By now, you should know that to land a job in today’s highly competitive market, you will need to do more than send out resumes online. Maximize and leverage as many job search tactics and strategies that will connect you with key decision makers.
If executive recruiters are on your list as part of your job search plan, you should know a few quick tips on how to grab their attention and form a new relationship.
However, before you jump out there and start calling or emailing every recruiter listed on the Internet, you should at least understand their work world and some other challenges they deal with. Here are some for starters...
- They spend about four to five hours a day on the phone
- They make contact with at least 500 people every week
- They can receive anywhere from 500 to 1,000 emails every day (with social media communication at an all time high, that number can be much higher)
- They rely on their network for current industry information and market trends
- They are compensated for finding the right candidate for their client (companies)
Keeping that mental picture of a recruiter’s daily challenges, which of the following strategies do you need to beef up to get a recruiter’s attention?
1) Have specific job targets
Most recruiters will be specialized by industry and/or function. For example, a recruiter may only work with healthcare professionals while another may specialize in placing executives in all industries. A recruiter’s primary goal is to make a placement, so if you are unclear about your job targets or you are open to any opportunity that comes up, a recruiter is probably not your best option.
2) Be clear and consistent in your marketing message
Whether your first contact with a recruiter is by telephone, e-mail or a quick note through LinkedIn, you must be able to quickly articulate your core competencies and qualifications, the value you bring to the table and have evidence of your career achievements.
In case you're wondering, yes, yes...take the time to prepare and practice your 30-second elevator pitch.
3) Develop a comprehensive resume
If you want recruiters to work for you, you need to tell them everything and I mean everything about your career background - the highs, the lows and everything in between.
--Your resume should have the dates for every position (starting and ending) and the graduation years in the education section despite your age.
-- Top tier degrees should be listed on the first page of the resume and use a bulleted format to highlight your quantifiable accomplishments.
Tip: If you are concerned about revealing too much, you can create a separate resume that is just for recruiters only.
4) Get creative in your cover letter or direct email
Saw a recruiter-listed job opportunity? Grab their attention by inserting a table with two columns that compares your qualifications against the job requirements - make it easy for the recruiter to see whether you are match. With the overwhelming amount of candidates competing for the recruiter’s attention, don’t leave anything to chances.
5) Make your email subject line catchy
A compelling subject line message may prompt recruiters to open your e-mail right away. Use something to make an immediate connection - if you were referred by someone or met the recruiter recently at a networking event, mention that in the subject line.
6) Think twice about massive e-mail blasts
Technology can be both your friend and your enemy in a job search. The high volume of email have caused many recruiters to utilize email filtering and bulk mail programs. While you may have the opportunity to send your resume and cover letter to 500 recruiters, there is no guarantee that it will be seen.
In addition, there are some recruiters may choose to ignore resumes sent through bulk mail as they view the candidates as being unfocused.
7) Honesty counts
There are consequences to lying, omissions and misrepresentations made to recruiters. First of all, a majority of recruiters use Google, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and other business and social networking sites to learn more about candidates. Consequently, being dishonest and hiding critical facts are the fastest ways to ruin a relationship with a recruiter.
For those who are executive recruiters, what other suggestions do you have?
About Abby, Executive Career Architect, Job Search Expert, Master Resume Writer
Ask yourself these questions:
-- Does your executive resume accurately describe your management style and leadership capabilities?
-- Is your executive resume rich with compelling Challenge-Action-Results success stories that indicate your value contribution?
-- Does your executive resume convey enthusiasm or energy motivating employers to contact you?
-- Has your executive resume been generating a stream of employer responses for the right jobs?
If you have answered no to any of these questions, you should be talking to Abby Locke. She is an executive resume writer helps senior-level executives to achieve career success through cutting-edge, brand-focused career documents and proactive career management strategies.
Her distinctive executive resume samples have been published in 14 national career publications...click here to schedule a resume consultation.
