Making Connections

Working with recruiters Employment statistics say that 75-80% of job opportunities come through networking, 10% are advertised in newspapers, magazines or on job boards, and 10% are with recruiters, staffing firms or placement agencies. COLLEEN CLARKE

[ 2006-06-28 ] Send to a friend Print

Placing your resume with a recruiter is a necessary part of most people's job search process.

Sandra Boyd, a staffing industry expert and co-author of Extreme Career Performance, says that until you actually sit with a recruiter you are not logistically "registered." Aim for a face-to-face or at least a phone interview.

Meeting a recruiter or headhunter usually results when there is a position that matches your qualifications.

One of the best ways to get known to recruiters is to be networked to one. There is that favourite word of mine again.

Good recruiters know good recruiters. If you are wondering if you can trust a particular staffing firm, ask friends to ask their recruiter contacts to give a referral or reference or their two cents worth, and they don't have to be in the same area of interest.

Boyd encourages you to use recruiters' voicemail to your advantage. Leave short and to the point messages, follow up about every three weeks of your search. "This is Colleen Clarke, I know you are busy (an important interjection) so I wanted to tell you briefly that I applied for XYZ job on June 7 and I'm just following up to see if you got my resume, and if you think I am a good candidate for the position."

This call should be made within 24-48 hours of sending in the resume. If the ad says don't call, ignore it, Boyd says. Get through come hell or high water and she even approves of using sneaky ways to get their attention and get through to those with "high walls."

Recruiters like a good strong voice on their voicemail. Plan what you are going to say either on voicemail or personally. Be clear in setting your expectations of whether a certain job might be appropriate for you. Have a professionally written resume, don't scrimp on research and ask the right questions.

Don't send resumes to recruiters for positions you "think" you can do, or would like to try. Recruiters work most commonly with people with a minimum of five years' related experience.

The staffing industry made $80 billion in sales worldwide in 2005 -- someone is getting employed using headhunters.

Colleen Clarke is a career specialist and corporate trainer and author of Networking - How to Creatively Tap Your People Resources

--www.colleenclarke.com

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