The Ten Biggest Interview Killers

Found an interesting article on interview killers...thought it was well written and every point worthy of sharing. (From yahoo.com - written by Joe Turner)

The 10 Biggest Interview Killers

When you're on a romantic dinner date, you try to avoid "mood killers" -- talking with a mouth full of food, cursing an ex-lover, or complaining about a foot ailment. During a job interview, you have to avoid similar spoilers if you want to make a good impression.

Here are 10 of the most common "advantage killers" and how you can steer clear of them during your next job interview.

1. Not knowing your aim. Too often candidates think their purpose in an interview is simply to ask for a job. Your goals are to demonstrate how you are a good fit for the organization, and to assess whether the job is really right for you.

2. Being too needy. Neediness is probably the No. 1 advantage-killer in an interview. Remind yourself before walking in the door: you do not need this job. You do need food, you do need air, and you do need water. Keep things in perspective.

3. Lousy nonverbal communication. This is about demonstrating confidence. Your first impression makes the difference. When you enter the interview room, stand up straight, make eye contact, and offer a strong handshake with your interviewer. If necessary, jot their name on your notepad as soon as you seat yourself. Do the same for any other individual you are meeting with.

4. Compromising your position. You should always participate in the interview as an equal, not a subordinate, of the person conducting the interview. Often this is a subtle matter of self-perception, so remind yourself before the interview.

5. Falling into the answers-only rut. An interview is a conversation. Don't just answer their questions. That's why you've prepared stories to highlight your accomplishments, which will be your moments to shine. When you do answer any questions, make sure that you answer immediately and follow up with a question of your own, if at all possible.

6. Rambling. Telling your interviewer more than they need to know could be fatal. Your stories should be 60 to 90 seconds long and they should have a relevant point. Focus, focus, focus. Stick with your rehearsed stories, your research, and the questions you need to ask. Don't fill up the silence with unnecessary talk.

7. Being overly familiar. A good interviewer will be skilled enough to put you at ease within the first 10 minutes of the interview. That doesn't mean that they have become your best friend. Don't let your guard down. You're there to interview them and get answers to your questions. Treat this from start to finish as the professional business meeting that it is.

8. Making incorrect assumptions. Points are not deducted at the interview for asking questions when you don't understand something. Don't guess at what your interviewer means. Effective interviewing is all about collecting information in real time, taking good notes, and responding only to the actual facts you've collected. If you find yourself making assumptions or guessing about something that was said, stop and ask for clarification before you answer.

9. Getting emotional. At times the interviewer may hit a nerve or consciously try to provoke you into an "outburst." Don't fall for it. Clear your mind of any fears or expectations, so you can maintain a calm, open-minded perspective at all times. When emotions enter into an interview, failure follows.

10. Not asking specific questions. You want to find out more about what this job is really about and whether you want it. Arrive with a list of several prepared questions about the company, the position, and the people who work there. Ask questions that begin with "what," "how," and "why." Avoid simple yes/no questions. Get your interviewer talking as much as possible, then take notes. Most interviewers are unimpressed by someone who has no questions.

Most Common Job Titles I Receive to Work On

Thought it may interest some of you to hear about the types of jobs/job titles that I seem to be receiving the most orders to fill these days. Hands down I am swamped with engineering and manufacturing related roles right now...with only a handful of sales and related position titles currently.

As with pretty much every year since I have been recruiting in this industry, it seems to be cyclical...by seasons almost...with the Fall, Winter and beginning portion of Spring finding myself bogged down with manufacturing, engineering and operations positions and few sales roles. Mid way through Spring sales and marketing positions suddenly almost out of nowhere seem to pull the majority of my focus while the manufacturing and engineering positions seemingly slow down.

This year, I sense it may be a bit different as I have a fairly even mix of both going into Spring and Summer months and do not see it slowing down one bit. Even amidst the talk of downsizing and the dismal housing market...the job market in my opinion remains strong. Always a good sign if a recruiter has enough work to keep busy!

How the Market Looks

I saw an interesting poll result provided by W&D Weekly that polled people within the industry that posed teh question on whether or not they experienced an "Opening Day" as far as when they started to see sales boost up from the slow wintery months. Those results are below and are right on par with what I, as a recruiter see in the industry with the job market really starting to heat up this month! It should be a great year, even with all teh many dismal articles and industry gossip you hear of layoffs and downturn in housing market.

Survey Results for 04/04/2007: (From W&D Weekly email newsletter)

If your business experiences an “Opening Day” each year, around when does it start?

April 1 - 33%

We don't experience a “season.” - 30%

March 1 - 20%

May 1- 15%

A different time - 2%

For years, industry people have talked about “the season.” Much effort goes into designing new lines and getting new equipment ordered and tooled up so products are ready to roll when the new season starts. Assuming that it was different from region to region and market to market, I knew there wasn’t one date for all window and door companies to kick off their new selling years, but inspired by the start of baseball season I figured I’d ask.

A good portion of you doesn’t see a “season” in your business at all, and that makes sense, given the climate in much of our country. I’m sure that’s a blessing in many ways, especially when it comes to managing a workforce.

Among the specific choices, April 1 pulled more votes by far than March 1, May 1 or “some other date” as the date things go into high gear. No matter which day they selected, I suspect respondents are a little apprehensive this year. Most involved in the new construction business probably expect to be, at best, a little light this year, and some may be bracing for worse, given the state of the housing market. I know more people are definitely pinning their hopes on remodeling and replacement. There are still question marks, however, when it comes to homeowners spending big money on projects and fix-ups. Let’s hope we start to see that activity as we come out of the winter thaw.

How to Negotiate Your Salary

I came across a great article with some good tips on how to negotiate your salary...while a good recruiter will handle this for you through the interview process, I know many of you are interviewing in your own as well...so thought it may be useful to some of you!

There are some basic commandments to help you negotiate the best possible deal in any economic climate when changing jobs. They are:

1. Be prepared. The more information you have about your market value and the prospective employer, the greater your likelihood of success. This is the first commandment because it's the most important. There's a wealth of information available on the Internet, at the public library and through professional associations and networking groups. Time spent learning how to negotiate and preparing for negotiations may be the best investment you'll ever make.

2. Recognize that employment negotiations are different. When the negotiations are over, you'll have to work with the person with whom you're negotiating. Moreover, your future success may depend on that person. So, while you want to negotiate the best possible deal, you need to do so in a way that doesn't damage your image.

3. Understand your needs and those of the employer. To be successful in this type of negotiation, you need to examine your priorities. What do you really want? For example, are you comfortable with a low salary and a large equity stake? Are you able to handle dramatic swings in income from year to year? Understanding your needs also will help you determine the type of company you want to work for. By recognizing what an employer can do, you'll be able to determine what issues you should press.

4. Understand the dynamics of the particular negotiations. Sometimes you'll have skills that are in great demand. And sometimes, you may be one of several qualified candidates the company would be happy to hire. Sizing up the situation and understanding the relative position of each party will help you determine when to press your advantage and when to back off. Knowing when to ask is often critical to getting what you want.

5. Be creative. Consider the value of the total package. Look for different ways to achieve your objectives. Be willing to make tradeoffs to increase the total value of the deal. If you're creative, you can package what you want in ways that will be acceptable to the company. You'll also be able to find creative "trades" that allow you to withdraw requests that might be problematic to the company in return for improvements in areas where the company has more flexibility.

6. Focus on your goals, not on winning. Too often in negotiations, the act of winning becomes more important than achieving your goals. It's important not to make your future boss feel as if he's lost in the negotiations. You'll have gained little by negotiating a good deal if you alienate your future boss in the process.

7. Know when to quit bargaining. The one sure way to lose everything you've achieved is to be greedy. There comes a point in every negotiation when you've gotten everything you could have reasonably expected to gain. While most companies will want to treat you fairly and make you happy, few companies want to hire a prima donna. Being perceived as greedy or unreasonable may cause the deal to fall apart. Even if it doesn't, you'll have done immeasurable harm to your career. This brings us to the 11th and most important commandment:

8. Never forget that employment is an ongoing relationship. Job negotiations are the starting point for your career with a company. Get too little and you're disadvantaged throughout your career there; push too hard and you can sour the relationship before it begins.

Understanding these principles will allow you to effectively negotiate the terms of your new job in good times and in bad. Once you are hired, do your job well and continually seek out new challenges. As you take on added responsibilities and learn new skills, there will be opportunities to negotiate further improvements.

Tips on Finding Your Next Job!

It is completely frustrating to know that there are so many truly good industry folks out there looking for jobs right now…and more importantly really struggling to find that right opportunity. It is always a bit of timing and dumb luck at my end with the opportunities that I receive or drum up to recruit for and unfortunately that does not help all those great candidates who I know find that next job any quicker. As such, I thought a quick list of tips, sites or sources that I would personally recommend and/or use if I were in my own job hunt might benefit some of you.

Call a Recruiter. Connect with an industry qualified recruiter. Benefits being they are typically tapped into the industry very well and know many people and contacts throughout the country. They also usually know of many confidential searches that are not advertised on the mainstream job boards. The downfall here with recruiters is finding a recruiter who will hang with you and not give up on finding you that right position. I am not saying that a good recruiter can work miracles and find you a job in record breaking time…yet a good recruiter will stay in touch with you and always keep you in mind. The biggest complaint I hear from candidates is that recruiters seem to call you when they need you, leaving them feel used.

The typical job boards. While I think the job boards are great…I also view them as a major distraction in anyone’s job search. Everyone goes to and frequents the top sites…Monster, HotJobs, Careebuilder, The ladders. There are many downfalls to relying strictly on the job boards for that next job. Due to the number of candidates that search and apply through job boards that by the time your resume gets to whoever the “screener” at the company you are sending your resume to…it can quite easily get lost and dumped into a vault of never to be seen or found again resumes. For example, when I typically post a job on Monster, say for a sales position, I get back easily hundreds of resumes. Multiply that one job posting by several for larger companies…and you’ve got a major administrative mess on anyone’s hands. Best bet for pursuing a job you see posted on a job board or company website is to see if your favorite recruiter (Carlyn Burns! ha ha!) has an in with that company, or simply ask them to call the company on your behalf. Having a recruiter present you to a company often, if not always gains you instant credibility for being an extremely worthy candidate!

Network, network, network! This is honestly one of the leading ways that candidates find their jobs – regardless of industry. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those you have worked with in the past and get your name out there. Let everyone you respect and know in the industry know that you are looking for that next job…you would be amazed how quickly news travels and how many referrals may pan out for you. Don’t forget to contact former peers, bosses, customers you called on or dealt with, suppliers, association members, no one is off limits here…network! You’d be surprised at how many candidates I have recommended this to who tell me they would be too embarrassed to call old bosses or co workers and let them know they were out of work…don't let your pride get in the way…again, this is one the best and most reliable ways to get a job these days!

Join a club! There are many industry associations, networking opportunities out there. Think outside the box and join your local chamber or better business meetings – most cities have networking meetings frequently – check out eth business section in your local newspaper. My best recommendation for networking with others is by far Linked in. You can find the site at www.linkedin.com It is free to join and you can connect and communicate with people in and outside of the industry all over the country. I personally know of several people who found their last job this way.

Unemployment Office. Believe it or not, often the unemployment office in your city receives several job openings that are not always publicly posted on major job boards or anywhere for that matter. Many companies are trying to be more and more economical with their advertising costs for job ads, and can place free job ads with eth unemployment office, as well as online at: http://www.dod.jobsearch.org/ (site comes up as dept of defense, but allows you to post resumes and search for jobs for free. Downside of this site, there are a lot of hourly waged jobs listed here…sometime you have to dig or keep checking back.

Place an ad. Selling your skills and expertise could not be any easier than taking out a quick and simple ad in any of the mainstream trade publications. No need for flashy graphics...just list the basics and keep it brief...your experience, job/title you are seeking and a way to contact you. There is also no need to spend a huge amount of money on something like this...you would be surprised how inexpensive a few words in one of eth leading trade publications is!

And finally…never ever, ever pay anyone, any service, etc. to find that next job for you. I have heard way too many horror stories from many candidates who have been “taken” for lots of money and time in grand promises from companies who promise to get your resumes to thousands of companies and hiring authorities, etc. If it sounds too good to be true…it probably is. Good luck in your job search & rest assured your dream job is probably right around the corner!

Announcement - Julie Specht Promoted!

Julie Specht, my Project Coordinator who has worked with me for the past 2 years will be moving on and up to be a recruiter here at our office April 1st! Julie is staying with our same office here in the Carolinas, yet we will just be working and focusing on a separate industry from now on.

Julie will be focusing on the door hardware industry on the commercial side of things while I (Carlyn) will keep my focus on the same industries of Windows, Doors, Lumber, Millwork. While we are sad to split up our team, as we have had lots of fun and success over the past few years…we are also excited at the change and allowing Julie an opportunity to be promoted!

For now, I have decided to hold off on hiring another Project Coordinator to replace Julie, so please direct all your contact and communications to me from this point forward. We wish Julie lots of good luck and success!

Tips on Acing Your Next Telephone Interview

The dreaded telephone interview! I cannot think of too many candidates that I have worked with over the years that actually look forward to this type of interview...I can hardly blame them, as they typically are very difficult to pull off successfully...especially for sales people who are more accustomed to speaking and "selling" in person.

The telephone screening interview is a make-or-break proposition, your one chance to convince the interviewer that you are worth serious consideration. The interviewer will be carefully listening carefully to determine three factors: your sincere interest in the job, how you verbalize your qualifications and how aggressively you pursue the position.

Voice reflects personality. A well-modulated, controlled voice communicates authority and heightens the verbal impact you want to make. The quality, pitch and tempo of your speech convey a certain attitude, energy level and enthusiasm.

Here are some practical tips to enhance your phone "personality" and overall presentation:

1. Talk directly into the mouthpiece. Hold the receiver approximately three inches from the mouth, not below your chin or above your nose. Speak in a relaxed, conversational style as though the other person were in the same room, not on the other side of the plant.
2. Avoid sitting in a hunched position, grasping the phone in a vise-like grip. Try standing, it opens your diaphragm to a smoother air flow and imparts a feeling of liveliness. Getting up and moving around introduces an element of action, which instills a relaxed, conversational manner and reduces fatigue.
3. Pay attention to the interviewer's voice patterns; does he speak slowly or rapidly? Try to match the cadence so that the conversion flows smoothly. Adjust your speaking rate, voice volume and phrasing to be more in rhythm with the interviewer.
4. Sound upbeat. If you had a lousy day and came home to find your spouse and kids arguing, put it out of your mind. Genuine enthusiasm is contagious. Smile to show a sense of humor. After all, the interviewer may have had a bad day too.
5. Be a conversationalist. Listen carefully to get the big picture and to avoid saying something that indicates any momentary mental distraction. Allow the interviewer to complete questions without you finishing his train of thought or blurting out answers prematurely.
6. Handle any trick questions in stride. The interviewer may throw in several to test your alertness or mental keenness. Showing verbal adeptness is a sign of how quickly you can "think on your feet." Be cautious: the interviewer may say something that puzzles you or that you firmly disagree with. Show enough respect to voice your thoughts in a professional manner.

While phone interviews can be somewhat tricky to pull off successfully, remember only in a face-to-face interview can you totally sell yourself. The purpose of the phone interview is to identify areas of mutual interest that warrant further investigation. and to ultimately get invited in for a face to face interview! I have a very detailed document on how to ace an in person/face to face interview...if anyone is interested, please email me and I will send you a copy of it. Good Luck!

Tips on How to Write a Winning Resume

Sad but true...if you don't have a well written and formatted resume, chances are you are missing out on many job opportunities as your resume may disqualify you from being considered or given a chance to interview. As recruiters, we see our fair share of not so hot or impressive resumes. It is truly amazing how even the most educated or polished person can put together a poorly written and laid out resume. Here are some tips that we suggest as guidelines to ensure your resume is up to par and will get the attention of recruiters and also hiring authorities to land you that next job.

Tips on Content:

• Keep it relevant to the job you apply for - it is more than okay to have a few versions of your resume that cater to the types of positions you are targeting in your job search.
• Use chronological format for career in the same industry. Start with most current job as that will be most relevant and of the most interest to anyone that is reviewing your resume.
• Show progression of career and highlight promotions - this is your first impression - sell your accomplishments that make you stand out from the crowd!
• For short tenure or frequent moves provide reasons for leaving.
• Avoid gaps in time line. If you have gaps, explain or be prepared to explain them away.
• Do not provide a lot of detail on positions that go more than ten years back
• Cover entire length of career, do not omit “Early History”
• Describe companies and industries - don't assume that everyone knows who or what the company you have listed on your resume manufactured.
• For sales careers, mention specific customer groups and key customers
• Use action words that suggest activity
• Focus on achievements and quantify them whenever possible
• Avoid repeating the same functions
• Stay in the same tense
• “Personal” section – only include relevant information
• Education and training at the end
• Have someone else read it and provide feedback
• Include professional associations and memberships
• Spell and grammar check!! Nothing worse than having an abundance of typos throughout your resume...after all this is the first impression you are making to the company you are applying for.

Tips on Appearance, Format & Layout:

• Length of resume not to exceed two pages, three pages for senior executives
• Maintain a lot of white space – should be easy to read
• Use plain fonts, not smaller than 10 even uf you are a graphic artist, your resume is not really the time to show off your artistic computer abilities - keep it simple and professional!
• Do not include graphics
• Use organization – break down in sections
• Include a “Summary” section –this allows you to explain your entire history in one statement rather than leaving it up to someone else’s interpretation
• Include an “Objective” when it is concise and consistent with the job you are applying for
• Use bullet points rather than narrative

Top 10 Things NOT To Do if you are a Candidate

Listed below are the top 10 things of what NOT to do during the interview process or after getting hired. These are real life examples (or as we recruiters call them - horror stories!) from things candidates actually did while recruiters in our office had them in the interview process or did shortly after getting hired with one of our clients. We could not help ourselves from adding a light hearted element of humor to some of the items below! Enjoy!

1. Do not, we repeat not, ever ask fellow employees and your manager on the first day of your job if they have ever seen maggots in their water. (We kid you not - this actually happened!)
2. Do not ever scream at the top of your lungs while stomping on the ground that there is a spider (or any other creepy crawler) on the ceiling of the room that you are interviewing in. Probably best to avoid mentioning at all!
3. If you are hired by a company, it is probably not ever a good idea to show up in former work uniforms bearing a former company's logo. This holds true especially in this case where uniforms or logo shirts were not required by the company the candidate went to work for!
4. If you are not selected as the sales candidate of choice and are NOT hired for a position we have you in on...it is never a good idea to in this case go out into the territory and tell the company's customers that you were hired and are their new sales rep - when in fact you were turned down for the position!
5. It is never a good idea to break down and start crying mid way through an interview. We don't even suggest allowing yourself to tear up. Kinda makes you look a bit unstable!
6. A candidate once asked the company we had him interviewing with for reimbursement for a $120 dinner bill for dinner for him alone the night before his interview. We were told by the company that the receipt included a nice steak, but mostly alcoholic beverages!
7. When interviewing, be truthful! If you have a criminal history, or have a spouse who isn't behind relocating across the country, if you don't have a degree, ...don't lie! We could write a book on the many lies we have heard and discovered from candidates!
8. It is best to leave all the 4 letter words you know at home the day of the interview. It is never really recommended to swear like a sailor when you are in an interview. We don't even recommend doing it after getting hired...yet it is a sure fire way to get eliminated from consideration if you have major potty mouth!
9. Don't ever send your resume to the company that just hired you. It is probably a dead give away to them that you have no intention of staying with them and are only using them until the next better job rolls around. Oops!
10. If you do not get selected as the candidate of choice for the position we have you in for...do not freak out, have a temper tantrum and stalk us or the company with several phone calls and emails trying to get us to reconsider the decision. It is best to suck it up and move on...stalking in general is not accepted by anyone these days and your annoying follow ups and desperate pleas for reconsideration will probably just make you look bad....or even worse, have you be referenced on a recruiters top ten no-no's list! : )

Welcome to the Windmill!

As recruiters specializing in the Building Materials Industry, speaking to hundreds of industry professionals on a weekly basis, we wanted to find a way to provide an easy and effective way to communicate and keep as many people within the industry we know and talk to informed on a more frequent basis. We will update our Blog posts frequently, on a weekly basis at a minimum with new jobs we are working on, questions or topics that may be of use and of interest to us all.

The name of our Blog - The Windmill - evolved simply from taking part of the word Windows and part of the word Millwork and combining them...fortunately it actually made a real word which certainly helped make some sense! Although since the actual word appears to have no relation to the Building Materials industry, we felt it warranted an explanation as to how we came up with the name. Please feel free to share your ideas, comments and suggestions with us on anything relating to the Building Materials Industry.

This Blog is an evolving work in progress for us and we will strive to make it as informative as possible to keep you all coming back to visit the site frequently.We take an immense amount of pride in serving both candidates and clients in the industry and look forward to helping all of you find your next dream job or perfect candidate for that hard to fill position!

About Carlyn Burns - Account Executive

I started my career with MRI in Upstate, NY and then upon moving to the Charlotte, NC area in 2002 I joined MRI of Lancaster County.

I absolutely love recruiting and helping people find their dream jobs as well as finding candidates for companies that make an impact on their organization. In addition the Building Materials industry has become something that I really have a passion for…not only for the innovative and new products that are continually being introduced but also for the fantastic people the industry attracts as well.

I have a beautiful 6 year old daughter, Cassidy, who is the love of my life! In my spare time (which is not much these days!) I enjoy reading, movies, gardening and spending as much time as possible with our newest family member – Bailey – a golden retriever puppy born on 12/18/06! ceb@mrilanco.com 803-548-8140, ext. 16

About Julie Specht - Project Coordinator

I am originally from the Chicago area and moved to Charlotte in 2004 and joined MRI of Lancaster County. I went to college in Illinois and earned a degree in Marketing and when I moved to Charlotte ended up getting into recruiting and it turns out to be a perfect fit. What I like most about recruiting is getting satisfaction of matching people up with career opportunities, getting to talk to hundreds of candidates and clients and continually learning about the Building Materials industry, which I love!

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading, travelling and spending time outdoors. Moving to Charlotte turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. Not only finding a rewarding career, but being able to live in the Southeast and having met some wonderful people.

jas@mrilanco.com 803-548-8140 ext.19