Because the market is loaded with high unemployment, hiring managers are approaching candidates directly to circumvent paying fees to recruiters. Corporate recruiters are therefore competing with the very professionals they’re assigned to support. Agencies, sensing a schism and a possible opportunity to snap up a quick albeit reduced fee, are vying to squeeze a toe in the door with the hiring manager and pitching the line, “I can do it better for less and without politics.”



I… Continue

Dearest candidate,



I appreciate the opportunity to interview you and compare your skill set to the other candidates currently in consideration for our open technical management position. Please understand that I meant no disrespect or connotation of ill will when I stated that a background check is part of our employment screening process and typically adds a week’s delay to process. This is a statement I provide every candidate with whom I interview, and it is not intended to imply… Continue

Dearest candidate,



In reviewing your resume and discussing with you your experiences and areas of interest, I’ve come to the determination that you seem to have a gap between what you have done, what you’re capable of doing and what you ultimately want to do.



Often times, I visit with professionals who don’t have a clear idea of what their true capabilities or strengths are. Your case is different. While you clearly know and can prove via your established track record what… Continue

Dearest candidate,



Thank you for reaching out to me this morning via email. I am flattered by your suggestion to treat me to sushi and cocktails this evening to further discuss your interest in the Practice Leader position here in southern California; however, I must decline your generous offer. Friday evenings usually involve my husband, Paul, who is coincidentally the Partner working closely with our client to hire the Practice Leader.



Should you wish to apply for the… Continue

Dearest candidate,



Thank you for the opportunity to interview you this morning for the Director position with my client. I appreciate your having explained to me the number of senior level executives with whom you golf on a regular basis and who are so fond of you. In addition, I apologize for not knowing who you were in advance and remain grateful for your sharing with me how much money you made five years ago.



The hiring manager has requested to only review candidates… Continue

Dearest candidate,



It has been a pleasure to interview you this past week, and I appreciate how much time you were able to spend with me. Your answers to my probing questions, as well as your stated logic for your career moves and claims of successful track record encouraged me to share your resume with my team.



In taking an extra step of due diligence, we learned that there appears to be a well-documented contradiction of reasons for you moving from one position to the… Continue

The art of the casual greeting sounds simple in terms but can be daunting (or forgotten) to some. I’ve recently coached a few candidates who were afflicted with that serious condition that I have termed to be “greeting-challenged”.



The greeting-challenged individual has trouble remembering to keep their energy up when meeting a new person. They forgot to reciprocate with questions when someone asks them how they’re doing. They omit a positive sentiment, leaving the listener amid a… Continue

I shall organize
I shall take the complex and summarize
I shall use bullet points to list career highs
I shall control font appearance and size
I shall avoid any and all surprise
I shall not color my text or otherwise
I shall be concise



Enjoy!

Dearest candidate,



Thank you for spending the time to conceive and prepare your resume. The multiple-colored fonts, 24-point type and boldly framed five pages documenting your experiences have, indeed, caught my eye. In addition, I appreciate your sleuthing skills in having found my contact information, and I remain impressed by your initiative to leave me five voicemail messages this week.



Unfortunately, the hiring manager with whom I am working has already selected a… Continue

With so many talented professionals seeking work in today’s job market, it is interesting to see a number of bright and capable individuals having trouble overcoming themselves during these tough times. For those who have been successful time and again in stronger markets, the loss of career footing is truly disconcerting. The previously successful professional who never experienced pause or setback is now faced with a task that is proving to be very challenging on many different… Continue

Do you paper your deal with a written split agreement or do you rely upon the recruiters' Code?

Does it really take that much time to write out a job description? There are many jobs available in this recession, yet many recruiters are not investing the time to craft a strong message and detail the skills that they are seeking. How are they explaining the opportunities adequately to the candidate pool so that they aren't wasting their time?