The Maloof Group’s Post

As many of you know, I accepted a new position that starts July 8th in NYC! I will share details soon, but for now I want to pass on some lessons learned: 😢 This is a TOUGH Market I don’t care what industry you’re in…the job search process is brutal. Even with my network, it took me almost a year (10 months!) to get here. 🫂 Never Search Alone #1 tip: check out phyl terry's “Never Search Alone” (link in comments). This methodical approach guided me throughout the rollercoaster that this has been! 🎯 Find Your Candidate-Market Fit You have to think of yourself as a product and learn to sell yourself as one…”Never Search Alone” extends “Product-Market Fit” to “Candidate-Market Fit”, which is the intersection of your skills/experience/wants/needs & what the market wants/needs. 🎢 Prepare for a Rollercoaster I’ve imagined myself at many companies, only to be rejected. It’s easy to take rejection personally, but I realize that all of these processes are flawed. I had to pick myself up and keep at it because I knew I was worth a company's time and investment. 🏆 Wins Are Preceded by Close Losses Some of the hardest rejections to process are the ones where I just barely missed it—I was the #2 candidate or they cancelled the role posting when it was decision time. I kicked myself for these misses but one of them turned into the role I got! Every relationship and connection matters…be kind to yourself…your win is just around the corner. I hope this is helpful & good luck to everyone on the hunt! If I can be of help in your search, please do reach out!

Nothing like a little healthy competition, right? But oftentimes competing against others leaves you feeling empty, exhausted and lacking confidence. It’s much more productive to compete against yourself. It’s a better measurement of your own improvement. Plus it eliminates the comparison game that serves no one! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 🌺Hi, I'm Beverly, Linkedin Top Voice for Job Search Strategies & founder of Career Success Strategies. 💼As the former owner of a staffing and recruiting firm, I know firsthand what hiring managers are looking for and use that knowledge to help Mid and Senior Level Professionals build their resumes and land the career of their dreams. ☕For more information, go to my profile and connect with me. 🔔Click the bell in the righthand corner to get notified when I post. 📫Send me a DM if I can be of assistance to you!

Hi all! I'm wondering what your thoughts are in terms of the value of the Recommendation section of LinkedIn? I would love to read more on this as my experience is they are often overlooked and would serve potential hiring managers or recruiters well in terms of getting to know us better professionally. I believe that others can describe our "superpowers" much better than ourselves and provide unique insights about us that we wouldn't normally think of. Many of us struggle bragging about ourselves even though we may be very extroverted. I was careful in terms of preparing mine ensuring they were relevant, recent, and honest in terms of how my previous managers, peers and partners viewed my unique value proposition. It just seems they aren't used or looked at much - my strategy while job hunting has been to specifically ask recruiters and potential interviewers to look at my recommendations as I'm not the traditional business development person with a single discipline focus like sales, enablement, sales ops, strategy, revenue management, etc. - I have experience in all these areas which has honestly hurt me since there seems to be a lack of more senior manager/Director type roles available right now. Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on how important you think the Recommendation section is. Thanks and have a great week! Scott.

From your lips to the hiring manager's ear... Congrats V.R.! We (you) did it! It felt like a lot of smoke and mirrors, because it was but sometimes that's how the game is played. This is the current hiring environment. We were certain company #1 was going to happen. Felt like a bit of beginner's luck as it was literally the first company to reach out or respond (from a job board - go figure). By the way, nothing wrong with accepting a first offer. Remember, take a job based on where it will lead you and all other priorities will fall into place. It was down to 2 candidates. Even the executives gushed all over you. And finally they took the other - the one with direct industry experience. Business decision on their end. Should they have taken the fresh perspective? That remains to be seen. Then #2 and #3 happened. Both came down to the wire. Both seemed like an offer was imminent. And one came apart at the 11th hour. An excellent lesson in why we always consider simultaneous verbals to be mutually exclusive until the written becomes reality. #3 was winner winner chicken dinner. Was the offer accepted because nothing else was available? Absolutely not. It was accepted because it made sense for them and you. A win-win. Alas, while much time and effort was invested in #1, it didn't happen. While we really thought it would, the hiring manager had other plans which were not revealed. Things happen or don't for a reason and in due time that too shall be revealed. Congrats again, V.R. - Continue to do great things!

What does it cost? ➡ 2 weeks to decide you need to have some in the role or in a new role. (not counting this at the end) ➡ 2 weeks deciding you need to go external (looking internally is key 🔑 ) ➡ 2 months advertising the position on general job boards. ➡ 1 month working with external parties that have no experience with a specific industry don’t understand the calibre of Executives you need. ✅ You then speak to a head-hunter who knows the market, knows your industry, understands your business & understands the role. ✅ After 2 weeks pass you have a short list of 10 because 50% are already in their network. ✅ Another 2 weeks pass (subject to interviewers’ availability) you have the right person committed and offer signed. ✅ Their 2 weeks notice period is served and they are now adding value to your business making a positive impact. 🤔 Whether you like it or not you have wasted 3.5 months at the start. If interest rates drop tomorrow and you look to acquire more locations you may need a strong BD executive or your COO/CFO moves on. You can choose whether the process takes 3.5 months or 6 weeks. ⏲ #Privateequity #Healthcare

Understanding the needs and goals of your business is paramount to recruiting talent that matches synonymously with those goals. That's why working with a recruiter can be so valuable. It's not just about finding candidates; it's about finding the right fit. As a recruiter, I take the time to really get to know my clients. I want to know your business inside and out, from the journey that got you here to the challenges you've faced along the way. What makes your team click? What milestones have you achieved? Understanding you is the bread and butter of my job, and it's also the most exciting part. I love hearing about your successes and helping you overcome your obstacles. And when you do achieve something great, I want to celebrate you being awesome. So if you're looking for a recruiter who will take the time to understand your needs and help you find the perfect fit, let's connect. I'm ready to help you take your business to the next level.

Interesting times we find ourselves in. I could go on a rant on hiring practices, tips-n-tricks, but I think others have done an amazing job on this front, so I will refrain (but if you're curious PM me and I'll gladly share my tidbits/secrets). I will say that the market for fractional CRO/CSO/Advisory (even hourly blocks) has been surprisingly receptive to what I offer experientially while I am doing my job search (strategic GM/CRO/CSO)- so if you have such a need, PM me and we can arrange just such a consulting engagement). Happy hunting everyone!

I have a shocking secret. And you won't believe me, but I'm going to share anyway. Recruiters WANT you to get the job. Nothing makes them happier than you getting an offer and accepting it. You see, we get to close the job down and move onto the next one. And we get credit for the hire (we get measured, too!). So, a good recruiter will advocate for you behind the scenes. They'll talk you up, help remove objections by the hiring teams, and try to get those extra few dollars in your offer. Because when you succeed, we succeed. It's easy to beat up on the recruiter, because they're the front face of the business. And a crappy recruiter doesn't help when they ghost you. But if you treat them with respect and courtesy, they'll do the same. Remember, we all want the same thing at the end of the day. (of course, you still have to be a solid fit, and present yourself well. Check my bio for how I can help!)

The job market is tough, but sometimes we make it tougher. Here's my advice as a hiring manager: 1/ Reach out As much as I try to pass my vision to my People team, no one knows better than me what I'm looking for. We posted the CSM position at Zinklar less than two days ago and we already have 100+ applications. Do you know how many contacted me directly? Five. Not all got an interview, but all got a response. What do you have to lose? 2/ Control your nerves Interviewing is nerve wrecking. Especially when your next paycheck depends on it. Especially when talking with an Executive. I get it. But I'm sorry for being this honest: this is exactly what your days will look like when you apply for a CSM/AM/AE role. Talking with executives every day. Having an unbalanced power dynamic. Depending on doing well to keep your job. How you show up, how you make me feel is a proxy for how you'll work your accounts. Meditate, listen to power music, punch a bag. Whatever helps you relax a little bit. 3/ Do your homework Study the company, sign up for the product if possible, research the hiring team. Again, crucial in a CS role. Today you're selling me your expertise to get hired, tomorrow to get a renewal. There are hundreds of experienced CSMs in the job market right now. When everyone competes on the same things, you have to stand out. If you're a hiring manager, what else would you add to the list?

“He’s already delivered $200k of cost-savings in his first 2 months (paid for his salary) and is a great addition to our culture.” A candidate we recently placed Sharp & Carter into a Supply Chain Manager role with a reputable FMCG Manufacturer. Prior to this, the business had tried for 3 months to secure the role themselves. Hundreds of seek applications, lots of interviews.. plus a few candidates that had progressed through a few rounds, but unfortunately, the business hadn’t been able to secure the right fit. After a detailed job briefing, we tapped into our networks and delivered a 5 person shortlist (in person) within 8 business days. Within 3.5 weeks, we had secured a strong candidate for this newly created role. For many businesses, you may have your talent acquisition strategy down pat. But I often find an approach that solely focuses on advertisements and a handful of referrals to secure business critical leadership roles, can leave businesses at risk of 1. Hiring the wrong person, or 2. Not filling the role at all (or at least for extended periods). We can never guarantee outcomes, but we can mitigate risk by being laser-focused on managing the variables we can control. If you can relate to this and would like to chat, I’m all ears. Lironside@sharpandcarter.com.au OR DM me