Neil Hernandez's Blog

Can we all agree that we make mistakes

Can we all agree that we make mistakes. The answer is obviously yes. So when you make a mistake, please try not to dwell on it or make excuses, or to act unproductive. If we can all acknowledge that we make mistakes that is a great first step. The key then is not to dwell on the mistake. Rather on what course of action are you going to take right after you make the mistake.

Inbox Culture

Seth Godin talks about the Inbox Culture:

When you're done with your email queue, are you done?

Do you spend your day responding and reacting to incoming all day... until the list is empty? ... and then you're done.

I'm noticing that it's easier than ever to have that sort of day. Online tools are arranging interactions in a line, allowing you to feel satisfied with a constant stream of incoming alerts and pings.

Years ago, I got my mail (the old fashioned kind) once a day. It took twenty minutes to process and I was forced to spend the rest of the day initiating, reaching out, inventing and designing. Today, it's easy to spend the whole day hitting 'reply'.

Carving out time to initiate is more important than ever.

The way I interpret the above is that in this email world, we are spending more and more time reacting to things like email, instead of actually creating things.

When you're done with your email queue, are you done?

Do you spend your day responding and reacting to incoming all day... until the list is empty? ... and then you're done.

I'm noticing that it's easier than ever to have that sort of day. Online tools are arranging interactions in a line, allowing you to feel satisfied with a constant stream of incoming alerts and pings.

Years ago, I got my mail (the old fashioned kind) once a day. It took twenty minutes to process and I was forced to spend the rest of the day initiating, reaching out, inventing and designing. Today, it's easy to spend the whole day hitting 'reply'.

Carving out time to initiate is more important than ever.

The way I interpret the above is that in this email world, we are spending more and more time reacting to things like email, instead of actually creating things.

CareerBuilder cracking down on spam

You can no longer sign onto CareerBuilder via Public Wi-Fi locations in Starbucks and Panera. If someone tries to log onto their CareerBuilder account in one of those locations you will not be allowed to sign in. Instead, you will get an error message stating that you are not allowed to sign in and please call customer service. A call to customer service will give CareerBuilders explanation. Apparently CareerBuilder is temporarily halting access to your own account if you log in from a Public Wi-Fi location like Panera Bread or Starbucks for the purpose of preventing unauthorized use of their terms of agreement. You see, if someone chooses to do something nasty like spamming, then CareerBuilder lawyers cannot track you down if you are using an IP address belonging to Panera Bread or Starbucks. They want to be able to track down the spammers. The only way to do that is if someone uses an IP address that they can track down.

I'm not sure if this is the long term solution, but I'll give CareerBuilder credit for trying to crack down on the dreadded spammers.

My tooth hurts

Set Godin mentions that the only time people really goto a dentist is when they have a toothache. When a person does not have a toothache, people don't even think about a dentist. Likewise, a company does not even think about a recruiting agency unless they have a glaring need. So the best agencies, do a soft sell approach when marketing and selling their services. They need to be the first person someone thinks about when that glaring need arises. No matter how hard you try before the company has a need, you won't even be considered.

One Submittal

An agency that I know found a perfect candidate for a hard to fill SAP position for  a client. The candidate went through all interviews and passed with flying colors. So the client made an offer to the candidate. Sounds like a perfect scenario right? Unfortunately, this candidate accepted an offer for another company. The agency made the classic mistake of putting all of his eggs in one basket. He thought that this candidate would surely get the job, so he stopped searching for another candidate. I noticed that the good recruiters realize this, and thus always get multiple candidates in the pipeline. The position is not filled until your candidate actually says yes to the offer and starts. Until that happens, you gotta keep recruiting.

I know that....

I know that...

The best place to look for a job is the newspaper

The next best place to look for a job is a career fair

If I am an employer, the best way to fill a position is to use an agency and pay them a 25% fee

The best and most stable companies to work for are either a large well branded company like General Motors or Motorola

The employer with the best benefits is the federal government

I should work for a company with a great training program

The most deireable employees graduate from big well known universities and have worked for very few employers in their working career

The best advice to give a new graduate is to get their career advice from the career center at school.

 I know that I had to unlearn all of the above in the last 15 years.

If I didn't ask for it don't send it

I met with a sales person a few weeks ago. I had a good conversation with her and even considered using her services. So we exchanged business cards and left the meeting feeling pretty good.

The problem came about week later when I received an unsolicited newsletter from her. I did not ask for the newsletter, I did not anticipate the newsletter, nor was it relavant to my needs. So what she thought was good gesture on her part by adding my email address to her mailing list of this newsletter had the opposite effect. She in essence spammed me - and I hate spam.

Remember if it is not relavent, anticipated, or relavent it is SPAM and you don't ever want to build a relationship that way.

Profound Changes

"If you want to make minor, incremental, changes and improvements, work on practices, behavior or attitude. But if you want to make significant, quantum improvements, work on paradigms."

-- Stephen Covey

Small improvement are good, but if you really want to change your life you'll need to change the way you look at something.

PC Based Applicant Tracking System for Independent Recruiter

Someone recommended a PC based ATS for Independent Recruiters. I have tested it. Here is the link and here is her review.

http://www.download.com/E-Staff/3000-2064_4-10186756.html

You have to download it per computer that you want to use it on. It is computer specific.  It is not like you can log on to it from any computer (web base). You have to download it per computer that you want to use it on.  It is best to download it to your main computer. I used it briefly and I just started back up using this week.  It gets a high star rating and it was referred to me and highly recommended by other independent recruiters that I worked with in the past.
This is just a free software that is a great resource for a start-up or independent recruiter.  Others can be very expensive for someone just starting.  When you down load it, it will be demo mode but it is indefinite.

The link that I gave you, you can see the ratings, reviews and more about it.  The great thing about it it is free, no risk, and nothing to lose. You can download it try it out and if you dont like it you can remove it. I just started getting back into it by adding positions to the clients and adding candidates along with attaching and uploading the resumes. I have from other recruiters that is does the job for free.  It takes a while to get full, it holds a high volume. By then the other recruiters either  have found another free resource and still keep estaff on the computer to refer back to or they eventually get successful and can afford a paid software such as a web based version.  Again this is just a free and inexpensive software for beginning or independent recruiters. It is easy to use once you download it, its self explanatory You can personally use it for what will work best for you.

Example of Candidate Brief to send along with resume

Example of Candidate Brief to send along with resume 

Neil:

Candidate Name has passed my initial phone screen for the Software Engineer position
in Lake Forest, IL. 

The following is a summary of the phone screen:

LOCATION: Brian lives in Antioch, IL so the commute is acceptable to Lake
Forest, IL.
EXPERIENCE: 10+ years of relevant experience in Software Engineering. Includes extensive experience with full life cycle software development including developing, coding, testing, and implementing.
SALARY: Candidate fits the salary expectations.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Great.  Enthusiastic personality.

OTHER NOTES: Brian can start asap.  He has left the AMA and is ready to start working.

Brian is expecting a call.  He can be reached anytime at
847-603-xxxx.  If he's not there he might have run out for a sec - feel free
to try his cell at 847-875-xxxx.