don't be scared. be prepared!

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E Book created and edited by Marty McDonald and Rich DeMatteo A BAD RHINO PRODUCTION www.BadRhinoBlog.com

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Don't Be Scared. Be Prepared: Interview

Tips and Stories From Top Career Experts

An eBook by Marty McDonald Produced by Bad Rhino, Inc.

PERMISSION The author grants full permission to distribute and share this eBook freely, in your website, blog, forum, RSS feed, print publication, or via social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. To do so, please share this URL for free download to your readers: http://martinjmcdonald.com/ebook The author also grants full permission to republish excerpts provided it remains in the proper context and is accompanied by an attribution link back to http://mjmcoaching.com or http://martinjmcdonald.com as the originating source.

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this eBook was compiled through a series of interviews with the top minds in recruiting and career coaching. Interviews were conducted by Marty McDonald, and later transcribed to gain the most useful and helpful information for the eBook. This eBook is opinion based rather than fact based. Opinions are of Marty McDonald and the contributors, not of the company or organization that employs them.

http://martinjmcdonald.com/

http://martinjmcdonald.com/ebook

http://mjmcoaching.com/

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Table of Contents

Introduction 3 Michael Long 4 Jessica Miller-Merrell 5 Kirk Baumann 6 Jenny Foss 7 Steve Levy 8 Katie-Madonna Hindes 9 Rich DeMatteo 10 Amy Adler 11 Craig Fisher 12 Jennifer McClure 13 Mark Babbitt 14 Jon Kujala 15 Christine McKenzie 16 Karla Porter 17 Jeremy Fanning 18 Tracy Brisson 19 Marty McDonald 20 Suggested Career Resources 21 About Marty McDonald 22 Twitter Contribution List 23 About Bad Rhino, Inc. 24

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Introduction

I get lots of ideas…in fact I get them all the time. Many I have ran with and many sit waiting in my notebook for the right time to pop out. I had this idea of helping my coaching clients with a book of funny interview stories (after 14 years in recruiting, I have plenty). When I wrote them all out it wasn’t quite right, so I shelved the idea for a year. Last summer I was working with Rich DeMatteo and we talked about the idea. He thought it was a good idea and wanted to help me bring the idea out of the notebook for the world to see.

When I dug out my notes and started thinking more about the book, I came up with an interesting twist to my initial idea. I decided to invite some of the great minds in recruiting and career coaching to share their ideas, experiences, and stories. I sent Rich out to pull together a great team of contributors and he did just that! I’m so excited about the folks we have in this ebook! Our contributors aren’t just on Social Media pretending to be experts, they’ve conducted hundreds, if not thousands of interviews, coached just as many job seekers, and are successful doing it.

The purpose of this book is to help the job seeker get better and feel more comfortable at interviewing or inspire someone to strike out on his or her own entrepreneurial adventure.

The contributors of this book are more than willing to help. Make sure you read their blogs and books, listen to their advice, and connect with them.

Thank you to all the contributors, I greatly appreciate your time and expertise.

I want to thank all of my business partners and also Cornz (Rich DeMatteo) for helping me bring this idea to life.

Most of all, I want to thank my coaching clients that I’ve worked with for the past 5 years. I’m excited for the future and I look forward to your continued success.

Thanks for reading,

Marty

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Michael Long

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? I started in 2004 as an agency-side recruiter and loved it. The funny thing is, when starting out, my future manager originally thought I was too quiet to be a recruiter. Within 2 ½ years, I was running a $5M staffing office. Currently working with Rackspace Hosting, as the Head of Culture Branding.

How many estimated interviews have you done? I’ve conducted at least 5,000 interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

Allowing background noises, like crying babies or barking dogs during your phone interview. Distracting noises could bother the recruiter and detract from your interview. Your phone interview is the best chance at getting your foot in the door, so take it seriously. The biggest mistake during face-to-face interviews is lack of eye contact. Not looking someone in the eyes shows a lack in confidence and, worse, a potential lack of trustworthiness.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? My candidate was a no show for an interview, then called to reschedule. Later on, I found out what happened to her. On the way to the interview, she and a friend stopped at Dairy Queen where they were carjacked at gunpoint. They were then forced out of the car and into the trunk, where they were driven around Phoenix for 24 hours! I said, “No Way” because it sounded too crazy, but she even had the police report. She ended up getting the job!

What’s your biggest interview tip for job seekers?

You might get stressed because you feel like you absolutely NEED the job. Realize that not every place will be right for you, so getting any old job can be more hurtful to your career. Find a place where both your skills and personality fit. If you take a job just for the money, you will be unhappy sooner than you can imagine. Consider the people, the environment and the work you’ll be doing before making your selection.

Michael Long serves as the Head of Culture Branding for Rackspace Hosting. In 2008, he took an interest in the use of social media as it applies to the realm and launched his first blog, The Red Recruiter. Michael is married and working towards a degree in Fatherhood with the recent arrival of his daughter Sophie. Follow Michael on Twitter.

http://twitter.com/#!/theredrecruiter

http://www.rackertalent.com/author/michael-long/

http://rackspace.com/

http://www.theredrecruiter.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/kelly_long

http://twitter.com/#!/sophie_long

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Jessica Miller-Merrell

What is your recruiting or career coaching background?

I have been in Human Resources and the Recruiting industry as a corporate recruiter for 11 years. I currently work on my own as an HR strategist for companies, helping them reach out to jobseekers.

How many estimated interviews have you done? During mass hiring times, there were days when I was doing 20 interviews a day. I’ve probably conducted 25,000 - 30,000 interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

Candidates sometimes don’t sound eager, friendly, or confident when I’ve called them. They can also just be totally unprepared for my call. Need to always be prepared and pay attention to small details. For example, call me Jessica, not Jennifer.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? The first one I can think of is when I conducted a phone interview and the person was taking a bath. I heard bubbles and water swishing. This was for a District Manager position. The other one was when a woman brought her baby and breast fed during the interview. Not good!


Already have interview questions prepared, and what I mean is have some scenarios in your head that you think they might ask you at the interview. Think of six or seven different scenarios, then record yourself and practice so that you have several possible answers down already.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, HR consultant, new media strategist, and author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. Her company, Xceptional HR offers social media strategies, human resources, and recruiting consulting with an eye on digital media. Jessica is the host of Job Search Secrets, an internet television show for job seekers on Sundays at 9 PM EST. She is co-presenting a 4 hour “Social Media Bootcamp for HR” pre-conference session at the 2011 SHRM National Conference.

http://blogging4jobs.com/webshow

http://www.blogging4jobs.com/

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Kirk Baumann What is your recruiting or career coaching background? Currently work at SIFE as the Director of Career Connections, which includes serving as a Recruitment Consultant. I work with companies to help them plan recruiting activities around our students. Prior to SIFE, I have been in corporate recruiting positions.

How many estimated interviews have you done? 100’s of job interviews and 1000’s of conversations around careers and job searches.

What are some common mistakes that interviewees make? Simply being unprepared and doing little to no research on the company. Sounds simple but it is far too common these days.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? About 7 years ago, an individual showed up with his mother. Yep, his mom! Interview started and his mom followed him into the interview room! When we said, “no, we just want to interview your son and we don’t allow anyone else”, she said, “I am here to help him answer the benefit questions”. The kid didn’t flinch when his mom came in and he acted like it was normal. It was more shocking than funny and it threw everyone off during the interview! And NO, he wasn’t hired.


Clean up your social media profiles and take off anything that can put you in a questionable light in the employer’s eyes. Also remember to Google yourself and see what comes up. The best thing to do is to create your network and connect with people at the company. Be sure that you are networking before and after the interview to build good relationships. Social media can be a valuable tool to build this network. Remember, the interview starts when you walk in the door, be friendly and courteous, say hi to people in the office, and be professional at all times. Finally TAKE NOTES during the interview!!! It shows that you are not only detailed oriented but prepared.

Kirk Baumann is a passionate recruiting advocate preparing the next generation of talent. His blog, Campus to Career, is dedicated to jobseekers of all kinds, covering a variety of topics from the job search to personal branding to social media. As Director of Career Connections for SIF E USA, he consults for Fortune 500 companies, helping them recruit top talent as well as working directly with students, alumni, and young professionals on career development. Follow him on Twitter - @kbaumann

http://twitter.com/kbaumann

http://campus-to-career.com/

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Jenny Foss

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? Most people find me today on JobJenny.com, a combination of job search support. I also run a resume and cover letter writing service there as well. My recruiting clients can find me at ladderrecruiting.com, a small recruiting group called Ladder Recruiting Group.

How many estimated interviews have you done? I’ve been recruiting for 8 years, so I’ve probably interviewed close to 1,000 people. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

The most glaring mistake candidates make on the phone screen is when they ask about salary, vacation, benefits, or anything of the sort before I even have 10 words out of my mouth. Appearance is huge for in person interviews. Wear a fresh pressed shirt, wear clean shoes, and just generally put some effort into how you look.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? I had an engineer interview in the final stage, a peer interview with people he would be working with if he got the job. Things got a little silly and the interview was pretty casual. My candidate ended up making a joke about Rogaine to one of the bald engineers at the interview, and then when they asked him about how he would handle the challenge, he said, “Well you can just strap a saddle on my ass and ride me!” He thought that since they were all friendly with each other that he could join in the fun and loosen up a bit. It didn’t work out for him in the end.


Practice always helps with nerves. Have someone sit down and act as the interviewer. Go through certain questions and scenarios that you think will come up. Do your homework on the company, opportunity, industry the company is in, and the people interviewing you. It’s also important to have a job search strategy. Know exactly how you are going to go about your job search.

Jenny Foss operates an independent recruiting firm, Ladder Recruiting Group, and is creator of the blog JobJenny.com. Your job search BF F and tough love expert on finding career passion, Jenny just launched her first ebook, To Whom It May Concern: Or, How to Stop Sucking at Your Job Search, which is designed to help job seekers craft and execute a winning plan. You may also find Jenny on Twitter @JobJenny.

http://www.jobjenny.com/to-whom-it-may-concern

http://www.ladderrecruiting.com/

http://www.jobjenny.com/

http://www.jobjenny.com/to-whom-it-may-concern

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Steve Levy What is your recruiting or career coaching background?

I’ve been recruiting for 25 years, currently involved with Global Recruiting at Veeco Instruments based out of Plainview, NY.

How many estimated interviews have you done? I’ve conducted close to 20,000 interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

For a phone interview, candidates need to go to a quiet place, and use a phone that won’t cut out on them. Most people use their cell phone, and there is no guarantee that the phone will keep a signal. For in-person interviews, there are on-going discussions about if a candidate should wear a suit to an interview. I believe that someone should dress to the interview how they would dress if they were employed at that company. I’ve gone to a career fair at Columbia University in shorts and t-shirt because that was the company couture.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? When I was at Pitney Bowes, I was doing internship/co-cop recruiting at Cornell. I was interviewing a student when all of a sudden I stopped talking. I leaned forward and looked to his side and he had no idea what I was doing. Then I said, “You paid how much for that suit?” What he had done was he forgot to take off the tag on his new suit. It was widely known that students would buy interview suits and return them after the interview. The utter look of fear on his face when I asked him that question was priceless.


My pet peeve is when a person only reads the company website. Candidates can go to places like Yahoo! Finance and read up on what the top Financial Analysts are saying about that company. You’ll be able to see the good, the bad, and the ugly about the company. This will help you decide if you want to work for them, as well as the type of questions you can ask on the interview.

Steve is a corporate talent acquisition leader, recruiting blogger, and social media strategist who is known for his outside the box approaches to recruiting and career counseling. He has been an engineer, management scientist, patent engineer, and lifeguard before crossing over to the dark side into HR.

http://www.twitter.com/levyrecuits

http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenmlevy

http://www.recruitinginferno.com/

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Kate-Madonna Hindes

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? I am Director of Recruiting and Marketing at Brigham Group Staffing. On the side, I own Girl Meets Geek Media, a blog about tech and humanism in the electronics world.

How many estimated interviews have you done? I’ve conducted at least 400 in person interviews and 600 phone interviews.

What are some common mistakes that interviewees make? When people say “hmm”, or “umm”, and are generally just not prepared. I hate sitting through a bunch of “umms”. It just drives me crazy and I don’t feel inspired by the candidate. Candidates should have cards or a sheet of paper in front of them to make sure they are prepared and have key accomplishments written out. I also hate when people reek of smoke or body odor. It can be worse when they try to disguise themselves with cologne or perfume.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? I had volunteered to help out on a Saturday with some mock interviews for unemployed job seekers. I was performing a mock interview when a guy pulled out a flask and said, “I know this is pretend, so I just want to get my best face on”. My mouth drops, and he then says, “Oh, it’s just Orange Juice”. But I could smell it on his breath and you could tell it wasn’t orange juice. I wish that was the worst part, but it’s not. At the end, he wanted to know if anyone could find out that he committed a crime last year. He wanted to keep it under wraps and wanted to know how guilty he looked. It was then that we escorted him out.


The first thing I tell people is to be the CEO of their own job search and treat it like a presentation. I don’t mean have a PowerPoint ready, but bring five folders to each interview, even if you’re interviewing with one person. Put resumes on one side, and then print out your Linkedin profile on the right side with recommendations. When going into the room, shake their hand and pop the folder in front of the interviewer. If they stumble, they’ll have their own folder to help them out.

Kate-Madonna Hindes, is an industry leader and national author and speaker on emotional integrity and authenticity in today’s online media. Her columns are regularly published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Women of HR, GirlmeetsGeek, Brazen Careerist and JobDig. She’s also the Director of Recruiting and Marketing for Brigham Group. With 15+ years of combined, published, experience for news media, state government and Fortune 500 businesses, she regularly covers national Social Media Technology events from an HR / Recruiting perspective, including CES 2011.

http://www.sourcecon.com/news/2011/02/18/three-recruiting-technologies-from-ces/

http://www.girlmeetsgeek.com/writing/

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Rich DeMatteo

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? I’ve worked in both agency and corporate recruiting for about 5 years. On the agency side, I worked as an IT Recruiter, and then in corporate I’ve recruited for all full-time, part-time, and contingent positions at companies.

How many estimated interviews have you done? I’ve conducted close to 500 face-to-face interviews and another 2,000 phone interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

On the phone, many candidates just don’t know their work history or skill set. It may seem silly, but most phone screens are very basic and to the point. If we hear you say “umm” a lot, we can tell you’re looking down at the resume to make sure what you say matches the resume. Know your resume like the back of your hand so that when we ask you a question, you provide a quick answer.

For in person interviews, I hate when candidates show up too early. Show up about 10 minutes before it’s scheduled. That’s perfect. Don’t show up a 30 or more minutes before the interview. Don’t rush us. We don’t like to be rushed.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? There have been so many, but the interviewees that stick out are usually those who have poor hygiene. This one time I had a candidate smell of funky cheese. It was so bad that my coworkers smelled him through the closed door. I had to cut the interview short. I just had to.


Along with researching the company and interviewer, ask about their interview process and methodology before the interview. You’ll be surprised how much HR or the Recruiter will share. Jump on Google and research their method. Knowing what to expect is more than half the battle!

Rich DeMatteo is the Founder of Corn On The Job, an award winning job search/career blog. Rich is also the Founder of #JobHuntChat, Twitter’s first and most visited job search community on Twitter. Most recently, Rich announced he’s the Co-Founder of Bad Rhino, Inc, a new startup Social Media Agency in Philadelphia. Tweet Rich @CornOnTheJob or on @BadRhinoINC .

http://twitter.com/BadRhinoInc

http://cornonthejob.com/

http://jobhuntchat.com/

http://badrhinoinc.com/

http://twitter.com/cornonthejob

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Amy Adler Explain your resume writing background and how you got

into it. I entered professional resume writing with the intent of combining my business experience and MBA with my decades of editorial experience. I opened Inscribe / Express to provide concierge-level resume writing and career search strategy services to job seekers who are experts in their fields but not experts in job search strategy.

How many resumes have you reviewed and written? I write more than 100 resumes every year. Additionally, I write as many cover letters, plus professional biographies, LinkedIn profiles, and other documents that job seekers need to power their job searches. I’ve reviewed about the same number on behalf of clients.

What is your resume tip for job seekers? Job seekers don’t often realize that although the resume is about them, it’s not for them. The resume is an outwardly focused piece of marketing collateral that focuses on the needs of the hiring manager who is holding all the cards and making all the hiring decisions.

Why should they use a Resume writer? It is true that when a job seeker hires a professional resume writer, he or she is hiring someone who knows the language and is an experienced writer. However, it’s been my experience that job seekers don’t know what they know about themselves. Even if they are experts in their field, they are probably not expert resume writers. Therefore, when a job seeker hires a professional resume writer, he or she is actually hiring someone who can ask the right questions and elicit the accomplishments that belong in the resume and cover letter.

Why is it good to hire a career coach or experts in your job search?

Nobody is an expert at everything; I always tell job seekers that if they had a toothache, they’d go to a dentist rather than pull their own tooth. Clearly, there are good reasons to hire the professional who will tell you if you need a filling, an extraction, or some other complex procedure. Job seekers think about the job search in zero-sum terms—they don’t have the job they need, and they don’t have an advocate in the process. A professional career search strategist can help them figure out if their job search is on track and heading in the right direction—or if they need additional tools and strategies to get them into the job roles they’re seeking. Amy L. Adler is the president and founder of Inscribe / Express, a résumé and career strategy company, and the only Certified Advanced Résumé Writer with an MBA and Master of Arts in Publishing. She asks the right questions, listens carefully, and crafts career search strategies that distill candidates’ personal brands and promote their job search success.

http://www.inscribeexpress.com/

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Craig Fisher

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? Started in 1995 as an agency recruiter with a focus in IT and Executive search. I have also have done corporate recruitment and consulting. I am currently the owner of Social Media Talent, and VP of Ajax Social Media.

How many estimated interviews have you done? Approximately 10,000+ and most importantly placed 1000’s of people! What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

A huge mistake is when candidates say, “I will take anything right now, and I just need a check”. As a candidate, you need be specific as to what you want in a job and know where your skills fit best. Know exactly what you want from the job. Things like quality of life, the type role you want, the type of company you want work for, and what makes you a good fit. Candidates shouldn’t use the “tell me about yourself” question to tell the recruiter everything about their life. Candidates should keep their answers to the high points about their career and point to the events that highlight their skills.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? Had a guy fall asleep during the interview! He was visibly nodding off during the interview and to top it off he was not prepared at all.


Make sure you understand the job description and ask questions about the job during the interview. Ignore the jargon that is on every job description and concentrate on the keywords that are listed. Tailor your questions to fit that job description so you can make your skills stand out during the interview. Also, make sure to get some exercise, have a good night of sleep, and have an excellent understanding of your own resume. Also, don’t smoke before you’re meeting someone.

Craig F isher is recruitment consultant, social media strategist, and trainer. He helps people and businesses leverage social media, mobile, and other new communication tools to get matched with the *right* customers, the *right* talent, and the *right* jobs. Craig hosts the original social recruiting forum on Twitter, and live conference events, known as TalentNet Live (#TNL). Connect with him on Twitter @ F ishDogs.

http://twitter.com/fishdogs

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Jennifer McClure

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? Started out my career in Human Resources and worked in Generalist and Leadership roles for over 20 years. I then spent 5 years as an executive recruiter. Most recently, in February of 2010 I started a consulting business, helping companies with their talent strategies.

How many estimated interviews have you done? This number is definitely in the thousands. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

Simply not being prepared, not doing research on the company, having a good story to tell, and not being able to show why they are a good hire for the company.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? When I was a senior in college, I did an internship with a convenience store. They had me interviewing walk-ins off the street for second and third shift cashier positions. One guy told me he couldn’t work 2nd or 3rd shift because he was a male stripper at night and wanted me to come see him dance. Another girl came in with a McDonalds paper hat on and uniform. I said, “You must work at McDonalds”. She replied with, “Not anymore”. It turned out she was giving away free food to her friends and was fired. We didn’t hire her.


Always do your research before applying for a job at a company and prepare before an interview. It's important to come across as knowledgeable and confident - but not arrogant. Be able to demonstrate in the interview how you can provide solutions for the employer if you are hired. An open job is a problem waiting to be solved.

Jennifer McClure is President of Unbridled Talent, LLC , a consulting firm focused on strategies for attracting, recruiting & developing talent in organizations. She’s also a professional speaker - regularly engaged by conferences, organizations and corporate clients to share about using social media for career development, Human Resources, Recruiting and employment branding. Connect with Jennifer: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Unbridled Talent blog.

http://unbridledtalent.com/blog

http://unbridledtalent.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

http://www.facebook.com/UnbridledTalent

http://twitter.com/CincyRecruiter

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Mark Babbitt

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? I am the CEO of YouTern, a website that connects emerging talent with internships in startup companies. I’ve been recruiting sales and bizdev people for a couple decades.

How many estimated interviews have you done?

Including phone screens, I’ve probably interviewed over 2,000 candidates.

What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

People often aren’t prepared for phone screens. You can actually hear when someone isn’t mentally prepared. When they aren’t showered, shaved, or dressed up, you can just tell that they haven’t taken full advantage of the opportunity. You have to get yourself a little fired up, and ready mentally.

During face-to-face interviews, I’m impressed when people walk in with a plan. I don’t want someone to just come in ready to answer a bunch of questions. Show me you’ve done research and you’re ready to take this job. For instance, a sales candidate could walk in with an analysis of all the companies’ competition and what they are doing well and not so well.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? We were interviewing a gentleman who had been a mercenary in Iraq, but came in looking like a banker. We had no idea what we were walking into once he told us he was returning from Iraq. So we helped him take his “soft skill” experience from being a mercenary and turn it into marketable soft skills to work in a corporate environment. He is now in a management position and most importantly paying it forward by helping other returning vets who are in transition.


It’s all about confidence! If someone is going to an interview for the first time in 10 years, then they are going to be incredibly nervous. Old school things like solid eye contact and shoulders back will help with confidence.

Mark Babbitt is CEO of YouTern, a community that connects emerging talent with entrepreneur-driven companies through mentor-based internships. Mark founded YouTern after a distinguished track record with two online recruiting start-ups and a decade of experience as CEO of a Silicon Valley marketing firm. Mark is also a serial mentor, and was recently honored to named on GenJuice’s “Top 100 Most Desired Mentors” list.

http://youtern.com/

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Jon Kujala

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? I have been recruiting for five and half years and four and half have been in IT contract staffing. I currently work for an organization that focuses in on placing SAP and Peoplesoft consultants on projects across the country. I have been there for 15 months.


I do all my interviews exclusively on the phone and I have done about 2500 phone interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

During the phone interviews people forget to be in a quiet place, and that usually is when you catch the candidate in an awkward situation, like with kids in the care or in the bathroom during phone interviews. I do a lot of technical interviews and the worst mistake you can make is to make up an answer to a technical question (best answer is always I don’t know, if you don’t know the answer).

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? The flushing of the toilet during a phone interview hands down. Make sure you are in the right spot and remember we can hear background noise. Another candidate was driving and she said that the interview was too intense and needed to pull over to do the interview. Be prepared to be in a good spot for your interview and I wouldn’t advise driving and interviewing!


Be in a quiet place, be prepared, and research the company. Get yourself in the right frame of mind and relax. Best advice for a candidate is to know what you can and can’t do. Be honest and tell the truth!

Jon Kujala is a graduate of UMASS Amherst and has been in Staffing for more than 5 years. He currently leads a recruiting team for an IT firm specializing in placing SAP and Peoplesoft consultants around the country. He works with some of the top companies in the nation and helps them staff their projects. F ind John on Linkedin!

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jon-kujala/2/823/1b8.

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Christine McKenzie

What is your recruiting or career coaching background? I work for a large corporation and have been in successful in different corporate recruiting roles over the past 9 years, in both Sourcing and Recruiting in a corporate environment. I’ve worked for agencies and in house.


I’ve conducted about 5,000 interviews. Both over the phone and in person.


On the phone, candidates aren’t always engaging by asking questions to learn more about the opportunity or position. During face-to-face interviews, posture is huge. If slouched in the chair, it tells me they are not 100% into the role. Sit up and pay attention. Dress well, be ready and attentive.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap?

Once had a very hard to find candidate, who was running late for an interview. When he finally arrived and introduced himself to me he nodded his head and had his hand in his pocket. The hiring manager reached her hand out to him and that’s when we noticed he had tissue wrapped around his thumb, which was covered in blood. He explained that he had slammed his thumb in the car door when he arrived, so we took him to first aid, where everyone came out to help. He was ready to crawl under the table from embarrassment, but finally relaxed and started the interview. His presentation binder had broken pages that fell onto the floor. He went to pick up the pages and on the way back up, he banged his head on the table. After finally calming down, security guards knocked on the door asking for his name because he left his car lights on and they found his wallet. Longest interview ever and he didn’t get the job!


Always be prepared with up to the minute information on the company. Check Google, Twitter, etc even the morning of the interview. Start following companies and see what others are saying.

Christine McKenzie is a Recruiter specializing in networking with Pharmaceutical Talent. Interests include: Internet Research, Competitive Intelligence, Boolean Logic, Social Networking. Biggest Fear: Ronald McDonald. Find her on Twitter, friend her on Facebook, & connect with her on LinkedIn. Hungry for more? Read everything else about her in her online interview with Dave Mendoza.

http://bit.ly/d7xpGg

http://twitter.com/CMcKenzie77

http://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissymckenzie

http://bit.ly/d7xpGg

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Karla Porter


I’ve worked in both agency and corporate recruiting, currently Director of Workforce Development and Human Resources in Wilkes-Barre, PA for the past 2 years.


I’ve conducted thousands of interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

Candidates often aren’t prepared to do phone interviews. Try to use a landline or the clearest line you have. Move to a quiet room, speak into microphone and be prepared to answer open-ended questions in an engaging way. Phone silence is uncomfortable and stumbling for information is like stumbling across a stage. They can’t see you or your smile or body language so you have to impress them with your verbal communication skills. It’s a skill you need to practice!

In person interview mistakes: Getting off track with answers, speaking without conviction and body language that screams “get me out of here”.

What has been the most memorable interview mishap? A candidate came in for an interview dressed in dingy long underwear, jeans with holes, and a ski cap. His application was incomplete with a resume shoved inside. When I requested that he complete it he wasn’t prepared and said he needed to go to the lobby to call references for permission to list them. When asked why he came dressed unprofessionally, he explained that he lost his possessions during a flood and was getting back on his feet. Then he talked about jumping into the river during the flood to impress girls and getting arrested by the police for it. He was a mess, so I ended it.


Understand that the candidate drives the interview. Ask engaging questions and keep the conversation moving. Interviewers want to like you; they want you to be the one who will solve their problems. They are rooting for you. They do not want to interview an endless stream of candidates. They want to hire you! Karla is Direc-tor of Work-force Devel-op-ment and Human Resources for a mid-size metro area cham-ber of busi-ness, indus-try and eco-nomic devel-op-ment in PA. She is a fre-quent speaker on recruit-ment and reten-tion strat-egy, rela-tion-ship build-ing, new media for HR and job search. Her website on human capital and new media is karlaporter.com.

http://karlaporter.com/

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Jeremy Fanning


I’ve officially been a recruiter for about one year, but have been performing tons of recruiting duties as a consultant for six years now. I currently work for a company called Cardinal Solutions here in Raleigh.


I’ve interviewed probably 200 to 250 candidates.


A lot of candidates tend to talk more about what their company has done, and not about their own work and skill sets. It drives me crazy because I don’t get the information I need about the candidate.


I had a guy that we used to call the “Members Only Guy”. He showed up for an interview 20 minutes late, and when he showed up to the conference room we were interviewing him in, he ended up blaming us for being late. He said it was our directions that made him late, however, every other candidate had the same directions and there was never an issue. He was wearing a member’s only jacket as a suit jacket, which just didn’t fly as professional attire.


One thing that I feel everyone talks about but doesn’t do is coming prepared with questions. I love when people come prepared with solid questions. Also, it’s great to connect with me after the interview for an update or sending a simple thank you email or a hand-written note.

Jeremy Fanning is a Technical Recruiter for Cardinal Solutions. After consistent mediocrity as a business analyst consultant and done with Ohio winters, Jeremy moved to his true passion recruiting, and relocated with Cardinal Solutions to Raleigh, NC. Jeremy is a Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Reds fan, baconholic, and cake connoisseur. Connect with Jeremy on Linkedin or Twitter.

http://twitter.com/jeremyfanning

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyfanning

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Tracy Brisson


I’m a career coach and my company is called The Opportunities Project. I focus on helping young professional meet their career goals quickly and confidently. I recruited education professionals for 10 years before starting my career coaching business.

How many estimated interviews have you done? Probably somewhere between 300 and 500 total interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

It’s important to choose an appropriate place to have professional phone conversations. With mobile phones, people feel it’s OK to have their phone interview at Starbucks, when it’s really not. You should find a place where you can focus completely and eliminate as many distractions as possible.

People forget to smile on face-to-face interviews. One way to not get the job is to look intimidated or insecure, which is how people look when they don’t smile.


My favorite story is when we had a candidate who claimed she could only teach in Queens, NY because she had a dying father and was the primary care giver, so she NEEDED to be in Queens. We normally didn’t place teachers in Queens, but she had a rare skill set so we decided to interview her. Her interview ran long and near the end, I saw a red blur run back and forth down our hallway, and then I heard someone scream her name. It was her father who had been waiting in the car. He was worried because she had been gone too long. It was very apparent that he wasn’t ill at all!


Make sure that you are self-aware of your strengths so you are able to highlight them quickly. It’s important to gain rapport and trust of whoever you are meeting and not just answer the questions.

Tracy Brisson is a certified career coach and the Founder and CEO of The Opportunities Project, an organization that specializes in helping young professionals meet their goals quickly. Before launching her own company, Tracy worked in recruitment for over a decade. Her career advice has appeared in the New York Post, The Star Ledger, and on Monster+HotJobs, and The Ladders.

http://opportunitiesproject.com./

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Marty McDonald


I’ve worked in both agency and corporate recruiting for the past 14 years. I also have a Career Coaching business that I started in 2006.


I have conducted approximately 3,000+ in person interview and over 10,000 phone interviews. What are some common mistakes that interviewees make?

During phone interviews, one of the biggest mistakes is not giving 100% attention to the interview. For example, driving or even texting while on the phone. As an interviewer, you can tell when you don’t have their attention. Also, so many times a candidate will be unprepared for a phone interview.

In person interview mistakes are showing up and not being dressed appropriately. Look good, don’t look like a slob, and look professional. Business casual is ok, but be smart about it.


About 7 years ago, I had a computer tech come in early for an interview, because he told me he could only interview before 8am. So I had him come in at 7am and we started the interview. He did well, so I had him fill out some pre employment testing and left him to fill it out. When I came back, he was asleep with his pen in hand on the application. I woke him up and he was startled but continued to fill out the application and then nodded off again. It was really odd! He finished up and left, and the application had lines on it from where his hand started slipping from falling asleep! Found out about a week later that he had two jobs and just had his second child.


Tip #1, if invited to an interview, candidate doesn’t control scheduling. Be flexible! Tip #2, be prepared and ready for an interview, this is a mark of someone who cares about their work. Tip #3, don’t be afraid to seek help to improve interview skills. It makes the difference in a tight job market.

Marty McDonald is a Entrepreneur/Career Coach at MJMCoaching and is Co-Founder of Bad Rhino. With over 14 years of Recruiting experience, Marty has a REAL approach to helping his clients change careers or land new jobs. Marty is a personal development junkie and when he isn't masterminding, networking, reading or attending a seminar... you might find him on a golf course. You can find Marty on Twitter @Martymjm

http://twitter.com/martymjm


http://mjmcoaching.com/

http://www.badrhinoinc.com/

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Suggested Career Resources

Karla Porter: Why You Should Turn Your Résumé into a Tag Résumé

Kirk Baumann: Are You In It to Win It?

Jennifer McClure: Social Recruiting Where to Start

Jessica MillerMerrell: Increase Your Odds: Candidate Job Board Tricks

Rich DeMatteo: The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Linkedin

Tracy Brisson: Don’t Be This Guy: Bad Social Media Manners KateMadonna Hindes: The Secret Sauce to Resumes

Jenny Foss: Passive search tactics: How long do ya feel like wating for that job?

Mark Babbit: Don’t expect me to take your job search seriously Michael Long: Empire Avenue: The Social Media Stock Market

Steve Levy: Toughest Interview Questions Ever

Craig Fisher: How to Find a Winning Job on Facebook

Amy Adler: Networking Over a Hot Stove

Job Seeker? Check out #jobhuntchat on Twitter, Monday’s at 1011 PM EST

http://www.jobhuntchat.com/

http://karlaporter.com/product-app-reviews/why-you-should-turn-your-resume-into-a-tag-resume/

http://campus-to-career.com/2011/03/29/are-you-in-it-to-win-it/

http://campus-to-career.com/2011/03/29/are-you-in-it-to-win-it/

http://unbridledtalent.com/2010/12/13/social-recruiting-where-to-start/

http://www.blogging4jobs.com/job-search/increase-your-odds-candidate-job-board-tricks

http://www.cornonthejob.com/social-media/the-beginners-guide-to-linkedin/

http://opportunitiesproject.com/2011/03/04/dont-be-this-guy-bad-social-media-manners/

http://www.girlmeetsgeek.com/2010/08/16/the-secret-sauce-to-resumes/

http://www.jobjenny.com/the-blog/2011/3/29/passive-search-tactics-how-long-do-ya-feel-like-waiting-for.html

http://www.jobjenny.com/the-blog/2011/3/29/passive-search-tactics-how-long-do-ya-feel-like-waiting-for.html

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2011/03/25/dont-expect-me-to-take-your-job-search-seriously/

http://www.theredrecruiter.com/social-media/empire-avenue-the-social-media-stock-market/

http://recruitinginferno.com/2011/01/26/toughest-interview-questions-ever/

http://blog.fishdogs.com/2011/03/how-to-find-winning-job-on-facebook.html

http://www.inscribeexpress.com/resumeblog/2010/05/04/networking-over-a-hot-stove/

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About Marty McDonald

Basics: Born in Philadelphia and raised in Bucks County, Pa. Oldest of 3 siblings. Graduated from Lansdale Catholic High School and from Shippensburg University with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.

After graduation from SHIP and two HR internships, I entered the corporate HR world as a Human Resource Representative at the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union. I quickly gravitated towards the Recruiting piece of HR and learned as much as possible about how to recruit professionals. I was then recruited to Environmental Resources Management to work as the Lead College Recruiter/University Relations, where I managed the hiring process for 22 offices and the College Recruiting process. In Early 2001, I was recruited to a small start up staffing firm, InSource Inc. In a short time we made the Phila 100 (Twice) and the Inc 500 as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the USA. Starting in December of 2004, I started to invest in myself with education on creating multiple income streams for retirement and wealth creation. In December 2005, I started a Real Estate Investment company and Small Business Consulting company, both of which I remain involved in. In January of 2006, I joined TWC Group (now Tapfin) as a Recruitment Consultant where I consulted on Recruitment projects at Solstice Software and DuPont. Since 2010, I have been the Lead Recruiter for Leading Business Intelligence Software Company.

What I love to do outside of Recruiting, Social media, Public Speaking and working with Small Businesses: Good Cigars, Traveling (7 countries and counting), Live Music, Career Coaching/Personal Development, Philadelphia Flyers Hockey, Golf, Entrepreneurship, Standing at a Craps table (Vegas), and most importantly, helping others succeed.

Learn more about Marty’s work, coaching, and entrepreneurial philosophy:

Marty’s Blog Tweet Marty Facebook Marty Marty LinkedIn MJM Coaching

http://www.mjmcoaching.com/



http://www.facebook.com/marty.mcdonald

http://www.linkedin.com/in/martinmcdonald

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Twitter Contributor List

Michael Long @TheRedRecruiter

Jessica MillerMerill @Blogging4jobs

Kirk Baumann @Kbaumann

Jenny Foss @JobJenny

Steve Levy @LevyRecruits

Katie Hindes @GirlMeetsGeek

Rich DeMatteo @CornOnTheJob

Amy Adler @InscribeExpress

Craig Fisher @FishDogs

Jennifer McClure @CincyRecruiter

Mark Babbitt @YouTernMark

Christine McKenzie @CMcKenzie77

Karla Porter @karla_porter

Jeremy Fanning @jeremyfanning

Tracy Brisson @oppsproject

Marty McDonald @MartyMJM


http://twitter.com/theredrecruiter

http://twitter.com/blogging4jobs

http://twitter.com/kbaumann

http://twitter.com/jobjenny

http://twitter.com/levyrecruits

http://twitter.com/girlmeetsgeek

http://twitter.com/cornonthejob

http://twitter.com/inscribeexpress

http://twitter.com/fishdogs

http://twitter.com/cincyrecruiter

http://twitter.com/YouTernMark

http://twitter.com/cmckenzie77

http://twitter.com/karla_porter

http://twitter.com/jeremyfanning

http://twitter.com/oppsproject

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About Bad Rhino Inc.

Bad Rhino Inc. is a Philadelphia based Social Media agency, Co-Founded by Marty McDonald and Rich DeMatteo. Marty and Rich first began discussing and building on the idea of Bad Rhino in late 2010, and they later launched the company in April 2011.

Bad Rhino Inc. works with entrepreneurs, small businesses, and mid-sized businesses from all industries and geographic locations. Bad Rhino’s goal is to grow a company’s online presence through engagement, creative content, and innovation.

Want to learn more about Bad Rhino Inc.?

Bad Rhino Company Website

Bad Rhino Blog

Bad Rhino on Facebook

Bad Rhino on Twitter

http://twitter.com/badrhinoinc

http://badrhinoinc.com/

http://badrhinoblog.com/

http://www.facebook.com/BadRhinoInc

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