How to Hire the Perfect Candidate

Helen Lee Schifter, former Wall Street Arbitrage trader was taught by her mentors to always be prepared. She has put together an amazing guide on how to get the dream job and rock the in-person interview.

She is in favor of people having a LinkedIn profile because while a resume is nice, it doesn’t leave room to talk about personal hobbies and to highlight one’s personality. The former Wall Street Arbitrage trader was taught by her mentors to always be prepared. She has put together an amazing guide on how to get the dream job and rock the in-person interview.

Knowing what one should say during an interview is important, but it’s only half the battle. Also one needs to know what not to say. If you need help finding the right people for your company, there are temp agencies you can contact to help you with the hiring process.

Helen provides the following examples of things that one should never mention during a job interview:

1 – Never talk about other companies besides this one. This includes other jobs one is interviewing for at other companies (no matter if previous interviews were successful or unsuccessful). Even if this company hasn’t extended an offer yet, talking badly about another company will make one sound ungrateful and flaky.

2 – Don’t mention salary requirements or desired salary. The only thing one should say about money is that it’s negotiable (if it is) and that the current/previous salary doesn’t matter because the company has an excellent compensation package. Anything more than this will make one’s future boss think that the individual is unlikely to accept their offer if/when they make it.

– Use “thinking out loud” (or talking through your thought process) sparingly . It’s good to show that the individual is a careful thinker, but don’t turn every question into a long-winded speech. The interviewer will lose interest and feel like they can’t interact with the individual; for example:

-“What is one’s greatest weakness?” (this leads to a rambling answer about how perfectionism is the reason why this person doesn’t have any weaknesses)

“I’m very hard on myself when it comes to my work, so I’ve been trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone by working on X and Y.” (this gives the impression that the individual is self-aware and honest without going overboard)

Also, one should pay attention to their contact information. Both a telephone number and an email address are needed. And regarding the email address, make sure it is professional. Personal email addresses such as “funnyguy43@gmail.com” or “catlady1592@yahoo.com” will not be accepted as it gives the impression that the writer lacks professionalism. Putting one’s legal given name as well as a signature at the end of the emails is highly recommended!

Helen Lee Schifter looks for these qualities in job applicants and by doing so, she can get a good idea of the candidates’ moral character and their ability to work with others. She also suggests that if a person is looking for a job, they should always be “self-aware and honest without going overboard.” This helps her better understand how that individual might fit into her company.