1. What are some interview red flags?
When you’re in an interview, pay attention to how the hiring manager is talking about their employees. If this role is replacing someone who left, it’s crucial to get an understanding as to why. If the hiring manager is constantly down-talking past (or even current) employees, this can be a huge red flag of it being a toxic work culture. Other red flags to watch for are things like, was the hiring manager late to the interview and do they listen when you speak, or do they cut you off? As candidates, we sometimes ignore these flags because we’re nervous and sometimes too anxious about landing the job, so we justify this behavior in our minds. If hiring managers show up more than 5 mins late to your interview and/or constantly cut you off, it’s pretty clear that respect just isn’t there. This is not a company I would pursue.
2. What makes a candidate an “excellent candidate”?
An excellent candidate to me, is someone who is authentic and proud to be themselves. Establishing a personal brand is what will make you stand out from the crowd. Too many people assume their personal brand is the company they work for, their job title, their credentials etc. but it’s not. A personal brand is who you are as a person. What are your morals/values? What do you enjoy doing? What are you passionate about? Understanding and defining this, is crucial so you can choose an employer than aligns with your personal brand. Meeting candidates who are proud to be who they are and are different is so refreshing. Too many people want to follow the path most travelled and doing this only makes you blend into the crowd. Find your personal brand!!
3. What can applicants do to stand out in a resume?
When companies post a role, they typically get hundreds of resumes and only spend roughly 10 seconds on each one. To stand out, I highly suggest candidates add a section at the very start of their resume and label it “Key Career Achievements”. In this section, list out 6-10 achievements/ways you saved the company money or time/successful projects you led etc. (throughout your entire career, not just your current role).
4. Should I have a LinkedIn profile and what do recruiters look for on there?
Absolutely! Every single working professional (and even students in college/university) should have a LinkedIn profile! Make sure you have a professional headshot (no selfies!), make sure to list your current city and update your career history (even if you’ve switched industries). Recruiters will search for keywords during a search, so going and updating the “skills” section to your LinkedIn profile is also super important!
5. Do recruiters still want to see a cover letter? Should I be sending a cover letter even when it isn’t being asked for?
I personally think cover letters are dying out because they are hardly ever customized! If you’re going to write a cover letter, it’s SO important to FULLY customize it with things like why you are interested in the role, what you know about the company, what excites you about the opportunity etc. I, myself as a recruiter, don’t require cover letters and rather have a candidate speak openly about themselves and their interests, on a call. It’s much better to get a good understanding of personality on the phone versus a cover letter!
6. What are some good sample questions that, as a candidate, I can ask the recruiter or hiring manager?
It’s so important that candidates come prepared with insightful questions for the interview. Some key ones are:
Why is this role available?
Good to get an understanding if this is a new role due to company growth or if it’s replacing someone who is no longer at the company.
What kind of projects is the company looking to take on in the next few years?
This gives you an idea of what you’d be exposed to.
What would success look like, if you found the right candidate?
Gives you an understanding of their personal opinion on what the right candidate would bring to the table.
What does onboarding look like?
Companies who don’t have an onboarding best practice outlined, may be a red flag. If they don’t know how to get you up and running, will you have enough support to be successful?
