To many companies, hiring a recruiter may seem costly and maybe even unnecessary, especially if you have an HR department. But there are several benefits to outsourcing the hiring process. Working with a knowledgeable recruiter, who is an expert in your industry will not only save you time and money, but can also target talent that your competitors may also be trying to attract. Here are 4 benefits to working with a recruiter

Here are the 4 Benefits of Working With a Recruiter:

1. Recruiters Have Specialized Experience

Depending on the recruiting firm, the recruiter may know just as much about your industry and the type of people you’re looking for your company. Many recruiters focus on specific industries or roles and have wide ranging contacts in your field. When working with a recruiter, you not only benefit by working with an experienced, specialized professional, but also their connections, database of candidates and search strategies built from years of experience.

2. Recruiters Can Save You Time and Money

Think about it, the longer the position is empty, the more time and money you’ll lose. Even if your company does have an HR department, the amount of time allocated to the hiring process may not be enough. Recruiters take care of about everything in the hiring process, which speeds up the hiring process and frees you up to focus on your other tasks. When you speak to candidates referred by recruiters, you will only speak to qualified, pre-screened candidates that fit your bill.

3. Recruiters Serve as a Partner Through the Entire Process

Recruiters will accompany you throughout the entire recruiting, interviewing, hiring and on-boarding processes. Most recruiters do not get paid unless they produce a successful hiring, so it's in their best interest that everything runs smoothly. Recruiters will help with and/or take over components of the hiring process, such as background testing, reference gathering, and salary negotiations, to minimize errors.

4. Recruiters Serve as the Eyes and Ears in the Industry

Recruiters know what’s going on in the industry, from what hiring strategies are being used by top companies to the typical traits of candidates you and your competitors are looking for. It is important for you to use recruiters as a resource to learn as much as you can to beat out the competition.

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2019 was a very good year for job growth in IT, and 2020 looks to be just as robust. Businesses both looking to expand and to keep current continue to invest heavily in technology, a trend which translates to ample opportunities for IT professionals.

In a field with a current unemployment rate as low as 3.3%  as well as competitive salaries, here are 7 of the hottest positions.

1. Project Managers

Average Salary: $113,595

Project managers are in high demand especially for businesses taking on ever larger IT projects. Fluent in both industry-specific issues, tech savvy PMs act as the bridge between business and technology. They have experience leading teams and can oversee and manage the flow of work. What has commonly been an outsourced position is more often these days becoming a high demand staff position in many industries.   

2.  Software Engineers and Developers

Average Salary: $96,329

Ranked the #1 IT position by Computerworld for 2015, Software Engineers and Developers are in high demand. They are the heart and soul of any computer based c ompany and as a result are well compensated. Candidates with the ability to develop software and programs for complex, large scale projects are even more in demand, as many industries are coming to rely heavily on these professionals.

3. Business and Systems Analyst

Average Salary: $115,725

The ability to wrangle Big Data to ensure that IT projects are meeting business needs and goals is what makes this a highly valuable IT position. A great Analyst is able to blend strong business acumen with technology in their capacity charge of uniting business strategies with future projections.  Business and Systems Analysts are also in charge of following the market and keeping up with the fast pace of technological advances.

4. Security/Compliance, Governance and Analysis

Average Salary: $88,590

With new cyber threats developing every day, both C-Levels and Boards are willing to budget the money it takes to prevent and stall breaches. This is a wide and varied field that offers opportunities in incident management as well as threat and vulnerability assessment. Security solutions architects, vulnerability testers, engineers and those who understand the threats are being sought across a wide variety of industries . Another sector with high demand/low supply, it’s an attractive field that offers job security and competitive salaries.

5. Web Developers

Average Salary: $68,606

Developers build websites from the ground up, and are responsible for creating the functionality, navigation as well as often the design. While this used to often be a freelance position, many sectors have moved web development in-house in order to ensure they are always current and up to date. Employers are also investing their developers ongoing certifications and enrichment. With a healthy gap between supply of good developers and the high demand, there is very low unemployment in this sector.

6. Network Administration/Engineering

Average Salary: $ 74,000

Network Administrators and Engineers ensure that digital businesses grow and thrive. Working on the backend, they make certain that the pipelines are clear and sites can operate at their optimal speeds and efficiency. People with knowledge of IP routing, switching, firewalls, network management, integration and packet tracing/debugging are high on the list of hires for this year.

7. Sales

Average Base Salary: $80,000 with total compensation averaging to $150,000 and up.

While not strictly a technical job, IT Sales is as much a part of this growing sector as engineers and developers. Between start-ups selling exciting new technologies, to long established businesses moving into new products, there are ample opportunities in Sales. Salesmen working in the IT sector need to be facile with technology and easily able to understand the complexities of the products they are selling. This is a fast-growth field with many opportunities for advancement for high-performers.

NOTE: Average salary statistics sourced from http://www.payscale.com/ and/or J.Patrick & Associates direct knowledge of current median incomes. 

Just like a killer headline, a well-crafted job description can make all the difference in attracting your dream candidates. Think of your job description as a net you cast to attract and reel in qualified candidates. With all the competition casting out their nets, how exactly will your job description attract your dream candidate? 

Check out these 4 innovative ways to create a killer job description.

What Does Your Company Have to Offer?

It used to be a big no-no to include compensation details such as salary perks, benefits and incentives on your job listings. But in today’s competitive market, savvy candidates want to know this information before they’ll even consider applying. Providing salary ranges, information on competitive employee benefits and perks will help steer your most qualified candidates to your team.

Find Your Company’s Voice

Write the job description in the voice and language that matches your company’s personality and evokes the values and uniqueness of your company’s culture. How is your company culture unique compared to others? Are you a casual company or a button down corporation? Remember, your “net” should be made to attract people who are right for the position and, most importantly, your company.

Listing Responsibilities

Dr. Gordon Medlock, Sr. Talent Management Consultant with HRIZONS explains that there are 3 general approaches to writing job responsibilities, these include:

1. A detailed task list
2. A list of job responsibilities and associated tasks, or
3. A list of job specific competencies

Whichever approach your company decides to use, it is important to keep the list concise. Use bullet points and direct language to allow prospects to easily read through the responsibilities without getting lost. Make sure to include requirements for the position such knowledge of specific tools, certifications, and education.

Embrace Modern Technology

Spice up the job description with photographs that shows off your team and workplace, or videos that embody your company’s culture. Google’s Career page exemplifies the company’s culture and atmosphere through the use of bright photos. This is an opportunity to give prospects an inside look at your company and to show off any unique features. NASA’s video, “Careers: Women at NASA” is catered to women and gives an in depth look at NASA’s corporate culture, various positions available, and employee testimonials.

Social media is a great way to spread the word about your openings. Advertising your job openings on various social media platforms provides a larger talent pool to choose from. Time Inc. uses Twitter as another platform to advertise their job openings as well as to provide tips and advice for prospective applicants. Who knows, your next high performing employee may be a current follower!

Writing a great cover letter that is specific to each job search application is a must in today’s career marketplace. Using a one-size-fits-all, general cover letter for all your applications and communications is not an effective means to uniquely present yourself in a job search. The following six cover letter tips will help you write a concise, impactful cover letter, that will improve your chances of getting noticed and receiving that call for the coveted interview:

6 Ways to Ensure Your Cover Letter is Read

1. Ensure your cover letter is short

No more than a computer screenshot or a couple of scrolls on a smartphone. That’s it! Hiring managers and associates do not read much more than that length. If it is longer, you run the risk of your letter getting skipped over.

2. Address your cover letter to a person

An actual person! Do not send it “To Whom It May Concern” or “Hiring Manager.”  Do the homework and research who you should be addressing your cover letter to for your submission. 

3. Specify how you found the person that you are emailing. 

Most people have an instinctive response like, “How did they get my name?” when receiving an unsolicited, yet personalized inquiry. To be sure your email is received positively, indicate early on in the cover letter email how you came to discover the person in order to put the receiving party at immediate ease to continue reading. Whether it was research on LinkedIn or your former co-worker that led you to reach out to this person, informing the recipient of how your email landed in their inbox makes the person feel better.

4. Be explicit as to what job you are looking for

Do not leave it up to the hiring manager to decide which job you are applying to or where you may fit within their organization. If you do, your cover letter may get filed under the “T” file (Trash).

5. Do not write the cover letter as a prose version of your resume.

Period. It is not meant to be a regurgitation of your resume. A cover letter is supposed to summarize to the reader the value you will bring to the prospective organization and how your background fills a need they have. Nothing will put your credentials in the ‘no’ pile faster than a lengthy, synopsis of your career history with no ties as to how your credentials benefit the hiring organization.

6. Help the reader connect the dots as to why they call you

Use bullets, and no more than 3-5 bullets, to outline how you are a fit for the prospective position. Lastly, of course, end your letter with the professional niceties of thanking the person for their time and assertively offering to follow up to set up an interview time. Polite enthusiasm and humble persistence are never out of style and always stand out in a positive light in today’s marketplace.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

Effective relationships with executive recruiters can play an instrumental part in career advances for the rising professional and the established executive. Whether you’ve worked with executive recruiters before or this is your first time, there is a lot to know about how to build effective working relationships with recruiters.

To have an effective relationship with a recruiter, it is important to understand the industry’s business model and the role you play as a potential candidate. Job seekers that fail to recognize how the recruiting process works often find themselves frustrated and unrepresented. 

Keep in mind these eight points when working with an executive recruiter:

1. The Executive Recruiter works for the Client Company NOT the candidate:

Look at the payment trail: an executive recruiter is paid by the company to find the precisely right talent—and they are willing to pay a premium for it. Candidates that take the stance that the recruiter is working to find them a job have already shown their lack of business savvy and self-centeredness. Don’t let this be you. Savvy candidates recognize the economic aspects of the relationship and work to be a resource for the recruiter. 

2. Take the recruiter’s unsolicited phone calls:

You never know when your new best friend is calling with the next best opportunity for you or someone in your network. These relationships are built over time, so do not ignore the calls. Consider it another form of professional networking.

3. Develop an online relationship with recruiters

You can likely find them using social channels such as LinkedIn. Building these relationships can help get a foot in the door, but be careful—tweeting a recruiter every day about your resume and job hunt can be just as irritating for them as flooding their inbox. Just as you would in person, cultivate a relationship over time and give before you receive.

4. If the job lead is not right for you, help the recruiter with applicable leads and information whenever feasible

A recruiter’s lifeline is found in the information he/she receives. By providing leads, you are not only helping your network (kudos!) but helping a recruiter can pay dividends in opportunity and in karma. Good recruiters will go the extra mile for people who provide them with quality information. So if you help them, savvy recruiters will help you.

5. Don't waste your recruiter's time

Do not test the waters with a recruiter—do that on your own time. If you waste a recruiter’s time once, rest assured you will not get the opportunity to do that again.

6. Make yourself worthy of the recruiter receiving a 25% fee from a company that hires you

Companies are paying recruiters to find the cream of the crop. The hard-to-find, desirable candidate that the company cannot find on their own. So if that is not you, apply to the company directly on your own. This is a simple lesson in economics. To be placed by a recruiter, you need to have a background or skill set that warrants a fee to be paid that hovers around 25% of your salary. So help the recruiter market you by being fabulous and in-demand in the first place.

If a recruiter cannot place you, it does not mean you won’t get hired at all, it just means you may have to go a different, more direct route (not a bad thing, by the way—a majority of candidates are hired directly).

7. Give the recruiter what they need

Some recruiters may ask for references or writing samples—whatever it may be, give the recruiter what they ask for during the appropriate phase in the process. Just like winning over an employer, you have to win over a recruiter.

Remember that recruiters don’t work for the candidates, so if you send recruiters your information without giving them exactly what they want, they may not work with you.

8. Have your resume in a reverse chronological format

When formatting your resume reverse chronological resumes are best when working with a recruiter. Be sure your contact information is current and at the top of your resume. Followed by

I also suggest not to go back more than 15 to 20 years for most professionals. While there are exceptions to every rule, erring on the side of less is typically better for most executives. Frankly, you will not get hired in today’s market, nor can a recruiter get a fee, for something you did 20+ years ago. Keep it recent and relevant. 

Working effectively with a good recruiter is like a lot of other relationships you have developed in life. Like all worthy relationships, these require time and research. If you find you are not getting calls back from your recruiter, shift gears and put in as much effort as you do with other professional relationships. You will soon find that you will be well on your way to having successful dealings with the right executive recruiters.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

For years now, LinkedIn has been the undisputed leader in social networking for business. There are a number of reasons for this, but a powerful explanation of its success has been the fact that everyone on LinkedIn is there for the sole purpose of growing their careers. Recruiters know this, and so do hiring managers.  

A thought experiment: You are a recruiter who has to select candidates based on their online presence alone. You are only allowed to look at one website. Which do you choose? You choose the site that gives you the most information about a candidate’s professional qualifications and has the lowest barrier to entry; you choose LinkedIn.  

The above experiment is only slightly hypothetical. Remember, everyone is in a hurry. Recruiters are just as interested in disqualifying candidates as they are in qualifying them, and qualification is always a comparative endeavor. If your presence on the only explicitly professional social media platform is relatively lackluster, you step up to the plate with a strike already to your name. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about that. You have strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of your LinkedIn profile--11 of them, actually...

1. Your Name

It sounds silly, but recruiters and potential employers frequently google a prospect’s name before scheduling an interview. This invariably brings them to your Linkedin profile. Stand out and let your LinkedIn profile be the first thing he or she sees after googling you. Have certifications or licenses? Go ahead and add them to your name.

2. Create a Custom URL

When updating your LinkedIn profile, add a custom URL. This will allow you to use LinkedIn as a customized branding/lead-generating tool. Having a custom URL also helps you be found by search engines such as Google and Bing.

3. Your profile picture

Select a friendly, clear, and appropriate picture to introduce yourself.  What makes a picture appropriate? A little common sense goes a long way, and erring on the side of formality is seldom a bad move. That being said, many industries have relaxed their attire policies in recent years, so be sure to check out the profiles of other professionals in your industry. See what they are wearing and follow suit.

Make sure you are the only person in your picture so the recruiter or potential employer is left guessing who you are! Your profile picture should fall within the range of 400 x 400 pixels.  

Recognize this dude?  Dan Sullivan- CEO and Founder of  JPatrick and Associates.

4. Write a Killer headline

Let me guess, you allowed LinkedIn to automatically default to your current company and position? I know I did, at first. You have 120 characters to play with, so take the opportunity to be creative.  

Use this space to show your value. Did you exceed goals by having $100,000+ in sales last year?  Tell me this here.

Keywords are not to be forgotten. Look at job descriptions and find what words are commonly used. Using keywords will help in your search results

5. Your LinkedIn Summary...not your life story.

Chances are recruiters will not care about your dog's name, or the hour of the day your firstborn came into the world.  But they will wanna know about the following:

• Tell us why you love what you do, what drives you to get out of bed in the morning and go to work….aside from your paycheck.
  
  
• Tell us about your current position, what you do, and the problems you solve.
  
  
• Your biggest work achievements, what you did, who did it help, and how well you did it.
  
  
• Tell us about any unique certifications or training you have.
  
  
• Metrics? Recruiters want to hear about them.  Did you exceed the company's sales goals by 25 percent last year?  If so. Tell me.

Making a good first impression is great...but you know what's better?  A lasting impression.  Capitalize on being creative.  Enjoy skydiving on the weekends to blow off some steam...this can be the spot to tell me.

6. Volunteer experience

Did you lead a team to success, volunteer at a local event or for a good cause?  Tell me about it.   You can find this on the left side of your profile under the additional profile features section.  This tells recruiters about you and your personality. …helping you stand out in a crowd.

7. List a Job...even when unemployed

You may be thinking why would I want to show a job...when I don't have one.

The answer is easy. Recruiters often use the current title box when searching for candidates.  Create a “dummy job”  that includes the job title. 

8. Don't be shy….get involved and make connections

Yeah, you, over there with 1,000 Facebook friends….keep your connections on LinkedIn growing.  Aim to add a handful of relevant industry connections a month. Sounds like a daunting task….have no fear its not.   

Aim for 50- 100 connections to start. Having less than 50 shows recruiters three bad...very bad things. 1) technology and social media scare you 2) you are afraid to connect with people you don't know on Social Media and 3) You know...no one. All of these things are red flags to recruiters. 

9. Go ahead...ask for Recommendations

Did you help a client in great ways or exceed goals?  Go ahead ask for a referral. Share this on your profile.  

If you have several skill sets, ask different people for different referrals.  Are you a great team player?  Ask a teammate from a project that had great success to write a review about what a great team player you are, then get one from a client where you exceeded their goal by 25 percent. 

You have Updated your Profile...now what

​You have joined groups, made connections, engaged with pots and content….now make sure you are visible, it would suck to do all that work and not ever be seen.  Just as you may update your Facebook profile every couple of days, do the same with your LinkedIn profile. 

The more engaged you are = The More likely you are to be seen

Leave your email in the contact section so people can reach you. If you Have a blog, website, or a Twitter handle….leave that as well.

while your job searching don't forget about all of the great career advice LinkedIn offers. Keep learning, keep learning and keep connecting!

The tech industry has received a lot of criticism for the lack of gender diversity, specifically in technical roles. A fact sheet distributed at the Women Who Tech TeleSummit, showed that only about 11% of executives in Fortune 500 tech companies are women. Many companies in the usually male-dominated industry are attempting to change that. But how exactly can you hire and retain more women for your tech company?

Check out these 4 tips on how to recruit and retain women in tech

Create a Welcoming Environment

Create a workplace environment and culture that truly embraces gender diversity and equality. Studies have proven that diversity improves performance in groups that value innovation. It is also crucial to provide training on diversity topics that can affect the environment. Google, for example, offers workshops on the unconscious biases in the workplace. It's important for all levels of management to lead by example by fostering a welcoming environment and culture in the workplace. Clearly defining goals for gender diversity and equality in the workplace can be a great start towards the creation of a welcoming environment in your company.

At the 2015 Catalyst Awards Conference, Executive Vice President Michael Wirth mentioned that managers at Chevron are rated in their performance evaluations on their ability to reach diversity goals. Involving all employees in understanding gender diversity and equality in the workplace will increase the chances that this new environment will succeed in your company.

Be Flexible

Offering workplace programs that are flexible, in terms of scheduling, can be another selling point for your company. For example, providing transition programs for employees leaving or returning from leave, part-time work schedules, flexible work schedules, job-sharing opportunities shows employees that not only does the company value their work, but also cares about their well-being.

Providing flextime and telecommuting work schedules are important aspects of becoming a flexible employer. These options can help attract women to your company, especially those who are trying to balance their roles at home and in the office. It provides a work-life balance factor for them and shows the company values their well-being.

Offer Paid Parental Leave (For Women and Men)

Family-friendly benefits and leave policies are crucial to attracting and retaining talent, especially women. Research from the National Partnership for Women & Families found that workers are more likely to leave their jobs when they do not have access to paid leave. Offering paid leave can reduce the costs associated with turnovers, such as loss of productivity and training, and encourages employees to stay with your company. Employees want to know that they’ll be able to start a family or spend time with their families and not put their jobs at risk.

Provide Upward Mobility

Limited opportunities in their career trajectory drive women out of the tech workforce. Mentorship programs are stellar ways to increase development and opportunity for the career progression of women in your company. By investing in their growth will help them to foresee an opportunity for them to excel in the company. It is also important to encourage female employees to attend professional conferences and take additional training, along with providing financial support for these opportunities.

 Research has found that when Fortune 500 companies include at least three female directors, the return on invested capital, return on sales, and return on equity all increased by 66%, 42%, and 53%, respectively. Offering a welcoming environment, investing in development and career progression, will not only help increase your female employees' motivation and investment, but it will also ultimately lead to a more profitable and productive company.

You may have noticed on your job hunt that recruiters get down to business fast. In fact, you may be surprised that they are asking a candidate about their desired salary right off the bat. It may have even rubbed you the wrong way.

The truth is that this practice isn’t going anywhere. Below you’ll find out why and how to handle the question when it comes up.

Why Recruiters Ask Your Desired Salary

Why recruiters need to ask…

Not all candidates have realistic expectations. In fact, experience tells recruiters that some candidates don’t even live on the same planet when it comes to how much they want to be compensated.

If this is the case then why bother with a candidate who clearly has totally unrealistic expectations? A recruiter’s client may be willing to negotiate, but only within reason.

You also have to consider it from the recruiter’s perspective. If they don’t ask a candidate about their salary, pass them along to their client and then it turns out their expectations are unrealistic then they have just wasted the employer’s time. That employer will make sure heads roll if the recruiter didn’t ask you upfront what the candidate’s expectations were. Since recruiters get paid by the companies they recruit for they can’t run that risk.

Now, if you are an experienced candidate you should be paid at least market rate. If for whatever reason the proposed salary is below market rate then this is something you should explore during the interview. 

 Why you shouldn’t be offended…

Whenever you’ve needed a service from someone most people often ask about rates early on in the process. In fact, money is usually the top concern. At the end of the day, there’s no need to fall in love with a service provider who is way above your budget. Why should a salary be any different?

Furthermore, how you react and respond to the question is part of the interview. In other words, if you act offended then that tells the recruiter about how you deal with things that don’t go as planned.

How to answer the salary question…

If you are asked what you were making there’s nothing else to do but to tell them the truth. Hold your head up high and drop the number without any excuses or apologies. It is what it is.

If you are asked what salary you are looking for, answer with the range of salary or total compensation that you have been interviewing for…Do not start with, “I want…” or “I am looking for…” Answer with, “I am interviewing for positions in the ____ to ____ range.” Answering in this manner does two things. First, it lets them know that you’ve got other companies calling you for positions at that pay rate (which always works in your favor when it comes to negotiating). Second, this is a subtle way of letting them know that the market thinks you are worth it with an external source (others calling you to interview for positions paying that level you cite).

If you haven’t been called in for any interviews yet or you just started the job search, do some research and see what the going rate is for this position. Then answer with the range the same way confidently, based on your research and skill set. Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer 

According to a recent survey conducted by the Association for Talent Development, there are 5 reasons that motivate employees to stay with their current employer:

• A good manager for whom they enjoying working for
• Feeling appreciated by their manager
• The opportunity to advance their careers
• A promotion or a new title
• The opportunity to learn or develop skills

Employee retention is one of the most important focuses for a company. High employee turnover can have both financial and non-financial repercussions. In addition to facing increased costs in employee selection, training, and separation, there is also a reduction in employee morale and productivity to consider. 

Here are some strategies to keep your talent pool happy, healthy, and productive.

Provide Competitive Employee Benefits

Provide competitive benefits that meet your employees’ needs is essential in retaining your best talent. Comprehensive health insurance that includes family plans, life insurance, and competitive 401Ks gives employees a sense of safety and builds trust in your company. Be sure to routinely re-evaluate your benefits package to accommodate employees’ needs. 

Small Perks Can Make a Big Difference

Small perks can be little and inexpensive things that can go far in the retention of your employees. Fitness stipends, telecommuting options, at work stress-relief programs help employees manage work with their everyday life, reduce stress and can even increase productivity. Offering occasional catered lunches or company retreats also help to enforce the company’s culture and build stronger relationships among employees.

Foster Employee Development

Promote from within...

When a position opens up in your company, consider your existing talent pool before looking outward to fill the space. Promoting from within motivates employees to work hard and creates a clear career progression path for employees. For example, Sodexo employees name career growth and opportunity as the #1 reason why they choose to work for and stay with the company.

Leadership Training Programs

Offering training programs for current employees show your employees that you’re committed to their development. You can offer training programs in new technology, industry standards, and anything else that will equip your employees to progress in their careers.

Encourage Work-Life Balance

Creating programs and policies that encourage work-life balance will show your employees that the firm cares about their well being. Offering work-life balance workshops can teach employees how to better balance their work and personal lives and reduce work-related stress. Policies such as flex time and personal time-off can lead to employees having more of a handle of their schedule and be able to work it around their personal life.

Create an Employee Buy-In Strategy

Finally, to improve employee retention, help employees “buy-in” to the mission and vision of the company. Help employees understand the impact their daily tasks have on the company’s mission and make the connection to how the mission benefits them. Other things such as sponsoring employee and family events encourage team building and family inclusion at work events also work well as buy-in strategies. Clearly defining the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) around the company’s vision to help foster excitement, motivation, and engagement among employees can help keep your employees happy.

 Do you fear being asked about the rocky performance you had in your last or current job on the next interview?

Did you have a less-than-favorable relationship with your CEO recently and you are dreading the interviewer asking the “tell me about how well you worked with your boss” question?

Unsure how to handle the skeletons in your closet?

I say take it out of the closet and make it dance….

What?

It’s a term from George Bernard Shaw, where he said:

“If you can’t hide the family skeleton, you might as well make it dance.”

Yep…I say bring it on…

Well, you know they are going to ask.

So be ready for the tough questions you hope they don’t ask.

And not only be prepared…

Confidently and diplomatically address the tough questions.

I say bring it.

Own your baggage… Embrace the skeleton….or family of skeletons, if that is how you roll…

Here’s a newsflash…

Everyone has baggage.

How do I know?

I hear all your stories.

No one comes to me or vents in the LinkedIn Job Seeker Premium Group saying they have a perfect background.

Too many jobs in a short period of time.

Took the wrong job after a long tenure with prior employer.

Long-term unemployment.

Underpaid.

Boss undermines them and the opportunity to create resume-like
achievements is limited.

I can go on and on.

Even people with ‘perfect’ backgrounds on paper, with a new job every 6 years or promoted every 3 years, have product lines they oversaw that failed or high staff turnover or shrinking margins they need to account for on their next interview.

Here is the secret to making the skeleton dance:

With all other things being relatively equal, the person who
diplomatically, vulnerably and proactively addresses their baggage best on an interview wins the offer.

Why?

Companies don’t just want the best performer in perfect conditions. They want the best person who is honest about a business situation, assesses the needed plan and executes in the face of fear and imperfect conditions to fix adverse situations.

They want the person who will get them out of the foxhole alive and then flourish…not just the parade leader when the weather is great.

Be prepared, own your baggage, make the skeleton dance and win offers!