How to Utilize Recruiters in Your Job Search

5 Easy Tips on How to Best Utilize Recruiters in Your Job Search

Some of your most frustrating experiences as a job seeker may stem from your interactions with third-party recruiters. Much of this friction occurs when job seekers mistake a recruiter for a job search "agent." However, whether you like it or not, recruiters are often a necessary part of the job-seeking process. The truth is that a recruiter's first obligation lies in locating the best candidate for their client’s job opening. Most recruiters work on a contingency basis and only receive compensation when they make a successful placement. This type of incentive system means that the candidates with the most marketable skills will likely receive the most attention.

The close relationship between recruiters and employers means that they can often put you on the fast tract to an interview. Here are 5 sure-fire strategies that can make working with recruiters more successful:

• Do not bury important information. Due to the sheer volume of resumes recruiters see each day, you have only seconds to GRAB your reader’s attention. Be sure that your resume clearly and effectively communicates your background in 5-10 seconds. You must customize your resume to each job that you apply to, in order to specifically show how your background fits each aspect of the job description.

In addition, if a recruiter requests that you customize your resume and cover letter for a specific opening they need to fill, get on it right away. In today’s job market, any unnecessary delay could cause you to miss your window of opportunity.

• Act as your own sales person. During a job search, you must act as a sales person and market your skills and experience to others. When you contact a recruiter, give them a sales pitch of your own so they can clearly understand how you fit the job and why you are a valuable candidate. Never assume that the recruiter has an intimate knowledge of your industry. Don't be afraid to briefly clarify a few aspects of your industry, as this little bit of education may help them help you.

RECRUITER TIP: Ed Freeman of Employment Atlanta encourages you to, "Make sure the recruiter handles your specialty and has been in the business for a while. There is a lot of turnover in our industry, so it's important to find a recruiter with experience."

• Be persistent and regularly be in contact. Reach out to your recruiter on a regular basis, but always understand the fine line between being persistent and being a pain in the neck. Recruiter Tom Graumann of Integrity Search in Maryville, TN offers this advice: "Candidates need to pay attention to which companies the agency submits their resume. Too often, candidates get impatient and submit their resume directly to the company, or tell other agencies to submit their resume for the same job and it wrecks havoc on the hiring process. Some candidates feel that the more exposure they can get at a company the better, when in fact that tends to work against the candidate."

RECRUITER TIP: Jeff Goro, a recruiter for the printing and packaging industry, shares: "Candidates should send resumes to individual recruiters. When emailing your resume, do not "cc" or have a distribution list of recruiters. Nothing turns off a recruiter more than when they receive a resume sent to several hundred other recruiters. I know that candidates will send their resume to other recruiters, but I don't want to be part of a distribution list."

• Learn to be a source of information. If a recruiter arranges an interview for you with one of their clients, let them know how things went. This helps the recruiter anticipate the next step with that client. Even if you decide you do not want the position, provide your recruiter with any additional insight you’ve gained regarding what skills and expertise the employer requires. This helps the recruiter in both the selection and preparation of future job candidates.
• Do not take rejection personally. Recruiters have many reasons for not working with a job seeker; so don’t let this discourage you in your search. If possible, try to discover why the recruiter felt you were not a fit for the job. It may just be that your resume does a poor job of communicating your background.

-Mike Worthington

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Negotiations 101: Start With What You Want

Negotiations 101:

Start With What You Want

Star Maker Rule #1: You’ll never get anything if you don’t ask for it!

A client called me recently for help in negotiating a job offer. She had been out of work for many months and she was feeling desperate. When I asked her what she wanted out of the negotiation process, she said she was afraid to ask for anything much because she needed the job so badly. She didn’t feel she had much to negotiate with.

It’s true that in a situation like this, the other side appears to have more power than you do. But, once a commitment is made to you in the form of an offer, the power moves to your side of the board. While you won’t want to screw up the deal by being over the top in your requests (read: demands), it is still perfectly OK to ask for something. If you stop yourself from asking, then you are not negotiating. You are capitulating. It’s only a negotiation when you are willing to engage the other side in a give-and-take dance for the tangibles and/or intangibles you wish to acquire.

What do you really want?

Let’s look at how a situation like this one might actually go. First, be honest. What do you really want? More money? More vacation? Delayed start date? What are you willing to give up, concede or modify to get what you want? In the example, this individual was being hired as a contractor. Her customer offered to pay her a small amount before starting the work and two additional payments over the ten-month assignment. My client, who hadn’t had a regular paycheck in over a year, wanted to receive her fee in monthly installments. In fact, she would have loved to be on their payroll for the length of the assignment so she could participate in their medical plan. Tall order, huh? Not necessarily!

What does the other side want?

It’s just as important to know or look for clues about what the other side wants. In this case, the customer really wanted my client for the project because her background, experience and industry connections were both outstanding and rare. Did they want her enough to dicker?

What are you willing to give up?

The customer had included a substantial guaranteed performance bonus for achieving specific results as a part of the deal. That bonus became a lever for my client to ask for what she wanted. She was willing to exchange part of the guaranteed bonus for a regular paycheck and benefits.

How do you think it turned out? Scroll down for the answer.

Want to be a better negotiator? The best negotiators . . .

• Aim high. They don’t settle at the outset for asking for less than what they want.
• Gather information.
• Listen.
• Know their subject matter.
• Read signals. They are adept at interpreting clues about what the other side wants and needs.
• Ask good questions.
• Express them selves well.
• Think clearly under pressure.
• Put personal integrity first.
• Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
• Knowledge is power! Spend time getting clear on what you want before beginning any negotiation process.

Did my client get what she wanted? If you said, “Yes, your client got what she wanted”, you’re only half-right. Both sides got what they wanted! (For more on being a win/win negotiator, stop by the FREE Resources page on my web site at starmakercoaching.com)

Whether it’s who moves through the intersection first or what the terms of the employment agreement are, life is full of negotiations.

Describe a situation in your life right now that involves a negotiation. Write down what you want in as much detail as you can think of. What are some of the things (tangible and intangible) the other side wants? What are you willing to give up to get what you want?

Tools & Resources

Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People by G. Richard Shell

Negotiate Your Job Offer by Mary B. Simon

The Tao of Negotiation: How You Can Prevent, Resolve and Transcend Conflick in Work and Everyday Life by Joel Edelman and Mary Beth Crain

-Mariette Edwards

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How to Pick The Right Coach for You

How To Pick the Right Coach For You

Are you feeling called to hire a coach to create your extraordinary life?

As you will discover there are lots of "coaches" out there. But some folks who use the term "coach" don't have enough training, or follow ethical and professional standards.

Before you begin investigating coaches, begin thinking about why you want to hire a coach, and some of your short-term and long-term goals. That way you'll be able to locate a coach who resonates with your personality and your aspirations.

Meanwhile, here are three guidelines to help you make a wise choice.

1. The key criteria I would use in hiring a coach consists first of finding out what their training as a coach has been.

Have they attended or are they currently attending a coach training program? Is the school or program a reputable one that includes classes, exams, and a certification program? Did the coach get feedback and supervision about their coaching from more advanced coaches and trainers?

You'll want to know that the coach has learned the actual skills and competencies that are standard in coaching by attending a coach training program. Whenever I go to a professional for services, I certainly expect that they be trained to provide the service, so this is a most important starting place.

2. Next, I would be curious about their background.

If I want to start a successful business, I'd want a coach who is a role model of that. If I want to have more balance in my life, I'd want evidence my coach lives this way. A coach is someone who is ahead of you right now that will assist you to move forward with them and their experience in business and life is highly valuable.

Are they walking their talk? As you are clear on your goals, you'll want to find a coach who has quickly and effortlessly achieved such vision and can coach you to achieve your goals and way beyond.

3. The final criteria is understanding the personality and chemistry that feels right for you.

Some coaches are pushovers and will let you slide and get away with not moving forward fast. They match what some people are looking for.

Other coaches are on the opposite end of the spectrum and are what we call "edgy" and they push hard and expect you to run rapidly. That personality may fit for you and inspire you.

Yet others are a blend - they can be supportive and loving - yet give you a kick-start if and when you are sluggish.

Think about what style you may enjoy most. If you'd get angry with an edgy coach, then one wouldn't match for you. If you felt the softer approach wasn't going to get you going fast enough, then pass that coach by.

It is for you to get clear on the style that fits.

Terri Levine
President, Comprehensive Coaching U- As Seen In The Wall Street Journal
Author of BESTSELLER, Work Yourself Happy & Coaching for an Extraordinary Life

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