| In the professional world, there are several basic | | | | --- ---- after 5 PM EDT or e-mail me at ---------@----. |
| ways you can get hired: | | | | -----. My resume follows. |
| 1. Personal initiative: You send your resume in | | | | Respectfully, |
| response to an online job posting or newspaper ad or | | | | Jerry W------ |
| hand it to a corporate representative at a career fair. | | | | Rule 4: Realize how recruiters work and work with |
| 2. Personal referral: A friend or relative alerts you to | | | | them, if at all possible. Similar to real estate in which |
| a job opening with their employer. Employers often | | | | you have a buyer and a seller, any placement |
| reward the referring employee when you are hired | | | | process consists of the job order and the candidate. |
| so make certain that you fill in the application line, | | | | In real estate, the agents for the buyer and the |
| "Referred by____" completely. | | | | seller split the commission. If one person represents |
| 3. Personnel Agency, Personnel Counselor or Staffing | | | | both the buyer and the seller, that one agent gets |
| Services: A personnel counselor recruits a job order | | | | the entire commission because they are splitting the |
| from a company and then either matches the job | | | | fee with no one. |
| order to an existing candidate OR advertises online or | | | | In personnel placement, the rules are the same: if |
| in newspapers for that candidate. A personnel | | | | one recruiter produces both the job order (a |
| counselor does NOT call you at work to recruit you | | | | contract with Corporation A to find and hire Person |
| for a job-that is the principle difference between a | | | | B) and the candidate (the erudite individual taking the |
| personnel counselor and a recruiter. A counselor has | | | | job), the recruiter keeps the entire fee. (The owner |
| to wait for you to make the first contact while a | | | | of the recruiting firm is probably retaining a huge |
| recruiter does not. | | | | percentage of this fee.) If you are represented by |
| 4. In most states, a personnel counselor is NOT | | | | Recruiter A in Atlanta and the company is |
| allowed to take a fee from you (the candidate) but | | | | represented by Recruiter C in Concord, then the two |
| always verify that BEFORE you go on the interview. | | | | recruiters split the fee paid by the company. |
| Until 1982 in California, a personnel agency could | | | | In a very few cases, the placement office may try |
| charge the candidate as well as the company a fee | | | | to charge you a fee. If the recruiting firm plans on |
| for the placement and thus split the fee between | | | | charging you, it has to alert you before your |
| the two. That has changed. In 2009, many agencies | | | | interview with the client company. Suggestion: run for |
| state up front in their advertising and on their web | | | | the hills! You should not pay anyone a fee when |
| sites that they are 100% employer paid. | | | | thousands of headhunters are out there eager to do |
| 5. Personnel agencies, such as Snelling Staffing, | | | | work for you for free. |
| Abbott Staffing Group, and Apple One, usually have | | | | Recruiter A will brief you before the interview and |
| both a store front and an online corporate web site | | | | debrief you afterwords. Recruiter C will present your |
| on which they post jobs. You can search for jobs | | | | qualifications to the company and debrief the firm |
| next door or in the next state. | | | | after the interview. Then the two recruiters will share |
| 6. Recruiters and Headhunters: "Recruiter" and | | | | notes and try to convince you to take the job and |
| "headhunter" are interchangeable terms for a person | | | | the company to give it to you. That's in the best of |
| who not only recruits job orders from companies but | | | | all possible worlds. What can go wrong? Recruiter C |
| also actively recruits candidates through personal | | | | may turn up his or her own candidate and, in an |
| phone calls and e-mails. Recruiters are 95% paid by | | | | effort to keep the entire fee, sabotage you. Is there |
| the corporate client, not by you, but it is always wise | | | | anything you can do to prevent this sabotage? Not |
| to verify. | | | | really. |
| The Ground Rules: | | | | How does a recruiter finds a candidate? First, the |
| A personnel counselor waits for you to walk in the | | | | recruiter gets a job order and a detailed description |
| door. He or she matches you up with a job order | | | | of the perfect candidate. The recruiter will look for |
| that he or she already has or finds a job that fits | | | | companies performing the same type of work. A |
| your specifications. If the person does not | | | | recruiter in El Paso, Texas had a job order for a |
| understand what you do now or what you want to | | | | person with experience in wireless communications. |
| do in your next job, it will be very difficult to make a | | | | Knowing that Motorola developed garage-door |
| job match. Therefore, be willing to educate this | | | | openers (which need wireless communications to |
| personnel counselor on your career field, the | | | | operate) and that the company was a bit vulnerable |
| intricacies of your job, and the type of company you | | | | to imminent layoffs, he located a Motorola division in |
| would like to join. | | | | Arizona and the man who designed the |
| A recruiter or headhunter is hired by a corporation to | | | | communication system for garage-door openers. |
| find exactly the person the company needs. Most | | | | Quick as a flash, he was able to contact the man, |
| recruiters are hired for their sales abilities. A few | | | | present the job opportunity, arrange an interview, |
| agencies hire someone with extensive experience in | | | | and the placement (hire) was made. |
| a field (e.g., electrical engineering) and teach him or | | | | P.S. It's not unusual for the job order to change after |
| her how to recruit and place candidates (like you). | | | | you are presented with the opportunity. If the |
| Because recruiters know the field, they can tell | | | | recruiter doesn't understand what the job requires, |
| whether the candidate is "blowing sunshine up their | | | | you may be presented for a job that does not exist. |
| skirts" or if the candidate actually knows the subject. | | | | If you don't fit the new and improved job |
| Rule 1: It is really OK to talk to a recruiter, even if he | | | | description, don't worry about it: there is a better job |
| or she calls you at work -- just don't... | | | | waiting for you. |
| 1. Exclaim joyfully that you are happy to be recruited. | | | | Rule 5: Never send your resume to more than one |
| 2. Denigrate your current boss or organization in any | | | | person within an office or chain of headhunters (e.g., |
| way. | | | | Management Recruiters, Inc.) Why? See #4. If you |
| Do: | | | | send your resume to Dave and Karen in the same |
| 1. Give the headhunter your cell or pager number or | | | | office, and they both present you to Terry, who |
| your e-mail. If you have none of the above OR your | | | | holds the job order, guess what happens out of your |
| only e-mail is corporate, then give your home phone | | | | line of sight? A huge fight! Dave and Karen both |
| number. | | | | want to represent you, the candidate. A recruiting |
| 2. If you only have a work e-mail, get a personal | | | | fee usually runs 33-50% of your first year's salary. |
| e-mail at any of the free sites such as Yahoo. If your | | | | Therefore, on a $60,000 salary, the fee is a minimum |
| private e-mail address is not professional using a | | | | of $18,000. Can you see why they are fighting? |
| hotmail account with a funny name, then now is the | | | | What usually happens? One of three things: |
| time to register for an additional e-mail. Employers | | | | 1. If the boss is a Gandhi of the recruitment world, |
| judge you on any number of levels and one is your | | | | then Karen and Dave may split half of the fee, each |
| e-mail address. Is it serious or flippant? Those who | | | | getting 25% of the fee. |
| are perceived as flippant rarely get interviews. | | | | 2. A neutral fourth person will check the incoming |
| 3. The recruiter should ask for a good time to call | | | | e-mails to see to whom you sent your resume first. |
| you or may ask, "Is 7 PM a good time to call you?" | | | | The person to whom you sent your resume first will |
| You can answer by saying "earlier" or "later" until you | | | | collect the fee when you are placed. |
| agree on a time. The fact that this recruiter sought | | | | 3. Most likely, if you don't get the job, no one in the |
| you out should be taken as a compliment. | | | | office will work with you. Why? To avoid another |
| 4. A friend who has been placed by this recruiter | | | | fight. Recruiters often snub candidates who appear |
| may earn a referral fee of $200-1000 if they refer | | | | to be so unconscious that they send their resume |
| you to the recruiter and you are placed in a new job. | | | | twice to the same office. |
| If you like your recruiter, remember to ask after you | | | | Rule 6: Recruiters often trawl for resumes by placing |
| are placed if there is a referral fee. If there is, refer | | | | job postings on web sites for very interesting jobs |
| your friends to the recruiter. Your friend will never | | | | which may or may not be open at that moment. It |
| know you referred them unless you give the | | | | could be that the recruiter already has someone lined |
| recruiter permission to tell or you tell your friend. | | | | up for the job and is taking this opportunity to collect |
| Rule 2: Never assume that the recruiter actually | | | | qualified resumes. By law, a recruiter cannot post a |
| knows what you do -- let alone the nuances of what | | | | job which does not exist, so you don't have to |
| you do. Explain what you do in small words and | | | | worry about that. |
| slowly since this person is probably taking notes. | | | | Remember: the recruiter who presents the candidate |
| Here is an example of the process of informing the | | | | gets half the fee when the placement is made so it |
| recruiter. In 1999 during an Internet-based job hunt, | | | | behooves the recruiter to have as many resumes as |
| Jerry, who is a UNIX systems administrator posted | | | | possible. If this is the case, that is fine. Send your |
| his resume, responded to job postings, and | | | | resume. You never know if this is an open job order |
| investigated technical job hunting web sites (such as | | | | or not. If it is, get in line. If it isn't, then convince this |
| DICE) on weekends. During the weekdays, he had | | | | recruiter of how exceptional you are and the |
| the glorious opportunity to return calls to | | | | recruiter will be motivated to find you a great job. |
| headhunters. (Quick side note: While it's cute having | | | | Rule 7: The recruiter or the personnel counselor may |
| your 5-year-old twins tape the outgoing message on | | | | ask you where you have interviewed and/or sent |
| your home answering machine, that message is not | | | | your resume already OR where another placement |
| what you want a recruiter or prospective new | | | | professional has sent you to interview. Why? |
| employer to hear first. Record a professional | | | | 1. The recruiter does not want to present you for |
| message on your home phone as well as your cell | | | | jobs where your resume is already "in play." For one |
| phone. Once you're hired, the twins can come back | | | | thing, it makes the recruiter appear unprofessional to |
| and record another outgoing message.) | | | | the hiring authority because they did not have |
| At least half of the recruiters presented jobs that | | | | enough candidate control that they garnered this |
| had nothing to do with UNIX in any way, shape, or | | | | piece of information ahead of time (or that the |
| form. Another 48 percent assumed that a UNIX | | | | recruiter is greedily out to get a piece of the fee). |
| systems administrator with AIX working on an RS | | | | 2. The recruiter seeks to contact those companies to |
| 6000 was also absolutely brilliant on Sun Solaris right | | | | which you have applied, obtain a job order, and make |
| now. He wasn't.The last 2 percent were willing to | | | | a placement. |
| actually listen to Jerry, find out what he knew and | | | | What should you do? It is easier to tell the recruiter |
| didn't know, and then -- lo and behold -- actually | | | | where you have interviewed than to have them |
| present him to jobs for which he was qualified. | | | | embarrassed later on by the company. If the |
| However, Jerry had to spend time educating each | | | | recruiter finds out that you are under consideration |
| interested recruiter. One way was to send an e-mail | | | | by the company, the recruiter is likely to stop |
| cover letter of Jerry's career and education highlights. | | | | working with you to prevent this from happening |
| (Why? Recruiters and personnel counselors present | | | | again. Keep an accurate, up-to-date list of where you |
| you to the potential employer by using three bullet | | | | have sent your resume and where you have |
| points of your accomplishments. If you give the | | | | interviewed, whether the initiating contact was by |
| recruiter this sales pitch, it makes it much easier to | | | | you or a recruiter. Even if it is to a different division |
| place you.) Jerry sent six bullet points and let the | | | | of the same company, ONLY reapply if YOU sent |
| recruiter pick the three most applicable to that job | | | | your resume in the first place. |
| posting. This effort paid off: the recruiter knew how | | | | If a recruiter or personnel counselor presented you |
| to present Jerry to his best advantage, and Jerry | | | | for IBM Finance, then you cannot apply for any other |
| eventually got the job at a 25 percent salary increase | | | | division of IBM anywhere in the world. The recruiter |
| over his previous job. | | | | may have a vested interest in you (and in collecting a |
| Rule 3: The theory on what to put into the cover | | | | fee), even if you are hired by a division to which the |
| letter accompanying your Internet resume is: | | | | recruiter did not present you. Recruiters have |
| 1. Keep the cover letter as short as possible so that | | | | successfully collected a fee from an employer when |
| it fits on one screen of a computer monitor without | | | | the candidate was hired not for the job for which |
| having to scroll down. | | | | they were presented but for another job |
| 2. Use bullets. | | | | somewhere else in the company. |
| 3. Care for your personnel counselor or headhunter | | | | If Recruiter Z presents you for a job at KPMG but |
| by giving them short sentences about your education | | | | doesn't tell you who the hiring authority is, you are |
| and accomplishments which they can use as a sales | | | | not responsible later on if Recruiter Y presents you |
| pitch when they present you to the company. The | | | | to the same company. In that case, tell Y that you |
| easier you make it for them, the more they will be | | | | did not know. Recruiters often do not say who the |
| willing to work for you! | | | | hiring authority is. In this case, you are not at fault |
| Here's an example: | | | | and both recruiters should continue to work with you. |
| My name is Jerry W------. | | | | If the recruiter contacts the companies you have |
| I am responding to your job posting for a UNIX | | | | interviewed with, that is fine. Even if the recruiter |
| Systems Administrator. Briefly my career includes, but | | | | gets one job order out of this, it is not a problem. |
| is not limited to: | | | | You will find the right job for you. |
| M.S. Computer Information Sciences, Rensselaer | | | | Rule 8: Keep in contact with the headhunter. If he or |
| Polytechnic Institute. | | | | she thinks you want to work with him or her, the |
| Ten years as a UNIX Systems Administrator in | | | | recruiter is more likely to make an effort to place |
| AIX, DG/UX, AT&T System. | | | | you. E-mail any recruiter who contacts you at least |
| Rapid learning curve as demonstrated by | | | | once a week - unless the recruiter has an IQ less |
| becoming literate on AIX in one week based on my | | | | than 90. |
| earlier experiences. | | | | Rule 9: Keep putting your resume out there. The |
| Integrated an AIX UNIX system with an | | | | right job is looking for you right now. You just have |
| Ethernet TCP/IP Windows 95/NT network within 21 | | | | to be willing to look and keep looking until you find it. |
| days of my hire. | | | | If you care for your recruiter by feeding him or her |
| Converted to PCs, which emulated terminals, | | | | easy bites of information (information that may be |
| thereby eliminating dumb terminals and having two | | | | passed on by the recruiter to the client company |
| systems on each employee's desk. | | | | with no modification, thus making the recruiter's job |
| Wrote and presented papers at international | | | | that much easier), you have just increased your |
| conferences on computer security issues. | | | | chances of getting hired. |
| Since I am employed, please call me at home at --- | | | | |