With a new season, comes new strategies in job search techniques.  For seven years now, I’ve worked WITH job seekers in preparing resumes, reviewing job announcements, and providing interview tips.  I enjoy this aspect very much in terms of helping others build confidence in themselves and help them improve their ability to speak about themselves. 

Recently, I’ve started to take a little bit of a role in recruiting and it’s truly helping me understand what goes wrong with well-intended job seekers.  I’m including several observations I’ve made recently in hopes of helping others understand the “placement” side to job search.

1.  Recruiters are not specifically interested in career changers – Recruiters are hired by a company to search for and find the “ideal candidate”.  They’re not interested in making a square peg fit into a round hole.  More likely, they’re much more apt in locating a perfect 360 degree candidate fit into a perfect 360 degree hole. 

2. Recruiters are paid very well to be exclusive rather than inclusive.  Referring to the “round hole” concept, recruiters are not interested in forwarding “maybes” onto their client.  They are only interested in referring “perfect candidates” that their client will be ready to intervew and hopefully have a few choices in who they can make an offer to.

3. Job seekers submit resumes for positions in HOPE that recruiters or hiring managers will overlook the fact that the candidate is lacking required skills.  Here’s a thought, if a recipe requires beef broth as a major ingredient and you pour in chicken broth instead, is the recipe going to turn out the way you expect?  NO!? Why not? Because the recipe required beef broth and you didn’t use it.  The same prinicple applies to required skills.  If the company requires that a candidate have a Master’s degree, CPA license, and six sigma experience, then they’re not going to select someone with a Bachelor’s degree, no CPA, and no six sigma experience. 

Honestly, I’ve given advice to people to “apply anyway” you never know.  Now, having been on the “other side” I have better advice.  IF you apply, don’t get your hopes up, because you lack specific requirements for the job.  There’s a 100% chance that the resume will be tossed aside for more qualified candidates.

4. Recruiters may be networked, meaning they may work in a shared network where they can review job postings of other recruiters, send over candidates, and share the placement fee.  So, when working with recruiters, ask if there’s any way that they can “shop you around” if you’re not the candidate that they are looking for.

5. The more online job boards your resume is posted on, the less likely it is that you may get a call.  What?!  “How are people supposed to find me?” you ask.  Recruiters may see if your resume is posted on the major job boards out there to see how long you’ve been looking.  There are a couple of reasons for this:

         a. If you’ve been looking for a long time, they may reason that you’re desparate and not a good candidate.

         b. If you’re resume is posted on the job boards, the actual company they are recruiting for could have seen your resume and kept moving by now.

         c. If you’re resume is posted on the job boards, you may have already applied for a specific job with the company that they are recruiting for.  And if you’ve already applied and haven’t received a call, then the company obviously isn’t interested in you.

So how do you combat this? Post your resume anonymously on the job boards.  This is a good idea too of protecting you against identity fraud and preventing unethical recruiters from submitting your resume to companies without your knowledge.  Most recruiters are upright people who live by their reputation, but as with any industry, there are some people who live by lower standards and choose “not to play nicely with others.”  Another reason for posting anonymously is to prevent your current employer from discovering that you are looking.  Yes, some companies will do regular searches looking for new candidates, and if your resume appears on the screen, your secret is out.

 So, there you have it, Five Secrets to Working with recruiters.  I hope you find it helpful.