by HarryJ on August 3, 2009
The number one resource for new hires is referrals – not job boards. It always has been and continues to be. Unfortunately, most people don’t start building a network or asking for help until they are already unemployed and looking for work. Too late. Build your personal network – both face to face and on-line and CONTINUE building it while you are employed. So when you find yourself in a job search again – most of us either have recently or will in the near future – you will have a larger network to work with. Make it a mindset, not a forced activity.
The reality is that networking shouldn’t be something you do occasionally or feverishly for one month, it should be the way you build and maintain professional relationships on an on-going basis.
Many “old school” networking techniques still apply but use modern technology to make it work to your advantage. You don’t have to be on My Space, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and every other social medium. Although a successful job search strategy will consist of both an online and an offline approach. Successful networking requires that you have as many contacts as possible hear your story, so they realize you are in the job market. The easiest way to organize and keep up with your contacts and his/her happenings is Linkedin.com. It takes 5 minutes to set up your profile. Pretty much just cut and paste your resume. Then put 10 minutes a day or one hour a week finding old connections and engaging new ones.
Tips for using Linkedin.com to your advantage:
- Use your personal email address and not a business one. In the event your business email is cut off unexpectedly, you will still have access to your online network.
- Invest time and effort making new connections that will drive business (now and in the future).
- Search for professors, friends, neighbors, relatives, former employers, former and current coworkers, potential mentors, even competitors
- Connect with professionals those in your network recommend
- Be sure to personalize your linkedin profile url with your name.
- Use your network not only to learn but convey how you can help others. It’s better to give than receive.
- Join groups
- Post thought provoking discussions within those groups
- Make comments on other people’s thought provoking discussions – be sure to sign your name and linkedin.com profile url
- When you apply for a job, search linkedin for other people who work at that company. You’d be surprised who you know and whom they know and that they are actually willing to help.
- Be cognizant of the fact that many, if not most, job openings aren’t advertised. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for work. Ask if they can help.
- Focus on the quality of the participation (numbers help, too).
Remember that each person you meet is a potential lead. Networking isn’t something for the “to do” list, but it is something that you should do. Don’t ever stop.
by HarryJ on June 22, 2009
Looking for a job is a full time job. Many job seekers reach out to a recruiter or two in hopes of taking some of the leg work off themselves. So many job seekers don’t really understand what recruiters do so they generally have a lot of misconceptions of what it is we can do to help you in your search.
Please understand that there is more than one type of recruiter out there. Generally speaking there are three main categories of recruiters – contingent, retained, and corporate, with of course, sub-categories within of each of those. The following is a general description of each:
- Corporate recruiters are internal employees of a company whose main responsibility is to screen through and filter out unqualified candidates as per the job description requirements. Corporate recruiters are not involved in the budgeting or head count process. They are not responsible for the actual hiring decision. Even many hiring managers don’t understand that it is not a corporate recruiter’s job to fill a position but to help the hiring manager fill their staffing need. A corporate recruiter is not the same as an HR Generalist who often times has some recruiting responsibilities in addition to things like employee relations, benefits, and payroll.
- Contingent recruiters act as an independent contact between their client companies and the job seekers/candidates. In most cases contingent recruiters compete against many other firms to fill the positions they work on and they get paid only when their candidate is hired and starts working at the client company. Some contingent recruiters are large agencies with a database of resumes. Some are independent individuals who sometimes have the ability to develop a more personal relationship with the candidates they recruit.
- Retained recruiters also act as an independent contact between their client companies and candidates but they work as an exclusive vendor on the positions they recruit for. They receive a retainer (up-front fee) to perform a specific search for a company, normally at the senior and greater than six figure level salaries.
Based on information I have learned from frustrated job seekers and candidates over the years, here are some important things to remember:
- There are good recruiters and bad recruiters. Sometimes you have some frustrating experiences to find a good one. Don’t let them give the rest of the industry a bad name.
- In most situations, the job-seeker is NOT the recruiter’s customer, the organization is since they pay the bills.
- A recruiter does not ‘get’ you a job. Their role is to work with the client, understand their need and find the best match to fit that spot. Basically to find a square peg to fit in a square hole. Not only does the peg have to be square but it also has to fit perfectly.
- Personality does play a part! You may be the most qualified person as per the requirements on paper but you need to mesh with the hiring manager, the team and the organization as a whole.
- Please realize that recruiters sometimes struggle to get feedback from hiring managers just like candidates do. If a recruiter is not calling you back it often means they just don’t know what to tell you or there just wasn’t any specific feedback to give. General rule, if the client company doesn’t respond in a reasonable time frame then it is most likely not a good sign and you would be wise to invest your time and efforts elsewhere.
To help you identify a recruiter you may want to work with keep in mind:
- Recruiters can best help those that have some specialization in their career. Someone that has a very varied background is not as likely to make as much progress working with a recruiter.
- Find a recruiter that specializes in your job-function and industry. They will be more likely to have opportunities that are appropriate for you.
- Not all recruiters know about all job openings.
- A recruiter based in a specific city does not imply they make placements in that city.
- It is your responsibility as a job seeker to track where you have applied and been submitted.
- If a recruiter recognizes your number on caller id you might be calling just a little too much!
- And personality still plays a part. You should be able to easily develop a rapport and build a relationship with your recruiter.
Just as you are interviewing with a company, you should first interview the recruiter to find out a little about them and if and how they can help you. Here are a few suggestions of questions you can ask:
o How long they have been in the recruiting business?
o How long have they been recruiting in your specific industry?
o What is their relationship with the client company and hiring manager?
o How many placements they have made in general/at that company in the last year?
o Why were they interested in speaking to you?
Bottom line, a recruiter is just a piece of the puzzle in your job search, not the whole puzzle.
