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Old 11-18-2007, 08:15 PM
 
9,523 posts, read 30,377,414 times
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A big part of my job is interviewing candidates. Over the past 3 or 4 years I have interviewed dozens of candidates not to mention hundreds of phone screens and resumes. I thought you guys might be interested in some of the stuff I've learned.

Resumes
When I look at resumes, I am looking for a few specific things:

Recent, relevant experience in the area we are looking for
What has the candidate been working on for the last couple of years? I will always favor a candidate who's recent experience matches what we're looking for.

Reasonable tenures (at least a couple of years) at each employer.
Since I'm in tech, short tenures are common, but I want to avoid red flags like 3 jobs in 3 years.

A pattern of progression in responsibility and scope over time.
I want to see a guy go from entry-level to senior. I want to see him learning new skills and getting increased responsibilities. I don't want someone who's been doing the same job for 7 years.

Appropriateness of the candidate vs the role.
This is a tough one. I don't want a guy with 25 years experience for mid-level developer job just like I don't want a new grad for a senior job. Too much experience means a bored worker. Too little - they can't get the job done.

Phone Screens
99% of potential candidates get passed on after a phone screen. Since I'm in tech, we typically do some technical Q&A to make sure the person has the knowledge they say they do. Specifically, I want to see:

Candidate should validate the resume.
If the resume says "built an order management system", I don't want to hear that the candidate was only peripherally involved in the phone screen. I am going to ask about the stuff you put on your resume - be prepared to talk about it.

Admit when you don't know the answer
I don't expect anyone to get every single question on the tech screen right. But you need to know how to say "I don't know" when you don't. That means no stammering and hemming and hawing as you try to fudge an answer.

Know the questions everyone will ask you
There are some questions everyone in the industry asks. You can go to any number of web sites and find out what they are. You absolutely, must nail these.

Ask questions to the interviewer
This is an important factor in the phone screen. You must show interest in the company and the position. This is your opportunity to develop a rapport with me. Ask as many questions as you need to to - I appreciate it. Too many candidates say "I don't have any questions"!

The Interview
Contrary to popular belief the actual interview is more about fit and personality than ability. Sure, we are looking for your aptitude but moreso we are looking to make sure you fit in and will work out. A good candidate may be a little weaker in terms of skills and experience but has the attitude and personality that can push him in the other direction.

Appearances DO matter.
No matter what you want to believe, I am judging you by your clothes, hair, hygiene, and demeanor. I won't get too far into it here, but it's always better to err on the side of caution and conservatism if you are unsure of what is appropriate.

Don't argue, don't interrupt.
You're in the hot seat and you need to come off well. My job is to test your demeanor a little bit and see how you respond - make sure to keep your cool at all times - and if you need to disagree - be tactful and professional.

Sell Yourself
You are here to sell me on how great a person and an employee you'll be. I want to hear about it. I want you to tell me how good you are at what you do, and I want to believe it!

Remember I want to fill the position as badly as you want to get the job. I have spent hours and hours going through this process again and again with different people. Nothing will make me happier than finding the right person!

I could rattle on endlessly but that's enough for now - I hope this info has been helpful to some of you job seekers out there.

Last edited by NYSD1995; 11-18-2007 at 10:26 PM..
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Old 11-19-2007, 06:07 AM
 
Location: NE Florida
17,833 posts, read 33,032,085 times
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Sassberto
great tips
thank you for posting them
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Old 11-19-2007, 06:16 AM
 
238 posts, read 1,141,951 times
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Default Great ideas

I teach a class during the evening in job hunting for Adult Education

(I am an expert in teaching people to find a job but can not find a full time regular position myself, currently working temp)

I found your ideas great and I will be using them for my class. I especially liked the point about having the right amount of experience. See my posting about being over or under qualified for almost every job I apply to.

People that I know who are involved in the hiring process tell me that the number one reason a person is hired is they look and act right for the job (image/personality- not qualifications). Most hiring managers have a mental image of the person they want to hire and usually try to hold out until that person is found. This makes it hard for people who are young, old, black, Hispanic, asian, or anything else that makes them unusual in a specific work environment. (discrimination is alive and well in employment) That is unless the norm at the company is a minority.

I would enjoy reading what others feel makes a good job candidate.

Last edited by goodtype; 11-19-2007 at 06:30 AM..
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Old 11-19-2007, 08:30 AM
 
9,523 posts, read 30,377,414 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goodtype View Post
People that I know who are involved in the hiring process tell me that the number one reason a person is hired is they look and act right for the job (image/personality- not qualifications). Most hiring managers have a mental image of the person they want to hire and usually try to hold out until that person is found. This makes it hard for people who are young, old, black, Hispanic, asian, or anything else that makes them unusual in a specific work environment. (discrimination is alive and well in employment) That is unless the norm at the company is a minority.
You might not realize this, but discrimination is actually illegal. Besides, I make a cool grand if I hire someone, why would I pass on a qualified candidate just because of those factors?
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Old 11-19-2007, 09:09 AM
 
238 posts, read 1,141,951 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassberto View Post
You might not realize this, but discrimination is actually illegal. Besides, I make a cool grand if I hire someone, why would I pass on a qualified candidate just because of those factors?
Yes, racial discrimination is illegal and so is age discrimination but it still goes on everyday. In many cases, it is the white male who gets discriminated against. In many organizations certain departments are known for heavy minority hiring. Others, like Human Resources, is mostly young white women. I suspect there are many white men who are very qualified who are not hired because they do not fit the expected look of people usually hired in the department. In other departments, highly qualified women or minorities are not hired because they do not fit in with others who are there.
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Old 11-19-2007, 09:15 AM
 
1,408 posts, read 8,005,250 times
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sassberto these are great tips. thanks. i'm going to share them with my dh. let me ask you this, my dh just interviewed with a company (passed phone screen and questionaire test, then moved on to face to face). after the interview he sent a thank you follow up email to everyone involved (this was last week) he hasn't received a response. both of us are assuming this means he didn't get the job but how come no response, not even a phone call to say sorry but we're going with someone else? Is this typical? dh sent a second email this morning inquiring whether or not a decision was made.
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Old 11-19-2007, 09:21 AM
 
9,523 posts, read 30,377,414 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by surfingatwork View Post
sassberto these are great tips. thanks. i'm going to share them with my dh. let me ask you this, my dh just interviewed with a company (passed phone screen and questionaire test, then moved on to face to face). after the interview he sent a thank you follow up email to everyone involved (this was last week) he hasn't received a response. both of us are assuming this means he didn't get the job but how come no response, not even a phone call to say sorry but we're going with someone else? Is this typical? dh sent a second email this morning inquiring whether or not a decision was made.
Alas, it is all too typical. Professional courtesy has gone the way of the dodo.
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Old 11-19-2007, 11:03 AM
 
Location: in drifts of snow wherever you go
2,493 posts, read 4,373,436 times
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Great tips, Sass...

Also, I will add that people hire people they like. If the person is disgruntled, grumpy, negative, or irritating, it doesn't matter what the resume says, because nobody will want to work with them.

I have a smile on my face every time I talk to one of my clients on the phone. I hope they can hear it.

Greenie
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Old 11-19-2007, 12:23 PM
 
Location: NE Florida
17,833 posts, read 33,032,085 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenMachine View Post

I have a smile on my face every time I talk to one of my clients on the phone. I hope they can hear it.

Greenie
actually they can smiling ads a different upbeat tone to your voice.
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Old 11-19-2007, 12:26 PM
 
Location: NE Florida
17,833 posts, read 33,032,085 times
Reputation: 43378
ok sass I have a question

Nowadays do men wear suits or just a jacket and slacks to the interview.
I am going with suit but the person I am having this discussion with thinks jacket and slacks
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