True leaders have a vision for the future

Executive recruiter shares insights on hiring, landing work in the top ranks

(Erik Jacobs for the Boston Globe)

Spencer Stuart is a major executive search consulting firm, specializing in the recruitment of chief executives, board directors, and other senior-level executives. Jerry Noonan manages the firm's Boston office, heading searches for clients running start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. Before joining Spencer Stuart, Noonan held top management positions at 1-800-flowers.com, Polaroid, Nabisco, Frito-Lay, and PepsiCo. Noonan recently spoke to Globe reporter Jenifer B. McKim.

What qualities and characteristics do CEOs have that differentiate them from midlevel management? It's a continuation of all the same things that people build earlier in their careers. The CEO needs to be disproportionately strong at leadership skills. Their job is less about doing any one thing specifically well and more about leading the entire organization. A CEO would have to have business model knowledge, but they really rely on their leadership skills, vision, communication, and the ability to engage and motivate people to succeed.

You are on the advisory board for Outward Bound USA. I once spent a week in the rain rowing through midcoast Maine in one of those programs. What skills do you think those types of experiences provide that could benefit an executive? Something like Outward Bound teaches you a very important thing: creating solutions to apparently insurmountable problems. When you are faced with something you have to solve, there are ways to solve it creatively. By working with a team that is well-organized with a clear purpose, you will get seemingly impossible things done.

What are the biggest mistakes you've seen a candidate make in an interview? There are obvious mistakes and more subtle ones. An obvious one is that people talk too much and don't listen well. They ramble on and on instead of answering questions that have been asked. Eventually the interviewer just tunes out. Another is they omit or lie about a particular piece of information, which, in the age of Google, someone will find out about. If there is something that isn't good, people should tackle it rather than try to hide it. Another is overly criticizing or bashing your former boss. It is fine to say you have some differences. Don't answer the phone and take out your BlackBerry. When asked the question, "Tell me your weaknesses," don't offer that you have no weakness.

What is the best way to answer that question? Be honest about what people have given feedback on in the past. When references are checked, someone will bring the issue up. Be prepared to describe how you manage around that weakness. How do you compensate to maintain your effectiveness? Here are some mistakes that are less obvious. One is not to ask questions that could be answered doing basic research. It indicates a lack of respect and basic skills. Prepare some insightful questions that would be appropriate to ask about the company. This is my favorite. You don't want to just explain what you have done elsewhere, but instead give the explanation and then push forward to what this new situation would require. Show what you would do rather than just what you've done. It shows you've thought about their company and allows you to help the listener form the right conclusions about you.

What should a candidate think about when dressing for a make-or-break interview? Err on the side of being more conservative and more professional looking. You can adjust that down for subsequent meetings. It is all about first impressions. As a recruiter, you see it all. Like all human dynamics of first impressions, everything is picked upon. The details really matter.

What are examples of some people who just got it wrong? I've seen someone show up wearing basically flip flops, or overly revealing clothing for a business setting, or a man who forgets his jacket.

What's the best way to prepare for an interview? Do the basic research on the company. There are websites, simple article searches. If there is a position description, the questions and evaluations should measure the things stated as the requirements of the position. Think about that framework that the interviewer is using based on all of this and prepare your answers accordingly.

Is it possible to over prepare? No. It is possible to be overzealous in selling yourself. Any interview is in part a test of communication skills. Most interviewers ask fairly open-ended questions and evaluate your ability to communicate. You don't want it to be scripted - nor do you want to ramble. You are never more on stage than when you walk into an interview setting. People pick up on all of it, eye contact, appearance, the structure of your answers. The subtle things magnify themselves.

What questions should someone expect coming in? Questions that follow the framework of the position description. They will also ask about job transitions; when you've made moves from one place to another and what was your decision process as that is reflective of how you make big decisions. A related issue is to be consistent with your facts. If you are citing different dates for your employment or business vs. your resume, inconsistencies will demonstrate a lack of basic facts or suggest you are lying about something.

What are your thoughts on sending resumes and follow-up letters electronically vs. snail mail? From a resume perspective, at this point electronically is far preferred. As for thank-you notes, e-mail is common but handwritten notes can make an impact.

People still write handwritten notes? I do see it done and it makes quite an impact. I think a timely and thoughtful e-mail is equally appropriate. In either case, it should be done in a timely fashion and used as an opportunity to reflect or reinforce something discussed during the interview. Also, establish what the next steps are and follow through on them.

In these uncertain economic times, does it make sense to quit a job before finding a new one? There's not a simple answer to that question. You have to gauge that individually. How consistent and steady has your career track been so people will accept you are in a legitimate transition. If you have had lots of moves, being out of work is more difficult to explain. You also have to be honest about your ability to conduct a job search while you are still working. If someone has a good career track record and a reasonable explanation for why they are out looking, in this day and age, there is more acceptance of that.

If you could give a candidate one last piece of advice before walking into an interview what would it be? Be well prepared and be yourself. It is ultimately about whether you are going to fit in well with people in the organization. Don't be someone you aren't, because you won't be happy going to work pretending to be someone else every day.