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Believe it or not, I just had an senior interviewer call me with a critique of a candidate my firm submitted for a lucritive, mid-six-figure salary, position. The candidate asked, “if I close ten sales in the first week (the expectation is 2-4 per week) can I take the next 3 weeks off?” The interviewer was polite and finished up the interview and said good-bye. I am betting that as soon as the door closed the candidates resume went into the trash. The sad part was, the candidate was over-qualified for the position and really wanted the job. The interviewer said that he had never had anyone sabotage themselves so bad within the fist few minutes of an interview.
My recommendation for all interviews is to always answer the interviewers question with a yes or no answer, unless he/she asks for a more detailed answer. Never volunteer infromation, just answer the question! The more you open your mouth the more chances you have to put your foot in it.
Marcus Ettinger DC, BS
I read an interesting article today about strategic philanthropy, but what really caught my attention was the first nine lines. As a recruiter and placement specialist, I have had the hardest time correcting this one area with my qualified candidates; using proper English when speaking.
When Gilbert Maurer was chief operating officer of the Hearst Corporation, he encountered many bright college graduates. But he noticed something odd about them. “They could write okay, but they couldn’t articulate,” he recalls. “If ever they had to give a presentation, it was ‘like’ this, and ‘you know’ that. I called it
verbal landfill.”
Maurer, now retired but still on Hearst’s board of directors, decided to do something about it. “In my father’s day, you had to take something called ‘rhetoric’ in school, in my day it as ‘oral English’. It’s a teacher’s euphemism for ‘being able to express yourself’,” he says.
A few years ago, he broached his concern to the president of his alma mater, St Lawrence University, a small, private liberal arts college in upstate New York. “I asked him: ‘What do you think would happen if a St Lawrence graduate could have a leg up on other college graduates because he could speak and express his ideas more effectively?’”
St Lawrence immediately began working on the idea…
The most important piece of advise I can give a candidate is to not use the words, ‘like’, ‘you know’, ‘um’, or ‘a-a’. Mr. Maurer calls it, “verbal landfill”; I call it, “interview or career advancement suicide.” A client once told me that he didn’t hire one of my candidates, who was far more qualified than the rest, just because he said, ‘you know’ after every thought. That one flaw in the candidates character drove the Ph.D. interviewer crazy. He said, “how is it possible that an Ivy League M.P.H. (Masters in Public Health) couldn’t speak proper English?”
It all starts with parent’s and teacher’s, and if not corrected early, the habit just gets re-enforced by our current, myspace, hip-hop and MTV influenced society.
Coaching Tip:
One of my coaching tips is to have the candidate record themselves and count how many times they say one of the above no-no words. Then practice daily, re-recording themselves until the bad habit is broken.
Marcus Ettinger DC, BS
An effective job search uses only targeted strategies and we know all of them!
It’s not as simple, any more, as just sending in a resume and landing a six figure career, I wish it was. The truth is that most jobs are found or filled through professional networking, that’s what we do everyday. A niche placement firm such as us can help to streamline a sometimes frustrating and lengthy process, expediting the career advancement you desire and deserve.
Marcus Ettinger DC, BS
Yes, we can still help, though starting your career advancement with a recruiter while still employed, if possible, would be best!
The expression, “what have you done today” resonates volumes with a potential employer. An out of work job seeker, no matter haw successful he or she was previously, is not as marketable as a successful employed job seeker. Not necessarily needing a job puts the career advancement seeker at an advantage, you don’t have to leave your existing job until the new advancement materializes; it’s a win-win proposition. Working with a career placement/executive search firm early in the game can stack the deck in your favor.
Marcus Ettinger DC, BS
Being persistent is crucial!
You have heard the expression “Out of sight out of mind” well; nothing can be more truthful in the eyes of a prospective employer. The myth, “don’t be pushy” was invented by some brilliant job seeker to keep his ambitious rivals from the career he wanted and got. If you’re not in front of the prospective employer every day you’re not thought of and not placed on their short list. We keep you in their present time thoughts; that’s our job. You are the right choice for the job and we will make sure you get it.
Marcus Ettinger DC, BS
Effective career placement/executive search firms should understand and respect your expertise, be ethical, and have integrity!
Only an ethical firm that has staff and resources (knowledge, coaching, logistics, etc.) dedicated to the profession that you are seeking, can appreciate your expertise and unique talents. We understand there are many facets to changing a career or job, so we not only work with you but your entire family, to create a seamless transition into your new career advancement; we are dedicated to you and your profession.
Marcus Ettinger DC, BS
