As the competition for jobs becomes fierce, many job candidates are faced with increasingly difficult interview questions.  In the first part of our series we asked "Why do you think YOU were chosen for layoffs?"  Now we want to tackle another question that catches almost all candidates by surprise.
Difficult Question #2:  A year from now, what is going to keep you at this company?

Let's admit it, many job candidates make the mistake of thinking very short-term when faced with a difficult job search.  After sending out 100 resumes, sitting through 20 interviews and failing to land a job after a year or so, many job candidates, because of desperation, take positions that will only keep them interested for a year, at the most. Hiring is a huge investment, in good-times and bad, that's why employers want to avoid candidates who will bail before they can get their return on investment.  Your job is to let them know you're in it for the long haul.

The first step to tackling this difficult interview question is to ask yourself this question BEFORE you apply for the job.  Is this job the type of job that can hold your interest for years?  What are the qualities that make this job appealing for the long-term?  To answer these questions honestly you need to have a clear long-term vision.  Does the job help you achieve your long-term career goals?  Maybe it offers the chance for advancement, training or the opportunity to be mentored by the best in the business.  

Here's what you might say:

"This position offers me the opportunity to achieve my long-term goal of ___________ by offering excellent training and hands on experience in __________________."

"The opportunity for advancement in the company makes this position very attractive because I'm interested in becoming _____________________ eventually."

What you don't want to say:

"I don't know," or any clever variations on "I don't know."

With many employers and recruiters swamped with tons of qualified candidate resumes are becoming more discerning during interviews.  Some recruiters and employers are now asking difficult questions that may cause some candidates to stumble during an interview.  Let's take a look at one difficult question and discuss the best and worst responses:
Difficult Question #1:  Why do you think YOU were chosen for layoffs?
This is a difficult question for anyone who as faced a layoff.  It's also a question that can catch even the most prepared of us off guard. But don't let it frazzle you. The first rule to answering this question is: don't express any anger or hostility towards your former employer.  That means AVOID saying:
"Well, I think it was favoritism, jealousy, nepotism etc…."
"Well, I don't think I was appreciated and I worked there for 10 years and never got a word of thanks…"
"They wanted to give my job to a younger person who will work for less…"
Don't give the above responses even if they are true.
Below are some acceptable answers to the question:
"I'm not sure, I just think they needed to cut costs and I got unlucky…"
"I don't know.  Can I think about that and get back to you?"
Also avoid devaluing your work performance.  Don't suggest that if you worked harder, finished that project on time, etc., that you would have avoided a layoff.  Saying something like that may devalue you in the eyes of the interviewer and lessen your chances of landing the job.

If you're a recruiter working effectively in the current marketplace, then you've been fortunate enough to land some very high quality candidates and snag the interest of employers who are still hiring.  But what you may have noticed is that some of the top candidates still want to negotiate compensation before taking an offer even if the additional compensation is insignificant.  Negotiation is not necessarily a bad thing; but it may be unwise to negotiate if the compensation offer is at least close to what the candidate is looking for, here's why:

1.    There are a lot of high quality candidates looking for a legal job in a market that has shrunk significantly due to the recession. If your candidate doesn't accept an offer relatively quickly the employer may offer the position to another candidate causing a loss to you (as the recruiter) and of course to the candidate.

2.    The increased salary may not be worth the cost, especially if the additional income is only a slight increase over what the employer is currently offering.

3.    If the candidate asks for a change in the compensation package it must go through the approval process again and may be rejected especially in the current financial environment.

Recruiters need to remind candidates that when assessing the worth of a job they need to look at the compensation over a three-year period, promotion opportunities, non-cash benefits (healthcare, life insurance, 401K matching etc.) and opportunities for general career advancement and training. Make sure that you educate your candidates about possible compensation and their expectations before you're at the negotiating table, it could save you a placement.

When jobseekers are trying to connect with others who can get them one step closer to the job of their dreams, there are a few rules that must be followed.  Let's take a look at few of the most essential rules of networking:

Rule #1:  Always be genuine.  Remember, you're not JUST scoping people out for opportunities to land a job; you're building relationships that hopefully will last for years to come.  So when you're connecting with others through your networking efforts take a genuine interest in them and keep an eye out for the long-term.

Rule #2:  Have networking goals.  If you're attending meetings, dinners or events that offer an opportunity to network, make sure you have clear cut goals before you arrive.  If there is a list of attendees, try to get a hold of it and decide who you want to connect with before you arrive.  Don't forget to do your research ahead of time so that you know what topics will be of most interest to them.

Rule #3: Help others. Networking is not a one-way street.  It's important that jobseekers make sure that they are a resource for those connections they make.  When you connect with a new person, ask yourself, how can I be of assistance to them? In order to answer that question correctly you need to know what it is that they want or need that you can provide.  It could be as simple as information or a contact. Whatever it is help them get one step closer to their desires.

It's truly a shame that we need to even post an article about this; but there are some unscrupulous individuals posting fake job ads on the internet to gain information about the competition or to just see what's out there. Job candidates must vet every online job ad before they decide to apply for it because many of them are not real.  This is another reason why working with a legal recruiter and using the Leopard Job Board can be a valuable asset for job candidates.  Both recruiters and Leopard Solutions have already vetted the companies and the validity of the job ads before they're posted, saving job seekers valuable time.  So let's take a look at what job candidates should look for when assessing the validity of an online ad.

1.    If a job ad lists their company name, do a little research. Does the company exist? If so, do they have a legitimate website?  Check and see if the job listed online is also listed in their "Employment and Career Opportunities" section. If so, you may want to apply for the job through the company's website.

2.    Does the online job ad have salary listed in a way that is vague or could be misleading?  For example, many fake job ads will say "the potential to earn…" or "earn up to…"  If you see an online job ad with that type of verbiage it is likely that it’s a fake job ad.

3.    Job ads with typos, misspelled words and glaring grammar errors are most likely fake job ads.

I can hear the collective groan.  Many recruiters working independently enjoy being the jack of all trades; but sometimes getting a little extra help especially in an essential area such as marketing, can take your business to the next level.  So here are a few tips that may help you identify the best marketing guru for your team:

1.    The best marketing gurus are up-to-date on the latest and most effective marketing strategies that work for legal recruiters.  If your marketing guru is focused on "old school" strategies such as classifieds to the exclusion of new media marketing such as social networks, then you probably should keep looking.

2.    Is your marketing guru willing to offer "measurable" outcomes so that you can determine if you're actually getting a good ROI?  Good marketing gurus do things that will affect your bottom-line. For example, can he/she increase the number of potential client contacts, repeat clients etc.?
    
3.    A good marketing guru will have a general knowledge of how to create brand synergy that will increase your company's flow of business and profits. Can your marketing guru logically explain why they need to do something and how it will positively impact your business?  For example, if your marketing guru wants to change your website, logo or advertising, he/she should have a good reason to do so. The last thing you want to do is fix what's not broken.