Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

The other side of the hiring desk, pt 1: Who should use a recruiter?

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desk1T10639243aFor the next few weeks, I will share a series of interviews I conducted with my friend and colleague Stephanie A. Lloyd, a Talent Strategies Consultant and Owner of Calibre Search Group in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a National Careers + Workplace Columnist for Examiner.com and also blogs at Radiant Veracity. You can also follow Stephanie on Twitter.

Who should use a recruiter? Who should not?

If you have had a stable, upwardly mobile career track in a particular field, are not a career changer and have specific experiences and skills that a particular recruiter sources, you may be a good fit.

It is easy to address the question of who should not use a recruiter. If you have been a job hopper, are trying to break into a field or are not particularly experienced or unique in your skill set, a recruiter probably will not be interested in working with you.

What should job seekers know about recruiters? Why do organizations use them?

The first thing to understand is that third-party recruiters (“TPR”) (i.e. executive search consultants, etc.) are paid by our client companies to fill a particular role or requisition for them. Our job is not to find people jobs; our job is to find the right person for our clients’ job(s).

Many times the reason a company chooses to go outside their internal recruiting organization and use a TPR to fill a job is that it’s a particularly difficult person or skill set to find, or maybe they are overloaded with openings and need assistance due to sheer volume.

There can be other reasons as well. Perhaps the recruiting organization is in flux, the need to fill the position is extremely urgent and speed is a factor, or perhaps the company’s recruiting strategy is to stay lean internally and supplement with outside firms as needed.

How do Third-Party Recruiters (TPRs) differ from internal/corporate recruiters?

TPRs don’t work for the company, we spend nearly 100% of our time on targeted search and sourcing efforts to find the right candidate for the job.

Third-party recruiters tend to specialize in a particular niche. For example, the majority of my work is in and around finance, accounting and banking/financial services. I have clients that may come to me for assistance with searches in these particular areas and may use other firms for searches related to IT, engineering, marketing, etc.

What should I expect from a recruiter and what can I gain from working with a recruiter?

As mentioned, our job is to help our clients (the employers) by filling specific openings. If we think that you might be a good candidate, there are advantages to working with a recruiter vs. trying to get in to a company blindly on your own.

We have relationships with our client companies. I have some clients I’ve been working with since 2001. I can help candidates prepare for their interviews with my clients, let them know what to expect in terms of corporate culture and provide specifics about the group and/or person they’ll be talking to – because I know them. Most TPR have placed other job seekers with the company and therefore have additional insight from those individuals.

Another advantage is that, while HR is dealing with potentially hundreds of applicants for each open position every single day that may or may not even get so much as a glance; we’ll typically present just 3-5 candidates for a given opening and those candidates will be thoroughly reviewed and considered.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more about what job seekers should NOT expect from a recruiter!

Do you need help with your search? Follow this link to learn how I can help propel your job hunt!

Plan your job search future…A future party!

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futureparty2905178289_c60350c5ed_mIn an effort to help job seekers break away from typical planning patterns and habits, today’s post offers a fun idea from my friend Cindy Petersiel, a business coach who blogs at Design Your Success. Cindy describes a “Come As You Will Be” party that her client attended:

Have you heard of these?  You come as if your life is 5 years down the road.  This gives the party goer an opportunity to really think about what she will be in 5 years.  Invitees were asked to dress as like they want to dress in 5 years.  Bring photos of the places they’ve traveled and their homes.  Conversation is expected to be as if you are 5 years in the future.

She goes on:

My client was nervously excited about the party.  As she got more and more into the process of pretending, she began to get more and more clear on what she wanted for her business and her life in the year 2014.  As the party approached, she had a real look at what success meant to her.  She had designed her own success (I love it!) and had a 5 Year Plan and Vision in place.

The benefits didn’t end there.  As she got into the idea and the play of the party, she began to really create a vision of what it would be like 5 years from now with her success.  She got to feel what it is like to be there. This told the subconscious portion of her mind that it IS.  And now, with with the subconscious portion of her mind thinking it is, it sees all sorts of possibilities and opportunities that she was blind to before. Actions taken on those possibilities become leaps forward toward the achievement of that – year plan.

Cindy suggests the following:

Use the power of pretend to create your own 5-year plan.  Host your own Come As You Will Be party.  Make it big or make it small, but make it fun and really get into it.

Here are some tips to give your invitees:

  • Ask yourself, “how do I want to be dressing in 5 years?”
  • Make a photo album of the places you’ve “been” and your home(s).  Be ready to talk about them and your experiences.
  • In your business, who are your customers?
  • What is your role in your business?  How is it different from today?
  • How do you spend your days?
  • What are your hobbies?

As you prepare for the party, jot down the ideas of opportunities and actions that will inevitably jump into your head.  It doesn’t matter if you won’t do them yet.  Keep them for yourself.

So, if you are stuck in a rut and can’t do anything but complain that your search isn’t going the way you’d hoped – take a break from the typical and jump into the spirit of fun and imagination. Make a vision board. Envision your future. Host a future party.

Need a little help ramping up your search? Read how I can help get your job hunt going!

photo by rafeejewell

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Envision your future to help your job hunt

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ladder on wall249101134_32ca4e0285_mMy friend Cindy Petersiel, a business coach who blogs at Design Your Success, suggested an idea I have been meaning to share, and “Job Search Future Planning Week” is the perfect time to share it! When you are looking for a job, knowing where you are going is the most important thing. As Cindy notes: “What good is climbing the ladder if it’s leaning against the wrong wall?” To help you figure out the right wall…

This is what Cindy says:

Envision yourself 5 years from now being featured in an article for a magazine or newspaper.   Ask yourself these questions:

What publication is featuring the article?

Who are you or what have you done to gain the interest of the magazine?

Now consider some questions that might be asked by the interviewer:

What lead you to this path in your life and in your work?  How have your core values influenced your path?  What are the steps that you took to get here?  What were the milestones along the way?  What do you love about your life and your accomplishments?  What have been the obstacles along the way and how have you surmounted them?  What has your work brought to you?

Notice that all of these questions are in the present tense.  When you answer them, keep that present tense.

So, what do you think? When you envision yourself 5 years down the road, what magazine is writing an article about you? Why?

Cindy suggests you think about:

Who have you become or what have you done that has captured the publication’s interest?   At the top of a piece of paper, write the name of the magazine.  Leave room for an article title – you’ll fill that in last.

Write out the interview questions above.  What other questions could there be?  Write them out.  Make sure you have about 20 to 30 minutes of quiet alone time and write out the answers to these questions.  Really pretend that you are there, 5 years from now.  Feel the pride and the joy.

Lastly, come up with a title for the article and write it at the top of the page.  This could end up being a battle cry or bolstering mantra as you move toward your 5-year vision.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s idea to extend the fun and pretend to help you firm up your vision of the future!

Need a little help ramping up your search? Read how I can help get you going!

photo by anihatzis

Job search planning – steps, tips and tricks

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july2582874758_5bebef06c2_mSince we are on the cusp of a new month, a new fiscal year for some and have just officially crossed into a new season, I am declaring this week on my blog as “Job Search Future Planning Week.” Everyone engaged in a successful search needs to have a plan.

Today, some tips and/or reminders about how to get your job hunt off on the right foot. Stay tuned this week for posts and ideas that are a little off my typical path!

Identify your 3%…

Peter Weddle explained that the genome project taught us that humans are 97% similar! So, he suggested that we each have 3% that is special and unique. Have you thought about that 3%? You need to focus and purposefully identify what you have to offer that makes you stand out from everyone else. It’s not enough to assume that it’s obvious or that everyone will recognize your talents. Stop, outline what you have to offer and focus on your goals. Then, move forward with intent.

Stay upbeat and positive – it really matters

You’re not alone – try to focus on the silver lining in the job hunt. No one wants to hire Debbie Downer. There’s no telling how much a positive attitude will help you succeed, so do your best to stay upbeat, or at least to look upbeat to the outside world.

Work on identifying companies – not just looking for openings.

Searching for job opportunities posted online can certainly take all of your time. Instead of focusing on open positions, consider targeting companies of interest (even if they do NOT have openings) and network your way into the organization so that you will be “top of mind” when there is an opportunity.

Know how to tell your story…

Did you know that being able to tell your story is probably the most important part of the job hunt? You need to be able to share your “elevator pitch” when you meet people and it’s important to have some good stories to tell on your resume, in your cover letter and during an interview. I like Kathy Hansen’s Tell Me About Yourself, a book that is all about how to tell your job search story. Be sure to pick up a copy!

Dive into social media if you haven’t already!

Yes, this can take some time if you are going to do it full force. But, you have time, so go for it! Start searching for blogs in your niche. Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop list is a perfect place to find blogs in an array of topics, but you can certainly use Google to find current information in your field of interest. Spend some time researching and exploring. See if you can identify the stars in your field. Use online mechanisms to connect to them! (More about LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook later.)

In fact, the New York Times published an article, The Brave New World of Digital Intimacy, which emphasizes the importance of expanding your network beyond your immediate circle:

This rapid growth of weak ties can be a very good thing. Sociologists have long found that “weak ties” greatly expand your ability to solve problems. For example, if you’re looking for a job and ask your friends, they won’t be much help; they’re too similar to you, and thus probably won’t have any leads that you don’t already have yourself. Remote acquaintances will be much more useful, because they’re farther afield, yet still socially intimate enough to want to help you out.

This idea is also proven in Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, an excellent read for those interested in being connected!

LinkedIn

I can’t emphasize how important it is to enhance your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters are sourcing from LinkedIn in large numbers, so if you aren’t there with a strong statement of your qualifications, skills and accomplishments, you are missing out!

Use Twitter to help you find a job

Yes, you CAN tweet yourself to a job. Get set up using the tips linked above and follow these links to learn what people to follow to help accelerate your search and about Twitter applications to use to help you propel your job hunt.

FaceBook

While Facebook isn’t my favorite social network for job seekers, you can use Facebook groups to help with your job hunt, and there are many Facebook applications that are useful for job seekers. You may also want to review how to use Facebook for your job hunt.

Start taking care of your digital footprint

Satisfying Career, Happier Life suggests these services to help control your digital dirt:

These resources may be useful, but you don’t want to be in the position of worrying about whether or not unsavory pictures or trash talking could have cost you an interview or a job. Be careful what you put online and you’ll never have to find out how well or quickly these services work!

Don’t forget to keep up your in-person networking

If you want to succeed in business or your job hunt, you need to be able to engage on a person-to-person basis, tell your story and share information to help you connect.

Consider the cost benefits of seeking career advice.

The fact is, most people don’t have a very good resume and have no idea how to search for a job in today’s economy. In a competitive environment, your job seeking materials (this includes your LinkedIn profile and web 2.0 presence) will be even more important. Money may be tight, but hiring a coach and/or a resume writer might be just the boost you need to propel your search. Anita Bruzzese, career advice columnist and author suggests,

“If you don’t think you can afford a career coach, consider giving up some of the extras in your life (a gym membership, eating out, cable television, etc.) which can can help you pay for a coach.”

Consider the cost of unemployment and the fact that you are much more likely to land a job in a timely way if you have a great resume, understand how to market yourself and are well prepared to interview and negotiate.

Need a little help ramping up your search? Read how I can help get you going!

photo by phlyersphan

Edit your resume. It's very impotent. :-)

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Have you ever written an important document, poured over it a million times and sent it off, only to find that you included a silly error? Like, “I’m looking forward too meeting you” or “Its nice the the market is recovering” (can you find the two errors in that sentence)?  Your resume is as important a document as any, and the list of potential errors long.

Thanks to Lindsay Olson, who blogs about recruiting and PR, for sharing this terrific video that she saw on Rowan Manahan’s blog, Fortify Your Oasis.

The video offers an exaggerated example of why you can’t assume that your spell check is a good editor! How often are words misspelled only to inadvertently form other words? You don’t want to advertise that you were distinguished as the “best manger of the year.”

I headed up a career center in a school of public health. You can only imagine how many of my students were touting thier credentials as something slightly indecent! (Think “public” without the all important L!)

Be sure to read through your resume, and have a trusted friend review it as well. (Or a professional!)  You never know when “public” may become indecent, or you’ve used “suing” instead of “using.”  The list goes on and on: their/there, and/an, faculty/facility, board/bored…

A tip to consider:  create an ”exclusion dictionary” in your Microsoft Office program.  This personalized dictionary will flag a word as misspelled (such as manger), even though the main dictionary knows it as a proper word.

In the meantime, take a look at this video for a good laugh!


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