9 Deal Makers or Breakers from Hiring Managers

I'm came across this great article today - there's some great advice from the pros in here.

Hiring managers speak out: 9 things that seal the deal

One thing about the hiring process is true: it leaves much room for speculation. Whether you got the job -- or you didn't -- most job seekers want to know why. Why were you chosen over the next guy? Or, better yet, why weren't you? Was it your experience, your attitude, your interview answers, your outfit?

While you can speculate for days about all the different things that may or may not have gone your way, we decided to ask hiring managers directly: What seals the deal when you choose to hire a candidate? Why do you choose one person over another? All of their answers will give you some insight as to what you should pay attention to the next time you're up for a job.
Here's what hiring managers had to say:

"One of the big things for me is [following] up. If I'm on the fence about a candidate but they take the time to e-mail me and thank me for having them come in, it shows me that they are motivated, tactful and professional. On the other side of the coin, if I interview someone and they are using lots of banal business speak and don't give me any impression of what their personality is like, I will usually pass. I hate when I ask a candidate what their favourite thing to work on is and they say 'everything' -- it leaves me with the impression that they either have no personality or won't speak their mind." -- Keith Baumwald, interactive marketing analyst, Shoplet.com

"I know I have a good candidate for hire when they come in prepared with as many questions about the job and company as I have for the candidate -- especially when their questions go beyond just the pay rate and benefits. By showing interest in learning more about what the job opportunity actually involves, it shows that the candidate is just as concerned about this job being the right fit for them as I am." -- Angie Nelson, marketing coordinator, Les Bois, Federal Credit Union


"A quick deal-killer for me is people who are trying to answer questions the way they think I want them answered. Honesty in the interview is refreshing. I appreciate applicants who tell the truth without trying to sugar-coat things. I am not as concerned with bad things that have happened in their past as much as how they dealt with those issues. That shows their true character." -- Phil Wrzesinski, owner, Toy House and Baby Too


"Confidence is important, but there is a fine line between that and arrogance. I once had a candidate state numerous times he was the one and that no way anyone else could be better. This is not only arrogant, but demonstrates ignorance on the part of the candidate. One does not always know who they are competing with or all of their qualifications." -- Thomasina Tafur, president, Thomasina Tafur Consulting


"When interviewing candidates to join our firm, two things can be deal breakers: attitude and core values. You can't teach attitude, but you can teach skill. A positive attitude, strong work ethic and strong values should trump more experience and skill. I also make sure the candidate demonstrates our company's core values. I ask them to tell me their 'story' of their professional journey. Through their story, I get a better understanding of the decisions they made and the values they have (or don't have)." -- Michelle Roccia, senior vice president of corporate organizational development, Winter, Wyman


"When a candidate is displaying a true desire to come work for your company, they are often the one you want to hire once you are looking at the finalist pool. The fastest way to end up with a short interview and ruling yourself out from being considered is to arrive to an interview to only lack energy, give short answers and show no excitement to be there." -- James Thompson, vice president of business development, JMJ Phillip


"When I hire, I hire for 'right fit,' which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with experience or training. A 'right fit' candidate is someone who is aligned philosophically with the company, has a passion for the products or industry, and believes that the kind of work that they do is their mission, not just their livelihood. For example, when I was staffing a green business in Orange County, Calif., I didn't hire the people with the longest résumés and the most degrees, I hired the people who were passionate about the 'green' cause and had demonstrated that in some way in their personal life. What we ended up with were employees who were willing to do whatever it took to make the enterprise successful because they were driven by an inner belief, not by a pay check. They were engaged at an extremely high level from the first day they walked in the door. I hire for passion, and then train for skills, if necessary." --Barbara Farfan, management and retail consultant, Authentic Communications


"During the interview process we tend to ask oddball questions and gauge [a candidate's] reaction and the actual answers they give. This will give us an idea as how they will fit with our company and everyone else who works with us. For the upcoming semester we chose one intern over the others solely based on her answer to 'If you were a candy bar, what kind would you be?' She sat for about three seconds but didn't think we were crazy for asking it. She smiled and said 'I'd be a Caramello because they're awesome and hard to find, but when you find them you get a happy feeling inside.'" -- AmyLynn Keimach, Border7 Studios


"When having difficulty narrowing down a short list of qualified candidates based on their experience, skills, upward potential and education, I tend to put significant weight on the candidate's passion for what we do as a company and how we do it. If the employee can show evidence that they genuinely align with our company values, purpose and mission, the likelihood of success increases tremendously in my opinion." -- Matt Arrigale, vice president, human resources, Schott North America


Get daily job advice on The Work Buzz, CareerBuilder's job seeker blog. Follow CareerBuilder.ca on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CareerBuilderca.

Interview Questions - a primer

My 16 year old is going to "Baby's First Interview" tomorrow for a retail job. She asked me to prep her on typical interview questions and I thought it would be a good time to write some advice up here.

At any job interview, the object is to sell yourself, that's why having your answers and examples ready so you don't blank is great preparation. For a retail job they're going to want to see how you can give great customer service so that the people in front of you either by or buy and come back again after they buy because life was so much easier shopping there with great customer service. The employee is a liability because they have to be paid; the employee must be made into a profit, so excellent customer service is what you give (and let's face it, it's what you like to get so there's something to analyze; define great customer service when YOU are the customer and adopt those qualities to yourself.)

Here are some examples of questions that the hiring manager has been given on a sheet of paper to ask you. They may scribble answers, don't let it throw you.

Q: "So, tell me about yourself"

Personally, I hate this question. I'm a multitude of things, but what they're asking is how does this particular job pertain to me...err..you. Keep the answer between 2 to 5 sentences that are short, concise and full of information. They're supposed to be assessing your personality, communication skills, ability to think on your feet. They're also listening to your voice intonation and looking at your hair. Statistics say that the #1 thing interviewers notice first is hair. Isn't that wierd?

For now, define what you do "I'm currently" with job related over-view adjectives or "I'm currently a student" or "I'm re-entering the job force" and drop it until they ask you to elaborate.) Add to the next sentence a list of

what you do (your current or last job), your strengths (stick to job-focused skills), and then summary of what you just said linking your experience to the job you're being interviewed for.


Q: "Why did you leave your last job?"


If you haven't left a job be clear that you're hoping to make the career tranisiton to something offering more chance for advancement or more opportunity to work with people, keep it positive and tie in what you can do for the position. Maybe you are looking for something closer to home. For retail, my daughter will try to remember to say something along the lines of "I have been a customer here and love the ______ you sell. I thought I would apply because it seems like a great company to work for!' or similar. This is her first official job interview but she's worked in a convenience store so she has customer service skills down.




Q: "Why do you want to do this job / work for this company?"


If you can, do some research on the company, mention things like you admire it's committment to not testing on animals or whatever you may found out. Tie that into how you are equally committed to that cause or something else. You're kinfolk - you must convince them that you belong.



Q: "What do you think you have to offer this company?"


This is where your definition of great customer service comes in, only point by point. You point out that the store operates like this and so do you. They offer that and so do you.This is a chance to sing your own praises — concentrating on the skills you have that are required for the position.Try to remember what the job description asked for if you applied to an ad. If you don't have an ad, see if the company or store is recruiting for the same position at a different location (check the net) so you have an idea of what they're looking for. Don't forget to add that you can sell ice to penguins, you're a good team player but can work independently and people like you.
If the job requires specific skills, like working with Adobe Photoshop while you edit pictures, tell the interviewer that you're an ace with Photoshop and think that you'd be an asset to their photo-development team. That kind of thing - you're selling yourself.


Q: "What do you think this position involves?"



This is kind of a trick question - they want to know if you read the ad and did your research. Do your homework - see above.



Q: "What do you know about the company?"


Again, they want to know you did your homework. Dazzle them. Demonstrate your interest in the job by telling them your understanding of the organisation and industry. Talk about the research you did into the company's key areas of interest, its size, its main customers or current status, making reference to your source of information (their company website or a Fortune 500 Magazine article etc..)


Q: What salary range are you looking for?

Was what they're offering in the ad? What kind of position is it? Ask what they're offering, and if it's way off base politely give them the ballpark you were looking at. Depending on the job they may be able to accomodate you and were trying to save some money by down-paying...but then again you don't want to slam doors. If it's wayyyyyy low ask how soon the first pay raise would be and by how much. It's usually something you get to think about, getting hired on the spot is rare these days.






Q: "Do you have any questions you would like to ask?"


No, "what time is lunch?" or "how often do I get breaks?" are not good questions.


Always have something to ask the interviewer. If you can't think of anything because it was covered in your conversation, clarify what you talked about in question for. You can ask when they expect to make a decision, when the position starts, is there room for advancement, can you transfer to a different location if you needed to in the future, that kind of thing. If you're unclear about the job still, then clarifying questions putting the interviewer on the spot are good.



For example:


"What do you see as being the main focus of this role?"


"Am I correct in saying that the position involves mediating between A and B departments and monitoring and developing new approaches to...?"



"I'd like to ask about the organisational structure... are the publications produced on a national basis or individually by each regional office? How are budgets controlled and allocated?"






Q: "What do you believe are your key strengths?"


Oh, yeah. I love this one. "Where do I begin?" isn't the best way to start off. Seriously though, have a think. Look at resume books and check out their adjectives section.  Make sure they related to the requirements of the job. Try to have some examples. They love to whip in the "give me an example of a time when...." Be prepared.



Q: "What do you believe are your weaknesses?"

"What, who me?"
Yes you! This is a great question because we're all fallable and they want to know a time you may have goofed up and how you fixed it and learned from it. Make sure that the fixing it/learning from it reflects how you'd be great at this job you're applying for.

Also, things that are "flaws" can work in a company's benefit like "I tend to make sure my job is complete/ the work station is ready for the next person/ my duties for the next day are prepared and ready for the next day before I leave."



Q: "What do you enjoy most about your current / last job?"



The trick with this question is to list what you have enjoyed about work that strongly relate to the key elements of the position you're applying for, and mention that you are looking forward to expanding your experience / scope in these areas.






Q: A question requesting confidential information about a previous employer


This may be a testing of your discretion and professionalism and to see how you might talk about THEM in the future. Don't go there. Keep it positive and if you have to say "that's confidential information and I'd like to respect their privacy just as I would protect yours.




Q: "Where do you see yourself in five years time?"



They want to know if you're going to be a job hopper or plan on staying with them. Vague but satisfying answers include "Well, if I were employed here, hopefully I would have advanced in position and become a valued employee" to show company loyalty and that you're not a slug who wants to stay in the same position forever.


Q: "Do you work well under pressure?"


Answer with a 'yes', and give a specific example of a time when you were under pressure and how you rose to the challenge. You prioritized and kept your cool, asked or help or delegated as needed and smiled to keep the store/company/office running smoothly.


 Q: "Tell me about when something went wrong"

This is a good one that you can give great examples about how you made a flub, corrected it, and learned from the experience. Ideally how it positively affected the customer in the end is a great ending because, gosh darn it, great customer service is your middle name!




These are behavioural questions designed to get information about how you would be on the job, how you would make the company money and how you would fit in with the rest of the winners who work there. Be sure to have an extra copy of your resume to refer to, and sometimes even have two copies in case the interviewer pulls the old "I don't have a copy of your resume..." thing to test your preparation skills.

Don't forget to pace yourself in a nice, natural conversational tone. Breathe. Don't say "umm" or thinking words to begin your sentences. If you need to think,  do it without "umm" or "err", simply say a time-buying word like, "Yes....".


Two thumbs up - you're awesome and a Hireable Desirable. Everybody has something to offer employers. There ARE jobs out there, the choice is up to you!


These are basic questions/answers. For really intense questions/answers, check out the pros like:

Keywords are your resume's best friend

Things we know already:

*85% of jobs are NOT advertised. (Why is that?)
*Advertised jobs rarely lead to a call or an interview. (Again - why is that?)
*95% of advertised jobs get a minimum of 500 resumes during this economy - even unqualified/ underqualified people are slipping their resumes in "just in case something I'm qualified for" magically pops up. (Not much bugs resume sifters more than sifting through a fresh batch of email resumes with "Brain Surgeon Application" in the subject and "#1 McEmployee in August last year" in the first paragraph of the resume - trust me, it's a sure way to get your resume deleted if not your email address blacklisted too!)

Have you seen Up in the Air yet? Great movie, I loved it but then again any reason to see George Clooney dance or look studly in a tux is what I live for these days (he was great in Men Who Stare At Goats too.)  Why did I mention it? Well, the movie centres around this theme of taking the human contact element of things that require a human element, in that case it was firing people by a new remote program that had been developed. (I won't tell you any more except that I would love to go to a wedding with George. Really good movie - see it if you haven't.) For me, it's a coin toss whether the lack of a human element is worse than stupid human element, but that's another post. Here's what I mean:

You'll notice Big Companies out there placing ads on Big Job Boards that cost serious coin. Here you are. You do your job search on a jobsite and pull up yet another ad from The Humungous Corporation and think "well, frig, I registered and uploaded my resume last month and the month before that and they sent me a generic 'no thanks' e-letter. WTH is up with that? I was perfect for that job? Why didn't I get a call?"

I hear you, it's frustrating as heck, isn't it? There are a few reasons you're getting that e-letter, and trust me when I tell you that the headhunting and recruiting business is guilty of all of this as well (and you were right when you were cussing your suspicions into your coffee!) There are a number of possibilities but the biggies are:

1. There is no job.
Nope. No job but either Big Company is planning on expanding or recruiting for a similar position in the future, they want to keep their database full of potentials. They may or may not be trying to look busy to the competition.

2. You used your Standard Resume that you send to everybody else.
YOU knew when you applied that you had everything they were asking for in a perfect candidate - why didn't they call you? What a slap in the face! Who needs to work for them anyway? (You do. That's why you applied.) It's a great resume, maybe you spent a lot of money getting somebody to do it for you but...

This is where Hot Recruiter Mom is going to repeatedly say over and over TAILOR EACH RESUME and HAVE MORE THAN 1 RESUME. This is also where Up in the Air comes in - who exactly are you sending your resume in to?

Big Job Boards and Recruiting Companies cost money. Big money. So Big Company and the rest of them thought they'd beat the system by bypassing the Job Boards and Recruiters as much as possible. They invested in things like Taleo who are online resume processing/ database systems. Taleo is costly too, but Big Companies thought they were being wickedly self serving by indulging in their own internal database system. (NOTE: At least good recruiters not only talk to the owners of the resumes, but we guarantee our hires too - another plus for Big Companies to work with us. When we're niche & specific (like me), we're worth our weight in gold to Big Companies - we already had you in our system and could've had you in to them for 2 interviews by the time they posted and "processed" the shout out for the job!)

The thing is, that 90% of qualified people are being passed over because of these non-human database systems. It's an electronic game of match-up.The humans aren't around to puruse the resumes and see what matches. The database system has been programmed to scan for KEYWORDS. If they aren't on a resume, the resume gets stored and collects cyberdust somewhere. That's where your resumes are right now.

What you need to do is to check each and every ad and make sure those KEYWORDS are on your resume somewhere. What I used to teach in my basic resumes 101 classes was to copy/paste the job requisites and paste them in the "Summary of Qualifications" part of the resume. Somebody has carefully scripted a wishlist of qualifications, so to have an internal database pick up the resume to be looked at by a human being, a carefully re-crafted summary of qualifications will nail that part. That works for the not-so professional jobs. For anything that requires special degrees or computer programs or experience that you have, make sure that you mention exactly those terms as often as possible ie: whenever you used them on a job or got the certification.

On the other end, somebody who is going to look through those resumes is logging in and pushing a couple of buttons to tell the database system to go through all those new emails and see who qualifies. Keep in mind, whoever is doing the resume grunt-work is probably not an expert in what you do. If they're not using a database and only scanning emails or faxes, their beady little eyes are looking for whatever is on the job description they were handed. They probably have no clue or interest in any of what you do, have or did. They're just trying to play match-up.

So lets say database makes some matches. Resume Scanner Person opens it up and all of those database pre-programmed words are highlighted. Resume Scanner Person decides whether to pursue it further. You can be put into the YES pile or NO pile before your resume even gets seen by human eyes simply because of the KEYWORDS - or lack of them! How cool is that? Not, to the job searcher. (I'll rant about HR people, God love'em, some other time.)

Think of how many qualified people are going ignored because of the lack of human contact! That's unfortunately the name of the game. Now it's up to you to beat them at their own game.

For each and every resume you submit, make sure the KEYWORDS are in your resume and cover letter.

Did you really want that job? REALLY REALLY? Then phone the company politely ask for the person in charge for recruiting for that job. Talk to them. See if they saw your resume. Ask for feedback. Expect different scenarios and have the return question.They hired? Do they expect any other positions in the future? They haven't started interviewing yet? Ask to speak with the Hiring Manager. Politely. (But if you don't have the KEYWORDS in your resume, don't expect to hear much more than "you don't seem quaified".) Be nice. The person on the other end of the phone could be your new best friend!

Two thumbs up - you're awesome and a Hireable Desirable. Everybody has something to offer employers. There ARE jobs out there, the choice is up to you!







A poignant view of what's happening out there AND a look at my secret dream of kissing George Clooney on the steps in high school. *sigh*












If your library or employment centre don't have these available to use, this is a pretty good program to easily make a resume and be able to change your KEYWORDS for each resume.













You can download the first chapter on the author's website. I've just ordered this one too. It's about focus and keeping your eye on the prize. It works on jobs, relationships, and all the good stuff we want out of life.

Survival Jobs

Jobs are a hot commodity.
So are you.

It's hard to keep a positive frame of mind when it seems like it's slim pickins out there. Sometimes we have to start looking for the Plan B while Plan A is panning out, or even to take a whole new route to a whole new destination.

No, I'm not saying give up looking for Your Job. I'm saying that while you're waiting, the bills need to be paid and food put on the table. That's where "Survival Jobs" come in.

A lot of us need to take what I call a "survival job" while we're waiting for the "real job" to happen. Maybe we've been made obsolete, been let go, just out of college - there are a ton of reasons why we're on career hold.
Survival jobs are usually where you would be in your free time - shopping or getting a coffee - only on the other side of the counter and maybe wearing the dreaded uniform (Shudder. Been there. Done that. Lots.).
The good thing is that these jobs pay the bills and take the heat off panic mode for awhile. Another good thing is a lot of these survival job places offer benefits and insurances that sitting at home worrying doesn't provide. (I'd be a millionaire if THAT paid off!)
It's nothing any of us want to do but when the crunch is on, what the heck. You always looked good in orange baseball caps, right? It's all in the perception and here are a few tips to keep your perspective.

1. The thing you have to keep in mind is that no matter what anybody else says (ie: in one of those standard, vague, letters of rejection) or doesn't say (ie: Why isn't that phone ringing to say they're hiring me?), you're needed and valuable.
2. If you're in a job finding slump and you've done all the traditional "take a break, take a walk, take a bubblebath" things, then take a step back and see what you can tweek.
3. Your resume - how many do you have? Your PhD is going to look mighty pretentious to the Hiring Dude at the 24 Hour U-Mart. It might be time to create a new one. In fact have a look at what's out there that you feel you might be qualified for and create a whole new resume for it.
4. Make sure in the Summary of Qualifications that you're mentioning what they're looking for in their ad especially if the ad was on the net. KEYWORDS are what are in the ad, KEYWORDS are what internal databases read from incoming resumes, KEYWORDS are what the person who is sighing through the hundreds/thousands of resumes is looking for.
5. Don't be afraid to put "re-entering the workforce" if you think it'll boost your chances of not being overlooked. You might have been on parental leave or making a career change for all anyone knows; the idea is to make your resume so enticing that they just have to bring you in for an interview to ask why. Remember, you want an interview and then you can sell yourself. Get that interview first.
6. No, you're not "too old" or "over qualified". Semantics. It's all in the words you choose. If you're trying to get a job in retail, think like a retail person thinks. "Mature work ethic" is a boon to any employer whether you're 16 or 116, and that's just one of the great qualities that a lifetime of experience in Life 101 gives you as a career boost.
7. If your gut tells you you might be "overqualified" instead of "perfect!", put your status a few sections below, if at all, under "Other experience" and chunk it down if you need to.
8. Are you willing to relocate or commute? Let'em know.
9. Do you have any related experience? See if you can reword it. Don't forget that "Sanitation Engineer" is the new "Garbage Man" on a resume and vice versa.
10. Check your nearest library for resume books. If you're editing down it's good to see other examples. The internet isn't alwasy the best place for free advice on this one. Go to the library or an employment centre, see what you like that you can apply to yourself.
11. No, it might not be your dream job but if you feel bad about your resume it's going to reflect somehow. Love your resume or make one that you can.
12. Survival jobs are not the end of you or the end of the world. They're not permanent. Whatever you learn will probably come in handy; whatever you have to offer will definitely come in handy. Like, remember that co-worker or boss that irked you before? They're everywhere, just in a different form. You have the skills to deal with them wherever they may pop up in life. No problem, right? "CAN DO!"
13. YOU ARE NOT YOUR RESUME. None of us are. It's just a summary of some of the things we're capable of. And we're always capable of more, better, transforming and morphing into better - it's the nature of that beast we call Life. Which leads me to
14. It's ok not to put everything you did as President at XYZ company on a resume applying for Local Call Centre. Tweek it to reflect all the great customer service skills you provide but not necessarily that you managed global marketing to the tune of 3.7 billion dollars.
15. If you can join a support group or job leads/ networking group, jump in! Not only does misery love company, there are nuggets of wisdom, job leads (hopefully someone will be complaining about being interviewed by Candii with two i's who is a manager at 22) and inspiration, AND more often than not, free coffee!
16. If you've decided to wait it out for the dream job, think about the scenariothat is unfolding. Somewhere, right now the dynamics are in motion for you to get that job. Either a company is getting more orders and building up the feasibility to hire you or...somebody's getting pregnant or moving somewhere else so you can move into that job or somebody's screwing up so they'll be fired - the scenarios are endless - rest assured that ineveitably the forces are in motion. Keep breathing and sending out those resumes!
17. None of this is forever. Chin up. Smile on. How's your resume collection going?

More on the nitty gritty details of resumes in upcoming posts.

Two thumbs up - you're awesome and a Hireable Desirable. Everybody has something to offer employers. There ARE jobs out there, the choice is up to you!
Today's Survival Job recipes are at http://www.drtoast.com/departments/toast-recipes. It'll take your mind of the job search for a few minutes and hopefully put at least a tiny grin on your face for a few minutes - it put one on mine!


Search Amazon.com for job hunters survival guide