Job Advertising

I don't think this is what anyone has in mind for "sizzle":

Experienced maintenance technician to work on any equipment problem in a wide variety of conditions: dark, dirty, greasy, foamy, steamy, windy, hot, cold, wet, dry, confined, open, indoors, outdoors, at heights, and under difficult equipment. Must have own tools and be willing to work odd and irregular hours, weekends and holidays, come in early and stay late. Need to have stamina to work through break times, meals and shift changes week after week with a positive attitude. The ability to make anything and everything out of nothing, and change priorities every 5 minutes or faster is required. Eagerness to work as a team-of-one without much support is essential.

On the up-side - at least it's accurate!

Interviewing is like dating

Ask a Manager recently outlined 7 Ways Interviewing is like Dating:

1. Desperation is not attractive.
2. Give the impression that you're choosy.
3. Make your interest personal, not generic.
4. Use flattery.
5. Remember to ask if you like them, not just if they like you.
6. Don't badmouth your exes.
7. Keep your ego in check.

I totally agree – there are a couple others I’d like to point out:

If you want to see them again – follow up. The value of a well written and prompt thank you note will go far in landing a second interview or an offer

If it isn’t going to work out – don’t leave them hanging. Honest and upfront feedback from the interviewer will save the candidate many a sleepless night waiting by the phone

Appearances do matter – look and act professional in your interview and ALWAYS be on time.

(and just because I love this story) Be wary of making “the first move” – remember hugging the HR Director is not a good idea. But in all seriousness, be aware of the culture you're interviewing in; are they conservative or laid back? Respond accordingly.

International "Talk Like a Pirate Day"

Who knew there was such a thing!

Here's what not to do in your interview today! http://www.chellar.com/ballog/?p=257

I wish I'd known this earlier today!

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!)