by Karen Alphonse | May 22, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Q: I am an in-house candidate in a hot, national executive director search. I know everyone on the Search Committee as well as many of the key stakeholders. How can I competitively present myself? What steps should I take to have them take me seriously? A: Your... by Karen Alphonse | May 15, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Q: I have a phone interview scheduled next week? What do I say? How do I prepare for it? A: The phone can be a tricky venue, and there are a number of aspects to it you need to consider. The first aspects are with regard to your execution of a phone... by Karen Alphonse | May 8, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Q: I was born outside the United States. Should I include this information on my resume? Should I talk about it in my cover letter? A: Unless the prospective job deals with your country or region of origin, avoid referencing it on your resume or in your cover letter.... by Karen Alphonse | May 1, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Q: I was born, bred and educated in the Midwest. Since graduation three years ago, I have been working as a program director at a local not for profit. My particular program has been quite successful. However, the organization is in jeopardy because of the loss of... by Karen Alphonse | Apr 24, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Management, Recruiters
Q: How can a talent acquisition specialist/recruiter help our organization? Our budget has been cut, and people just don’t see value in outsourcing human resource functions. A: An experienced recruiter can add immediate value to your search for top talent. A good... by Karen Alphonse | Apr 17, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Q: I am discouraged, upset and depressed about my job search. What should I work on next? My resume? Or …? A: Without a doubt, work on yourself first. For now, set aside the resume, and stop typing the cover letter. No document will hide your frustration and... by Karen Alphonse | Apr 10, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers, Management, Recruiters
Q: Are cover letters useful? I hear employers are not reading them anymore. A: We are in a new world of employment, and protocols are evolving. In the past, employers relied on cover letters as both a screening device and as a way to decide whether an applicant... by Karen Alphonse | Apr 3, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Q: Should I include graduation dates and dates for all of my diplomas on my resume? A recruiter told me to get rid of them because they “date” me. What do you think? A: The sad truth is when dates are left off the resume, the reviewer is likely to draw... by Karen Alphonse | Mar 27, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers, Management, Recruiters
Q: As a recruiter, what do you look for in a leader? What signs indicate leadership? A: Sometimes, it is difficult to quantify the traits comprising successful leadership. The obvious traits include: effective communication of a vision to others; the ability to... by Karen Alphonse | Mar 20, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Management, Recruiters
Q: What should be included in an Executive Director job description? A: The position description for a nonprofit Executive Director should include language addressing core competencies and other operational skills. For many organizations, these include: Passion for... by Karen Alphonse | Mar 13, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Management
Q: What leadership qualities are sought in a nonprofit Executive Director? A: The obvious leadership qualities of a nonprofit Executive Director include: vision; passion for the mission; strategic planning ability; financial management skills (budgeting,... by Karen Alphonse | Mar 6, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Have you ever wondered why it takes several days to get around to revising your resume or why you spend hours agonizing over each bullet? I do, too. After many years of working in the recruitment field with countless candidates, I still ponder, perseverate, and,... by Karen Alphonse | Feb 27, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
Q: I have been Senior Accountant and Chief Financial Officer at two organizations. I just saw a posting for an Assistant Comptroller (less responsible) role at a well-respected nonprofit in DC. The salary in the new role is comparable to my current salary. Should... by Karen Alphonse | Feb 6, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
This series covered all aspects of the reference process. Part One covered working with references as they relate to the candidate. Part Two focused on engaging with the references themselves, and Part Three put the ideas into practice through the reference check... by Karen Alphonse | Jan 23, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
In parts One and Two of this four-part series, I outlined the “homework” required to best prepare yourself, a candidate and a reference for a formal reference interview. In this entry, details of the actual process, from questions to ask to delivering the results, are... by Karen Alphonse | Jan 16, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers
In Part One of this series, I outlined the homework I do with regard to references before placing the formal reference checking call as it relates to the candidate. Today, that homework process continues to unfold with a focus on the references. Preparing the... by Karen Alphonse | Jan 9, 2012 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers, Management
In this series, we have taken a closer look at the pieces that comprise a total search process from Defining the Opportunity to Identifying Talent. In this last installment of my three-part series, the focus is on initiating the search process and the role of a... by Karen Alphonse | Dec 12, 2011 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers, Management
Conducting a search for new talent is a cumbersome task. Trying to decide whether or not to involve a recruiter is another important, if not intimidating, aspect of the process. In my previous post, I outlined two specific areas of consideration with regard to... by Karen Alphonse | Dec 5, 2011 | Advice, Featured, Job Seekers, Recruiters
Many organizations are familiar with using references in the final phases of search to support or eliminate one winning candidate. References can serve equally critical functions, however, beyond giving you data about your proposed “winner.” In this four-part series,... by Karen Alphonse | Nov 14, 2011 | Advice, Featured, Management, Recruiters
Your organization can directly benefit by partnering with an experienced recruiter to conduct specific key search functions. Recruiters can help attract talent, screen likely candidates and check the background and work history of your preferred candidate(s) in...