Interview with a Recruiter
Recently, I had the pleasure of having a conversation with a smart, straight-talking recruiter, Peggy McKee.
Peggy McKee is the owner of PHC Consulting. Her firm specializes in matching medical and laboratory sales reps/candidates with companies, and does so with great success. Despite the economic downturn, Peggy’s company has flourished and she’s had to hire additional staff to meet the placement demands. With her strong understanding of the medical sales industry, interviewing and hiring, she’s helped develop teams of top sales talent for laboratory service companies.
Having my clients in mind, I asked Peggy several questions about her recruiting process, what is important to her regarding hiring the right candidates, her thoughts on résumés, and more. I’ve wanted to “officially” interview a recruiter for a while because of the number of questions I get from my clients about what recruiters look for.
Our conversation went something like this:
EK: “Peggy, where do you find your candidates? Do they come looking for you? Do you recruit them? How does it work?”
PM: “40-50% of candidates come straight to my website (www.phcconsulting.com). The other half is split between referrals, direct soliciting and social networking. “
EK: “Are candidates are expected to pay you?”
PM: “Absolutely not. Candidates should never pay a recruiter. Companies pay the recruiter for the placement. That’s how it works.”
EK: “It seems like I remember way back when some candidates had to pay the recruiter a percentage or a fee for the placement. I’m glad to know it’s not like that anymore… at least not with all recruiters.”
EK: “So you use some of the professional and social network sites to find talent?”
PM: “Definitely. I use LinkedIn and Twitter to find candidates by typing in keywords, names, titles, searches, groups, etc.”
EK: “And you’ve had good luck going that route? I’ve heard LinkedIn is really a great platform to find top talent. I tell my clients about it all the time.”
PM: “Yes, I use it all the time and love it.”
EK: “OK, let’s talk résumés. Do you have any pet peeves? What are your likes and dislikes? What do you like to see or not see?”
PM: “Well, I want to see 3 things: how can you make me money?… how can you save me money?.. and how can you save me time? This is what the client wants to know, so this is what I look for. I don’t like to read long paragraphs. I prefer bullets. I like to see experiences and accomplishments. Love to see numbers, rankings, percentages, etc.”
EK: “Just bullets? Ugh. Boring. I tend to stay away from just bullets. It looks like a grocery list. Numbers are great. Especially in sales résumés… definitely a must.”
PM: “No, I like the bullets. Paragraphs are too long. And yes, numbers are great and show me what they are capable of doing. “
EK: “OK. What about cover letters?”
PM: “I don’t like them, but I have to add that if you are going to write one BE BOLD! Don’t worry about “expectations”. Write something interesting!
EK: “I agree. Nothing worse than a canned cover letter. Make it as authentically YOU as possible.”
EK: “Any last thoughts about the résumé or cover letter?”
PM: “Have your references ready. Bring them to the interview. Have a clear and focused objective on your résumé so we don’t have to guess. Be ready to answer “tough” questions at the interview. Don’t shy away from them. Be honest.”
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Peggy was so fun and enlightening to talk to that I look forward to continuing this conversation and bringing you more insight.
In the meantime, if you want to get in touch with Peggy McKee and help her celebrate her 10th year in business, you can go to her website or visit at www.phcconsulting.com.
How many times this week has the phrase, “this economy stinks” come from your mouth? How many times this week have you thought, “in this economy, I’ll never get a new job”,
or “I better hold onto my job, even though I hate it, and just be grateful I have one!”.
After you think these thoughts, how do you feel? I can guarantee it is not hopeful or positive. What do you think this does to your chances of finding a job? Would YOU want to hire you? Think about it. You are feeling gloomy and decide to cold call a company about a possible position opening. How is the tone of your voice? Upbeat or down? What is your attitude like? Did you know our mind and body transmit energy frequencies that can be felt by other people?
When you go to an interview and you are thinking, “I know I am not going to get this job. Why would they hire ME? I just KNOW they aren’t going to call me back”, what do you think the interviewer is feeling? “This person is not the right fit for the company. I won’t be calling them back.”
Think about the times in your life in other situations when this has happened. When things went EXACTLY as you thought they would.
It is very natural to worry about the economy and the job market. Anyone who turns on the news would agree. But what does all this worry do for you? For your health? For your job searching state of mind? Remember, you can’t change what is happening out there, so worrying does no good. When my Dad passed away unexpectedly, my Mom said, “I worried for 40 years about something happening to him on the road (he traveled for work), and he ended up dying at home.”
We can’t change things that happen to us, but we CAN change how we react to it. It is very easy to stick our heads in the sand and just hope things get better with the economy, OR we can pick ourselves up and create a healthier attitude about it.
So what can we do?
If you are in a job presently and you’ve put feelers out and opportunities haven’t popped up yet, then focus on your job in a positive way. Do whatever you can to be the very best you can be. Focus on strengthening relationships with co-workers, vendors, etc. Not only do positive relationships perk up our mood, but they also will let you know if a job has opened up somewhere.
If you are job searching, stop worrying about the competition or the ‘lack of good jobs’ out there and focus on your brand and what values you offer to an employer and how you will articulate that in an interview. Expand your job search into new areas: go to networking lunches/dinners, freshen up your resume, and get excited about your job search. You are unique. Sell yourself.
Take a chance. Try a new career path. You never know if you might be better suited for something else. But most of all, stay positive and hopeful. Don’t be a victim like everyone else. Stand out from the crowd and be confident. Remember, your vibrant energy shines through and is felt by those around you, including hiring managers.
DEVELOPING YOUR 2-MINUTE COMMERCIAL
At some point in your job search you will be asked to tell something about yourself.
Focus on what you have to offer. This is like a television commercial about you. A commercial sells products. Therefore, you should emphasize those strengths and qualifications most suited to the position you are pursuing.
Watch your language and presentation style. Use the formula: language + motivation = outcome. In other words, positive language + positive body language and behaviors = a positive and favorable outcome. This means there is absolutely no room for negativity. When you see advertisements, you will notice that they emphasize the positive outcome you will gain from the product, not the downside.
A sample two minute commercial may include information such as: personal qualifications, technical skills, relevant education, training, certifications and achievements.
Look at this sample two minute commercial from a corporate accountant:
“I am a CPA with over nine years of corporate accounting and financial reporting experience. In my most recent position, I was selected to lead several special projects which included strategic planning, forecasting and corporate treasury functions.
I was recognized last year as Manager of the Year for my ability to develop my accounting staff and provide training in many facets of customer service, auditing, time management, problem solving and other key functions. I have an MBA and am active in both the National Management Association and the Space Coast Chapter of the Florida CPA’s Association.”
Developing a fluid, confident and natural sounding commercial takes time and practice.
Good Luck!
Erin Kennedy, CPRW
