I recently had a candidate interview at a kick-ass agency. You would think she would be over the moon to be considered for this position. A nice raise, cool accounts, the prestige of her name on that business card. But, instead, she came away with a whole lot of questions.



I think sometimes hiring managers get very focused on this one candidate for this one job and they neglect to really give the big picture of what’s happening in the wider view of things. Are you pitching new… Continue

Last week, two boxes arrived for my children from Amazon. A dear friend of mine emailed me and told me she had sent them each a book. And she was wise enough to know that opening the box is part of the delight. So she sent two separate boxes. I brought them in from the front porch and they squealed with delight. My six year old son, the gentle Pleaser starts saying, “Oh, I hope it’s not clothes. I mean, if it is, that’s okay, but I hope it’s something really good. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s… Continue

Anyone who has known me for a time knows one definite thing about me. I hate to be startled. It is not funny to leap out from behind a door and scream at me. It is not high comedy to drop a loud cup on the kitchen floor as I’m standing there. I hate when you’re all charged up with static electricity and you poke me and giggle. Chances are, I will instinctively hit you. Hard. It’s not a choice I make, just something my body does in response. I can’t control it, so it’s best not to risk… Continue

Kids go through phases. Thanks God they are “phases” since that word implies there will be an end eventually. We are currently in Round Two of my six year old son in Melt Down Phase. He’s a little guy but he has some big feelings and when he feels they are stepped on, we hear about it. Right now, if you look at that kid the wrong way, we hear a lot of phrases like, “You don’t understand! I wanted that spoon! It’s my favorite spoon and I never get to use it because Ruby always has it (sob sob)… Continue

There’s no substitute for an in depth conversation with you about what kind of candidate you’re really looking for. I’d like to know what kind of personality fits into your agency. I’d like to know what sort of questions you’d like me to ask and what sort of answers you’re looking to get back. There’s no way I can really find who you need without this important step in the process being completed.





That being said, let’s not underestimate the importance of a job description.… Continue

I recently had a birthday. I won’t say which birthday that was. But it was indeed, a celebration of yet another year under my belt. So, like any thoughtful person, I paused for some reflective thought:



1. Will this be the year I stop eating spoonfuls of Cream Cheese frosting right out of the Betty Crocker tub?

2. Is this where I thought I would be ten years ago?

3. Is it weird that Simon is way sexier to me than Ryan Seacrest?



(see answers below)



I… Continue

It’s no news to any of you who recruit for a living that time kills all deals. We all know it. It is the mantra for recruiters. Why is it then that we still spend so much time explaining this concept and reiterating it to hiring managers?



Chances are, if you are really interested in that candidate, so is someone else. And at the end of the day, it’s usually going to be the player who moves the fastest to hire the person. As the candidate’s main point of contact to you, it is a… Continue

My six year old son has actually been known to yell at the clock at bedtime as if that damn clock is the culprit that is making him go to bed at 8:00 pm. “Nooooo! It can’t be 8:00 yet! I still need to ride my bike some more!!!”



Like him, I’d love an extra few hours in the evening to spend as I like. The sad news is, I’d probably spend it watching Jackie Warner and the gang on Work Out for that time instead of doing something productive like learning a new language or practicing the… Continue

One time, my husband and I went to Puerto Rico and, since my foreign language classes consisted of Latin and French (read: useless), I was a bit worried about the prospect of Spanish. He assured me that he was On. It. His extensive training in high school and college Spanish would fare us well.Flash forward to our vacation…going through the drive through line at Burger King (again).



-What do you want?



-Uh, gimme a medium Coke, please.



-They don’t have Coke.… Continue

If I were to go back and make a list of ex-boyfriends (we’re talking way back here), there would be a few common threads. Some may say it was their penchant for marijuana. Others might note the lack of many personal items like, say, a car or any furniture other than a mattress on the floor. Those things are hard to come by when you don’t have a job.



I’d characterize the trend more towards the, say, passionate and creative type. I had a job in my 20s. I didn’t need a boy to buy me… Continue

When Susie Q comes in and sits down in the conference room to interview for that Account Supervisor role, she is very nervous. She spent yesterday going through her closet to find the right outfit for this little chat. She wanted to project that she’s confident and capable, but not too stuffy. At the last minute, she might have found herself in the dressing room at the Limited trying on silky blouses to go under her black jacket because the plain white button down one was too… Continue

I have candidates who try to make huge decisions about potential job opportunities in the first 5 seconds of hearing about the job. They aren’t sure if they want to move to North Carolina or they aren’t completely up-to-speed on a particular account. And then they decline being submitted for that opportunity. It doesn’t make sense to me. Why not get on the phone and talk about it? You may be wowed. You never know. I would give you the same advice.



Chances are, if you’re reading this… Continue

We are a fortunate recruiting firm in that our clients often count on us to fill multiple positions simultaneously. It may be a matter of winning some new business and now they have a whole team to assemble. Or, perhaps it just works out that they need a Media Director, an AE, and a Traffic Manager all the same week. We know how to walk and chew gum at the same time, so it’s not a problem.



But here’s the thing…if you can really give me a clear indication of what the priority is, all… Continue

I used to date this guy (who shall remain nameless) who was under the misconception that he could do better than me. This probably comes across as a bit cocky on my part, but allow me to explain.



I was twenty-two and HOT. I had a real job, made lots of money, and had my own place in Virginia Highlands. I drove a new car (thanks, Dad), attended classes, was well-traveled, and fairly knowledgeable about politics and music. I had a nice stereo, a big bed, and I actually liked hanging… Continue