September 21st, 2009

Active Job Seekers Beware; Get Screened In Before Your Next Job Search

Posted by • September 21st, 2009 • 3 Comments

Last week we introduced three new concepts that recruiters use to evaluate job candidates: active, passive and brand talent. Today’s conversation takes a deeper look at what it means to be “active talent.” Unfortunately the view isn’t pretty.

If you recall from last week, active talent is the name that recruiters use to describe someone who is actively looking for a job. For example, if you are applying for jobs on a company’s website, you are active talent.

So brace yourself because I need to share something with you that may be a little troubling. If you are active talent you are probably at a disadvantage in your job search. You definitely aren’t in the driver’s seat. Many recruiters and hiring manager will go to their grave saying this isn’t true. But it is. Let me tell you story to prove my point:

I was recently trying to hire a recruiter (ironic, huh?). I asked a friend of mine named Jim to come in and talk to the internal clients (the hiring managers that a recruiter supports). I thought Jim was the perfect talent, but he was happy in his job and not looking for anything new. It took some convincing to get ...

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Don’t Be A Workplace Fashion “Don’t”

Posted by • September 18th, 2009 • 98 Comments

With fashion week alive and well in New York this week, we are reminded of fashion dos and don’ts – you know the things that can cause us to cringe and ask “what were they thinking?” and “did they look in the mirror before they left the house?”

Questionable fashion selections don’t just appear on sidewalks – and even high-end couture runways, they also appear in the workplace – perhaps too often. Here are some questions to ask yourself when pulling together a work outfit so that you can avoid a wardrobe workplace disaster. Because remember what you wear not only says something about you but it also says something about your employer.

Is your outfit office-ready? According to an article in Forbes, James McDonald Jr., a partner at the Irvine, Calif., offices of labor and employment law firm Fisher & Phillips notes it is generally legal for an employer to institute an employee dress code. But you don’t need to read a company manual to see what is and what is not appropriate to wear to work. Evaluate what others at your office wear to determine if what you are wearing will communicate your professionalism. Save that T-shirt with funny message ...

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Struggling with the Job or Talent Search? Fine Tune Your Career Networking R.A.D.A.R.

Posted by • September 18th, 2009 • 214 Comments

The television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, on ABC from 1964 to 1968, was the decade’s longest running science fiction show and introduced life on the nuclear submarine Seaview. There were battles with giant octopi, aliens, other submarines – you get the picture. In the background was the constant ping-ping-ping of the submarine’s radar, always looking for something. As viewers, we got to  find out what they would discover –we knew there was something out there.

When it comes to career opportunities or needs for future quality talent, we all would like to know what or who is out there – the position or talent that awaits us when the need arises. For most we wait for the need to be identified before we start looking for that right job or the perfect candidate. When in reality it is the Relationships we create Ahead of Demand that Accelerate Results when we need them.

Some reading this are currently working or have full staffs while others are desperately seeking work or filtering a tsunami of talent in an effort to fill just a few opportunities. Whatever your case is, focus on executing strategies that create the right relationships today so ...

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Mastering the Phone Interview

Posted by • September 17th, 2009 • 107 Comments

The phone rings, and you’re working on a myriad of different tasks (perhaps none of them related to your job search).  You pick up the line and suddenly you find yourself speaking to a potential employer that you sent your resume to 3 months ago. Even with no warning of the all-important first interview, you can sail through the call as though you’ve been patiently waiting by the phone for them to ring. Here are some tips to help you get to the next round:

Don’t just say hello: Most of us have caller ID now (who doesn’t ignore a call once in a while?), so you can usually tell if it’s a potential employer calling. Regardless of when you sent the resume, always answer your phone in a professional manner. For example, “Hello, Mike speaking”. A simple introduction when answering the phone confirms that the caller has the reached the right person and it makes you seem approachable even when caught off guard.
Know your resume: If you are in the job market, you probably have passed out enough resumes to wallpaper the Taj Mahal.  In this job market, expedient responses are few and far between so make sure you have ...

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How to Interview The Company: Part 1

Posted by • September 17th, 2009 • 554 Comments

In the end, all that you have is the experience you get. When you go to work for a company, you are putting your career capital to work. You must understand how the company is going to increase the value of your investment.

A long time ago, people didn’t have to think about this as much. The company was a place where you could work for thirty or forty years. All the while, you could imagine what you would do with your pension during retirement.

That was your grandparent’s world. And, truth be told, it wasn’t like that for most of them either. Pension funds had a magic tendency to disappear or get eroded by inflation.

Your destiny is in your hands. If you are going to take a job make sure that you understand what experience you will get and exactly how you will benefit. Insist that the company make a commitment to your development. Don’t work for a company that isn’t ready to understand and invest in your future.

Today, your next job is likely to last about three years. Your retirement fund will contain exactly what you put into it. You don’t have the ability to subsidize an operation that isn’t ...

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Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Broach the Salary Topic

Posted by • September 16th, 2009 • 8 Comments

In real estate sales, the conventional wisdom is that the person who mentions money first, loses – or at least is at a disadvantage during the negotiation. The same notion has been bouncing around the job-search advice-o-sphere for years, but here it doesn’t fit so well. It’s easy to see that if a job-seeker doesn’t bring up the salary topic at some point during the job interview process, he or she stands to be in a bad position when a low-ball job offer is extended. That’s one of the most disappointing experiences imaginable. “We love you, we think you’d be great for our team – does (shockingly low/insulting salary figure) work for you?”  We can’t afford to spend all that time in a stressful interview process only to realize at the last second that the employer has no intention of paying us what we’re worth. We’ve got to get some numbers on the table. But how and when do you broach this sticky topic?

My suggestion is to wait until a second face-to-face interview, or to broach the salary topic when an email message or phone call arrives to invite you for a second interview. That’s when you can say “That’s ...

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Stop Guessing About Your Job!

Posted by • September 15th, 2009 • 37 Comments

If there is any place where you shouldn’t have to guess about things, it should be your job.  But, what happens at work is that not enough information is openly shared and the work in itself is done through a “system” versus tailored to us individually, and we end up having to guess on some very important areas.

Here’s how to take some of the guessing out of your job and career:

Am I doing a good job or not? If there is one thing we all are entitled, it is to know where we stand in the eyes of our manager and the company.  Yet, most companies run a performance system that provides for “annual” feedback.  So for most of the year, we may never know where we stand in relation to our performance.  To stop guessing, go ask!  Ask to have a sit-down meeting with your manager for a snapshot view of your performance as if she/he were giving your appraisal rating today.  FYI, you may need to explain that you are asking because you want to be sure and improve and not have anyone (yourself mostly) disappointed at the end of the year.
What does it really take to get ...

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Need Career or Job Search Advice? The Glassdoor Clearview Collection Can Help

Posted by • September 15th, 2009 • 356 Comments

We are excited to introduce The Clearview Collection, a new blog feature drawing on a panel of recognized and respected career and workplace experts with a wide range of experience in human resources, recruiting and management.  Each day, posts will cover a wide range of issues related to jobs, career management and employment. .

Recent contributions from the contributors address everything from defining your brand in your job search to figuring out if you may be next on the chopping block for a layoff at your company. Here’s a recap of last week’s posts from Clearview contributors:

The Truth Behind Recruiting and Finding Brand Talent: Gives a behind the scenes look into the world of recruiting and how recruiters categorize job seekers. (By Jeff Hunter, weekly posts appear every Monday)
Ghosts in the Hallways – A guide to possible clues that might mean you’ll be getting laid off and ways to circumvent the surprise (By Rusty Rueff, weekly posts appear every Tuesday)
Ingredient ‘X’ in YOUR Brand – Advice on how to exude your brand in your resume and why it’s important  (By Liz Ryan, weekly posts appear every Wednesday)
Don’t Get a Job – A fresh perspective on how to get beyond thinking you ...

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Clearview Counterpoint: Transparency – How Much is Too Much for Your Career?

Posted by • September 14th, 2009 • 16 Comments

We are in the age of transparency and for job seekers – and even employees; the question is how much is too much?  Social media via sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, allow us to expose details about our personal and professional activities and sentiments. In last week’s school address, President Obama warned children about what they put on their Facebook pages as it relates to their future reputation. Should there be restrictions or guidelines to how much we expose? Should there be limits on transparency? That is this month’s Clearview Collection Point-Counterpoint Debate.

Rusty Rueff: There are no secrets, so it doesn’t matter what you have chosen to tell a prospective employer or not.  What you expose and share about yourself on any social media site is fair-game to be revealed.

Jeff Hunter: Transparency is a good thing. More transparency is a better thing. Transparency reduces risk, increases the likelihood of engaged talent and is the only way to build more innovative companies.

Hank Stringer: How much is too much? Haven’t we crossed that bridge? Isn’t the cat out of the bag? If it is too much how in the world do we put ...

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The Truth Behind Recruiting & Finding ‘Brand Talent’

Posted by • September 14th, 2009 • 29 Comments

Have you ever applied for a job? Been called by a recruiter? Had a friend tell you about an opening she thinks you would be perfect for? Then I want a minute of your time. To tell the truth, I’m a little obsessed with you and it’s not just about your great looks and charming personality. I think you actually hold the key to turning this economy around. We are going to use this weekly blog to find out whether I’m right.

I am going to bring you inside the world of recruiting. It might not sound that interesting, but chances are that you may have your fate in the hands of a recruiter at some point in the future. It’s a good idea for you to get to know about what happens behind the scenes.

To understand recruiting you need to keep two words in mind: “active” and “passive”. When you apply for a job on the web or send in your resume to a company you are immediately labeled as “active”, as in “this person is actively looking for a job.” And when a recruiter comes looking for you then you are considered “passive” as in “not looking for a ...

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