I recently interviewed a candidate who sounded like Steven Wright. I practically needed to check his pulse during our conversation. He slouched in his chair, had very little energy, and never smiled. Instead of recommending him for the job, I gave him the name of my friend who is a psychologist and suggested immediately counseling!…
I received an email this week from somebody who was responding to a job listing that we have for a financial analyst. Although the candidate had pretty good experience, he did not have the specific skill set and work history we were seeking. Unlike many employers these days, we try to respond to every resume…
Anytime you are interviewing for a job, you will surely be asked if you have any questions. This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate that you have researched the company and the job responsibilities. Don’t answer “no, not at this time” or “when do you expect to make a decision.” Instead, I have a couple…
About 6 months ago I was interviewing a candidate for an asset management position. During the interview the candidate informed me that he did not like writing, did not want to sit at a desk running a lot of numbers, and found financial reporting to be boring. I asked him why he was interviewing for…
As much as you want to mask the fact that you haven’t brushed your teeth after a pasta with garlic lunch, don’t go to an interview chewing gum. Breath mints are the way to go or use those throw-away tooth scrubs that fit on your index finger. I had one candidate once blow a bubble…
Always arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. On-time equals late, especially if you are meeting at a restaurant. Remember that your time is not nearly as valuable as the interviewer’s time. Also, you should be seated as the person approaches you and then rise to greet the person (with a firm handshake). If…
I have heard from several candidates that they are applying for jobs that are more junior than they really want; however, they have to pay the bills and don’t mind taking a step or two backwards in the short term. The key to this is to make sure that the prospective employer does not interpret…
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…