Hiring Technical People

What Are Your Expectations for New Grads?

Jack Vinson writes in New Grad Hires: Ready and Willing, but Are They Able?,

The solution is to hire people who have the general skills, capability, and/or experience you need and then train them in the missing aspects. That’s the way it has always been.

For technical staff, expect to spend time helping them develop interpersonal skills, such as being able to facilitate a conversation and come to consensus, how to give and receive feedback, how to work with other people. If you’re a new-ish manager, you may not have had specific training for these skills either. (Read Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management and practice.)

If you’re not sure how to interview new grads, read my column, Interviewing New College Grads.

3 comments June 6th, 2008

From Intern to Paying Position

Miss Snark has a great post, Internminable, about how to move from a free position to a paid position. Scroll down to:

1. Shows up on time and on schedule.

For you gentlemen, change “8. Wears shoes. Wears underwear. Wears clothes that cover the stomach. All at the same time.” to be something like: Wears underwear that I can’t see. Wears pants that I don’t have to worry about falling down.

Add comment November 28th, 2006

Interviewing New Grads

My most recent column for Fast Company/Inc’s hiring center is Interviewing New College Grads. Leave comments here - Enjoy!

Add comment April 14th, 2005