Author: The MAN

Recruiting these days resembles sales more than it does HR.  If you are unemployed I am sure you might not care but you should.

Recruiters sometimes just want to get a butt in the seat and they do not care whose butt it is.  I am by no means saying that all or even most recruiters do this but it does happen.  If you are talking to an agency recruiter they have a monetary incentive to get you, or another one of their candidates, in that job.  They are often up against a time constraint and candidates from other agencies or that have applied directly to the company.  This may sound good as some recruiters are pushy with companies to get their candidates hired.  The recruiter might even spend time prepping you for the interview and telling you what to say.

One ugly truth is that you may be the wingman for the “right” candidate.  Sometimes recruiters send a few mediocre candidate along with one “good” candidate to make the one candidate seem better.  Again, this is not a usual practice but it may happen.  Why do you thing most bridesmaids dresses are ugly?

Just keep all this in mind when you are interviewing with a company or through an agency.

The Man

Life is hard; it’s even harder if you’re stupid.
John Wayne

Many people blame others for a lot of things.  I am not saying that bad crap does not happen to good people.  But you do need to look at trends.  As a friend says “what is the common denominator?”  If ALL of your bosses have been bad maybe it is not your bosses.  Rarely do good employees have several bad bosses in a row.  It is usually the employee that is late to work, does not follow the dress code, leaves early, or is not a team player that has all the bad bosses.  Funny how that works… some bosses seem to have all the bad employees.

Many time we blame others.  The problem with that is, you cannot change other people but you can change yourself.  So if you are not part of the problem then you cannot fix it.  So do you want to fix your problems or not?

I am not saying it is all your fault but you need to take some ownership.  Rarely does a relationship fail solely because of one person.  It usually takes two to screw things up.

So, let’s look at work.  If your job is bad or your boss is bad do you have some ownership in the issues?  If your boss is always a jerk when you are late then don’t be late.  If HR always talk to you about the dress code when you wear shorts then don’t wear shorts.  Yes, you have rights.  You can wear and say whatever you want but they can also fire you.  Your call.  Want to make work better?  Your move.

The Man

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
Jim Rohn

There is one major difference between dating and the interview process… companies usually keep recruiting and interviewing candidates until there is a butt in the seat.  I know this may seem a little dirty but I have been hosed plenty of times when candidates get buyer’s remorse after accepting the position.  I have also had to resend job offers or fire someone in their first week.

If you handled dating a marriage this way it would not work out very well.  Can you imagine seeing your fiance on a date and when you ask them what is going on they say “I am just building a bench.”  That is what we call it when recruiters have people they stay in touch with in case something comes open.  I know this sounds bad but I also expect employees to network and stay in touch with people at other companies in case they need to start looking for a job.

What this means for you as the candidate is that sometimes you have gone through all the interviews but we do not make an offer.  Also, sometimes we want to make an offer but The Man won’t let us because the company’s EBITDA is not high enough and your $50,000.00 salary goes straight to the bottom like if we don’t hire you.

Keep your chin up… if we like you, we like you.  So, you should probably keep interviewing till your butt is in the seat and never stop networking.

The Man

People often say that motivation doesn’t last.  Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
Zig Ziglar

I have mentioned it several times, you need to look at the job search like a sales person.  You are the product and all you need to do if find a buyer.  But like a good sales person, your product is not for every buyer.

First, take an objective look at the product:

• KSAs: Knowledge, skills and abilities.  What are yours?
• What industries have you worked in and what is your profession?
• How many years of experience do you have?
• Are you willing / able to travel?

When identifying your target market you need to keep these things in mind:

• Who has a need for your KSAs?
• Geography
• What are the titles of positions?
• Who are the big employers in your area?
• Could your job be done remotely

Finally, you want to come up with a marketing plan.  Prospects are also called decision makers

• Where can you prospect?
• Who are prospects?
• Who can connect you with prospects?
• What are the methods to network?

You hear this a lot in sales: “Plan your work then work your plan.”  You should do the same thing in your job search.  You need to set aside dedicated times to “fill your funnel” or what is called prospecting.

The Man

Either you run the day, or the day runs you.
Jim Rohn

 

If you are currently unemployed then you need to treat your job search like a job.  Not a part-time job, but like a full-time job.  Are you REALLY putting in 40 hours a week?  I know that sounds like a lot of time but you do NEED a job, right?

• Let’s look at the things you should / could be doing:
• Looking for positions.  Better yet, set up a few Google Alerts to do the searching for you.
• Reading news related to your industry or profession.
• Reading professional development books / articles.
• Adding connections on Twitter, FB and LinkedIn.
• Staying in touch with your connections.
• Attend networking events.
• Post to Twitter, FB and LinkedIn – keep it professional.

And the list goes on…  You can spend WAY more than 40 hours a week on a job search, you just need to redefine what “searching for a job” means.  Just remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint race so don’t burn yourself out.  You also don’t want to take your foot off the gas.  I was talking to a client the other day who is looking for a position and I reminded them to keep everything in perspective: “You only need ONE job, just ONE and the next call, email, Tweet, post, or interaction you have with the person at Starbucks might just lead to that job.

Think of it this way… you are the product and the sales person.  If you are in sales then this makes total sense to you, if not, read my next post.  I will explain.

The Man

Good things come to those who wait.  Good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up.
Unknown

If you are like me your read/hear a lot about networking, but what is networking?  According to Webster:  the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically :  the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.  Most of us think it is just collecting business cards or adding you to my address book.

What we need to do is to think like a salesman.  Think of the people you network with as leads.  You need to have a goal each day and week of how many new leads you want to get.  Then you work them.   Working a lead sounds bad but it is actually beneficial for both parties in this case.  Remember the definition of networking…  “the exchange of information or services” and “productive relationships.”  That sounds like the classic win-win to me.

You need to first have a way to keep track of your network.  You can use Outlook, a free CRM or paid CRM.  There are probably other options but those first come to mind.  Once you have them in the database you want to put them in groups by industry, location, profession and/or industry.  Next, you want to set up Google alerts for each group.  This will help you find news stories that you can then share with your network.  Be sure that you also connect to your contacts on LinkedIn, Twitter, FB, and other social networks.  You did stop your rants on FB right?

Recruiters are using social networking more and more in the recruiting and selection process so you need to be sure you are out there and you are professional.  You can even write a few “whitepapers” on subjects that you are knowledgeable about.

Keep notes about when you send out messages and posts to refer back to later.  You can also create reminders for some of your network to be sure you are staying in touch with them.  Remember, networking is a two-way street.  You need to give before you can receive.

The Man

If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go with others.
African Proverb

If you are a candidate you might think that it does not matter to you whether or not our ATS (applicant tracking system) works well.  Guess what?  It should matter to you because if you don’t understand ATSs then you don’t think like a recruiter.

First, most ATSs are made by HR departments.  This is akin to having accounting or operations putting together a CRM (customer relationship management software) for sales.  It just don’t work well.

Many ATSs will let an applicant apply for multiple jobs all at once.  But did you know that the recruiter can see that and that it really pisses us off?  Why, you ask?  Imagine if someone asks you out, then you see them do the exact same thing to everyone in the bar.  Do you feel special?  Hell no.  They seem desperate.  I do not like hiring desperate people, do you like dating them?

Also, many ATSs do not make it easy to look at all the new applicants at once.  This seems like it would be a no-brainer but no one in ATS land has figured this out.  A recruiter must go into each opening (we call them requisitions, reqs for short) and see if anyone new applied.  How would you like to have 10-20 mailboxes outside your house you had to check everyday for mail?  One for the electric bill, one for the gas bill, and so on.  So, some mailboxes don’t get checked very often.

Most recruiters carry a req load (number of openings) of 10-20 or more.  Add to that most if not all ATSs do not make it easy to look up candidates.  So when you call and say “Hello, this is Bob” I might not know who you are.  Sorry, but that is the way it works.  So, when you call me say something like “Hello, this is Bob Barker returning your call about the sales opening in Poughkeepsie.  Then I might know who you are.

ATSs also do not make it very easy to keep track of the people you talked to last year or reminding me that I need to call you tomorrow.  CRMs do that but oh no, not an ATS.  That would be WAY too easy!  So if I cold call you again please be forgiving.  Also, if I forget to call, call me but be nice.

The Man

If you want to get hired, you must think like a recruiter and like a hiring manager.
Al Pollard

If you know the rules of the game you can leverage them to your advantage.  One rule is that first impressions count so use that to your advantage.  If that is true then when does the first impression start?  It may start with your social profiles, or your resume, or when you answer the phone or when you have your first face to face interview.

Sorry, social profiles do count.  Remember when you pontificated about how you think Donald Trump should be a member of the Hair Club for men?  Well, maybe the person who is recruiting for the position you just applied for is a big fan of Trumps.  You might not care that much but you will never know because they won’t call you.

So, before you start applying to positions, clean up the mess you have made on social media.  Yes, you have free speech rights… but they are also free to not hire your loud mouth self.

Next take a look at your resume.  At a minimum, be sure it is up to date with correct spelling and grammar.  It is hard to believe someone who says: “I am detale oriened.”

Then let’s look at your email address.  Is SexyMike@ really what you want people to see first?  While we are at it change your voicemail message to something professional and sound upbeat.  If you have one of the phones that plays a song when I call you… stop it.  You also need to be sure you check and clear your messages regularly and check your spam mail for emails from companies.  It is actually not a bad idea to start a new email address just for the job search.  That way any emails will not get lost in your inbox.

What do you say when you answer the phone?  Let me back up… don’t answer the phone if you can’t talk unless you are ready to schedule a time to talk.  It is VERY frustrating when I call someone and they say “OH, I can’t talk right now I am (insert excuse here) can I call you back?”  You ALWAYS want to set up a day and time to follow up.  Any sales person worth their salt knows you set a specific day and time for the follow up.

When you have a scheduled time for an interview be sure you are ready ahead of time and you have a good signal if you are on your cell.  It is VERY frustrating if the call keeps getting dropped or if your dog keeps barking.

If it is a face to face interview be sure you are dressed appropriately.  You also want to be SURE you know where the office is, how to get there and where to park.  I have done dry-runs in the past before my interviews to be sure I knew where to go.  Interviews are stressful enough when everything goes right.

Once you leave your house the interview starts.  The person that you told was #1 on the way to the interview…. strange, they pulled in the same parking lot as you.  Oh, wait… oh NO!  They work there.  I also frequently ask the receptionist what they thought of you.  We may even watch you when you get out of your car or when you walk back to the car after the interview 🙂

The Man

Be the type of person you want to meet.
Unknown

You may already know this… some jobs are posted for a VERY limited time.  One contract recruiting gig I had in the past included such positions.  These positions were in such high demand that I would only post them for 24 hours or less than I would take them down due to the volume of candidates.

Just think if Channing Tatum or Ali Landry put up personal ad looking for a date.  Think they would need to leave it up and talk to everyone that emailed them?  Nope!  Well, some companies are the same way.  Some don’t even post the positions at all!

That is why looking for a job is a seven-day a week job and the pay sucks but the payoff can be HUGE!  You need to do a lot of things be hitting on all cylinders:

• Job Boards
• Company sites
• Niche sites – industry associations.
• Networking
• Professional sites
• Social media

How do you keep up with it all?  Have a plan and work you plan.  Not enough time or want some help?  I may be able to help with that soon.

So if someone wants to know, what’s the rush with applying for that job?  You know what the rush is… it may not be there tomorrow.

The Man

Dignity: The moment you realize that no one is your enemy, except yourself.
Shannon L. Alder