We Need Help Finding Recent 4-Year Grads for Salaried Sales Positions in Nashville.

FiveChairs Talent is looking for entry-level and early-career sales candidates for several Nashville-area clients of ours. Interviews are already underway. All candidates must be NEW or RECENT 4-Year grads. Your college major is irrelevant and our clients are NOT looking for past sales experience. – as you will receive extensive training. However, you MUST be interested in a Sales career. Additionally, you must be polished, self-confident and hard working. We have inside and outside sales positions to fill – and ALL require a 4-year college degree. All of these Nashville-based positions include a competitive base salary, excellent benefits, paid training and a generous incentive plan. Salaries range from mid-20s to mid 30s and total realistic compensation (first year) ranges from $50k to $70k. Please send your resume to resumes@fivechairs.com – with the words “Recent Grad Sales Rep” in the subject line. FiveChairs earns 100% of all placement fees from Employers.

NOTE: None of these positions are in the insurance, retail or telecommunications sector.
_________________________________________________________

Mark Newsom
Founder of FiveChairs, a Recruitment Firm, focused on Nashville Talent. | mark@fivechairs.com

Invite Me. I’ll Accept.

Hiring an Ad Agency Account Manager in Nashville

Our client, an established, stable and growing Nashville-area creative services firm, is looking for an Account Manager.

Basic Requirements:
• A Bachelor’s degree
• Must have roughly 5 years of successful experience working in account management, within an ad agency or very similar setting.
• We’ll describe the other requirements once we have a chance to chat. Though, if you’ve already served in an ad agency account management role – you already know what it takes to succeed.

Compensation:
Competitive salary and benefits, commensurate with education and experience.

To Apply:
Send your CONFIDENTIAL resume to: resumes@fivechairs.com. Your resume will NOT be sent to our client until we have interviewed you and you have given us permission. Remember, we aren’t the employer – we’re the intermediary.

NOTE: If you are currently employed as an ad agency account manager – and don’t have an up-to-date resume, no worries – simply send an email and let us know when you can talk by phone.

We’ll also need your confidential salary history (last 3 years) – so that we don’t waste your time, or our client’s.

Please place your full name and “Ad Agency AM” within the subject line of your email.

FiveChairs earns 100% of all placement fees from employers.

www.FiveChairs.com

Finding the Best Recruiter: “Prescription Before Diagnosis is Malpractice”

I recently got a chuckle out of all the advice that was dispensed, after someone who was headed to Nashville asked the question on Linkedin, “Can someone recommend a local Recruiter?”

Over a period of three months, at least 45 people weighed in with dozens of different recommendations and, amazingly, most people never even considered the occupation the inquisitor was even pursuing. They simply rattled off the names of recruiters, staffing firms, talent sourcing firms, contingency recruitment firms and retained search firms – across dozens of different specialties.

I didn’t see a bad recruiter mentioned by anyone – and several great ones were left out – but the outcome was, that most of the firms or recruiters mentioned didn’t make placements in her career field.

My point: Asking someone to recommend a local recruiter is akin to asking someone to recommend a local doctor.

In an ironic twist, as I was writing this post, the very person who asked this question on LinkedIn contacted me to seek our representation.

I talked to her about the overwhelming diversity of recommendations she received on Linkedin, and was prepared to caution her with one of my favorite sayings, “Prescription before diagnosis is Malpractice.” However, my advice wasn’t needed – she was clearly a smart candidate. Before I could say anything, she quickly acknowledged that while she sincerely appreciated everyone’s effort to help over the past three months, she had discovered that most of the firms and recruiters who were recommended weren’t really a fit for her own personal situation – or that of her husband.

WHAT IS YOUR CAREER FOCUS?
If you had nagging knee pain, would you seek the help of an OB/GYN practice, because your friend said they had the very best doctors?

At a recent soccer game I attended, I overheard a parent – cheering for the opposing team – recommend a local recruiter, who they mentioned was a “good friend”, to a fellow parent who was looking for a permanent Staff Accounting job. I had to wince, as I knew that, while the recruiter she was recommending was a fantastic recruiter, they specialized in Plastics Engineering. Apparently, as far as she was concerned – a recruiter is a recruiter.

Well, it isn’t that simple. Most permanent hire (only) recruiters – what most call “headhunters” – are specialist in a particular industry or vocational category. Therefore, you are completely wasting your time sending your resume to many headhunting firms. They are entirely focused on a very narrow sector, and they don’t have time even to call or write to tell you that you’re barking up the wrong tree.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE?
It isn’t just about recruiter specialty; it can also be a matter of your immediate circumstance. For instance, if your leg were broken in an auto accident, would you go to the nearest emergency room – or schedule an appointment for the following week, with an Orthopedic Surgeon?

Case in point. You’ll see several excellent administrative staffing firms within retail shopping centers throughout Nashville. If you are unemployed and have impressive Microsoft Office skills, and need immediate employment – doing anything, anywhere, for anyone – you would be foolish not to go see them for a temporary or interim opportunity.

However, if you’re a frustrated, but employed, Director of Content Management, and methodically looking for a more senior-level content management position, there are far more appropriate solutions within the spectrum of human capital companies.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE (OR WANT TO LIVE)
What if your next-door neighbor convinced you that the best Pediatrician was in San Diego, but you live in Nashville? Of course, you want the very best for your child, but is this really a practical choice?

I hate to be the one to burst the proverbial bubble, but the average executive-level, permanent-placement specialty headhunter makes about six placements in an entire year – and rarely are any of their job opportunities (or candidates) within a couple of hundred miles of their office. Does this mean they aren’t good at what they do – of course not! In fact, Nashville is blessed with some of the best specialty recruiters you’ll find in the U.S..

My point: If you are looking for a headhunter to assist you with a permanent, full-time executive position in Nashville – possibly outside of IT and Accounting – your recruiter options are far more limited.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO MARRY YOUR RECRUITER

The wonderful difference between the medical profession and the recruiting profession is that recruiters don’t charge candidates for their services. Their only paying client is the employer. Therefore, use as many recruiters as you wish. Just make sure they are practical for your career choice and circumstance.

Granted, most recruitment firms would prefer that you use them exclusively – and a handful will even go so far as to suggest that it is unwise to use more than one. However, the simple truth is that this is self-serving advice, on their part.

Recruiters should always be professional and courteous to candidates – but don’t ever forget that they see you as perishable inventory. Remember, you are a “free agent” – so act like one. No matter how much the recruiter seems to like you – and truly wants to help – don’t think that they wake up in the middle of the night, asking themselves, “How am I going to get good ol’ John a job?”. Instead, they are asking themselves, “Where are we going to find the right candidates for the position at XYZ Company?”.

Recruiters aren’t magic job fairies. They can’t create demand for positions – only the market can do that. And at the end of the day, only a fraction of candidates – represented by even the most successful recruiting firms – get jobs as a result of a recruiter. Ultimately, you will always be your #1 agent.

At the end of the day, you are leading the sales effort for the product called “YOU”, so don’t depend solely on a recruiter for your success, nor blame a recruiter – for your lack of it.

AUTHOR: Mark Newsom
Founder of FiveChairs, a Recruitment Firm, focused on Nashville Talent | mark.newsom@fivechairs.com

Invite Me. I’ll Accept.

Hiring SEO Professionals in Nashville (Permanent, Full-time)

Our client, a high-growth national company, headquartered in Nashville, has hired us to fill a couple of early-career SEO positions. You will be responsible for delivering the best organic and local search engine presence for key clients. Duties will include content and media management, on-site and off-site optimizations, creation of monthly reports for clients, and development of search engine optimization strategies and digital products to enhance clients’ businesses.

REQUIREMENTS: A Bachelors degree and at least 1-3 years of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and related experience. Must have in-depth knowledge of SEO keyword research and analysis. Experience with website reporting and analytics tools. Excellent communication skills, written and verbal. Familiarity with PPC (Pay-Per-Click) and social media preferred.

Competitive salary, commensurate with education and experience.

Send your confidential resume to: resumes@fivechairs.com. Please place your name and “SEO” within the subject line of your email. FiveChairs earns 100% of all placement fees from employers. www.FiveChairs.com

How Slow Employers Lose Great Talent

When I was a kid, my friends and I would often say to each other, “If you snooze, you loose.” When I finally entered the working world, I heard the grown-up version of this mantra, “Time Kills Deals”. Both of these sayings essentially mean the same thing: With every minute that elapses – after you’ve been presented with an opportunity that you don’t take – the chances become less likely that you’ll ever get it.

I’m here to tell you, the recruiting and hiring process is no different.

So if you accept that the hardest to find, or the most talented candidates are getting the lion’s share of the interviews – how likely is it that these talented candidates are going to patiently wade through your slow hiring process? Don’t kid yourself, it isn’t likely.

Even those candidates who are employed have to be very judicious about the time they take off from work to go on interviews – so they have little patience for a long, drawn out hiring process.

So, how do the very best employers snag the top candidates? Well, they act decisively. They understand that top talent is a highly perishable resource. They don’t skip steps, cut corners or accept sub-par talent – they just compress the hiring process. Even though plenty of people are out of work today, the most successful companies understand what it takes to land rare, top-notch talent – and, believe me, it isn’t a slow, bureaucratic process.

Here is what recruiters experience throughout the year –

The client calls and explains that they need to fill an open position “ASAP”. So, the recruiter rallies the troops and begins a blitzkrieg of activity to quickly uncover the very best candidates and then “sell” the most qualified prospects on the opportunity. Within days, the recruiter presents a slate of candidates to the client. A week later the client gets sidetracked with other priorities. Another week goes by and the candidates are getting a bit irritated and the client is just starting the process of pulling together the cast of folks who are going to meet the candidates. By the end of the third week the recruiter finally gets the approval to start scheduling interviews – but by then some of the best candidates have already accepted offers from other employers. As each day goes by, more and more of the very best candidates are lost.

Now consider a survey I recently read: According to a national poll, 61% of all U.S. households are living paycheck to paycheck and 30% of all households earning over $100,000 per year are in the same position. And, even when you consider the number of families who have three to six month emergency funds, you learn quickly that few families are prepared to weather a long job search.

So, is it any wonder that great job candidates, who have been out of work for a couple months or more, are unwilling to put up with a slow hiring process?

You might ask, as an employer, “What can our company do about it?” Well, first of all, consider that your survival in the marketplace is directly tied to hiring BETTER candidates than your competitors. Start taking the hiring process far more seriously by killing your bureaucratic processes and understanding that reducing time-to-hire can often dramatically increase talent quality – as well as reduce opportunity cost and customer service issues caused by long-term vacant positions.

Before you get the wrong idea, I am NOT suggesting you rush into decisions.

What I am suggesting is that you move through your recruiting and hiring process as rapidly as possible – without violating your due diligence process. You need a proven and thorough selection process, but that doesn’t mean it needs to take a long time.

It’s time to update the old adage, “Hire Slow and Fire Fast” to – “Hire Fast and Fire Fast”.

Lastly, the most important advice I can give any employer: You should be actively talking to prospective candidates – throughout the year, even when you don’t have an open position.

It’s highly unlikely that the very best talent will be actively looking for a position during the same, small window of time when you absolutely have to fill an open position. That’s why the best managers are looking for talent – every waking minute.
__________________________________________________________

SEVEN WAYS SLOW JOB SEEKERS LOSE GREAT JOBS

1.) After they lose a position, they lick their wounds and/or use the front end of their severance as a vacation – and don’t immediately begin their job search. During this delay, several windows of opportunity come and go.

2.) After they determine they want and need to change positions, while currently employed, they don’t immediately begin their job search – and instead, wait until they are miserable. During this delay, several windows of opportunity come and go.

3.) They don’t respond to employer phone calls or emails within the same day.

4.) They don’t rearrange their schedules to quickly get in front of employers who show interest in interviewing them.

5.) They don’t complete/submit paperwork or provide additional information in a timely fashion (e.g. applications, references, compensation history, work samples…).

6.) They are slow to tell the employer that they are sincerely interested in the position.

7.) They don’t accept the position within the time prescribed by the employer.

AUTHOR: Mark Newsom
Founder of FiveChairs, a Recruitment Firm, focused on Nashville Talent | mark@fivechairs.com

Invite Me. I’ll Accept.

A Solution to Area Code Discrimination

Could your area code harm your chance of getting an interview? With some hiring managers – it can and it does.

Here’s why. In today’s tough job market, companies are often getting hundreds of resumes for a single position. As a result, it isn’t unusual for hiring managers to take only 7 – 10 seconds to glance at a resume before deciding whether it ends up in the right stack.

During the “first cut”, when paring down a pile of 200 resumes into 30 to 40 resumes to closely examine, hiring managers are in the mode of “things that scare me” rather than “exactly who should I hire”.

Here is a short potential list of “things that scare me”:
• They don’t meet the basic job requirements (e.g. bachelor’s degree, 3-5 years of business-to-business sales experience).
• They live more than 35 miles from our company.
• Their last position wasn’t with a local company.
• They don’t have a 615 area code.

So you might ask yourself, why would my 205 area code matter? Well, let’s get into the head of a hiring manager.

“I’ll bet this person still lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and is now using a friend’s local address. She is just fishing in this market to see if she’ll get any bites. After all, if she already lived in Nashville, she would already have a local cell phone number.”

“She might live here, now, she has never worked in this area. I’ll be darned if I’m going to train her for three months and then have her return to her friends and family in Birmingham – once she starts missing them.”

“Yeah, I see she has lived here for a couple of years, but if her intention was in staying in Nashville, long term– why wouldn’t she have changed her phone number. Her heart is still in Birmingham.”

Yes, many people really think this way. Not all of them, but certainly enough to make you pause before committing this potential mistake.

So, what can you do? Well, if you really are committed to living in Nashville long term, get your cell phone number changed. It’s easy to do and probably won’t cost you more than 15 bucks.

However, if you can’t part with your old cell number, there is a FREE option – Google Voice (www.google.com/voice). With Google Voice you can get a free local phone number of your choosing, and simply use it to forward all calls to any existing phone number.
Additionally, through Google Voice, you can even make free outbound calls anywhere in the U.S., set up personalized voice mail, and even have your transcribed voice mail messages emailed to you.

So cross another objection off the list – and start improving your odds of getting more interviews!

Note: Thanks to one of my talented candidates, Myles, for suggesting Google Voice for this purpose.

AUTHOR: Mark Newsom
Founder of FiveChairs, a Recruitment Firm, focused on Nashville Talent and
Goldfish Resumes, the foremost resume writers in Nashville. | mark@fivechairs.com

Invite Me. I’ll Accept.

Need Help Finding Recent 4-Year Grads in Nashville for Salaried Sales Positions.

FiveChairs Talent is aggressively looking for entry-level and early-career sales candidates for several Nashville-area clients of ours. All candidates must be NEW or RECENT 4-Year grads. Your college major or past sales experience is irrelevant – as you will receive extensive training – but you must be interested in a Sales career. Additionally, you must be polished, self-confident and hard working. We have inside and outside sales positions to fill – and ALL require a 4-year college degree. All of these Nashville-based positions include a competitive base salary, excellent benefits, paid training and a generous incentive plan. Salaries range from mid-20s to mid 30s and total compensation (first year) ranges from $50k to $70k. Please send your resume to resumes@fivechairs.com – with the words “Recent Grad Sales Rep” in the subject line. FiveChairs earns 100% of all placement fees from Employers.

NOTE: None of these positions are in the insurance or telecommunications sector.
_________________________________________________________

Mark Newsom
Founder of FiveChairs, a Recruitment Firm, focused on Nashville Talent. | mark@fivechairs.com

Invite Me. I’ll Accept.

In a Job Search, Without this Ingredient – You’re Toast.

I’m very lucky. I get to meet fascinating people every day. Some have awe-inspiring, creative gifts. Some have subject-matter knowledge that boggles the mind. And a few have earned academic credentials from the very best universities on earth.

However, without self-confidence, few of these people will ever land the positions to which they aspire. While a candidate with a fraction of their talent, expertise and education will easily earn twice as much – if they have self-confidence.

The truth is, people without self-confidence are typically ineffective networkers, they sell themselves short and they tend to stay in their comfort-zone.

Self-confidence trumps the best dress suit, the best resume, the highest degree, and even the best inside connections.

As a recruiter, self-confidence is one of the most important things I look for when meeting any candidate. It’s that special ingredient that is absolutely priceless and always memorable.

However, if you have always had low self-confidence, there are still things you can do to improve on it.

The most important first step toward gaining self-confidence is to accept and love yourself. None of us are perfect, so give yourself a break and stop dwelling on your minor deficiencies, as we all possess our fair share.

You must accept them and start concentrating on your many talents and past accomplishments. By doing so, you will free your mind of a heavy burden and instantly feel light and cheerful.

Also consider that positive energy is closely allied to self-confidence. Without it, your self-confidence may simply come off as arrogance.

If you still feel a lack of self-confidence, you can at least demonstrate it in the interview by doing these simple things:
• Make sure you’re dressed appropriately
• Show up well before you walk through the front door
• Stand tall and pull your shoulders back
• Shake hands firmly
• Walk a little faster. Like you have places to go and people to see.
• Breath slowly and deeply
• Speak UP and speak clearly
• Memorize your “30-second elevator speech” and be able to say it very naturally
• Try to avoid using “aaah” and “ummm” in your sentences
• Control your nervous gestures (e.g. touching your face, folding your arms)
• Make eye contact with the interviewer. Never look down or away from the person when talking to them.
• Smile (often) and have a sense of humor

At times, a normally confident person will lose their self-confidence when they experience an extended period of unemployment. They start doubting themselves and begin to think they no longer measure up.

If I’m describing you, please remember that you are the same accomplished and capable person you were before you lost your job. You simply need to change your internal dialogue.

If that isn’t working, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor. According to mental health experts, unemployment can easily lead to depression. Don’t hesitate to get help. With proper treatment, you can get right back on track.

OTHER TIPS:

Stay away from people and things that get you down
The news media is often guilty of fanning the flames of doom and gloom. It’s smart to stay on top of current events, but if it gets you down – turn it off. Instead of watching the evening news – watch Wheel of Fortune. You can even skip the front page of the newspaper and go directly to the comics!

The people you associate with also play an important role in your self-confidence and positive energy. Gravitate towards those with a positive outlook that will support you. This will do wonders for your self-confidence.

If you were laid-off, turn the page and move on.
Nothing is gained by replaying the event, asking yourself what you could have done differently or dwelling on the injustice. As they say, misery loves company – so avoid spending your day talking about “how bad it is out there” with your fellow unemployed associates.

I know it is easier said than done, but look forward – not behind.

Work hard in your job search, but take some time each day to have a little fun.
Especially when you are out of work, participate in activities that you enjoy and energize you. I’m 51 years old, but I feel like a 12 year old when I play a game of laser tag with my three kids.

Get up early and put in a solid day of reaching out to prospective employers – and cap it off by watching a funny matinee at the local theatre or a long walk with a supportive friend in a local park.

Take some time each day to reflect on your special abilities and accomplishments and start managing your mind.
You need to be aware of your own self-talk. Your self-image is what feeds your self-confidence and this needs constant monitoring and care. Don’t underestimate yourself and guard against allowing feelings of inferiority to creep into your head.

And when it comes to processing the negative talk – from outside your mind – force yourself to think positively. If you hear that the unemployment rate is 9% – tell yourself that there is a 91% employment rate and that you will soon be gainfully employed again.

MARK NEWSOM
Founder of FiveChairs, a Recruitment Firm, focused on Nashville Talent and
Goldfish Resumes, the foremost resume writers in Nashville. | mark@fivechairs.com

Invite Me. I’ll Accept.

Proof Positive that Extraordinary Talent Comes in All Ages, Shapes, Hues and Sizes

Most of my posts are written for job candidates – but this one is specifically for my current and prospective employer-clients.

As most know who frequent my blog, FiveChairs, the company I lead is known for amazing, Nashville-area talent – readily available for a fraction of the cost of most recruiters. However, it’s the candidate photos and avatars in our online Talent Pool that often get noticed first.

And while first impressions are important, let me be the first to tell you that extraordinarily talented people come in all ages, shapes, hues and sizes. So, if you are selecting candidates based on anything other than their skills, experience, past track record and (sometimes) education – you are making a terrible mistake. Never sum up a person by how they look.

Take a 5-second glance at the photo, below – and quickly tell me if you would hire these folks.

Well, if your first instinct was to snicker and say “I’ll pass” – you would have missed out on some of the most talented people the world has ever known. Above is a photo of the 11 folks who started Microsoft. By the way, that dorky-looking college dropout (bottom left) is now the richest man in the world.