BV Recruiter

12/12/2024

Don’t interview to see whether you fit what the employer wants. Interview to see whether the employer fits what you want.

Candidates often fall into the trap of interviewing to find the answer to, “What do they want someone to do?” This is a trap for two reasons. The first has to do with the natural slipperiness of the employer’s answer to that question. The second is that you don’t really get the information you need for a smart decision.

At a granular level, an employer knows what he wants a new-hire to do. He knows what very specific responsibilities he wants someone to be able to do. But, every employer wants so much more than that and can often have a hard time putting it into words without sounding clichéd. Phrases like “team player”, “go-getter”, and “eager to grow” fall into that category. It’s too easy to conclude you fit what the employer wants without really knowing much beyond generalities like these.

The more effective approach is to think, first, about what it is you want in your new position and then to ask whether that will be available to you. Is it a certain type of engagement you’d like to work on? Supervisory responsibilities? Support for pursuing a particular credential? Mentoring in the area of business development?

The fundamental value of this approach is that if the things you want will not be available to you, better for you to know that now than after you’ve accepted a position based on blue-sky comments during an interview. Another value is that employers want to hire candidates who know what they want and are eager to pursue it.

When everyone else is trying to find out “what do they want someone to do”, you will automatically stand out by starting with what you want and then trying to determine if you can get that in your new job.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for coaching in how this approach can work for you.

12/11/2024

12/10/2024

You wouldn’t buy a product or service without verifying the claims you hear about it. Why would you not take a similar approach during a job search?

We’re not suggesting that a potential employer isn’t painting an accurate picture of the opportunity. It’s important, however, to take a look at that picture from more than one angle. You probably already know you need to do this. But, how? What can you ask that will give you the real story without coming off like a police investigator?

Sometimes, what you hear can be validated by asking for examples.

Employer: There’s no limit on you here. You can rise as fast as you want.

You: That sounds great! Is there someone I can meet and talk to who started in the job I’m interviewing for who has risen quickly through the ranks?

The employer who makes claims for your future in the practice should be able to introduce at least one example. Your conversation with that person should focus on understanding the actions and initiatives that resulted in advancement. There isn’t always an example. But, when there isn’t it could be a situation where the boss is remembering how it was for him and glossing over the reality of how it is today.

Sometimes, you have to validate what you hear by talking to the people in the trenches; i.e., your would-be co-workers. Lay the groundwork for this in your first interview by expressing an interest in talking to peers at an appropriate point in the process.

This is when you can ask whether the work week really is fifty to fifty-five hours, or whether it’s more like sixty or maybe seventy hours. This is when you can learn how flexible the boss is when you need to leave to handle something with your kids, for example. This is when you can figure out how various policies play out in actual practice.

The key is to ask questions, but ask them of people who are in a position to know how things really work on a day-to-day basis in the practice.

If you’d like coaching on how to develop those questions, contact us for a confidential conversation.

12/05/2024

BV professionals who get ahead—and stay ahead—are the ones who take time to understand their options. Better information means better decisions. Is there some reason you’re not doing that for your career?

You could be one of many people who interviewed coming out of school, picked the best of the jobs on offer, and went to work. Then, you noticed you had a “career” going. Coincidentally, that can also be when BV starts to be fun because you understand the process more broadly.

Assumptions about a career path can start to form. Sometimes, they’re right. More often, unfortunately, they’re wrong. Assumptions are not inherently a bad thing. They provide a convenient way to navigate life. When it comes to your career, though, they’re a problem.

The best antidote is reliable information about careers in BV. Where am I likely to end up, given the path that I’m on? What are the milestones I should watch out for on the way? Priority number one: How much should I expect to earn?

What can happen when you’re not being accountable for your career?

You can discover you’ve waited too long to make that geographic move you’ve told yourself (and maybe someone else) that you would.
You can miss the clues that confirm you’re in the right place and make the wrong move. You can miss the clues that say you should leave and stay.
You can learn the hard way that what you’re worth—and the size of your paycheck—where you are is more than the market would bear if you wanted to make a move.
Like most people, looking for answers to questions about careers is not a priority. You’re too busy having one. And if you are serious about finding them, where do you turn? You could talk to colleagues, but their experience is as limited as yours.

We are your source for career perspective. You owe it to yourself and anyone who relies on you to be accountable for your career. Contact us to get the conversation started.

12/04/2024

12/03/2024

You could be forgiven for thinking that an interview is a one way process, that is you, the candidate are being probed by the employer to see if you are the right fit for the job. But, the truth is that in all sectors, and Business Valuation is no exception, there is an expectation that candidates ask the employers question at the appropriate time of the interview. In fact, its goes beyond expectation as a cross industry survey by Employment Ontario Service found that one of the top 15 reasons that employer’s reject candidate is because they “fail to ask questions about the job and company”.

So, as you can see, asking your interviewer questions is more than just a recruitment custom, it is part of the selection process and if you as a business valuation candidate want to impress at interview you’ll need to make sure you have a good set of questions to ask.

You will usually be prompted to ask questions at the end of the interview, with the typical query, “Do You Have Any Questions for Us?” So, at this stage how should you respond? Of course you should be ready with questions and there are three areas of questioning that you should focus on and you can see these below.

One question should be about the practice operations. Why? Because you want to show that you are interested in the practice, but be careful to show that you have already done background research as this also shows interest. So, your question might be along the lines of, “I was looking through your company news section and noticed that you have experienced some growth in recent times, can you tell me what your growth plans and strategies are for the next 12-18 months?”

Another area to question around is about your manager and managerial style of the practice. Why? One of the chief reasons that candidates fail or choose to leave a company is down to a boss relationship. So, make sure you make inquiries about management style; good probing questions might be, “How would you describe your management style”, or “How would I be managed; are you more hands-on or will I be left to find my own way etc..?”

Last but not least, the other important area to inquire about is the valuation role itself. You might ask questions like, “How did the role become available?” or “How much autonomy will I have?”

Of course, when asking the questions, be mindful of the interviewer’s time and I’d recommend asking perhaps 2 to 3 good questions and have more ready if you feel the time is available. You can always follow up with additional questions via email after interview.

If you’d like any tips on the kind of questions to ask the interviewer, please do contact us.

12/02/2024

11/26/2024

Failure to win that recent promotion may not have been for lack of trying. Sometimes there just aren’t enough promotion opportunities to go round. As in most walks of life, though, you can make your own luck. You can increase your chances of being promoted into your dream job.

How?

You just need to understand the criteria that modern employers use to identify high-potential, future leaders and make sure you simply ooze these characteristics so that when the opportunity arises, you will be chosen.

What exactly are these “high-potential characteristics”?

One of the most widely used models of high potential status is based on research from Teacher’s College Columbia University and the Center for Creative Leadership. According to this research, the key quality which the most career progressive individuals possess is known as ‘learning agility’. If you want to be seen as potential leader and work your way up the ladder you’ll need to be able to demonstrate learning agility. Learning-agile individuals exhibit 5 specific behaviors.

The first of these is that they innovate and are not afraid to challenge the status quo. There is a balance to be struck, of course, between pushing boundaries and being disruptive. But, the most career progressive individuals judge this well and strike the right balance, raising their head above the parapet at the right times.

The next fairly obvious quality is performing and being able to stay calm during difficult situations. No surprise here.

The third behavior identifiable to high potentials is being able to reflect on your behavior in situations and apply your learning to future scenarios. A mentor might help this process.

The next quality is risking, and this does not mean gambling or being reckless. It means taking on new challenges and moving out of your comfort zone. (Mentor; see, also)

And the final quality is being defending as opposed to defensive which means you are open to feedback and learning.

11/21/2024

These days, lots of folks are overworked. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like others are pulling their weight.

Is there anything you can do about it?

Start by taking a look at whether your judgment is a fair one. Admit that your point of comparison is probably yourself. And like your client who carries a bias to overvaluing his company, you have a similar bias about your contributions to the firm. After all, they’re what you know best.

How much time your colleague puts in isn’t always the best measure of actual effort expended or results achieved. There could be a difference involving better time management skills. Or there could be legitimate personal reasons for behavior arising from stress outside the office; dealing with an ill parent, problems with a spouse, or a foreclosure, perhaps.

Get past the subjective and focus on the specific impact on your performance. Did you miss a deadline because of this person? Did you have to stay late because someone else left early?

Sometimes the problem can be as simple as the co-worker who regularly lingers to chat. Take a look at your watch and proclaim that you need to get back to work, offering the alternative of lunch or getting together another time. The co-worker who is there for a work-related conversation will have it. The one who isn’t will see the boundary you have diplomatically set. Referring to the need to get work done will make it hard for your co-worker to feel personally insulted.

If there is a specific impact, especially if it impeded service to a client, use that as the foundation for your approach. “Last week when you were supposed to get the industry research for the Mendenhall project to me by Tuesday afternoon and I didn’t get it until Thursday, we couldn’t keep our delivery promise to the attorney who referred us this work. That made him and us look bad.”

No, it’s not easy. But it’s excellent training for a position of leadership, because you will have to deal with people like this throughout your career.