This article is focused on SUCCESS, and how to achieve it in 2016 by modeling your attributes/behavior after the world’s most successful people.

My Dad jumped out of a plane at Normandy, and came back from World War II to be a shoe salesman at May Company. So although I never lacked for love, financially I started out at zero. No trust fund. No winning lottery ticket. No money. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed to know hundreds of high net worth executives and entrepreneurs, which allowed me to observe the behavior that allowed them to climb the corporate ladder or build successful businesses. These are not MY tips and counsel; they come from observing hundreds of successful executives.  Hope you enjoy it!

Let’s define success. Health, family and friends top my personal list for happiness, however most of us would agree that financial comfort is important as well. Anyone that tells you money isn’t important…doesn’t have any. The intent of this article is NOT judge or criticize; simply to communicate the attributes and behaviors I observed in successful people.

The Secret is…HARD WORK – Let’s start with what you REALLY want to know, how to go from ordinary to extraordinary. How to go from comfortable to high net worth. If you don’t care, you can stop reading right now. Here is the SECRET to success: hard work. One in a million have rich parents. One in ten million hit the lottery. For the rest of us, the way to the top is HARD WORK. Contrary to popular belief, most millionaires are self-made. They did not inherit the money or win the lottery. Like me, they may have worked 60 hours a week while attending college at night, then worked 80 hours a week to build a successful business. And when you own the company, if you don’t sell…you don’t eat. So here is the GOOD news. As my Dad used to say, “Most people wouldn’t raise a lick at a snake that was biting them on the butt.” Most people these days want everything given to them. America is infected with an epidemic called “entitlement”. Don’t agree?  Consider that 48% of Americans are on the government dole. Not judging. Not criticizing. The reason I bring it up is because this is great news for those that want to achieve success. You only have to compete against 52% of the people. If you are willing to work hard and TRY, your opportunities are unlimited!

Successful People Spend Less Money Than They Make – Common sense, yes? They why is America plagued by bankruptcies and foreclosures? Did you see the movie The Big Short? During the housing crisis there were Strippers that owned five houses with no money down. No disrespect to Strippers, but does that seem silly to you? My day job is Headhunter to high end gaming and high tech executives. I commonly hear from $300,000 executives that were fired and are a week away from losing their house because they don’t have a dime in the bank. Successful executives keep a six to twelve month rainy day fund on hand in case of tough times. And more importantly, many pay CASH for everything. My Dad used to say, “Son, if you can’t pay cash, you can’t have one.” They may not pay cash for their house, but they put in a substantial down payment. No credit card debt. No car payments. You are welcome to disagree, but it has worked for me personally, and most of the high net worth people I know swear by this principle. Don’t spend money you don’t have!

Take Personal Responsibility for Your Actions and Choices – You are responsible for…YOU.  Here is another American epidemic: “Not my fault”.  It’s my boss’s fault, my company’s fault, my spouse’s fault, my parent’s fault, my dog’s veterinarians fault.  They are too busy blaming everyone around them for their lack of success.  Successful people take responsibility for their actions and choices. And that is all God gives us in life – the ability to make good and bad choices. If you make bad choices, there are consequences. You drink and drive; you might get a DUI. You buy things you can’t afford; you might go bankrupt.  Aren’t you tired of hearing people blame their situation on everyone around them? I interview a thousand executives every year. Do you know how many tell me they were fired? ZERO. Do you know how many actually DID get fired? Most of them. There are bad companies and bad bosses, however in the long-term, most people create their situations. And you will never move forward if you don’t start taking responsibility for your actions. YOU are responsible for YOU…own it!

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, average placement is $250,000, last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.

My passions are church and charity.  Each time I place an executive, I donate a portion of the revenue to charity.  This quarter those charities included Opportunity Village, Shade Tree, Noah’s Animal House, Safe Nest, the Animal Foundation, the Epicurean Charitable Foundation and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.

The holidays are a time when Americans focus on giving. Giving cards and gifts. Giving to church and charity.  It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  As someone with a passion for philanthropy, here are a few of my thoughts on giving back.

It is Better to Give Than to Receive – Before you start thinking I’m some kind of saint, let’s be clear, I am far from perfect. Was a “taker” for the first 40 years of my life. Spent every nickel I had on me, me, me. My house, my car, my vacation. My stuff!  By the grace of God, when we sold our company in 2004, I had an epiphany similar to the Grinch, “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!” For the last 11 years I have focused on giving back and helping others.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – The majority of charitable giving happens over the holidays. Wouldn’t it be great if every day was Christmas?  Philanthropy is an attitude.  It’s a lifestyle.  It’s a mindset – “Whatever you did for the least of My Brothers, you did for Me.”  You don’t have to give a million dollars.  Give what you are able, and do it all year, not just at Christmas.  There are time when I get over my skis on charity (give more than my budget), however God always provides.  It’s like Christmas…you just have to BELIEVE.

My Passions are Children and Animals – There are 3,600 registered non-profits in Nevada. Obviously you can’t support them all. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year, I select three or four charities to focus on for the following year. Would rather be good at three or four than mediocre at five or ten. My passions are causes that help children and animals for exactly one reason – they didn’t pick their parents.  You have to decide what YOUR passion is.  What pulls at your heartstrings?  Follow your passion!

I’m a HUGE Believer in Education – First person in my family to have a college degree. Undergrad from CSU Fullerton; MBA from Texas A&M. That stated, the 39% I pay in Federal taxes is to cover education. To my mind, our education system is failing, and throwing money at the problem is not the answer. Huge believer in education; not a believer in throwing money at a broken system. Education is not a charity.

Make Sure the Money Goes to the Cause, Part 1 – Over the years I have raised millions of dollars for charity. It never even occurred to me to “take a piece of the action.” In other words, get paid to raise money. I do it because I’m exceedingly blessed and have a passion for helping those less fortunate. It comes from my heart. As such, I don’t support “professional fundraisers” that get paid to raise money for non-profits. I want 100% of my donation to help the people it’s intended to help.

Make Sure the Money Goes to the Cause, Part 2 – Be sure to investigate how your charity dollars are spent. If the charity raises $1,000,000, the CEO should NOT be getting $300,000. I have abandoned several charities over the years that paid their executive staff inflated compensation packages and/or had high administrative overhead. At the end of the day, be sure your donation is being used to help people and not fund the CEOs lifestyle.

If You are on the Board…Get on Board – This is probably the one part of charity that I dread, the Board of Directors.  Everyone wants to be on a Board.  Great resume builder.  And THAT is the problem.  Many of the people just want the PR.  They don’t show for the Board meetings.  They don’t donate or raise money.  Most non-profits require a $5,000 give/get.  Meaning you either donate $5,000 (you or your company) or you raise $5,000 from outside sources.  I was on the Board of a charity with 25 Board Members.  Maybe 10 showed up for the meetings.  Worse yet, 6 of the 25 never donated or raised a penny.  Unfortunately, this is pretty common.  If you are a Board Member, do three things.  Show up for the meetings.  Fulfill your give/get.  Donate your time and talent to support the cause.

Pseudo Charities and Vanity Projects – We have thousands of charities in Nevada, and I’m sure they are all lovely.  But in some cases, I’m challenged to understand how they are a charity.  The Smith Center is a prime example.  I love the Smith Center and I love Broadway shows.  That stated, it’s not a charity and it took millions and millions of dollars away from non-profits that desperately needed funding.  In another example, there is a charity that does exactly what Goodwill does, except Goodwill has been doing it forever.  Again, be sure to research your cause and ensure it’s a charity and not a vanity project.

There are MANY Ways to Contribute – You don’t have to write a check! So many times people say, “Mark, I don’t have your financial resources.”  Don’t think you have to donate money. Non-profits are always looking for Board Members and volunteers. When I was on the Board of Make-A-Wish I used to say, “Anyone can write a check. The true heroes are the wish granters that volunteer their time to work with the kids.”  Donating your time is far more valuable than writing a check.  Many years ago someone asked me for free tickets to a charity event I was hosting.  Told him the ticket was $50.  Pretty reasonable.  This is a guy who bought a Starbucks every morning and went drinking pretty much every night.  Guarantee you his nightly bar tab was at least $50.  I’m not judging, just saying that you do have to make responsible choices if you want be a philanthropist.  You will have to give up something for yourself…to help others.  God bless you!

My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, average placement is $250,000; last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.

This article discusses the topic of offer and counter-offers from both the hiring manager and candidate perspectives.  How do job offers work?  Should I consider a counter-offer from my current employer?  There are exceptions to every rule, however in general, after 11 years and 700+ high level placements, here are my insights.

Hiring Managers and Human Resources Executives

NEVER Make a Counter Offer – Always remember this, HAPPY EMPLOYEES DON’T QUIT. Mostly they leave for a better offer (title and/or money), and you can’t blame them for wanting to improve their position in life. In many cases, they may be unhappy working for your company…for whatever the reason. And unfortunately is some cases, they are trying to leverage you for a pay raise. Regardless, NEVER MAKE A COUNTER OFFER. Top performers don’t use quitting as a tactic to get a raise. One of my clients engaged me to replace a VP that gave notice. To my mind this VP was mediocre, so my thought was “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” I queued up three excellent replacement candidates. At the eleventh hour, the incumbent decided to stay (his new job probably did not come through). Even more surprisingly, the President decided to keep him. As Julia Roberts says in Pretty Woman, “Big mistake. Big. Huge.” The company lost out on three great candidates, and you guessed it, the incumbent was gone six months later. All you did was give him time to find another job. Never, ever make a counter offer.

Don’t Short Sheet Candidates at Offer time – Always get consensus on the compensation package prior to interviewing a candidate. No need to waste your time on candidates that are out of range on salary, or with the ones that are unrealistic about compensation (and they are many!). On the other hand, if you agree on compensation up front, don’t lowball them at offer time. For example, if you agreed on $200,000, don’t make the job offer at $175,000. It paints your company in a bad light. If you have an agreement on compensation, honor your commitment.

Great Employees Don’t Get Fired – In many cases, companies ask me to perform a CONFIDENTIAL SEARCH because the incumbent is still on payroll and is not aware they are being terminated. And that makes sense. My only comment is that once you make the decision to terminate someone, follow through. One time a CEO communicated he was firing one of his “C” level folks. He asked me to provide candidates to backfill the role. Identified an excellent replacement, however at offer time the CEO decided to give the incumbent “one more chance.” Big mistake. Big. Huge.   Once you decide to terminate an executive…get them gone.

Death by Due Diligence – This is a terrible hiring strategy. As of today, November 2015, we are in an ultra-competitive talent market. In other word’s it’s a sellers’ market. Sellers being the candidates. All the good executives are gainfully employed and not moving around. My philosophy is, “If it takes you three months to hire someone, you won’t be hiring anyone good. They will have three other jobs offers…and be long gone.” A two to four week interview window is all you are going to get. If it’s a technical role, you might only get a week to wrangle them. The job market is THAT hot. If you think it’s an honor and privilege to be you on your payroll, you are wrong. Treat candidates with professionalism and respect; move through the hiring process quickly.

Candidates

NEVER Accept a Counter Offer – If you don’t remember anything else from this article, remember this: COUNTER OFFERS ARE ALWAYS A BAD STRATEGY. You just let the boss know you are unhappy, and by accepting a counter offer gave him time to transition your job to someone new. I would say that is accurate 95% of the time. You will be gone in three to six months. And if you leveraged your boss/company for a pay raise, do you REALLY think they appreciate your arm twisting for a few more nickels? Never, ever take a counter offer.

All You Have in Life is Your Word and Reputation – A client recently emailed me that he invested significant time and effort interviewing a candidate, only to have the candidate accept an offer from another firm at the last minute. My best story in this regard is an SVP that had me rush him through the interview process, then told me he already had an offer from Microsoft. If I could beat it, he was in. Not only did I beat it, I blew the Microsoft offer away. The candidates used my offer to sweeten his Microsoft deal, and left me twisting in the wind. Here is my point. If you have multiple irons in the fire (interviewing with several companies), be honest and let the hiring companies know. They are investing time and money to interview you, so the least you can do is be honest and not pull the rug out from under them at the last minute. Here is another good story. Worked on a “C” level search and got the candidate an outstanding offer. More money than he ever made in his life. He declined, stating he had a sick relative. That was pretty odd – never mentioned it during the two months of interviewing. Come to find out he was interviewing for a “bigger” position down the street. Unfortunately for him, I was the Recruiter on that one. Wow, bummer, huh? He is now making half what I offered him, while living in San Francisco and paying 13.2% state income tax. All you have in this world is your work and your reputation, be a person of integrity.

Once you Accept an Offer, Honor Your Commitment – Over the course of eleven years I have seen three executives accept offers, then reneg on their commitment. For me, integrity is everything, and when someone goes back on their word, I won’t deal with them again in the future. There are too many great executives to deal with the ones that lack integrity. I had a VP, Casino Marketing executive that accepted an offer from one of my clients. On the first day of work he was a no show, no call. When I contacted him he stated, “Oh yeah, I got a better offer from the Las Vegas Sands, so I took it.” Kid you not. Honor your commitments.

Fighting Over Nickels – If you have decided this is the job for you, don’t fight over nickels. Take the offer! Placed a candidate years ago that fought with the hiring company for three weeks to get…$5,000. When he was terminated two years later, I declined to represent him. Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered.

The Answer is YES! – There are several HUGE errors in judgment I see at offer time. First, candidates that use the offer to leverage their current employer. They accept verbally, and then renege to take a counter offer. As discussed previously, worst career strategy ever. Second, candidates use the offer to leverage an offer from a second company, playing one off against another. Another bad strategy. There is a good chance you will get “middled” and end up unemployed. Don’t play games. If you are expecting multiple offers, bravo! But be sure each hiring company is aware. Pick the job that is right for you, but don’t expect one company to hang around while you see if a better offer is coming. Third, if you say anything other than “YES” to a job offer, you have declined the offer and it is no longer valid. Just like buying a house. No one is opposed to negotiation, however you don’t want to appear greedy. If you don’t say YES, the company can withdraw the offer at any time.

No Sour Grapes – Never cry sour grapes if you don’t get the job offer. There are many valid reasons that you got passed over, but here are the two most common ones. First, there may have been a dozen highly qualified executives being interviewed, and one of them was more qualified than you. Second, possibly it was not a culture/chemistry fit. This is actually pretty common. Could be you are highly qualified, but don’t interview well. Regardless of the reason, it does NOT make the hiring company a bad place to work, so don’t run around town badmouthing them. And it’s not the Recruiter’s fault, they got you the interview. Actually, it’s not anyone’s fault. If you don’t get the job offer, understand everything happens for a reason…and move on!

My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, average placement is $250,000, last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.

This article is geared towards Human Resources professionals.  For the last eleven years as an Executive Recruiter, I have hustled 24×7.  In my business, if you don’t sell you don’t eat.  Literally reviewed 100,000 resumes and thought it would be interesting to share a few of my completely unscientific findings about candidates you do NOT want to hire.  There are exceptions to every rule, however in general, after 11 years and 700+ high level placements, here is my insight.

The Unemployed – There are very few good reasons for a candidate to be unemployed.  Again, there are always exceptions, however for the most part the best executives are NEVER unemployed.  They foresee issues and/or layoffs and proactively manage their way out of it.  Layoffs are a great excuse to drop non-performers. Never saw a company layoff a good sales guy! The economy is strong right now, so if someone is unemployed, there is probably a good reason for it.

You Know People Can Google You, Yes? – When a candidate sends me a resume, the first thing I do is check their LinkedIn profile. Then Facebook. Then Google. You would be amazed what I find. EEOC and workman’s compensation law suits, pictures of the candidate half lit at a nightclub, tax liens, DUIs.  With regards to off color items on Facebook, some candidates have “an obsessive need to be me.” They don’t care what anyone thinks.  I know a CEO who fills his Facebook page with pictures of him at nightclubs with young girls. While I don’t judge anyone, that is not going to make a good impression with employers. One last note on this topic. How about the candidate that used the email address mymommasuckseggs@aol.com.  Maybe they should use something more professional. How about first initial and last name?

Job Hoppers – Executives that change jobs frequently typically come in two flavors. First (and most likely), they don’t play well with others. When I start checking references on a job hopper, invariably I hear the person was not well liked and could not get along with anyone.  Specifically, his/her boss!  Second, job hopping gives the impression that the executives is not terribly loyal. Who wants to invest in an executive that may not stay around for long? I rarely represent a candidate that has not been in their current role for three or more years.

Education – I have seen some great non-degreed candidates, mostly in high tech, when technical people rush to the workforce for the big dollars.  That stated, most companies require a college degree for management level jobs. Does it make you smarter? Maybe not, but it shows you had the self-discipline to spend four years of your life becoming more educated and worldly. There are many valid reasons for an executive to not finish college. I’m not judging. The ones that REALLY concern me are the candidates that list a college on the resume, but don’t have a degree. They only needed a “few more credits.” That’s even worse! Why would you drop out with a semester to go?

They Don’t Price Their House to Sell – When people sell their house, they have a propensity to get emotionally attached and price it WAY too high. In a like manner, when folks consider new career opportunities, many price themselves out of the market.  They are unrealistic about compensation. I can read a CV in 60 seconds and tell you a candidate’s market value.  Why?  Because I do it all day and every day.  Also because I know how much everyone makes, so I can compare education and experience between executives.  One of they stories I frequently tell is about an executive making $275,000 that was fired.  He asked me for a job at $350,000. My response was that $225,000 was the right number. He declined. He was unemployed for a year, got a job at $225,000 (I hit that number right on the nose!) for six months, then moved to a job at $160,000. Again, not judging, but in general candidates that are disconnected from reality on compensation…and not good candidates.

Needy and High Maintenance – Be wary of desperate candidates! If someone has no rainy day fund and needs a job today to make their mortgage payment…that is a MAJOR issue. Top performing executives don’t place themselves in that position. Also beware the candidate that “is not looking”, but rides you like Secretariat. My experience is that any executive that leads with “I’m not looking” is desperately looking. And in probably 50% of those cases, I find out the executive was terminated within a week or two thereafter.

They Read Their Own Press Releases and/or Lack Integrity – How many resumes have you seen with two paragraphs of “I’m king of the world!” at the top? Top executives don’t need to trumpet their success. Others do it for them. My preference is candidates that stick to the facts. Give me company, title and tenure. Follow that up with several bullet points on how you improved revenues or reduced costs. The biggest issue I see with candidates, even at the million dollar level, is INTEGRITY. It is absolutely shocking how many executives lie to me. You can call it “spin” or “not forthcoming” or “not straightforward”, however candidates that are dishonest are a total deal breaker for me. As one CEO told me, “If they don’t have integrity, I don’t care how brilliant or talented they are.” Amen!

Bad Life Choices – Regardless of your feelings about drugs, they are illegal in most places. And I have a saying, “If you can’t pass the drug screen you can’t get a job.” Only had one candidate in ten years fail the drug screen, a $300,000 CFO. Or should I say a $300,000 CFO with no common sense? Other areas of concern are criminal record, DUIs, tax liens and financial trouble. Executives that make bad life choices also have a tendency to make bad professional choices.

Leaving Las Vegas – Name the Casino President that broke two Las Vegas casinos in less than two years, was unemployed for the next two years, and then was hired by a Native American casino “after an exhaustive search.” If a gaming executive cannot get a job in Las Vegas, THERE IS A REASON.  Usually because they burned all their bridges or can’t pass a compliance check.

Counter-Offers are Never a Good Career Choice – A client called me for a $250,000 search. Apparently a VP emailed in his resignation. Who does that? After an extended search, we were down to two strong candidates. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the guy renegs and wants to stay. Translation, the wheels came off his new job.  The CEO decides to keep him. Seriously! Let me tell you how this story is going to end. That guy won’t last another year, and to my mind showed a total lack of character by quitting, then reneging. At the end of the day, the CEO is at fault, and the story will not end well. Never, ever extend a counter-offer to a candidate.

Salary Surveys are BOGUS! – This is my bonus tip. I have to smile when I see salary surveys. Let’s face it, the candidate is worth whatever you offer them. I have seen $200,000 executives take $100,000 offers due to desperation. Also seen $80,000 technical candidates get $150,000 because they have a rare skill set. The funny thing about the gaming industry salary surveys is that typically the companies sending them out have no way of knowing how much anyone makes. Why? Because they place $50,000 individual contributors. How would they possibly know what a CIO, CFO or VP makes…they never work on those jobs.  And you have to love the candidates that don’t believe cost of living is a factor. A $250,000 job in San Francisco pays $100,000 in Las Vegas. California has a 13.2% state income tax, and for $5,000 a month you get to live in a shoebox.  Some companies have open checkbooks and can hire the best people; some pay below market and the get the leftovers.  Money is not everything, but anyone that tells you it does not matter….doesn’t have any.

My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, average placement is $250,000, last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.

Every day I receive a dozen unsolicited resumes from executives in career transition. Translation, cold calls from folks that are unemployed. Like most Executive Recruiters, I only work with executives I know personally, or that I receive through referrals. This article outlines why the wrong time to meet an Executive Recruiter is when you are unemployed, and provides a few tips for putting your name at the top of an Executive Recruiter’s candidate list.

Relationships Trump Talent – If you don’t remember anything else from this article, remember this: relationships trump talent every day of the week. Mediocre, unqualified executives get great jobs on a regular basis. Why? Because they have strong relationships, and a former boss or peer juices them into the job. People hire candidates they know and like. I recently worked on a “C” level position and submitted three excellent candidates. All three of my candidates were better than the person that was eventually hired, however the hiring manager worked with that candidate previously…so he got the job. You are correct – life is not fair, but this is how it works. On the other hand, I see highly competent, talented executives lose out on jobs they should have won. Why? They don’t play well with others. They burn bridges, and as Walt Disney once said, “It’s a small, small world.” Relationships trump talent…period!

Here is the Secret to Being on an Executive Recruiters Candidate List – If a Recruiter has three candidates, and they all have the same skill set, the Recruiter will submit the candidate they know personally. Why? Because they know and trust them. And companies expect Recruiters to personally vouch for the candidates they submit. Want to get to the top of a Recruiters candidate list? Help them out with referrals. Check in with them regularly when you DON’T need a job. Stay in touch. Be helpful, and it will get you to the top of the candidate list when you need it.

Recruiters Get People for Jobs, NOT Jobs for People – It is important to understand how the Executive Recruiter makes money. Recruiters are paid to fill jobs, and they are laser focused on it. If they don’t fill their open roles, they don’t eat. They are not career coaches; they are not in a position to figure out your personal situation and fix it. As my race horse trainer used to say, “I have jockeys, I need horses.” If this case, “I have candidates, I need hiring companies and jobs.” It’s not personal. Executive Recruiters Focus on clients (hiring companies), not candidates.

Finding a Job MUST Be a Priority – It’s shocking how many unemployed people are “too busy” to interview. Great way to get a Recruiter to drop you like a bad habit. Remember, YOU need a job, I HAVE a job. YOU need to make yourself available. Make your job search a priority.

Recruiters Don’t Like to Be Gang Tackled – A lack of planning on your part does not constitute a crisis for the Recruiter. Being aggressive with a Recruiter will get you dropped like a hot rock. Don’t call hourly or daily with “just checking in” or “any new jobs?” messages. Have a six to twelve month rainy day fund, so you don’t come across as desperate. Needy and high maintenance is not attractive.

No Cold Calls or Unsolicited Resumes Please – The best Recruiters only work with executives they know and trust. Meeting a Recruiter for the first time when you are unemployed is a terrible strategy. Possibly you can pull it off by having one of the Recruiter’s big clients refer you, but even that is a longshot. If you don’t have two or three good Recruiters in your rolodex, ask your peers who they like, and get introduced NOW. Build the bridge before you need to cross the river.

My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000; last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.

The Epicurean Charitable Foundation, which provides scholarships for hospitality students, recently asked me to write and article with advice for students entering the job market.  Interesting enough, none of my input has anything to do with skill sets.  Follow your passion, whether that be F&B, marketing, finance or technology.  There are ALWAYS good jobs for good people.  Outlined below are my top ten tips for graduating students.

Without Integrity, You Have Nothing – A CEO once told me, “Mark, if an executive does not have integrity, nothing else matters.” No truer words were ever spoken. Being dishonest is a character flaw. This is the BEST advice I can give students entering the job market. Always be 100% honest and forthcoming.

No One Likes a Narcissistic Megalomaniac – No one likes a self-absorbed, self-serving elitist. There is no shortage of self-centered people. And for every job opening, there are hundreds of candidates. If you think it is an honor and privilege for a company to hire you, think again. Be humble, be genuine. Humble and genuine is attractive!

Relationships Trump Talent – There is no shortage of talented people, but what separates the good from the great…is relationships. I regularly see talented executives that can’t get a job, and mediocre executives that land on their feet despite a history of poor performance. Why? Because they are well networked and have friends like the Colonel has chicken. Build a strong professional network and keep in touch.

Today’s Choices Become Tomorrow’s Circumstances – Make good life choices. This is HUGE! For most companies, a criminal record, DUI, or tax lien is a deal breaker. If you make bad life choices, you are likely to make bad work choices, and you will struggle to find employment. Make good life choices.

Long-Term Thinking Improves Short-Term Decisions – Successful people have a clear future orientation. They delay gratification in the short-term so they can enjoy far greater rewards in the long-term. Attending college is the perfect example. You can attend college now to ensure a better long-term career path, or not attend college and find it challenging to get promotions. Make decisions based on your long-term goals.

The Grass is NOT Always Greener – When you enter the job market, all jobs are good jobs. Focus on finding a company that will invest in you with training and coaching. Do NOT get focused on money. Yes, money is important. Anyone that tells you it’s not…does not have any. That stated, early in your career you need to focus on developing your skill set. Don’t bounce from job to job. Don’t chase the money. The grass is not always greener!

Don’t Burn Bridges – Most big cities are more like small towns. In Las Vegas, there are two million people, however only two hundred people make most of the decisions, and they all know each other. There is no upside to burning bridges. If someone likes you they will tell one friend. If someone does not like you, they will tell ten friends. Don’t burn your bridges!

An Attitude of Gratitude – If you want to stand out from the thundering herd, show gratitude and appreciation every step of the way. Saying “thank you!” is the right thing to do, and places you in a class by yourself. The same can be said of giving versus taking. The world is full of takers. Be a giver…and be grateful!

Remember the Golden Rule – No matter how cool and impressive you think you are, ultimately what people will remember is how you treated them. As my Dad used to say, “Treat the Janitor the same as the CEO.” Why? Because you will be passing the same people on the way down that you saw on the way up. Always treat people with kindness, courtesy and respect.

Work Was Never Meant to Be the Center of Our Lives – Family, friends and career, in that order. I’m not saying your career is unimportant. I am saying the company is all about the company, which you will find out the first time you are terminated. They don’t care about your student loans or your rent. Don’t be married to your job.

You Can’t Recruit Away Happy Employees – First and foremost, you can’t recruit away happy employees. Surveys show that 50% to 70% of executives would make a move for the right job offer. After eleven years in the Recruiting business, my experience is that most people think they are underpaid and undervalued. In some cases they are correct; in many they are not. Most executives are actually being paid their market value based on their education and experience. So if a company has a beef, my recommendation is they should examine their culture and compensation packages. There is usually a valid reason the employees are leaving.

Top Reasons Why Executives Move On – The company is poorly managed, in financial distress, or has a poor company culture. Yep, totally get it! If the company is not well run and/or treats employees poorly, there is going to be employee churn. I have an “excluded” list of companies that I won’t work with for exactly that reason – they are not a good place to work.

Personal Situations Can be an Exception – In several cases, I have helped friends make a move that has nothing to do with their current role. They were happy, but needed to move for personal reasons. A family member, usually a parent, has health issues and they need to relocate to help out. Or one of their children is off to college, and they want to be close to them. Maybe they five years before they retire and are looking for a nice sunny location.

You Can’t Begrudge People for Moving Forward with Their Career – If someone is a Director at $125,000 and being offered a VP level role at $175,000, you can’t begrudge them for progressing onward and upward. Yes, I know it’s frustrating; however we all want to better our situation in life.

If You are Not a Client, You are a Sourcing Pool – Let me address “poaching.” Executive Recruiters treat companies in one of two ways. If you are a CLIENT and sending a Recruiter business, they should NOT be poaching your employees unless there is a valid reason (see personal situations above). My contract specifically says that I am “hands off” of client employees and won’t represent them for jobs. On the other hand, if you are not a CLIENT, then Recruiters are going to accept resumes from your executives and represent them. Why? Because they are paid to fill positions, and if you are not a client, you are in the sourcing pool.

Be Wary of HR Territorialism – There was once a Director, Recruiting that did everything in his power to keep me from working with his company. Unfortunately, he was not sourcing good candidates, and the “C” level executives above kept end running him and calling me directly. He was not happy, but is that my fault? This is a for-profit business that supports a dozen charities. It’s what I do for a living. I’m not going to tell a CEO “no thank you” when he asks me for help. The Director, Recruiting was eventually terminated…and sent me a resume. Tip for HR executives. If you don’t like external Recruiters, that is absolutely your prerogative. I’m not offended. But remember this; Executive Recruiters are going to give the big HR jobs to executives they know and trust. Why? First and foremost, because they know and trust them. Second, because they have supported the Recruiter, and the world runs on relationships.

The Proper Strategy for Recruiting – When I have a job, the first phase is to check my stable. Do I have someone queued up that is an exact match for the job description? Phase two is to put the job “on the wire” meaning I email 200 professional contacts for REFERALS. My specific verbiage is, “I have a CFO role at $300,000 in Las Vegas. I realize this is not a fit for you personally, however if you know of someone that would be a good fit, please point them my way.” That is asking for referrals, NOT poaching. Had one executive send me a nasty email that I was poaching his employees. My response was, “First, I was looking for referrals. Second, and not to be disrespectful, but you don’t have anyone on payroll that would make sense anyway.”

There is no Upside to Getting Sideways with Executive Recruiters – Don’t get nasty with Recruiters! The last thing you need is them targeting your company as a sourcing pool. They can, and will, recruit away your top employees. Personally, not my model, however not everyone is as kind as me. Like your Mom always told you…play nice!

My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last eleven years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000; last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.

This article explains the types of questions you can expect when engaging an Executive Recruiter, and why we ask those questions. I focus on executives in the $100,000 to $1,000,000 compensation category, however these answers are relevant at all levels. Every time a Recruiter submits a candidate for a job, their reputation is on the line, so there is due diligence to ensure the candidate is a strong match for the open position. Three important points to remember about Executive Recruiters.

1. Executive Recruiters Get People for Jobs, NOT Jobs for People – If we don’t stay focused on filling our open searches…we don’t eat. We don’t have the time to play career coach or figure out how to get a candidate placed. Our focus is on the clients, and filling open jobs.
2. The Wrong Time to Meet a Recruiters is When You are Unemployed – The best Executive Recruiters only work with executives they know personally, or were that were referred from their professional network. Our clients expect us to have a strong knowledge of the candidates, so we can’t accept cold calls or unsolicited resumes. Make sure you have a good relationship with at least one Recruiter while you are gainfully employed. Recruiters rarely represent unemployed executives.
3. I Have Jockeys, I Need Horses – My horse trainer used to tell me this. Horses pay the bills, not jockeys. In Recruiting, hiring companies (clients) pay the bills, not candidates. Yes, Recruiters need high quality candidates, but make no mistake; the focus is on the searches. Recruiters can get 10 more candidates, however replacing even a single client because a candidate was unprofessional during an interview…is a major challenge.

OK, on to those ten questions. You are probably wondering, “What if a candidate refuses to answer the questions?” Then I won’t represent them. I only want to work with executives of integrity that realize this is a partnership. No Recruiter needs a candidate that wants to be secretive or play coy. So here are the questions, and a translation of what they mean.

What is your current (or most recent) base salary?

The company is going to get this information, period. They can ask your last employer for title, compensation and tenure.  The Recruiter needs to ensure you are “in range” for the position. If you are $100,000 and the job is $300,000, you are probably not senior enough. If you are $200,000 and the job pays $100,000 the Recruiter won’t be able to meet your compensation requirements. Do not lie!  Give your base salary and total compensation.  Do not spin.  Do not embellish.  I guarantee you this…you will get caught.

What is your desired base salary?

This is used to weed out unrealistic expectations. I routinely have executives at $100,000 ask for $150,000 to $200,000. That is just not going to happen. Even if I believe you are worth that number, Human Resources is going to shoot me down. Companies do not give fifty to one hundred percent salary increases. 20% to 25% is reasonable.  I drop a significant number of candidates due to their unrealistic expectations.  They are good, solid people, however they have an inflated opinion of their abilities.  Kind of like when people sell a house – they typically price it way too high.

If you are in transition, please give me a one or two line synopsis of why you left the last company.

You know how many people told me they got fired? Out of 20,000, maybe two? It is REALLY important that you are honest with the Recruiter on why you left. If it comes out later that you lied, you are going to be dropped from consideration.  If you are already on payroll, you WILL be fired.  I have a Casino President that would not tell me why he left. Finally he said, “I did not make my numbers” and I replied, “Maybe your number were not realistic.” There are plenty of good reasons to leave a company. Don’t be shy – be honest!

If you are gainfully employed, please give me a one or two line synopsis on why you are looking for a new career opportunity.

Career advancement is the best answer. Worst answer? Complaining about your company or your boss. You will be dropped like a bad habit. A lateral is OK, but most executives are looking for a bigger title and/or a bump in compensation. Remember to stay focused on the OPPORTUNITY. There is nothing worse than a candidate that provides a line by line breakdown of their compensation. Recruiters don’t like it; hiring companies don’t like it.

To which companies have you applied to in the last 12 months?

Be honest! If you have applied to the hiring company in the last 12 months, the Recruiter CAN NOT REPRESENT YOU. And don’t ask them to “do you a favor” and recommend you. At the end of the day, this is a for-profit business. Another big tip – if you are applying to online job postings, don’t contact a Recruiter. We get paid very well to find the best of the best, not executives that spam their resume. If you are applying to a $50 LinkedIn ad, the hiring company has no reason to pay a Recruiter.

To which recruiters have you submitted your resume in the last 12 months?

Again, be honest! If you are using one or two Recruiters you know personally, perfect. More than two is spamming, and smells like desperation. Personally, I look at which Recruiters the candidate is using as well. I’m 25%, so if they are being represented by a 15% Recruiter, I am out. Not judging. I like Costco, but I get my suits at Sak’s and Nordrsom’s. You are trusting your career with the Recruiter; don’t use a discounter.

Can you relocate nationwide?

If you can relocate, you will have more opportunities. If not, focus locally. Keep in mind the Recruiter probably has a specific role that he is filling, and if that is not in your city, you will need to relocate. When someone says they need a job in a specific city other than the West Coast, I recommend they find a Recruiter in that city to represent them.

Do you have any contingencies (have to sell your house, spouse needs to find a job)?

This is not IBM in the 1960s. No one is going to buy your house off you. And it’s not the Recruiters responsibility to find your spouse a job. Contingencies translate to you performing the job search on your own.  Recruiters like flexible executives that will do whatever it takes to move their career forward.

Do you have a non-compete?

If I have one more guy tell me his Brother is an Attorney and his non-compete is not valid…I’m going to cry. There is exactly one thing a Recruiter can get sued for – knowingly placing an executive that is in violation of a non-compete. We don’t do it, ever. If your non-compete is geographic (Nevada or Las Vegas for example), you will be relocating if you want to make a career change. If there is any ambiguity, I let the hiring company General Counsel review the verbiage and make the call.

All positions require a Compliance check (criminal record, tax lien, DUI, bankruptcy, foreclosure) and drug test.  Do you have ANYTHING in your background that will show up on a background check?

Most of my companies are in regulated industries, so criminal record or a failed drug test is a deal breaker. Companies don’t want to hire people that make bad personal decisions. Again, I’m not judging.  These are the rules, and Recruiters have to play by them.  More recently, bankruptcies, foreclosures and short sales are subjective.

My monthly newsletter goes out to 6,000 friends, clients and business partners.  You can’t “subscribe” to it or buy it.  It’s my way of staying in touch with friends.  For my clients, it’s a benefit of doing business with me.  My way of saying thank you for their business and support.  My day job is top Headhunter in the gaming industry, where I place about 50 top executives each year.

Each month I get a dozen wonderful emails thanking me for the newsletter, and for all the time I dedicate to creating and distributing it.  Industry executives enjoy reading about the latest industry news and what’s going on with their peers.  It’s a small world, and everybody knows everybody.  Life is grand…except for that ONE GUY.

You know him, the guy that only calls you when he wants something.  Never adds value; he is a taker.  In my case, that ONE GUY has come to me multiple times for a job over the years.  Because he has a new job every two years.  The one time he actually gave me a search, he wasted 40 hours of my time, treated the candidates poorly, and never hired anyone.  Could not get him to return a phone call or email.

So I made a business decision not to work with him.  Not angry or bitter.  Not judging or complaining.  Moving on!  As Joel Osteen states, “You only have so much emotional energy each day. Don’t fight battles that don’t matter.”  It took that ONE GUY a year to figure out he was off the newsletter and off my client list, at which point he sent me a nasty email explaining how important he is.  I chose not to respond.  Some battles are just not worth fighting.  Here are several lessons we can learn from that ONE GUY.

Always Get Back to People – My Daddy used to say, “Return all your calls and messages.  It’s the professional, respectful and right thing to do.”  I return every phone call and email (500+ per day), even if my answer is a simple, “no thank you.”

Never Burn Bridges – His hate mail may sooth his bruised ego, but why would you want to get sideways with the top Headhunter in your industry?  Better to shake hands and part friends.

Focus on the People That WANT to be on Your Bus – Not everyone is going to like you or want to work with you.  Focus on the people that WANT to be your friend, that want to be your client, that want to be on your bus.  There are only so many hours in the day.  Spend them with the right people.

The Golden Rule – The people you pass on the way up are the same ones you will pass on the way down.  No matter how brilliant, talented and cool you THINK you are, the only thing people will remember…is how you treated them.

American Pharoah was the prohibitive 1/5 favorite to win the Travers Stakes at Saratoga last weekend.  He was the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, then crushed the $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational field last month.  He looked like an absolute lock to win the Travers.

Then something unusual happened…he lost.  One hundred yards from the finish line, Keen Ice ran by American Pharoah, and he finished second.  Complete silence and disbelief from the 50,000 fans, most of which came to see AP run away from the Travers field.  Shock and disappointment, however in the aftermath of the race, there were two important lessons.

No Excuses – America has an epidemic of “not my fault.”  As an Executive Recruiter I hear a never ending list of excuses from candidates that were recently fired.  And they never admit to being fired; it was always “their decision to leave.”  The Trainer and Owners of AP had many excuses.  Most importantly, Frosted pushed AP every step of the way, thus softening him up for Keen Ice to come from way back and win the race.  AP had previously beaten Keen Ice three times by a total of 18 lengths.  Pace makes the race, and when they go fast early, they slow down at the end.  Additionally, AP was obviously tired from all the travel.  He flew to Saratoga just three days prior to the Travers from California.  But rather than make excuses, Trainer Bob Baffert and Owners Ahmed and Justin Zayat said, “He did not bring his A game today and we got beat by a better horse today.”  No whining.  No complaining. No excuses.

Be Gracious in Defeat – When people lose, they typically cry sour grapes.  In my world of Executive Recruiting, I get “that was a bad company anyway” and my favorite – “their loss.”  Always remember, anyone can win.  The true test of a person’s character is how they react to defeat.  Do they whine and complain, or do they accept that they were second best and move on?  In the case of Baffert and Zayat, they graciously complimented Keen Ice (and his connections) on the win, and said it was just a privilege to be in the race.  You know they were hugely disappointed, but they are a classy group of folks, and were gracious in defeat.