Savage counsel – secure that dream job
Each week in Encore, Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas. This week, he advises what makes a great job candidate.
Hi Chris,
I have my heart set on a role at a certain major agency group. I have an interview coming up with the CEO in three weeks. Frankly, I am petrified. I want to make a great impression and nail it. I think I know what to focus on, and what to demonstrate in the interview. But I wanted to check with you. When you are looking to hire someone, what do you look for from that candidate in the interview? Please help. This is too big an opportunity for me to screw up.
First, stay calm. I get about 30 unsolicited job applications a week. I try to meet at least three ‘would-be’ recruits every 10 days. And when I do, I am searching for the four critical ingredients that make for a great hire.
I get asked about what qualifications are needed, what attributes a CV must show, what clever research a candidate must do prior to the interview conversation. For me, all that counts, but not a huge amount. What I am looking for, before anything else, are these four powerful and critical traits:
