Interview Tips and Job Search Strategies - Winter, Wyman Video

Some of Winter, Wyman's most prominent employees share helpful job search tips and job search strategies, ideas for addressing gaps in resumes and tips for acing interviews! Hear from:
-Tracy Cashman, partner and general manger of the New England Information Technology division
-Frank Dadah, general manger of the New York Financial Contracting division
-Laurie Lopez, general manager of the New England Information Technology Contracting division

Transcript:
Tracy Cashman, Partner, General Manager, Information Technology

In terms of resume viewing, I would say, myself, I'm pretty quick. I'm a quick reader. So that helps, but it kind of leads to the larger question, which I always tell candidates, of most hiring managers are going to give your resume, you're lucky if you get 30 seconds. They're busy. They've got other things going on. So one of the pieces of advice that we give to people, in terms of their resumes, is to make sure whatever is most marketable and valuable about you is in that top half of your resume. Sometimes I'll see people's resumes that have this great experience, but it's filled with fluff at the top, and you're not getting to the core stuff that's going to sell them.

Frank Dadah, General Manager, New York Financial Contracting

Think consistency in jobs. So that doesn't necessarily mean that you've worked in the same company for five or six years, but it means you've been in the same type of work for five or six years. So if a candidate's gone from bookkeeping to cooking in a restaurant to back to bookkeeping, it's not necessarily as appealing as somebody who's kept their skills fresh in accounting throughout their entire career.

Tracy Cashman, Partner, General Manager, Information Technology

When I'm looking at a resume, I think I look for a variety of things. It may be quick, but sometimes it might be a technology. Sometimes it might be a particular company if it's a company I'm familiar with and I know they have a good training program. Sometimes it's longevity. Sometimes it's degree because it depends on the search that I'm working on in the back end. So a particular client may be attracted to different things. So I have to read a resume kind of through the eyes of a client.

You know, it's always tough, I think, if you have a gap in your resume. I think one of the things you can do is, if you're in a position to write a cover letter, to maybe address it. There are certainly moms that chose to stay home for a few years or if somebody stayed home to take care of an ill family member or if you're just out of work. Sometimes it's good if you're coming right off that gap, contract work can be a solution to kind of get your foot back into the industry. Obviously, networking, it's one of the things that you hear a lot about, but it's true. Someone who knows you is more likely to take a risk on you, even if you've been out of work for a couple of years versus the stranger that just gets your resume in a pile. Sometimes we can help advocate, depending on our relationship with the particular client. But being honest is usually the best way to go. Don't try to sugar coat it. Be up front about it, whether it's putting a little blurb on your resume explaining the gap or putting it in a cover letter or addressing somebody face to face.

Laurie Lopez, General Manager, Technology Contracts

Number one tip, be prepared. I think it's very important that people are prepared when they come in for an interview, whether they have hopefully done their research on the company. They need to understand to bring a notebook, take notes, and ask good questions that are well thought out and smart.


For more information on these employees, please visit http://www.winterwyman.com/index.cfm/AboutUs/Find_a_Recruiter.
For more helpful job search resources, please visit http://www.winterwyman.com/index.cfm/ForJobSeekers/Resources_and_Webinars.
For more information on Winter, Wyman, please visit http://www.winterwyman.com.