Skip to content

Logo

RJ & Makay

Our view of news, events and human capital trends in the financial services industry.


At RJ & Makay, we think it is sometimes more important to find out why a candidate asked a question than to answer the question (although we do answer his or her questions). We look at the kinds of questions a candidate is asking us, but we also try to dig deeper into what is behind the questions being asked. When you are interviewing a candidate, we recommend that you evaluate the question the interviewee is asking from a deeper perspective.


When qualifying a candidate for the positions we recruit for, we ask detailed background and skill set questions. However, we also like to go deeper into the psyche of our candidates on behalf of our clients to help us with our overall qualifying process. Just because a candidate has the right background and right skill set doesn't always make him or her the right fit. Here are 20 questions we recommend that you ask your candidates during the interview.


This is a topic that, as a man in my 40s, I sometimes forget is not basic common sense to everyone. But as it is often said, common sense is not all that common after all. Dress styles are cyclical (although I can't imagine the leisure suit making a comeback), but there are rules of interview dress that are timeless, especially in financial services.


All companies in the financial services industry now do background checks, so it is critical that you are open and honest on your resume and application about what may pop up. Refer to my earlier post "You Lie, You Die.”

Email Etiquette

Posted by: Darin Manis in tipsnetworking on

I am amazed at how many unprofessional emails I see from clients and candidates alike. I get very disappointed and mad at myself when I realize I just sent an unprofessional email. There is such a thing as email etiquette. The best resource I have seen for this is here.  I encourage you to read their list of 32 tips we all should be following. Here are a few of the lessons I have learned, as well as my personal pet peeves.


Bling Bling, Cha-Ching!

Posted by: Darin Manis in tipsfun on

  • If you could double your money every year for 20 years in a row, just one dollar would turn into more than one million. ($1,048,576)
  • More realistically, if you invested your money at 8% from age 25 to age 65, just $3,900 (about $325 a month) per year would turn into more than one million ($1,010,320).
  • A piece of currency can be folded forward and back 4,000 times before it will tear.
  • Currency is made of 25 percent linen and 75 percent cotton paper.
  • On a Canadian two dollar bill, the

Networking Do's & Don'ts

Posted by: Darin Manis in tipsnetworking on

Only 5%-25% of jobs are advertised - networking helps you to find out about unadvertised openings through talking to as many people as possible and expressing that you are in search of a career.

RJ Makay SayRJ Makay Say
NewsroomNewsroom
VideosVideos
Open PositionsOpen Positions
READ OUR BLOGREAD OUR BLOG
ABOUT THIS BLOGABOUT THIS BLOG
SEE ALL BLOG ARTICLESSEE ALL BLOG ARTICLES
Most PopularMost Popular
Subscribe to this BlogSubscribe to this Blog
Follow Us on TwitterFollow Us on Twitter

Hot Jobs

Click this button to

AddThis Feed Button

to our Blog

Follow Us on