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This article presents views of the author on why a candidate should avoid talking about money while recruitment. I always discourage my candidates from bringing up money in an early stage interview. The compensation discussion always goes better after the employer has become interested in hiring the person. If a candidate is working through a recruiter, income has already been discussed with each party. There shouldn't be an interview unless there is some common ground. But the employer's compensation range may be quite broad, depending on factors such as the candidate's prior accomplishments, work experience, education and industry knowledge. Candidates frequently have a range of acceptable compensation depending on growth prospects, culture, corporate reputation and dissatisfaction with their current employment, to name a few factors. Unfortunately, employers will sometimes introduce the money topic early in the interviewing process. A premature compensation discussion can derail the process before it has a chance to gain any traction.

When negotiating with someone, conventional wisdom says you cannot acquiesce your way to a collaborative arrangement. When negotiating the terms of your employment with a prospective employer it is important to balance concessions you are making with concessions you are giving. By identifying and prioritizing all the factors that have value to you, you can more accurately visualize the perfect, the acceptable, and the unacceptable arrangements. A good recruiter will have already conducted this needs analysis as part of compiling your personal and professional profile. When it comes to filling certain positions, such as sales jobs, some hiring managers will actually use the negotiation session as another part of their evaluation process. Even though it may appear as though an offer has been extended, you are still being assessed on how you handle the negotiations. This is a good time to remember the quid pro quo principle and involve your recruiter if he was the one who referred you to the company.

They are called "boomerangs": employees who left a company for a position with another company, and were then rehired by the original company sometime later. As business continues to improve, a growing number of companies are willing to treat ex-employees more like alumni than ingrates. Because they are viewed as people who already know a company's business and culture, they're considered strong prospects for fitting back into the original organization. A good employee, who left and acquired work experience and skills that were not available at the original company, might be attractive to a company seeking a fresh perspective on some of the challenges currently facing its organization.

In this article, the author says that the firm he works for, Princeton Search Group, recorded a significant increase in sales-related search assignments during the first quarter of 2004. The number of searches for sales representatives, account managers, and sales managers increased 18 percent over similar searches from the first quarter of 2003. Although the increased activity was spread across several industries, the strongest categories were technology, consumer goods, building materials, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. Even the telecommunications and industrial sales markets were showing some signs of life after a long period of hibernation. When an economic recovery begins to take hold, prudent management typically wants a strong sales force already deployed to defend and capture market share that may have become vulnerable during belt-tightening initiatives. Additionally, many managers believe that coming out of a soft economic climate is an opportune time to recruit some of the competition's more gifted sales talent.

This article presents the author's suggestions on business interviewing that can be beneficial to salespeople. I always tell my candidates that the true objective in any interview is to get the offer. If they do not get the offer, they will not have any decision to make. Obviously, they will not accept the offer if the opportunity does not adequately match their personal and professional needs, but they should always try to win the invitation. It is highly unlikely that you will receive an offer for every position for which you interview, but there are steps that you can take in preparing for your interview that can substantially improve your odds. First, be sure to thoroughly research the company and the industry in which it competes. This knowledge will usually impress the interviewer and sets the stage for a much more meaningful discussion. Secondly, be sure to prepare a few anecdotes about your past performance that illustrate skills and accomplishments. The vest way to do this is the SAR method, which stands for explaining the situation, the action you took, and the results that were achieved. At the end of the interview, ask for the job. This is similar to a good sales professional asking for the order.

The article discusses things that must be considered by sales professionals when being interviewed for a position. Most successful sales professionals agree that good questioning and listening skills are essential steps for an effective sales call. An effective interviewee is going to ask probing questions of the hiring authority to learn what he or she is trying to accomplish by filling the open position. It is only after the interviewees truly comprehend an interviewer's goals and objectives regarding the position that they can effectively illustrate their value in that context. It is important to remember that different interviewers in the hiring process may have different ideas regarding the goals to be accomplished by making a new hire. The sales manager might be focused on exceeding revenue goals, and the owner may be interested in leadership potential. The points is an interviewee will not understand this until he or she questions each of these individuals and carefully listens to their responses. Only then can interviewees shape the presentation of their experience, accomplishments, and skill sets in a way that will make the most favorable impression on each decision maker.

Presents guidelines on networking. Factors that need to be considered in networking; Importance of networking groups.

Focuses on the importance of taking precaution when looking for a job in the Internet. Details of an incident that causes conflict with a current job; Information on the increasing rate of problems encountered from posting résumé in the Internet.

Discusses the disadvantages of job-searching in the Internet. Factor which contribute to the difficulty in hiring qualified applicants through the Internet.

Provides information on the practice of using a floating talent by employee recruiters as a business development tool. Means to know the potential availability of an individual considering a career change; Ways to obtain a meaningful marketplace information.

Discusses the importance of having a career plan among professionals. Components of a career plan; Formulation of a career plan.

Provides information on the functions of a professional recruiter. Maintenance of client relationship after a contract; Selection of applicants; Qualities of a good recruiter.

Focuses on the importance of maintaining relationships with employment references. Ways to ensure constant communication with references; Importance of references to job application.

Presents several factors to consider when given a counteroffer by the management after submitting a resignation letter. Effects of accepting counteroffer; Percentage of sales executives who leave within two years of accepting counteroffers; Skepticism towards counteroffers.

Focuses on the growth opportunities afforded by trade shows for sales professionals. Career development opportunities; Importance of pre-event research and planning; Advice on business networking.

Deals with the importance of making good relationships with recruiters. Advantages of having a professional recruiter who works in the industry; Professional advice that could be provided by a recruiter.

Discusses the importance for salespeople to avoid too much self-confidence during an interview. Factors to consider before the interview.