It is interesting how much stress there can be over the salary discussion in the interview process.  If you ask me, it is the one question that should be easy to answer because it is factual.  The recruiter should ask, “How much do you make?”  And the candidate can answer with a number.  Easy, right?

When we are socializing or networking we don’t talk about money.  We are very comfortable asking someone what they do for a living, but we would never say, “Wow, that sounds interesting. …

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I just picked up a new recruiting project and one of the first things the client said was, "Will you post this job?" And I immediately said, "NO!". I don't think I even let him finish the sentence. I am a real recruiter! I don't post jobs, I hunt for my candidates! Posting is for inexperienced, slacker recruiters. Seriously, if my candidate comes from a posting, what value have I brought to the client?

I pride myself on…

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There are two simple steps for great cover letters:



1. Always include the cover letter in the body of the email you are sending. If the recruiter has to click to open a separate document in order to read your cover letter, chances are that they won’t bother.



2. Target each cover letter to the specific position for which you are applying. Generic cover letters that tell how great YOU are and what YOU want to do without… Continue

One of my MAJOR pet peeves is abuse of email. Way too often, email is used as a passive aggressive way of spouting off. The sender wants to tell you something, but they really don’t want to hear what you think, because if they did they would have called you and SPOKEN to you. Don’t get me wrong, I think email is a great communication tool - when used properly.



So, today I am going to share my “3 email rule” with you in the hope that I can do my small part to… Continue

Whether you are actively looking for a job or just want to hear from recruiters from time to time, you have to get on the radar of executive search firm and staffing agency recruiters. Once you are found and entered into the recruiter’s database, you will hear about all those unadvertised jobs everyone has been whispering about.



To understand how to be found you have to think like a recruiter. Recruiters aren’t just looking for people that are looking for… Continue

I just learned what BIG results I can get from just a little sourcing!



The bulk of the “executive searching” that I do is for actuaries. I have a database of just about all the actuaries in the U.S. and Canada, so the sourcing I do for these projects is typically just slicing and dicing my database. I search LinkedIN and run a few Google searches for each new search. But honestly, I typically turn to sourcing when I need a break from the monotony of leaving hundreds of… Continue

This post is a little longer than usual, because it is actually an article I wrote for the January issue of The Source Newsletter



The proliferation and accessibility of sourcing tools and techniques is exciting and fun and exhilarating. Who doesn’t want to have the most followers on Twitter or the biggest network on LinkedIn? But is sourcing the Silver Bullet of Recruiting? Are all these tools really helping us do our jobs or just… Continue

A friend of mine came by over the weekend to go over his job search plan. He had paid a good deal of money to a company that helped him rewrite his resume and then they blasted out hard and soft copies to thousands of companies.



Well, he hasn't gotten the results he had hoped for, so he was asking for advice. I was shocked to see that this company recommended that he limit his resume to one page! He has over 20 years of experience and I have always thought the one page rule was for… Continue

I consider myself an experienced - actually very experienced - recruiter. I have over 15 years of experience and I have worked independently for most of that time. Only newbies benefit from rigorous programs like counting calls placed, messages left, emails sent and contacts made, right? Wrong!



I decided to count my calls for a few days to see if it would have an impact on my productivity and my results. I was actually shocked at the results. I got a lot more done when I forced… Continue

I am a full life cycle recruiter so I like to stay on top of all the new sourcing techniques out there. Today I attended Geoff Peterson’s wonderfully informative, free webinar 30 Recruiting Strategies in a Downturn Economy. (Not sure "attended" is the correct word. What DO you call it when you sit at your desk and listen in?)



Geoff covered all kinds of techniques for using new media – Twitter, Facebook, podcasting, etc. to attract and source passive candidates. For more… Continue

Today I want to post about "talking" as a sourcing tool. Recruiters often tell me that they have searched every paid resume board, all the freebies, LinkedIn, the ATS, etc. and they just can't find anyone that fits the spec. That is when I typically recommend that they try a low tech tool - the telephone! If you have checked every site in your arsenal and can't find anyone - maybe there is a true shortage or maybe there is something wrong with the way you are searching or the pitch you are… Continue

What do you do to make the Hiring Manager realize that you have looked under every rock but have still not come up with their ideal, perfect candidate? You bring them 'compromise candidates' and talk directly to the Hiring Manager about what you have found and what potential candidates have told you. Tell them what the candidates themselves have told you about the opportunity. Of course, in order to do this, you have to call those "less than perfect" compromise candidates and pitch the position… Continue