Who Will Do A Better Job For You — A Recruiter Or A Coach?

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

He walked into my conference room two hours before his interview. I was there to prepare him for an interview with a client for a C-level role. His shoes were scuffed, his outfit rumpled, and sweat marks were all over his shirt.

“Tough day,” I asked.

“I was in until 2 AM working on an issue and didn’t get to sleep until 3:30.”

I peeked at my watch. It was 9:30. He was wearing the fact that it was 90 degrees out already and, knowing him as I did,” he was not ready to deliver an elite performance.

“I’m going to reschedule your interview for tomorrow. You’re in no shape to walk in and impress them today. Let’s use our time now to allow me to prepare you for what to expect.”

“Have you worked with them before?”

“Yes, for about 5 years. I understand what they want to see. You won’t give it to them today.”

As someone who worked in search for many years, I developed relationships with many of my clients who opened up to me about the nuances of a position they wanted to fill…