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Isn't That Special

leigh — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 12:49:17 GMT

Greetings All,

Please accept my apologies for the long hiatus. Life in the HR Generalist lane can be fast and furious. Who knew? Recently, I received two resume referrals from individuals who live in different parts of the country. Besides frustration with their job search, they had much in common. Both were former executives in the construction industry with a successful track record. To them, it was obvious they were well qualified for lots of jobs, yet they were puzzled by the lack of response to their applications for employment. Must be something wrong with the process, right? Well, not exactly.

Neither of them understood why their resume received the same scrutiny as other online applicants. Unless their resume clearly contained the desired skills, they were just like the other disqualified candidates... not a match. Not a match means, no call and no interview. Next.

Ironically, I learned both were utilizing the same, generic resume for every job to which they applied. One candidate told me he applied for 30 positions with the same company and couldn't understand why he had not received an interview request. He was convinced that the Human Resources Department was incompetent. HR is an easy target, but he was delusional on multiple levels.

Take the time to customize your professional profile for each position to which you submit an application. Each position has detailed requirements and qualifications, so be sure to include those key words at top of your resume. Don't expect a potential employer to pour over your resume, read work experience from twenty years ago, and strategize where you might fit best in the organization. You have 10 seconds to make it obvious.

A hiring manager is focused and asks the same question with each resume, "Does this candidate have the skills and experience for this position?" The answer is simply yes or no. Your resume must connect the dots between past experience and future value to get noticed. If you aren't satisfied with the response level, be careful not to blame someone else. Look at your strategy first. Maybe it is time for a new one.

Happy Hunting,

Leigh

Don't Spam Your Resume Writer

leigh — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:17:00 GMT

Greetings All,

Nothing like a fall evening with good tunes, a computer, and one day away from the weekend. I am cleaning out my inbox and getting ready to tackle some new resume revisions, and I am stunned. Is that what I think it is? Is the person who sent me this email really serious? Surely, I am not meant to be included in this mass email. As a result, I am so inspired and under whelmed, this calls for a new blog post!

When I write these blogs, sometimes I believe I have covered it all, or someone else has covered it all - not tonight. I am confident I have found a new topic to share. This has happened not once this week, but twice. Two wanna-be search candidates and should-be resume clients sent me spammy emails. Envision the really bad kind of emails that are trivial and juvenile... like rampant beg bug reports and cute, little ditties sung to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies. Really?

If you are looking for a new job, these are RaveResumes' new rules -

1. Please don't spam the one person in this world, who will take the time to help you pull your employment search out of the gutter. On a serious note, if you want to keep your name top of mind, do it with valuable information. Don't bank on a mild manner VP or that your recipient actually wants to receive more junk email.

2. Be credible and noteworthy. Definitely don't send cutesy or inappropriate email to someone you don't know very well. Just because you had an interview with a manager or someone accepted your Linkedin invitation, doesn't mean you need to add them to any distribution list. Newsflash - never send email to your entire address book without utilizing the BCC line. Enough said.

3. Take it to the next level; be the expert. This is accomplished by reading industry articles, visiting leading online resources, and following market leaders. Ask yourself if this is a new material or if the information is already stale. Forward articles that are exciting, thought provoking, and discuss market trends. This shows you are a big thinker and understand current market conditions. *Ding ding*

4. Ask the best way to stay in touch. With Linkedin, Twitter and all the other social media outlets available, ask permission if it is okay to connect. As a job seeker, it can be difficult to maintain a professional image, so be careful out there in the cyber world. Personally, I don't care for job seekers or job promoters on Facebook, and I want to keep all my LinkedIn contacts professional. Know what you are doing before you dive in and scrape your lip or worse, bust your chin.

Generally speaking, email is a great way to stay in contact, but it must be done professionally and appropriately. If not... "delete" and "block sender." Game over and thank you for playing.

Happy Hunting!
Leigh

Back to School

leigh — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:23:00 GMT

Greetings All,

It is that time of year again, and those of us with school aged children are preparing for the big send off. There are many tasks to complete in order to get ready for the start of school such as updated medical forms, contact lists, new shoes, hair cuts et al. What if this year all your kids have left the nest? Freedom from 7:30 am until 3:00 pm, right? Maybe you have been waiting for this time to come when you can put on work clothes again, have a professional lunch where the discussion doesn't revolve around children. (I would probably create another side business, which is the last thing I need to do) However, I have been stopped by several of my "mom" friends in the grocery store recently to mention the hubby is strongly suggesting them to go back to work. Gasp, the horror of it all.....

I have completed resumes for several women who plan to return to work now that the kids are back in school. It doesn't matter what the real motivation was, but each mom was smart enough to seek guidance for a plan of attack. What I also found, was that all of them were scared of the resume process - the intimidation of self promotion. They feared a new resume would lack relevant experience and would make them look silly. After talking through some of their questions, I was able to lay out a fresh profile for each client that more closely reflected their skills and talents for the next phase of their professional life. While a life changing step is daunting, all it takes is that first step. Get a smart resume together and see where it leads you.

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

Resume Fashion

leigh — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:28:00 GMT

Greetings All,

Sorry for being away so long. I have been traveling with my new day time job, so I enjoy making the time to reach out to my Rave Resume clients. Working on a resume this week for a past colleague and friend. I gladly offered to help her revise her resume as a favor, as I knew I had helped her to write it several years ago. How much revision could she really need?

Yikes! It reminded me how quickly business techniques and strategy can change. Scratch the sports analogy here. I am going to equate it to fashion. Times change, and resume looks have evolved. In just three years, formatting has a different look, and dense text has been replaced by bullet points for quicker reading. Not to mention, resumes don’t talk about “responsibilities” anymore. The most effective presentation is to detail “Selected Accomplishments.”

I also received a updated resume from a former candidate who is back in the job market. Blech. She makes the rookie mistake of simply adding a her most recent position at the top. It was a decent resume three years ago, but her newly added job experience lacks a strong voice, doesn't emphasize her marketable skills, and it looks tired and old.

Your resume always needs to be fresh from beginning to end. Write a thoughtful professional profile and highlight achievements with each position as it relates to the new job you desire. Don’t just change your earrings because they highlight your facial features. Unfortunately, your old shirt is probably the wrong color, and your dress slacks have pleats. Start over to have a cohesive presentation to make the best impression. It is that impression that will win interviews. Now, that is fabulous, dahling!

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

How to Get Black Listed

leigh — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:05:00 GMT

Greetings All,

I have missed everyone! Feeling quite inspired after being away, and I have so much good material to share. This post is directed to job seekers who might not have experience working with a professional headhunter or recruiter. Let me start by saying that I am on hiatus from the recruiting biz, but gladly give out referrals and offer help to those who need it. I heard a story last week and felt compelled to share. No-one likes being double-crossed or back-doored. That is the quickest way to have your name black listed around town.

If you are actively job hunting, and a recruiter contacts you to discuss an opportunity, you have two choices: either work with that recruiter to pursue the opportunity or 2- say no thanks, I am not interested and can find my own job. This is Ethics 101. Like any professional relationship, working with a recruiter requires trust and honesty. It is a two way street.

Not all recruiters are created equal, but for the basis of this post, let's assume the recruiter is of high calliber, strong moral character, a pillar in the community, a force to be reckoned with, and someone who loves his truck. It is not a good idea to side step the recruiting process to secure an interview for yourself. It makes you look bad, and if the client is willing to participate in those kinds of shenanigans, that should be a flag to you as a job seeker. In these economic times, don't let stress or desperation cloud your decision making ability. Be honest with the recruiter. Communicate your intentions, and if you have concerns about the search process, share them. If the recruiter finds out what you have been scheming on the side, it won't be pretty. Recruiters have lots of friends, and they also like to talk... occupational hazard for the job seeker.

Morale of the story: Don’t be so desperate you throw professionalism and rational thinking out the window. It takes years to build a good reputation and only seconds to ruin it. Don’t want to follow the rules of engagement? No problem…. You just landed on the black list. Excellent work.

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

2nd Grade Resume

leigh — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:59:00 GMT

Greetings All,

Last week my daughter announced that her class created their first resume at school. What would she write about herself? What could she possibly include on her resume as a second grader? I was touched at the things she wrote and how simple they were.

Position Sought: singer

Abilities and Talents: fun, funny, happy

Achievements and Awards: won 2 softball trophies and 2 game balls

Work Experience: set table, make bed

Education: 2nd grade

References: Mom and Dad

It was a wonderful reminder of how personal a resume really is, and how easy it can be to outline acheivements when you are honest and uneffected by the sentiments of others. As a job seeker, how arduous is it to describe one's abilities and talents, acheivements and awards, work experience and education? Very. However, it is only as tedious as we make it.

Clearly define the job you want. Highlight your key skills that add value. Detail your acheivements that will appeal to a potential employer. Chronologically list your recent work history. Wrap up with your education. Don't list specific reference information...Everybody knows that Mom and Dad will put in a good word for you!!

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

What Is New In Your World

leigh — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:25:00 GMT

Greetings All,

Just a little bit about what is going on in my world. For those of you who don’t know me personally, I am no longer in the head hunting business. RaveResumes continues to thrive and take on a life of its own, but I had a golden opportunity to go back to the corporate world. Now, I am a loud mouth resume writer with a steady paycheck.

In case you were wondering, I have made the switch to… HR. I know, it’s what I considered the dark side, the world of tacky shoes and paper pushers bound together by the queens of corporate politics, and red tape. Well, I am thrilled with my new day time arrangement. Perhaps it is my eternal optimism, but I am simply inspired.

The opportunity to broaden my skill set with more generalist experience for a large, Fortune 500 company will compliment my recruiting, operations, and sales background and help my career in the long term. I don't know about anyone else, but I will be working for the rest of my life, so I plan to make the most of it.

To all the job seekers who are in industries that have changed with the market, take it from me… it starts with a solid resume. If it doesn’t look professional, you don’t get the phone call for a face to face interview. If you don’t get the interview, you don’t get to meet the suits. If you don’t meet the suits, then odds are, you don’t stand a chance to receive a job offer for a position that could have changed your world.

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

March Madness

leigh — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:30:00 GMT

Greetings All,

I have been away from my blog for too long, and have missed everyone. First of all, I want to extend many thanks to my Rave Resume clients for a great first quarter. January is always an exciting and positive time of the year. 2010 is no exception. It is a fresh start on the job search and a new beginning to finding the ultimate job. How did it get to be March already?

Lots of good news in the general job market these days. Optimistic reports are coming out, and more companies are looking to add employees. Not all new positions arepermanent positions, as the staffing industry is seeing some strong numbers across the board too. Robert Half and Manpower issued their CEO survey results, and they seem to be encouraging for 2010. From what I can see, Information Technology is leading the recovery.

With that said, my client profile is not the unemployed, butthe under employed and the proactive job seeker. It is a great time to leverage your current skill set and shop around for new opportunities. A solid consulting gig is not a bad thing in this market if you are looking totransition into another career, so don’t be afraid to do a little research and keep those kinds of positions on your radar.

Happy Hunting,

Leigh

What Is A General Resume?

leigh — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:39:00 GMT

Welcome 2010! Already, I can feel the optimism in the air from clients and candidates, so lets pump up the volume and get this party started...

I just read a blog post from EmploymentDigest.net entitled "Traditional Resumes Are Worthless." Good piece that reminds job seekers what they already know. Coincidently, this fact was hit home this morning when a resume client sent me what he called his "general resume." Huge flag here. Job seekers need to delete this type of resume from his/her computer and remove this term from his/her vocabulary. Don't forget what we learned in 2009. Remember to be specific and as detailed as possible because there is no such thing as a general resume.

1. Never send out a general resume. Be diligent when submitting your credentials and keep your reader in mind. If you don't take the time to carefully match your skills to the job description, you are wasting your time, as your resume will not make the cut. If you are not applying for a specific job or simply networking, be clear about what type of position you desire. Keep organized and save each version labeled with the name of the company where you sent it. That way, when you do get a return phone from a potential employer, you can easily pull up the version you sent.

2. When networking with recruiters and hiring managers, tell them exactly what type of position fits your background or the transferable skills you have to their industry. This is the follow up to your resume. Worst mistake you can make is saying you are "Open to anything." Your contacts want to help, so help them help you by clearly defining your targeted position. "Open to anything" lands you in no-man's-land.

3. Don't share too much information. The purpose of your resume is to secure an interview. It is not necessary for them to know how old you are, your marriage status, or what country club holds your membership. Basically, a personal information section opens the door to discrimination, and no need to go in that direction. Include information that is relevant to the job for which you are applying and highlights the desired skill set. This catches the reader's attention and hopefully triggers them to call for a interview- the ultimate goal of any job seeker.

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

What I Learned in 2009

leigh — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:57:00 GMT

As I wrap up 2009, I want to reflect on the lessons learned during the course of the year. What did I learn in 2009? Lots of little things about people, human nature, how to over come adversity, how to stay strong, be positive, empowerment, and failure.

2009 was a tough year for many people personally and professionally. Some were fortunate to escape without a scratch, and even thrive. Just read an amazing article about Salesforce.com. Amazing article! Click here to read. Wow. Very impressive growth, and its customer base just keeps getting larger. The right service at the right time.

Also, received a touching testimony from a resume client, Jonathan Hand. He was able to relocate to the city he wanted and increased his salary by 50%. He sent kudos my way, which was wonderful news to hear. Jonathan wrote, "During my interview they complimented my resume! Thank you for all your help – the resume definitely set me apart from all the other applicants. My salary has increased by just about 50% - that during a down economy with a great opportunity – thank you!" It was his attention to detail and drive for perfection that made our collaboration successful.

With all the touching stories this year, there is one common denominator through out the tales of success - the ambition of the individual. The biggest thing I learned is that nothing good will happen for you if you don't make it happen for yourself. No one can serve it up on a silver platter. Whether you are looking for a job, need to increase revenue, or land a new client. It is up to YOU to make it happen, so you had better get your game face on and bring it.

In this market, business professionals truly respect those who continue to make an effort. As a job seeker, keep your eye on the ball and be prepared for that "right" opportunity. 2010 is a new year and the chance to start fresh. I am!

Happy New Year,
Leigh

Let There Be Cake!

leigh — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:01:00 GMT

When writing my last entry, I was really in a great mood and fired up for the holiday season. I am still in the spirit and doing my best to finish out the year. In previous years, December brought with it a rush of open positions to fill for January start dates. It was like the icing on the cake. However, like many other small business owners, my recruiting business this year has been terrible, just awful. Even though revising resumes has been a bright spot in 2009, it does not come without it's own frustrations.

I do my research and stay up on industry trends, which includes reading all the lists on how to get one's professional career back on track. Is it just me, or do all the lists and articles now sound the same at this point? There is no magic bullet to make the perfect job appear. We all agree, first things first - the resume. Then, moving forward, what if you have done everything the experts have told you to do and still no job? Most of my resume candidates are in jobs they love, which is incredibly satisfying. However, there are also the few that have fallen short of their goal.

If you really want to get depressed, read the reoccurring CNN Money profiles on the long term unemployed. On second thought, don't because we all know those people, and we might even be one of them. They live in our neighborhood, their kids play sports with our kids, they go to our church, and they shop at our grocery store. Everyday is like groundhog day, and the pressures do not go away. They simply get heavier. Depressing enough?

I think we need a new strategy for 2010. We need to start the year fresh, with a rejuvenated spirit. Hallelujah! If your small business is lagging or you are still looking for that full time job with good benefits, it is time for a diversion.

If you have extra time on your hands, sure you could volunteer, but what else could you do to put money in the checking account? Some ideas that come to mind: Work at a book store, get a little retail therapy for the soul on a part time basis, substitute teach, work at a grocery store, a bakery, or be a bank teller. The possibilities are endless. As long as you enjoy your diversion and it fulfills a personal need, it might help you become a better job seeker. Maybe your need is to simply get out of the house, to be around other positive people, laugh a little bit, generate some pocket change, or feel good about having some kind of routine.

I miss my cake this year. I wish I had some icing too; however, I have a good feeling about 2010. I think taking a little break from the job search and the worries of a business owner during the holidays is healthy. I haven't read that on any expert list. All together, exhale....

Happy Holidays!
Leigh

No Whine, Please

leigh — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:28:00 GMT

I feel rather inspired this week. Perhaps it is all the holiday cheer and Christmas decorations, but I love this time of year. "Tis the season to be jolly... even if the economy is terrible with a jobless recovery well underway. If you are looking for a new position, this story is for you. I want to share a scenario about a personal friend who just landed a sweet new sales job.

As a job seeker, you have got to make the magic happen, and this is how he did it. I will call him, Bill. Bill started off like every other unemployed person out there: clueless. He had an old resume, internet access, and a so-so professional network. For the first month, he looked online for job postings, added folks to his linkedin network, and made some calls to former colleagues. After several weeks of this, he really didn't get much traction. After several conversations and lots of moral support from yours truly, Bill had to do some soul searching. He was coming out of the construction industry and needed to find a new career direction. Like so many others, he needed to reinvent himself and figure out what he could to get hired or least get some face to face interviews.

Looking at his past experience, he decided a solid sales and business development role was the best way to position his skill set. So, RaveResumes (shameless plug) put together a smart sales version of his resume. He knew companies were more likely to hire revenue generators, especially in a down market, so then it clicked. Bill got serious. His search was more focused and he could network with confidence by telling others specifically what kind of job he was searching for - a sales job, and had a resume to show his past success. Even though he had not landed a job at this point, he knew he was headed in the right direction.

Bill had figured out what he wanted to do and thought about which companies would be a good fit. After doing some research, he created a target list of potential employers. He picked up the phone and started calling the hiring managers (not HR). He left short, well crafted messages, and you know what, he got a call back from the district manager of the top company on his list. There was no position posted, the hiring manager wasn't even looking to hire anyone.

I think everyone knows how this story ends... yes, he got an interview and yes, he got a sweet new job all because HE made it happen. Bill rocks, and I wish him all the best in his new position. The time frame was about nine months from the beginning of his search to the end, which isn't bad. There is a learning curve when it comes to a job search, and the interview process takes longer than it used to. However, some people still haven't figured it out, and would rather complain about it... Perhaps this will help.

Happy Hunting!
Leigh

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

leigh — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:52:00 GMT

For those of us who are not out shopping for mega doorbuster sales or making tailgate preparations for a big college football weekend, this one is for you. Thank you for reading my blog. If you are in the office today, just remember, it is a great day to work. No one else is (unless you work at the mall), so it should be easy! I am so excited about the RaveResumes.com community, and how it has grown this year. I feel encouraged, genuinely pleased, about the people we have helped land new jobs and secure new employment opportunities. To my blog readers, stay tuned. I am working away on some hot, racy recruiting topics for 2010. Brace yourself for company.

On a personal note, today I am also thankful for the small things... Glad I didn't use a sharper knife when slicing the turkey, relieved to find an extra block of velvetta for the rotel dip, and thrilled to be at the lake on a beautiful autumn day. So, if you happen to be in the office and spending time online, check out the new RaveResumes fan page on facebook and connect with others. Do something else constructive before lunch! Thanks for following us and all the best to you.

Happy Hunting,

Leigh

You Are Your Network

leigh — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:29:00 GMT

The buzz is all about social media and the job search right now. Self-Help articles which include lists of what to do, what not to do are everywhere you turn on the internet. Maybe it's because people who are out of work are at home on the computer doing the research, which is great. However, it takes practice becoming a social media guru and initially, job seekers should proceed with caution, use common sense, and not go into a frenzy connecting with just anyone.

With sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter there is a value assigned to how many contacts a person has. The more friends, contacts, and followers a person has, the more connected they are, the larger their network is, and one could conclude, the quicker they will find a job. It is true that in this competitive job market, hiring managers prefer referrals. A stat I hear often is 85% of all hires have an inside connection. It is simple. Referrals are a trusted source of quality employees.

At the Birmingham Recruiters Network luncheon yesterday, with Kris Dunn as our speaker, this was precisely our topic. Do people in your professional network with more contacts prove to be a more valuable resource? For the purposes of this article, does a job seeker with a larger network really land a job more quickly?

As you build your online network, of course you want to add connections, but think about who is a good contact for you. Get personal and ask how you can provide assistance to their business as well. This will increase your network and your value. As a job seeker, you need to be willing to share information to others, which will increase your street cred on the flip side. Make people want to connect with you too.

In this case as a job seeker, it all comes down to the quality of your network. When I started my career with a global staffing company in Atlanta, this was one of the first exercises we did in sales management training. The class was told they had 15 minutes to go and meet people in the room. When time was up, the trainer asked who had gathered the most names. One enthusiastic go-getter raised his hand, confident that he demonstrated his keen sales ability, and he was ready to talk about how he worked the room with style. However, when the trainer asked him questions about the people he met, he was unable to share any additional information or shared qualities he had with his list of names. It was the people who collected fewer names, but took the time to have conversations with the others they met who were the real winners. The winners had established a little rapport on the front end, which laid the ground work for a better, more valuable contact.

Social Media is the same drill. Don't make it all about numbers because that is all it will be... just names and numbers. Make it personal because people hire people they know. Now pick up the phone and call some of your friends, contacts and followers. Ask what you can do for them.

Happy Hunting!
Leigh

Are You In Good Hands?

leigh — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:20:00 GMT

Greetings All,

For those who don't know me, I was first a recruiter before I started writing resumes. My career began in the mid 90s in Atlanta as an IT and Healthcare recruiter and after the dotcom bust, I hung out my shingle to take control of my recruiting career. Therefore, I like to think of myself as a recruiter first and a resume writer second. (Probably because recruiting pays the bills, and I don't charge enough for resume writing).

Earlier this year, I found myself in a difficult and frustrating position. Good candidates were calling me for help... Lots of candidates, many referrals from friends and fellow recruiters, and then people who found me on the internet, who were not good candidates at all. I was shocked at the resumes people would send me. They were terrible. Some had no idea just how bad they were, and really didn't care. Then, there were the ones who knew they needed help. The ones who knew immediate action was required or the job search was going to be a long and arduous process. This was my "aha" moment. These were my new clients, the business savvy ones who were on a misstion and on a REAL job hunt. Hence, RaveResumes.com was born. If there wasn't a search to discuss, then at least I could provide assistance with a first class resume.

Up until recently, I found myself spending too much time on the phone with people I couldn't place giving them all sorts of advice. God forbid, career advice. (I am not a career counselor or life coach, and don't pretend to be!) My new resume clients are those who are proactive, looking for a better situation, and wanting to leverage professional contacts. Yes, I also go through the occasional fire drill, which is fine too.

Resume writing is not a recruiting requirement, but it goes hand in hand. One can’t be successful without having a command of the other. After years in the search business, I learned how to qualify candidates by drilling down on their past accomplishments and asking for specific examples of success stories. I also learned what skills hiring managers wanted to see reflected in the resume during the candidate selection process. Ultimately, I learned how to best match a candidate with a job for both parties to determine mutual interest. When working with a resume writer, I think this is a very important step in the process. Does your resume writer understand what you do, and how to position your skills to a prospective employer?

The goal is to create a superior product - a spot-on resume, to sell the candidate to the hiring manager. However, all resume writers are not created equally. Some are better than others, so beware. I have plenty of references for those who ask, as I want my resume clients to feel confident they are in good hands.

For me, writing resumes is still satisfying at the end of the day, especially in this economy. I can't guarantee a client will land a job, but I can reassure the skeptics they won't look stupid. No one likes to look stupid... Not even a recruiter writing resumes.

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

To split or not to split

leigh — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:21:00 GMT

I was following some Twitter banter this week and stumbled across a discussion for a blog show regarding recruiters who do splits. There seemed to be a strong sentiment that recruiters who engaged in splits were not good sourcers and all recruiters would eventually work for sourcers. I don't see that really happening. Call a sourcer a recruiter and their skin begins to itch, and I would guess the feeling is mutual.

When I talk about splits, I don't mean participating in splits boardsor working with random people online. I mean partnering with someoneyou trust. In this economic climate with fewer searches and clients more willing to bring recruiting in-house, time to identify quality candidates, and ultimately, time to fill is crucial. Not just crucial, but imperative for a business' survival.

As an independent search recruiter with 15+ years experience, this is where the rubber meets the road. My clients want the best candidates the moment they ask for assistance, and if I don't deliver quickly, my competition is ready to step in. Thus, I have a trusted network of recruiters, the non-corporate types that think big, that I can call on for backup if needed. In my opinion, this can work very well and has for me on several occasions, and from both sides of the table. Last year the result was three placements I would not have had otherwise. The transactions were seamless, and it generated new opportunities, not only for me professionally, but for my candidates.

In my situation, I gave another recruiter a referral for a new search, but also shared a new search as well. Ultimately, the arrangement worked. We both came out on top. Most importantly, the client also achieved its goal, and there is plenty of repeat business. If it is a fit, why not go for it? I am no closer to working for that recruiter than she is working for me.

Good recruiters have the good jobs and they also have the good referrals. It takes both to be successful.

Happy Hunting,
Leigh

Let's Get This Party Started

leigh — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:44:00 GMT

For those who are interested, I am writing my first official blog post. I have been lurking around the twitter and blog world for a while, so I am putting myself out there. Finally, I am ready to talk about all things related to recruiting, resume writing, and then some. Stay tuned or not. Things are sure to be at least mildly interesting.

Best,
Leigh