Like many of you today, I am very active in the job search market. I started in earnest about 6 months ago and began by getting my profile and resume listed on job boards like Monster and Career Builder. Admittedly, it's been a frustrating process to say the least. But thanks to a slew of great advice from friends and family as well as reading everything I can about how to stand apart from the immense talent pool available to a limited hiring audience, I've begun to make inroads into exciting new career paths.
This process is not without it's trials and tribulations though. Being that this is a relatively new concept for me - I've been fortunate in my career to land jobs fairly quickly - I've had to scour the internet for helpful tips on everything from resume structure to working with executive recruiters. The latter is the reason for this post but before I get into that, I suggest that you take a moment to read Caroline Potter's recent article on Yahoo's Hot Jobs (http://bit.ly/C8Yh6 ). Her take on the 5 methods that waste time in your job hunt are right on the money and I only wish I had read this back when I began.
Caroline talks about executive recruiters (a.k.a., headhunters) and points out the fact that, although many recruiters present job seekers a real opportunity, if anyone ever asks you to pay them up front, don't ask questions - just run! Here is a snippet of what she has to say:
Don't dole out money to any kind of recruiter or sign a contract agreeing to do so. "Real headhunters, also known as search consultants or third-party recruiters, won't take your money. They get paid by employers to fill open jobs." She warns, "If a recruiter calls or emails you to say s/he's got jobs open, and then invites you to his or her office for a counseling session and presents you with a range of career-coaching services, bolt for the exit. Real search professionals won't take a dime from their candidates."
That being said, I just had to write about an experience I just had involving a local headhunter (in fact, a poser) so as to warn you in advance. I retrieved a message on my cell from a woman named "Eva" who stated that she was an executive recruiter for a high profile telecom client and that she saw my resume on Monster. She went on to say that she thought her client was an ideal fit for me and to give her a call. Anxious to hear what she had to say, I dropped everything (walking the dogs, doing the laundry... you know, important unemployed-type stuff) and called her back. Being a newbie at all of this, I really had my hopes up that this was the call I was looking for! It turned out to be wishful thinking.
Eva, it turns out was indeed representing a high profile company. And she started the conversation by, again, stating that she was an executive recruiter and that she found my resume to have all the qualities her client was looking for. But that was the last mention of her role as a card carrying member of the respected executive recruiter community. The conversation quickly turned to the opportunity where she asked if I had time to hear about a great company named ACN.
Being that I have spent the last 20 years in the telecom industry and pretty much staying on top of the players in the space, I knew of ACN and immediately realized that she was, in fact, trying to "pitch" me on an MLM opportunity. Come to find out, she wasn't even working the prospect (me) as a qualified headhunter, rather she was trying to recruit me into her sales network! I have to say, that didn't go over well with me at all!
I may be new to all of this but it didn't take me long to recognize the inherent ethicality (or lack thereof) of her motive. I quickly took charge of the conversation and, in a very professional way (admittedly hard considering my weakened state), challenged her on the clear abuse of her so called headhunter status. To me, this was like getting a telemarketing call at dinner time... or worse. This was a blatent and unsolicted cold call campaign that invaded my privacy - not to mention the ultimate "bait and switch" disguised as a real job opportunity!
Honestly, it really pissed me off! But hey, I'm a pragmatic guy and understand it's a rough place to be for companies like ACN and they have to get their message out some way. And know this is not so much a bash on ACN - they might actually be a great company but it's clear to me that this approach reeked of something foul - from the top down. This "Eva" didn't even appear to possess the most polished communications skills but boy that intro sure seemed well conceived (or well deceived) to say the least.
In the end, I'm still living, breathing and happy (moreso if I had a job!) and the result was no more than a little wasted time and energy - and a great learning experience. I still plug away every day trying to find that perfect fit and I'm certain it's just around the corner but I hope that know that not everyone in this space is representing themselves with propriety and you are able to avoid the sharks in the water.
This process is not without it's trials and tribulations though. Being that this is a relatively new concept for me - I've been fortunate in my career to land jobs fairly quickly - I've had to scour the internet for helpful tips on everything from resume structure to working with executive recruiters. The latter is the reason for this post but before I get into that, I suggest that you take a moment to read Caroline Potter's recent article on Yahoo's Hot Jobs (http://bit.ly/C8Yh6 ). Her take on the 5 methods that waste time in your job hunt are right on the money and I only wish I had read this back when I began.
Caroline talks about executive recruiters (a.k.a., headhunters) and points out the fact that, although many recruiters present job seekers a real opportunity, if anyone ever asks you to pay them up front, don't ask questions - just run! Here is a snippet of what she has to say:
Don't dole out money to any kind of recruiter or sign a contract agreeing to do so. "Real headhunters, also known as search consultants or third-party recruiters, won't take your money. They get paid by employers to fill open jobs." She warns, "If a recruiter calls or emails you to say s/he's got jobs open, and then invites you to his or her office for a counseling session and presents you with a range of career-coaching services, bolt for the exit. Real search professionals won't take a dime from their candidates."
That being said, I just had to write about an experience I just had involving a local headhunter (in fact, a poser) so as to warn you in advance. I retrieved a message on my cell from a woman named "Eva" who stated that she was an executive recruiter for a high profile telecom client and that she saw my resume on Monster. She went on to say that she thought her client was an ideal fit for me and to give her a call. Anxious to hear what she had to say, I dropped everything (walking the dogs, doing the laundry... you know, important unemployed-type stuff) and called her back. Being a newbie at all of this, I really had my hopes up that this was the call I was looking for! It turned out to be wishful thinking.
Eva, it turns out was indeed representing a high profile company. And she started the conversation by, again, stating that she was an executive recruiter and that she found my resume to have all the qualities her client was looking for. But that was the last mention of her role as a card carrying member of the respected executive recruiter community. The conversation quickly turned to the opportunity where she asked if I had time to hear about a great company named ACN.
Being that I have spent the last 20 years in the telecom industry and pretty much staying on top of the players in the space, I knew of ACN and immediately realized that she was, in fact, trying to "pitch" me on an MLM opportunity. Come to find out, she wasn't even working the prospect (me) as a qualified headhunter, rather she was trying to recruit me into her sales network! I have to say, that didn't go over well with me at all!
I may be new to all of this but it didn't take me long to recognize the inherent ethicality (or lack thereof) of her motive. I quickly took charge of the conversation and, in a very professional way (admittedly hard considering my weakened state), challenged her on the clear abuse of her so called headhunter status. To me, this was like getting a telemarketing call at dinner time... or worse. This was a blatent and unsolicted cold call campaign that invaded my privacy - not to mention the ultimate "bait and switch" disguised as a real job opportunity!
Honestly, it really pissed me off! But hey, I'm a pragmatic guy and understand it's a rough place to be for companies like ACN and they have to get their message out some way. And know this is not so much a bash on ACN - they might actually be a great company but it's clear to me that this approach reeked of something foul - from the top down. This "Eva" didn't even appear to possess the most polished communications skills but boy that intro sure seemed well conceived (or well deceived) to say the least.
In the end, I'm still living, breathing and happy (moreso if I had a job!) and the result was no more than a little wasted time and energy - and a great learning experience. I still plug away every day trying to find that perfect fit and I'm certain it's just around the corner but I hope that know that not everyone in this space is representing themselves with propriety and you are able to avoid the sharks in the water.
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