Category Archives: Ask a Recruiter

Ask A Recruiter: Negotiating a Job Offer

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Q: Do you have any tips for negotiating a job offer?

A: You’ve probably heard the saying that, in business, “everything is negotiable.” However, when it comes to hiring and job offers, there are some areas that are more negotiable than others. For instance, when it comes to benefits or practices that are standard for all employees – such as healthcare benefit policies, retirement fund matches and one-time annual bonuses that all staff are eligible for – employers are less likely to negotiate special considerations around these for one employee.

What is accepted as negotiable? Base salary, sign-on bonuses, vacation time, parking and other commuting expenses are the most popular areas for negotiation during the job offer process.

Here are some tips for negotiating these areas:

  • Keep things in perspective – Benefits are commonly referred to as “perks” for a reason and they shouldn’t be the main reason you’re interested in the job. Keep your focus on the job and what it will mean to you.
  • Maintain your enthusiasm for the job – Throughout the negotiation process it’s important to let the employer know how excited you are for the job and that you’re looking forward to starting work. Don’t let the negotiations take over or cloud your enthusiasm for the new opportunity.
  • Analyze the situation – Don’t automatically assume you should negotiate an offer. Try to evaluate the offer based on concrete facts specific to your situation, such as how the salary and benefits compare to your last position. If there’s something you’re interested in negotiating, try to make a job-related case for granting it. For instance, instead of asking to leave early twice a week, explain that you’d like to leave early so that you can get to a class that’s relevant to improving your job skills.
  • Consider the big picture – Negotiations, and an employer’s response to your proposed negotiations, aren’t just about you. The employer often has to consider ‘internal equity’ and ensure that employees of an equal grade and working in similar roles are compensated within the same payscale. I.e. the employer can’t offer new employees compensation that is significantly above that of current employees who work in the same role.
  • Have a story – Practice articulating the reason you’re pushing back on the job offer and make sure it’s realistic, i.e. not just that you feel you’re worth more or that you were underpaid in your last job. Be able to say, “Here’s what I’m looking for and this is how I came up with it.” For example, instead of saying that you won’t take the job unless you can get a 10 percent salary increase, say “I told myself I wouldn’t leave my current job unless I got a 10 percent raise because I’m not the type of person that enjoys jumping around from job to job. I’d like to make sure the compensation is worth it because I hope to stay for awhile.” This way you give the employer a good reason (you’re a stable, solid contributor) to consider paying you more.

 

About the Recruiter
greg-menzone-pic1Greg Menzone is a 10-year veteran of the staffing industry who has made hundreds of successful placements. Greg and the team he manages specialize in direct hire placement of accounting and finance professionals. 

Ask A Recruiter: Following Up after An Interview

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Q. What is the standard protocol for following up after an interview?

A. Following up after an interview is an important step in the hiring process and sometimes how you follow up is factored into the employer’s decision making.

A thank you note is still standard protocol and it should be concisely written, to the point and error-free. I can’t stress this last point enough. I highly recommend asking someone else to review your note before you send it to ensure there are no grammatical errors, misspelled words or typos. I’ve had candidates lose out on a job at the offer stage because they sent a thank you note with errors in it. While a hand-written note is best (and collecting business cards will help ensure you have the correct spellings for names and correct titles), an email is fine if it’s written well. One other piece of advice when it comes to thank you notes: if you met with multiple people you should send a different version of the note to each one of them.

If you worked with a recruiter to land the interview, you should follow up with the recruiter immediately after the interview to de-brief. Often the recruiter will schedule time to do this. During this session the recruiter will ask you how the interview went, how much time you spent there, what you learned about the job, what you liked about the position, whether it meets your expectations, who you met and whether you have any questions or hesitations. The recruiter is trying to gauge your interest in the position and whether you’ll want to go back for a second interview if you’re invited. The recruiter will also be assessing whether this job fits your goals, how you answered any unusual questions and what insight you collected about next steps.

If you don’t work with a recruiter, it’s a good idea to do your own de-briefing session and to keep notes on what you learned in the interview, your likes and dislikes and next steps.

At the end of the interview, you should really have an idea of what the next steps are and the timing, e.g. when will the employer be making a decision and when will they be in touch about it. That way you can respond accordingly. My colleague Greg Menzone offers advice for finding out about the next steps in a previous blog post.

About the Recruiter
frank-gentile-2Frank Gentile is a 20+ year veteran of the staffing industry and an experienced recruiter. As a Director at Professional Staffing Group (PSG) Frank oversees the permanent placement division.

Ask A Recruiter: LinkedIn Tips for Job Seekers

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Q: I’m new to using social media for professional purposes. I know I should at least be on LinkedIn. Can you give me some tips?

A: Every job seeker should be conscious of their online profile since it’s common for employers to do a Google search on job candidates. LinkedIn is the social network most often used for professionals and, since many recruiters use LinkedIn to source candidates, it’s important to spend time and effort on your profile.

You don’t need to recreate your entire resume on your LinkedIn profile, but you should include enough information to attract employers. Your profile should include:

  • A summary snapshot of your background and career highlights – this should include your biggest accomplishments and your overall perspective on what you can offer; stick to 5-10 things you’re most proud of.
  • Companies you’ve worked for in the past – make sure the information in your LinkedIn profile is accurate; spend time making sure the dates are correct and everything is up-to-date.
  • Recommendations – get at least three recent recommendations.
  • A professional looking “head shot” photograph – without it your profile looks incomplete.

Recruiters and hiring managers are turned off by anything in the career summary section that is unprofessional and/or profiles that are incomplete. While most employers will tell you that a poor or incomplete LinkedIn profile won’t kill your chances of getting a job, I know from experience that hiring managers, when pressed for time and faced with an overload of candidates, prefer to contact those who have the most complete profiles.

Once your profile is up-to-date, seek out groups on LinkedIn that you can join to connect with others in your industry or your fellow alumni. You can also find more information about networking and job seeking with LinkedIn here.

 

About the Recruiter
Jess-Salerno-photo1Jessica Salerno Incerto has 10+ years of experience in the staffing and recruiting industry. As a director and member of the management team at Professional Staffing Group (PSG), she oversees career placement, client consultation and management and training. Jessica is also a member of NEHRA’s Diversity Committee.

Ask A Recruiter: Stepping Stone Jobs

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Q: I’m changing careers and considering taking a job that’s less than ideal in order to position myself for the kind of job I really want. Any advice?

A:  Many people find themselves on a career path they don’t really want to be on and decide to switch gears. It’s easier to do this, of course, if you don’t have to start from scratch and can leverage your education or your previous career experience in some way. For example, I work with professionals in the accounting industry and it’s not uncommon to meet a tax accountant who decides they’d rather use their skills as a financial analyst. To get to that position, they might consider an accounting position in the meantime in order to build up the right kind of skills and experience for the analyst position.

My first piece of advice is to be realistic about your desire to change careers. Think about why you really want to switch careers. Are you just frustrated with your current job at the moment? If so, making a 180 degree career change isn’t likely to help matters. Try to conduct an objective assessment of who you are, your skills and what’s realistic for you. Then ask yourself how you can get closer to your ideal.

It’s also not advisable to jump around too much. Having more than 3 jobs in a 5 year period gives employers the perception that you don’t have any loyalty. Employers invest lots of time and resources in training new employees and want reassurance that those workers will stick around.

If you’re certain that a new career path is right for you, here are a few tips for getting there:

  • Tread carefully in an interview. Most employers don’t want to hear that you view the job as a stepping stone and they’ll likely have to recruit and interview someone else for the position in a short period of time. When an employer asks “where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?” (and this almost always comes up), first and foremost reiterate your interest and concern with the job you’re interviewing for. Tell the interviewer that you expect to spend time learning that job and then more time working in that role. You can say that you’re open to opportunities if the employer feels you’ve proven yourself in this role and another opening comes up. It’s also acceptable to say you don’t know where you see yourself in the long term because you’re interested in doing well at the first job and then seeing where that leads.
  • Use a third party, such as a recruiter, to explain your transition. A candidate who blindly sends their resume in may get rejected out of hand by the employer who doesn’t see how their skills line up to the new job’s requirements or understand why they applied. A recruiter who has the employer’s attention can explain your qualifications and career goals in a logical narrative.
  • Go behind the scenes. Tap into your network of friends, family and colleagues to ask about what specific jobs, careers and companies are really like so you can make the right decisions.

 

About the Recruiter
greg-menzone-pic1Greg Menzone is a 10-year veteran of the staffing industry who has made hundreds of successful placements. Greg and the team he manages specialize in direct hire placement of accounting and finance professionals. 

Ask A Recruiter: Tips for Better Networking

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Q:  Networking scares me! Do you have any tips to make it easier?

A:  Networking can seem intimidating if you think you have to immediately impress each person you meet. However, many experts will tell you the opposite is true and that the way to impress others is to be a good listener. When meeting someone for the first time, it’s important to introduce yourself and leave them with an understanding of what you’re looking for or what you do, but if you’re nervous or a novice networker, you can ask questions to get the conversation going, e.g. “what do you do?” and “tell me more.”

To set yourself up for success, consider networking in the following ways:

Face-to-face networking – Identify events that are related to your industry or the work you do, including networking events, job fairs or industry sessions with guest speakers that may have networking time built in. At live events like these, try to meet as many people as you can. I also recommend having something to leave behind, like a business card, or a resume if you’re at a job fair.

Social media networking – Social media can be a good way to supplement your in-person networking and can be less intimidating in some ways. Once you have a profile on LinkedIn, join groups and discussions on the site. Twitter is another way to identify people you might want to work with and make connections.

Informational job interviews – These types of interviews are more intense, in-depth forms of networking during which you meet with someone at their office or over coffee to talk about the work they do, their career path, the industry they work in and any connections they can make for you. Informational interviews are not tied to specific job openings, but the interviewer may refer you for an opening or think of you when an opening comes up.

Unexpected networking opportunities – Any group of people can offer opportunities for networking; you may meet someone at a family barbeque who is looking to hire a candidate with your exact skill set. Or, more likely, you’ll meet someone on a plane, at a reunion, or in the school pick-up line who knows someone you’d like to network with.

About the Recruiter
frank-gentile-2Frank Gentile is a 20+ year veteran of the staffing industry and an experienced recruiter. As a Director at Professional Staffing Group (PSG) Frank oversees the permanent placement division.

Ask A Recruiter: Managing References

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Q: Do you have any tips for lining up references? I want to be prepared, but am not sure what the protocol is.

A: It’s great to hear that you want to be prepared when it comes to references. That’s my number one piece of advice in this area: have your references ready ahead of time!

My suggestion is to be prepared to the point that you have the references and their contact information typed out on a piece of paper. Just as you’d have your resume in front of you at an interview, you can bring your references too – either to refer to in the interview, or to hand over to the employer when they ask for it.

Your references should be able to address your performance, productivity and reliability; however, you should avoid asking family and friends to serve as your references. Ideally, your references will be people who are most familiar with your work history and can comment on your day-to-day performance. For example, though it may seem impressive to list the president of your company as a reference, if the person does not remember you clearly or wasn’t involved with your work on a daily basis, they won’t be a good reference. Your current and previous managers are the best references to give. Clients, peers, professors and even subordinates can be appropriate references too.

I also recommend tailoring your references to each job you’re pursuing. For example, if you’re pursuing both a sales position and an account management job, and have experience in both areas, you may want to give different references. For the sales job, you’ll want to give references who can vouch for your successful sales skills, while you may want to give references who can talk about your customer service skills for the account management role.

Once you identify the people you’d like to use as references, it’s important to communicate with them. Let them know what you’re doing, including what type of job you’re interested in and what skills are required, and ask them if they’re willing to be a reference. If they agree, be sure to follow up with them and let them know in advance if someone will be contacting them. That way, if they have moved or are on vacation, you can tell the hiring manager. You don’t want to frustrate someone who wants to hire you.

About the Recruiter
ImageKristen Coppins has 8+ years of experience in the staffing and recruiting industry.  As a Director and member of the management team at Professional Staffing Group (PSG), she oversees the new hire training and development program. Kristen is also a member of ASA’s Continued Education Committee. 

Ask A Recruiter: Interview Tips for New Graduates

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Q: I just graduated and am nervous about interviewing because I don’t have any real work experience to talk about.

A: It’s understandable that you don’t have work experience if you’ve been in school until now. However, you probably have accumulated experiences and developed skills that you can discuss in an interview. For example, the experiences you may have gained from part-time or unpaid jobs, internships or work study or extracurricular projects can be valuable and pertinent. The skills, work ethic and interests you’ve developed over the years are also very relevant. It’s up to you to hone those experiences in a way that puts your strengths and skills in the best light possible – especially if your competition for the job includes candidates who’ve been in the workforce already.

I suggest you consider:

  • Ways to demonstrate your motivation and interest in the position – what excites you about the job and why? What did you do to position yourself favorably when you heard about the opening, i.e. did you network to find personal connections at the company?
  • The activities you’ve participated in– academic, extracurricular, athletic and/or social – that demonstrate your skills relevant to the open position. For instance, have you participated in any fundraising efforts (demonstrate sales skills) or have you held any leadership positions (what were the responsibilities/challenges you faced)?
  • Internships – why did you seek out the internship(s) that you did? What did you learn from the internships?
  • Part-time jobs – even if the jobs you held weren’t related to the career you’re interested in pursuing, they count as work experience and are examples of your work ethic.

If you’re having a hard time listing your qualifications and strengths, ask a friend for help. Ask someone who knows you well what he or she would say your strengths are. Sometimes, you will hear some ideas that you would not have thought about otherwise.

After considering all of the non-job related experiences and skills you have to talk about, try to focus on those that are most relevant to the job interview. Eliminate any interests that may seem controversial. Referring to political views or other controversial topics could make a potential employer uncomfortable during an interview.

 

About the Recruiter
Jess-Salerno-photo1Jessica Salerno Incerto has 10+ years of experience in the staffing and recruiting industry. As a director and member of the management team at Professional Staffing Group (PSG), she oversees career placement, client consultation and management and training. Jessica is also a member of NEHRA’s Diversity Committee.

Ask A Recruiter: What questions should I ask in an interview?

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Q: What questions should I ask during an interview?

A: A job interview is a two-way street. You want to get to know the organization and the people who work there just as much as they want to get to know you. Asking the right questions can help you do this.

There are four types of questions to bring up during an interview:

Questions to help build rapport – Interviews are more than just an exchange of information. They should operate like a good conversation. To start that conversation off on the right foot and keep it running, you will need to build a rapport with the interviewer. Asking questions like, “How long have you been here?” and “What brought you here?” or “What are the main motivating factors that keep people here?” are a great way to start the conversation.

Questions to better understand the intricacies of the role –Naturally, you’ll want to learn as much as you can about the job you’re being interviewed for. Presumably, you’ll know most of the basics from the application process or, if you’ve worked with a recruiter, they will have filled you in with as much information as possible ahead of time. You should also do your homework on the company by searching online for information about the organization, people you may know who have worked there and ‘inside’ information about the internal culture of the firm. If you don’t already know the answers, or want to validate the information you’ve uncovered, here are a few questions that will help you better understand the open position:

  • Why is this position open? i.e. is it a brand new role? Or did someone leave the position and, if so, why did they leave?
  • What did previous workers in this position do well? What could be done to take the position to the next level?
  • What are the top three skill sets necessary to be successful in this role?
  • What type of exposure/interaction is there with other groups from the organization? What types of skills are important for those occasions?
  • What are some challenges I might anticipate in this role?
  • Can you describe the personality or culture of this group in the organization?

Sometimes, even if you know the answers in advance, it’s a good idea to ask the questions anyway. For instance, if you’re meeting with multiple people it can be a good way to gather and compare information.

Questions to better understand the company –Finding out about the company and its culture will help you understand the best way to position yourself to be hired there. Much of this type of information can be found by doing research online or by checking with connections who work at the company or in the industry. In fact, the interviewer will expect you to have done some research ahead of time so try to avoid asking questions with answers that could easily be found on your own, e.g. asking about the sales figures or overall health for a public company.

However, you may want to ask about the company’s management strategies with detailed questions that demonstrate your understanding of the company and its place in the market. For example, if you’re interviewing for a job in commercial real estate, you may want to ask about the firm’s strategy for selling properties and making acquisitions over the next 6-12 months. Or, if you’re interviewing for a position in healthcare management you may want to ask about the company’s hiring initiative in light of new healthcare reform mandates. For an interview with a private equity firm, asking about the firm’s involvement with specific industries or the risk associated with certain companies would be expected.

Questions to ask to understand what will happen next – Nothing is worse than feeling as though you aced an interview and then not hearing from the interviewer again. To ensure you’re on the same page, ask the interviewer about the process moving forward and what their timeline is for making a hire. You can also ask whether the interviewer has any further questions for you or if there are any areas that you didn’t cover or on which you could elaborate. If you feel really good about your prospects with the company you could also ask the interviewer if they think there’s anything that could disqualify you for the job. The key to asking this question is being comfortable enough to handle their responses and turn it into an opportunity to ‘sell’ yourself for the role. Asking these questions also gives you an opportunity to express and reiterate your interest in the position, so ask them even if you’re working with a recruiter.

Feel free to write your questions down in advance and even to take notes during the interview (as long as you don’t let it detract from the meeting). I also advise candidates not to ask questions in an initial interview about compensation range, benefits or growth potential. I’m not naïve and wouldn’t suggest that compensation isn’t important to your decision, but other motivators – such as company culture, the job opportunity, the challenges and satisfaction it’s likely to present – rank slightly higher in determining whether the job is right for you. Sometimes the interviewer will volunteer information on compensation but, again, I recommend not dwelling on these topics in an initial interview. If you get the sense that the range being offered is not right for you, you can ask about it in a later interview. There are also other ways to get this information without asking for it directly.

About the Recruiter
ImageGreg Menzone is a 10-year veteran of the staffing industry who has made hundreds of successful placements. Greg and the team he manages specialize in direct hire placement of accounting and finance professionals.

 

Ask A Recruiter: Explaining a Gap in your Resume

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Q: What’s your advice for explaining a gap in a resume?

A: A gap in your resume, i.e. a period of time that isn’t filled by employment, is usually perceived negatively by employers and typically will generate questions from the interviewer. Therefore, it’s important to have a logical and credible explanation for the gap.

The explanation will depend on why you have the gap. Is it because you were unemployed and spent that time looking for a new job? Did you take time off on purpose to care for family or to travel before settling down? Or were you relocating and didn’t have a new job lined up before the move? These are all plausible reasons for gaps and I hear them every day.

The most important thing to consider when you are explaining why you have a gap in your resume is the message you are sending. For instance, if you decided to travel after a job ended and before looking for another position, you’re sending the message that you prioritized personal pleasure over work. This might cause the employer to wonder if you’re serious about working now. It’s important to be truthful in your explanation, but think about your response from the listener’s point of view. If you have a gap on your resume because you were unemployed, explain your job search and details on how you spent that time. Did you have goals and a structured approach to your job search? Did you volunteer, intern or work temporary or contract positions in the meantime? Even if they weren’t in your field, they could show that you were motivated to get back to work.

If you’re living through a gap period right now, I recommend trying temporary or contract work. Not only are you keeping your skills up-to-date, but each day you are working will expose you to new contacts and experiences that may lead you to the job you’re looking for. Many times temporary and contract positions turn into offers for full-time work.

About the Recruiter
frank-gentile-2Frank Gentile is a 20+ year veteran of the staffing industry and an experienced recruiter. As a Director at Professional Staffing Group (PSG) Frank oversees the permanent placement division.

Ask A Recruiter: How to Tailor A Resume

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Q:  I keep hearing that it’s important to tailor your resume to each job you apply for, but I’m not sure I’m doing this correctly. What is your advice?

A: The three components of the resume that are most likely to catch a recruiter’s eye are a skills/qualifications section, the resume’s overall formatting and the bullet points that describe your past job experiences. Each of these components can, and should, be tailored for specific job opportunities.

Here’s how to tailor each one:

Skills/qualification paragraph – This paragraph should appear at the top of your resume (under your name) and is where you highlight your strong skills and qualifications for the job. Instead of using general language in this paragraph to appeal to the common requirements of multiple jobs, think about the qualities and skills that make you uniquely qualified for the position you’re applying for and tailor this paragraph accordingly. Pay specific attention to certain words and action verbs that describe you and what you do.

Resume formatting – Presentation and appearances are important and that’s why a cleanly formatted resume is essential. Recruiters and hiring managers are turned off by margins or type that are too small or the overuse of bold and italic type. Sometimes candidates are pursuing a job that is in a new industry or one in which they don’t have a lot of experience. In that case, it may make more sense to change the format so that you highlight the skills gained, your work ethic, strengths and interests. Each experience that you share will help tell the recruiter and hiring manager more about you and your character so include all full-time, part-time, co-ops, internships, fieldwork or special projects on your resume if they are applicable to the job.

Bullet points to highlight your accomplishments – Instead of using paragraph form, I recommend having 4-5 bullet points for each of your past 3-4 jobs. These bullet points should highlight your responsibilities and accomplishments in each of those roles. I like to use strategic action words in the bullet points rather than describing your work in the past tense. Tailoring the bullet points is a great way to demonstrate how each of your past jobs makes you uniquely qualified for the job you’re applying to now. Use the bullet points to really highlight the parts of your previous employment that will be attractive to the recruiter and hiring manager.  This is effective if you held a job that didn’t come with a formal title (like many early-career positions) or if your past job title isn’t a clear match for the position you want now.

About the Recruiter
Jess-Salerno-photo1Jessica Salerno Incerto has 10+ years of experience in the staffing and recruiting industry. As a director and member of the management team at Professional Staffing Group (PSG), she oversees career placement, client consultation and management and training. Jessica is also a member of NEHRA’s Diversity Committee.