Today I was reviewing a resume for an open position for which I am currently recruiting, and I see the term growth-orientated.
I cringe because to me growth-oriented sounds better and flows more smoothly than growth-orientated. In reviewing this website, I learned that this is more of a preference versus something that is grammatically correct.
So, if you are thinking about sending me your resume, please use growth-oriented. I would greatly appreciate it.
Also, please do not use the word analyzation. I have learned that it is indeed part of the English language, but if you want to sound professional talk about an analytic process versus analyzation.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Exercising and Your Blood Sugar
Ever since I was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic, I have taken strides to improve my health overall. At the beginning, I was very careful with what I put in my body. As morbid as it sounds, I would equate having a bacon cheeseburger and French fries (one of my favorite meals) with having my right leg amputated. Now, I have learned to really take care of my body while splurging once in a while. Exercise of your will and of your body really helps you keep focused.
However, my blood sugar determines whether or not I can exercise and enjoy a good workout. My doctor mentioned to me if my blood sugar is over 140, I cannot work out as my body would not respond to the rigors of exercise and I would tire out easily. Medication and diet are key, but they do not ultimately control my blood sugar. I have learned to adjust over the past few years and have found that I have a much better workout in the morning as my resting blood sugar is in the low to mid 90s. I feel energized after a good morning workout and I am able to replenish my body with a nice balanced breakfast. Sometimes at night after I leave work, I will test my blood sugar to see where it stands as I like to go swimming at the gym. Usually I find my blood sugar to be in the range of 120 to 130, so I am able to get another aerobic workout in for the day.
If you are a newly-diagnosed diabetic, it is important to know what part of your day your blood sugars are normal. It will be the difference of feeling at your best versus being lethargic and will help determine if you are able to enjoy a good workout.
However, my blood sugar determines whether or not I can exercise and enjoy a good workout. My doctor mentioned to me if my blood sugar is over 140, I cannot work out as my body would not respond to the rigors of exercise and I would tire out easily. Medication and diet are key, but they do not ultimately control my blood sugar. I have learned to adjust over the past few years and have found that I have a much better workout in the morning as my resting blood sugar is in the low to mid 90s. I feel energized after a good morning workout and I am able to replenish my body with a nice balanced breakfast. Sometimes at night after I leave work, I will test my blood sugar to see where it stands as I like to go swimming at the gym. Usually I find my blood sugar to be in the range of 120 to 130, so I am able to get another aerobic workout in for the day.
If you are a newly-diagnosed diabetic, it is important to know what part of your day your blood sugars are normal. It will be the difference of feeling at your best versus being lethargic and will help determine if you are able to enjoy a good workout.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
When Should I Follow Up After the Interview?
So, you just hung up the phone with the recruiter or human resources professional confirming your interview for the big position you’ve had your eye on for a while. It’s on your calendar, you have your favorite suit pressed and ready to wear for the big day, and you have done all of your research to prepare for the interview.
There is a lot of excitement that goes into the pre-interview process. It’s the time after the interview that is crucial. You know you want the job, but you don’t want to come off too desperate for the position. What’s the appropriate wait time between the interview and following-up? When should I call? Should I wait for them to call or just do it myself? How should I sound or what should the tone of my note or e-mail be to the recruiter? Today’s posting will give you pointers on how to handle this situation.
1. Ask for the business card after every interviewer you meet.
As a candidate at the end of interviews, you should always ask for the interviewer’s business card. I know it may sound like common sense, but in the excitement of the interview sometimes as candidates we forget this crucial step. Granted you may have the contact information of the hiring managers you’re meeting with, it’s always good business etiquette to ask for the card so that you will always have it.
2. The Five-Day Rule
Company employees who interview generally will not make a decision on hiring someone on the spot. The larger the company, the more complex the hiring process is in selecting talent. The interviewing team needs to get together with the recruiter to discuss all of the candidates they have met for the open role. While it is important to an organization to have the position filled, the company does not stop its entire operation to dedicate their resources for hiring, everyone on the team needs a few days to make sure the company is running smoothly before sitting down to discuss who is the best candidate for the role. Usually, this takes about three to five business days, so my advice would be to wait five business days before following up with the recruiter.
3. Be confident.
It is extremely important to maintain the same level of temperament and enthusiasm you exhibited on the interview when following up with the recruiter. This is the stage of this process that most candidates, at all levels, end up hurting their chances to secure the open position. Sometimes as candidates we can become frustrated that things may not go according to plan, and while we may feel that way, our emotions may get to the best of us. That is why it is important to stay even-keeled while reaffirming your interest in the position. It shows the hiring managers and the company that you are able to stay focused and positive through any situation.
Hopefully this will give you some guidance the next time you are debating on how to go about following up with a recruiter after an interview.
There is a lot of excitement that goes into the pre-interview process. It’s the time after the interview that is crucial. You know you want the job, but you don’t want to come off too desperate for the position. What’s the appropriate wait time between the interview and following-up? When should I call? Should I wait for them to call or just do it myself? How should I sound or what should the tone of my note or e-mail be to the recruiter? Today’s posting will give you pointers on how to handle this situation.
1. Ask for the business card after every interviewer you meet.
As a candidate at the end of interviews, you should always ask for the interviewer’s business card. I know it may sound like common sense, but in the excitement of the interview sometimes as candidates we forget this crucial step. Granted you may have the contact information of the hiring managers you’re meeting with, it’s always good business etiquette to ask for the card so that you will always have it.
2. The Five-Day Rule
Company employees who interview generally will not make a decision on hiring someone on the spot. The larger the company, the more complex the hiring process is in selecting talent. The interviewing team needs to get together with the recruiter to discuss all of the candidates they have met for the open role. While it is important to an organization to have the position filled, the company does not stop its entire operation to dedicate their resources for hiring, everyone on the team needs a few days to make sure the company is running smoothly before sitting down to discuss who is the best candidate for the role. Usually, this takes about three to five business days, so my advice would be to wait five business days before following up with the recruiter.
3. Be confident.
It is extremely important to maintain the same level of temperament and enthusiasm you exhibited on the interview when following up with the recruiter. This is the stage of this process that most candidates, at all levels, end up hurting their chances to secure the open position. Sometimes as candidates we can become frustrated that things may not go according to plan, and while we may feel that way, our emotions may get to the best of us. That is why it is important to stay even-keeled while reaffirming your interest in the position. It shows the hiring managers and the company that you are able to stay focused and positive through any situation.
Hopefully this will give you some guidance the next time you are debating on how to go about following up with a recruiter after an interview.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Confidence versus Obnoxiousness
As I talk with other recruiting and human resources professionals, there is always a story that comes up as “one for the books”. Most of the time, the “ones for the book” usually have a negative connotation to it, but there are some positive aspects if one has a good sense of humor.
Since we deal with different types of people and personalities, our cynicism may come out a little bit and distort our perception of candidates. Every recruiter is guilty of this and has done this in the past. Recently, I was at a recruiting event at a large, local university as juniors were looking for summer internships. These days it seems everyone is competing for internships, or a chance to work for a good, stable company. With that being said, I meet more graduating seniors and graduate students looking for internship opportunities to gain experience in lieu of the juniors.
One such person sticks out in my mind. To give you a visual, think the voice of a Phillip Seymour Hoffman with the looks of an Andy Richter/Chris Farley, but not nearly as funny or charming. The person walks up to my table with an insincere smile on his face and proceeds to introduce himself and tell me all about himself and his work experience (as he was a graduate student) without telling me how he got to graduate school or what made him successful. After politely telling this person that we are considering full-time students for internships but would be interested in holding onto his resume should a more, appropriate position come up, he gave me his insincere smile again and said to me “Well, this conversation’s over,” and walked away. Never had I experienced a reaction like that as for the most part people extend the courtesy of a thank you. This indeed was going to be “one for the books” in my mind so I spoke with other recruiters with whom this person visited at the on-campus recruiting event. I found that these other recruiters got a similar reaction.
Was this person confident or obnoxious? The consensus was that the candidate needed to improve on both his social and selling abilities. There was no lack of confidence in this candidate, but the level of obnoxiousness was turned up. What prompted the candidate to say that the conversation was over, was the question I asked, which was simply “If you are a successful manager, what techniques could you potentially bring to my company?” My hope is that the candidate will learn how to put more relevance in his confidence approach to counterbalance the level of obnoxiousness. So, to answer the question (like most graduate school answers ) is that it depends on what the recruiter perceives in expressions of confidence.
Confident people tend to answer questions and give examples in a calm yet enthusiastic manner. Obnoxious people tend to show their insecurities through being brash and abrasive in terms of telling their stories on experience and why they should be hired. Confident people take rejection with poise while obnoxious people tend to be a little more emotional and compensate for overselling in other areas. As a recruiter, I will usually tend to go to bat for candidates who exude confidence but may lack the skills that we are looking for in our current needs. It’s a great way to build relationship and a testament to hire strategically versus a plug and play approach. Obnoxious candidates usually do not get that chance as recruiters can see that big chip on your shoulder.
In reading this blog post, how should one identify in their own mind if they fall in the confident or obnoxious category? Think of it in this light – how often do you get together with your friends and do your friends go out of their way to contact you for special events? Do you find yourself always planning events for your group of friends? If you are the one “feeling left out” because you’re never invited to go out socially, then it may be due to having the proverbial “chip on your shoulder” and proving your worth at all times. People are not drawn to that. One hiring manager I work with asked that I seek out candidates with “humility” for his sales position because having someone who is humble will be able to relate better to the customer in an emotional sale. Someone who is humble is confident in their abilities and not always asking someone to tell them how good they are. Humility will move you more toward the confident category and away from obnoxiousness. So, in your next interview as a candidate be confident by showing your humility by not overacting on describing your accomplishments. Recruiters can also refrain from being obnoxious by staying even-keeled throughout the interview process while maintaining a high-level of enthusiasm.
Since we deal with different types of people and personalities, our cynicism may come out a little bit and distort our perception of candidates. Every recruiter is guilty of this and has done this in the past. Recently, I was at a recruiting event at a large, local university as juniors were looking for summer internships. These days it seems everyone is competing for internships, or a chance to work for a good, stable company. With that being said, I meet more graduating seniors and graduate students looking for internship opportunities to gain experience in lieu of the juniors.
One such person sticks out in my mind. To give you a visual, think the voice of a Phillip Seymour Hoffman with the looks of an Andy Richter/Chris Farley, but not nearly as funny or charming. The person walks up to my table with an insincere smile on his face and proceeds to introduce himself and tell me all about himself and his work experience (as he was a graduate student) without telling me how he got to graduate school or what made him successful. After politely telling this person that we are considering full-time students for internships but would be interested in holding onto his resume should a more, appropriate position come up, he gave me his insincere smile again and said to me “Well, this conversation’s over,” and walked away. Never had I experienced a reaction like that as for the most part people extend the courtesy of a thank you. This indeed was going to be “one for the books” in my mind so I spoke with other recruiters with whom this person visited at the on-campus recruiting event. I found that these other recruiters got a similar reaction.
Was this person confident or obnoxious? The consensus was that the candidate needed to improve on both his social and selling abilities. There was no lack of confidence in this candidate, but the level of obnoxiousness was turned up. What prompted the candidate to say that the conversation was over, was the question I asked, which was simply “If you are a successful manager, what techniques could you potentially bring to my company?” My hope is that the candidate will learn how to put more relevance in his confidence approach to counterbalance the level of obnoxiousness. So, to answer the question (like most graduate school answers ) is that it depends on what the recruiter perceives in expressions of confidence.
Confident people tend to answer questions and give examples in a calm yet enthusiastic manner. Obnoxious people tend to show their insecurities through being brash and abrasive in terms of telling their stories on experience and why they should be hired. Confident people take rejection with poise while obnoxious people tend to be a little more emotional and compensate for overselling in other areas. As a recruiter, I will usually tend to go to bat for candidates who exude confidence but may lack the skills that we are looking for in our current needs. It’s a great way to build relationship and a testament to hire strategically versus a plug and play approach. Obnoxious candidates usually do not get that chance as recruiters can see that big chip on your shoulder.
In reading this blog post, how should one identify in their own mind if they fall in the confident or obnoxious category? Think of it in this light – how often do you get together with your friends and do your friends go out of their way to contact you for special events? Do you find yourself always planning events for your group of friends? If you are the one “feeling left out” because you’re never invited to go out socially, then it may be due to having the proverbial “chip on your shoulder” and proving your worth at all times. People are not drawn to that. One hiring manager I work with asked that I seek out candidates with “humility” for his sales position because having someone who is humble will be able to relate better to the customer in an emotional sale. Someone who is humble is confident in their abilities and not always asking someone to tell them how good they are. Humility will move you more toward the confident category and away from obnoxiousness. So, in your next interview as a candidate be confident by showing your humility by not overacting on describing your accomplishments. Recruiters can also refrain from being obnoxious by staying even-keeled throughout the interview process while maintaining a high-level of enthusiasm.
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