CalNational Recruiting

SHOCKING BUT TRUE STORIES!!!! THINGS THAT DESTROYED A CANDIDATE’S CHANCES.

Sometimes, we get a candidate who looks great on paper, sounds wonderful on the phone, but then they arrive to the actual interview and things go south in a hurry.  Candidates can find all kinds of ways to undermine their chances of getting a job. I’d like to share a few examples I’ve encountered.

The wrong attitude about work.

What do I mean here?  Well, I’ve had candidates literally walk into an interview and act like they were the Duke or Duchess of York (no offense to you real royals out there!).  I’m talking about people who truly believe that they have “gone past” or “are above” certain tasks that a position requires – like filling out an application form, providing references and getting fingerprinted.  For another example, I’ve interviewed candidates for administrative jobs who have told me “I don’t want this job if it involves filing or paperwork.” Uh, hello?  It’s part of the job and was clearly referred to on the job posting.  Having this type of attitude only signals to the interviewer that you’ll be trouble down the line.  Bottom line, there are certain things at work no one likes to do, but we do them anyway.

The overly demanding candidate

Oh boy, talk about high maintenance!  These candidates have killed any chance they may have of getting an offer by demanding too much, too early.  For example, one candidate I interviewed was asking for a salary that far exceeded the range that we were offering.  When I explained to her that her salary needs were not in step with what we pay, she responded with “If you want me to work here, you will meet my expectations or I will go somewhere else.”  Well, I couldn’t accommodate her salary needs, so I had to pass.  Interestingly enough, the same candidate contacted me six months later inquiring about the same position, stating that she would be willing to accept our salary range.  We had already filled the position and I had also heard from other recruiters that she had gone all over town pulling the same move (demanding an extraordinarily high salary).  It is always best to wait for the recruiter to bring up the salary range and negotiate from there, rather than walk in and demand something that is unreasonable from the start.

The disappearing candidate

Believe it or not, I’ve had candidates who interviewed well with a branch manager and then when it came time for them to meet with me for a second interview, they simply wouldn’t return my calls, or would reschedule the interview several times over.  While we understand that scheduling can be a concern, unless you act like you want the job, you’ll never get the job. This means calling recruiters back in a reasonable time frame and showing up for a scheduled interview.

The candidate who should have quit while they were ahead.

I can think of a few instances when candidates should really have kept their mouths shut in an interview.  The most glaring example is when we ask about how they got along with their previous or current supervisors and co-workers.  An interview is not a chance to vent about your current position and how much you despise your boss or how moronic you think your co-workers are.  This type of talk doesn’t reflect badly on your boss and co-workers, it reflects badly on you!  It signals to a recruiter that you may be tough to deal with at work or hard to get along with.  If an interviewer asks you about your past co-workers, be as professional as possible.  Instead of saying “I couldn’t stand them” consider saying something like “I was able to maintain a professional relationship with them, even though we didn’t always agree on everything.”  Most recruiters have worked with difficult people in the past and we understand that it happens.  But continued negativity towards your past boss, co-workers or company can be a red flag.

Everyone knows that looking for a new career can be frustrating, filled with paperwork and seemingly endless talking with recruiters and hiring managers.  Recruiters and candidates really want the same thing – we want you to find a new job that you’ll love with us!  Be open-minded, flexible and willing to ride out the process.  Present yourself in the best possible light by NOT doing some of the things above.  Remember, we’re here to find out about you and your experiences – how you’ll fit into the job and the culture.  You might be the perfect candidate for us – so don’t be your own worst enemy by sabotaging your efforts before you’ve even gotten the offer.

Josh Heydorff is the Senior Recruiter for California National Bank

Giving Back

One of the central themes here at the bank is community involvement, community service and giving back to the communities we serve.  Not only does this help show that Cal National Bank is a dedicated partner here in Southern California; it just feels good to help where we can.

Following this spirit, we firmly believe that our future resides in the minds of the young.  This year, Cal National Bank will award up to $100,000.00 in scholarships to college-bound high school seniors and community college students from low-income families.  The Bank’s Community Relations Committee makes scholarship award decisions based on the recommendation of community members.  University-bound students are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship; current and community college-bound students are eligible for a $500 scholarship.  This is just another way we try and give back to the communities we so proudly serve.

In another event, on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, 2005, Cal National Bank participated in the March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon Fundraiser.  Saturday’s event was at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, Sunday’s was at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.  Cal National has been a sponsor of the March of Dimes for the past three years and has already raised $32,000 this year alone!  President and CEO, Greg Mitchell (Los Angeles) and Regional Manger, Kris Long (Orange County), presented Cal National’s donations to the March of Dimes.

Special thanks and recognition goes to all walkers, cash counters and those who assisted in the booth.

Josh Heydorff is the Senior Recruiter at Cal National Bank.

Bank Teller Training Class

Yesterday, Channon and I had the opportunity to visit with a group of students graduating from Bank Teller Training class.  The class is held at Los Angeles Trade Technical College and is taught by a lovely man, Al Davis.  Mr. Davis seems to really care about his “kids” and since he came from banking himself, is able to provide the students with valuable real-world experience.

After struggling to find the correct parking lot, Channon and I trundled with our goodie bags into the school and located our class.  Roughly 20 bright faces looked back at us from the classroom.  The most fun for us was to hear each individual story – why students decided to enroll in the class and what their goals were.  Each and every student wanted to continue to grow, learn and develop their skills.  Many of them mentioned they were trying to make a better life for themselves and their families, and hoped banking would offer that opportunity.

What was exciting for us was to be able to pass along the information that starting as a teller, you really are embarking on a journey to a career.  It’s not just a part-time job to get you through college.  You can go from $9.66 per hour to a six-figure compensation package in a relatively short timeframe (80% of our Regional Managers and 63% of our Branch Managers started as tellers, and the average Branch Manager worked in banking 8 years before becoming a Branch Manager).  And because Cal National is continuing to grow and expand, we have a lot of room for internal transfers, promotions and developing your skills and knowledge.

We went to the school to find great candidates for some of our open positions – and we believe that we did!  But more importantly, we got a chance to make a difference – to help someone realize a dream.  And we walked away with that feel-good glow that comes from reaching out and doing the right thing.  So, thanks to Mr. Davis and his class.  We hope to see them soon, during the interview process, and hopefully, working behind the teller line.  And by the way, we get to visit the next graduating class in about eight weeks – what a win-win!

(By the way, a big Happy Birthday to Max, one of the students in the class who was having a birthday the day we visited!)

Linda Filep is the Recruiting Supervisor at Cal National Bank.

I need a Loss Prevention Specialist

Do you like detective work? Did you watch Catch Me If You Can and think, “I could have done a better job busting this guy than Tom Hanks did!”  Well, then step right up and apply for our Loss Prevention Specialist position.  In this role, you will scrutinize checks for fraud, forgery, washing, kiting, and all other forms of Tom Foolery that people try and pull to pass bad checks.

What I’m looking for in a Loss Prevention Specialist

We ask for three or more years experience in a role where you have been manually scrutinizing checks for a bank or similar financial institution.  You should also be well versed in preparing reports, plus have a keen understanding of current and applicable Federal fraud laws.  You also will need to be very good at doing investigations of employment, addresses and phone numbers of persons who cannot be located who are delinquent or owing debt to the bank incurred from unjust enrichments, overdrawn charge-off accounts, insufficient funds checks and savings withdrawals, You will also be a very good writer, as you may have to assist in preparation of legal documentation that will be used in a Court of Law.

What I’m NOT looking for.

Applicants with a background primarily in security, or debt collection. 

I know that the title “Loss Prevention” sounds like you’re doing undercover detective work, or store security, but this position encompasses so much more than that.  I have received a lot of resumes that have a background in security work and while there are some transferable skills in that line of work, it’s not what we’re looking for in this role.  Also, I get a lot of interest from applicants who are working for a collection agency.  While these applicants are great at tracking down people and doing skip traces, I need another layer of skill set; namely experience doing check fraud investigation and preparing legal documents from scratch.

Applicants with retail branch experience, who have Loss Prevention Training.

There has been quite a bit of interest from applicants who have received training on how to spot bad checks when someone is in a branch trying to cash them in.  This is definitely moving in the right direction, however these are checks and fraud instances that have been able to slip under the radar.  They have already been accepted, cashed, and made it past the people in the branch.  People are very creative these days when coming up with ways to stay one step ahead of the system.  A Loss Prevention Analyst is really a specialist that not only detects if a check has been altered, washed, or otherwise, but they also know how to catch the people doing it.  It’s an additional layer of scrutiny that goes beyond what is taught in most branches.

If you think you have the background and experience I’m looking for, (or you know someone who does!), then what are waiting for?  Come work for a bank that is quickly becoming the number one bank in Southern California!  Cal National Bank.

Josh Heydorff is the Senior Recruiter for CalNational Bank

CalNational Gold Rush-Results

CalNational Bank hosted the CalNational Gold Rush this past Sunday at Hollywood Park. While I wasn’t able to attend in person, I heard from several employees that it was a great event.  In a recap from the day’s race, the Hollywood Park website had this to say:

“Maiden Robador closed in the middle of the track under jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. to post a 23-1 upset in Sunday's $250,000 Cal National Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park, setting up a Pick Six carryover of $555,240 on Wednesday.  Far back early in the field of 12, Robador passed favorites Thor's Echo and Texcess in midstretch and overhauled Lucky J.H. nearing the wire to win the 1 1/8-mile event by a half-length.  Top This and That was another two lengths back in third, while Win Star Derby winner Thor's Echo was fourth and 2-year-old star Texcess fifth in the field of 12.  Robador, who races for the Walter Family Trust, needed eight starts to score his first win, but picked the right moment, connecting in the richest race on the sixth annual Cal National California Gold Rush program.”

Sounds like a lot of excitement and fun was had by all.

Josh Heydorff is The Senior Recruiter for CalNational Bank

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar.

This weekend, the fourth Formula One race of the season will be held at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in San Marino.  My co-workers, friends and family know that when there is an F1 race on, it’s darn near impossible to get me to even look away from the television, let alone think about doing anything else.  The race will be broadcast live (Thank you Speedvison!), which means I will be up at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday Morning, bleary-eyed to watch the spectacle.  This is one of my great passions -- F1 racing.  I love everything about it:  the cars, the speed, the drama, the history and the technology and teamwork that make it happen.  An F1 car represents millions and millions of dollars of research and development, not to mention millions of hours of man-hours spent testing, refining and testing again.  The end result is a 220 mph bullet of a car that can hit sixty miles an hour in less than 3 seconds, and pull its driver around the corners with the ability to sustain up to 4G’s.  Not once, not twice, but for over 50 laps! 

In a lot of ways, our IT department here at the bank reminds me of an F1 team.

IT spends countless hours making sure that our equipment is the best it can be.  They research, they plan, they test and they do so with a passion and zeal that can only come from a team of dedicated professionals.  The result?  My computer works flawlessly.  Our systems work.  Just like the F1 racecars whipping around the track doing things that seem to be almost physically impossible, our reliability and system availability here seems almost unreal.  When something does require service and assistance, our support division springs into action much like an F1 pit crew, and they know exactly what is wrong and how to fix it.  And they do it quickly, because time is of the essence.  Our computers are some of our most important tools here in recruiting and at the bank and without them, we just can’t perform at the level we need.  It’s one of the many things I’m thankful for here at the bank -- a top-notch support team.  Regardless if your business is winning races, or banking, without a top-notch support team, you won’t get very far.

Josh Heydorff is the Sr. Recruiter for CalNational Bank.  He is hoping to see the BMW/Williams team on the podium sometime this year.

Cal National Becomes the Bank of Hollywood Park!

In a partnership deal with Hollywood Park, here is the article, a Churchill Downs operation, Cal National will be the bank of the racetrack and a primary sponsor during the race meets over the year.  The Hollywood Park deposits will be housed in our Rancho Park branch.

You may have seen or heard our name mentioned in the advertising (print, radio and television) that Hollywood Park is currently doing to promote opening weekend and the California Gold Rush.  We will also have some outdoor advertising at the racetrack and participate in some sponsored events.

The partnership between Cal National and Hollywood Park is clearly a winner!

Looking for a career in banking?  Click here!

Shake that Piggy Bank!

When I was little, I had a big, white porcelain piggy bank sitting on my dresser.  I would feed it whatever coins I had (usually pennies) whenever I could.  This was an old-fashioned style piggy bank -- it could only be opened by breaking it.  Today, kids have the luxury of withdrawing money without destroying the pig by using the little plug in the bottom.  Anyhow, when I was a freshman in high school, there was a big earthquake here in Southern California (Whittier Quake of 1987), and my piggy bank was knocked off the dresser and broke into a million pieces.  The bad news was that I lost my piggy bank.  The good news is that it had about 50 dollars worth of loose change!

I was looking at the little blue plastic piggy bank on my desk (which is one of the things we give away at job fairs) and I began to wonder, who thought of the piggy bank?  After some research on the Internet, here’s the story.  No one person invented the piggy bank.  The origin of the piggy bank owes more to the history of language than to an individual inventor.  In old English (around the 15th century) there was a word "pygg" which referred to a type of orange clay.  People made all kinds of useful objects out of clay, including dishes and jars to hold spare change.  Around the 18th century, the word "pygg" now sounded the same as the word for the animal "pig."  An unknown person thought to shape a "pygg" jar to look just like a real pig.  Perhaps an order came in for a "pygg" jar and the potter misunderstood.  Regardless, history was made!  So there you have it, now you know where the piggy bank comes from.  Just be sure to keep adding to yours – and if you want your cash to be FDIC insured – put it in our “piggy bank” – the savings or checking account!

Josh Heydorff is the Senior Recruiter for CalNational Bank

Computer Skills Important – Royalty or Not!

Check out the latest on Prince Harry.  Seems that during his PC competence assessment, he demonstrated that his computer skills weren’t as strong as compared to others entering the Royal Military Academy.

Hmm…..even a Prince needs strong computer skills?  Wow!  That tells you that the rest of us “commoners” need those strong computer skills even more!

As someone who learned computer skills as an adult, I can tell you there is always some anxiety with learning something new.  And sometimes that anxiety is worse than the actual task.  Once I started working on my “word processor” in the 1980’s, I was hooked and wondered why I was ever fearful at all!  Now, as someone who has also been recruiting for many years, I also know the importance of computer skills to many of the careers for which I’ve recruited.  Even more now, computers are just a part of daily life – even my boss has had problems with the computer in his washing machine!!!  And to apply for most jobs now, you need the access and knowledge to do it on-line.

Best career advice?  Computers are here to stay – and will be more and more required in the future.  So do yourself a favor now – take a class, learn from your kids, buy a book, go to the library to “play” on the computers available – do whatever you can to improve those skills.  It will only help you in the long run – and make you that much more marketable as a candidate.  After all, we don’t have the riches of the English monarchy to fall back on.

Five Resume Rules

Ah, the resume.  It’s a snapshot of your professional accomplishments; a view into your background and it can be the key to an interview.  However, a poorly prepared resume can also spell disaster if it doesn’t present your qualifications and work history in an accurate light.  I’ve reviewed well over 100,000 resumes in my career.  I’ve seen plenty of good ones, a few great ones, and LOTS of bad ones.  While there are thousands of books written on the subject of writing a good resume, I thought I’d focus on 5 things you should always make sure your resume includes:

1.)    Your name should always be the first thing people see on your resume.  This means that it should be on the top of the page, preferably in the center or to the left.

2.)    You should only use Times New Roman, Arial or similar crisp fonts.  Avoid using script, “cutesy” or hard-to-read fonts -- they can make you come across as juvenile and unprofessional.

3.)    List your work experience in chronological order, beginning with your most recent work experience.  We’re looking for career progression, level of responsibility, and length of service at each position.  If you are currently utilizing a “Functional” resume (a short list of your employers, dates, and titles, followed with a few paragraphs summing up your experience), consider changing it to a chronological resume.  Functional resumes are appropriate for creative or artistic careers (such as graphic design) but for general business careers, chronological is the preferred way to go.

4.)    You get ONE page for every ten years of work experience.  If your resume has more than one page, and you’ve only been in the work force for four years, consider doing some editing to get it down to one page.

5.)    Make sure all of your contact information on the resume is correct and current.  How can we contact you if the phone number or email address isn’t accurate?  Sounds basic, but you would be surprised how many resumes we get with old contact information or disconnected numbers.

Of course there are lots of other things you should keep in mind to craft a great resume, but if you follow these five simple suggestions, you’ll be in great shape.

Josh Heydorff is the Senior Recruiter for CalNational Bank.