We’ve all seen it. Summertime is over and you head back to school and inevitably there is a new girl on that first day. Of course, everyone suddenly wants to date her and is falling all over themselves to do so. Why? It could be any number of reasons, but the real answer is that’s she’s new. That’s it, but in our society, as we all know, new is better. Ok maybe not everyone believes this, but that doesn’t stop every IT professional from pulling the high school equivalent when a new company comes to town.

This has really hit home for me over the last few years as we’ve had several high profile companies show up on the radar (Google, Honda Jet & Dell to name a few) and without fail every time the news breaks I get a stream of calls inquiring if I can “get them a job” with the new company. Unfortunately the answer is usually “no” (for a variety of reasons), but what amazes me most is that these people have done ZERO research about the companies, why they’re coming here, what technologies they use (do they need your skills?), and even if it’s a good place to work. Because the reality is that while they are new they may be the wrong place for you (think mgmt style/corp. culture, career direction, technology, etc.).

So do your homework. Find out the details and then after all that if it’s still something you want to pursue give me a call.

As an owner and manager of an IT recruiting company we are constantly talking to candidates and clients alike about the advances of technology and how it can impact our industry or potentially help us run our business better. Over twenty plus years I’ve gone from a 100% paper environment to an almost paperless existence and seen the rise of the fax machine, PC’s, the Web, company websites, job boards, social networks and many different software tools developed specifically to assist our industry.

Currently we’re in the midst of a complete redesign of our Website and Blog and have been for several weeks (look for it soon) and of course continue to look at differing technologies to assist us in what we do. So it struck me as funny this week after reflecting on an interview I had just done with Bill Vick (www.xtremerecruiting.tv) where he asked me about my belief in technology and the tools out there and what recommendations that I would give to new recruiters. Instead of talking about the great tools and all the ways they can help a recruiter I went on to say (since it’s not posted yet this is my best recollection) that the tools are there to help us do what we do and shouldn’t be our first or only focus, and that most recruiters fail when they don’t learn the basics of selling and working within their industry before sitting at a computer to source names and make those all important phone calls.

So while I like the tools out there and they certainly assist me in doing more work faster (making placements) I guess I still think in a bricks and mortar kind of way that everyone should be grounded in the basics.

As a Professional Recruiter for the last 25 years I’ve spent much of my time preparing candidates to successfully interview and secure a career opportunity. We cover it all; How to prepare mentally, How to prepare physically (standing up on a telephone interview, etc.) How to ask insightful questions to uncover the true client need and most importantly, how to ensure you communicate at a highly effective level (truly understand what they’re asking and they understand precisely what you’re saying). With that in mind it could be said I’m an “expert” in the art of interviewing. That said it makes it even harder to admit I myself fell into some of the most common interview traps when I was recently interviewed for an article, "IT Labor Shortage or Not, Gaps Remain" in Baseline Magazine.

This was the third interview I’d conducted by I.T. and Employment periodicals in recent weeks where we discussed my thoughts and opinions about the state of the I.T. employment marketplace and the trends and dynamics driving it. Like most professionals I began somewhat tentative but gained confidence as we moved through the interviews. By the second interview I was answering questions with great candor and somewhat “off the cuff.” What I had forgotten are the two golden rules of interviewing. Don’t answer a question until you fully understand what they’re truly asking and more important still; make absolutely sure you qualify your own answers to ensure they understand precisely what you’re saying.

Much to my chagrin I didn’t heed my own advice. The result? Statements like: “There’s a dearth of real talent in the IT management world, and the reason for that is that the best IT pros tend to stay out of management.” What I actually said was that there was a chasm between the present need for talented IT Managers and the existing Management Talent. The cause I explained was that for many years (1989 to 2002/2003 specifically) most IT pros refrained from moving into management because they were concerned they would lose their marketability if they lost their “technical skills.” Were my comments taken out of context? Yes. Was I “misquoted?” Yes. Is this essentially what happens during the debrief and decision making process after you interview with a potential employer? Absolutely yes. Decisions are made about you, your skills, motivations, etc. based not on reality but on assumptions based on perceptions gained through your answers to the Interviewers questions.

The moral of the story is that to succeed in the interview process we must assure we understand and our understood. Best summed up by David Byrne and The Talking Heads; “Same as it ever was, Same as it ever was.”

Not to toot our own horn (OK maybe a little bit) but a short while ago we wrote a blog about the IT Labor shortage, and it drummed up some interest from various sources which eventually led to Dice writing another article and interviewing one of our own (Dan Martineau) on the topic. So give it a read and see what you think.

Most recruiters by nature aren’t trying to offend people as they go about the job of recruiting candidates for their client customers. However our quest to find the perfect person leads us to find many more really talented “close but no cigar” candidates that after showcasing our opportunity to and gaining their sincere interest we must now let them know that they just aren’t a good fit (insert reason here).

Of course, some people take this better than others, but generically speaking I’ve been finding that executives take it worst of all, and I’m beginning to understand why. These are people who are at the top of their respective organizations, have been given challenge and opportunity throughout their career and have succeeded at every turn. So in their mind there aren’t many positions that they aren’t capable of doing.

This is, of course, both a blessing and a curse. As I’ve been recently recruiting for a Director level role my client has expressed many requirements (ranging from size & scope of organization & role to industry, salary and many others) and in my world (Retained Search) the one with the gold makes the rules, and the client has the gold. So I have very little ability to shift the role or function unless it’s just highly unrealistic (prior lunar landing experience is always a toughie).

So understand that when you speak with a recruiter we are just as hopeful that you’re the perfect match as you are and we’ll work in your behalf to make sure your relevant experience is showcased. However, when push comes to shove if the client wants a skill or experience that you don’t possess, no matter how wrongheaded you think they are for requiring it, don’t expect to get the interview.