Publsihed on Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007
WHAT does an average job seeker do when looking for a job? Blast his resume to umpteen search firms and sit back to await a flood of responses. Truth dawns slowly. It is often a long wait indeed! Candidates report waiting for months without receiving even a single call. Disappointed and disenchanted the cycle repeats.
Atypically, recruiters ignore unsolicited candidates, and job seekers feel personally insulted at this total lack of response. "One would expect the basic courtesy of a reply. But it's like a black hole. It's disappointing that the most nominal of efforts are not made", grumbles one frustrated applicant.
What most self-absorbed candidates fail to comprehend is that recruiting agencies work for the companies who have hired them and not for the average job seeker on the road. Client companies pay them to identify and recruit employees for specific jobs to meet their staffing needs.
Per se, head hunters are job-order driven and solely seek to fill open positions successfully. Working on behalf of the company offering the opening, they match jobs to people and not vice versa. They also have the client company's interests at heart and finding a job for a particular candidate is secondary.
Not all eggs in one basket
Do not delude yourself unnecessarily, as you, the job seeker are just a means to an end (recruiting fees) and not an end in itself. It's absolutely not their business to help just about anyone find a job. So, the question of having let you down does not arise.
Also remember that recruiters are usually too busy working on specific assignments to bother contacting candidates unnecessarily. They will get in touch with you if and only if you happen to fit the job profile they are currently pursuing. However, most job seekers operate on misleading assumptions and behave as if recruiters exist fundamentally to find them a job, a belief that actually further thwarts their prospects.
You have to take command to get the job you want. Therefore, instead of placing your job search solely in the hands of recruiters, combine a variety of diverse strategies to lead yourself to the next job.
Workplace experts opine that a healthy dose of networking among your personal and professional contacts can still get you a foot in the door like nothing else. As Chris Forman, CEO of AIRS, a leading U.S. recruitment solutions-provider notes, "Technology cannot supplant good old-fashioned networking". Also, explore other conventional avenues like classifieds, job boards, company websites, employee referrals, career fairs and the like.
The above options in no way hint that job seekers should entirely eliminate placement firms from their job search strategy. After all, companies are increasingly relying on recruiters to fill their open positions.
Also recruiters can provide access to hidden jobs and increase hiring chances by preparing you for the interview, presenting you well and even negotiating or buffering to a certain extent.
You can actually use a recruiting agency to position yourself as a better and more successful candidate. The trick is to understand how they operate so that you can enlist their aid by working with them pro actively. Jennifer Zaslow, Editor, Career Tips & Tactics advices, "Making connections with executive recruiters isn't rocket science. But it does require a targeted approach, sharing of information, good timing and persistence".
For the most part, recruiters do not pay attention to unsolicited candidates. Try to catch their eye through a remarkable and keyword-rich resume. Else, get them to approach you by asking someone to refer you as a viable candidate.
Intelligent blogging, intriguing e-portfolios, attention-grabbing profiles on business networking sites can attract attention to your work and interests, and also increase your visibility by getting your name on their radar time and again.
Promote yourself as a marketable player, because a headhunter is more likely to grab you if he perceives you as a lucrative proposition for a prospective employer. An open and flexible focus that is game for diverse opportunities presented by a recruiter also scores points over stringently held requirements. Also, try to be honest and cooperative at every step.
Cultivate effective relationships by feeding recruiters with information on industry insights, current market news and experienced advice along with qualified leads.
Offering a consistent helping hand will win you confidence and credibility in the long run.
A renowned career coach Ian Christie affirms, "Developing a relationship with the search firms and their professionals is best looked at in the long-term. Yes, you can have a short-term payoff.
But the real reward for nurturing those relationships is repeated access to opportunities over the course of your career. And, if you are lucky, relationships with interesting players in your industry".
All said and done, never rely totally on headhunters to find you a job. Instead, display your expectations realistically to complement your job search.
Atypically, recruiters ignore unsolicited candidates, and job seekers feel personally insulted at this total lack of response. "One would expect the basic courtesy of a reply. But it's like a black hole. It's disappointing that the most nominal of efforts are not made", grumbles one frustrated applicant.
What most self-absorbed candidates fail to comprehend is that recruiting agencies work for the companies who have hired them and not for the average job seeker on the road. Client companies pay them to identify and recruit employees for specific jobs to meet their staffing needs.
Per se, head hunters are job-order driven and solely seek to fill open positions successfully. Working on behalf of the company offering the opening, they match jobs to people and not vice versa. They also have the client company's interests at heart and finding a job for a particular candidate is secondary.
Not all eggs in one basket
Do not delude yourself unnecessarily, as you, the job seeker are just a means to an end (recruiting fees) and not an end in itself. It's absolutely not their business to help just about anyone find a job. So, the question of having let you down does not arise.
Also remember that recruiters are usually too busy working on specific assignments to bother contacting candidates unnecessarily. They will get in touch with you if and only if you happen to fit the job profile they are currently pursuing. However, most job seekers operate on misleading assumptions and behave as if recruiters exist fundamentally to find them a job, a belief that actually further thwarts their prospects.
You have to take command to get the job you want. Therefore, instead of placing your job search solely in the hands of recruiters, combine a variety of diverse strategies to lead yourself to the next job.
Workplace experts opine that a healthy dose of networking among your personal and professional contacts can still get you a foot in the door like nothing else. As Chris Forman, CEO of AIRS, a leading U.S. recruitment solutions-provider notes, "Technology cannot supplant good old-fashioned networking". Also, explore other conventional avenues like classifieds, job boards, company websites, employee referrals, career fairs and the like.
The above options in no way hint that job seekers should entirely eliminate placement firms from their job search strategy. After all, companies are increasingly relying on recruiters to fill their open positions.
Also recruiters can provide access to hidden jobs and increase hiring chances by preparing you for the interview, presenting you well and even negotiating or buffering to a certain extent.
You can actually use a recruiting agency to position yourself as a better and more successful candidate. The trick is to understand how they operate so that you can enlist their aid by working with them pro actively. Jennifer Zaslow, Editor, Career Tips & Tactics advices, "Making connections with executive recruiters isn't rocket science. But it does require a targeted approach, sharing of information, good timing and persistence".
For the most part, recruiters do not pay attention to unsolicited candidates. Try to catch their eye through a remarkable and keyword-rich resume. Else, get them to approach you by asking someone to refer you as a viable candidate.
Intelligent blogging, intriguing e-portfolios, attention-grabbing profiles on business networking sites can attract attention to your work and interests, and also increase your visibility by getting your name on their radar time and again.
Promote yourself as a marketable player, because a headhunter is more likely to grab you if he perceives you as a lucrative proposition for a prospective employer. An open and flexible focus that is game for diverse opportunities presented by a recruiter also scores points over stringently held requirements. Also, try to be honest and cooperative at every step.
Cultivate effective relationships by feeding recruiters with information on industry insights, current market news and experienced advice along with qualified leads.
Offering a consistent helping hand will win you confidence and credibility in the long run.
A renowned career coach Ian Christie affirms, "Developing a relationship with the search firms and their professionals is best looked at in the long-term. Yes, you can have a short-term payoff.
But the real reward for nurturing those relationships is repeated access to opportunities over the course of your career. And, if you are lucky, relationships with interesting players in your industry".
All said and done, never rely totally on headhunters to find you a job. Instead, display your expectations realistically to complement your job search.
PAYAL CHANANIA
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