Month: July 2015

At the end of the day recruiting is really about getting the right butt in the right seat.  But along the way the waters get muddy.  Isn’t that the way courting works?

Some people actually date in hopes of finding a spouse.  Crazy, I know.  But along the way you date a few people for other reasons… they make a lot of money, they are really good-looking, they were the last person at the bar when it was closing time, etc…  Recruiting and the job search is the same way.  We are all looking for that perfect job or candidate.  The one that is perfect and will create that feeling of nirvana.

But alas, you gotta kiss a lot of frogs to find the prince.  But if you just wait for a prince you might end up in your 40s living at home with job history that makes it look like you wanted to be an actor.  So sometimes, as a recruiter, we just want to get a butt in a seat.  Personally speaking I have never sent someone on in the hiring process that I truly thought was a bad match for the position or the company.  More times than not, I am rolling the dice.  Why?  Because I do not believe that you can TRULY know someone’s potential until they get in the position.  Also, they won’t know their own potential until they are in the driver seat.  We are so afraid of trying jobs/employees out.  There are lots of good reasons not to try out employees or jobs but it really would be nice if we could all do it.

You, as the candidate, have to take ownership of part of this process.  Do not leave it up to the company to decide if you are the right person.  You also need to decide if they are the right company with the right position.  At the end of they day if you two break up be sure to handle it professionally.  Don’t burn bridges… you may need to cross back over them in the future.

The Man

Common sense is like deodorant.  The people who need it most never use it.
Bill Murray

Do you like stereotypes?  Most people don’t but there are usually stereotypes for a reason.  For instance, let’s say there has been a serial killer on the loose in your area.  Should they be primarily investigating old black women or should they primarily focus on white guys in their 30s and 40s?  There are exceptions but most stereotypes exist for a reason.

The same thing is true with recruiters but a recruiter is not a recruiter is not a recruiter.  Does it matter to you as a candidate? It should.  There are three main categories: Head Hunters, Agency and Corporate.

Head Hunters
They are the hired guns of the old west.  Think of them as Hitch.  They can work for a company or the candidate.  Usually they are contracted by the company but they usually specialize in a field.  They frequently have contacts in that field and have place people in a specific sector in the past; accounting, logistics, HR, etc…  They also usually work on higher level openings, VP, C-Suite or E-Suite positions.  They are also frequently full of themselves and they charge A LOT of money.  I am not saying they are not good at what they do, many are but in my experience they do the minimum it takes to get the job done.  They are like realtors, they generally want to show you a house you will buy, but not necessarily the best house for you.  Many times they work on an exclusive contract with an employer.

Agency Recruiters
These folks are the deputies of the old west.  They set up dates for people.  They are sales people.  They first have to sell the company on using them, then they sell the position to the candidate, then they sell the company on the candidate.  Competition is fierce and you can also draw analogies to bounty hunters.  These are usually the people that call you and say something like “would you be interested in a conversation about an exciting new opportunity in….”  I am not saying this is bad, it is what it is.  They usually deal with a much greater volume of candidates and openings than a head-hunter.

Corporate Recruiter
The corporate recruiter works for the company with the opening.  I am a fan of these people in large part because this is most of my background.  If they hire you they will be your co-worker.  But, unfortunately, many of them do this just to get into HR.  You see, corporate recruiters are many times the bastard offspring of HR.  You hear things like “recruiting is all personality.”  “HR is a true profession.”  It similar to accounting and sales.  You hear accountant blast “a dollar saved is as good as a dollar earned.”  Not so.  You can always make more money through sales, savings have an end point.

So, if you are a candidate, how to you tell where a recruiter’s loyalties lie?  It is hard to do.  It is similar to us trying to figure out if you can and want to do the job we are recruiting for.  I think a magic 8-ball is involved a lot.  Many companies, including Google are always looking for a better widget to decide who is will be a great employee.  Just read Work Rules.  Google has had several iterations of their selection process and I am sure they will have several more.  Each one will be a shiny new coin that everyone will love until it tarnishes.

Unfortunately, as you may have learned by now, I do not have all the answers.  I just try to give you more information to help you in your job search.

The Man

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships
Michael Jordan

Most companies say they hire smart people.  I have only heard one company admit to not always going after the smartest people in the room.  The CFO at the time said “We hire from the half of the college class that makes the upper half possible.”  An you know what, they now own their industry.

I see hard work as one of great equalizers at work.  If we were like France and other countries that limit how many hours someone could work in a day/week then it would be much more about smarts.  Smart is something that is largely out of our control.  You think someone scores a 35 on the ACT through hard work?  Now way, that is a gift.

I know looking for work life balance is a hot topic.  But if the government starts limiting how much or hard someone can work they are limiting people’s success.  Don’t believe me?  How about if school limited how long students could study each night?  If your student can’t learn the subject matter in that amount of time too bad.  No tutors or extra work.  I mean kids need school balance right?

Or how about if you had to pick your spouse just on looks?  You couldn’t meet them or talk to them first.  That would REALLY suck!

Why not just hire on smarts?  Well, if the smartest person in the world did not show up to work then would it matter?  No.  What if the smartest person in your company was a real ass-hat and no one wanted to work with or for them?  No bueno.  Or when you are working towards a deadline of 8am the next morning and at 5pm the day before they say “sorry, I need to leave.”

I will take an average person who works hard and wants to learn over a lazy brilliant person any day of the week.

The Man

Hard work does not necessarily guarantee success, but no success is possible without hard work.
Dr. T.P Chia

Sorry mate, your resume sucks.  Have you ever been told that?  No?  Oh yes you have, you just didn’t listen.  Many times when you don’t hear back from a company it is because your resume sucks.  Yes, it may be that you still are using comic sans or maybe you are one of those twits that uses a script font.  But it is usually that you do not do a good job of selling yourself.

10 seconds on Twitter looking up #resume will tell you a few no-brainers:

• Dump the objective – at best it just takes up space.  Usually it tells me that you are a mouth breather that forgot to change it from the last job you applied for.
• Don’t say “references upon request” – we are guessing that you will give them.
• Do not write in paragraphs – you get 4-10 seconds of my attention initially.  If I am not intrigued then I am on to the next one.

But there are a few things that I think are also important to do.  Keep in mind, this is for resumes in ‘Merica and not CVs.

• Put a summary at the top – this allows you to get the most relevant stuff out there first.
• Be truthful but don’t be a kid – Let’s say that the ad says they want a CPA but you let yours lapse but your score was an 85 when you passed it.  Would it be untruthful to list that you passed the Uniform CPA Examination with an 85?  I think not.
• If your job history is spotty, try listing why you left each position, especially if it was because of layoffs or similar.  I like this look:

Company XYZ
Separated due to layoff

• Write a cover letter – but keep in mind, if your resume sucks I will never see the cover letter.  Also, don’t use the exact same cover letter each time.  If you do that then just save the keystrokes.
• Reverse chronological unless your relevant experience is old – If you want to teach again and it has been 20 years since you have then you might want to split up your experience between “Relevant Experience” and “Other Experience.”

Lastly, your resume is yours.  There is no ONE right way to put a resume together but there are several wrong ways.  Want to look at examples of resumes?  Google it or go to Indeed and click on “find resumes” to look at other people’s resumes.

The Man

With resumes, it’s not about including everything.  It’s about including the RIGHT things.
News To Live By

 

You have heard if from companies time and time again; “we promote from within.”  Some companies almost exclusively promote from within, like Enterprise Rent-A-Car while others would rather bring in outside talent.  Just because a company promotes from within it does not mean that YOU are going to be moving up, nor should it.

First of all, there are a lot of caveats.  Many times you need to be in a position for a certain amount of time before you are allowed to apply for another position within the company.  I know that at first this does not make sense.  Most companies either have a formal or an informal rule for how long you need to be in a position before throwing you name in the hat for another position.  One company I was at had a pretty hard 2-year rule.  Part of the reason was that if an employee is really good at what they do then different areas of the country would want that employee to work for them.  This sounds easy until you realize that one district may have just paid out over $30,000.00 to relocate the employee and their family only to have them move to another district.  The big exception to this is if the company comes to you with an opportunity.

How do you know all of this about a company you are applying with?  Ask their employees stupid!  Remember that thing called networking that we have been talking about?  How about when you learn that the retailer you just started with LOVES to promote from within but guess what?  They TELL you where you will be working and they do not compensate for relocation.  Not kidding, it happens.

So be sure to do your homework and learn about the company and it’s culture.  No, asking “what is your culture like?” in an interview does not count.  If you are on a date with someone and you ask them “so, are you one of those clingy people who wants to spend every minute of every day with me?” do you really think you will get the truth?

The Man

Culture is the process by which a person becomes all that they were created capable of being.
Thomas Carlyle

I am curious… how are people using technology in their job search?  This could be just about anything from using mail merge to save time on a basic cover letter to setting up a google alert to search for jobs.  I know most people use technology for fun or social networking but if you are in a job search you need to use all of the resources you have available.

You will have the most success if you really focus on your job search.  This is not for those of us that are “open to other opportunities” but rather for those people who NEED a job NOW.  You know, your boss is an ass-hat and you can’t take it any more or you just got right-sized.  Whatever the reason if you NEED a job then you NEED to take it seriously and that means working at it.  Yep, it is a job.  I know the pay sucks but the pay-off can be huge.

So if you are so inclined, post a comment with how you could or have used technology in your job search.  Come on, help a brother out!

The Man

Two things are infinite.  The universe and human stupidity.  …and I’m not so sure about the universe.

Albert Einstein

I hear it and see it a lot from candidates… I CAN do the job.  That is the answer a lot of times when I ask some form of “Why do you want this position at this company?”  I hope you do not think that is a good answer, because it is not.

Look at it this way… you ask someone out and they say yes.  Whew!  Boy, you sure are glad they did not say no.  During the date you casually ask “so, why did you say yes when I asked you out?”  Their answer? “Because I wanted a free meal and no one else had asked me out for tonight.”  Boom!  That sound was your heart sinking.

CAN does not get you out to bed in the morning.  CAN does not get you to work on time.  CAN does not make you a good coworker.  CAN does not make you a valuable part of the team.  CAN is a robot that CAN do your job.

Tell me that you WANT the position and you WANT to work here.  What are good reasons to WANT a position?  Benefits?  Wrong answer asshole!  That is akin to telling someone you want to go out with them because they come from a family with money.  How about “I want to work in pharmaceutical sales and I know a lot of sales reps come out of your company.”  Oh, you want to date me because I have good-looking friends you would like to meet.

To know what a good answer is depends on several factors including, but not limited to the company’s culture and what you like to do.  Yes, honesty is the best policy but what do you say when someone 5’3″ 200 lbs asks you if those jeans make them look big?  Do you tell them “it’s not the jeans?”

Remember, this IS a game.  I wish it wasn’t but in most cases it is.  I know some recruiters and companies would argue with me but they are just ignorant.  In every interview non-job related criteria is taken into consideration.

The Man

Go sell crazy somewhere else, we’re all stocked up here.
Jack Nicholson, As Good as it Gets

Chive On: A Phrase made famous by the popular website, “www.TheChive.com” (probably the best site in the world). It means stay the course no matter what. Chive On refers to the mutual understanding between Chivers on how to go about life, regardless of all the assholes, douchebags, posers, etc, who might %$#^ it up from time to time.

This is the attitude you must have in your job search and in dating.  I am not talking about becoming or staying an arrogant waste of oxygen but rather having a calm confidence.  I know you might be thinking “you stay calm while this happens.”  This can be any of the following:

• My house is foreclosed on
• Car repossessed
• Spouse leaves with the kids
• Spouse leaves without the kids

and the list goes on.   I am not getting preachy about bad choices.  The truth of the matter is that there is usually little difference between the people with jobs and those without.  Oh, sure, you can become one of those positive thinking power people but the truth of the matter is that we are all one or two bad decisions or bad luck away from the bottom.  For those with a religious take on things… the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

So, how does one “Chive On” in the face of the black hole that is the job search?  I would love to hear your tricks but here are a few I have seen or done over the decades:

• Print out rejection letters (if you get them) and post them for motivation.  Think “I am going to prove you (insert appropriate curse word here) wrong!
• Connect with each recruiter or interviewer you meet on LinkedIn.  They can become an invaluable asset later on.
• Start an excel sheet and keep track of each position you apply for and track your progress.
• Put a game together.  Check out Jane McGonigal’s Ted Talk.
• Get a job where you can meet a lot of people and network.  Think barista or wait staff.
• Make and wear some shirts that are advertising.  Think “Got Career?” on the front and “Business Graduate with chutzpah” on the back or “Liberal Arts Grad Available for Hire.”
• I have not seen it yet but maybe a car-wrap that is an info-graphic of your resume.

The main thing is to get serious, get creative and get out there.  You know those pyramid sales people who sell to EVERYONE?  Yep, take on that persona but a little toned down.  Think Money Mayweather without the sharp edges and the obnoxious display of wealth.  You need to be your own self-promoter.

There are several right jobs out there for you!  Get to it.

The Man

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
John C. Maxwell

Sometimes it really is you.  I always encourage people to ask for feedback in the interview process.  The catch… you will rarely get any.  But you might.  One of the best ways is to ask at the end of each interview.  No, do not just blurt out “do you like me?”  Try to use a little tact won’t you?  Maybe something like “I know we have only been speaking for an hour but do you feel that this position could be a good match for me and me a good match for the position?  Just be careful what you ask for.

Just like dating you may hear “it’s not you, it’s us.”  You will usually hear something to the effect of “we have chosen to pursue candidates that we feel are a better match.”  But the truth is, unless you are in the final round, it is you, not them.

This is not as bad as it sounds.  Would you want a company to hire you for a job if they truly thought you would suck?  No.  It would be like being mad if someone won’t go out with you because you don’t make enough money.  If that happens you just dodged a bullet my friend. I won’t go into that here but trust me, you are WAY better off without that person.

So, what to do now?  Ask if you can stay in touch and/or if they know of any other positions (in or out of their company) that you may be a better match for.  Generally speaking HR people and recruiters like helping people.  Yes, we have a dark sense of humor and are sometimes caught laughing about in appropriate things but all in all we generally like helping people, just not assholes.  So don’t be an asshole.

The Man

You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test
George W. Bush

to get turned down.  Yes, sorry about that.  I know you just gave up several days off and told a dozen lies to make it to the final interview but it’s a no-go flight.  Think of it this way.  What should you do if you date someone for a while.  Things keep going well and you ask them to marry you.  Then all of a sudden you are walking down the aisle and you realize THIS IS ALL WRONG!  If you are the other person watching them walk to you wouldn’t you want to know.  Of course it would have been easier after the first few dates but late is better than never.

The same holds true in the interview process.  I have had candidates tell me “if you do not know if I am a good match by now, the odds are that I am not.”  Fair ’nuff.  But be sure if you draw a line in the sand that you are ready for the other party to walk away, because I will.  Our interview process is 2-4 weeks.  We do not do one of these multi-month 6-10 interview marathons.  We just want to be sure that we are the right match for each other.

If you want to “try it out” then go find a company that does spaghetti hiring… They hire everyone and see who sticks.  Not for us.  We play it a little safer.  Do we make mistakes?  Absolutely!  But we try to do the best we can.

The Man

Be the type of person that when your feet touch the floor in the morning the Devil says “Aww shit… they’re up.”
Dwayne Johnson