Dennis Smith

The Overstuffed Toolkit

Dennis Smith
In a recent article, Seth Godin noted that Starbucks offers 19,000 different ways to order a beverage, and that our beloved Oreos come in 19 different flavors. His point was to emphasize the choice and clutter faced by the average consumer. I’m beginning to think it’s not so different in the world of recruiting. Do you remember what it was like to recruit pre-Google? I started my recruiting career in Dallas, TX in 1996 …

Open Letter to May 2007 Graduates: Are You Riding the Brand?

Dennis Smith
So much has been said in the recent past about the negative impact on one's career with regard to inappropriate blog-material, it's easy to understand why our May grads might be a bit blog-shy (even though I don't think they are). Hopefully, those who've not used discretion with regard to public venues such as MySpace, Facebook, Blogger, etc., spent the last few months of college cleaning up their act. If I…

Recruiters or Investment Bankers?

Dennis Smith
Several months ago, I received a call from a company interested in my recruiting skills. They wanted to talk to me about joining their team – about packing up my recruiting toolkit and changing company logos. They used phrases like, "strong compensation package," "long-term advancement," and "perfect fit." The company was a technology leader, and, although I wasn't necessarily looking for a new opportunity, my interest was piqued. I decided to give it a spin. Four mediocre interviews and two weeks later, a job offer was on the table. Normally, that would not be a problem. However, I was uniquely aware that I'd somehow managed to navigate the hiring process…