong title listed for the job. “Dear HeadHuntress, I’m applying for your Data Analyst job”…. The job title – Data Warehouse Team Lead. Make sure your resume speaks to the job. And for the love – make sure that the hiring manager’s name is spelled correctly. I do so LOVE when people call me Molly.