If you have been sourcing salespeople recently, you have probably noticed some short tenures among the Gen Y candidates. We are sourcing for an intermediate-level sales position that has garnered a noticeable response from Gen Y (or young Gen X) candidates. The remarkable trend is that many of the candidates have 2-4 years in each position before they move on to the next opportunity. Many of our Baby Boomer managers are questioning that “job-hopping” history. This concern is valid but it is also systemic in the younger generations. They are looking to move up in their career and loyalty to one employer is far less frequent than just 20 years… Read More
Continue ReadingGreat Cover Email Line
One guy closes with this line: P.S. – I haven’t taken a sick day in years – I don’t get sick. I don’t know why, but that line caught my attention and made me laugh. Not a bad technique to stand out in a crowd.
Continue ReadingCustomers Don’t Walk
Here is an urban legend we encounter frequently in our sales hiring activities – customers don’t walk with the salesperson. What I mean is customers rarely follow a salesperson to a new company. If the salesperson quits one company and goes to a competitor, it is a rare occurrence in which the customers move their business with the salesperson. Yes, everyone can provide an example of when it happened, but we deal with many salespeople in many industries and it just is not common. Sales candidates, on the other hand, will go out of their way claiming that they can bring the business with them. Unfortunately, many companies who do… Read More
Continue ReadingCandidate “Training”
This text is from an online ad to assist job seekers in their quest (my emphasis): —I am able to get job interviews anywhere I want. This is key because once you get the interview, you can get the job — I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO!!!!!! I can school you on behavioral interviewing. Also, I can provide a background check for you– so you know what your potential employer will see. I have had MANY interviews and job OFFERS (entry level and mid level) from some of the most hard to get into firms in the Twin Cities… I can also show you… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring Tips
Ok, earlier today I posted on mistakes made by candidates in the interview. Now it is time to look at mistakes made by hiring managers in the interview. From CareerBuilder.com’s article Five Common Hiring Blunders and How to Avoid Them: Experience is important, but life experience is sometimes better Yes, you want to make sure your candidate has relevant experience in the field, but don’t place all your eggs in that one basket. Some candidates lack the desired amount of relevant experience, but they make up for it with their life experience. Military experience, studying or working overseas, volunteering a year of their life to saving the whales, or taking… Read More
Continue ReadingInterview Tips
We attempt to keep track of the interview tips that are offered all over the web to candidates to assist them in their job search. Some tips seem clever, others seem robotic. This StarTribune.com article – Ten Things Not To Do In An Interview – provides a general, helpful list of interview faux pas. For instance: 3. Don’t speak badly about previous employers or co-workers. Make sure you’ve practiced an honest answer but one that doesn’t show that you’re angry with the previous employer or circumstance. Very true and yet I have encountered many candidates who cannot resist the urge to denigrate previous managers. I worked for my share of… Read More
Continue Reading6 Sales Hiring Mistakes
Salesopedia has this article on their home page this week – Six Common Mistakes in the Sales Hiring Process. Obviously we are going to read that one. First off, great quote from Zig Ziglar in the article: “Sales people are really the only people in business who pay the bills!” That provides some perspective on the importance of strong sales hiring. Here are the 6 mistakes as outlined by the author: 1) Assuming the hiring manager knows how to qualify people 2) Not defining EXACTLY what you are looking for in a new hire 3) Assuming specific business functions know how to hire like talent 4) Over emphasizing a hire… Read More
Continue ReadingResume Pile Perfection
More fun from the resume pile: Sales, If your looking for a rock star. I’m looking for a sale carreer with a strong base and benifits. I’m the best looking for the best.
Continue ReadingThe Closer Resume
Straight from the resume pile: Got Sales Leads? I Can Close Them! If that hasn’t piqued your interest, I’m sure the rest of the cover email will: -References -Quick product knowledge -Reliable transportation -Available immediately A salesperson with confidence is a prerequisite, but they have to be able to back it up with more than “reliable transportation.”
Continue ReadingThe Fog Of Job Ads
I attended a monster.com webinar today regarding sourcing from, interestingly enough, the job seeker’s perspective. I wanted to share an important finding from their survey. The number 1 job seeker complaint about finding new jobs (in sourcing terms) was vague job descriptions. I shudder as I write this because I envision companies writing even longer sales ads. The key word was vague, not short. The 3 negative outcomes job seekers perceive from a vague ad: Bait and switch – once into the process, the candidate learns that he or she is really being considered for a lesser position Misrepresentation – the ad doesn’t truly describe what the actual job entails… Read More
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