October 2015

10 Items to Evaluate on LinkedIn Recommendations for Financial Candidates

LinkedIn recommendations are a nice way to learn more about financial candidates before you bring them in for an interview. On top of the resume and cover letter, a LinkedIn profile is increasing in importance during the job selection process. More quality feedback that you can acquire will provide you with a better chance of hiring the best fit for your company.

However, they can also be a little misleading because they are generated by individuals who may not have a lot of direct interaction with these candidates. How can you evaluate LinkedIn recommendations left by people on a financial candidate’s profile? Here are the top 10 items to critique.

What is the top-rated recommendation?
Are the LinkedIn recommendations relevant to the industry?
Who submitted the recommendations?
Do the recommendations appear to be real? (This is very important. Be aware of generic recommendations that appear fluffy and have no substance)
Is the candidate writing recommendations for others?
How many recommendations are recent?
Do the recommendations relate to the job itself?
Has the candidate proven the skills stated?
Are there recommendations that the candidate is lacking?
How closely do the LinkedIn recommendations match the candidate’s achievements? (Seeing actual numbers in the recommendation that show the impact made by the candidate are a great sign.)

When evaluating a candidate for a financial position within your company, it’s important that the recommendations are relevant for the job itself. For example, does the candidate have recommendations that indicate they have specific financial software skills? Or does the candidate’s recommendations show that there is an understanding of the industry, such as legal and ethical considerations? These are all things you will want to consider.

A good financial candidate will have strong recommendations, both in their skills section and the written testimonials left by others. Look for past employers who have taken the time to write positive reviews of a candidate’s performance. Also learn what you can about the candidate’s career direction, which should be evident from any work history provided. See a progression of added responsibilities and projects? These are good signs.

What really takes a LinkedIn recommendation to the next level is confirmation of accomplishments by the job candidates – the more details the recommendations provide, the better. If it’s a generic assessment, then it provides no real context. A job candidate that has a number of recommendations from different employers or varying perspectives is another great sign.

If you need support with finding a strong financial candidate to hire for your company, Casey Accounting and Finance Resources has the recruitment solutions for your organization. We have access to the best financial candidates in the greater Chicago area. Contact us today!

Job Interview Blues? What to Do When the Interviews Don’t Go Well

You’ve brushed up your resume, practiced your interview answering skills, and put on your best power suit. The big day of your job interview is finally here and you are pumped up and ready to impress. But then, something doesn’t feel right, you start to falter, and gradually the interview starts to go very wrong. You walk out almost in tears, wondering what just happened and how you can redeem yourself in the eyes of the hiring manager.

It’s happened to just about everyone who’s ever interviewed for a job. Interviews don’t always go as planned because they are about people. And people are prone to making mistakes, saying the wrong things, and yes, sometimes looking ridiculous. Before you beat yourself up too much, turn things around.

Think about what happened from both sides.

Were you late to the interview or got lost trying to find the office? Did you stumble to come up with an answer to a tough interview question? Try to see things from both sides. It may not be as bad as you think. The hiring manager may have mentioned that the office is hard to find, and they may know that the interview question always stumps people. In other words, the whole scenario may not be as bad as you think.

Be prepared.

Are you ready to give examples demonstrating your accomplishments? Can you give examples of various situations in your previous work experience, show examples of how you responded to these situations with the actions involved and what the results were that you were able to accomplish? Remember SAR: Situation, Action and Results when talking about your accomplishments.

Take the pressure off trying to be perfect.

You are a human being and this means you are not perfect, not even close. You can do your best to look perfect, behave perfect, and show off your perfect resume, but it’s not going to land you that dream job right away. Instead, you need to be a genuine person and let your personality shine so that others can see your value. The next time around, just be yourself.

The recruiter may have been challenging you on purpose.

You may not have had a stellar interview, but then not many people do. In fact, a trick that recruiters will use to make you think you are not a good fit for the organization is to act like they aren’t interested in you at all. They may appear emotionless in an interview. They may even cut you off while you speak. They may challenge you. This is an attempt to see if you will fight for the opportunity or walk out.

Find a support and job networking group.

If you are having the blues after a poor interview, be kind to yourself and reach out to others for support. Don’t go it alone. A job search is a long and frustrating process, so find a support network as you go through this experience. Share your story and listen to others talk about their bad interviews. Learn from it and move on to the next one!

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is a dedicated team of professionals that provides superior value. Contact our great team of recruiters today to help you in your career search for finance careers in Chicago.

Six Keys to Being Happy

According to the Topgrading Professionals, the keys to being happy have been summarized below after asking executives: “How would you live your life or manage your career differently, if you could start over?” This question answers the question, “What might you have done differently in order to become a happier person?

They have heard similar responses over and over again, so here is a summary of the six keys to becoming a success in your career and life, a truly HAPPY “A” Player.

1. Fix broken pieces in your life now, or they will get worse.

Life components include the following: Relationship with Spouse/Significant Other, Relationships with My Children, Wellness, Career Success, Financial Well Being, Giving Back, Being Creative, Fun Hobbies, and Spiritual Satisfaction. Look at any that you would rate Fair or Poor since these items are detracting from your happiness and fix them!

2. Invest time, energy, and love in your family.

You can’t go back in time. Spend the time with your family and loved ones now.

3. Pay attention to wellness.

Half the people, particularly during their 30s and 40s, said their exercise, eating, sleeping and stress-relief habits could be improved.

4. Live within your means.

If you are financially living out of your means, then poor choices happen especially when considering job changes. Save and invest, so you have the money you need during the down times.

5. Plan your career early.

85% of the high achievers were self-made, so get mentors early who can help you think long term for your career plans. Get needed training early on in your career.

6. Topgrade.

“A” players work 50 rather than 70 hours, and get a lot more done in the process. Having these additional hours each week give them time to devote to family, exercise, or anything else that is important to them. High achievers achieve balance through Topgrading.

For additional information www.topgrading.com/

Monthly Archives: October 2015