Well as any recruiter knows as the markets remain in flux the more work there is for us. Whether it be recruiting candidates whose companies just announced layoff, mergers or a buyout from the Fed or talking with companies that need to fill their vacant position quickly before they have it pulled from the budget.



So of course speed and timing in the placement process is of the essence, and that means candidates and companies who hesitate will lose out on getting the next job or… Continue

It’s funny how the view of managers can be similar to those of parents and to the decisions of the children. In checking a reference on a recent recruit (only 3 years in the business on now looking for job number 3) I was speaking with his first manager. He went on about how talented the candidate was his value to the organization and of course how he completely screwed up by leaving (simply for money).



So there you have the stereotypical idea among managers when their Jr. to Mid… Continue

The concept of getting work samples from potential employees is not new, and in certain industries it’s absolutely the only way to go (artist’s portfolio, etc.). However, in the IT field there seems to be a new wave of companies that are not just asking for, but requiring candidates to submit work samples even prior to any interview process beginning.



This may seem logical and even reasonable to some but in the IT world issues surrounding proprietary work as well as intellectual… Continue

We all want feedback from the candidate in an attempt to ascertain how they did during the interview, but from what I’ve seen in my twenty years of recruiting most candidates have an inability to truly separate how they feel about the job opportunity (interest level) from how they did on the interview (performance). So they are the wrong person to ask how they performed.



Let’s face it almost every candidate walks away from an interview interested in the job and wants to communicate… Continue

Employee attitudes always change and evolve, but typically it lines up with the direction of upper management or as specific managers and/or co-workers come and go. However I had a unique (if not bizarre) view into the IT marketplace thanks to a friend of mine recently.



At lunch last week he had just announced his imminent departure from his fortune 500 employer as they were going through some “downsizing”. As everyone began to pass along their sympathies he said (and I quote) “I’m… Continue

Unfortunately many more candidates today are actively pursuing jobs because their positions were eliminated, so assisting candidates to manage their job search is critical. However, we can always use your help and that typically means passing on lots of information about your current search status to the recruiter in your first conversation.



When I’m speaking with any candidate, but particularly those that have active searches the information I want to know, in order,… Continue

OK that’s not true. Actually it’s a complete lie, but I did attend a .Net developers user group meeting and received 90 minutes of free training, and while it wont’ help me it would have certainly be beneficial to many developers whose future career opportunities are defined by continued growth and knowledge in their field.



Unfortunately out of the hundreds of people that could have benefited a mere 35 people showed up. This is completely illogical as there is no membership fee, no… Continue

As hiring goes we all understand that trends come and go. Clients want more (or less) business knowledge this year compared to last, desire for specific technical skills wax and wane based on choices made at the highest levels of the organization & of course the dynamics of team fit & personality are always in the mix. However, what historically has been the most critical component to any interview were the core skills and abilities of candidates (depth and breadth of knowledge,… Continue