Business owners/Mgrs I need some advice

[Buoy]

my take is your probably the first person to interview for this new equipment and he see's an opportunity to step right up to working status with the new equipment. He also now see's your comp $$$ starting offer as fair.... he has a machine coming, and someone in a VOODOO industry ready to run with it..... rare spot to be in... he'll call you.... if there is still a bubble, then offer to him that you will make sure the other guys call him directly if that would speed the selection process. I feel good about it...

For the record, there was no position advertised, I just walked in and said "I have experience" and was able to get past the receptionist to the lab mgr.
So that's a good sign. The equipment isn't ordered yet, but, if they have someone on board that is experienced with VOODOO, it may help their confidence in making a purchase on a piece of equipment that would rival the cost of many of the nicest boats you see new on these boards.
Thanks for your confidence.

Bingo! What does the wife think? Sounds like she is in the same spot the person you interviewed with is in? Small industry- do they (wife & interview guy) know each other? Could help or hamper..

Haven't discussed this idea with the wife yet.
Yes, she is in a similar position to the guy I interviewed with but, my wife works big corporate, so she is almost like the lab owner. The guy I interviewed with is still reporting to the lab owner - private Co.

Call you back in 20 minutes. I'm on a call.

Cool - we'll talk then.

Same company, right? Just different location?

Personally, I would highly value the recommendation, however, the cold-call would make me suspect. If you know the guy well enough where you could ensure he doesn't drop the "Tim's desperate, we talked. he asked me to call," I see no problem with it. Especially from an internal referral. On the flip sire, frankly, if HR didn't think it would work out with the direct transfer, they would still hold the same opinion. It's a place to tread lightly for sure. If it's a different posision altogether, I'd go for it. What could it hurt?

No.
Completely different Co.
Independent instead of corporate. Actual competition to my wife, but that is something that is fairly common in this industry to have family members/spouses work at competing labs.

What could it hurt? - well, that's what I'm weighing out...
I could ask you (Nick) to call, you're well spoken and intelligent, but we've never worked together, and in reality I could be a bum on the job. (Not true, the me being a bum part).
But, if the phone rings, and all of a sudden some guy is telling you that your making a mistake if you pass on hiring this guy, you may get the "Who the hell is this" impression, and "what kind of scam is this".
Mind you, it would be genuine.
The one guy actually drove with me for 15 hrs to pick up my boat when I bought it just to make sure if there were any problems I had a set of hands.
That's the kind of working relationship I had with these men.

 

[Buoy]

Tim-
Heres my opinion on the matter. I would not hesitate for your former director to place a call. For one it shows you are proactive, for two it shows that you left on good terms and meant enough to your previous employer that they would take the time to place a call of this sort. If you were a sh&t employee that they could easily replace, he would nt go out of his way to help you.

If the current interviewer would be bothered by someone soliciting them with a call such as this then they really dont want to hire someone of value.

In my case, we interview a crop of grads every end of semester. I cant tell you how many people get axed from consideration based on simple things like a lack of follow up phone call, not sending thank you cards or emails, etc. regardless of their resume.

My industry may differ as a professional services industry bust still being proactive and a follow up go a long way.

Good luck.

Thanks Josh.
Haven't seen you around the boards in awhile. I still owe you, or you owe me, or whatever... We need beers

I'm taking all this in everyone, and I really appreciate everyone's opinion on this.

 

[old377guy]

I know were talking apples to oranges on the type of industry and I know that you have some experience in construction type work. I realize that theese are desperate times but IMO a reccomendation call out of the blue from your previous employer is just going to make you look desperate to your potential future employer. Ive had similar calls in the past and that resume generally gets tossed in the trash or at least to the bottom of the pile. I do my own homework if im interested in something and I absofukinglutly can not stand people wasting my time on the phone.

my thoughts exactly - but a warm letter of reference - ok; good luck

 

[catastrophe]

If I got the call from someone like that- someone I could verify who they were, I'd be floored. If someone thought that highly of a guy to go out of his way and make a personal contact would impress me. Letter's of recommendation are called the "last fringe benefit" and are almost always written out of guilt. A brief call reinforcing your circumstances and your qualities would nkock me over. As long as they didn't say "Tim asked me to call..." It would have to be "Tim told me he was interviewing with you and asked my input on the co/position/whatever. I wanted to call and let you know some things..."

I agree with this post 100%

As an owner , anything to help me make a decision like that would be much appreciated.
Watch the wording but DO IT.

 

[Dude! Sweet!]

Tim, good talking to you. Good luck but! And yes, this is a bundypost! :sifone:

 

[Chris]

I'm with you on the "get too many unnecessary calls" thing. But keep in mind the guy doing the hiring is an employeee and one of the major reflections on his present performance and his promotability are his hiring decisions. If you hire poorly and bring the wrong people in, your career is doomed. Anything that makes the process a bit more sure for him is probably going to be welcomed.

In the end, either the call or don't call option may or may not work- pretty even odds all around. But you're the only guy that will most likely be pulling this one off. You'll be different. And right now you're just one guy in a herd of applicants trying to make themselves look like they walk on water.

 

[Buoy]

Sean - good talking to you too. I appreciate your input and well wishes.
Even though we're both just goofballs.:biggrinjester:

Everyone else, thanks for the responses - your opinions are truly appreciated, otherwise I never would have brought this up.

It seems that the opinions on this are about 50/50.
And the 50% that say Nay are the smaller business owners, and the 50% that are Yay are the larger business owners.
Am I incorrect? And I don't mean any offense to anyone in the size of their business.
The company I'm dealing with would be considered a smaller business. And they are proud to be a small business.
The industry has been buying up all the little labs for the past ten years. I was there when the lab I worked for got bought by the big guys - and we were pretty large. I saw it coming, and had to entertain and present in front of a German group and hadn't been clued in that they were buying the Co. - I already knew this, but, I had to play along.
This one seems to want to stay independent.
Alot of the other labs essentially built them selves up to be prime for a sell, and make the owners a ton of money.
Does this make a difference?
I mean, for an independent to hear from a Corporate guy that I'm a good guy, would that sound disingenuous? Or, that I had ulterior motives to ripen the place for a sell?
I'm just thinking every angle here, and probably WAY over thinking this.
But the fact that I admitted my wife works for the "competition", and then to have a recommendation from my old boss at "the competition"...
But, they aren't really the competition, they are only in the same market.
My wifes company is really only in competition with one other.
This business is just in it for itself.

 

[catastrophe]

i'm with you on the "get too many unnecessary calls" thing. But keep in mind the guy doing the hiring is an employeee and one of the major reflections on his present performance and his promotability are his hiring decisions. If you hire poorly and bring the wrong people in, your career is doomed. Anything that makes the process a bit more sure for him is probably going to be welcomed.

In the end, either the call or don't call option may or may not work- pretty even odds all around. But you're the only guy that will most likely be pulling this one off. You'll be different. And right now you're just one guy in a herd of applicants trying to make themselves look like they walk on water.

exactly what he said

 

[Buoy]

I'm with you on the "get too many unnecessary calls" thing. But keep in mind the guy doing the hiring is an employeee and one of the major reflections on his present performance and his promotability are his hiring decisions. If you hire poorly and bring the wrong people in, your career is doomed. Anything that makes the process a bit more sure for him is probably going to be welcomed.

In the end, either the call or don't call option may or may not work- pretty even odds all around. But you're the only guy that will most likely be pulling this one off. You'll be different. And right now you're just one guy in a herd of applicants trying to make themselves look like they walk on water.

There isn't even a job to be had. There is nothing listed or advertised. I cold called in, and am basically asking them to create a position for me.
If they buy the new equipment, they will need to hire someone with my experience.
Yeah trying to walk on water is about right...
And I don't even know how to water-ski.:willy_nilly:

 

[JupiterSunsation]

I know were talking apples to oranges on the type of industry and I know that you have some experience in construction type work. I realize that theese are desperate times but IMO a reccomendation call out of the blue from your previous employer is just going to make you look desperate to your potential future employer. Ive had similar calls in the past and that resume generally gets tossed in the trash or at least to the bottom of the pile. I do my own homework if im interested in something and I absofukinglutly can not stand people wasting my time on the phone.

+1..... makes you look like a job stalker.......

 

[Wobble]

Sean - good talking to you too. I appreciate your input and well wishes.
Even though we're both just goofballs.:biggrinjester:

Everyone else, thanks for the responses - your opinions are truly appreciated, otherwise I never would have brought this up.

It seems that the opinions on this are about 50/50.
And the 50% that say Nay are the smaller business owners, and the 50% that are Yay are the larger business owners.
Am I incorrect? And I don't mean any offense to anyone in the size of their business.
The company I'm dealing with would be considered a smaller business. And they are proud to be a small business.
The industry has been buying up all the little labs for the past ten years. I was there when the lab I worked for got bought by the big guys - and we were pretty large. I saw it coming, and had to entertain and present in front of a German group and hadn't been clued in that they were buying the Co. - I already knew this, but, I had to play along.
This one seems to want to stay independent.
Alot of the other labs essentially built them selves up to be prime for a sell, and make the owners a ton of money.
Does this make a difference?
I mean, for an independent to hear from a Corporate guy that I'm a good guy, would that sound disingenuous? Or, that I had ulterior motives to ripen the place for a sell?
I'm just thinking every angle here, and probably WAY over thinking this.
But the fact that I admitted my wife works for the "competition", and then to have a recommendation from my old boss at "the competition"...
But, they aren't really the competition, they are only in the same market.
My wifes company is really only in competition with one other.
This business is just in it for itself.

18 employees, so yes, small business. No HR department.

 

[Tony]

my thoughts exactly - but a warm letter of reference - ok; good luck

In my line of work a letter of reccomendation printed on the letterhead of an industry leader is impressive. Time is money and I highly doubt any legit foreman or superintendent is going to call during working hours to fluff a previous employee. But like I originally said were talking two way different industries here. Buoy knows how the game works in the field he is applying, he needs to do what works for him.

 

[fund razor]

It sounds like a good "position" to be in Tim.
Good luck.

I think that I would be ok with an unsolicited phone call. I got an unsolicited call about a woman once for a position that I was hiring for. I called her up and talked with her based on that recommendation, however.... that call came from someone that I knew from business. I had a nice chat with her. She was not a good fit for the position, but she sent me a thank you card for spending time on the phone with her. Later a position came up that she was qualified for. She was the only one that I interviewed for it and she has now worked for me for 6 months.

Point is... the recommendation+conversation+thank you card upon rejection= she got the next job with me.

I wonder if you shouldn't wait on the call until the situation changes from thinking about buying the equipment to thinking about posting the position. At this point, if they think that they already have a highly qualified candidate they may skip through the process and save themselves from reading 500 resumes from 498 unqualified people. I guess what I am trying to say is that you just may become the ace in the hole and weigh in their decision to buy the equipment. Once you have done that.... you have inadvertently become part of the business plan. My prediction is this: if they buy the equipment, you are the candidate to beat.

 

[MarylandMark]

The one guy actually drove with me for 15 hrs to pick up my boat when I bought it just to make sure if there were any problems I had a set of hands.

I'd been fired by Monday... :sifone:

 

[drpete3]

Tim very interesting reading. Here is my take. When im looking to hire a prospective employee Im looking for hard workers and hopefully good morals and in your situation you hav e a specific talent that they may be in need of. When was this interview? If a week has gone by I suggest stopping in again and let the lab manager know you are very interested in helping their company. In todays climate a small company looking to invest and expand thier business takes a little bit of guts. What I am wondering is if they are really serious about taking that step and the lab manager isnt the person thats going to make that decision. the owner would be. It might be wise to ask the manager to set up a meeting with the 3 of you guys to discuss this endeavor and then you could show the 3 of them what you know.

FWIW I had a meeting on moday with Essilor about selling my lab to them. Didnt realize you were in the optical business

 

[Buoy]

Tim very interesting reading. Here is my take. When im looking to hire a prospective employee Im looking for hard workers and hopefully good morals and in your situation you hav e a specific talent that they may be in need of. When was this interview? If a week has gone by I suggest stopping in again and let the lab manager know you are very interested in helping their company. In todays climate a small company looking to invest and expand thier business takes a little bit of guts. What I am wondering is if they are really serious about taking that step and the lab manager isnt the person thats going to make that decision. the owner would be. It might be wise to ask the manager to set up a meeting with the 3 of you guys to discuss this endeavor and then you could show the 3 of them what you know.

FWIW I had a meeting on moday with Essilor about selling my lab to them. Didnt realize you were in the optical business

The interview was yesterday morning. Yeah, been in optics for 6 yrs. The wife has been for 25+.
I didn't work for essilor, but the other "BIG" one... Think "Teflon" coating...
This is a smaller independent lab.
PM me your number and a good time to call, I'd like to BS with you about the biz a bit. I was involved in one of our lab acquisitions, and might be able to fill you in a bit.

 

[drpete3]

PM sent