Unemployed in Des Moines

Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.

One complaint from many job seekers is that they can’t seem to get recruiters to call them back when they’re looking for a job. You’d think they’d love an opportunity to place a good candidate… so why don’t they call? They often know the market in their field of specialization better than most people. Is there anything you can do to get them to be a little more proactive in helping you find a job?

It helps to understand their motivations and what gets their attention. Then you can be more effective at getting them to return your calls.

Here’s how…

Understand how recruiters get paid. Many job seekers think that recruiters exist to help people find jobs. The reality is that recruiters are paid by companies to help them find the best candidate for a particular position. A recruiter’s responsibility is to the company that is paying them, not to any candidate they may like but doesn’t fit the role. A recruiter may like a particular person a great deal, however, they can’t make their client hire them, and they lose credibility with their client if they present a candidate that is less than an ideal fit.
Understand what they want. Recruiters are always looking for 3 things…

1. The best candidate for the position they are currently trying to fill.
2. Exceptional performers in their field of specialization that may fit future openings.
3. To build relationships with great connectors!

Listen to Zig! Zig Ziglar, the renowned motivational speaker has a phrase he uses often: “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” If you want recruiters to call you back, be one or more of the 3 things they want!

You may or may not fit a position they have right now. You may or may not be an exceptional performer in their area of specialization. However, you can certainly become a great connector. What good does that do you? A good recruiter strives to nurture relationships with people that are great resources of information and referrals. Those great “connectors” are essential to their livelihood, they will often help those connectors in any way they can.

As a recruiter for the past 24 years, I’ve gone out of my way to help people that have been a help to me in my search for candidates for positions I’m working on. I help them with leads I may know of, referrals to others that may be helpful for them, coaching for their own job search, and certainly consider them first for any appropriate opportunities that may arise.

Be exceptional and be a connector! Present yourself to a recruiter in the same way you would to a potential employer. They work for their client companies, they are not career counselors. In order to feel confident about presenting you to their clients, they have to view you as someone that will be more professional and more competent than the average candidate their client is likely to see. If they believe you will add to their credibility with their clients, they will have no hesitations in presenting you for any open positions you’re qualified for. In fact, if they believe you are an “A” candidate based on your experience or presentation, they may proactively market you to some of their clients whether they have an open position or not. It’s your responsibility to help them view you as exceptional. Present yourself as professionally as possible.

Let them know you would be glad to refer people you know for opportunities they may be working on. When you give referrals, don’t only consider people you know are looking for new opportunities. Rather, refer the best people you know with the specific backgrounds the recruiter is looking for. No one has to pursue a position they don’t want, however, it’s to their benefit to be made aware of them and have the opportunity to decide for themselves. When the recruiter realizes you are someone that can point them to other good people, they will be helpful in return.

You want recruiters to return your calls? Be one of their 3 favorite calls to make!

Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that win interviews. For a free resume analysis visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or for a free phone consultation call 1.800.991.5187.

Tired of searching endlessly through online job boards and employment Web sites hoping to find a position that matches your background and criteria? I think it’s time to take matters into your own hands. One of my colleagues was kind enough to pass along a YouTube video called The Google Job Experiment. I watched the one-minute video and thought it was ingenious! Here’s the link in case you haven’t seen it yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FRwCs99DWg.

Talk about “thinking outside the box” to get the job you want! I have a feeling it’s going to catch on; all of a sudden, we’re going to start seeing ads, springing up everywhere, targeted at well-positioned executives and hiring managers saying, “Hire me”. The concept itself to me is inspiring and creative, and had me thinking…

Well, for those of us who may not be as creative and “outside the box” as others, I’ve put together a list of tips on how to get started:
Step 1: Research – The easiest place to start is the company Web site. Check out the about us page or any other pages that would have information concerning those personnel in key leadership positions. This is the most logical place to start. Next, I would go to LinkedIn. Look up the company by name (assuming you know exactly where you want to work—just like this guy did), and then scroll through the results to find matches. Look for those people who are in positions with decision making abilities and who are most relevant to your industry. Can’t find them on LinkedIn or the company Web site? Then turn to Google. I use Google for everything (I probably earn millions for them every year). If I have a question, I Google it. Want to know who the “so-and-so” person is at Microsoft? Google it. I’ll bet you can find some information somewhere on which person does what. It’s just a matter of investing some time to conduct the research. When all else fails, pick up the phone and call the company. Tell them you’d like to mail a letter to the advertising director (or other head honcho of your choice) but need his or her name in order to address the letter. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t provide you with it. And be sure to ask for the correct address for your specific letter; the person to whom you are writing may prefer to receive mail at the office, but there is a possibility that he or she prefers the company’s post office box or e-mail correspondence. Don’t make any assumptions about this. If they aren’t willing to provide an address then back to your best friend Google. More about what to do with this information is included in step 2.

Step 2: Make Contact – The most obvious way to do this is to submit a LinkedIn connection request. This opens the lines of communication to some extent; and then you can begin to identify the areas that you have in common and potentially open a dialogue about employment opportunities. Outside of LinkedIn, you can find them on other social networks and contribute to discussions they’ve initiated, or you can reach out by sending a letter. If you made contact with the organization during step one, you will have the name of the person you need to reach out to, as well as the company’s address. I recommend sending your resume and cover letter in an envelope that doesn’t look like it would contain a resume/cover letter. I also recommend addressing the envelope by hand and, if possible, use a thank you- or greeting card-sized envelope. Who doesn’t love getting a thank you card in the mail unexpectedly? Plus, it’s guaranteed they’ll open it. Then your resume/cover letter will have about five seconds to make a great first impression (so insert awesome, professionally written, and branded resume here).

Step 3: Follow up – Take the time to make a call. And ask for the person by name. If he or she is not available, leave a voicemail indicating that you sent a copy of your resume last week and you are following up to ensure it was received. If you’re a connection on LinkedIn, you may be able to see the person’s work e-mail address on his or her profile (some users include it, but not all). I wouldn’t go overboard and e-mail daily, but one e-mail just to state your case or follow up once you’ve forwarded your information is acceptable in my book.

It’s not about stalking the person who has the decision making ability; it’s about making a connection, doing your research, and potentially opening a door that previously was closed. From here you can find all kinds of creative ways to get the person’s attention—much like the Google campaign that one creative job seeker used to land himself an interview—and a job. Your imagination is the limit. All I’m saying is, don’t be afraid to conduct your job search “outside the box”.