1. In 2003 is your company expected to lay-off, hire more or basically stay the same?
2. Is there a hiring freeze in place at your firm?
3. For a typical mid level professional position how many resumes do your receive. What % of the people are totally unqualified? How many people are brought in for interviews.
4. For an entry level position how many resumes are received?
5. How long is the typical position open before it is filled.
6. Do you actively use recruiters to fill your mid level and entry level positions?
7. Do you expect continued job cuts in the financial services industry this year or will there be some new hiring?
8. In what particular jobs do you see cuts and in which do you expect new hiring?
9. What feedback have you received on people who have been laid off in the industry. How long has it taken them to find a comparable job and what % have left the industry?
10. What advise might you have for experience people looking for work in financial services and what advice do you have for college grads looking for work.

1. I can see your point, but still think your full of crap.
   
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
   
3. How about never, is never good for you?
   
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate your self in public.
   
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to worship me.
   
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
   
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.
   
8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
   
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
   
10. Ahhh, I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
    
11. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
    
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
    
13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn.
    
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
    
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
    
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
    
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
    
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
    
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks?
    
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
    
21. It's a thankless job. But I've got a lot Karma to burn off.
    
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
    
23. And your cry-baby whiny-assed opinion would be?
    
24. Do I look like a people person?
    
25. This isn't an office, it's hell with florescent lighting.
    
26. I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.
    
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
    
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
    
29. Errors have been made...others will be blamed.
    
30. Whatever kind if look you were going for, you missed.
    
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
    
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
    
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind the door #1?
    
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
    
35. Nice perfume, must you marinate in it?
    
36. Chaos, panic & disorder - my work is done here.
    
37. How do I set a laser pointer to stun?
    
38. I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks.

1. Name, Rank, and Serial Number - Twice. Once at the start of your message and again at the end: "This is Fred Flintstone from Bedrock Quarry at 222-555-3000."
2. Loud, Clear, and Slow. Many messages aren't returned simply because they're unintelligible. Don't shout, but speak in a loud clear voice. Lots of folks check their messages from a cell phone and they need all the help they can get. Also, don't speak so fast you sound like a "fast-talking salesman." Important people with important things to say speak slowly. As long as you don't slow down so much you sound mentally deficient, a slower pace will increase the listener's perception that you have something important and personal to say.
3. Drop Names. If somebody referred you, that person's name should be one of the first things out of your mouth, even before you fully ID yourself: "Jane, I was referred to you by Barney Rubble. This is Fred." Starting off this way will ensure your entire message will get listened to. If you don't have a known person's name to use, the next best thing is to reference an organization you have in common: "I'm also a member of the Bedrock Chamber of Commerce."
4. Don't Beat Around the Bush. A voice mail message is no place for idle chatter. Get right to the point, right away: "I'm calling to invite you to attend a special meeting tomorrow night at the Community Center."
5. Give a Clear "Call to Action." If you want a call-back, don't let the person off the hook by saying something like, "If I don't hear from you, I'll call again." Much better to say, "We're only inviting a select group of prominent citizens to this special meeting, so it's very important for you to reply, with either a yes or a no, by calling me at 000-000-0000 by 2PM Friday."
6. Keep it Light. Please don't confuse all this advice about being matter-of-fact and to-the-point with being dull and deadly serious. On the contrary, if it's at all within your personality to be friendly and entertaining on the phone, make sure that comes through in your message.

1. Apply to Jobs, Don't Just Post Your Resume. Some recruiters don'tlike searching resume databases and rely just on job postings. You should therefore apply to all jobs that you are qualified for andinterested in. Set up job alerts to be automatically emailed new jobsmatching your criteria so you don't have to run the same searches dayafter day.
   
   
2. Include a Tailored Cover Letter. Generic cover letters don't adda lot of value to a resume submission, but you can get your applicationnoticed with a cover letter that demonstrates you have really thoughtabout the position, the employer organization, and your fit to theposition. Put yourself in the recruiter's shoes and show clearly in acover letter what you can offer the prospective employer.
   
   
3. Refresh Your Resume, but Not Too Often. When a recruiter runs aresume search, the results generally come up in chronological orderwith the newest resumes showing up at the top. If you posted yourresume a while ago, you can get it back to the top of the list bymodifying it. However, don't do this more than, say, once a monthotherwise recruiters may notice your resume for the wrong reasonsand assume you are unemployable.
   
   
4. Get Your Profile Information Right. When your resume appearsin a list of search results, recruiters initially see only a singleline of text containing key profile information. This informationvaries somewhat from one jobsite to another, but may include your name,last employer, last job title, years of work experience, location,education level and target salary level. Present this information ascompletely and succinctly as possible, with the aim of catching theeye of recruiters so they click through to your full resume.
   
   
5. Think Keywords. Not everything can be captured in the profilefields. If you live in New Jersey but want to work in New York, forexample, make sure you have 'New York' somewhere in your resume sothat it is picked up when 'New York' is used by a recruiter in a keywordsearch. If you are an Auditor, but are looking for a position asDirector of Audit, see if you can include phrases like 'Director ofAudit' or 'Audit Director' somewhere in your resume(e.g. 'reported to Audit Director').
   
   
6. Don't Forget Certifications and Licenses. Recruiters oftensearch for professional qualifications and licenses using keywords.To make sure your resume will be returned in keyword searches, includeboth full and abbreviated versions where applicable (e.g. CPA as wellas Certified Public Accountant). Also, include both those that youhold and those you are still studying for.
   
   
7. Be Focused, But Don't Overdo It. Your resume needs to strike abalance between focus and adaptability, between specialization andbreadth. If your starting point is a pretty broad background withvaried work experience, you may want to provide focus by stating aspecific professional objective at the top of your resume or in acover letter. If, on the other hand, your professional backgroundhas been more one-dimensional, look for ways to broaden your resume'sappeal. For example, if you have only worked in one function (e.g.financial control), perhaps state that your experience has been inmultiple industries (e.g. healthcare, media, technology).
   

posted by Sean Rehder at 7:52 AM, (Permalink)

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1. Weak recruiters write requisitions below market rates and do not discuss the true value/skills of the candidate or those required of the position with the hiring/retaining company.
   
2. Weak recruiters compete on price, they put phrases in their email messages, such as, "Sorry, but that is all the client is willing to pay. (Because they could not communicate the value at the front end and/or want high margins).
   
3. Weak recruiters require, "extensive" background checks, several names, companies, phone numbers to verify your background. The truth is, they are using your contact information to add to THEIR rolodex!!!
   
4. Weak recruiters work off of very high margins. 50+% is not unheard of! They need these kind of margins and take advantage of the available talent pool.
   
5. Weak recruiters often post for jobs that do not exist, compete with hiring companies and other weak recruiters.

1. Why did you decide to apply for this position?
   
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
   
3. List three of your most important/proudest accomplishments.
   
4. What kind of work environment do you prefer?
   
5. What motivates you? ALSO Have you used these motivators with others?
   
6. How are you qualified for this job?
   
7. What supervisory or mamgement experience have you had?
   
8. How would you characterise your supervisory style?
   
9. The person in this position needs to be innovative and proactive. Can you describe some things you have done to demonstrate these qualities?
   
10. How would you rate your communication skills and what have you done to improve them?
11. What else besides your school and job experience qualifies you for this job?
    
12. What have you read lately, and what are you reading now?
    
13. While this position involves some specific skills (language, computer, administration, etc.), it is more of a generalist position. How do you feel that your background fits into this?
14. What are the personal characteristics and qualities that you would bring to this position that would be particularly helpful in fulfilling the responsibilities of this position?
    
15. Tell us about yourself.
    
16. What professional groups are you a member of, and how active have you been in those groups?
    
17. Do you prefer to work independently or as part of a team?
    
18. What appeals to you about this position and/or this company?
    
19. What are some aspects of your present (or most recent) position that you like?
    
20. What are some aspects of your present (or most recent) position that you dislike?
    
21. What do you see yourself doing five or ten years from now?
    
22. Starting with your last job, would you tell me about some of your achievements that were recognized by your superiors?
    
23. What are some things you would like to avoid in a job? Why?
    
24. What are some of the things on your jobs that you feel you have done particularly well?
    
25. What does success mean to you? How do you judge it?
    
26. Who or what in your life would you say influenced you most with regard to your career objectives?
    
27. What traits or qualities do you feel could be strengthened or improved?
    
28. What kinds of things do you feel most confident in doing? Somewhat less confident in doing?
    
29. What are some of the thing you are either doing now or have thought about doing that are self-development activities?
    
30. Tell me about a time when you had work problems or stresses that were difficult for you.
    
31. Customers frequently create a great deal of pressure. What has been your experience in this area?
    
32. What types of pressures do you experience on your current job? How do you cope with these pressures?
    
33. Describe a time when you were under pressure to make a decision. Did you react immediately or take time in deciding what to do?
    
34. What types of things make you angry? How do you react?
    
35. How do you react when you see co-workers disagreeing? Do you become involved or hold back?
    
36. Do you prefer to have a job in which you have well laidout tasks and responsibilities, or one in which your work changes on a frequent basis?
    
37. In your current position what types of decisions do you make without consulting your immediate supervisor?
    
38. What types of experiences have you had in dealing with difficult customers?
    
39. Describe a problem person you have had to deal with. What did you say or do?
    
40. What have been your experiences in dealing with the general public? When have people really tried your patience?
    
41. What important goals have you set in the past, and how successful have you been in working toward their accomplishment?
    
42. What things give you the greatest satisfaction?
    
43. How would you describe yourself?
    
44. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our department?
    
45. Describe your most rewarding experience.
    
46. What do you know about our company?
    
47. Why do you think we should hire you?
    
48. What will your last supervisor tell me are your two weakest areas?
    
49. If you were hiring someone for this job, what qualities would you look for?
    
50. What does the term two-way communication mean to you? When have you successfully used two-way communication?
    
51. How did you organize your work in your last position? What happened to your plan when emergencies came up?
    
52. Describe how you determined your priorities on your last job.
    
53. Describe how you schedule your time on an unusually hectic day. Give a specific example.
    
54. Are you a person who likes to "try new things," or "stay with regular routines"? Give an example.
    
55. If we had to contact your staff from your previous position, what do you think they would say about you?
    
56. What do you do on your days off?
    
57. If you had a 10 million dollars what would you do? ( Do not say retire, or live on the coast)
    
58. What would you do if your staff comes to work late regularly?
    
59. What makes you happy?
    
60. What was your greatest working achievement?