Food Recruiter Connection

Bound for Success Interviewing- Chapter 6

2008-02-06T08:51:00.000-05:00

Bound for Success Interviewing- Chapter 5

2008-01-28T10:11:00.000-05:00

To start the New Year we will be posting our frequently asked for series on interviewing. It will be broken down over the next six postings. The breakdown will be:
1- Preparing yourself for the interview
2- Doing practice interviews
3- The most often asked questions at an interview
4- What you should bring up at an interview
5- The dynamics of a job interview
6- Understanding the stresses facing the interviewer

DYNAMICS OF THE JOB INTERVIEW

Expectations of the Interviewer:
It is important for you to satisfy the basic expectations of the interviewer. Wear the style of clothing appropriate to the type of job you are seeking. Arrive well groomed from head to heels.
Bring extra copies of your resume.
Confirm the date and time of your appointment in advance and arrive five minutes before the scheduled time.
You want to generate an impression of energy and self-confidence as you meet the interviewer. Smile; look them in the eye; shake hands firmly. Convey that you are genuinely glad to meet them; be relaxed. Be prepared to like the person you are meeting. Intuitions are a funny thing – if you do not like them, they will be able to sense it and probably won’t like you either. Not many people are hired by folks who do not like them. Most interviewers want you to be relaxed and will start out an interview with small talk in an effort to make you feel at home. Look around the office and see if there are any personal items (college memorabilia, hobbies, crafts, pictures, etc.) on which you might comment and use to form a bond and rapport with the interviewer. Don’t press it – if there is nothing, let it go – you don’t want to look stupid.
Realize that you have done your best to prepare yourself for the interview. Go to the interview with the attitude that you are ready and interested in finding out even more about the position and company and whether or not you want to work for them. If you do not get this particular position, it is not a judgment upon you as a person. Maybe it was not a match; maybe you didn’t do your homework well enough; maybe you weren’t interested after you found out “the rest of the story.”

The Purpose of the Interview:
Keep fresh in your mind the goals you have set for yourself in this interview.
First, you are meeting with a hiring authority to convince them that you have the skills and abilities needed for the position.
Second, you are also in the position of the screener. You want to be active in the interview, not passive. You want to discover as much information as possible about the job and the person to whom you would be reporting so that you can decide if this is indeed the position, company and environment in which you can do your best job and grow professionally.
Third, you want to answer the following questions that will be in the front of the interviewer’s mind, whether they ask them directly or not:
1) Why are you here? Why have you chosen our company?
2) Precisely what can you do for our company?
3) What kind of personality do you have – how would you fit in with the other employees?

Presenting yourself effectively in an interview requires the ability not only to listen to what the other person is saying, but also to listen to what they are thinking.

By thoroughly preparing yourself to meet you interviewing goals, you will put yourself ahead of most other applicants for the position.

To start the New Year we will be posting our frequently asked for series on interviewing. It will be broken down over the next six postings. The breakdown will be:1- Preparing yourself for the interview2- Doing practice interviews3- The most often asked questions at an interview4- What you should bring up at an interview5- The dynamics of a job interview6- Understanding the stresses facing the interviewer

Bound for Success Interviewing- Chapter 4

2008-01-24T07:55:00.000-05:00

Bound for Success Interviewing- Chapter 3

2008-01-14T12:24:00.000-05:00

6- Understanding the stresses facing the interviewer

THE MOST OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF.
Talk about the parts of your background that relate to the job and make sure you have the qualitative and quantitative facts to support your presentation. Interviewers use this question not only for the actual information you will supply, but as a means of assessing your style and poise. By and large, they are not interested in hearing a lot of details about your childhood days. If the interviewer asks about your non-work interests and hobbies, respond with enthusiasm.

WHAT TYPE OF POSITION ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?
Make sure that you are interested in the position for which you are there to interview; otherwise the company will think you are not seriously committed to what they have to offer.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE IN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW?
Take one of these responses and expand upon it: “Where could I be?” “What programs do you have?” “In the same company, but with more responsibility.” Rosemary Bowman, staff specialist for Mountain Bell, advises: “Don’t say you want to be president of the company – this tells me that you’re unrealistic and haven’t really studied the firm. Instead, take the time to learn about the company structure and then select several company positions you might plausibly achieve in five years.”

Never, EVER, say, “I want to own a business of my own.” Hiring and training a new employee costs thousands of dollars – you want to assure the interviewer that if hired you plan on sticking around and making the investment pay off.

Employers like goal-oriented workers. Saying you have no idea what you’ll want in five years may score negative points. Offer reasons to support your ambitious plans. Maybe you plan on obtaining a post-graduate degree or some other accomplishment to help you achieve your goals.

ARE YOU WILLING TO TRANSFER?
You cannot predict the future. Unless you have serious, permanent reasons that make it impossible for you to ever move, it is best to respond with a “yes.”

WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?
Accept this invitation to sell yourself by citing specific assets you know the employer desires. Be ready with at least three examples, along with supporting accomplishments that relate to the position for which you are interviewing. Interviewers like to hear abstract qualities – loyalty, willingness to work hard, politeness and promptness – expressed in concrete terms. Avoid the simple generalization. If you are good at something, say so and then back it up with an example. “I am very good with people – because of that ability I have been able to establish my current very profitable team and maintain it with the lowest turnover rate in the entire company.”

WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Nobody is perfect. Don’t be intimidated; don’t be flip. You do have weaknesses, and if you can’t think of any to share, it may demonstrate that you have no real insight into yourself. However, this is not the time to bare your soul and confess all of your imperfections. Be ready with at least two examples of strengths phrased as weaknesses, such as, “I tend to get really involved at work and think about it at home,” “I’m too hard on myself when I make mistakes,” or “I sometimes have a difficult time delegating and tend to do all the work myself.” Make sure that you do not bring up a weakness that would disqualify you from the job (e.g., a salesman who hates to travel or a controller who hates details).

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF….?
Your solution to whatever problem posed by the interviewer is not really as important as maintaining a positive attitude. Be inventive enough to have several possibilities. Ask questions to clarify the situation, and show you are aware of various possible mitigating variables.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR OUR COMPANY?
Respond with one or two positive personal statements related to the company, such as “I like working with a dynamic organization,” or “I have always wanted to be with an industry leader.”

WHY SHOULD THE COMPANY HIRE YOU?
This is one of the most often-asked questions. If you are not ready to answer any other question, this is the one to make sure you are prepared for. Summarize your experience and accomplishments in a concise manner, just like you did in the Experience section of your resume, and direct them toward the job and its requirements.

WHY ARE YOU LEAVING OR DID LEAVE YOUR PREVIOUS EMPLOYER?
Never bad mouth a previous employer or use negative clichés. By all means, be honest and use positive reasons. For example, you are seeking greater advancement opportunities; looking for a better financial package; want to relocate to a warmer climate; or want the challenge of new and greater responsibility. If you were terminated, put it in the best possible light. For example: “We had a difference of opinion on a particular matter (be specific). I have learned a great deal from that experience which I can use effectively here.” You do not want to appear to be a person who constantly moves from job to job, every time something goes a little wrong. Use reasons that the interviewer can relate to and identify with.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS JOB?
Here is another opportunity to talk about your strengths that will be of value to the company. Be specific, talk about something you’ve accomplished. “I loved taking a concept and turning it into reality. For example, I was responsible for successfully developing a new merchandising program for all of our stores that would be directed more towards non-food items.” Be aware of the fact that you are giving the interviewer clues as to your strengths and weaknesses and about the type of atmosphere and projects that you like. The example above would be devastating for a person interviewing for a position where they could not have the opportunity to develop conceptual models.

YOU HAVE A WEAK FORMAL EDUCATION.
Turn the liability into an asset. Point out the training on the job and the real-life education you have had. Try not to be too strong or defensive, as it is very possible that the interviewer does have a strong formal education, and you don’t want to make any statement that will attack the value of their training. A good answer, if true, could include your track record in positions where you have worked alongside or over people with stronger academic credentials.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Highlight pastimes that would be an asset to the job you seek. Companies are looking for well-rounded individuals, and your outside activities reflect a whole other side to you. They also give added insights into your likes and aptitudes. For example, if you enjoy working with your home computer, you may be very analytical and enjoy cerebral challenges.

WHAT TYPE OF SALARY DID YOU HAVE IN MIND?
Try to deal with this question at the end of your interview, not the beginning. Let the employer decide that they want you first and make sure you want them. If this is one of the first questions, try to stall by suggesting that you would like to discuss the job itself first. I have counseled many people to wait until the end of the interview to discuss salary. Literally, there are many jobs that I personally would do and accept subsistent wages for in order to get the job, and others for which I would not accept for a million dollars a year. Judge the company and position before pinning yourself to a figure to see what you think the position is worth.

When you get around to discussing salary, make sure that you suggest a range rather than a specific figure. If you are asked what salary you were previously making, be honest – this is an easily verified answer. If the amount you were making was low but had exceptional benefits or other perks that were important to you, do not forget to mention them. Do not neglect to investigate the fringe benefit package. Often times it is better to have an extensive benefit package and a lower salary than have to pay excessive amounts for your family’s insurance, etc.

SILENCE.
You have finished your answer, waiting on the next question, and there is none. Instead, there is just plain silence. You feel uncomfortable – did you leave something out of the last answer? Do they want you to elaborate? Under no circumstances say anything else. Once you have answered the question, relax. Some interviewers use this technique to see how you can handle stress. If you have some questions to ask and the time is passing by quietly, take control and, with poise, ask your question.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS.
These are questions you do not really have to answer. You could tell the interviewer that the question is off limits or illegal, but this will likely antagonize them and leave you without a job offer. Usually, they have an underlying, not necessarily insidious, motive for asking. For example, “What does your husband do?” may translate into “Might your husband’s employer ask your family to relocate some time in the future?” Unless you are incensed by the nature of the question (in which case you should not answer it), it is best to honestly reply. If you decide that you don’t want to work for a company that asks that type of question, you do not have to accept the position. If you do not answer, you may never get the chance to say no. I do not suggest that you answer demeaning questions or put up with disgusting or impolite behavior. You don’t want to work for any company that condones or allows that type of activity. Just excuse yourself and leave.

DISCRIMINATORY QUESTIONS.
These are hybrids of the personal questions and are even more insidious. Questions like “Are you planning on getting married and having children in the future?” In response, simply ask a question like “Is that a prerequisite for this position?” Chances are, the interviewer will reconsider pressing the question, and you will both be out of the situation gracefully.

Other questions that might be asked:
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS JOB AND THIS COMPANY?
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR?
WHAT WERE THE MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEMS YOU FACED?
HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THEM?
WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT-TERM GOALS?
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN YOUR CAREER?
WHAT WERE YOUR BEST SUBJECTS IN SCHOOL?
YOUR BACKGROUND SUGGESTS THAT YOU ARE OVER-QUALIFIED FOR
THE POSITION – WHY WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED?
YOUR BACKGROUND SUGGESTS THAT YOU ARE UNDER-QUALIFIED FOR
THE POSITION – WHY DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THE JOB?
WHAT IS YOUR MANAGEMENT PHILOSPHY?
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN PEOPLE?
HOW DO YOU HANDLE FIRING PEOPLE?
WHAT OTHER JOBS OR COMPANIES ARE YOU CONSIDERING?
ARE YOU CREATIVE?

Bound For Sucess Interviewing- Chapter 2

2008-01-07T11:00:00.001-05:00

To start the New Year we will be posting our frequently asked for series on interviewing. It will be broken down over the next six postings. The breakdown will be:
1- Preparing yourself for the interview
2- Doing practice interviews
3- The most often asked questions at an interview
4- What you should bring up at an interview
5- The dynamics of a job interview
6- Understanding the stresses facing the interviewer

PRACTICE INTERVIEWS- TIME WELL SPENT

If you are the type of individual who exudes self-confidence and welcomes the challenge of meeting with a hiring authority, you probably don’t need any preliminary interviewing experience. You are secure enough about the positive impression you will create to go directly into the job interview itself.

However, most individuals faced with the prospect of a one-on-one discussion with a manager they do not know, when the job they want is at stake, tend to feel nervous and tongue-tied. These feelings are normal and understandable. One way to relieve this kind of tension is to gain experience in the interviewing process - first in a low-stress, non-threatening environment, and then in practice high-stress interviews for the specific job itself.

Low-Stress Practice Interviews:
This technique is designed to help you become comfortable talking with people you do not know. In this type of interview, you are seeking knowledge about an interest or enthusiasm you have; you are not looking for a job. Approach the interview by talking with:
Someone who works in an environment that fascinates you – a museum, gourmet shop, TV station, etc.
Someone who has the same hobby or leisure activity that you have – gardening, skiing, painting, music, etc.
Someone who is working on an issue that interests you – ecology, assertiveness, lower taxes, etc.

Just “drop in,” do not formalize this process and heighten your anxieties by arranging an appointment. For example, on one of your trips to a museum, talk with the curator who may be arranging an exhibit; begin a conversation with a fellow visitor to a flower show; or stop by after an assertiveness class has just ended and ask the instructor for ten minutes of their time. Because you are suggesting a brief conversation about a topic you both enjoy, a mutual enthusiasm, the individual will usually be happy to talk with you.

Four questions which you may ask that will give you experience in the “interviewing process” are as follows:
1) How did you become interested in this type of work?
2) What do you like best about doing this?
3) What do you like least about doing this?
4) Where else can I find people who share this interest/enthusiasm?

Practice doing this type of interviewing until you feel relaxed and self-confident.

High-Stress Practice Interviews:
Very few companies practice this type of interviewing. They have found that it is not a good technique to be abrupt and adversarial. They attempt to relieve your anxiety and allow you to interview in your best possible manner. However, it is possible to run into a company or person who still believes in high-stress interviewing. Regardless, it is very good practice for you to interview using this framework. Practice being interviewed by your spouse or a friend, especially someone knowledgeable about the industry who can judge your responses from an educated platform. Practice the answers to typical questions such as those listed below. However, DO NOT memorize, or you will sound like a recording. Just sort out your thoughts. Don’t worry if you are nervous – it’s very natural -- and most interviewers expect you to be a slight bit nervous at the start of the interview. By practicing, you will get rid of a lot of your anxieties.

Do not get too cute -- pretend that the person who is doing the practice interview is someone you are meeting for the first time, and behave accordingly.

Research has shown that the individual who talks about 50% of the time during an interview is more likely to get the position. The person who talks too much has no time to hear what the interviewer is saying, and the feeling projected is that they aren’t really interested in the company. The person who talks too little can convey the impression that they have something to hide or are not a self-starter. It is very important to try and be an equal partner in directing the discussion. Neither undersell yourself nor monopolize the conversation.

Be sure that you represent your accomplishments honestly. Stress your strongest qualifications for the job in question. Use specific examples of successful past performance. Prepare in advance – write down what you know to be your main skills, and then next to them the accomplishments and achievements within in which you have demonstrated them. You must be able to give the interviewer a thorough explanation of the skills that will qualify you for the position.

Bound for Success Interviewing

2008-01-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

6- Understanding the stresses facing the interviewer

PREPARING YOURSELF FOR THE INTERVIEW

RESEARCH: Learn as much as you possibly can about the company you are about to visit. Go to the library and see if they have any information on the company. Check any trade publications (e.g., Supermarket News, Restaurant News, Food Engineering, Institutional Distributors, etc.) for articles or other information on the company. If it is a publicly owned corporation, contact a stockbroker and request any information he might have on the company, including annual reports and 10 K’s. If at all possible, get out to one or more of the company’s units or sample their products and see what the company is all about. Even if you are interviewing for a support position (e.g., Warehouse Manager or Controller), it is important to be familiar with the operations in the field. NOTE: You are making this visit in order to be conversant about the company, NOT to evaluate or pick apart the operation, which could be disastrous. Talk with the employees to learn about what they do, what their concerns are, and how they like working for the company. Be sneaky, and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES let any of the employees know why you are there. Find out as much as you can about the person you will be interviewing with and their responsibilities. Research – do your homework – What projects are currently in progress? What challenges are facing the company? What is anticipated for the near future? How do you get answers through such questions? By talking and researching and listening.

After you organize all of this information, give yourself time to reflect upon it. You want to convince the hiring authority that it is in their best interest to hire you. Analyze your own work experience in light of all you have learned about the company and the position to determine the most effective ways you could be an asset to the company. Be prepared to show both through your written presentation and your interview the specific ways in which your skills and experience match the qualifications needed for the position.

Remember that the manager’s primary interests are not your needs (what you want from the company or the position). Their primary objective is to satisfy the needs of their corporation. Thus, you want to prove just how you can help them achieve that objective.

There are five different types of interviews that you might be exposed to in any combination. They are:

Screen In/Screen Out Interview – Most of the time conducted by a member of the personnel department of a company or an agency that is representing them in order to ensure that the candidates passed on to the true decision makers are fully qualified as to the job’s specifications.

In-depth/Pattern Interview – Sometimes administered by the personnel department, but most frequently by the person to whom you will be reporting. It is more technically oriented; focused on personal chemistry, philosophies and specific job responsibilities.

“Horse Show” Interview – Usually a series of interviews – many lasting only fifteen minutes or so to give you a chance to meet a lot of people within the company – other department heads, your potential boss’s boss; people who would be your subordinates. These usually take place when you are getting close to a job offer and are very important. Do not take them for granted – it is very easy to trip up and do or say something that might cost you the job.

Psychological/Honesty Interview – Conducted by the personnel department, an in-house or retained psychologist or a polygraph or voice stress technician. Honesty interviews are becoming science. The psychological tests are best dealt with in a relaxed, forthright and honest manner.

Final Interview – Done normally by the person to whom you would be reporting and includes an opportunity for each to ask any last-minute questions and then negotiate a salary package.

You may be asked to participate in any number or combination of these types of interviews. Each one is very important; you do not have the job until you have that offer and acceptance in your pocket and you start to work on that first day.

The Holiday Job Downturn Myth

2007-12-03T09:17:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing that I have heard over and over again during my thirty years of recruiting it is that “NO ONE HIRES OVER THE HOLIDAYS”. If you are one of the people who subscribes to that tenet then you might be surprised to learn that year in and year out my best placement month normally in the month of December.

To understand how this happens you might want to consider the hiring process. One of the most difficult things to do is to get people together to interview candidates and for the candidates to get away from work to be interviewed. With most companies keeping their staffs close to home around the holidays and with employees having the option of taking a little extra time off, the logistics of setting up interviews all of a sudden becomes much easier and convenient.

Another important piece to consider is that the year is coming to an end and there will always need to be some reckoning on how things have gone for a company over the past twelve months. Performance and profits may not be what was expected and changes in the management team must be made. Many companies decide that these changes will be made quickly after the first of the year and they begin the search process during the holidays.

On the candidate side, many individuals make the decision to make a move but don’t want to do so until they have received their end of the year and Christmas bonuses. They are unwilling to potentially lose out on what they have worked so hard to earn over the course of the year. Once they have those checks safely in their pockets they can move on to a better opportunity.

These three factors, among others, make the holidays the perfect time to search for a new job and to find top employees. If you are a company anticipating making a change after the first of the year don’t wait until the New Year kicks back into its hectic schedule and risk losing out on some quality candidates who are ready to make a move. And if you are a candidate with a desire to find a better opportunity and the leisure of doing so over the holidays be advised that there are indeed companies out there looking for you with some great positions that may not still be open after the holidays have passed.

My personal record was fourteen placements during the end of the year with every single individual starting their new positions in the first or second weeks of January. Don’t let the urban myth of a holiday job downturn cause you to miss out on a great employee or opportunity.

Internet Resume Service- A Different Approach

2007-11-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

Internet Resume Service is a division of Dixie Search Associates (DixieSearch.com) and DSAid. Dixie Search Associates was founded in 1977 and has more than 30 years of experience in candidate counseling, resume evaluation, resume development and executive search.

Internet Resume Service was developed to give you access to that wealth of experience. You will benefit from valuable insights and a clear philosophy of what works in the development of your resume.

We are different. Maybe that difference will work for you and maybe it won’t. We invite you to explore our site to find out what sets us apart from other resume writing services.

Keep in mind that we look at 300 to 400 resumes each day. We know what works and what doesn’t. We look forward to having the opportunity to share our insights with you. Sending out an ineffective resume is a waste of your time. Maximize your job search efforts with a resume that fully outlines your experiences, successes and unique skills.

You will find our philosophy slightly different than most resume writing services. Our years of experience have caused that shift in point of view. We understand that not everyone will agree. If you don’t, then we aren’t the company for you. However, if you’ve been sending your resume out without results, maybe a different approach is just what you need.

Tell the Truth: We believe a resume should be truthful. Does that really even need to be said? Unfortunately, yes. If you don’t have a degree, don’t say you do. Don’t cover up a gap in employment by “fudging” the dates of the jobs before and after. Don’t give yourself a promotion in title. These things will come back to haunt you. Why take that risk?

Show Me the Numbers: In other words, quantify, quantify, quantify. We believe what sets a resume and therefore a candidate apart is their ability to quantify their experience and success. Read a great example of this here on our website. You have only a matter of seconds to grab a hiring authority’s attention, don’t make them play the “what does this person do” game. That game will land your resume in the trash. Instead, tell them what you do and how you do it better than the other candidate.

Foo Foo is a No No: As we said above, a resume should present your background in an accurate and quantifiable way. Don’t let that get lost by overdoing the formatting – fonts, lines, shading, boxes. All that foo foo distracts from what the employer is really looking for – Experience! In the worst cases, it can actually make the resume difficult to read. Now we aren’t saying you’re going to get a resume from us in plain text format. We’re just saying that we like to focus the majority of our efforts on discovering your talents, expertise and accomplishments. Then we present it in an attractive and clean way that grabs a hiring authority’s attention because it SAYS SOMETHING OF VALUE to them. That’s what gets an interview and a job!

Reality Check: The reality of a job search is that you are not qualified for every single job you see advertised. Sorry. We know that’s not the popular view today, but we warned you that our philosophy was slightly different. To make the most of your efforts, do a reality check. Seriously evaluate whether you have the qualifications the company says they need. We are all for “selling yourself,” but we believe there are real limits to that endeavor which are grounded in reality.

What is Success??

2007-11-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.

The bottom line is that the definition of success and a satisfying career is different for every person. One single how-to-do technique might be an excellent avenue for one individual and a total waste of time for most other people.

So where does that leave you? It leaves you standing in the on-deck circle getting ready to come up to bat without really knowing what game you are playing. All of the things you might do at this point in time would probably be a waste of time if you have not done your homework. An old saying goes that you have to cover one base at a time. I am suggesting that you cannot cover one base at a time until you first get up to bat and understand the game. And in order to understand the game you first have to define in your own terms what the definition of success and career are.

Everyone has their own best way of meditating and thinking and coming to a decision. If you have a technique that works for you, use it – invest half a day or more in thinking through how you are going to define success and career. If you do not have a method that works, try the “Six R” program that is outlined in the steps below.

Regard. The concerns, desires and feelings of those who are close to you must be analyzed. Have extended, very serious discussions with all of the principal people and family members in your life – your spouse, parents, children, friends and respected associates. Let them know that their input is very important in your deliberations. Don’t be afraid to take some notes.

Read. Designate a number of weeks where all of your outside reading will concern work on self analysis, evaluation and direction. Take notes.

Research. Talk with knowledgeable people and again read about any area or discipline that might be of interest to you. Don’t be afraid to call and make an appointment to talk to someone in a particular industry who is doing something that is of interest to you. People love talking about themselves and what they do and can give you insights that are available nowhere else. Take notes.

Retreat. Get away, take at least half a day, preferably a whole weekend, where you can be by yourself and think. Stay away from the phone and interruptions. Go to the mountains or the seashore where you can be alone.

Review. Take all of your notes and go back over all that you have read and think about the discussions that you have had. Look into the conflicting statements and viewpoints and then stack them up against your own personal interests and desires.

Reach a Decision. Your decision should not be set in stone. What is necessary is a general direction and focus to your efforts. What you are developing is a tract and a philosophy to defining “success” and ‘career” in terms of your life, your aspirations and your happiness. Do not forget to include all aspects of your life.

What will you have? Definitions. Write them down; come up with a purpose and a goal.
Through this exercise, you are looking to abstractly take feeling and knowledge that you have concerning (1) what you have done professionally; (2) what you can do based on your professional, personal and educational skills; and (3) what you would like to do, and combine all three components into your definitions of “career” and “success.”

The key point here is that you decide for yourself what you want out of your life before you begin looking for it and working for it. I am not so naïve to not know that unfortunately there are many considerations that may not allow you to do what you really want to do the most – things like paying for college educations, older parents who must be looked after precluding relocation, and various other obligations. Even if you do not put as much effort as I suggest you do into the project, at least sit down and in your mind formulate a plan to which you can refer.

In effect, we are talking about you, your family and the rest of your life. There is truly nothing more important in this world.

References Can Break The Best Deal

2007-11-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

One of the most important items to prepare before you get to the interview are your references, both personal and professional. I have known many people who have had multiple in-depth interviews with one company after another and not come up with the job because of something that was being said by one of their references.

In this day and age when hiring the right employee is so very important to the profit and loss of a company, references are checked more often than you would believe. A recent survey revealed that in general they were checked over 70% of the time, and in cases where the position paid over $50,000, they were checked in 95% or more cases.

We recommend a four-step process to develop good references:

1) Decide whom you will use. Choose at least three professional and two personal references. One of the professional references should be your supervisor in your last job. Even if you do not supply this person as a reference, you know that the employer is going to call them anyway. (In cases where you are still employed, you need to identify someone who was formerly with your firm or who is aware of your search to whom interested parties might speak.) Your other professional references can be carefully chosen to show you in the best possible light. If you are going to have trouble with the reference from your recent supervisor, make sure one of the other two is from your most recent company so that there can be a counter-balancing influence. Your personal references should be your pastor or banker or an individual with whom you are active in civic activities to complement and emphasize your outside and personal strengths.

2) Write down what you would like each of your references to say. Emphasize strengths; do not overlook any negatives, but state them in the best possible manner. For example, if you were fired, “We had a philosophical difference in opinion on how an account should be handled and decided to part ways.” Include how they know of you, your accomplishments, skills, knowledge of your personal habits and traits, and why you left the company.

3) Meet personally, if possible (if not, talk to them on the phone), with each of your references and discuss the reference you have written out and would like for them to give when asked. If they have a problem with any part of it – discuss it; change the wording so they will be more comfortable. Do not get into an argument with the individual; just make sure that you know what is going to be said. If you come away from that discussion unsure of how the person will speak about you by all means find an alternative reference.

4) Mediate any bad that might come from your references by letting your interviewer know in advance what they are going to hear and why. For example: If your former supervisor is going to say that you were terminated because you were never able to finish a project on time, say (if it’s true) that the reason for this is that projects were constantly being thrown upon you with conflicting deadlines and changing parameters which were impossible to meet. By getting your side in first, you can take a lot of the damage out of that type of statement.

5) The real problem in the process is not being able to ever know what is being said about you.

If you are running into roadblocks go back and try and find out where the problem is. Many years ago I had a candidate who had been unemployed entirely too long for their skill set. We did his references and found out that one of the references that he had thought would be his best was giving him a reference that was torpedoing every job opportunity that he had. This person was a Senior Vice President and his reference while positive included a statement of “I cannot comment for legal reasons about the incident that occurred while he was in our employ”. This man was at least three levels above the position that our candidate had held and he was using him simply because of the stature of his position. Most companies hearing that type of statement would quickly eliminate a candidate, as they are more afraid of the unknown than the known. It turned out when we asked him about his relationship with the Senior VP our candidate said that he knew him very well as he had been, at one point, engaged to the man’s youngest daughter. Apparently breaking the big boss’s little girl’s heart was the motivation for breaking the former suitor’s career. Without spelling out the reasons we suggested he offer a different reference and he was in a wonderful new job within a month.

Universities and Social Security Numbers

2007-11-02T08:05:00.000-04:00

There is one question that we ask applicants that invariably gets them very nervous –What is your social security number? In this day of identity theft people are rightfully extremely cautious when giving out that information.

Why do we ask it? Well unfortunately virtually every college and university in the United States uses the social security number to catalog their graduates and they ask us for it in order to verify degrees. Believe it or not they also almost always ask for a birth date too!

An important part of our referrals to our client companies is a verification of any academic credentials that you have worked so very hard to achieve. We have all read and heard of the many people who claim to have college degrees that they have not earned. As we do not do the confirmation on a preemptive basis we do not need the number until we are ready to move forward but please understand why we and other recruiters ask you for that extremely confidential information. We keep all of our records in a secure locked environment with appropriate security systems and alarms in place. We do not commit the number to any type of on line data system or in any in house computer.

Dating for a New Job

2007-11-01T09:57:00.001-04:00

During waking hours you probably spend as much time at work as you do with your spouse so is it any wonder that there is a dating and falling in love aspect to searching for a new job? Mind you it is not appropriate to hold your potential new boss’ hand or expect a goodbye kiss on the first interview but outside of that there are a number of parallels that may help you make the right decision if you are contemplating a divorce from your current job and acquiring a new “mate”.

We, as professional recruiters, are adept at matching a candidate’s job skill set with a company’s specifications. We can also do a good job of evaluating a position to see if it would be a good career choice for an applicant. That’s where our expertise ends and the “dating process” begins.

Like a first date you want to begin the interviews by putting your best foot forward. Your dress and demeanor should be at the top of their game. Chemistry is from this point on everything in the process. You will be called upon to discuss your experience and will learn about the opportunity but, in fact, the elephant in the room is a discovery about whether you would work well into the synergies of the group and company culture. They are trying to decide whether to invite you into their business family and you have to decide if it is a family you wish to marry into.

We can certainly carry the analogy to the extreme but the final critical parallel is that if you receive an offer or proposal, if you will, you will need to decide whether or not to accept. I suggest that you think back on what it was like to fall in love and have on those glorious rosy glasses. Your significant other could do no wrong, was absolutely perfect, floated on air and lived in your dreams. You need a similar feeling about the company you have interviewed with and job that has been offered to you. You need to feel that it is the perfect job that you would “die for”.

Because……..guess what. You will find things out about the person you fell in love with after marriage. Things like they prefer not to shave on weekends, or that they leave clothes on the floor, are not keen on doing the dishes, leave the paper in shambles after reading it, etc.. But love overcomes all and you will live happily ever after. So with the job you will discover things like personalities and habits of co-workers, company policies and rituals that you don’t care for and a boss who may have some idiosyncrasies that you did not notice during the “dating”. But your love of the position and company will sustain you, allow you to overlook the mundane and you will have a long successful career.

If you go into a relationship or a job and have doubts, if you make concessions and settle for something that may not feel right to you, if the chemistry is just not there, then the discoveries will exacerbate your concerns and you will be destined to have an unhappy relationship or job. Understand the process in this manner and you will be certain to find happiness in your home and profession.

Halloween in the Recruiting Business

2007-10-31T07:39:00.000-04:00

An incident comes to mind that is “Halloweenish”

A candidate came into my office with an outstanding resume and exceptional personal presentation. He had a stable background in food and beverage management with a foundation in the culinary arts. He was the kind if candidate recruiters in our industry proverbially drool over. I sent him out on an interview that very afternoon and the client company absolutely loved him and was ready to add him to their staff. As is our policy, we began to do the reference checks prior to an offer being extended. We used the names he had supplied to us when he was at our offices. The first two were outstanding references…but the third. They put us on hold when we asked the Human Resources Manager (who’s direct line he had supplied) about him. A few minutes later an obviously panicked Doctor came on the line and asked us who we were and if we knew where the candidate was. Within minutes members of the Atlanta Police Department were at our offices asking for all of the information that we had on the man. Apparently he had escaped from a state mental facility for the criminally insane the previous day where he was being held for a particularly gruesome crime that involved body dismemberment. We never heard from him again or if the authorities found him and he certainly did not get the job with our client company. I wonder where he is working today….

While this didn’t happen on Halloween…it certainly gave us some creepy hard to get to sleep nights.

Just the facts Ma’am

2007-10-31T07:37:00.000-04:00

With apologies to Sergeant Friday and Dragnet….the thing we hear most frequently is that “professionals” suggest that a candidate have a resume that is functional. They normally go on to suggest a host of fluff works to describe what they have done during their careers. That is one of the main reasons why we rewrite every resume that we refer on to our clients. We have found that most people do not include salient definable bits of information that enable a recruiter or company to evaluate their skill set. While these same “professionals” would tell you that that only makes the recipient pick up a telephone and call to find out more, in fact, the vast majority of recruiters or hiring authorities simply pass on to the next potential candidate where they do not have to guess at their experience. Below are two short descriptions of a position held by the same fictional candidate that is typical of what we see everyday.

Sales Manager. Managed and developed key relationships with client companies. Proven success in new account development and in business retention and have growth strengths in strategic planning of sales and marketing initiatives. Prepared formal presentations and monthly reports using metric parameters. Instrumental in planning, developing and implementing new specialty product for a national untapped market.

Sales Manager- Responsible for sales in the southeastern United States for Great Foods a manufacturer of specialty candies. Responsible for 45 SKUs sold in supermarkets, convenience stores and mass merchandisers. Supervise a broker network and have national key account responsibilities for Publix, Winn-Dixie and Food Lion Supermarkets. Sales have risen by 110% over the past five years to a total volume of $37 Million.

One can reasonable assume the first set of skills from the second job definition but not the second set of quantitative and qualitative information from the first. Why miss out on the job that you know best to get an interview with a company that most likely will not hire you anyway?

What you Should Know about Dixie Search Associates

2007-10-30T10:09:00.000-04:00

DSA-Dixie Search Associates is an international executive search firm dealing exclusively in the food, beverage and hospitality industries since 1977. From our offices in Atlanta, Georgia, we have established a standard of excellence within the search industry that is unmatched. Our staff consists of former food industry line executives with years of experience that allow us to be sensitive to the unique needs and requirements of our industry. To support our recruiting staff, DSA maintains a research team, a professional support staff and a state-of-the-art computer system.

DSA is committed to quality, excellence and service and incorporates this philosophy into everything we do; in the development of our employees, in the identification and qualification of potential candidates and client companies and in all our professional relationships.DSA works with over a thousand food companies across the entire United States and overseas on both a retained and contingency search basis. Our clients pay for our services and traditionally pay all interviewing expenses, relocation expenses and other costs. These commitments vary according to the particular company and the level of the position. You will be apprised by your DSA contact of the policies of the company you choose to pursue.