Diary of a Recruiter

This “hurdle” is all too common in the life of the recruiter.  I am dealing with two situations in particular right now, where my clients have been great… but THEIR clients are making them look bad… which, in turn, makes ME look bad to my candidates.  Job seekers don’t always understand what goes on “behind the curtain” when they are being considered for opportunities/projects that are for the clients who have hired my client.  There’s just one more layer to go through that can slow, or even STOP, the process.  I genuinely want my candidates to experience a smooth ride.  As a recruiter, it is my responsibility to keep them informed every step of the way.   It is common to experience roadblocks, and no matter how frustrated the candidate is, I am equally frustrated–if not more.  More often than not, I can truly empathize with the “situations” my candidates are experiencing–unemployment, under-employment, stagnant/no longer challenged, no growth opportunities, megalomaniac bosses/colleagues, impending layoffs–I’ve experienced almost every one of these, and it’s never fun.  It brings you down and it saps your motivation, and it’s a sucky way to live.  But we have rents and mortgages to pay, and kids to feed, and we sometimes experience situations that come out of nowhere… even with financial intelligence and common sense.

So my point is this…  Please understand that I, as a recruiter, am ON YOUR SIDE.  That may not seem like the case sometimes, but I assure you it is.  On a steady basis, things are simply out of my control.

But here’s the reality:  The more money you make, the more money I make.  Plain and simple.  And yes, I do actually feel a great sense of accomplishment when I’ve effectively “sold” you–and both parties are happy.  (It’s kinda like my form of crack)

Forge on…

A LinkedIn contact of mine recently asked if I would elaborate on the importance of job seekers utilizing social media.  Though I could write a lot more on the subject, this was my rapid-fire “highlighting the basics” response (which I will probably expand on at a later time):

When you’re in a job search, you need to “hit it” from as many angles as possible. You’ll figure out what works best, and you’ll also figure out what DOESN’T work. What is right for one person (or discipline) is not necessarily right for another. Be persistent, but tactful. There’s a whole lot of competition out there, and you MUST utilize social media in your job search efforts, or you’re simply missing the boat. I fully support Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook (yes, Facebook) for getting your name out there and making yourself visible. One thing I really like is when candidates have their own URL which features their resume and/or portfolio (or better yet, allows me to download a Word/PDF version). We are becoming a more and more “web based” society — and it’s all about quick access right now. Your web site can be as simple as your first and last name, and it’s very easy to secure a domain name and get a site up in no time. AND… there are lots of devoted sites/free templates out there that really simplify this process

For what it’s worth, I found my last THREE jobs through connections on LinkedIn.   So… it works!

We were discussing this topic in our morning meeting last week.  Regardless of the type of designer/writer you are, an online portfolio is critical.  Here’s why:

1.  Visibility. You greatly expand your reach simply by having an online presence.  People (ie. recruiters and hiring managers) can find you more easily.  And the more well-versed you are in various social media and SEO tactics, the more visible you will be!

2.  You need to be able to compete. Your “rivals” are getting the interviews–and ultimately the jobs–because they understand how to promote themselves on the internet.

3.  You’ll be viewed as more savvy. Corporations, agencies, and recruiting firms all like to see that you’re involved in this “capacity.”  They will take you more seriously.  I’ve seen some great books, no doubt.  People with loads of talent.  But as soon as I find out they’re not online, I will always take the time to emphasize these three points!

Options (aside from doing the entire design/development from scratch of course ):

a.  At the very least, you should have a PDF portfolio.  Merely having an “electronic” transferable file of samples makes a big difference (just try to keep your PDFs under 5MB!)

b.  Check out FREE portfolio sites such as Creative Hotlist, Coroflot, Carbonmade, FigDig… even Flickr.  For showcasing video samples, Vimeo or YouTube will do the trick.

c.  Your own URL.  It’s so easy, a caveman can do it.  There are numerous ways you can go about this, but I will use my own blog as an example:  I went to GoDaddy and registered a domain name.  It was dirt cheap (like 24 bucks for two years).  Then I had a friend set me up with a WordPress account.  This same friend is hosting my site.  I have admin privileges, so it allows me to do whatever I need to do on the “other side.”  There are a variety of templates online (ie. Joomla, Drupal, Flash, Sandvox, etc.) that make it relatively easy for you to build your own site.  And if you’re a Mac user, you may want to check out the iWeb tool… super user-friendly.

Hopefully this is helpful info.  I’m always learning too, so if there’s anything I should add, please tell me about it!

Why?  It’s simple: The purpose of a resume is to ELICIT A PHONE CALL.  That’s it.  Once that happens, the “open forum” has begun, and you can start the process of selling yourself.   The mistake that many job seekers make?  Putting the details of their entire career on a lengthy (2, 3, 4+ page) resume.  Metaphorically speaking, they’ve spilled all their popcorn in the lobby… and haven’t saved any for the movie!

As a recruiter who is constantly trying to educate himself (in addition to remembering the important things I’ve already learned), I wanted to share some key information acquired from my previous position at an executive search firm:

Based on heavy research regarding the marketing trends of today’s employers, recruiters, and job seekers–in addition to understanding the difference between the “published” job market, and the “unpublished” job market–it is highly advantageous to have a ONE PAGE resume in addition to the traditional reverse-chronological document. A job seeker has about 15-20 seconds to sell themselves when a hiring manager/recruiter first sees their resume. If the most important information isn’t featured in the top 3rd of the resume, it typically gets filed away–or trashed. With the “one page” version, the short explanation is this…

1. Your education should appear in the top 3rd… especially with someone who has an advanced degree. This is also the section where noteworthy highlights and key words should appear.
2. It’s important to feature 4-5 brief S.O.A.R. stories (Situation/Opportunity/Action/Result) in the middle of your resume to help you stand out. People remember specific stories of accomplishments much more easily than they do “facts” and “numbers.”
3. Though where you worked and acquired your skills is certainly of interest, it’s still the least important section of the one-page resume… and can therefore be positioned in the bottom 3rd (this is essentially a highly abridged version of the reverse-chronological resume–with just the basic info).

Whether or not a person looks into utilizing a one-page resume in their job seeking efforts, it is important to know its potential impact.  Now, if you work in a Creative profession, your portfolio will always be your primary “ammunition”… but you’ll still need to have that piece of paper with something of value on it. Here’s an example of a one-pager that was designed for me a couple years back…