How the heck can you catch a recruiter's attention?
Here is some great inside info for jobseekers looking to get noticed by recruiters:
FORTY-ONE per cent of recruiters say jobseekers can best attract their attention by engaging in regular social interactions, taking out membership in business or trade associations, attending conferences and seminars, and getting involved with alumni organizations.
For executives, the best way to attract recruiters’ attention is to:
- Work for a highly regarded company 36%
- Proactively develop recruiter relationships 29%
- Be the highest performer in a department 20%
- 42 per cent of recruiters said cultural fit gives an executive the biggest edge as a job candidate, but educational background came in last at just 1 per cent.
Source: Korn/Ferry International
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7 comments:
Hi Wendy: Thanks for sharing this information. I think this applies not only to recruiters but to company insiders who may take notice of the job seeker and make a referral to a hiring manager. Still, in today’s increasingly commoditized market, I believe that job seekers also need to develop clarity about what sets them apart, and then be able to effectively communicate their unique promise of value. According to an article in the November 6, 2006 issue of Time magazine: "It’s a Brand-You World." Given this, I think we’ll see a rise in the importance of personal branding for all job seekers – and perhaps even more for 50+ individuals.
Walter, I couldn't agree with you more. Not enough people spend enough time on clearly defining their personal brand, their strategy for finding a job, or their network contacts. I always enjoy your comments.
Thanks Wendy! And I enjoy your posts!
Branding is critical to attracting recruiters to your qualifications. But branding is as much about how others brand you as it is about how you brand yourself. For example, Google builds brands and acts as a third party referral. Branding on LinkedIn solicits calls from recruiters, as does every stage appearance and quote in a newspaper or newsletter. Third parties, wherever they may be found, are the key to memorable branding - if "someone else says that you are the expert in your field or industry" ? then it must be true.
Three little words that will have big impact for the mature workforce... Specialize... Specialize... Specialize!
For mature workers, specialization is a good way of branding. By specializing, a person becomes branded as the guru of some talent that has taken "time and experience" to (l)earn. For example, my brand with Spherion is that of Subject Matter Expert of the Mature Workforce. Little do they know (or need to know until they meet me) that this is the tip of an iceberg in terms of experience.
Great brands are simple, easy to remember, replicable and they set you apart from the crowd. Recruiters will call, assuming your brand is well-aligned with marketplace need.
Now Google me and you'll soon see how powerful this tool can be in the branding task.
Thanks for stopping by Carleen. Your articles on Spherion are excellent.
You bring up some great points. There is no question that specialization is key. And positioning of that specialization is critical. As googling oneself so clearly points out.
Carleen, you make excellent points! Yes! Specialization is key to branding! It creates clarity about one’s expertise and is central to conveying the value one can deliver. Unfortunately, in my experience with mid-life folks in outplacement, this is counterintuitive; many people say they want to remain “open” and tend to resist defining a specific area of expertise. As for Google, it is a powerful branding tool! By the way, I did Google you and love your point over view!
When I think about the many advantages of working during our maturity, I think of how unfortunate it is that so many folks don't understand how to leverage those advantages.
Our shared perspective on branding and positioning is important for us to teach and for others to learn.
Thanks to you - Wendy and Walter -for including my comments with your own.
Carleen
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