Guy Kawasaki provides terrific feedback from the perspective of a hiring manager who places a Craigs List ad. First, his observations confirm one of my long-held beliefs from my days as a hiring manager. You can learn a lot about a candidate's work habits by asking him/her to complete a simple exercise that simulates a functional duty of the position in question. Guy cites several instances of "laziness" that he witnessed when he asked candidates to provide samples of photos.
Second, Guy confirmed the impact of a well-written, thoughtful ad response. How can you prove yourself to be remarkable with a one-size-fits-all form letter or by not sending any cover letter at all? Your interview starts with the first keystroke. So get it right from the start.
Finally, and most applicable to my current situation, responses to Craigs list ads are of a high quality and come flooding in quickly. So, the shelf life of a job posting is short and leaving an attractive posting unaddressed for several days can be risky. As a result, I've adjusted my schedule to check and respond to online ads (especially Craigs List) more frequently throughout the week.
Showing posts with label craig's list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craig's list. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
When to say less
I read an anonymous ad in Craig's list today that really left me scratching my head. After promising that its product would be the "next brand that has history breaking results and future growth opportunities" and a desire to break into "untraditional distribution networks," the company said it would only speak with those who had 5-years of industry specific experience.
What is wrong with this picture? If they really wanted to be remarkable, why would they hire from a pool of applicants that will be more than likely to do what they've done in the past?
I decided to role the dice for this one by putting my money where my mouth is. I applied without a cover letter. My e-mail was three lines long and it basically said "if you want to be different, then why are you looking inside your industry? If you want to stand out, I'd like to talk to you."
What is wrong with this picture? If they really wanted to be remarkable, why would they hire from a pool of applicants that will be more than likely to do what they've done in the past?
I decided to role the dice for this one by putting my money where my mouth is. I applied without a cover letter. My e-mail was three lines long and it basically said "if you want to be different, then why are you looking inside your industry? If you want to stand out, I'd like to talk to you."
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