“How much should I be making?” is the question I’m asked by many candidates. The answer isn’t always so simple - it depends on the company. There are places like Salary.com or Payscale.com where one can do a salary comparison or see the average compensation package for someone in a similar position. Unfortunately, I find that the pay ranges are either off or too wide to be helpful on those sites.
Glassdoor was launched in July 2008 and the idea was to provide real salary packages and company reviews by employees. In order to see the full reviews and salary info, you must participate so be prepared to register and give your information (anonymously, of course).
I looked through some of the content on Glassdoor and I found many of the large PR agencies, but the mid-size and smaller agencies lack information. Generating user content is surely one of the greatest challenges for Glassdoor, but certainly over time it could become a heavily relied on source for employees and job seekers looking for information on company culture and fair compensation packages.
Personally, I love the idea of resume and portfolio design, but it’s still unconventional for most industries and certainly risky if people find the design distasteful. If one chooses to show off their creativity (or hire a pro to do it), it’s important to remember the resume still needs substance. It needs to identify your skills, accomplishments, work history and education. A good resume design only won’t get you the interview, but your experiences and previous successes will and you must be able to demonstrate those on one or two pages max (and not all of the resumes above accomplish this).
What do you think? How creative do you get with your resume?
I despise cell phones. I’ve seemed to curb that addiction a few years ago and it was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. If it’s not the owner speaking unbearably loud, it’s ringing at the most inopportune times. If it’s not ringing with a horrific ring tone, the owner is responding to a text message in the middle of a dinner, a movie or while driving in his car. It’s amazing we live in an era when cell phones are so commonplace, yet we haven’t seemed to figure out cell phone etiquette.
Like this candidate who went on the job interview….true story.
Candidate goes for an interview with a PR agency. She showed up drenched, completing dismissing the idea of cleaning up quickly in the restroom before walking through her potential employer’s door.
Now that’s a little strange. First impression is everything, right? Maybe it was because when she showed up, she was still talking on her cellphone! Actually, yelling. Yelling at her spouse about picking up some paperwork and the kids.
If that wasn’t an awkward enough start, it gets worse. She left her phone on and then answered it during her interview
, continuing to make her arrangements and argue in front of the hiring manager. I can only imagine it was some annoying ring tone.
Avoid the situation from happening completely. Leave the cell phone in the car. Or in a briefcase or purse - turned off.
If the cell phone rings, don’t answer it. It’s the quickest way to get escorted out the door. Apologize, turn it off, and move on quickly.
Check the weather before leaving for the office. Better yet, keep a small umbrella in the car or office - just in case.
And one extra tidbit: Put a professional message on the cell phone voicemail. Nothing is more annoying than listening to the new Radiohead song before leaving a message.
Recruiting is sometimes like dating. If the recruiter moves too quickly, she’s pegged as desperate and if she moves too slowly, she’s not interested or risking giving her place to the next in line.
A new client’s last question is always “How long will it take to show me candidates?” Usually a company expects to see a candidate immediately. It’s like kissing on the first date. Then it back fires. It’s all seems too easy and the recruiter has to hold her tongue each time the client slips in a comment or two about those hefty recruiting fees.
But when the recruiter doesn’t kiss on the first date… or the second, it’s another issue. The client loses faith and thinks it’s an even better idea to throw out the search to ten more search firms. A no-win situation for everyone and a recipe for frustration and disaster.
I want to debunk this “it’s too easy” theory with a real story about a candidate I placed after nine years. Nine! Seriously, it was like the couple who dates for a decade and they want to marry and live happily ever after, but Dad doesn’t approve, so it just doesn’t happen until Dad is just too old to care… or something like that.
We’ll call my candidate Joe. This is how it all played out.
1999: Cold call Joe. He’s working hard, not thinking about a new job, but I recruit him anyways. He’s not the right fit for my search, but we’ll keep in contact.
1999: Three months later, I send Joe on an interview. He almost gets the job, but the company decides to fill the position with an internal candidate. Oh well. You win some, you lose some!
2000: Joe calls. He’s getting antsy and wants out of the city. He tells me he’s moving to this small town with extremely limited PR agency job options. I call around and find a local boutique agency that needs an Account Manager just like Joe. Ohh, but they don’t have the budget to work with me. I told Joe about the job anyways, he applied and got it. Great opportunity for Joe, but a lost opportunity for my business. Oh well. Helping people is a good thing.
2002: Joe’s agency loses their biggest client and goes out of business. He knows he’ll be going back to the big city, so he calls. Joe has become even more impressive over the years. I know I can place him, so I market him and one agency nibbles. He nails the interview and then the agency low-balls him on the offer, so he takes another job found through a friend. The client decided to not fill the position in the end after repeating what happened with Joe with another candidate. Ughhh.
2007: We get a great new search for a healthcare company. “8-12 years experience and MUST have healthcare industry experience.” We search and search until we present four candidates. We get an offer, but the candidate went with another company. So, back to square one. A week later, the client extended on offer to someone who magically appeared. He doesn’t have any healthcare experience, but “wow, is he good!” Guess who? It’s Joe!!! No, it’s no joke. Why me?
Today 2008: Joe’s healthcare company has run into some troubles lately. Most are preoccupied with thoughts of the doors being locked in the morning when they show up for work. To say the least, Joe’s future is questionable and it seems like a good time to see what’s out there. “Lindsay, it’s Joe. Help!”
Coincidentally, I began working with a company and I knew there was an opening perfect for his background. I wasn’t working on that search because the company didn’t want to use an agency for it, but when I called them about Joe’s background, it was an obvious fit. Placement!
Nine years and many lost opportunities later, I finally placed Joe. I wouldn’t exactly define this experience as easy, but I understand how it might look easy to a client when the recruiter already has a few candidates in mind.
If you have been working in PR long enough, surely you have been on the receiving end of a recruiting call or two. But have you ever been scouted out by a headhunter at your company holiday party posing as waitstaff with a $500 check promised to your preferred charity in return for taking a meeting? Or maybe you’ve been stalked out during the weekend on a biking trail or the ski slopes by that recruiter whose calls you have managed to ignore for the past four weeks?
No? Well, it happens. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article, Snack Vendor — or Undercover Recruiter, profiling some of these crazy tactics by executive recruiters.
Personally, I don’t subscribe to this method of recruiting. I’ve found other methods that work best for my business and my style, but it did get me thinking about how easy companies sometimes think we recruiters have it.
My company recently placed a PR Manager with a technology company who I approached for business, knowing there was a position open and I knew the perfect candidate for the job. Within two weeks, the deal was signed and closed. When the client called to give me the final details on the offer, she added “I know this one must have been easy for you, so good for you!”
Easy? It wasn’t as easy as it appeared. It was a relationship years in the making and if she only knew the entire history behind finding that candidate and what it took to get there! For the next post…
I love Buenos Aires. I made the move here in 2005 and haven’t looked back since. I can count hundreds of reasons why I love my life here, but one of the highlights is the access to all of the excellent Argentine wines. It’s good stuff and I think most who have had the opportunity to travel through the region would agree.
I know this has nothing to do with recruiting, but I wanted to share one of my pleasures since I know it might interest some of you who enjoy wine.
Private Wine Tastings in New York, Los Angeles, and Portland by Anuva Vinos.
My friend, Daniel Karlin, recently started an exclusive wine club called Anuva that sources micro-production wines from Argentina for its members. They will be doing private wine tastings to introduce the club in select US cities on the following dates:
New York, NY: October 27-November 9
Los Angeles, CA: November 9-November 27
Portland, OR: November 27-January 6, 2009
Tasting groups for 6-10 people (12 max) will be led by Daniel and Lourdes. Each group tasting costs $175 total (not per person) and includes:
6 different wines guaranteed to please. All limited production and exclusive.
Glassware
Set-up/clean-up
Witty banter (he is very charismatic and gives a great presentation)
A host would need to invite and ensure guest attendance, provide the space, and contribute optional food items.
A candidate interviews for a senior level position and after several in-person interviews we get to the writing test stage. The company then calls me with an update: “Skip the writing test and cut the candidate loose. Poor writing has already been demonstrated in the follow-up thank you letter.”
Wow, is it that bad? I immediately called the candidate to break the news. I hadn’t seen a copy of the thank you letter at this point and so I first asked to see a copy of it. This is what I received.
“Are you sure you sent the right letter, I mean, I see you wrote ‘reflect those skills necessary…’ twice. And… Maybe you accidentally sent your draft?,” I asked.
“No, it’s impossible. This is a letter written by a career professional for me! I send this to everyone!,” the candidate answered.
It wasn’t an easy call. I continued to express my opinion and advised the candidate that the letter never leave that inbox again.
We nicely parted ways and a few minutes later this arrived:
Red Sox vs. Yankees. Ummm… no, I think we missed the point here.
Lessons learned
Always write your own content - thank you letters, writing samples, interview confirmations, resume, etc. Everything
. You need to know what it says because your every move is being evaluated during this interview process. Look at it once, twice, three times. Read it out loud. Even a simple spelling mistake in a follow-up note could cost you the job.
Always take responsibility for your actions. This person was obviously very embarrassed by the letter, but rather than reflecting on the situation and using the opportunity to fix it, the person found whatever reason to blame it on non-contributing factors.
Try not to take rejection personally. This one is hard, especially if you really wanted that job and it was down to the wire. Only one person gets the job and competition is fierce. If you choose to take it personally, at least don’t act out on it. How one accepts criticism and rejection is a good sign of their character and nobody should burn bridges. In the PR industry, it is very likely you will run into the hiring manager or a recruiter again in your career and unprofessional behavior is something that always sticks.
After a long debate and some great feedbackKill Kill Faster Faster move from my Twitter community, I’m going to do it. I will be posting a weekly column (every Thursday) showcasing the worst (or the most bizarre) mistakes by job seekers and hiring companies.
People aren’t perfect. We all make mistakes and hopefully we can learn from them and move on. I have a close friend in recruiting who always tells me she can’t believe what she wore to her first interviews. When she told me, I was in tears laughing (she’s a friend so I can laugh at her!). I don’t think it dawned on her until she became a recruiter why she never got that job!
I’ve seen lots of mistakes made by interviewers and hiring companies. I’ve even made my fair share as well. The phrase most used in the recruiting business is probably, “You’re joking, right?”
Does that mean that if someone makes a huge mistake in the interviewing process he’s a terrible candidate? Absolutely not. But we can all learn from these mistakes and improve for the next time.
I’ve been warned by a few that this column is a bad idea because if I could give examples on a weekly basis it would be a testimony to potential clients about my candidate pool, but I don’t necessarily agree.
First, this column will be a compilation of experiences that have happened over the past 10 years and counting. These aren’t only my examples but also those of other recruiters in my office. It doesn’t matter how good of a recruiter you are, it is impossible for things to go right with every single person. This is a human business. I can’t control what someone is going to say or do - ever. I can only control the information I give to help prepare. It’s up to the person to listen and act appropriately.
Second, the guilty party may have never been presented for a position. Many times it all comes out in the screening process (I don’t just send in a resume and let the client do all the work!). And those who were presented and end up getting the interview know what ended up happening because I told them. If I get negative interview feedback or someone really screws ups, I prefer to tell him in the most constructive way possible, no matter how difficult it may be to hear.
I do promise a few things for this column:
Anonymity to everyone involved. I will not post names or companies and I will not disclose any information that may reveal the identity of those involved.
I’ll always highlight the lessons to be learned, even if they seem obvious.
I’ll balance the good with the bad and showcase successes.
I would love to hear your comments and anything else you think I should consider.
I just read “El Cliente Nunca Tiene Razon” (The Client is Never Right) by Tamara Di Tella. I think it’s only printed in Spanish but if you can get your hands on a copy, it’s worth the read.
Tamara is an entrepreneur who is well known for her Pilates and Tangolates studio franchises in Latin America, the United States, and Europe.
It’s a quick read and full of interesting ideas contrary to how we’ve been trained to think of our customers.
Tamara’s main point: Clients are NEVER right. They don’t know or understand your business, so catering to their whining and demands is a terrible mistake.
As the title suggests, she talks a lot about relationships with clients, but it’s more than just that. It’s more about growth and innovation in business exploring many of her own enlightening examples.
Matias Dutto recently wrote about the book and describes the client experience in his business which got me thinking about how it applies in the staffing world.
“A classic example of what happened to me (when starting my business) - and I swear I will never do it again, was ‘always doing what the client wants.’ Error Number 1! Back up against the wall and a loss of time and money. FAIL!”
Same goes for recruiting. Allowing clients (hiring companies) to handle the interview process and call all the shots along the way, doing what they want, when they want, almost always leads to failure. And when you are in a business like contingency recruiting and your efforts are only paid for a successful hire, you have to set expectations with your clients and manage the process. It’s the best for you, your clients, and your candidates.
In Matias’s post, he describes the three types of clients - It’s applicable to all types of businesses.
Client 1: The clients who think they’re right. Client 2: The clients who are convinced they’re right and act intolerable. Client 3: The clients who want to learn, be innovative and strive to make their projects interesting and memorable.
Client 1 is inevitable. This is the client who listens, but always throws in opinions, excuses, and objections.
Client 2 is, well, ughhh… This type is very recognizable and, unfortunately, far too common. The type that drives you crazy and and will make you feel bad at all costs. The client who doesn’t respect your business, who doesn’t play by the rules, who constantly cuts you out of the loop, making moves without consulting first, who hands out searches with no intention of actually filling it, or, in the worst cases, who fights tooth and nail to find some way to not pay you, is just not worth it.
If you don’t want to play nice, then I don’t want to play. Simple. I don’t care how much money this client could bring the business if a position is filled. It’s just not worth it.
Client 3 is the type we all hope for - the client who says, “I need your help, I understand the value a good recruiter brings to our business, and, if I cooperate, I know filling this position with you will be much less costly than trying to fill it on my own.” But, as Matias pointed out, this is more of a partner than a client.
Life would sure be easy if every client could be part of category 3, but that’s just an impossible and unreasonable expectation. Instead of wishful thinking and wasted wishes, a better use of time is to focus on eliminating those in category 2 and finding clients who behave - if not for your own sanity- for the sanity of your team.
I don’t believe the client is never right. Most times there is no right or wrong, rather a divergence of opinion between the client and the vendor. But I do truly believe client #3, the client who causes 95% of the problems in the organization, just isn’t worth the trouble. Politely decline to do business and refer them to your competition.
If you can find this book, I highly recommend it, particularly for those in the service business. It’s full of little lessons and funny stories easily found in any business. You’ll probably be able to relate to both sides - inside the business and as being that pesky client!
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
I'm an entrepreneur, business developer and recruiter.
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This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
