The Perfect Candidate

I wish I had a dollar for every client who said they were looking for the ideal candidate.  Every hiring manager is seeking the perfect candidate for their open position.

In seeking Mr./Ms. Perfect, many highly qualified candidates are passed over.  Perfection is elusive, but almost perfect could be sitting right in front of you.

With the recent layoffs I ask candidates what they are doing to find a new opportunity and I continually hear the same responses.  I have my resume posted on several job boards and I check the job boards every day for new postings and if I see a new one I send in my resume.  To some this may seem like hard work but in doing those things a candidate is scratching the surface of the job market.  Finding a job is a full time job and it is hard work.  The items mentioned are simply the first steps in the process. In addition, a job seeker should also take a look at their own credentials and determine what will make them stand out from all the rest of the job seekers.  Then the job seeker should make a list of all of the contacts they have and start a telephone marathon to get their credentials in front of individuals in order to find the hidden jobs that are not posted.  Yes, it is hard work and the harder you work the luckier you will be.

According John Miller of QBQ, Inc. there are 15 reasons why we ask questions and a number of reason why we do not ask questions

15 reasons to ask questions!

1. To acquire knowledge

2. To eliminate confusion

3. To cause someone else to feel special/important

4. To guide a conversation in the direction we want it to go

5. To demonstrate humility to another

6. To enable a person to discover answers for themselves

7. To gain empathy through better understanding another’s view

8. To influence/alter someone else’s opinion/view

9. To begin a relationship

10. To strengthen a relationship

11. To humbly show we have knowledge on a specific topic

12. To stimulate creativity and idea generation

13. To gain a person’s attention

14. To solve a problem

15. To reach agreement or to "agree to disagree" with clarity

So, there they are … 15 reasons to ask questions.

It’s good to explore the reasons why we DO NOT ask questions. Here are six:

1. To find a culprit

2. To embarrass and shame

3. To appear superior

4. To create fear

5. To manipulate

I have been asked many times how I can bring a candidate and client together so fast.  I would reply that it was luck and the harder I worked the luckier I would be.  It its purest form, the role of the recruiter is to enhance the lives of candidates and improve client profitability.  The hard work of the process is determining the needs of the client and matching it against the wants of the candidate.  The luck (the result of the hard work) occurs when there is a match and both sides are happy.  A successful hire has to be win-win for both sides.

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent." --Douglas MacArthur

Five things to do

1. Wake up early. For the next week, get up a half an hour earlier that you normally do--and get going. If you get a few more things done, then get up even earlier the next week. Early in the morning is a great time to get work done because most of your associates have not started emailing or tweetin.

2. Read the headlines and watch the news. Not only should you know what is going on in the world, you will also be the first to recognize opportunities (if you followed #1) for you and your business--long before the competition has even had their first cup of coffee.

3. Send something to one person who can hire you or buy your product--something you promised to follow-up with, a quick email with a link to something relevant or a "hey just checking in to see how thing are going" email.

4. Touch base with an old friend or associate you haven't talked to in ages. Ask how they are, what are they working on and ask or suggest how you might help. You'll make their day.

5. Write a handwritten note to someone. Seriously. It is a lost art and makes quite an impression. There is always someone you can send a thank you note to--or you aren't doing things correctly.

A simple yet highly effective list. Try all five every weekday for a month...