Have you been in the job search market for at least six months and still aren’t close to a job offer? If you find yourself wondering why no one has moved in to sweep you out of the job search market, check out this article by CareerBuilder’s Rachel Zupek, and you might find out why.
Until next time….
When I began this blog, I committed to myself that I would focus on providing a “behind the scenes” look at what really moves recruiters and hiring managers to act on one candidate vs. another. To share with you the tips I incorporated into my own job search that helped me land a great job in 2009 in just NINE WEEKS.
Several weeks ago, I had a great conversation with Frank Danzo, founder of Career Networking Pro, an executive coaching, training and outplacement firm here in St. Louis. In our efforts to help one another, he asked me to share some of my insights as an inside recruiter for one of his upcoming articles in his Careers column for the newly formed on-line paper, Globe-Democrat.com. The article just hit today so I thought I’d share this with you.
To learn more about how to make contact with internal recruiters, click on the following link:
Connecting with internal recruiters
Until next time….
I’ve been in several situations lately in which candidates have mentioned how persistent they’ve been in trying to connect with a recruiter and/or hiring manager while searching for a job. As the number of phone call attempts they mentioned grew from five to sixty-two (literally!), I shrieked at the thought of someone doing this to me.
As I probed further, I discovered that ALL OF THEM had someone in their past tell them they need to be persistent in searching for a job. True! But as a seasoned recruiter and recruiting leader, let me set the record straight…
PLEASE DO NOT STALK A RECRUITER OR HIRING MANAGER! I repeat, DO NOT stalk a recruiter or hiring manager. Even in a slow economy, you will be hard-pressed to find a recruiter who is sitting around twiddling his/her thumbs. If this is the case, they are usually laid off so sitting around doesn’t last long. With that said, please remember that recruiters handle anywhere from 10-35 (on average) open positions at one time. This could also mean having to work with 10-35 hiring managers too. Plus, like all professional positions today, we must juggle emails, voice mails, meetings, projects, boss requests, training, travel, etc. – sometimes all in one day!
We love when candidates express interest in a position, but be careful not to overdo it. When you contact us sooner than we’ve requested (e.g. I ask for two weeks to follow-up and you call in three days) or contact us obsessively, it places you in a bad light and may take you out of consideration. Ouch! I know it hurts, but….
Until next time….
If I said the above words to you right now, would your face be overcome with a blank stare? Probably so. It would most likely be the same look you’d give me if I introduced myself to you at a dinner party (keep in mind I’m a recruiting leader) and asked you, “So, who are you and what do you do?”
Could you effectively convey who you are and what you have to offer to me in the 30 seconds I’ll give you before I move on? Could you hold my attention long enough to get my business card and have a legitimate reason to call me Monday morning? Be honest!
Some people can, but many cannot. If you fall in the” cannot” group, I encourage you to spend time this weekend crafting what I call your “30 Seconds of Fame.” Some people refer to this as your “Elevator Speech” or your “30-Second Commercial.” Different title, same intent.
“Okay Bernie, that sounds great, but how do I develop my ’30 Seconds of Fame’ presentation?” I’m glad you asked.
Now, you’re ready. Go get’em!
Until next time….
Now that the new year is here, it’s time to stir the pot on your job search. If it appears that any and all possibilities you had simply died during November and December, cheer up! This is very common in recruiting. Many companies base their budgeting cycle on the calendar year. As such, when November comes around, monies have all but dried up, including dollars to make new hires.
To top it off, people are focused on the holidays, and completing projects that are due by December 31. With all of these activities going on, recruiters usually see a slow-down in their work load.
If you feel you’ve been the victim of the “year-end crunch,” now is the time to reinvigorate your job search. Reconnect with recruiters you haven’t spoken to in weeks or months. You never know, they may just be hiring.
Until next time….
So, a couple of weeks ago I started taking roller skating lessons after not skating for almost 28 years. Yikes! I like exercising, but after years of gym workouts, my routine had grown stale. I thought about taking skating lessons for several years, but always backed away from it for fear of falling or injuring myself. Okay, true confessions – I didn’t want to get on the floor and look like an idiot compared to some eight year old who could skate circles around me!
When a friend decided she wanted to take lessons too, I knew this was my opportunity to “just do it.” There were so many positives associated with this, how could I not try?
In just two lessons, I’ve noticed considerable improvement, loved the music, met some fun people, and the exercise was great. I can’t wait until less #3 this Saturday!
For many people, conducting a job search happens just like the days before my first lesson. You know there are new things you should try, there’s fear and intimidation, lots of excuses, and you aren’t sure where to start. Blah, blah, blah…
In the midst of all of these “reasons,” you STILL have not achieved your goal – progress. Albert Einstein defined insanity like this, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This certainly applies here. If your job search isn’t netting the progress you desire, do something different. Reach out to people you don’t know, learn how to use a new aspect of social networking for your job search, take a class, attend a networking event, read a “how to” book, etc. As you push off one leg at a time, you’ll be amazed at the results you achieve.
Rolling along until next time….
