Tag Archives: Professional Recruiters

What Interviewers Want Candidates to Know

As a job seeker, wouldn’t it be great if you could read your interviewers’ minds? Well, you can’t become a psychic, but you can get a glimpse into the things that hiring managers wish candidates knew about the interviewing process. Here are a few secrets to help give you an edge in your next interview:

They Already Know Quite a Bit About You

Before you even received a call for an interview, the hiring team Googled you. They looked at your LinkedIn page, your other social media profiles, they read your blog, and they conducted various other forms of recon on you. This means you need to always be mindful of your online presence. Even if you think you do a good job of keeping your personal profiles private, it never hurts to Google yourself from time to time so that you can see what potential employers will find when they search for you.

Appearances Do Matter

Nobody likes to admit that they judge books by their covers, but in truth, everyone does. Hiring managers will make assumptions about you based upon the way you dress and carry yourself in an interview. This means that you should always dress professionally and conservatively. For men, a suit and tie is always in order. For women, necklines and hemlines should always be modest. Choose neutral colors, limit jewelry, and go easy on the cologne or perfume. Walk with confidence, use a firm handshake, and make strong eye contact.

Everybody is a Perfectionist and a Team Player

Almost every candidate that sits in the interview chair regurgitates the same canned, practiced and rehashed interview answers over and over again. If hiring managers had quarters for every “team player” and “perfectionist” who walked through their doors, they could all retire. An interviewer genuinely wants to learn about you, so relax and be yourself, and try not to spit back robotic, memorized answers. Be genuine and let your true colors shine through.

The Most Qualified Candidate Doesn’t Always Get the Job

The most qualified candidate is not necessarily the best choice for every job. Hiring managers must consider how well a candidate’s personality will mesh with the team, they must consider a candidate’s values and ethics, and they must also consider soft skills. If a candidate is extremely likeable and passionate about the job, they may actually have a better chance than the most qualified, yet unenthusiastic, candidate. In an interview, you never want to assume that your resume will speak for you. If you want a job, don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm to the interviewer. And if you aren’t the most qualified candidate, you can increase your stock by demonstrating passion and an eagerness to learn.

An excellent way to brush up on your interviewing skills is to work with a professional recruiting firm. Recruiters know their client companies inside and out, and they can help adequately prepare you for each step of the process. If you are looking to work with an effective recruiter, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with experienced managers and executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We can help you locate job opportunities that align with your long-term personal and professional goals.

Be Prepared for Reference Checks

Most job seekers put so much time and effort into preparing their resumes, targeting their ideal employers, and brushing up on their interviewing skills that they forget one of the most important steps in the process: reference checks. Taking the time to prepare your references can have a significant impact on your ability to land your ideal position.

While it is true that many employers don’t conduct thorough reference checks, there has been a push in recent years to focus more on this step of the hiring process. Employers are looking to improve their retention rates, and they are starting to understand the value of references. As a job seeker, you should never underestimate the potential positive impact of glowing references, or conversely, the potential negative impact of even a single lukewarm reference.

What are the keys to preparing for reference checks? Use this checklist to ensure that you – and your references – are ready for your potential employer:

Leave references off your resume – Don’t use up valuable resume space on a list of references. Keep a separate list, and only provide that list when the employer requests it.
Create a strategic list – Your references don’t always have to be former supervisors, especially if you have any reservations about what they may say. Choose references who have deep, first-hand knowledge about your skills and accomplishments. Sometimes co-workers or supervisors from other teams may make better references than a manager.
Include a variety of categories – You want to create a list that will allow hiring managers to get a feel for your work ethic, your skills, performance on the job, and accomplishments. This will typically mean using former co-workers and supervisors, but it can also mean including mentors, personal references, customers, colleagues, supervisees, or references from your volunteer work.
Always get permission to use someone as a reference – Never include someone on your reference list without asking for their permission. Most people will be more than happy to help, but you should always give them the courtesy of seeking their approval ahead of time. Be ready for someone to decline your request, and don’t take it personally if someone turns you down.
Verify their contact information – Once you’ve sought someone’s approval, be sure to ask them how they prefer to be contacted. Some may not want you to use their personal cell phone number or their work email address, for example. Verify that you have the correct telephone and email once they let you know how they prefer to be contacted.
Provide them with a copy of your resume – To ensure your references are prepared, provide them with a copy of your resume.
Say thank you – Thank your references once they give you permission to include them on your list, and when you land a job, reach out again and thank them for their help in the process.

Always remember that references can make or break a hiring manager’s decision. Approach your reference selection strategically, and put as much thought into your list as you put into your resume, cover letters, and interview preparation.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations looking for new opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help you create a resume, cover letter, and reference package that will dazzle hiring managers.

Common Interview Mistakes That Even Experienced Candidates Make

There is nothing worse than the feeling that you did something wrong in a job interview. It’s important to remember, however, that we all make mistakes, especially when we are nervous. And while it may seem that some people are masters of the job interview, even experienced candidates can blow it from time to time.

Some of the most common interview mistakes are easy to avoid if you know what they are and how to proactively combat them.

Talking Too Much

When we are nervous, we can often talk too much, which typically leads to poor listening behaviors. From the moment you sit down in the chair, make an effort to listen very closely to each question and to watch your interviewer for nonverbal cues that will let you know if you are rambling. If she starts fidgeting in her chair, for example, it’s probably time to wrap up your answer and move on.

The Big Salary Mistake

Candidates commonly make a big mistake when it comes to salary negotiation. They bring up the subject far too early in the hiring process. Interviewers can be turned off by those who jump right into salary talk.

If the interviewer brings up salary, then it’s perfectly acceptable to talk about your feelings with compensation related to the position. If the topic isn’t broached, then wait until at least the second interview and ask an open-ended question – “What salary range do you have in mind for this position?” Listen carefully to the response before continuing the conversation.

Bringing a Beverage

If you need to fuel up before your interview, it’s only natural to turn to coffee, tea, or soda. While it’s perfectly fine to drink a beverage on the ride to the employer’s office, it’s essential to leave the cup behind. Having a drink in front of you makes it very easy to become distracted – you may stare at the cup out of nervousness, miss a question while taking a sip, or you may even spill the drink on yourself, the desk, or the interviewer.

Letting Your Guard Down Too Much

When you’re really getting along with your interviewer and you find you have several things in common, it can be very easy to let your guard down and reveal too much personal or irrelevant information. Always remember that no matter how much you may like the interviewer as a person, you must remain professional at all times.

Lack of Preparation

Even the most seasoned job seeker can underprepare for an interview. Underpreparing can take many forms. It may mean you didn’t spend enough time researching the company, perhaps you didn’t realize that the interview would include behavioral questions or that the format would be team-interview style.

Do as much research as you can before stepping into an interview. Use resources like Glasdsoor’s interview tool to help you learn what the process is like, and what you can expect from your interview. Research the company and be ready for an interview that may include behavioral questions.

Another great way to prepare for interviews and avoid potential mistakes is to partner with a professional recruiter. If you are a professional in engineering, information technology, operations, sales, or marketing, and you are looking for new and exciting career opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with innovative organizations in Northern Illinois and beyond. We can help you locate job opportunities that align with your long-term personal and professional goals, and we can help prepare you for interviews so that you make a positive impression each and every time.

How a Recruiter Can Enhance Your Career

As a job seeker, you may have toyed with the idea of working with a professional recruiter. Some professionals hesitate to explore recruiting relationships because they just don’t know what to expect, nor do they understand the ways in which a recruiter can help them enhance their careers.

Recruiters can give you a leg up in the job market by providing benefits that you simply can’t attain if you approach a job search on your own. Those benefits include:

Access to Unpublished Opportunities – Job boards are fine, but remember, thousands of other people are viewing and applying to the same postings. Professional recruiters have long-standing relationships with their client companies, and they are often actively recruiting for jobs that have not been published on job boards or even on the company website.
Keeping Your Resume Out of the Black Hole – If you’ve been on the hunt for a job for any amount of time, you know the frustration that can come from the resume “black hole.” It may take weeks to hear back from an employer, or you may never hear anything at all. When a recruiter presents you as a candidate, you know that the hiring manager will receive your resume, and you know that your recruiter will stay on top of the process, letting you know where you stand every step of the way.
Providing Feedback – When you’re all alone in your job hunt, you never quite know what an interviewer thought of you, which means you can make the same mistakes over and over again without ever realizing it. Working with a recruiter, however, you will receive feedback on each interview so that you can grow and improve your skills.
Letting You Know Your Market Value – You may think you know your value in the marketplace, but a professional recruiter can tell you precisely what types of jobs you are qualified for, and what type of salary structure you can command in the marketplace.
Conducting a Confidential Search – Keeping a job search confidential is essential while you are employed, but unfortunately it is also extremely stressful. It can be difficult to conduct a search when you have to worry about your boss noticing your LinkedIn activity or stumbling across your resume on a job board. A recruiter can help you keep your search confidential, acting as your liaison to hiring managers. They will know when to call you, so that they are not interrupting your workday, and they will know which email address to use to ensure the utmost discretion.

Best of all, the services of recruiters are free. This means that there is no risk involved in testing the waters, and you only stand to benefit from their efforts and advice.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations looking for new opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we will work as your advocate, helping you to achieve your long-term career goals. Let us connect you with the next phase of your career.

Why Networking is Still Important

It doesn’t take an expert to realize that over the last decade, human communication and interaction has become less personal and more digital. We don’t call our friends, we text. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the mediums by which we keep in touch with our friends and family – even if they live just a few miles away. The digitization of communication has also affected professional interactions, which has led many people to reduce the time they spend networking. However, networking is still critical to career development, whether you are new to the workforce or you are 20 years into your career.

To get the most from networking in the digital age, it helps to know how to turn online interactions into professional connections.

Spend More Time on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most effective professional social media platform for networking with people in your industry. It’s not enough to have a profile on LinkedIn, however. You’ve got to create an optimized profile that is not only robust, but also searchable. You also have to know how to work the platform to grow your network and make real and meaningful connections.

Joining and participating in groups is an ideal strategy for maximizing your time on LinkedIn. Not only will you connect with like-minded professionals, but you also have the opportunity to showcase your unique knowledge and skills in discussions. Many hiring managers and recruiters join LinkedIn groups to spot new talent, and groups can be an ideal platform for showing off your expertise.

It is important to stay in touch with LinkedIn connections. Be sure to take the time to personally email or InMail your contacts so that you are cultivating real relationships. Whenever possible, take the conversation offline and invite contacts to coffee or lunch for some analog, face-to-face networking time.

Join Local Meetup Groups

Meetup.com is a digital platform that takes online networking into the real world. Users can sign up and join local groups that meet in their area.

By seeking out meetups based on your professional expertise and interests, you can connect with local professionals in your industry. Join several groups, as you won’t always be able to attend scheduled meetups, and some gatherings simply won’t be of interest to you. Joining several groups allows you to pick and choose the events that are the most relevant to you, and exposes you to the widest variety of people possible.

Commit to Making a New Connection Every Week

In order to ensure that you’re constantly growing your network, set a goal of making a minimum of one new connection every week. Whether it’s on LinkedIn, through Meetup.com, or through some other channel, adding one new, relevant connection to your network can help you stay plugged in to what’s happening in your industry.

Always remember that networking is a two-way street. You have to give if you hope to receive. Be sure that you aren’t approaching networking with a “me first” attitude, and do whatever you can to be of assistance to your professional contacts.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations looking for new opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help perfect your networking skills to ensure you cultivate a strong set of professional connections.

How to Show Enthusiasm in a Job Interview

Landing a job interview can be exciting – but it can also be stressful. There are so many things to remember throughout the course of an interview, and “career gurus” offer so many conflicting suggestions about how to conduct yourself, that it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the entire process.

One of the most important things to remember when you’re sitting face to face with a hiring manager is to demonstrate your enthusiasm. You may feel nervous, stressed or even scared, but you should do your best to let your enthusiasm for the position and your chosen field shine through.

Be Enthusiastic About Yourself

It’s important to show enthusiasm for the job, but many candidates forget to show just as much enthusiasm for themselves. Some people shy away from this, assuming that it can come off one of two ways: desperation or arrogance. Abandon both ideas. Remember, you’re there to sell yourself to the employer, and if you don’t demonstrate that you believe in yourself and your abilities, you’ll never be able to convince a stranger that you deserve the job.

Before an interview, prepare a list of stories from your career that showcase your skills and achievements. Talk about times in which you felt pride in overcoming obstacles. Frame everything as a story and an illustration of a real-life situation, so that you don’t feel as though you’re bragging for bragging’s sake. The interviewer can draw his or her own conclusion from your examples.

Don’t Beat Around the Bush

If the idea of working for an employer thrills you to your core, don’t hide it. Be direct and tell the hiring manager that working for the company would mean achieving a very specific goal. If their company is your first choice, say so. Let them know that you are interviewing at other companies, but if they were to offer you a position, you’d accept.

Ask Thoughtful Questions

As a job seeker, you know how important it is to ask questions during your interview, but you want to be sure you are asking thoughtful questions. Avoid talk of raises, job security, benefits, and turnover in your first interview. Those subjects can be discussed later on in the process.
Another great technique is to ask questions naturally, as topics come up in conversation rather than holding all of your questions until the end. This shows that you’re paying close attention to the flow of the interview and helps the interaction take on a more conversational tone.

Ask What the Next Step in the Process Will Be

At the end of the interview, do not forget to ask about the next step in the process. Ignoring this step can lead the hiring manager to believe you aren’t interested in moving on. You can also ask the interviewer how you stack up to the other candidates they have seen, and if there is anything about the interview that would prevent them from calling you back for the next round.

Don’t Forget the Thank You Note

Follow up after an interview should never be ignored. As soon as you get home, sit down and craft a thoughtful, enthusiastic thank you letter that reminds the interviewer of your relevant experience and expresses your continued interest in the position.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations actively seeking new and exciting career opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help perfect your interviewing skills to ensure that you feel confident exhibiting your enthusiasm with each interaction.

How To Ace Your Next Phone Interview

Telephone interviews are easy to gloss over. They aren’t as formal as in-person interviews, and you can get away with participating in your pajamas. However, phone interviews are a critical step in the process, as they give both employers and candidates a chance to evaluate fit. Acing a phone interview all comes down to preparation. With the right amount of advanced work, you can enter each telephone interview with confidence and poise.

Revisit Your Research

You likely spent time researching the potential employer before you applied for the position, but as you gear up for your phone interview, you should revisit that research, and spend some time digging a little deeper to get a better understanding of the company’s history, structure, and current position in the market. Spend some time researching the people you may be interacting with, as well. LinkedIn can be an invaluable research tool for phone interview preparation.

Prepare Questions

Your interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. It’s important to have some thoughtful questions prepared to show the interviewer that you are truly interested in the positon. Good questions may cover topics such as training and onboarding processes, career development opportunities, and the steps involved in the hiring process itself. Be sure that your questions are open-ended, rather than yes or no style questions. Always, always, always remember to ask the interviewer about the next steps.

Let Your Enthusiasm Shine

Even if your interview is scheduled first thing in the morning, be sure that your tone of voice is cheerful and enthusiastic. Take advantage of the fact that you’re on the phone – it’s far less intimidating than face-to-face interviews, and you can sit in a position that is most comfortable for you. If you are extremely nervous, a great tip is to smile while you speak. After a while, your “fake” smile will become a real smile and you will start to relax.

Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

At the end of the call, be sure to thank the interviewer for his or her time. If you are still interested in the position, be clear about that interest and get a firm confirmation of the next steps. Make a note of the interviewer’s timeline so that you can follow up if you do not hear back.

Partner With A Recruiter

If you are looking to work with an effective recruiter, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with experienced managers and executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We can help you locate job opportunities that align with your long-term personal and professional goals, and we can help you perfect your interviewing skills so that you ace both phone and in-person meetings with hiring managers.

How to Connect With an Interviewer

When preparing for an interview, it is very easy to get mired down in the details of the process: research, preparing answers, developing a list of references, etc. Given all of the advanced preparation needed for an interview, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day, interviewers will be drawn to the candidates that they genuinely like. That means that you have to be able to make a connection with each interviewer. This can be easy when you are sitting across from an open, friendly hiring manager, but it can be difficult when you’re sitting face to face with a serious interviewer, or a hiring manager that might be having a bad day at work.

So how can you make a connection with an interviewer, no matter what their personality or demeanor? You can’t expect to click with every hiring manager you meet, but these tips can help you develop rapport with most interviewers you encounter in your job search.

Remember That First Impressions Matter

We are taught at a young age not to make snap judgments about people, but it is human nature to make assumptions about new people within the first few seconds of meeting them. Hiring managers are no exception.

Be sure that you are dressed professionally, regardless of the company’s dress code. Style your hair neatly, and keep jewelry to a minimum. Smile warmly, make good eye contact, and be sure to extend your hand for a firm and welcoming handshake.

Learn the Art of Mirroring

Mirroring, the conversational art of imitating the behaviors of the person you are talking to, is an excellent strategy for making a connection with an interviewer. So, if you are faced with a high-energy interviewer who smiles and laughs frequently, match your energy level to hers. However, if the interviewer is serious and no-nonsense, tone your energy level down.

Mirroring is a solid strategy for the early stages of your interview. As you relax and get into the conversations, allow your own personality to shine through. It’s important to be yourself so that you and the interviewer can determine whether or not you are a cultural match for the organization.

Don’t Save Questions Until the End

Interviews can be stressful for a number of reasons, but at their core, these conversations are unlike any that you have in real life. A regular conversation flows freely, with questions, replies, comments, etc. If you want to create a more natural feel for the interview and develop a connection with the interviewer, don’t wait until the end to ask your questions. Instead, ask them naturally, as they arise.

For example, if your interviewer asks where you see yourself in five years, and you lay out your desired career path, follow up your answer by asking about the company’s internal career and leadership development opportunities. Asking questions throughout the natural course of the interview will help establish rapport, and can lead to some interesting exchanges with the hiring manager.

If you are on the hunt for new and exciting opportunities to grow your career, contact The Prevalent Group today. As a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency based in Northern Illinois, we work with experienced managers and executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We match our talent with opportunities that can help them rise to new challenges, and we will work closely with you to help you perfect your interviewing skills to make a lasting, positive impression on hiring managers.

Should You Accept a Counteroffer?

You’ve done it: after a long journey in the job market, you’ve landed a position. You’ve negotiated a great salary, you’re poised to take on more responsibility, and your start date is just two weeks away. But out of the blue, your boss surprises you with a counteroffer. Suddenly, you’re conflicted and you aren’t sure what to do next.

Counteroffers are extremely flattering, but they require serious consideration, because they are not always all they are cracked up to be.

Two Types of Counteroffers

Counteroffers typically come in two forms. The first type of counteroffer is financial, which provides you with an increase in salary. Your boss will either ballpark a guess at your new salary, or sit you down and ask how much your new position pays and then match or exceed that offer.

The second type of offer is emotional. This one is designed to play upon your sense of loyalty. Your boss may not present you with a written offer, but rather a verbal offer of more responsibility, a raise down the line, or some other intangible benefit. It is likely that the verbal offer will come with a lot of talk about your value to the organization, or they may tell you that they really need you on board to launch or finalize a critical project.

Things to Consider Before Accepting a Counteroffer

Counteroffers will make you take pause. Staying in place is much easier than making a change, and if your employer is making big promises (or a big financial offer), it can seem like a no-brainer to stay where you are. Before you accept a counteroffer, however, always consider a few points:

Why Give You a Raise Now? If you’ve been at your position for quite some time and you’ve never received a significant raise, why are the bosses so willing to cough up the money now? The truth of the matter is that it’s cheaper to raise your salary than to conduct a job search for a replacement. If they really wanted you to stay, you’d have received a raise long before submitting your letter of resignation.
You are, in Fact, Replaceable. Every employee is replaceable. If your boss tries to paint a picture that you are indispensable to the company, why were you not recognized before with promotions, raises, leadership training or five-star performance reviews?
Your Leaving Reflects Poorly on Your Boss. Turnover is an indication of a problem in a department, and your boss’s sudden interest in your career may be more of an attempt to cover himself to his bosses than to make you happy.
Counteroffer or Stall Tactic? Data suggests that 80% of all employees who accept a counteroffer are gone after one year. Many managers use counteroffers as a way to buy time to replace employees.
Things Will Never Be the Same. Resigning will place a strain on your relationship with your boss. He may begin to reflect on the time off you took in recent weeks, which you’ve now exposed as time spent looking for a new job. Your coworkers may not trust you anymore either, knowing that you have one foot out the door. Nothing will go back to the way it was before you turned in your notice.

It’s always important to remember that your career is about you, not your manager, not your company, not your projects, and not your teammates. If a counteroffer seems appealing, take a step back and remember the reasons why you started looking for a job in the first place. Will the counteroffer really change things?

If you are a professional in engineering, information technology, operations, sales, or marketing, and you are looking for new and exciting career opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with innovative organizations in Northern Illinois and beyond. We can help you locate exciting job opportunities that align with your long-term personal career goals.

How To Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

Most professionals know that a LinkedIn profile is an absolute necessity. If you’re new to the job market, or you’re just starting to think about looking for new opportunities, it’s probably time to login and take some steps to improve your profile so that it’s searchable for hiring managers and paints a clear picture of your skills and qualifications. If you are looking to improve your LinkedIn profile this year, follow these steps:

One: Update Your Photo

If you don’t have a photo on your profile, if your current photo is outdated, or if it is not a professional headshot, it’s time to make a change. According to LinkedIn’s own data, profiles that include a professional photo get 14 times more views than those without a photo. Getting a professional headshot taken is relatively inexpensive, and the cost of a professional photo can pay for itself tenfold if it helps you land the job of your dreams.

Two: Complete Your Summary

Many people on LinkedIn skip over the summary section, or they fill it out with just one or two sentences. It will be important to take some time and write out a complete summary that paints a picture of who you are as a professional, and the benefits you bring to employers. Your summary is your first introduction to hiring managers and recruiters, and you want them to read it and say, “I want to learn more about this person.”

Three: Craft a Strategic, Searchable Headline

When you’re working on your LinkedIn profile, remember that hiring managers and recruiters will find you through LinkedIn’s search function. If you don’t include keywords in your headline, summary, and profile, you won’t show up in search results. LinkedIn will pre-fill your headline for you if you choose, but it is much more effective to write your own. Include your name, your current job title, any known variations of that job title, and the industry in which you work. For example, data scientists should also include analytics keywords, and business intelligence keywords, since they are all related.

Participate in Groups

LinkedIn Groups are an excellent way to make new connections, expand your network, and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Join relevant industry groups and participate in discussions whenever possible. Always make sure your answers are well thought out and relevant. Groups are not the place to ask about open job positions. Keep your conversations on topic, make valuable and insightful contributions, and always be respectful of the other me members of the group. Hiring managers and recruiters join these groups to monitor discussions and identify talent, so always present yourself professionally.

Work With a Professional Recruiter

Crafting an effective LinkedIn profile is an art form, and it can be extremely useful to get some outside help. Professional recruiters know the value of a strong online presence, and they can help you craft a profile that will make you more attractive to potential employers.

If you are a professional in sales, marketing, engineering, IT or operations looking for new opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of executive recruiters can help match you with a position that aligns with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help perfect your LinkedIn profile to help you make a strong first impression on hiring managers.