Anita Bruzzese (who has a very interesting and helpful blog on workplace advice called 45Things) had some great comments for my recent post, It’s YOUR turn to ask the questions.  While I stressed the information-gathering and confidence-building aspects of candidates asking questions in a sales job interview, Anita pointed out that a candidate should ask questions in a conversational manner rather than like an interrogation…which makes [...]

Every so often, I want to draw everyone’s attention to basic rules and guidelines for a successful job interview.  (This mostly happens when I come across a candidate who I think will be fine, but manages to forget a thing or two in the interview.)  When I prep medical sales, laboratory and clinical diagnostics sales, [...]

OK, so you have your reasons for leaving.  But please remember, when interviewing for a position in sales, don’t whine about your old job.  Don’t be negative about the things you didn’t like….position them so that they are a positive for your new job.  Spin them into a positive light.  And above all, don’t badmouth [...]

In any job search, it’s very important that you know what your references will say about you.  In spite of the mind-reading that implies, it’s really not that hard to do.  (The knowing, not the mind-reading.)  And it’s important that you know that they will be checked, so choose them wisely.  As a recruiter whose [...]

Sales recruiters and hiring managers can spend a lot of time looking for the right candidate, often through internet searches on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and sometimes, just a basic Google.  If you’d like a chance to be contacted, here’s a piece of advice:
Please make sure your online photo is professional. 
Not necessarily professionally done, but that you appear to be a professional in [...]

Do you need a refresher course in Resumes 101?  If you’re thinking of a job in sales, here’s what a sales recruiter wants to see:
1.  Clear contact information:  Believe it or not, some candidates only put their name, phone number, and e-mail address in this section.  I need an actual address, too.  Don’t make it [...]

Google, LinkedIn, and ZoomInfo are just a few of the tools that one can use to learn as much as possible about a company before speaking with a representative of the company about a potential opportunity.  Note that I did not say that this research should only be done before the face-to-face interview, it should be done [...]

I spend a lot of time talking about the types of questions that you will hear from the hiring company……now I want to suggest some good questions for the interviewee to ask the prospective employer. Check out the posting by Alexander Kjerulf. Here are some of his examples:
Questions like:

What’s been your best experience working at [...]

Don’t underestimate how important thank you letters are in the job interview process. Everybody “knows” they’re critical, but unbelievably, not everyone writes them. Thank you letters accomplish several things:
1) They get your name in front of the hiring manager one more time.
2) They are your last chance to package yourself as the best, most qualified [...]

Brag books can be very persuasive in an interview process (if you use them right).  The fact that you’ve taken the time to put one together is an attention-getter, and the things you highlight in it are the ”proof” that you are someone they want to hire, but how you present it is another way to showcase the [...]