Author: The MAN

I need to first come clean… I NEVER send thank you noted, except for interviews.  I have even told people, if you expect a thank you note for giving me a gift, then don’t give it.  I know it sounds selfish and arrogant but for some reason, I don’t do them.  I blame my parents:)

But when it comes to interviews thank you notes (emails) are invaluable.  I can think of two people off the top of my head that were told that they go the position over another candidate specifically because of the thank you note.  The serve a few purposes:

• Reiterate why you are interested in the position.
• It is polite and nice.  Remember, you are nice in interviews.
• If you feel you blew the interview, this is the time to fix that.
• It shows that you are really interested in the position.

I know a lot of people think that thank you notes are out of date but I am telling you, they are more valuable than a cover letter.  I press people who I work with in their job search to send a thank you email to everyone they interview with.  Why wouldn’t you?  Remember how hard you worked to get that interview and how frustrating it is to not get an interview?  Then why would you waste this opportunity?

The Man

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
Carl Bard

I was reading a blog post the other day and it gave some great advice!  Change the file name of your cover letter and resume to match the position you are applying for.  By now you know that you need to rework your resume and cover letter for each job, right?  You DO know that, don’t you?

I also encourage you to start a folder for each job.  You can do this on your computer or online in Google Drive or Evernote.  That way you can clip relevant articles to that job’s folder when you are on Twitter, FB or online. I like Google Drive or Evernote because you can have access to your documents from anywhere.  Meet someone at an event and they say “shoot me your resume when you get home” why wait, do it then.

One thing you want to be VERY careful anytime you do a file save as you want to change all the relevant information.  I suggest starting with mail merge and having any company or job related information be a form field.  Sending a cover letter to a company that mentions another company (especially a competitor) as the place you want to work is like calling your girlfriend another girl’s name as you all are making your way to the bed.  It usually has disastrous results.

The Man

No matter how attractive a person’s potential may be, you have to date their reality.
Mandy Hale

For many people interviews, well… they suck.  It is like a first date and many of them are blind dates because they may be with a person you have never met before.  I have noticed that most people fall into one of a few categories:

Nervous Nelly – This person is so nervous that they make others nervous.  They let you know they are nervous through their body language, their voice, and what they say.  When answering a question it is obvious they are trying to see if their answer is “correct” or what the interview wants to hear.  This is not good because the interviewer has not idea who you really are or what YOUR answers are.

Cocky Cal – You know this person.  Everyone is beneath them, including this position they are applying for.  They “can” do this job and they have done it before.  Their answers are short with no substance.  “Oh yeah, I did that a while back and lead the group in sales.”  This may not kill you in an interview but you definitely do not win any friends or allies in the process.

Unprepared Prentiss – They need to be reminded about the position they applied for.  Their first question is about your stock price and you are a privately held company, oops!  Their resume needs to be updated and they don’t have any questions.  This shows a HUGE lack of interest on the candidate’s part.

Casual Casey – He crosses the line several times during the interview and thinks y’all are buds, not professionals.  You hear “ya know what I mean?” a lot.  He says things like “cute blonde” or talks bad about his boss/coworkers.  He also checks his phone a lot during the interview.  I do not keep them in the interview long as I know their interests lie elsewhere. 

Together Tiffany – They come in 10-15 minutes early.  She is professionally dressed and has copies of her resume along with having her questions for you written out.  She recognizes you because she took the time to go on LinkedIn and see your profile.  She really stands out when she sends thank you emails to everyone, including the receptionist.

Can Casey, Prentiss, Cal, and Nelly get hired?  Probably, but it will be a lot harder for them than Tiffany.  Remember, this is a game.  #1 rule of the game?  Don’t talk about the game.  I know that not everyone has a high EQ to be able to handle the game but that is where preparation comes into play.  You need to plan things out and practice them.  This is not rocket science people!

So here are a few of the things you need to do at a minimum before and during your next interview:

• Look at your resume again and compare it with the job description/posting.
• Look for things they may ask about.  Hell, just Google it.  If you are interviewing for a training position Google “questions to ask a corporate trainer.”
• Have your clothes ready.  See my previous post.
• Make sure you know how long it will take to drive there and where you will park.  Do you need money to park?
• Look up who you will be meeting with: LinkedIn, FB, Twitter, etc…  Do your research.
• Look at, check that… READ the company’s website.  I am AMAZED at how many people have not even looked at our website when they interview.
• Look for news stories (good ones) on the company and know who their competitors are.  Walk into Coke for an interview with a bottle of Aquafina and your interview is OVER!
• Write down questions to ask and not just pat questions like “what is your culture” but questions that show you have done your homework.  Maybe “I noticed that a lot of your employees are active on social media throughout the day, is that part of the company’s culture?”
• Pay attention to your body language.  I will cover more in another post.
• Take notes.  Be sure to write down names.
• Try to get contact information so you can send thank you emails.

By doing this does it guarantee success?  Oh hell no, but the odds will be in your favor.

The Man

My problem with interviews, one day I’ll think one thing and the next day I’ll think the exact opposite.
Skeet Ulrich

Many people talk about dressing for success.  It is much easier to talk about how many candidates dress for failure.  Let’s say you were going on a date.  How would you dress?  Would you say “hey, I like wearing these tattered shorts and this t-shirt from the 1900’s and they need to accept me for who I am” or would you dress for the event?  I bet if you were going on a date you would wear your nicer clothes.  Interviews are no different.

You definitely want to take the company culture into consideration.  A good recruiter will tell you what the company expects.  If they don’t then it is part of the game.  Personally I would rather be a little over dressed than under dressed.  Remember, the interview is the best you that a company will see.  Just like in dating, what happens after the I Do’s is often a far cry from a first date.

Also, be sure you are comfortable and you feel confident in what you are wearing.  I encourage people to try on their interview clothes if they have not worn them in a while.  It is amazing how clothes shrink over time:)  Also, if they are wool, check them for moth holes.  Not kidding, I have been hosed by this before.

You also want everything ready the night before so there are no surprises the day of the interview.  You did shine your shoes, right?  How about collar stays for the guys?  Women, is your purse cleaned out?  You don’t want to come into an interview with an overnight bag and a set of keys that look like you are the janitor.  Get your keys down to one car key you can take with you and a portfolio or tablet with some extra copies of your resume.

By the way guys… that cloth tag on jacket sleeves… take it off.  I know you want people to know that it is a good brand but that is not OK in an interview.  BTW, you are better off spending your money on good tailoring and a less expensive suit than buying an expensive suit and not having it tailored to fit you.

 

Please be sure your shirt fits correctly.  I do not want to hear your buttons screaming for help or hear the thread yelling like a man on the rack.  Also, your collar should button without your neck hanging over it and it should fit well and not leave enough room to see your undershirt.  You do wear a coordinated undershirt, right?  No nipples!

Ladies, if you wear a skirt then the skirt should be between you and the chair.  If it is not, then it is too short.  Also, high slits are for dates, not interviews.

 

Also stay away from low-cut shirts.  You want a guy to look you in the eye right?  Let’s keep it professional.

 

 

The Man

My room was clean but then I had to decide what to wear.
Unknown

I think candidates deserve certain things:

To be notified if they will or will not be pursued as an applicant for the position.  How would you like it if you ask someone out and they say “I’ll let you know if I am interested?”

• A realistic job description of what the position is, not just what background of your perfect candidate.  Years of experience and where you went to school is like saying looks matter more than who someone is.  Looks fade with time, as does the predictability GPA has on performance or pay.
• Benefits information including providers, cost and coverage.  nonnegotiables should be presented up front for everyone to see.  If you are sterile, you should probably let your significant other know before the honeymoon.
• A timeline and explanation of what the interview process will look like.  If you don’t want to get married again, don’t string someone along.
• The freedom to contact someone if they start wondering “did I miss a call/email or are they not interested.”  We are adults, stop breaking up with people by not returning their calls.

If you are a candidate and you do not get these things it may be a sign of how the company regards their employees.  If they treat you poorly when you are dating, how do you think the marriage will turn out?

The Man

When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory.
Friedrich Nietzsche

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