**Special Guest Post from Professional Recruiter Carmel Napolitano
Top 5 Job Candidate Traits I look for:
1) Quiet confidence – there is a difference between brashness and a good sense of self. While clients in other industries may want an overbearing personality I’ve never had a client ask for that;
2) Self -Disclosure – I realize that people today are terrified that any slip of any weakness or complicated situation can derail their search, but if you have been a stay at home Mom, or took a year off to care for a sick relative, or even took a year off to travel the world you need to tell me or I may think you are in the Federal Witness Protection program or worse that you are hiding something;
3) Consistent Experience – For me to even follow up with someone they need to have not been a job hopper – if you have had ten years of two year stints that is not a good thing – unless, see #2 – you may have been a trailing spouse, etc – you need to explain;
4) Don’t worry about anyone but yourself – It is not a good thing for candidates to constantly ask about the competition – how many are in the search? What is may rank in the final group? You have to be in the search because you want the job and not to beat out the other candidates. It is really none of your business how many people are in the search.
5) Don’t hedge your bets or try to game the process – Don’t play with the idea that you may want a new job. If you find that you are at the point where you are going to meet with the client be in it to get the job. I’ve had clients go all through the process receive an offer and then decide to through out an important deal breaker. If you absolutely must work from home one day a week you need to tell the recruiter in the beginning of the search.
Carmel Napolitano, CGN Advisory. Professional Recruiter
Carmel does retained recruiting for the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.