More Stupid Candidate Tricks

I was out of the office last week attending a users conference for our applicant tracking software - of course being in a hotel (and yes, a bar or two) full of recruiters, there were a few more "Stupid Candidate Trick" stories to be heard.

What really surprised me is that I heard from more than one recruiter -

A candidate shows up for the interview - everything goes wonderfully and the client makes an offer, the candidate accepts the offer and agrees to start the next week. However, when the candidate shows up for work - the candidate is an entirely different person.

I know what you're thinking - people are always different in interviews - but NO, not just a different persona - but a completely different PERSON!

Can you even imagine? I'm not even sure what the purpose of that is... I mean - do they think someone isn't going to notice the difference?

Job Advertising

Alright dedicated readers - if I have any - I need some help!

A large part of my job is writing our "job ads" for sites like CareerBuilder, The Ladders, our own website of course, and a niche boards like LatPro, the Society for Women Engineers, etc.

I feel like I'm in a rut.

All my ads feel the same to me -

1. Title - the actual job title not an ad title
2. Description of the hiring company and the main objective of the job
3. A basic overview of job responsbilities
4. An "ideal candidate" summary
5. Basic requirements
6. More about why you would want to work for this company or want this particular job (i.e. the sizzle.)

Sometimes there is a really great story to tell - and that makes it easier but other times...

So here's what I'd like to know from anyone that happens to stumble by:

• What would catch your eye in a job ad
• What are the best and worst job ads you've seen (I hope none of mine make the worst list!)
• Where do you (or people you know) go to look for jobs in your field (it's helpful if you identify the field too!)
• What are your biggest pet peeves about job ads
• Are opening lines like "Do you want to be a creative force in a fortune 500 company?" effective or cheesy?

I'd also be interested to know from any fellow recruiter-types what you've found works best for you?

Oh - and if anyone knows how to make Iowa sound like the BEST EVER place to live that would be great to know too!

Y is for You're Kidding, right?

We all know that one key hurdle in the job hunt is making your resume stand out from others. (See my post on “Representing Yourself in Writing” from Definitive Job Hunt)

BUT, you don’t want your resume ending up the laughing stock of the office that receives it either. (And yes, we Headhunters are brutal when we see a bad resume.) Unfortunately, that is exactly what one job seeker became today!

Here's how:
Instead of an objective, the resume in question had a list of adjectives that conveniently formed the acronym “TALENTED” (Uh-oh, just one line in and the cheesiness meter is already in the red…)

The second page however, broke the cheesiness meter entirely, as it consisted solely of a list of “reasons to hire” this candidate – 26 reasons exactly, A to Z.

I really wish I could share the entire list with all of you, but it’s actually marked “copyright 2007”. Here instead are a couple of the "most compelling" reasons:
B is for Brains
J is for Justifable
X is for X Marks the Spot

I just don't even know what to say other than (and this will come as no surprise to my regular readers) F is for FREAKSHOW!

Stupid Candidate Tricks

I was talking with a friend of mine that does some hiring for his organization. We started talking about what I like to call “Stupid Candidate Tricks”. This is when an interviewee does something so completely out of left field that it leaves you almost speechless.

I say almost speechless because you can still usually manage to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t think this is going to work.”

Past Stupid Candidate Tricks Include:

• Opening a meeting with the HR Director by giving her a BIG HUG! (lucky it wasn’t the Evil HR Lady!)


• Dropping numerous “F-bombs” during the interview & plant tour


• Wearing a large gold medallion (think Flava Flav and his big clock) and a light spring jacket throughout the interview


• Having false teeth fall out during the first 20 minutes of an all day interview

But I’m pretty sure this recent one takes the cake… I like to call it "A Fish Called Freakshow"

A candidate was coming to Grand Rapids for an interview. It was about an hour long drive, and the interview was scheduled to take up most of the day was to be followed by dinner. This was apparently much too long for the candidate to leave her beloved pet alone, so she arrived at the interview carrying a small glass bowl containing her goldfish. The entire department was relieved when they were able to convince the candidate that the fish would be safe in the office while the group went to dinner. (I hope they didn't go for sushi!)

The Next Generation

As I mentioned, we have two interns working with us this fall, and I would like to preface this post with a disclaimer: Both of them have been doing a fantastic job, and that the following (at least so far!) does not apply to them. Okay, that being said...

This weekend I had a conversation with a friend of mine that is a professor at large public university here in west Michigan. We were discussing the things undergraduate students do to irk him. His primary complaints? A lack of responsibility or sense of accountability, general laziness and poor quality of work combined with an expectation of high grades in return! (The "A for Effort" mentality) Of course, dishonesty and cheating really top the list, but those are not as widespread, at least we hope not!

So today when I read Rowan's post on The Next Generation of Job Hunters discussing the issues he's seen with recent graduates and their general disregard for accuracy and quality. I thought I'd put my two cents in on the topic as well:

Rowan suggests adding this little disclaimer to job advertisements:

Please remember that this application is all we have to go on - if it is careless or sloppy, we can only presume that you are careless and sloppy. Here at XXXX, we pride ourselves on providing 100% accurate service to our clients. One misplaced word or comma in a contract could leave a client vulnerable to litigation. Therefore, spelling, punctuation, grammatical or formatting errors in your application will not be tolerated. One error and you are in the bin. Don't say we didn't warn you...

(It was my turn to spray hot caffeinated beverage from my nostrils on that one!)

And here is my advice to all you new grads and soon-to-be job seekers of this generation:

Before Graduation:

• Start now by taking responsibility for your academic career (translation – it wasn’t the professors fault you failed economics if you didn’t bother to read the text or even show up to class!)
• Make an effort to understand the business world before you try to join it; learn what “professional attire” is and embrace it

When seeking employment:

• Write carefully worded, clear, concise resumes, cover letters, thank you notes, etc. with zero errors and remember, spellchecking doesn’t know the difference between their vs. there, hear vs. here and [my personal favorite] inconvenience vs. incontinence
• Practice your verbal presentation skills – work hard to eliminate vocalized pauses (err, umm, ah, and the MOST irritating “like”)

When entering the workforce:

• Apply those lessons about taking responsibility to your new job
• Give your work the same attention to detail that you gave your well written, error free communications

So what am I saying? – In short, “Don’t be a slacker!”

(I really hope there are not any spelling errors here!)

The Definitive Job Hunt – Part 6

And now, my final installment in Rowan Manahan's “Definitive Guide to Clearing Job Hunt Hurdles”.

After much blathering on, we’ve finally reached the final step: Starting the New Job

So, here we go:

A few simple tips for Employees:

• Make an effort to meet everyone and figure out what they do (this is critical especially if you aren’t sure what you’re doing there yet!)
• Don’t be afraid to speak up if you aren’t getting the training you need
• Don’t assume that things work they way the did at your last job or that the way you did things at XYZ is better
• Don’t bad mouth your old job/boss to your new co-workers

A few simple tips for Employers: (Yes, you have a part to play here!)

• Make sure the new hire has a desk, a computer, and all the tools they need
• Develop a plan for training this person BEFORE they start; make sure you follow that plan!
• If at all remotely possible, assign this person a mentor or at least a guide
• Create opportunities for the new person to meet others (take the group to lunch, etc.)
• Check in with the new person frequently to be sure they are getting what they need

In general, both parties need to communicate effectively throughout this ‘on-boarding’ phase. If you don’t - you’re building a dysfunctional relationship from the beginning.

That’s all I’ve got to say – Hope I’ve been a bit helpful.

Oh yeah - one last thing - don't forget to say "Thanks!" to your friendly neighborhood Headhunter!

Definitive Job Hunt - Part 5

Rowan Manahan, from Fortify Your Oasis, has tapped me to be part of his online collaboration: “The Definitive Guide to Clearing Job Hunt Hurdles”.

After a brief reprieve from my rants, I’m back with -

Step 5: Getting the offer you can’t (or at least won’t) refuse

Talking about salary obviously ignites some debate in the blogosphere (as evidenced by this post from the Evil HR Lady), but here’s my take on the “offer stage”.

There is a story that goes something like this:

Reaching the end of a job interview, the human resources person asked a young applicant fresh out of business school, "And what starting salary are you looking for?"

The applicant said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."

The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks' vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50 percent of your salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?"

The applicant sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"

The interviewer replied, "Yeah, but you started it."

This moral of this story – know what you are worth & be realistic. If you’re expecting a salary that’s ridiculously far out of the range – you’ll certainly be disappointed in any offer that comes your way.

As with all parts of the job hunt, going into salary negotiations armed with information is the key.

First, evaluate what you are making now and understand the monetary value of your full compensation package. (For example, base salary, bonuses, what are you paying for benefits, what is the value of the benefits, do you have a car allowance, how much did your employer contribute to your 401k last year?) This is why we ask potential candidates, “What is your base salary?” and “What did your w-2 show?”

Second, research the “going rate” for someone in your field. (I like salary.com for this part.)

Now, don’t expect too much – you’re extremely likely to get a bump in salary when you change jobs, but it’s unlikely that you’ll double your salary overnight.

What you will most likely see is a significant but reasonable raise – depending on your industry, career, experience, and how close to that “going rate” your current salary is.

Finally, establish your “yes” and “no” points. To do this, we will ask a candidate “So if the offer comes in at $XX, with relocation and a car allowance, can I accept on your behalf? In short, know your bottom line.

The reality is, this is kind of a difficult topic for me. Since as recruiters we usually know what the company is prepared to offer and what the candidate is prepared to take; a level of knowledge makes all of this much easier! (One reason it's good to work with a recruiter!)