A Recruiter Shares Some Job Search Tips
As a third party recruiter and headhunter it is one of our obligations to our client, the employer, not only to locate and pre-screen qualified candidates but to assess their interest levels and follow-up skills. The reality is that the recruiter becomes an extension of the client, closely following and professionally scrutinizing the actions of the candidates we represent–prior to and during the course of all interview activity.
If a recruiter places a call to set up interview with a prospective candidate and does not hear back within a reasonable time, the recruiter may assume the candidate either has lost interest or has poor follow-up skills. Since the bulk of our recruiting centers on sales and sales management it is expected that a job seeker will sell themselves to an employer during the interview process.Timely follow-up to phone calls, emails, faxes, and letters is critical. Unfortunately, unforeseen communication problems can derail a job seeker’s interview process and send the wrong message to both recruiters and employers.
Not too long ago I had two final candidates interview for a regional sales management position.We were near the final stages of the interview and our client called at the end of the day, a Friday, to schedule a flight early Monday.I called the candidate and left a voicemail on Friday night. I called again Saturday and left a message with a family member. By late Saturday I believed that he had lost interest.He had apparently never received either of the messages I had left for him. By the time he called me two days later another candidate was placed in that position. His unintentional lack of follow-up cost him a great opportunity.
Job seekers must ensure that the contact information they provide on their resume is reliable. Your resume should be updated regularly.In response to one of our postings this week, one of our recruiters received a resume from a job seeker who had a disconnected phone number listed in the resume.The telephone is still a crucial part of the recruitment process; there have been other cases in which individuals are on the phone when we call, do not answer call waiting and allow the phone to continue to ring. Remember–if someone can’t leave a message for you, then they cannot offer you an interview or a position.
So how can a job seeker be better prepared if they believe that they are at risk of missing opportunities like some of the people I just mentioned?I have located a few Web sites that may provide solutions for the above-mentioned scenarios. Still, they should be used in conjunction with traditional communication services.There are many companies that provide free email services, but sites like uReach.com provide users with a simplified communications service including free email, voicemail, and fax services. Users can receive a free toll-free phone number that allows customized greetings and lets callers leave voicemail messages in the subscriber’s email inbox. Users can then either sign in online or call in and retrieve these messages remotely just as they might with their home answering machines. How simple and convenient! You can also activate the call forwarding feature that allows the toll free number to ring on any phone you desire. Web sites offering similar services are constantly emerging but some of our favorite picks are uReach.com, OneBox.com, One Red Cube, and Yahoo! By Phone.
President, Search 180
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