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?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Fa La La La - Layoffs??
2008 – What a year! We have a historic President-Elect who we are hoping will inspire the American public. It has been officially declared that the United States has been in a recession for the past 12 months. Companies are laying off ten’s of thousands of workers while others are closing completely. And finally to top it off – a Journalist in Iraq attempted to hit George W. Bush with not one, but both of his shoes and almost succeeded. This one is definitely headed for the record books.
Of these moments, my guess is that most Americans are going into the Holiday season bracing for what 2009 will bring – more layoffs? Who will be next? The longest recessions on record since WWII have been 16 months total – are we nearing an end?
For those of you out there affected by the layoffs, I offer some tips on putting yourself back out on the market.
1. Sit down and spend part of an entire day on your resume. Whatever you do, don’t throw together your most recent job history out of anger and spite – because let’s be honest, it won’t serve to hurt the company – just YOUR job prospects.
2. Be very detailed with regard to how you can help the company with whom you are applying by utilizing cover letters, well thought out emails, etc. Be your own best marketer. (BYOBM) If you’re applying for a Project Management role, your resume should talk about Project Management skills and your cover letter should indicate your strengths with regard to – Project Management.
3. Send your resume to a friend to have them proof it for errors – you would be surprised at the amount of errors despite your best effort to read it dozens of times.
4. Take your suits to the dry cleaner – yes I know that the world is more casual, however, hiring managers want to see you in a suit. This goes for both men and women.
5. Sell, sell, sell – Post your resume, consult with Recruiters that you trust (like me), and apply to roles on-line. Don’t expect the job to come to you. (Sidenote: Keep a detailed list of jobs that you have applied to and be very clear with Recruiters regarding roles that you have applied to directly).
6. Carry copies of your resume with you. Do not assume that they have one printed out – take the burden off of them. They will notice. You can print at Kinkos.
7. If you have non-competes, have a copy with you so you can speak to the restrictions.
8. Have your references ready to go – already contacted, primed, and excited to talk about you. A big red flag goes up when a company asks for references, and the candidate answers “ummmm. Let me check on that.”
9. Be very clear about your salary needs but be realistic. You may have been making $150,000 last year, but have you done the research recently to see what folks are now making? I bet you’ll be surprised to see it has dropped somewhat. You must let them know your flexibility.
10. Eye contact, firm handshake, and enthusiasm – they go a long way.
Just some friendly advice to those job hunters unexpectedly tossed back on the market.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Frustration is spelled R.E.S.U.M.E.
Someday I hope to find whoever instructs my 10+ year veteran consultants to turn their incredible careers into one condensed page of confusion – and kick them in the shin.
Now I realize that there are SEVERAL schools of thought with regard to resume writing. Let’s face it – selling yourself on paper is probably one of the most difficult tasks other than perhaps – changing a tire without scratching your knuckles on the pavement. As the years have passed, I have found myself the career counselor to every friend of mine who begins a new job search and it always begins the same way “Can I send you my resume to take a look at?” Resumes are scary, tedious, and everyone had a different philosophy.
Case in point: The other day, I’m talking to a .Net Developer. 20 years in the business, several recent years of awesome .Net expertise – highly marketable background. He sends over his 1 1/2 page resume and I find that both pages are in tables – with no explanation of what his responsibilities were or what types of projects he was working on. It was in essence, a technical summary. I say to him “Do you have a resume that goes into a bit of detail?” His response “The last few recruiters I spoke to told me to put it in this format so I did.” My response – “Have you gotten any interviews with those recruiters?”
I have a philosophy with regard to resume creation. I’m putting it below – please feel free to share.
· First and foremost – unless you are a recent college graduate, a one page resume cannot possibly illustrate a lifetime of achievement. There is a healthy balance however, 10+ page resumes are never good either. Assume that an employer will look at your last 5 years – so make those last 5 years count. (Let go of the one page resume – seriously – put it in the garbage)
· Secondly – each candidate should have three versions of their resume on hand at all times. One that is catered to technology and process, another that is more narrative (your story telling resume), and one that lays out EVERYTHING in detail – it is ALWAYS a good idea to have something somewhere with detail so you can refer to it or cut and paste. If you’re dealing with a good recruiter who knows their client well, they will be able to tell you which version will help secure an interview.
· Finally - for the love – cater your resume to suit the job you’re applying to. Clients, while fabulous and incredibly intelligent, are not psychic. They cannot deduce from your resume that you in fact have every technology they are searching for unless they see it (or find it in a key word search) – help them out! My favorite conversations with consultants are typically about this very topic. They apply to an Oracle Financials Analyst role – and have no Oracle Financials listed on their resume. So I use this analogy – would you apply to be a Circus Acrobat with no mention of gymnastic or acrobatic training on your resume?
The moral of the story – I never placed said .Net Consultant because a week or so after our initial conversation and resume revamp session, I received an ecstatic email from him letting me know that he had gotten a fantastic contract in New York City and “Oh by the way your resume tips worked!” Now - if only I could parlay my helpful resume revamps into income or even better - charge a bag of Reese’s for each session.
Now I realize that there are SEVERAL schools of thought with regard to resume writing. Let’s face it – selling yourself on paper is probably one of the most difficult tasks other than perhaps – changing a tire without scratching your knuckles on the pavement. As the years have passed, I have found myself the career counselor to every friend of mine who begins a new job search and it always begins the same way “Can I send you my resume to take a look at?” Resumes are scary, tedious, and everyone had a different philosophy.
Case in point: The other day, I’m talking to a .Net Developer. 20 years in the business, several recent years of awesome .Net expertise – highly marketable background. He sends over his 1 1/2 page resume and I find that both pages are in tables – with no explanation of what his responsibilities were or what types of projects he was working on. It was in essence, a technical summary. I say to him “Do you have a resume that goes into a bit of detail?” His response “The last few recruiters I spoke to told me to put it in this format so I did.” My response – “Have you gotten any interviews with those recruiters?”
I have a philosophy with regard to resume creation. I’m putting it below – please feel free to share.
· First and foremost – unless you are a recent college graduate, a one page resume cannot possibly illustrate a lifetime of achievement. There is a healthy balance however, 10+ page resumes are never good either. Assume that an employer will look at your last 5 years – so make those last 5 years count. (Let go of the one page resume – seriously – put it in the garbage)
· Secondly – each candidate should have three versions of their resume on hand at all times. One that is catered to technology and process, another that is more narrative (your story telling resume), and one that lays out EVERYTHING in detail – it is ALWAYS a good idea to have something somewhere with detail so you can refer to it or cut and paste. If you’re dealing with a good recruiter who knows their client well, they will be able to tell you which version will help secure an interview.
· Finally - for the love – cater your resume to suit the job you’re applying to. Clients, while fabulous and incredibly intelligent, are not psychic. They cannot deduce from your resume that you in fact have every technology they are searching for unless they see it (or find it in a key word search) – help them out! My favorite conversations with consultants are typically about this very topic. They apply to an Oracle Financials Analyst role – and have no Oracle Financials listed on their resume. So I use this analogy – would you apply to be a Circus Acrobat with no mention of gymnastic or acrobatic training on your resume?
The moral of the story – I never placed said .Net Consultant because a week or so after our initial conversation and resume revamp session, I received an ecstatic email from him letting me know that he had gotten a fantastic contract in New York City and “Oh by the way your resume tips worked!” Now - if only I could parlay my helpful resume revamps into income or even better - charge a bag of Reese’s for each session.
Friday, October 10, 2008
You get what you pay for....
These last few weeks have been a rollercoaster – as a Head Huntress and as an American. Wall Street is in shambles, our bailout didn’t really do any bailing out, unemployment is going up, our Presidential candidates are debating but not necessarily answering any questions, people are scrambling to maintain standards of living, our greatest joy is the return of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are more popular than ever, and I can’t seem to understand the hiring patterns of our clients.
For example: Client knows they need a Senior Network Design Engineer – but only want to pay $65k for fear of running out of budget. However, they know that this person needs to have the skills of a $95k Network Design Engineer. But they hire a less qualified candidate to save the cash while simultaneously putting themselves at risk of a crippled Network – which is MORE expensive in the long run. Yeah – it’s a head scratcher.
Case in point: A couple of years ago, a certain retailer who shall remain nameless but has fabulous name brand products at discount prices – had a HUGE security breach. HUGE. Not little. MILLIONS of dollars huge. I was tasked with finding said client a Security Engineer who was well versed in ethical hacking. The budget - $75k. Now riddle me this – your entire company is compromised, you have lost the confidence of your customers, your name is synonymous with security breach, and you want to hire a SENIOR SECURITY EXPERT to fix the problem in a short period of time for fear that your company will tank, and this miracle worker who shall be the salvation of a multi-million dollar company is worth $75k? Again – another head scratcher.
If I buy a pair of $10 jeans – Should I be shocked that they don’t wash and wear well? If I purchase low premium insurance, should I be shocked that the medical coverage is lackluster? If I buy a $1 hamburger versus the $10 model at an upscale restaurant – should I expect them to taste the same?
If our current economic situation has taught us anything, it is that we truly get what we pay for and that we have to be realistic. Now I know the 1969 Rolling Stone’s song as well as any other that “You can’t always get what you want,” but isn’t it about time that we as Recruiters and Staffing experts helped our clients to realize what they need.
For example: Client knows they need a Senior Network Design Engineer – but only want to pay $65k for fear of running out of budget. However, they know that this person needs to have the skills of a $95k Network Design Engineer. But they hire a less qualified candidate to save the cash while simultaneously putting themselves at risk of a crippled Network – which is MORE expensive in the long run. Yeah – it’s a head scratcher.
Case in point: A couple of years ago, a certain retailer who shall remain nameless but has fabulous name brand products at discount prices – had a HUGE security breach. HUGE. Not little. MILLIONS of dollars huge. I was tasked with finding said client a Security Engineer who was well versed in ethical hacking. The budget - $75k. Now riddle me this – your entire company is compromised, you have lost the confidence of your customers, your name is synonymous with security breach, and you want to hire a SENIOR SECURITY EXPERT to fix the problem in a short period of time for fear that your company will tank, and this miracle worker who shall be the salvation of a multi-million dollar company is worth $75k? Again – another head scratcher.
If I buy a pair of $10 jeans – Should I be shocked that they don’t wash and wear well? If I purchase low premium insurance, should I be shocked that the medical coverage is lackluster? If I buy a $1 hamburger versus the $10 model at an upscale restaurant – should I expect them to taste the same?
If our current economic situation has taught us anything, it is that we truly get what we pay for and that we have to be realistic. Now I know the 1969 Rolling Stone’s song as well as any other that “You can’t always get what you want,” but isn’t it about time that we as Recruiters and Staffing experts helped our clients to realize what they need.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Using my superpowers for good....
When born with superpowers and upon the day of realization – the first step in the life of a Super Hero or potential Villain is the careful choosing of the name – or at least, that’s how it happens in the movies. As a Head Huntress, my first obvious choice would be The Head Huntress of the World or The Princess of Placement; however, in reality based upon an average day, my name should truly be something like The HR Defeater or perhaps Requirement Rambo or even on a good day The Feedback Fighter. What is my super power you ask? I have the same superpower every good Recruiter has – a facility for communication.
Often times in this crazy world of staffing, an average day can feel like an obstacle course or often times – a war zone. First, jump over the pond of requirements not truly needed but added for no particular reason, crawl under the HR radar, narrowly avoid being shot by the laser beams of HR mistrust, walk the tightrope of candidate love/hate, and lastly – fight the dragon of client non-response. And just when you think you’re safe in your trench – KABLOW!!!! You’ve just stepped on the mine of last minute negotiations and counter offers. However in this war, instead of a sword and shield – I have a laptop, telephone, occasionally a really good quality gel pen…. and my superpower.
Despite current economic problems and a large portion of our talent slated to retire, the business of staffing is still quite strong. Clients need talent, and the talent needs work. Seems like a win/win equation. However, somewhere along the way, our superpower, our ability to communicate, is turned against us and we find ourselves struggling with either the candidates or HR or a client for clarity. To my fellow super-recruiters out there; how do you combat the Kryptonite of a lack of clarity and non-response?
Often times in this crazy world of staffing, an average day can feel like an obstacle course or often times – a war zone. First, jump over the pond of requirements not truly needed but added for no particular reason, crawl under the HR radar, narrowly avoid being shot by the laser beams of HR mistrust, walk the tightrope of candidate love/hate, and lastly – fight the dragon of client non-response. And just when you think you’re safe in your trench – KABLOW!!!! You’ve just stepped on the mine of last minute negotiations and counter offers. However in this war, instead of a sword and shield – I have a laptop, telephone, occasionally a really good quality gel pen…. and my superpower.
Despite current economic problems and a large portion of our talent slated to retire, the business of staffing is still quite strong. Clients need talent, and the talent needs work. Seems like a win/win equation. However, somewhere along the way, our superpower, our ability to communicate, is turned against us and we find ourselves struggling with either the candidates or HR or a client for clarity. To my fellow super-recruiters out there; how do you combat the Kryptonite of a lack of clarity and non-response?
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Where is MY tall, dark, and handsome???
The executive team meets – an agreement is reached. The job description is written, then passed on and edited, and revised, and reviewed, and edited to include the typical “works well with others” sections – and TADA. You have your typical job description.
I often liken job descriptions to personal ads just as I have likened recruiting to matchmaking. My consultants usually chuckle when I give them the following analogy:
“Job descriptions are like personal adds. If you’re looking for a wife or husband or soul mate, you put EVERYTHING down that would make someone perfect for you. For the ladies – tall, dark, handsome, successful, a great cook, loves kids, athletic, protective, great sense of humor, loves the theater and opera. However, when push comes to shove, we’ll relinquish a few once we meet our next-to-perfect. Maybe he’s shorter than we had hoped or not a world renowned chef and maybe.. just maybe.. he’s balding. It’s the same with companies and job descriptions – they will often relinquish a few must haves to get their next-to-perfect. Because lets face it – it’s very few and far between that Goldilocks strikes our lives and gives us that – just right.”
They giggle, and think back to a personal ad they’ve read or potentially written. And the lightbulb goes off – maybe I have a shot.
Putting this down makes me wonder – how often are we discounting candidates because they’re not “just right” instead helping them understand they could be “next-to-perfect?” Are we working with our candidates to help them sell themselves or simply doing those key word searches hoping with our fingers crossed to find our elusive Goldilocks?
I often liken job descriptions to personal ads just as I have likened recruiting to matchmaking. My consultants usually chuckle when I give them the following analogy:
“Job descriptions are like personal adds. If you’re looking for a wife or husband or soul mate, you put EVERYTHING down that would make someone perfect for you. For the ladies – tall, dark, handsome, successful, a great cook, loves kids, athletic, protective, great sense of humor, loves the theater and opera. However, when push comes to shove, we’ll relinquish a few once we meet our next-to-perfect. Maybe he’s shorter than we had hoped or not a world renowned chef and maybe.. just maybe.. he’s balding. It’s the same with companies and job descriptions – they will often relinquish a few must haves to get their next-to-perfect. Because lets face it – it’s very few and far between that Goldilocks strikes our lives and gives us that – just right.”
They giggle, and think back to a personal ad they’ve read or potentially written. And the lightbulb goes off – maybe I have a shot.
Putting this down makes me wonder – how often are we discounting candidates because they’re not “just right” instead helping them understand they could be “next-to-perfect?” Are we working with our candidates to help them sell themselves or simply doing those key word searches hoping with our fingers crossed to find our elusive Goldilocks?
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