Dear Platinum Recruiting, What is your advice for the closing minutes of an interview? (Here’s the Facebook Live response! Below is the blog with more detail) Hi Bob, A lot of interview tips focus on preparing for an interview, knowing how to answer certain questions and good questions to ask. That information is important and […]

If you caught my last blog entry, DisruptHR Indy 2.0 – Highlights!, you read about DisruptHR Indy! I shared highlights from all the great speakers. The topic of my presentation was “What Is Your Current Salary?” “None of Your Business”. Check out this video! The format was 5 minute presentations with 20 Slides changing automatically every […]

I had the honor and privilege of speaking at Disrupt HR Indy 2.0 last night (4.25.17)! Over 100 HR & Business Leaders/Owners that are making huge impacts in the Indy market and community. Not sure how I made the list of speakers! Our firm, Platinum Recruiting, is thrilled to have been a sponsor. Keep scrolling for quotes […]

Dear Platinum Recruiting, I have an interview coming up, any advice about offer negotiations? Check out our Facebook Live Response & “Like” our business FB page while you visit: Offer Negotiations – Facebook Live Response Hi Jill, Yes! Plenty. Before getting into negotiations tips, let’s set the stage: Check out these stats 37% of people always negotiate […]

Dear Platinum Recruiting, What is the best way to approach your current employer about accepting an offer with another company and how do you best handle what could come up when you resign, such as a counter offer? Check out the video version: Facebook Live Video! Dear Jon Doe, Time for some tough love: If your […]

10 Words/Information to Remove From Your Resume! Several words are included for being painfully obvious and/or overused. They lose meaning when an employer reads them on every resume. We also suggest removing portions of your resume that can do more harm than good. For more detailed resume tips, read here: Resume Tips and Template We created a fun […]

Dear Platinum, What are your thoughts on networking? Most people do it when they’re out of work, which makes sense. It seems impossible to find the time while employed. Is it worth it? Any advice? Hi Jane, Great lead-off topic for Platinum Unplugged! I chose to start with ‘networking’ because it’s something everyone can benefit […]

The end of any year is a time to look forward and establish new goals. It’s also a time to reflect. I shared my first blog on January 3rd, 2016. I wrote 27 columns (28 counting this) in 2016. Important Lessons Learned, Stats and Thank Yous! 2016 was a busy year with social media initiatives. […]

A weekly Q&A (launching in January 2017) discussing topics important to you. Questions can be submitted to anyone at Platinum Recruiting via email, social media and live conversations. We’ll answer questions each week without mentioning the source. Questions will be submitted in confidence to encourage honest conversations about real situations.  Why are we doing this? Add […]

Have you interviewed for a job you weren’t quite sure about yet?  Do you have an interview coming up soon?  Don’t let this happen to you: 9am: Interviews all morning. 1pm: I get a call from candidate to debrief: “Wow, I am impressed. They have a great team, really like the environment. Good career growth […]

I started 2016 with a goal of reading 1 book per month. I failed miserably during the first 6 months but have been doing much better lately. I recently finished a book called “The One Thing” by Garry Keller (with Jay Papasan).  I found it interesting and motivating. If others struggle like me to find a good […]

Not happy with your recruiters? This could be why! Employers get contacted by recruiters all the time. Why choose just one? On the surface it might seem like the more the better when it comes to working with recruiting firms. You only pay a fee to the firm with the winning candidate. Sounds great, right? […]

To a lot of people, updating a resume is an annoying task. A necessary evil to get a new job. Part of the problem is resumes are often thought of in a reactive manner: Job is being eliminated or got called about a new opportunity, I better update my resume. Think about your resume proactively. It’s […]

My last blog gave props to Massachusetts for passing a law that makes it illegal for employers to ask applicants for current salary. Despite agreeing with that law, I still prefer to know your salary! I get the hesitation to share this information. It’s discussed in one of the first few conversations I have with someone. […]

Massachusetts recently made it illegal to ask your salary in a job interview. This is big news. The law was passed to ensure equal pay for everyone. The political spotlight on equal pay for women helped drive these efforts. Fist bump to Massachusetts! You can read about it here: New York Times Article Most companies […]

I love the fall. College Football is right around the corner. I can start playing Rocky Top on Saturday mornings. Fire pit nights are more frequent. And companies are hiring! It never fails, the fall is always our busiest time of the year (knock on wood). I first thought this would be a boring topic. […]

Part 2 of 2: (See last week’s blog on Interview Tips) I am excited about this week’s blog!  Several local leaders from the Indianapolis business community graciously shared opinions and tips on interviews. To focus on their awesome tips, I decided to share my Interview Preparation Guide in a word document. Added bonus you can actually save it […]

Without further ado, the ‘Interview Tips’ blog is finally here! Frankly, I’m impressed I made it halfway through the year before going with the obvious Interview Tips column. While it’s not the sexiest topic, it is one of the most important.  This is where you win or lose the opportunity. This will be Part 1 of a […]

I’m not going to preach about digging deep and figuring out your “why”. Why you do what you do, what your biggest motivations are. You either already know or don’t care. Most of you reading this are highly motivated and successful. You already know what your why is. However, in the day to day grind, it can […]

Since writing about the “candidate market” we’re currently in we’ve seen multiple people get offers that were 20% or more above their current salary (well above average so results may vary!). Plenty of people are taking advantage of the hot market to improve their situation. Yet, others wonder where in the world they get the time […]

I have the pleasure of working with companies from most industries.  Technology companies are providing a blueprint that a lot of other companies can learn from. Before I run off non tech company readers I’ll start by saying there are plenty of companies in other industries doing great things.  And, the love and press for technology companies […]

Leverage swings back and forth between candidates and employers. Similar to shifts you see in the housing market where the owner sometimes has the leverage, other times the buyer. In an employer market, companies can often pick between multiple good options. In a candidate market, it gets harder and harder to find good talent. Here are 4 signs we’re […]

Edit:  It’s been brought to my attention that “counter offer” might be interpreted many different ways.  Here’s the definition I’m using:  Someone gets an offer from another company, accepts that offer, resigns with current employer, current employer then provides “counter offer” trying to get that person to stay. Counter Offers are more common now than […]

Every line of work has bad apples. The recruiting industry may have more than others. It’s an easy field to get into. When big recruiting firms get the green light from corporate, they hire as many as they can, give them a desk and a phone and hope a few work out. That’s how I […]

If you’ve ever interviewed for a job you’ve probably been asked this question.  How do you answer it?  Should you answer it?  Should they even be asking? It’s an important and controversial topic.  I recently read a great article by Liz Ryan (You can read here: What is your last salary?.  She’s a good follow on […]

Have you been putting off the dreaded task of updating your resume? No more excuses. Below is a link to my “go to” template. No text boxes or defined fields. Just open the word document, save it as your own and enter your own information. Not looking for a job right now? That doesn’t matter. It’s […]

I’ve had a lot of conversations lately about interview strategy. I’ve written about interview tips before but this entry isn’t about dressing right and sending thank you notes. This is deeper. The further you get in your career, the more important it is to compare your background to requirements for an opportunity AND the competition. Rarely […]

“Good news, we’d like to make you an offer!” That’s great. But how do you decide? There are so many things to consider: Is it the right job? Is the company stable? Is the offer enough? How do the benefits compare to what I currently have? What is the 401k? How much vacation? Evaluating a […]

The title isn’t clickbait. I see more money wasted on MBAs than anything else. MBAs can be a game changer. But they aren’t for everyone. And if you do get one you need to pick the right school (probably another blog entry by itself) at the right time in your career and do it for […]

I just returned from our annual company incentive trip and it was a great reminder why a little time away is critical. I started this as a “Top 5 Benefits of Taking a Vacation” list. I quickly realized each benefit was a function of time. Don’t get me wrong the endless drinks, never ending supply […]

Like any service organization, not every situation calls for using a recruiting firm.  When the time is right, these are 3 ways a great recruiter can and should add value to your recruiting efforts.  This list can also help determine when working with a firm might make sense.  These factors can also be helpful when evaluating recruiting firms […]

You hate it: I will get deeper than this but sometimes it’s good to start with the obvious. Do you hate your job?  Are the hours awful? Is it negatively impacting your personal/family life?  Don’t make a rash decision but if there’s no end in sight and management doesn’t seem to care, it’s time to move […]

Happy New Year. Now get your LinkedIn Profile updated! Not on LinkedIn? You should be. Don’t worry; this is not about New Year’s resolutions. It just happens to be a good time to remind you LinkedIn should be part of your professional arsenal. Are you highly motivated in your career? Of course you should be […]