You're contemplating your next career move. You've been collecting referrals to known recruiters in your field and find a firm that seems reputable.
Job searching is so time consuming! You think it'd be nice to find someone with connections to find those golden opportunities for you, so you introduce yourself to the recruiter and write something like this:
Dear Recruiter of my choice,
I was recommended to you by my colleague, John Doe, who thought you might be able to assist me in my job search. I'm looking for........
Please let me know if you are taking on new candidates and able to represent me in my search.
Wrong. This is the opposite of how a recruiter works and the wrong way to approach a recruiting specialist in your field.
Recruiters work for the client company and to reap the rewards of their hard efforts, they must always be searching and evaluating candidates for an exact match to their client's job specifications.
A recruiter may request a conversation with you to understand your background and career goals for a current or future searches and of course, to network, but it's a big mistake to think she's working around the clock to find your next position. It's not the model and there's simply not enough time to represent every candidate in a job search.
How can you help a recruiter help you? Phil Rosenberg at reCareered gives us these 11 tips:
Adopt the mentality that YOU work for the recruiter
Work for the Recruiter - Tell the recruiters you work with that you will work for them"¦and mean it. Back it up by giving them information about available jobs and candidates.
Be an exact match — Give FAST turnaround and customize your resume within hours to be an exact match for the job. The fastest matches get interviews.
Provide Value - Every time you speak to a recruiter, have something to give them that they find valuable, even if they call you - A job lead, a candidate referral, a web resource, a networking event.
Personalize — Not every recruiter goes to networking events, so provide value that′s important to THAT recruiter. Recruiters specialize, and most Technology recruiters can′t help your friend in Accounting. Ask the recruiter what information is valuable — what should you keep your eyes open for?
Be responsive — Call the recruiter back quickly. Recruiters win interviews by responding quickly. If you respond quickly, the recruiter has a better chance of getting you an interview.
Co-OptSpace Jam downloadJuncture film - Make the recruiter feel like a friend. People naturally work harder for people they like.
Respect the recruiter′s time — email is an efficient communication for the recruiter.
Be a Fountain of Info — About your past employer, about current interviews, about jobs you′ve seen. Tell all — information is your best currency.
Help in matching — If you see a job that a recruiter lists, IF YOU ARE A MATCH — send an email with your resume attached (revised to match the job & keywords), and let them know why you are a match.
Provide introductions — Set up meetings with Hiring Managers and other candidates. If you can′t do in person, use emails and/or LinkedIN.
Be Positive and friendly — Be nice, make their day, tell a funny joke. Recruiters don′t like putting bitter people in front of clients.
For the record, I don't expect a candidate to work for me or expect someone to have gathered information to help me do my job better, but a little "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" never hurts. At the very least, it will assure you a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship with a specialist in your field and a priority seat for those opportunities you want to hear about.
This reminds me of the "Help me help you" scene in Jerry McGuire. Remember this?
Careerbuilder.com, the giant job board, recently surveyed 3.388 hiring managers and human resources professionals the unusual antics job seekers this year have played to get the company's attention. In a tight job market, people think of any way they can set themselves apart to land the gig. It's important to keep your audience in mind when using a different approach to set yourself apart. According to Jason Ferrara with Careerbuilder, " the key is making sure you are maintaining an appropriate balance of creativity and professionalism so you are remembered for the right reasons."
Candidate carried around a sign that said, "Will work for paying bills."
Candidate brought a broom to the interview to "clean up the waste and corruption in the office."
Candidate wore a shirt to the interview that said, "Please hire me."
Candidate showed up with breakfast for the employer every day until hired.
Candidate approached the hiring manager in a restroom.
Candidate sent a giant cookie with "Hire Skip" written in frosting on it.
Candidate parked outside of the office building with a sign that said, "Seeking employment."
Candidate wrote a poem about why she wanted the job in her cover letter.
Candidate promised to give the employer a foot massage if hired.
Candidate noticed the employer wrote a blog about a particular restaurant. She persuaded the restaurant to put her name on the menu so the employer would see it the next time he ate there.
Candidate created an electronic resume with flash animation and musical score.
I'm sure none of these candidates will ever be forgotten! My two favorites: the candidate with the broom to "clean up corruption" and the foot massage (although I would never recommend a candidate offer this - it could be a little weird!).
What is the craziest antic you have seen someone do to get the job and did you hire him/her?
You have a LinkedIn profile, a blog, an online resume, a web portfolio, a video resume, a YouTube channel and accounts on Twitter, Flickr, Utterz, blah blah blah. Why would you need a traditional resume too?
Shannon Paul wrote a great piece called the Six steps to Resume 2.0. She gives some valuable insight on just how important it is as a job seeker to communicate with the receiver in mind.
Everyday people are starting to utilize these new communications tools, but the truth is that most people aren't there yet. We still don't have a clue, so your blog, LinkedIn profile and content on your social networks can't be the only representation of your skills. Today it's still absolutely necessary to have a traditional resume.
Social media savvy job seekers often tend to think their LinkedIn profiles and blogs are sufficient. I hear it all the time: "Lindsay, everything is on my LinkedIN profile" or "Send your client to my online portfolio link."
It's not enough. Most HR departments and hiring managers prefer tradition. If you're working with a third-party recruiter, she needs to present a candidate formally to the client company for contractual reasons; links don't cut it. Resumes also help recruiters and HR departments track candidates in the Applicant Tracking systems for future opportunities.
Here are Shannon's tips to show off your online presence and still satisfy those traditionalists.
Start with a Word document version of your resume since that's what most people are familiar with, but don't stop there.
Hyperlink all of the information in your resume that makes sense. Your name can link to your blog, and your contact information can include links to your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr etc. profiles. Make sure that the information on the selected profiles is something you wouldn′t mind sharing with a potential employer.
Create an HTML version of your resume and embed it into the body of your email to HR.
Write an introduction explaining what you've done as if you're explaining it to your Mom. Let them know why you think this is important. Explain your interest in sharing information about yourself as it exists online and invite them to explore these links to research who you are. Phrase it in such a way that suggests you're trying to make their job easier.
Attach the Word document version of your resume to your message and let them know in the introduction that a Word version of your resume is also attached. A lot of times people just want to save resumes in a predictable way or print them out. (Yes, people still print things out and make notes on them with a pen).
Don't expect them to click on anything. If you're called in for an interview, don't start asking whether they read your latest blog post or saw the pictures from your week in Yosemite posted to Facebook. Remember, you sent them an invitation, but that doesn't mean you should make them feel obligated to check you out on your terms. Just keep inviting people to check out your work and your life online.
Fact: The workplace is changing. I'm not sure why I was so surprised at the results of a recent survey at Experience.com - we all know job hopping is common these days, especially with younger generations, but the fact that 60% of these young grads are actively looking for a new position although 57% are happy in their job just surprised me.
It's one thing to keep your options open to better career opportunities, but it's another to be actively looking for a new position. Where do these young grads find time to be actively seeking out opportunity and interviewing while they are just starting out in their careers and busy learning?
70% of young grads reported they left their first job within two years of their joining
43% of Gen Y are not in the career they expected to be in after college, either because they couldn′t find a job, or another opportunity presented itself
60% are currently looking for another job or career, despite the fact that 57% indicated that they are also happy at their current job
74% of recent graduates are in a career that aligns with their college major
Most hiring companies I work with still seem uneasy about candidates who jump jobs every two years despite the changing times. Often these same employers doubt a candidate's ability to assimilate into a new work culture after ten years of employment at the same company. Is there a happy medium?
The most common complaint among job seekers is not hearing back from companies or recruiters when they send out their resume or make calls. So what can you do to stand out from the rest of the pack when it comes to working with a headhunter?
According to this article in Forbes, Headhunting the Headhunter, you should develop relationships with a headhunters who specialize in your field, use your network to find them, increase your industry visibility, and maintain positive relationships by being nice when bothered and recommending others for positions that might not be a fit for you.
Find a recruiter who specializes in your industry. Ask your industry colleagues who they've worked with in the past. Take a look at industry job boards, mainstream job sites, or simply Google search to find a specialty firm. It's important to note, not all firms use job boards to recruit. I haven't posted a PR job online on an external job board for years.
Get an introduction. Have a friend or colleague who works with the headhunter make an email introduction. Recruiter's tend to follow up with referrals more often than a generic email. If someone refers someone to me, I always feel obligated to follow up even if I don't have a position right now.
Increase your online visibility and social media savvy. Make sure you have a LinkedIN and Facebook profile and use it to reach out. If you contact me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. directly and interact with me online, you have my attention.
Don't treat the headhunter like a pest Maintaining a relationship with a headhunter even in good times is a smart idea. If you get a call and you aren't in the position to make a move or you're receiving a lot of calls from headhunters who don't seem to have a clue, there's a right way and a wrong way to decline the conversation.Accept the call and explain your situation and if you don't want to be contacted at work, leave your cell phone number and personal email address. You most likely won't be at the same job for the rest of your working career and it's better to be remembered as professional than a jerk (we keep detailed notes).
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about when your friend becomes your boss. In the PR agency world, this happens very often. Your friend is a Sr. Account Executive at a new agency and calls you up about the new position on his team. Before you know it, he got the promotion and you're reporting to him.
According to WSJ, people who have close friendships with their bosses are twice as likely to be satisfied with their job. Great news! But nobody said this transition is easy. The friendship will change inside and outside of work and it will definitely present its challenges at first.
In addition to the article's tips, I would add:
Acknowledge the change and keep your expectations reasonable. Realize the relationship will have to change in some way. Allow time for both of you to adjust. It's reasonable to expect communication in front of peers to change and daily luncheons to be put on the backburner for other work priorities. Don't expect to freely share work information as you may have in the past.
Set boundaries with each other. Keep business talk in the office and if you have to approach the boss (or vice versa) about work matters, do so during business hours just as in any other boss/staff situation.
book The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. It's hard to describe how much I loved this book - if you haven't read it yet, it's a real treat.
It's an immigrant family saga filled with torture, tragic accidents and ill-starred loved.The main character, Oscar, is a sci-fi, comic book loving, overweight geek obsessed with girls. This excerpt from the book describes him well: "Dude wore his nerdiness like a Jedi wore his lightsaber or a Lensman her lens."
The book is mostly narrated by Oscar's sister's ex-boyfriend. It shifts back and forth in time and between the family's life in New Jersey and the Dominican Republic. We learn about Oscar and his quests for love, his mother, Beli, and her brutal childhood and his sister, Lola. It's a hilarious and tragic story laced with the Dominican Republic's fascinating and brutal history under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.
The book mixes Spanish with English freely and doesn't offer translations, but if you don't understand, don't let it discourage you. It's a gem of a book.
For more info on Junot Diaz and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, watch this:
I've been waiting for my absentee ballot. When I was in military basic training during the 1996 election, I got my ballot two days after the election. I hope this isn't the case again!
Date: October 2nd, 2008 / Author: Lindsay / No Comments »
I recently posted some examples of creative resumes that I loved. If you have the talent or you hire a creative hand, it's definitely a way to stand out from the crowd. But trying to be creative like this poor fellow could be disastrous!
Here is an example of a creative resume idea gone wrong (yes, I took the person's name off) passed along to me by a friend who works in a PR agency. The candidate sent this 8-page Powerpoint presentation as his response from the agency's Craigslist.org job posting.
Lessons learned
A creative resume needs to maintain professionalism and credibility.
Knowledge of design features is very different than knowing how to use them well!
Date: October 2nd, 2008 / Author: Lindsay / No Comments »
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology. I'm an entrepreneur, business developer and recruiter.
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
