Candidate Chronicles

  A surprising percentage of individuals we call give us a less-than-warn reception to our call.   We get responses that range from a sense that we've just called at an inconvenient time…to annoyance…to taking offense…to being rude…to hanging up on us mid-sentence.  Recruiting is in many ways a sales job, so this is somewhat [...]

I routinely am told by others that they are too busy.  Too busy for what?  You name it.  Too busy to call back…too busy to think about your career...too busy to look at a job description, too busy to update a resume…too busy to review a resume.  Really?  I have news for you.  You're not [...]

  I had a great conversation with a friend that I hadn't spoken with in a while.  He recounted some guidance I had given him several years ago when he was looking to make a career change.  He's gone on to do great things and is in the midst of starting his own company…but he [...]

  I'm a dreamer.  Always have been.  So I am the last person to rain on another's parade.  What intrigues me is the number of people who have a dream and don't understand that they have no intention of doing the things necessary to achieve it.  Dreams rarely fall into our lap.  Dreams more commonly [...]

I just had lunch with one of the most impressive human resource professionals I have ever met.  Why do I say this?  Because he isn't an HR person.  Hang with me here…he has an HR title, and HR is his responsibility.  But, here's the magic - he is a business person functioning in an HR [...]

  It's interesting to me how many people are scared of opportunity.   Fears often masquerade as perfectly reasonable arguments, understandable deferrals, and subconsciously constructed obstacles. What opportunities have passed you by while you mulled them over in agonizing detail?  We make idols of our own comfort.  We create these cocoons of habits, relationships, and familiar paths. [...]

    It's the name of a book by Harvey Mackay…and boy is it a wise piece of advice when it comes to careers.  I cannot count the number of times I get an email or a phone call from someone who just got slammed with a restructuring, a downsizing, a firing, an merger, an [...]

So many people I speak with play with their heads, and not their heart. That's not what inspires people. If you want to get to the next level, if you want to be promoted, if you want to inspire people, then stop playing the blame game, stop being a "realist", get out of your own [...]

Simply Driven President Kent Burns talks about what it takes to advance in the Big 4 Full story:   http://www.big4.com/big4-thought-leader-interviews/safety-security-keywords-career-advancement-modern-age/

  Are you trying to do it all by yourself? I'll let you in on a little secret...odds are that you can't. And just because you think you can doesn't mean you should. Leverage is a powerful concept. Extremely successful people have mastered it. Leverage works, and it takes talent to properly use it. Do [...]

Simply Driven Executive has filled three key roles in Hurco Corporation's (NYSE: HURC) finance organization.  Consistent with Simply Driven's impressive delivery history, all three positions were filled within 30 days, and the winning candidate for two of the positions was delivered to HURCO in 12 days.

  Are you asserting value? Be on your guard. The 21st Century business climate we live in is not for the faint of heart. Competition is fierce. It's easy to be taken advantage of...that can lead to starvation. Don't allow yourself to be commoditized. Know your value. Assert it. Then hold your ground.

  Several times each week, one of the people at my firm finds themselves on the phone with someone who is underwhelming.  I often wonder why.  I know all the "80/20" rule stuff and that the bottom 95% make the top 5% possible, etc.  But do some people, at some point, make a decision to [...]

Candidates often learn about themselves as part of the job interview process. How does that happen? Usually in a manner that is painful to all parties. Example: Candidate is becomes intrigued by an opportunity and interviews for it. Candidate's ego likes the attention. Process advances, candidate flakes out on prospective employer at the last minute.

Congratulations! You have an interview. Whether a recruiter assisted you in obtaining this interview or you earned it through your own efforts, now is the time to put your best foot forward. Many of you have not interviewed for several years and your interviewing skills may be rusty. The following is the first in a [...]

In the last issue of the Candidate Chronicles, we provided suggestions to help you prepare for your next interview. The following continues our discussion of making your first impression count by examining some of the most common and challenging interview questions. When a prospective employer conducts an interview, not only are they looking for a [...]

Maybe you were thinking about a job change when the recruiter called - and maybe not. In any event, opportunity seems to have knocked. Let's assume you are not the proverbial "tire kicker" - the kind of person who likes to check out the market periodically but has no real interest in switching jobs. Let's [...]

Many years ago, the National Safety Council discovered that most accidents do not occur out of ignorance - but rather from false assumptions. For example: "I can read this book and keep my eyes on the road at the same time." "I can skip the safety goggles just this once." "That electric circuit can't be [...]

Recruiting often seems to be a mysterious process. Candidates wonder how they can best "use" a recruiter … how they can get a recruiter's attention … why recruiters aren't calling them back … and so forth. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions of Sanford Rose Associates search consultants - and how we [...]