Ask The Headhunter® | Nick Corcodilos

Salary history: Just say NO

Nick Corcodilos — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:07:01 +0000

Want to earn what you’re worth? Yes? Learn to say NO when employers demand your salary history. Say what? You can’t say NO? They’ll rip up your application? The HR manager will laugh in your face and tell the world you are uncooperative and unworthy? Say what? Withholding salary information just isn’t done? Aw, don’t be a wuss. I covered the [...]

How much would you pay for a job?

Nick Corcodilos — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:05:23 +0000

I never cease to be amazed at the scams sophisticated professionals fall prey to. But when you’re looking for a job, any help is welcome. People want to believe that if help costs a lot of money, it must be good help. Think again. I’d like to share some e-mails between a reader and me. [...]

Poo on who you know

Nick Corcodilos — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:17:48 +0000

I’ve always contended that being well-connected isn’t what it’s purported to be. I discuss this briefly in Meet the right people. Lots of folks think that unless they have a big-time inside contact at a company, they’re better off applying for a job through a job board and the personnel department. After all, only a few [...]

#1 Tip-off that a headhunter is for real

Nick Corcodilos — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:53:52 +0000

In my last posting, I talked about the importance of qualifying headhunters who call you. The world is now awash in hucksters calling themselves recruiter or headhunter. Many are calling from overseas, likely from the same call centers that you call for computer support. To avoid wasting your time, risking your reputation and professional credibility (these [...]

How can I qualify a headhunter who calls me?

Nick Corcodilos — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:09:23 +0000

We’ve been discussing headhunters recently. One reader went off on a tear that’s worth sharing. And it includes a question worth answering. I’ll offer some advice at the end. I just stumbled upon your blog after the last fruitless 30-minute phone call with another clueless recruiter. I could use some advice on qualifying recruiters in the first five [...]

Oops! There goes another one!

Nick Corcodilos — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:09:00 +0000

The foreman at a lumber mill is giving a tour to the Human Resources manager. He hears a voice over the din of all the machinery. “Ouch!” Concerned that the new, accelerated production schedule is resulting in accidents, they follow the sound to a worker running a huge saw that slices through trees like bars of butter. [...]

Armchair Recruiting: Hiring what comes along

Nick Corcodilos — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:34:13 +0000

Headhunting firms routinely claim they will bring the best candidates to their clients. Employers like to say that people are their most important asset, and they hire only the best. It’s a load of crap. Most headhunters and employers recruit and hire from what comes along. They not only don’t recruit who is the best in [...]

Headhunters, Personnel Jockeys & Monkeys

Nick Corcodilos — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:32:51 +0000

Welcome to the monkeyhouse. When the economy is tight, the marginal members of the headhunting business get very nervous because the low-hanging fruit disappears. They actually have to work to make a living. Meanwhile, the best headhunters are busy with challenging assignments because The Truth About Speeding Trains is that while they may slow down a bit [...]

How much can you afford?

Nick Corcodilos — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:00:28 +0000

Many years ago I worked for a small, scrappy, successful company that cut the floor out from under its competition every day. No one could touch us — not on value, and not on price. But we always turned a very nice profit. Our competitors could never figure out how we did it. It’s a [...]

How many employees is one customer worth?

Nick Corcodilos — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:35:40 +0000

Company CEO’s love to say, “People are our most important asset!” Uh, except when it comes to investors. Then the CEO proclaims, “Customers are our most important asset!” So, which is it? Rob Preston asks in InformationWeek, Should Your People Come Before Your Customers? He lends his own logic and analysis, and his article is well worth [...]