2011 - Referesher

10 Things NOT to do in an Interview.

I don't know if it is because I spend most of my day skimming resumes or because I have a short attention span but breaking down things into Top 10's is so much more fun to read. So here you are, the 10 thing you should NOT do in an interview!

DON'T

10. Be rude to the receptionist - I often think people under estimate the power the front desk receptionist has. They screen calls, regulate strange guests, plan events and in general, make your life easier. At my last job, I had a candidate come in who was ridiculously rude to the receptionist, demanding she get off a call to get him water, call his assistant and get her to do something, etc. Anyway.. shortly after I interviewed him, my phone rang and I knew exactly who it was. Boy did our receptionist tell me how she felt about the candidate. As she was talking I was picturing all of those blocked calls getting through, strange guests showing up at my office and an event never running smoothly again. I assured our receptionist I would never consider him for a job (not to mention I would never want to work with someone like that), and I didn't.

9. Have a poor handshake - What a way to get off on the wrong foot. I shake peoples hands all day and I have nightmares about when that simple task goes wrong. When I shake your hand, I don't want it to be so limp that I feel like you want me to kiss the top of your hand (ya'll know what I am talking about) OR think that you are reenacting some sort of fraternity/sorority handshake. And, the sweaty palm... gross, how am I supposed to get your sweat off my hand without being obviously rude... so instead, I will spend the rest of the interview thinking about your sweat drying on my palm. Before you have the receptionist call me, go wash your hands and pull it together. A strong hand shake shows confidence, poise and professionalism.

8. Wear too much perfume or cologne -  We will likely be in a small room or office for 30 minutes together. Too much perfume or cologne is intoxicating. I once had a hiring manager tell me that he couldn't remember one word the candidate said because he was trying not to gag the whole time. Keep the fragrance light or go all natural (soap).

7. Ask about benefits - Why am I going to waste my time telling you about benefits when you don't even have the job? Why would I want to tell you about all of the money I spend on employees when you aren't even one? Don't jump the gun. Save this conversation for the offer stage.

6. Ask about vacation days - So you haven't even started and you want to take off??? That makes me confident about your work ethic. Again, let's keep these questions to the offer stage, and if you are disappointed about the amount of vacation days when you get to the offer stage, negotiate (shoot, I shouldn't have said that).

5. Talk negatively about past employer/manager - Good rule of thumb, don't be negative AT ALL in an interview but this one really gets to me. I have had candidates tell me about their horrible bosses from their last 3 jobs. That just makes me think something is wrong with you. If there actually was a sketchy situation with a past employer, interview, not the time to bring it up. Be honest but don't reveal too much information.

4. Express any form of profiling - So what I mean, don't express judgement on any types of people, location, school, degree, etc. Examples: I had a candidate tell me that he lived with two redneck southerners who talked like hicks... I wanted to ask their names because I might be related to them. Another candidate started talking crap about how dumb people are with State School educations, especially if they study something like communications, I slowly turned my head towards my LSU Mass Communications degree on the wall, awkward.

3. Dress Provocatively - You know the phrase "Flaunt it if you got it"... well, not always the case. Low cut shirts and tights pants are inappropriate. I don't care if you are meeting with all men, ladies, don't do it! You will be the talk of the office but not in the way you want. You might get a date out of it but not a job. (hmmm, I wonder if anyone interviews purely to meet high powered men...) 

2. Talk about your personal life when asked a professional question - There are so many common questions that could be asked in an interview. Be prepared to answer them and answer them in a way that show how your experience relates to the job you are interviewing for. I once asked a junior level candidate if he could go back to college and do one thing over, what would it be? I was expecting, take more leadership roles, more internships, etc. He told me he wouldn't have dated his high school girlfriend for the first year of college. It effected his ability to make friends, join the right fraternity, etc. Really? Really? Wow....

1. And finally, DON'T: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AMgagxCvZQ

What is this LinkedIn Thing Everyone is Talking about??

LinkedIn - Why?

So, everyone is telling you to be on LinkedIn, but how do you use it effectively and why should you be on it?

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com was created as a business networking tool and can be leveraged to:

• Find and meet recruiters/potential employers
• Grow a referral network
• Conduct competitive intelligence research
• Identify potential clients
• Build business relations with current clients
• Educate yourself on organizations, associations and competitors
• Heighten your corporate and/or personal brand

Who wouldn't want to take advantage of these opportunities? So let's get started and make sure you build a profile/network that effectively captures everything!

Build your Network

• Add all  of your jobs, schools, degrees, certifications, associations, groups and interests to your profile. Be brief in your descriptions but be sure to include keywords that describe what you do/have done.  Be clear/concise about your position descriptions. By skimming your description, readers should understand what you do or have done.
• Seek out and connect with everyone you know who is already a LinkedIn user. Search colleagues, classmates, fellow members of associations, friends, etc.
• Join groups of interest and/or start your own group.

Grow your Network

• Get all of the business cards you've every collected out of that dusty drawer and connect. Be sure to explain that you came across their business card and thought it would make sense to stay connected via LinkedIn. If you have someones name or e-mail address, you can find them.

Build your Brand

• State your networking goals in your profile summary.
• Ask for endorsements - these are "Testimonials" about you. They are critical in developing trust and using your network. This can be awkward to ask for so write a recommendation for someone else and then ask them to write one for you.
• Include links to your Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Company, etc.

Build Trust

• It is OK to accept invitations to connect with friends, acquaintances, former co-workers, clients and fellow alumni but not from complete strangers (unless of course yo have established some common ground or mutually beneficial networking goals).
• If you haven't met someone and would like to connect with them, send them an email via LinkedIn explaining why you would want to connect with them. Include how you think you would both benefit from your connection.

Be Found

• Set your preferences to receive invites and direct contacts
• Make sure all of your email addresses are in your profile. Yes, even the really old, expired ones. You don't have to make them all public but if some old buddy of yours from three jobs ago has only that old address for you, they will still be able to find you.
• Consider adding your email and/or phone number in the contact settings. You can add it to the section called "What advice would you give to users considerings contacting you?" that way it's not out there for everyone but those who need it can find it.
• At the bottom of your profile in the Interests section, add the top 50 words that best describe what you want to be found for.

Once you set up your profile, it is smart to frequently visit your page and make sure everything is up to date. Feel free to start out connecting with me! http://www.linkedin.com/in/bayerrecruiting

Passive Job Seekers Get the Best Jobs!

There are two kinds of candidates out there: those actively looking for jobs, and those who aren't actively looking ("passive candidates"). Typically, it is this second group, contain the real talent gems, since these are the workers who are too happy or too valuable or too successful to be looking for a new job. This group contains the 'best and brightest' talent that will propel your organization to new heights of achievement.

We know why recruiters like passive job seekers, but why should a happy employee keep their ear to the ground for new opportunities? Well a few reasons but 2 stand out. 1)Things could change at your current company (management change, merger, acquisition, boss leaves, reorganization, etc) AND 2)you don't know what's out there if you have shut the door to the idea of something new.

I actually fell into the 2nd scenario. Completely content and secure in my job with no thoughts of change, until a very persuasive person convinced me to have an "informational" conversation with my current company and now here I am. Happier than I have been in any other role with diverse responsibility and lots of opportunity for growth.

So, how does one become a "passive" job seeker? Here are a few tips.

Build an online presence:
Buy Your Domain Name and Establish a Basic Website or Blog. Be sure to keep your website/blog up to date and relevant. Include your value proposition, a copy of your resume and some samples of your best work. Publish additional content (articles, video and audio clips, photographs, and the like) that demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in your field. Once you have built a site or blog, include a link on everything you send out.
 
Create a LinkedIn Profile:
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com is by far the best way to get your information out there. Be sure to keep your profile up to date with as much professional information as possible. Include your email address if you would like to be easily contacted and/or change your security settings to allow direct messages. Link with professionals in industries of interest. Remember, this is a professional site so use a professional picture and think through your language. Recruiters typically search LinkedIn by keywords. Think about some of the keywords and phrases that employers in your field use to search for someone with your job -- and for someone who has the job that you seek? In other words, your goal is to uncover the qualities and qualifications that recruiters and hiring managers might use to search for qualified candidates. Keywords can include job titles, company names, specific skill sets, industry buzzwords and jargon, certification names, software titles, and the like.
 
Say "yes" to informational conversations:
If another employer reaches out to you, do some research on the company and have an informational conversation. Regardless of if you are going to honestly consider the opportunity, this is a good chance to network with others in your industry and build relationships. Also, this is an opportunity to get some insight on what is going on with the competition. Take the free lunch/drinks and get what you want out of the conversation!