Don't judge a book by its cover

My first ever Software Sales Placement was with Micro Focus in the build up to Y2K. I had recently left the Finance arm of a Search Firm where my last placement was a Cost Accountant at Foster Farms in Livingston. Two NYC experienced Software Sales Recruiters who where now living in Newport Beach recruited me and sat me right in between them to teach me the exciting world of Software Sales Recruiting. It felt like I was entering a new world. 

The Micro Focus Sales Manager was in our conference room interviewing the five fresh recruits I had come up with in a few days’ time. We were taught to have focused interview sessions called “FITS”. The hiring manager would come to our office and meet with five candidates, back to back, on the hour. I would knock on the door 5 minutes to the hour to give them a warning.

There is nothing like putting pressure on yourself when you have a hiring manager flying to your office and you know that you don’t have even one candidate on your desk. I thrive on this. It is like getting the last shot in the final seconds of a basketball game when your team is down by two. You have to deliver and you do. I did.

I aggressively hunted and came up with nine candidates in that build up to the Sales Manager flying down. I chose what I felt was my best five. Four were young guns in their prime and one was an older gentleman who won me over with his enthusiasm and confidence.

The hiring manager had told me on his call from HQ in the Bay Area that he had interviewed 93 candidates already for this position and hired none. I believed in the strategy of the “FIT". He may have spoken to 93 candidates but how many of them did he meet in person on the same day one after another?

My four young guns went first and they all went the full hour so there was no time to discuss any of them at this point. The older gentlemen was next. He had driven down from Los Angeles, was wearing a suit and was carrying a card board box with all of his Trophies and Sales Awards in it. My colleague recruiters and I couldn’t help but laugh at him and with him. Then it was his turn to interview. He walked into the conference room placed his trophies on the conference room table and I walked out and closed the door behind me. To all our surprise when older gentleman left, the hiring manager came out and said “I liked him the best!".

He hired him a day later and I learned a valuable lesson as a young recruiter that has served me well all these years, don’t judge a book by its cover!