Wednesday, March 31, 2010

What Recruiters REALLY want from Candidates

**Special Guest Post from Professional Recruiter Carmel Napolitano

Top 5 Job Candidate Traits I look for:

1) Quiet confidence - there is a difference between brashness
and a good sense of self. While clients in other industries may
want an overbearing personality I've never had a client ask for
that;

2)Self -Disclosure - I realize that people today are terrified
that any slip of any weakness or complicated situation can
derail their search, but if you have been a stay at home Mom, or
took a year off to care for a sick relative, or even took a year
off to travel the world you need to tell me or I may think you
are in the Federal Witness Protection program or worse that you
are hiding something;

3) Consistent Experience - For me to even follow up with someone
they need to have not been a job hopper - if you have had ten
years of two year stints that is not a good thing - unless, see
#2 - you may have been a trailing spouse, etc - you need to
explain;

4) Don't worry about anyone but yourself - It is not a good
thing for candidates to constantly ask about the competition -
how many are in the search? What is may rank in the final
group? You have to be in the search because you want the job
and not to beat out the other candidates. It is really none of
your business how many people are in the search.

5)Don't hedge your bets or try to game the process - Don't play
with the idea that you may want a new job. If you find that you
are at the point where you are going to meet with the client be
in it to get the job. I've had clients go all through the
process receive an offer and then decide to through out an
important deal breaker. If you absolutely must work from home
one day a week you need to tell the recruiter in the beginning
of the search.

Carmel Napolitano, CGN Advisory. Professional Recruiter

Carmel does retained recruiting for the nonprofit and philantropic sectors.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carmelnapolitano

Trisha Torrey Speaking at Women Ties

Went to a GREAT presentation today by author Trisha Torrey. She's created an AMAZING niche for herself. She is an patient's advocate. Her presentation today was, "You Really Are The Expert! Creating Profit from Your Experience." She was funny, engaging and had some excellent tips for the standing room only group of women entrepreneurs. Women Ties is one of my favorite local (central new york) networking groups.