Bohan and Bradstreet

June 2019


5 Things Don't Do In Your Interview

Friday, June 28, 2019  by Bailey

The majority of career driven professionals do not interview very often so when a strong motivation occurs to change employment or an opportunity appears that is irresistible, most are unprepared for the interviewing process. Getting an interview can be challenging and requires a marketing driven resume, often a strong network of informed business professionals, the appropriate opportunity, good timing, and a bit of luck. Preparing for the interview requires researching the company and individuals that you will be meeting with, preparing examples of experiences and knowledge that relate to the opportunity, and developing a list of questions that exhibit interest in the business model, culture, leadership, and role. Assuming all of this has been accomplished, the day of the interview is before you.

Here are five turnoffs that derail the most qualified and prepared candidate even if you think you did well:

Too Early or Being Late: Time management is very important. Being too early or arriving late for an interview indicates poor time planning and management. Arrive 3­7 minutes prior to the designated interview time.

Inappropriately Dressed: Know who you are interviewing with and dress for success. Being too casual is a turnoff just like too much makeup, perfume/cologne, or jewelry. This is not a date nor a casual get together. Be conservative….first impressions are often lasting impressions and made in the first 2­3 minutes of the interview. 

ME and not WE: Every company has goals and the role that you are interviewing for will require leading or contributing on teams that are goal driven. When an applicant is too heavy on the self­promotion and their personal advancement, it is a turnoff. Illustrations of experiences, contributions, and knowledge must be a combination of “me” and “we” statements that showcase success working with internal and external customers.

Talking Down on Former Employers or Bosses: Interviewing is not a confessional. Talking poorly about past employers establishes a negative tone and makes the hiring authority question what you might say about them in the future. If you can’t say something positive about your former employer, then do not say anything at all.

Being a “Yes” Person: Companies are looking for candidates that are career driven, want to contribute to the success of the business, and have a voice in change and evolution. That requires a backbone and a desire to speak up and not always agree. If you are portrayed as a “Yes” person then you stand for nothing and you will fall for anything.

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The Battle for Talent

Friday, June 14, 2019  by julie

Talent is best defined as gifted and high quality employees with the natural ability to excel at a duty or action. As positive differentiators, talent ranges from 3% to 15% in the vast majority of companies, regardless of size. In recent years, the pendulum swung from the company in favor of talent. The momentum of organic growth, reemergence of the IPO, creation of new products, push on completing acquisitions, attractiveness and availability of inexpensive money, and expansion of international markets have all contributed to the increasing need for talent. Couple that with lean bench strength, a lack of talent development, and increasing retirements of baby boomers have additionally led to an intriguing marketplace. So why will talent leave? One reason is not being challenged; therefore feeling undervalued or appreciated. Talent is passionate about making a difference and if not challenged and empowered, will be encouraged to take their passion elsewhere. Talent is wired to improve and add value. They are built to change and innovate. Talent has good ideas, insights, and observations. If you don't listen to them, someone else will. Another reason is lack of respect for leadership. Talent wants to contribute and leadership needs to give them a voice and increase their responsibilities. Leaders don't take credit, they give it. Failure to inspire and recognize talent is another way of asking them to leave. Businesses do not fail, leadership fails. Success is most often based on strong leadership and the ability to attract, manage, motivate and retain the talent needed to move the business forward. To retain talent, leadership needs to challenge, engage, and value these key employees. Talent needs to be rewarded emotionally, intellectually & financially. Empowering leadership and stimulated talent breeds success.

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Ready to Take the Leap?

Friday, June 7, 2019  by julie

 

Here at Bohan and Bradstreet, we have developed many relationships over the last 32 years to fill the most senior and executive level positions for many companies in Connecticut and other states. It is important to us not only to develop relationships with the companies we recruit  for, we also want to get to you, our job seekers. Like with most relationships, building good ones can take time and it is never too early to get to know us and our process. Here are some tips:

Referrals:
Send someone our way and we are sure to pay it forward. Not only are you helping out a friend, when the time comes for you we will remember you thought of us. Referrals are one of the largest sources for our leads. 

Honesty is the best policy:
Remember that we have the ability to do very thorough background checks. Don’t exaggerate or worse lie about your credentials, it can really damage your reputation in the long run. We want to get to know the real you so we can make sure you are the right fit for the jobs we fill.

Be Ready:
We all have bad days at the office. Before you take the leap and reach out to us to make sure you are really ready and committed to wanting to change jobs. We want your experience with us to be a successful one. 

Set Limits:
Let us know from the beginning if there are certain industries, employers or geographic areas that are off limits. This way we can deliver exactly what you are looking for.

References:
When thinking about changing jobs right off the bat think about those references and make sure they are strong ones. They help us get to know you better and often references tell us great attributes and qualities about you that you may not have thought to include in your resume.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions:
Ask away about the company, the culture, the requirements, again we want to make sure you will be happy in your new position. 

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