Virtus Recruiting - job search

Stop Connecting with Everybody on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the “killer app” of professional networking. Used correctly, it is an invaluable tool that can help you manage and expand your professional network. If you follow the conventional wisdom regarding LinkedIn usage, you’ll hear that you should connect pretty liberally with people. I disagree.

First, I believe that the quality of your professional network is far more important than it’s size. A giant list of 1st degree connections that you don’t really have a relationship with is not helping you do much. I don’t see the point of having a 1st degree connection that would scratch their head and wonder “who is this?” if you tried to contact them.

Second, and similar to the first reason, a smaller network is much easier to manage. Having a smaller list of 1st degree connections that are known to you is a lot easier to stay on top of with meaningful and personalized correspondence. Again, if you have a bunch of contacts that you never engage with, or send generic emails to periodically, you run the risk of being forgotten or ignored.

Third, high quality networking contacts that engage with you are better information and referral sources. As a headhunter with 20 years of experience, I know for sure that strong connections are your best source of referrals. One of the key ways I use LinkedIn to expand my network and add meaningful connections leverages good 1st degree connections. Say I’m doing a search for a client — I search LinkedIn and find a bunch of 2nd degree connections. I look at whom we share in common as a connection, then I reach out to the 1st degree connection for an introduction, or I reference the actual relationship I have with 1st degree connection when trying to engage with the new contact. This dramatically increases the likelihood of that person responding.

By David Staiti|March 29th, 2018|job search, LinkedIn, professional development|0 Comments

Job Search Mistakes

Searching for a job can be a daunting task. There are literally THOUSANDS of books and related materials on the subject. With a lot of advice about what TO DO, job search mistakes are still very common. Here are some costly, and common, job search mistakes:

Having Only One Resume – There are no one-size-fits-all resumes. If you use a single resume for your job search, you are making a big mistake! Resumes are usually glanced over very quickly to pick those candidates selected for interviews. It is critically important for you to target your resume to the specific company/job. A bit of minor tweaking can often make the difference between getting the interview, or not. Refer to my earlier post on how to target your resume here.
Applying Online – this is a classic job search mistake to avoid. The main reason is because it is what everybody else is doing! It is very easy to get lost in flood of applicants who apply indiscriminately online. Second, many recruiters hold the belief that top-notch candidates don’t apply online. Top candidates are either sought out, or come in through other methods. Finally, applying online may hurt your chances of getting an interview or proper consideration at a company. You are far better off being evaluated as an employee referral, represented by a recruiter, or recommended by someone known to the company.
Not Being Selective – whether you are actively or passively job searching, BE SELECTIVE. I generally advise people to take initial interviews liberally. Meeting the people and company face to face is the best way to see if there might be a fit. After an initial interview, I suggest people get much more selective. Don’t get deep into the interview process, or take things to the offer stage, if you can’t see yourself working at the company. You’ll not only be wasting your time, but you could leave a negative impression with the people who feel like you wasted theirs.
Not Networking – this is the ultimate job search mistake. Study after study shows that the best jobs, and the best chances of landing your next job lies in networking. Friends, classmates, recruiters, alumni organizations, professional organizations, and former coworkers are just some of the categories of contacts you should tap into when considering a job change. Many people don’t do this because it involves more effort, but it is absolutely worth it!

David Staiti is the founder and Managing Partner of Virtus Recruiting, LLC. He has almost two decades of executive search and recruiting experience. He’s published numerous articles on job search and career management topics for The Wall Street Journal, CareerBuilder, and Forbes.com

By David Staiti|January 18th, 2016|job search, resume|0 Comments

Realities of an Offer

The realities of an offer are important to consider when negotiating compensation. In an blog post from February this year, I discussed what a “good” job offer is in this competitive market. In short, a 5-10% bump in total compensation would be considered a strong offer. A link to that article is here.

In this post, I wanted to look at some realities of an offer and why a 5-10% increase is the market norm. The offer stage can be a highly emotional part of the search process. It’s important to remember that on both sides of the negotiation, this is a business decision. Money is important, and negotiating is part of the process, but remember these realities of an offer when approaching the negotiating table:

Friends sort of lie – do not listen to friends or colleagues about their salary. Friends provide some of some of the most unreliable data available. First, people have egos and they tend to fudge the numbers. Second, even if your friend is completely honest about a huge job offer they got, one example does not represent the market as a whole.
You aren’t underpaid – most job seekers I talk to feel they are underpaid. In reality, very few people are underpaid. If you are a top performer with good skills, you are much more likely to be on the upper end of the pay scale for your experience and skills. The economic law of supply and demand sets a pretty standard pay scale for a given skill, years of experience, credentials, etc.
Titles don’t matter – don’t get hung up on titles. I was quoted in a Fortune magazine article the other day about this (link to Fortune article here). In short, titles aren’t universally defined. One firm’s Director is another’s Manager. The responsibilities of the job, how you will develop professionally, and what you are being paid is all that really matters.
Evaluate money last – I always talk about job search motivations at length with a candidate – well before we look at an actual opportunity. Money is important, but it should almost never be a primary motivating factor when changing jobs. A reasonable offer that accomplishes many of the career goals and objectives you were seeking is a great job offer. Even if you receive a lateral offer, why would you not take a job that offered more responsibility, more growth, learning opportunities, etc.?

By David Staiti|January 18th, 2016|Job Offers, job search|0 Comments

How To Explain Job Changes

How to explain job changes is a critical piece of being prepared for an interview. Even if you haven’t had a lot of job movement (which in this day and age means staying 5 years or longer on average at each employer), you need to be prepared to explain job changes. If you have a jumpy history and change jobs ever 3 years (or less), then you REALLY need to be prepared to explain your job changes. Here are some basic guidelines:

Be Prepared – you should have rehearsed answers prepared about why you are looking to leave your current job, and why you left previous jobs. This is interview 101 level advice, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people aren’t thoroughly prepared for these questions. Script out answers and rehearse them!
Be Honest – you may have some difficult to explain job changes. You may have some very easy to explain moves. Be honest about reasons for making moves. If your employer went out of business, relocated, sold the business, etc., these are honest answers that basically absolve you from a potential red mark on your resume. If your reason is a bit more delicate (unreasonable boss, you were fired, personal issues with colleagues, etc.) you may have to prepare for a difficult conversation. Tell your side of the story, but don’t misrepresent facts.
Sell Yourself – when discussing reasons for past job changes, put on your salesperson hat. Reasons for leaving past jobs can be used to “sell” yourself to the current employer. For example, if you left a employer due to the stagnant performance of the company, you can make that into a reason why you want to work at the new company (if they are in fact growing). Another example would be moves due to company size or industry. If you are trying to crack into a new industry space or larger/smaller company size, you can explain job changes this way. Make prior job changes tell a story about why you have been building towards working for the type of company you are currently interviewing with.
Don’t Be Too Negative – if you’ve had a really bad experience at an employer, explain the bad situation, but be careful not to sound too negative. Additionally, if you seem to have had multiple “bad experiences”, you need to be really careful when explaining these as multiple “personal reason” moves might send up a red flag.

By David Staiti|January 18th, 2016|interview, resume|0 Comments

The Best Time To Look For a Job

I’m often asked, “what is the best time to look for a job?” The answer often surprises people. The best time to look for a job is when you are happy at your current job. The common retort is, “why would I want to leave my current job if I’m happy?” It’s a fair question, with a basic answer – because you have the tactical advantage. The best time to look for a job is when you’re generally happy because:

1) Passive Candidates are Most Desirable to Employers and Recruiters – potential employers and recruiters covet the “passive” candidate market. The perception is that passive candidates are the best at what they do. A passive person is likely to only consider an opportunity on a highly selective basis. This makes the candidate less likely to be scooped up by another competitor. It also reassures the potential employer that if the candidate takes the job they will be very committed.

2) Bargaining Power – if you don’t need to leave, you have tremendous bargaining power when looking for a job. First, and most importantly, when you compare a potential opportunity against your current good situation, you are likely to be very selective. The odds of taking a “bad job” are reduced greatly because you are in a position to really scrutinize the opportunity. Secondly, you are far more likely to negotiate the best possible job offer. A potential employer knows they’ll have to step up to the plate with a great offer package to entice you.

3) You’ll Interview Better – if you go into an interview with the confidence of knowing you are in a good situation and don’t “need” a new job, your interview presentation will be much stronger. Your confidence level will be higher, and it will show.

When you are unhappy at your current job, or unemployed, it is often the worst time to look for a new job. The opposite of the above reasons become true. If you appear to be too active, employers and recruiters alike may be turned off because the chances of losing you to another employer are greater. Second, if you “need it” or appear desperate in any way, the employer is going to be less interested, and at best you’ll have far less negotiating power. Finally, you’re bound to be more nervous and appear more needy for the job if you are in a bad situation.

Even though when you are happy is the best time to look for a job, keep in mind that it doesn’t mean you have to take a job. As I mentioned above, you can be extremely picky when evaluating outside opportunities when you are happy in your current role. If you see an amazing opportunity and have a tough decision to make, that’s a pretty good situation to be in! Additionally, if you aren’t open to entertaining outside opportunities because you are happy, you can only potentially miss great potential jobs.

By David Staiti|January 18th, 2016|job search|0 Comments

Q&A – Why Are You Looking?

Carol B. asked me, “I’m pretty happy where I’m working, but I look at new jobs occasionally. I get stumped when asked ‘why are you looking for a new job?’ I feel like I don’t have a great answer… how do you answer this question?” Great question, Carol B.! “Why are you looking?”, is a pretty common interview question, and one that people should be prepared for. If you are gainfully employed and interviewing for another job, it’s really important to handle this question the right way.

Whenever answering any interview question, it’s a good idea to consider the intent of the question. Why are you looking? is a question focused on uncovering a reason that is compelling for the potential employer, and to eliminate people who might be looking for the “wrong reasons”. Some good reasons as to why are you looking include:

More Challenging Role – pick out specific aspects of the new potential job that are broader than your current role, will help you gain more experience, and present learning opportunities. Seeking a more challenging role is a great reason to move jobs.

Better Company – don’t be too negative about your current employer, but cite reasons why the potential employer might be a better company. Perhaps your current employer lost major clients and is making cuts. The new employer might be growing much more rapidly and expanding their business while your current employer is stagnant.

Location – the commute to work can be a very legitimate factor when considering a job move. A new role that is good for your career and saves you substantial commute time is definitely a valid reason.

Structural Changes – if there are things happening at your company outside of your control, or life factors that might lead to a job change, you should mention them. For example, your company is planning to move offices out of the area. Perhaps you are getting engaged/married and your significant other is moving out of state. Maybe you are having a family and settling in an area outside your current geography.

One or more of the above types of answers are great ways to approach the “why are you looking” question. Topics to avoid would be money (we’ll cover how to handle that in a later post), personal problems with colleagues, or being too vague or general. You should be prepared for this question with a good answer that is tailored to the specific opportunity where you are interviewing.

By David Staiti|January 18th, 2016|job search|0 Comments

Having Only One Resume – There are no one-size-fits-all resumes. If you use a single resume for your job search, you are making a big mistake! Resumes are usually glanced over very quickly to pick those candidates selected for interviews. It is critically important for you to target your resume to the specific company/job. A bit of minor tweaking can often make the difference between getting the interview, or not. Refer to my earlier post on how to target your resume here.
Applying Online – this is a classic job search mistake to avoid. The main reason is because it is what everybody else is doing! It is very easy to get lost in flood of applicants who apply indiscriminately online. Second, many recruiters hold the belief that top-notch candidates don’t apply online. Top candidates are either sought out, or come in through other methods. Finally, applying online may hurt your chances of getting an interview or proper consideration at a company. You are far better off being evaluated as an employee referral, represented by a recruiter, or recommended by someone known to the company.
Not Being Selective – whether you are actively or passively job searching, BE SELECTIVE. I generally advise people to take initial interviews liberally. Meeting the people and company face to face is the best way to see if there might be a fit. After an initial interview, I suggest people get much more selective. Don’t get deep into the interview process, or take things to the offer stage, if you can’t see yourself working at the company. You’ll not only be wasting your time, but you could leave a negative impression with the people who feel like you wasted theirs.
Not Networking – this is the ultimate job search mistake. Study after study shows that the best jobs, and the best chances of landing your next job lies in networking. Friends, classmates, recruiters, alumni organizations, professional organizations, and former coworkers are just some of the categories of contacts you should tap into when considering a job change. Many people don’t do this because it involves more effort, but it is absolutely worth it!

By admin|October 18th, 2015|interview, Job Offers, job search, professional development, Uncategorized|0 Comments