In case you don't know what Twitter is, it's a social networking site that allows you to send out 140 character messages to - well - the world, if you will. Occasionally, I'll send out a tweet (that is the term for a Twitter message) about a new opportunity we have. Generally, these seem to go unnoticed.
But not today. Yesterday, I tweeted about an Information Architect position we have, and today I received an email from a candidate who read the tweet. I'm calling this a success.
If you want to follow me on Twitter, I can be found as jmrecruiting.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
You are What You Do
I have no formal training in Human Resources or Recruiting. In past jobs, I just gravitated towards such duties, and decided that this would be the realm that I would pursue for my career. When I worked as an HR Generalist (I didn't have that title, but it was, essentially, what I did), many people I worked with were surprised that I had no educational background in HR. It seems most HR jobs require some sort of certification.
I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it's likely a mixed bag.
Along those lines, Laurie at Punk Rock HR notes that she has been taken to task for 'masquerading' as an HR professional:
Peruse her blog. You'll see that this complaint is complete bunk. Laurie is an HR professional - and a better one than many I've seen actually serving as such in a corporate HR department.
As I was working as a QA specialist, I returned to university to study economics. I wasn't, necessarily, planning to get out of IT, but I liked studying economics. My professor - long-tenured, congenial and disdainful of gate-keepers of acceptable opinion (and who was friends with the head of the Bank of Canada at the time) - asked me, after class, what I did. I explained that I was in IT and just taking some more courses. He felt I should focus on economics because I seemed to be a fit for it.
My professor never felt that a title, an accreditation or a particular job defined anyone or anyone's place in a field. It was one's aptitude, performance and output that made such a determination. By those standards, Laurie is a leader in HR. By those standards, I confidently consider myself a part of the field.
I can think of many examples where people allow the categories and definitions of others to determine what they are or what they are not. It is no way to succeed and it is no way to build a career. If there is something you think you can do, you should not worry about artificial barriers that others erect. If you find yourself with the opportunity to perform, perform.
I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it's likely a mixed bag.
Along those lines, Laurie at Punk Rock HR notes that she has been taken to task for 'masquerading' as an HR professional:
I haven’t held a job in Corporate HR in over two years.
As I explained to Peter Clayton on Total Picture Radio, I left Pfizer in 2007. We planned on moving down to North Carolina and I had every intention of finding a real job. Seriously. I have a spreadsheet that outlines every job I’ve applied for during the past two years.
Then this blog happened and I developed a personal brand — something that never really happens to HR Generalists and Recruiters. I became known as a woman who provides common sense career advice from the perspective of a disaffected HR professional. I also became known as a crazy cat lady. Both observations are true.
Unfortunately, I was recently advised to drop the moniker of Human Resources professional. I was told, “You’re no longer a Human Resources generalist and you don’t recruit, anymore. You’re a critic and you give out career advice. No offense, but you are not HR.”
Peruse her blog. You'll see that this complaint is complete bunk. Laurie is an HR professional - and a better one than many I've seen actually serving as such in a corporate HR department.
As I was working as a QA specialist, I returned to university to study economics. I wasn't, necessarily, planning to get out of IT, but I liked studying economics. My professor - long-tenured, congenial and disdainful of gate-keepers of acceptable opinion (and who was friends with the head of the Bank of Canada at the time) - asked me, after class, what I did. I explained that I was in IT and just taking some more courses. He felt I should focus on economics because I seemed to be a fit for it.
My professor never felt that a title, an accreditation or a particular job defined anyone or anyone's place in a field. It was one's aptitude, performance and output that made such a determination. By those standards, Laurie is a leader in HR. By those standards, I confidently consider myself a part of the field.
I can think of many examples where people allow the categories and definitions of others to determine what they are or what they are not. It is no way to succeed and it is no way to build a career. If there is something you think you can do, you should not worry about artificial barriers that others erect. If you find yourself with the opportunity to perform, perform.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
What's My Name? Personal Branding ed.
People I meet regularly ask me if I prefer Jonathan or Jon. I always tell them I have no preference. Most people, and most/all of my family, call me Jon; it's what I tend to go by in a casual environment.
Professionally/officially, I use Jonathan. All business cards, email addresses and resumes display Jonathan. When I write emails to consultants or clients, I tend to sign off, 'Jonathan'. However, once I develop a bit of a relationship with someone, often resulting in more casual messages, I may revert to 'Jon'.
This is not just laziness (though typing three letters is easier than typing eight). It seems to me that switching to a short form adds a personal touch. It signals that you've moved past experiencing someone just as a potential candidate or client, and that you have made some sort of connection with them. Though I spend about 173% of my work day in front of a computer screen, personal connections are important.
More than that, there is an element of branding involved. Professionally, I am not Jon McLeod*; I am Jonathan McLeod. It may seem unimportant, but it lends clarity and consistency to my professional life - two attributes that, generally, I have found quite important throughout my work history.
But getting back to the matter of the personal connection: upon creating this professional "brand", breaking it down and introducing a nickname can be very important. Customers want to feel that they are valued. Dedicated customers want to feel that they are especially valued. There's not a whole lot that I can offer, but a I can offer a personal connection.
So, if you see me, feel free to call me 'Jon'.
*I hardly ever write or say 'Jon McLeod'. The truncated first name preceding the last name always rings quite odd (except when a few people - who have been employing it for years - say it). Just another reason that I pretty much exclusively go with Jonathan in any official setting.
Professionally/officially, I use Jonathan. All business cards, email addresses and resumes display Jonathan. When I write emails to consultants or clients, I tend to sign off, 'Jonathan'. However, once I develop a bit of a relationship with someone, often resulting in more casual messages, I may revert to 'Jon'.
This is not just laziness (though typing three letters is easier than typing eight). It seems to me that switching to a short form adds a personal touch. It signals that you've moved past experiencing someone just as a potential candidate or client, and that you have made some sort of connection with them. Though I spend about 173% of my work day in front of a computer screen, personal connections are important.
More than that, there is an element of branding involved. Professionally, I am not Jon McLeod*; I am Jonathan McLeod. It may seem unimportant, but it lends clarity and consistency to my professional life - two attributes that, generally, I have found quite important throughout my work history.
But getting back to the matter of the personal connection: upon creating this professional "brand", breaking it down and introducing a nickname can be very important. Customers want to feel that they are valued. Dedicated customers want to feel that they are especially valued. There's not a whole lot that I can offer, but a I can offer a personal connection.
So, if you see me, feel free to call me 'Jon'.
*I hardly ever write or say 'Jon McLeod'. The truncated first name preceding the last name always rings quite odd (except when a few people - who have been employing it for years - say it). Just another reason that I pretty much exclusively go with Jonathan in any official setting.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Helping a Friend: The (Potential) Joys of Recruiting
Last week, I was contacted by a potential candidate with a very familiar name. It was, in fact, someone with whom I had gone to school for about nine years. I hadn't seen her since high school ended, and it was nice to get back in touch.
She has spent the bulk of the last fifteen years in Waterloo, and has only recently returned to Ottawa. Looking over her resume, it struck me that her life has followed a similar path to mine (not that great a surprise, as we had similar academic aptitudes and extra-curricular interests while in school). She has a solid background in technical writing (having spent a number of years at RIM), but finds her career at a bit of a crossroads (which is likely aggravated by the return home). Unfortunately, her experience lies in the private sector, and my company tends to work exclusively with the public sector, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to land her a contract.
Nonetheless, I am determined to help my friend get a good job and rejuvenate her career. I'm not sure how I will do it, but I will try. I am going to send her all the information I have regarding job searching and potential companies in Ottawa to target. I'm also going to put her in touch with some friends who have similar career trajectories to what she desires.
I've always said that the best part about being a recruiter is that my job is to get other people jobs. Such an activity can be extremely satisfying. Now, I just have to be able to use my powers to help a friend.
The bulk of her professional experience is in technical writing, but she is looking to move past that, ideally, into more of a communication writing role. She has experience doing PR, contributing to Zines and writing fiction. She also enjoys working with the public, and is open to receptionist/office administration positions. From what I know of her and her experience, she'd be a great pick up for anyone who needs an office administrator who can also draft documents and edit copy. Despite her experience, she has no conceits and is open to junior positions.
So, here's where we I look to my dear readers for help. Advice, guidance, opportunities: if you have any please do not hesitate to leave a comment.
She has spent the bulk of the last fifteen years in Waterloo, and has only recently returned to Ottawa. Looking over her resume, it struck me that her life has followed a similar path to mine (not that great a surprise, as we had similar academic aptitudes and extra-curricular interests while in school). She has a solid background in technical writing (having spent a number of years at RIM), but finds her career at a bit of a crossroads (which is likely aggravated by the return home). Unfortunately, her experience lies in the private sector, and my company tends to work exclusively with the public sector, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to land her a contract.
Nonetheless, I am determined to help my friend get a good job and rejuvenate her career. I'm not sure how I will do it, but I will try. I am going to send her all the information I have regarding job searching and potential companies in Ottawa to target. I'm also going to put her in touch with some friends who have similar career trajectories to what she desires.
I've always said that the best part about being a recruiter is that my job is to get other people jobs. Such an activity can be extremely satisfying. Now, I just have to be able to use my powers to help a friend.
The bulk of her professional experience is in technical writing, but she is looking to move past that, ideally, into more of a communication writing role. She has experience doing PR, contributing to Zines and writing fiction. She also enjoys working with the public, and is open to receptionist/office administration positions. From what I know of her and her experience, she'd be a great pick up for anyone who needs an office administrator who can also draft documents and edit copy. Despite her experience, she has no conceits and is open to junior positions.
So, here's where we I look to my dear readers for help. Advice, guidance, opportunities: if you have any please do not hesitate to leave a comment.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Pain of the Google Interview
The Business Insider tells the horror story of one new grad's interview with Google:
Perhaps I should alter my interviewing style. Maybe it'd be good to start throwing in some Googlesque questions. I probably won't; I'd probably wind up feeling a bad for my victim.
By the way, if you want a sample of some Google interview questions, go here. I haven't gone through all the questions yet because I'm not in the mood to feel stupid.
About ten minutes in, Oliver turned the tables. “I’m going to ask you a few questions that may sound strange,” he premised. I paused. Is there really any good response to a comment like that? He seemed to read my mind because he elaborated: “These questions are meant to test your analytical thinking.” Oh no. He was about to ask me the famous, ridiculously impossible Google questions I had been reading about online.It's an fun read, and reminds me of a rather poor interview I once had with Cognos. Needless to say, I never got a job at Cognos.
Perhaps I should alter my interviewing style. Maybe it'd be good to start throwing in some Googlesque questions. I probably won't; I'd probably wind up feeling a bad for my victim.
By the way, if you want a sample of some Google interview questions, go here. I haven't gone through all the questions yet because I'm not in the mood to feel stupid.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Bragging, Lying and Writing a Resume
About a month ago, Mrs. JMR applied* for a new job, one for which she was eminently qualified. The challenge came in demonstrating just how qualified she was. It had been a while since she had actively looked for a job, so it had been a while since she had updated her resume. Since the new job is of a different nature than most of her recent jobs, she decided to write a new resume. Like most of the world, she hates writing her resume, so she asked me to go over it before she sent it in.
This brought up an issue that was raised at the Q&A panel I attended a couple of months ago. I felt Mrs. JMR was not fully describing her role in a previous job. She didn't want to egregiously pad her resume. So, the question is, when describing your past experience, at what point does highlighting your qualifications become bragging and at what point does it all become lying?
The question centred around her experience as an assistant dance teacher (the new job is Youth Worker, so this experience was applicable). She was hesitant to claim to have taught dance, because she wasn't the teacher. I felt that she should say she taught dance, because from what she described, she was instructing the kids on how to dance... even if she wasn't necessarily doing the choreography or designing the lesson plan.
Similarly, when I began as a technical recruiter, I was assisting my boss. I was learning the trade and getting accustomed to the processes and methods of recruiting. Legitimately, I could say that I was recruiting. Had I been looking for a job at the time, I should have made clear that I was quite junior, but there would have been no need to downgrade my experience.
Still, one must be careful when writing a resume or answering questions in an interview. Although you should take ownership of all the tasks that you did in a previous job, and should make sure to present the facts in the best possible light, ensuring they support your objective, you do not want to get caught lying. Many hiring managers are subject manager experts, or will have SMEs sit in on an interview. They will be able to catch your embellishments, and if they do, that'll probably be it for your candidacy... even if you were actually qualified.
It can be quite a difficult game, job searching. Excessive modesty will limit your opportunities. Dishonesty will do much the same.
*Yes, I have put off completing this post for so long that she now has the job and I have had to change all the grammar to the past tense.
This brought up an issue that was raised at the Q&A panel I attended a couple of months ago. I felt Mrs. JMR was not fully describing her role in a previous job. She didn't want to egregiously pad her resume. So, the question is, when describing your past experience, at what point does highlighting your qualifications become bragging and at what point does it all become lying?
The question centred around her experience as an assistant dance teacher (the new job is Youth Worker, so this experience was applicable). She was hesitant to claim to have taught dance, because she wasn't the teacher. I felt that she should say she taught dance, because from what she described, she was instructing the kids on how to dance... even if she wasn't necessarily doing the choreography or designing the lesson plan.
Similarly, when I began as a technical recruiter, I was assisting my boss. I was learning the trade and getting accustomed to the processes and methods of recruiting. Legitimately, I could say that I was recruiting. Had I been looking for a job at the time, I should have made clear that I was quite junior, but there would have been no need to downgrade my experience.
Still, one must be careful when writing a resume or answering questions in an interview. Although you should take ownership of all the tasks that you did in a previous job, and should make sure to present the facts in the best possible light, ensuring they support your objective, you do not want to get caught lying. Many hiring managers are subject manager experts, or will have SMEs sit in on an interview. They will be able to catch your embellishments, and if they do, that'll probably be it for your candidacy... even if you were actually qualified.
It can be quite a difficult game, job searching. Excessive modesty will limit your opportunities. Dishonesty will do much the same.
*Yes, I have put off completing this post for so long that she now has the job and I have had to change all the grammar to the past tense.
Monday, November 16, 2009
How not to Introduce Yourself to a Recruiter
I received an email today from a candidate for a Business Systems Analyst. The first line read:
When interviewing candidates, I often have people who begin telling me about their family life, their medical history or their faith - all things about which I am not allowed legally to ask. It is only in the rarest of circumstances that it would be appropriate for a recruiter to ask about these things. Correspondingly, I am often quite uncomfortable when people bring these subjects up, especially the matters of faith and health.
Here's why: In Canada, it is (or should be) fairly common knowledge that potential employers are not allowed to ask these questions, nor are they allowed to hire people on the basis of the answers. Bringing up your faith demonstrates that you have no regard for the situation I am in, and no regard for the predicament that you are causing for me. Such blissful ignorance will not serve you well should you find yourself employed and expected to function as part of a time.
Further, it is thoroughly unprofessional. One's faith has little or nothing to do with the job at hand - doing enterprise scale .NET development. If you can't keep focus during a 20 minute interview (or an email written in about 30 seconds), what 'faith' should I have that you will be able to remain focused through the course of your work day?
I would certainly never hire someone for reasons based on their family life, health or religious beliefs, but if you decide to bring them into the hiring calculus, don't be surprised if that decision turns out to be a mark against you.
By the way, the guy who emailed me was unqualified and lives in another country, so I couldn't present him to my client anyway. This could mean that the error was a cultural issue. Nonetheless, I have encountered this phenomenon with many people born and raised in Canada, so I stand by the intent of this post (and how do I know that they were born and raised in Canada...).
I am a devoted Christian who believes in hardwork, honesty and transparency,because i believe we will all die one day and give accounts of our stewardship to God.I'm not really sure what to do with that.
When interviewing candidates, I often have people who begin telling me about their family life, their medical history or their faith - all things about which I am not allowed legally to ask. It is only in the rarest of circumstances that it would be appropriate for a recruiter to ask about these things. Correspondingly, I am often quite uncomfortable when people bring these subjects up, especially the matters of faith and health.
Here's why: In Canada, it is (or should be) fairly common knowledge that potential employers are not allowed to ask these questions, nor are they allowed to hire people on the basis of the answers. Bringing up your faith demonstrates that you have no regard for the situation I am in, and no regard for the predicament that you are causing for me. Such blissful ignorance will not serve you well should you find yourself employed and expected to function as part of a time.
Further, it is thoroughly unprofessional. One's faith has little or nothing to do with the job at hand - doing enterprise scale .NET development. If you can't keep focus during a 20 minute interview (or an email written in about 30 seconds), what 'faith' should I have that you will be able to remain focused through the course of your work day?
I would certainly never hire someone for reasons based on their family life, health or religious beliefs, but if you decide to bring them into the hiring calculus, don't be surprised if that decision turns out to be a mark against you.
By the way, the guy who emailed me was unqualified and lives in another country, so I couldn't present him to my client anyway. This could mean that the error was a cultural issue. Nonetheless, I have encountered this phenomenon with many people born and raised in Canada, so I stand by the intent of this post (and how do I know that they were born and raised in Canada...).
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