What type of positions have you been involved hiring?
I work in the social service field. I have been involved in hiring counselors, social workers, nurses, behavioral analysts and psychologists pursing positions  within the mental health field.

What do you look for in a resume that will help you decide on an interview?
I look for clear and concise work experience and education. The format of a resume is very important and   should   convey   professionalism.   A   candidate’s name and credentials should be highly noticeable. My goal is to quickly review the resume and be able to identify  the  candidate’s  level  of  education  and  years of experience. Resume’s that are too lengthy or wordy are more difficult to review.

What would disqualify a resume from the candidate pool?
Resume’s  using  improper  grammar  or  spelling  errors are immediately disqualified. I have reviewed resumes using the wrong versions of words such as  “their” instead of “there.” I have also reviewed resumes with spelling mistakes such as “thru” instead of “through.” These errors indicate a lack of attention to detail and carelessness on behalf of the candidate. Another  red flag is if a candidate has many positions in a short amount of time. If a candidate appears to not stay in a position for more than a year, that is an indication that the candidate may “job hop” and not be committed to remaining in a position for very long. When I am looking for candidates for my open positions, I am looking for someone who would hopefully stay in the position for a long period of time. It is very time consuming and costly to hire and train new associates so a candidate who seems committed to staying for a longer period of time would be preferable to someone who is not.
What do you look for in an interview?
A candidate in an interview should present as professional, positive, and upbeat. I am looking for someone who is clearly interested in and excited about the position he/she is interviewing for. A candidate should have some knowledge of the organization and well as the position he/she is interviewing for. It is helpful if the candidate is already aware of the organization’s mission and values prior to  the  interview  and  can speak to how his/her own values align with that of the organization’s. Candidates should come prepared with questions about the position, benefits, training and schedule.  It’s  important  that  the  candidates  convey that they really want the position, rather than it just being another job that they need to pay their bills.

What is the biggest mistake a job candidate can make?
Presentation is everything. Ensure that you are dressed for success and maintain professional demeanor throughout the interview. One specific turn off in interviews is if the candidate speaks poorly of their current employer. This illustrates a lack of respect and a poor attitude which can be toxic in organizations. This is not someone who I would wish to add to my current team. I am always looking for candidates that will enhance my team’s morale and positivity.

What type of positions have you been involved hiring?
My company is a contract research organization, supporting all aspects of drug development globally. We contract with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to conduct all or some portions of clinical trials around the world. I've been involved in hiring of clincal trial Project Managers and Project Directors, Research Operations Managers, Research Account Directors, Senior Directors, and VPs of Operations, Research and Consulting.

What do you look for in a résumé
that will help you decide on an interview? Professional looking, 1-2 pages, no fluff but good use    of key words, highlighting the most relevant education, skills and experience, accomplishments, honors/ recognitions,  and  professional  organizations  (if  any).   I like to see short descriptions of experience using action sentences. For example, "I led a global team of 25 people to complete a two-year immune therapy trial for ovarian cancer, on time and on budget" grabs my attention over "I was a project manager in research company X for the past 2 years."

If it's for an exec/C-suite position, "light" branding or tag line is OK as long as it's not over the top.

If the candidate has CREATED something, I like to see it noted, even if not directly related to the field (within reason), e.g., articles, blogs, programs/code, novel systems or solutions, patents, etc.

What would disqualify a résumé from the candidate pool?
Obvious lack of basic educational or experience requirements in the résumé. Typos or vague accomplishment statements without some detail gives the impression of carelessness. Convoluted sentences full of jargon will make me  think  they're  trying  way  too hard to impress, are full of  themselves,  or  really talk that way, none of which would make me want to interview them. I'm less interested in a candidate who has had frequent job changes in this field in a relatively short period of time. Any impression of stretching the truth is an automatic disqualification.

What do you look for in an interview?

Preparedness: know the job and at least basics of the company they're interviewing for. Don't rehash the résumé unless asked to elaborate on something. Be ready and equally comfortable to give  examples  of their approach to problem-solving, and to talk about their accomplishments and what they did to  make those happen. If there's  something  they  don't  know  or haven't done, be honest,  but  I  like  when  people are creative and draw on some other experience to answer a question, as long as it's genuine and relevant to the skill I'm looking for, shows quick thinking. I like when candidates ask questions back, whether for clarification, or for more insight into the company or position. As long as there's balance and they don't dominate the conversation trying to impress or over- answer, it makes the interview a dialogue which is much more interesting to me as the interviewer, and a great way to assess interest, communication and  people skills, and be remembered over other candidates.

What is the biggest mistake a job candidate can make?
If you're looking for one thing, it's stretching the truth or misleading on a résumé or in an interview topic because you don't know something or don't have the relevant experience.