Artisan Blog

 

A friend of mine recently heard that she had not landed a job because she is “overqualified.” She was gobsmacked!

What does that mean? How could that be a bad thing? She wanted to know, and I'm sure there are many out there wondering the same thing - "How can anyone be overqualified for an empty position?" Read more

It has been reported that potential employers are asking candidates for their Facebook passwords as part of the interview process or, alternatively, looking over the shoulders of candidates while they log in to Facebook to see their profiles.

Now, I haven’t actually heard from anyone who has been asked directly to supply this informaiton, but an officer of the Maryland Department of Corrections says he was asked for his log-in credentials. Someone could be testing the waters to see how asking for passwords would go over with the general public, but this report is being widely discussed. Even two US Senators have requested the Department of Justice and the EEOC look into the practice.

Whether this is becoming common or not, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place in case you’re ever asked. Everyone certainly has an opinion on how to react: Read more

 

When LinkedIn first made headlines, and indeed when I first started writing about it on the Artisan Blog, it was good for 3 major things:

• As a place to post your resume where it could be searched
• As a way to connect with people you know and the people they know
• As a place to boost your credibility in your field as a thought leader by participating in discussions

But LinkedIn is getting bigger and its usefulness is getting broader as well. Read more

 

Helping candidates prepare for interviews is a big part of what recruiters do each day.  However, in screening and qualifying candidates for a variety of positions, recruiters are usually also experts at how to interview too. Read more

Although mobile recruiting is still its infancy, it is here and it is growing. And so are we!  Read more

 

In today’s job market, getting an interview - making it past the initial resume culling process - is an achievement in itself.  But where, in the past, making the cut would lead to a face-to-face interview, hiring managers often have too many qualified candidates for most positions.  As a result, candidates are more and more likely to get a phone screen or Skype interview first.

Whatever the type of interview you have, follow-up is the most important thing if you want to keep your name at the top of the “maybe” list.   It is the only way to be noticed when hiring managers are overrun, with so many people to consider.   Read more

 

Telephone interviews can be one of the most uncomfortable parts of the job-seeking process.  Many employers use them regularly in their hiring process as a way to reduce costs and save time.  Most often they are used to disqualify candidates early in the process, before further time has been invested by all parties.   Read more

 

Whenever I have an interview coming up, I go through my preparation process.  By the time the interview arrives, I know exactly what I want to say, at least to the standard interview questions I've encountered before, and I've prepared questions to ask - if the topics don't come up naturally.

However, it’s also a good idea to make a clear list of the subjects you would rather not discuss, and how you will handle the situation if and/or when these topics do arise.  Here are some ideas from the recruiters at Artisan Creative about things to avoid on your interview - and some positive alternatives: Read more