You’re Kidding Yourself

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter points out a common misconception people have when they think about recruiters.

 

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Recruiters. Very charged topic. When I look around at people and their opinion of recruiters, they are universally criticized, complained about and thought poorly of.

Part of it stems from the fact that you have a misconception about who the recruiter works for. Most people think that recruiters work for them; it doesn’t work that way.

If the will, how much you paying for that service? And you think you’re working for you?

The fact of the matter is that recruiters are hired by organizations to fill jobs. If you fit the requirement do you think you’re going to get on the phone and call companies and say, “hi! I’ve got this great candidate! You’ve really got to talk with them! They are terrific! Best person I’ve ever spoken with! Sorry, you don’t need someone like that?”

And may call after call on your behalf trying to market you the companies.

It doesn’t work that way. Recruiters work with organization that defined a need for a person with a certain kind of background and go out and find. They are paid for that service. To do that they need to find someone like you.

I say like you because it may not be you. It may involve someone with a different set of skills. Even if you have the same skills as the firm is looking for, do you think they’re only sending in one person? Of course not!

They are going to send it is many is the client will let them submit in order to ensure that they collect the fee. By sending in a lot of people the recruiter is hoping to encourage them to make a choice of one of the candidates.

Why do they do this? Because they want to earn a fee.

They are not relying upon placing you and you don’t fit. What they care about is referring someone… Anyone… Will satisfy the client and being hired by, then work 90 calendar days and receive a check from the company.

Recruiters need to look out for themselves because you are not going to pay them anything! This is not social work; this is recruiting. Unless they refer someone who is hired, a contingency third-party recruiter will not be paid.

Why do you think they are any different than you in looking out for their own interests? Respectfully, when you think the recruiter is working for you you are deluding yourself.

Yes, to earn their fee, they have to find someone who fits the role the client to specified and will work there successfully for 90 calendar days.

Why do you think this person is any different than you in looking out for their interest?

At the end of the day if it is not you, they are hoping that it is someone else that they are representing. That way, they will make a substantial chunk of money.

So don’t kid yourself and think that recruiters are working for you. As many of you know they aren’t and that’s a fact

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

No BS Coaching Advice Ezine, August 9 2016

 

 

Read the August 9 issue of No BS Coaching Advice Ezine

 

Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

 

 

How Do I Stay I Contact With My References During A Long Job Search

 

Q. References are important. How do you stay in contact with them?

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So the question is, “My job search is going to be a long one. How do I stay in contact with my references?”

This is an interesting question. So much of it reveals a lack of confidence on the part of the job hunter.

Now we don’t know what a long job search is to this job hunter but let’s accept this on face value. They know is going to be a long job search because they are a beginner or perhaps have antiquated skills that make them less marketable.

So first of all you’re going to need to do work to prevent this from being a long job search. There are skills you will need to learn or relearn in order to avoid it from taking as long as you fear. After all, you don’t want to be like a feather in the wind blowing from place to place. You want to be someone who is desirable marketable and is in command of your situation.

The next step is to stay in contact with your references on a limited basis, not an abusive basis. You write what seems to be a personal note instead of a BCC or bulk copy to a lot of people. Instead, copy and paste an individual message to individual people. It can be the same message but give the illusion that it is a personal individual message.

The subject line can read something like, “status update.”

The body of the message could read something like, “I’m not at a point in my search where I feel like I’m close to anything. I thought I would just ask you to keep this in your mind and if you hear about something that makes sense for me, reach out and let me know about it or give the recruiter my contact information to reach out to me directly.”

Send a note to them every 4 to 6 weeks – – that’s fine. You have to mention who your interviewing with of the number of firms you spoken with unless, of course, the person you’re writing to has contacts there or is a former employee.

Tell them you’re not at the point where you think you’re getting an offer but just wanted to stay in touch with them so that in case they do their of something they should feel free to reach out to you

 

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn