Healthcare and Insurance are tied closely together and it seems as late that both of these sectors have been heating up. Insurance openings with our valued client base are as follows:

Consulting Partner Insurance Domain: Pays up to 300K, location Anywhere as long as willing to travel

Sales Insurance Northeast 250-300K OTE (Multiple Opportunities)

Sales Insurance Chicago 250 OTE

Sales Insurance West Coast 250 OTE

Client Partner/Engagement Manager : Chicago OTE 175K – 250K

Client Partner Insurance : East : 200 – 250 OTE

Vice President Insurance : Business Consulting Comp 300K + East Coast
If you, or someone you know is a good fit for any of these positions please contact our director of sourcing as a first step, Eric Gilson. You can reach him at eric@bluespeed.net If the phone is your preferred means of communication don’t hesitate to call us at 800-363-5734.
Regards,
Kendall Messner
Sr. Managing Partner
Bluespeed, Inc.

Bluespeed currently is seeking candidates for the following positions: 

Sales – Healthcare IT Consulting Services -  Multiple opportunities covering the Western Region,  as well as the Northeast

Regional VP of Sales : Selling Consulting Services into the Healthcare Payer market From Chicago to Dallas to the West Coast 

Healthcare Practice Manager: Located anywhere: 210K OTE

Healthcare Business Consulting Partner (190 – 225K base plus bonus) Looking for a big four consultant with MBA. Business Consulting.  Could be located anywhere.

General manager / Client Partner: Healthcare Payer: Minnesota: 40M P/L Comp OTE is 265- 300K 

Client Partner Healthcare Los Angeles – OTE is mid 200’s 

Subject Matter Expert/Consultant for the Healthcare Domain.   this is a 150-170k base with a 20-35K bonus on top. 

If you, or someone you know is a good fit for any of these positions please contact our director of sourcing as a first step, Eric Gilson.  You can reach him at  eric@bluespeed.net   If the phone is your perferred means of communication don’t hesitate to call us at 800-363-5734. 

Regards, 

Kendall Messner

Sr. Managing Partner

Bluespeed, Inc.

• New blog post: test http://216.150.195.109/?p=507 #
• New blog post: Bluespeed Launches New Interactive Website http://bit.ly/b3tdh #
• New blog post: Account Manager – BPO Solutions in CT http://bit.ly/1a6SoX #
• New blog post: Client Engagement Manager / Partner – IT Services to Credit Card Company – VA http://bit.ly/KEcHj #
• New blog post: Client Partner – IT Services to Healthcare http://bit.ly/v4oxS #
• New blog post: Client Engagement Manager – IT Services to Insurance – CT http://bit.ly/18JV15 #

You are reading further than the initial headline for a reason. You want to believe. You want a little taste of something that has been sadly absent from business in America of late, positivity. Yesterday, I had a person tell me that he thinks that the United States may never recover, that we may never get back to where we were. The timbre of business conversations harkens back to the “Dot Bomb” fiasco several years ago, only magnified. The damage to the American psyche intensifies every day we continue to allow ourselves to engage in this kind of doom saying. If you want to thrive in this market, one of the best ways to set yourself apart is to position yourself as a trusted lightening rod of positivity. Imagine what might happen if everyone in American business made this their goal? I submit that the once famous phrase “American Optimism” would again become a part of the world vernacular and this recession would soon fade away.

Don’t make the mistake of diminishing the impact that you have. It is significant. As a third party recruiter one is afforded the opportunity to play coach, therapist, agent and advisor-sometimes all in a single conversation. Help your business connections see the positive side to their struggles. Coach candidates to bring positivity to the interview table. Remind hiring managers that the best candidates are risk averse and require being sold on opportunities. Remind them that the fact that it is a job doesn’t automatically make it savory. An opportunity in a thriving or well positioned organization with great people is.

Candidates need to know that it is imperative that their conversations yield a positive vision of the future. If two candidates are essentially the same but in the interview one of them speaks about how tough it is out in the market and how he or she has never seen it this bad, and the other candidate says that the tide is turning, there is a lot of opportunity available and that the current situation is extremely exciting….who gets the job? Who do you want on your team? The way one talks about the current economy says more about the person making the observations than the economy itself.

If you are saying, “This is all fine and well Kendall, but there are realities that cannot be ignored here.” To this I say: change your “reality”.

Turn off the television news stations, put down the newspaper and ignore the news websites. Try it for a month and see what happens. Use the time you would have devoted to these activities and instead do something that makes you happy. Focus on being happy and sharing this happiness with those around you. You have nothing to lose except the negative after-shocks of the often dark messaging that you routinely expose yourself to through these negative channels.

When you start sharing this happiness with those around you, I guarantee your business will improve. It seems that every day I receive comments from people who are wondering how I can be so positive all the time. My answer is always the same. It beats the hell out of the alternative.

Kendall Messner
Senior Managing Partner
Bluespeed, Inc.
kendall@bluespeed.net

Tips for Clear Communication

(From the Ball State University Career Center) 

• Have clear beginnings and endings. Don’t let your sentences run together or trail off.
• Avoid using vocal pauses and slang like um, uh, like, and you know.
• Plan what you want to communicate to the interviewer. (For example, before speaking to an employer on the telephone or in person, practice your introduction and greeting.)
• Answer the question asked and volunteer relevant information.
• Answer “the question behind the question”: What is the interviewer really asking?
• Don’t ramble.
• Don’t use slang and other forms of poor English.
• Beware of using too much industry jargon.

QUESTIONS FOR THE

INTERVIEWER

For a candidate in an interview situation, asking poignant, intelligent questions is an important method of communicating to the recruiter interest and commitment to employment with their company. If a prospective candidate has taken the time to research a company they have interest in, there should be some questions that naturally arise from that process. Below are some possible questions candidates may inquire during an employment interview.

 

 1. How would you describe your corporation?

2. Have there been any significant management changes in the past five years?

3. Is your company’s management philosophy structured?

4. What do you consider the company’s strengths and weaknesses?

5. What makes your firm different from its competitors?

6. What are the company’s future plans and goals?

7. What industry trends will occur in this company?

8. How has this company fared during the recent recession?

9. What attracted you to this organization?

10. Why do you enjoy working for your firm?

11. Describe the work environment?

12. What kind of career opportunities are currently available for my degree and skills?

13. Tell me about your initial and future training programs.

14. Describe the typical first year assignments.

15. What are the challenging facets of the job?

16. How many people held this job in the last five years?

17. Is the person who held this job last still with the company?

18. Describe your company’s philosophy of promoting candidates from within?

Dress for Success: Casual or Casualty?

by Carole Martin

Summary

The traditional interview suit may not be mandatory.
You’ll still want to save jeans and T-shirts for the weekend.
Women can increasingly get away with wearing pants.
In a Business-Casual World, How Do I Dress for an Interview?

Just a few years ago, everyone knew the answer to this question. The standard interview uniform was suit and tie for men, and suit with a skirt for women. Anyone arriving at work in a new suit was presumed to be interviewing elsewhere that day. But now that workplace dress codes have relaxed, both men and women have more choices when it comes to interview attire.

Does That Mean the Uniform Is Out?

Not necessarily. It’s still important to make a good impression. You just face more decisions about how to do that.

How Will I Decide What to Wear to the Interview?

Remember, each company has an individual culture and environment. Try to find out what the standard is for the company before the interview. When you schedule the interview, ask what would be appropriate. Or call the human resources department and ask what the company’s dress code is. Sometimes an interviewer will tell you what to wear: “We don’t dress up here, so a suit is not necessary.” Some people actually go to the place where they will be interviewing and stand outside at lunchtime or after work to check out employees’ clothes.

If Not a Suit, Then What?

A good rule of thumb is to wear something somewhat dressier than what the employees wear to work. Never wear jeans and a T-shirt, especially slogan T-shirts. A jacket is always a safe bet for men and women, with slacks or a skirt. Somehow a jacket seems to pull the outfit together and can cover a multitude of figure problems as well.

But the suit is still a staple in some professions. Sales people, for example, prefer the suited look, as do other professionals such as lawyers and bankers. Whatever you decide to wear, make sure it fits properly and is of the best quality you can afford. What seems like a big investment now will pale in comparison when you get the job.

How About Women Wearing Pants or a Pantsuit to the Interview?

This question is still somewhat controversial. Some observers say women should always wear a skirt. But a recent issue of Biography magazine offers proof the rules are changing. A feature about first ladies shows several presidents’ wives, dating back to the 1900s. All the women pictured are wearing skirts and dresses, until Hillary Clinton. Clinton is wearing her now-trademark pantsuit.

Whether you are interviewing at an Internet company or a bank, it’s always best to keep your outfit on the conservative side. You’re giving the interviewer a picture of yourself, so make sure it reflects well on you.

Handling Multiple Interviewers: Panels and Boards and Teams, Oh My!

by Carole Martin

Summary

• Speak to each person in the room and make eye contact.
• Plan and prepare as you would for any interview.

It might feel like you’re facing lions and tigers and bears. There you sit alone in front of the room, waiting for the pack to attack with questions. It’s really not quite that bad. In fact, there is an upside to this process. You’d probably have to talk to each of these people individually at some point in the process. This way, you get it over all at once.

But how do you deal with so many interviewers in one sitting? The best way is to take them one at a time. The board or panel is not one entity, but several individuals coming together with the common goal of hiring the best candidate for the job. At the same time, each person has his own agenda or department’s interest at heart. For example, the HR manager will be checking to make sure you are a good fit with the culture and people working at this company. The hiring manager will want to know about your technical skills or business know-how. And the person from accounting will want to know if you are savvy enough to operate a business budget.

Board or panel interviews are usually rather formal and organized, using a standard set of questions for all applicants. This type of interview is typically used in academia, government or for high-level executives but can be used for any other type of position in any company.

A female client interviewed for a senior administrator job at a major health agency, facing a panel of 10 doctors, nurses, technicians and administrators. She felt like it was an inquisition, not an interview. But she had prepared well and was confident when she faced this tribunal. She looked at each person as he or she asked the question, and continued to look at that person for 30 seconds or so. She then shifted her eye contact to each member of the interviewing team. She made sure she made contact with each set of eyes while answering questions. She felt very much in control and her interview went well. The result was a job offer.

Another multiple-type interview is the team or “good cop/bad cop” interview. The team is usually made up of two interviewers, one who asks the questions and one who takes notes. The two typically trade roles, which can be confusing if they have different styles. In fact, one person may be kind and gentle and the other more harsh or pushy.

Just remember, these inquisitors are working together toward the same end. Treat them equally, not favoring one over the other.

Regardless of the type of interview, the best advice is to prepare and practice beforehand. When you have your script and have rehearsed your answers, you will feel prepared and more confident no matter how many people you have to face.

Lastly, a good tip to remember is to make sure you get each person’s business card, hopefully at the beginning of the interview, so you can address each person by name.

The One-on-One

by Carole Martin

The one-on-one format is the most familiar and common format in job interviewing. It’s about two people sitting down to have a conversation. In this case, the conversation has a particular purpose: To determine whether there is a natural fit between the interviewer, the applicant and the job available. Both parties will leave this conversation with some kind of a judgment. The interviewer will know whether you can fulfill the responsibilities of the position, and you will know whether or not this is the right position, and company, for you to utilize and expand upon your talents.

The interview begins the second you and the interviewer initially meet — this is the crucial nonverbal judgment. The interviewer is sizing you up: Are you dressed appropriately? Are you well-groomed and pleasant? Next, is the handshake — do you offer a limp-fish handshake or is it firm and comfortable? A lot of close scrutiny takes place in those initial moments, and the interviewer can get a good idea as to how well the interview will or will not go based on his or her first impressions of you. After a bit of chitchat or warm-up, the questions begin.

The conversation will usually begin with the same request: “Tell me about yourself.” The information you reveal as an answer to this question and throughout the interview allows the interviewer to get a clear picture of you, and certain pictures or patterns will begin to emerge. Each time a new subject is mentioned, the interviewer may want to dig a little further, and the picture becomes more focused.

Behavioral questions such as, “Tell me about your experience with…,” give the interviewer clues about your past experiences that can be applied to solving the problems of the job in question. You must be prepared to talk about your achievements and past behaviors and have examples of the experiences you mention. For example, if you say, “I am very detail-oriented,” or “I am an analytical problem-solver,” there must be examples to back the claims. Show the interviewer that you are detail-oriented by providing him with an example of when your attention to detail positively affected your work. You should create a list of your accomplishments and experiences that validate these claims prior to interviewing.

If you don’t immediately offer this information, the interviewer can probe further. As an example, you might say, “I have excellent written communication skills.” The interviewer can now follow up on this subject by asking, “What type of writing have you done?” Or, “Tell me about a project you have worked on involving written communication skills.” If you aren’t able to come up with good examples, or success stories, there might be a credibility problem. Saying you can do something and actually giving an example of when you have done it are two different things.

Interviewers are attempting to get a picture of your abilities to perform in the position that is available. They are also looking to see how you would fit in with the corporate culture. Sometimes there will be a succession of one-on-one interviews within the same company. The process may begin with the human resources department, then move on to an interview with a prospective boss, or hiring manager. It may then continue down the line to other members of a department, and can sometimes include a CEO.

In each one-on-one conversation, you must be able to present good examples and tell about past successes. When this is done, you can leave the interview knowing that you have communicated a picture that is positive and accurate, no matter how many conversations it takes.

Include some examples of ‘we’ projects—shows that you can work with and support a team effort. Let your experience speak for yourself… If they cannot see the results for themselves based on what you have achieved and accomplished, then they lose. And, would you really want to work for a place like that?

Make a list now of key achievement, major responsibilities and projects that show you are hands-on…flesh them out with some details and you have a group of stories to tell. Make the stories concise and have them illustrate key skills…managerial as well as skill-related.

Mastering the Phone Interview

by Peter Vogt

You just got word that you landed a job interview with a company that really interests you — only there’s a slight catch.

You won’t be meeting with your interviewer face to face. Instead, you’ll be taking part in a phone interview, the results of which will determine whether you’re invited to meet with company representatives in person.

Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they’re generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town (or out-of-state and foreign) candidates.

So the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your job hunt, you’ll be asked to participate in a 20- to 30-minute phone interview with either one person or several people on the other end of the line. In many ways, the way you prepare for a phone interview isn’t all that different from the way you’d get ready for a face-to-face interview — save for a few slight additions to and modifications of your list of preparation tasks.

Here’s what to do:

1. Treat the phone interview seriously, just as you would a face-to-face interview.  A phone interview seems so informal on the surface that it can be easy to fall into the trap of “phoning it in” — i.e., not preparing for it as well as you would for an in-person interview. Don’t get caught with your guard down. Be sure to research the company, study the job description, and practice your responses to anticipated questions, just as you would for any other interview.

2. Have your resume and cover letter in front of you.  You’ll almost certainly be asked about some of the information that appears on these documents. You might also want to have in front of you any supporting materials that relate to information in your resume and cover letter, like documents you’ve designed or written, a portfolio of your various projects, or the written position description from your key internship.

3. Make a cheat sheet.  Jot down a few notes about the most critical points you want to make with your interviewer(s). Are there certain skills and experiences you want to emphasize? Do you have certain interests or passions you want your interviewer(s) to know about and understand? Be sure these pieces of information appear on your crib sheet. Then touch on them during the interview, even if your only chance to do so is at the end of the session when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions or anything to add.

4. Get a high-quality phone.  This isn’t the time to use a cell phone that cuts in and out, or a cheaply made phone that makes it difficult for you and your interviewer(s) to hear and understand each other.

5. Shower, groom and dress up (at least a little).  Odd advice? Perhaps. But focusing on your appearance, just as you would for a normal interview, will put you in the right frame of mind from a psychological standpoint. You won’t do as well in your phone interview if you’re lying in bed, for example, or if you’re draped over your couch in your pajamas.

6. Stand up, or at least sit up straight at a table or desk.   Again, there’s a psychological, frame of mind aspect to consider here. But on a more tangible level, research has shown that you project yourself better when you’re standing up, and you’ll feel more knowledgeable and confident.

Phone interviews can be tricky, especially since you aren’t able to read your interviewers’ nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body language during the session — a big difference from the typical interview. But if you prepare well for your phone interview, you won’t need to read anyone’s nonverbals to gauge your performance. You’ll know for sure how you’ve done because you’ll be invited to a face-to-face interview, where you’ll have yet another opportunity to prove you’re the best person for the job.