A colleague of mine called me this morning to ask for some insight as a Corporate Recruiter. On what? On LinkedIn and how we (corporate recruiters) see a candidate's profile. She wanted my insight since she comes from the Agency Recruiting side -- a WHOLE different ballgame over there.
She asked. I answered.
Q: What do you look for in a candidate's profile?
A: I am looking for completeness. I want to see a full name, where you are located, what industry you're in. I want to see accurate dates of employment, where you are/were employed, and what you did/do at your place of work. I want to see a picture; I want to see a human face behind these words that are on their profile. Above all, I want to see a story. I want to know how they got to where they are today.
Q: Anything else you look for?
A: Oh yeah. I want to see recommendations from colleagues, managers, people who have interacted with them. If their LinkedIn network is small, I tend to second guess my reaching out to them - at least via that medium. Their college degree(s).
Q: What pet peeves do you have about some LinkedIn profiles?
A: Where do I start? Why do people think that by hiding their names, they're doing themselves any good? I guess, unless they don't want to be found. But professionally speaking, why wouldn't you want to be headhunted? Also, I understand why one might refuse to disclose their current company's name, but why must all the companies in your profile be anonymous? What is the point of that? All job titles and no job duties. This doesn't help me! Help me, help you.
Q: What do you think about LinkedIn Groups for networking?
A: They're a GREAT networking tool. I don't know why more people don't participate in them. Not just to be members, but to be contributing members. Engage with the folks in the group. Ask questions. "Networking" isn't just handshakes anymore!
Q: How many resumes do you review daily that come in from your ATS (Applicant Tracking System)?
A: 30-ish per position, daily.
Q: How many positions do you normally hire for at any given time?
A: On average, anywhere between 8-15.
Q: That's a lot of resumes. How many profiles do you review on a daily basis via channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc?
A: I'll look at about 500 daily, in addition to whatever resumes came in that day.
Q: How do you have time to read all those resumes??
A: Read? I skim. I'm scanning for the most important pieces of information that I need to make this person qualified for the role. If it's not on their profile/resume, I'm moving on. Definitely under 30 seconds per profile/resume. So, if they want to be "seen", they have to make sure they have the information we're (recruiters) are looking for.
Q: Isn't that unfair?
A: No, I don't think so. Nature of the beast, I guess. Dog eat dog world. If you want it, make it happen.
I find that a lot of "job seekers" lackadaisically go about their job search. They tirelessly send resumes and are upset when they don't hear back. They want to be headhunted, but their online presence is minimal. A little fine tuning will do wonders! I have faith in you.
Good luck! And as always... I'm all ears!
Showing posts with label corporate recruiter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corporate recruiter. Show all posts
11.09.2013
11.04.2013
Going About Your Job Search
I had drinks with a former colleague of mine last night who, unfortunately, is on the job hunt. Over the course of two hours, we sat talking about the types of companies that are popping up, the ingenuity (and sometimes, pure chance) of the people creating these companies, the opportunities he's interested in, the companies he's interested in, and what he'd love to be doing.
In listening to him talk about how he is going about finding opportunities for himself, it made me realize how many different approaches people take to navigate the job market. Maybe you are using one of these strategies. Maybe you aren't using any of them at all. Perhaps you could use a fresh set of techniques to assist you in your search.
I'll outline some of the most common...
Job Boards. Oh, the tried and true job boards. There's something to be said about them. They've existed this long because the strategy works. There's a demand and a certain means to find that supply. Easily searched, easily found. It is a win-win for both employer and job seeker.
Target Companies. Who wouldn't want to work for a sexy "brand name" like Facebook, Google, or Pinterest? We all know those companies and many want to work for them to have the company name on their resume. In the same regard, however, there are smaller niche companies that tend to attract certain candidates. In the same way, those job seekers specifically target opportunities at those companies.
Corporate Recruiters. As a Corporate Recruiter, I say with certainty, that people search LinkedIn for "Corporate Recruiter" and connect with all of them with a note saying something in the likes of "I'm interested in working for your company. Please contact me so we can chat."
Agency Recruiters. An agency recruiter is one that is contracted out to many companies to fill roles. They usually have a book full of listings they are trying to fill. While they are acting as these company's recruiters, they are also building relationships with people like you. Learning about your likes, dislikes, career history, career progression, and dreams. I see them as match makers. If you are in a niche market, find a recruiter that specializes in your trade.
Networking. How often have you heard the phrase "It's not what you know, it's who you know"? There's a lot of truth that rings behind this statement. Someone you meet today, could very well be tomorrow's founder of the next-big-thing. Your dad's old high school teammate and now fellow Board Member, is now the CEO of *insert big company name here*. And your ex-girlfriend? Well, she's the lead recruiter for that position you so eagerly have your eye on.
LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great way for job seekers to follow companies, find job postings, figure out the people who posted the job posting, and network with people who currently (or formerly) worked there. Using LinkedIn to network (see above) is also a great use of time for job seekers. One day, it'll certainly come in handy.
Social Media. With the popularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter, finding an opportunity via this medium is becoming a new trend. There are millions of people and companies that have accounts on these networks and "social recruiting" is a growing trend in the recruiting world. Find, follow, and interact with those companies/individuals that interest you.
Now, you are probably sitting there thinking "Which technique works the best?" My honest answer: All of the above.
Happy hunting!
In listening to him talk about how he is going about finding opportunities for himself, it made me realize how many different approaches people take to navigate the job market. Maybe you are using one of these strategies. Maybe you aren't using any of them at all. Perhaps you could use a fresh set of techniques to assist you in your search.
I'll outline some of the most common...
Job Boards. Oh, the tried and true job boards. There's something to be said about them. They've existed this long because the strategy works. There's a demand and a certain means to find that supply. Easily searched, easily found. It is a win-win for both employer and job seeker.
Target Companies. Who wouldn't want to work for a sexy "brand name" like Facebook, Google, or Pinterest? We all know those companies and many want to work for them to have the company name on their resume. In the same regard, however, there are smaller niche companies that tend to attract certain candidates. In the same way, those job seekers specifically target opportunities at those companies.
Corporate Recruiters. As a Corporate Recruiter, I say with certainty, that people search LinkedIn for "Corporate Recruiter" and connect with all of them with a note saying something in the likes of "I'm interested in working for your company. Please contact me so we can chat."
Agency Recruiters. An agency recruiter is one that is contracted out to many companies to fill roles. They usually have a book full of listings they are trying to fill. While they are acting as these company's recruiters, they are also building relationships with people like you. Learning about your likes, dislikes, career history, career progression, and dreams. I see them as match makers. If you are in a niche market, find a recruiter that specializes in your trade.
Networking. How often have you heard the phrase "It's not what you know, it's who you know"? There's a lot of truth that rings behind this statement. Someone you meet today, could very well be tomorrow's founder of the next-big-thing. Your dad's old high school teammate and now fellow Board Member, is now the CEO of *insert big company name here*. And your ex-girlfriend? Well, she's the lead recruiter for that position you so eagerly have your eye on.
LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great way for job seekers to follow companies, find job postings, figure out the people who posted the job posting, and network with people who currently (or formerly) worked there. Using LinkedIn to network (see above) is also a great use of time for job seekers. One day, it'll certainly come in handy.
Social Media. With the popularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter, finding an opportunity via this medium is becoming a new trend. There are millions of people and companies that have accounts on these networks and "social recruiting" is a growing trend in the recruiting world. Find, follow, and interact with those companies/individuals that interest you.
Now, you are probably sitting there thinking "Which technique works the best?" My honest answer: All of the above.
Happy hunting!
9.30.2013
What Happens When You Assume...
I oftentimes get asked by friends to make edits to their resumes. I actually really enjoy doing this. It allows me to do a few things:
By example, I recently was helping a friend edit their resume. The resume went back and forth with some edits, both on formatting and content. My friend's final draft came back with a note saying, "I took your edits and am using them as a guideline for interview questions, and I have answers prepared for them." The suggested edits were not in the resume.
Good luck! And, as always... I'm all ears!
- Sharpen my own skills
- See where "the norm" is for resume writing
- Realize where a lot of people go wrong
By example, I recently was helping a friend edit their resume. The resume went back and forth with some edits, both on formatting and content. My friend's final draft came back with a note saying, "I took your edits and am using them as a guideline for interview questions, and I have answers prepared for them." The suggested edits were not in the resume.
I cannot emphasize this enough - DO NOT ASSUME. Do not assume anything. Do not assume you will GET that interview to tell the interviewer your answers to the questions he wants to hear. Do not assume that the recruiter knows what you are talking about when you say "Displayed great communication skills" (what does that even mean??).
Leave nothing to chance. If you want someone to know, tell them. You may feel it will sound redundant if/when you get that interview, but at least you have covered your bases.
So, as you are preparing your resume, ask yourself:
- What do I want the reader to know?
- What do I know about my skills/qualifications that the reader does not?
- How can I explain this to a reader who doesn't have a background in what I do?
- How can I show the reader that I am good at what I do?
- How can I make myself stand apart from everyone else?
- What kinds of questions would the reader have for me? How can I best answer them?
- How can I make my resume easy for the reader to pinpoint me as the best candidate?
Good luck! And, as always... I'm all ears!
9.16.2013
Why Corporate Recruiting?
How / Why did you get into recruiting?
That's a question I got when I was interviewing. It's also a question I frequently get when talking to friends.
My journey to the Corporate Recruiting world started in 2004. I was finishing school, interning for a private money management company in their sales department. They brought me on full time once I finished school, and I went into a sales role. Cold calling. Appointment setting. Tracking the money I was bringing into the firm. I was better at sales than I ever thought I could be, especially in an industry I honestly knew nothing about. I made a lot of money. But I wasn't happy.
What was missing?
In sales, it's very much about "how can you help ME?" When, in turn, I really wanted to help THEM. I wanted to provide them with their best options - whether or not it was truly with our firm. I started thinking about a way to combine something I was good at (sales) with something that would make me feel good about what I was doing for a living.
In 2008, I was approached for an internal position as a Corporate Recruiter, and I jumped at the opportunity. What better way to fill that void I felt! I landed in a position where I would "sell" the managers on candidates that I was presenting to them, where I would "sell" the candidate on what makes our company great to work at, where I fulfilled my own desire to be helpful. I was helping a company fill its organization with great talent, while helping someone looking for a great "home" to display their expertise.
Selfishly, I made the move for myself.
And in the end, that decision to move out of sales, away from the big money income, the glorious "President's Club" trips, and the pretentiousness of being the best has left me feeling extremely fulfilled in my career.
I have considered moving to the agency side of recruiting, but I want to feel like I am helping to grow ONE organization. I want to live, breathe, and BE the culture I am promoting and supporting.
I love what I do. I love the feedback I get from managers when I find their perfect candidate. I love the emails I get from candidates saying they had the best candidate experience and "THANK YOU for helping me."
I am a matchmaker. I am the one who walks away with a sly smile knowing that all is right in the world for *this* exact moment.
Now... let me ask you... why do you do what you do?
That's a question I got when I was interviewing. It's also a question I frequently get when talking to friends.
My journey to the Corporate Recruiting world started in 2004. I was finishing school, interning for a private money management company in their sales department. They brought me on full time once I finished school, and I went into a sales role. Cold calling. Appointment setting. Tracking the money I was bringing into the firm. I was better at sales than I ever thought I could be, especially in an industry I honestly knew nothing about. I made a lot of money. But I wasn't happy.
What was missing?
In sales, it's very much about "how can you help ME?" When, in turn, I really wanted to help THEM. I wanted to provide them with their best options - whether or not it was truly with our firm. I started thinking about a way to combine something I was good at (sales) with something that would make me feel good about what I was doing for a living.
In 2008, I was approached for an internal position as a Corporate Recruiter, and I jumped at the opportunity. What better way to fill that void I felt! I landed in a position where I would "sell" the managers on candidates that I was presenting to them, where I would "sell" the candidate on what makes our company great to work at, where I fulfilled my own desire to be helpful. I was helping a company fill its organization with great talent, while helping someone looking for a great "home" to display their expertise.
Selfishly, I made the move for myself.
And in the end, that decision to move out of sales, away from the big money income, the glorious "President's Club" trips, and the pretentiousness of being the best has left me feeling extremely fulfilled in my career.
I have considered moving to the agency side of recruiting, but I want to feel like I am helping to grow ONE organization. I want to live, breathe, and BE the culture I am promoting and supporting.
I love what I do. I love the feedback I get from managers when I find their perfect candidate. I love the emails I get from candidates saying they had the best candidate experience and "THANK YOU for helping me."
I am a matchmaker. I am the one who walks away with a sly smile knowing that all is right in the world for *this* exact moment.
Now... let me ask you... why do you do what you do?
8.28.2013
8.16.2013
Find Me A Job...
As a Corporate Recruiter, I cannot begin to tell you how many times someone (acquaintances and strangers are equally guilty) will email me their resume and say "I'm interested in working for your company".
GREAT!
But, do us a favor. Please go to our Job Board and find a position that interests you. Tell us why you are interested and what makes you a good fit. If we aren't the recruiter for that position, rest assured that we will forward your resume to the correct recruiter. While we'd love to help find you a great job, it is not a good use of anyone's time to go back and forth, "Do you like this position? What about this one? Or this one?" We don't want to make assumptions on what you are interested in and/or what you would be good at.
If you are interested in working for our company...
GREAT!
But, do us a favor. Please go to our Job Board and find a position that interests you. Tell us why you are interested and what makes you a good fit. If we aren't the recruiter for that position, rest assured that we will forward your resume to the correct recruiter. While we'd love to help find you a great job, it is not a good use of anyone's time to go back and forth, "Do you like this position? What about this one? Or this one?" We don't want to make assumptions on what you are interested in and/or what you would be good at.
If you are interested in working for our company...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)