Do not make thoughtless statements that diminish what the company or interviewer does. A candidate I recently interviewed applied for an analyst position that required expertise using the Argus software. He told me that although he did not know Argus, the program was very easy and he could master it in a day or two….
I had an interesting response from a candidate who applied for an Associate position we currently are trying to fill. After rejecting this candidate, I received a reply asking me to detail for her to which position this rejection was related. That is a first…so many rejections that the candidate doesn’t even realize if she…
Today we posted a new job opening for an Associate with our firm. We are seeking somebody with very strong Argus and Excel skills, ideally with a CPA as well. I received more than a dozen resumes during the first couple of hours this job was posted. One stood out, but not for the positive!…
When you meet somebody or are engaged in conversation, always make sure that you look that person in the eye. Don’t stare at the thing hanging down from his nose, the leftover lunch on his chin, or the tomato sauce stain on her shirt. Good eye contact will communicate honesty, sincerity and confidence. Poor eye…
A valid question was posed in the comments from the last post. What if economics dictate that you can’t afford to work for free as an intern and need to take an interim job outside of the industry to pay your bills? How do you keep your skills sharp to ensure you can get back…
We recently posted an internship opportunity at ACG. Specifically we included in the job description that the candidate must be able to meet very tight deadlines, a reasonable request given that many of our projects are extraordinarily time sensitive and require late evening / early morning work as well as weekend effort. One candidate we…
I am always amazed to read “Objectives” on a resume. Isn’t your objective to get a job? You need not articulate that on your resume. Instead, use the “white space” as sparingly as possible, focusing on what distinguishes you as a candidate. One great rule of thumb: if somebody much more junior than you could…
Do you remember who won the silver medal in any of Michael Phelps swim competitions? Nobody remembers the person who came in second place because nobody cares. Therefore, you should never communicate anything other than a first place finish on your resume. I can’t tell you how many times I have read resumes that states…
A few months ago I sent out an email to fill a controller position for a small family-owned real estate company. I was quite surprised that within 72 hours more than 50 applicants sent me resumes including 14 former CFOs. Given how bad the market is today, many candidates are overqualified for the position for…