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Professional Recruiters — The Job Market Specialists
By Dave Bontempo, For The Bulletin
Everyone relies on professionals to help manage life’s really important issues. You have a doctor to monitor your health, a dentist to care for your teeth, your auto mechanic handles your car, and if you’re smart, you leave plumbing issues to a licensed plumber.
So, who helps manage your career?
Registering with a recruiting firm should be high on the list of every job seeker’s priorities. An experienced professional recruiter can become your partner in successfully managing your career, helping you to avoid pitfalls and steering you towards exciting opportunities.
Long gone are the days of the generation that worked for the same firm for 50 years, garnering a gold watch plus a sizeable pension. Today’s typical employee will work for numerous companies throughout a career and the key to progressing with each move is to establish a professional relationship with a few experienced recruiters long before you need them.
An established and reputable recruiting firm will specialize in a few industries; stay away from generalist firms that try to be jacks-of-all-trades as they usually master none. Just as you would consult a specialist for a specific medical issue (you’d never go to a podiatrist for a heart problem), be specific when turning to advisors to guide you in career decisions. If your expertise is in Internet Technology (IT), a search firm with a concentration in health care won’t be of much help.
That said, most reputable staffing companies have multiple contacts within the staffing industry and should be able to refer you to another company that can help. Often, search firms work “splits” with other offices. In other words, if a firm can refer you to an associate company which specializes in your industry, the referring office can split a fee with any staffing company which places you in a position. Therefore, it is in a search firm’s best interests to help you by referring you to a qualified associate if the company you initially contact is unable to assist you.
So, how do you find the search firm that’s right for you? Good, old-fashioned leg work. Research companies on the internet by area of specialization. You’re looking for a company with contacts in your industry. Call and ask to speak to a recruiter in your area of specialization. Once you make the initial contact, the recruiter should ask to see a current resume, even if there are no openings matching your skill set at the moment. A good recruiter is always on the lookout for quality candidates to keep on file for their best clients.
Ask if you can meet with the recruiter at a convenient time to discuss both current opportunities as well as anything which might open up in the future. As with any personal interview, this is your opportunity to sell yourself. If you can forge a relationship with a seasoned recruiter, they will know which of their clients might be able to utilize your skills as well as be a good fit with your personality. If a recruiter and candidate work well together, it’s not unusual for the recruiter to place an applicant multiple times over the course of the worker’s career.
Experienced recruiters are in the job marketplace all day, every day. They know which companies are struggling or laying off workers, and conversely, which are hiring. Professional recruiters frequently have inside information about which companies are ready to expand or launch new products. More importantly, they know the movers and shakers within individual companies and can steer qualified applicants to company decision makers. Also, as noted, established recruiters know each other and can market your credentials to other recruiters (think of a multi-listing service for real estate professionals), ensuring that you receive the highest saturation level for your resume.
A strong recruiter will assist you with critiquing your resume and will suggest phrases and key words you can include to get your resume noticed in larger companies. Many quality recruiting firms have resume writing services available should you need to start from scratch, but a seasoned recruiter will often make changes and suggestions free of charge, especially if your skill set matches an open position.
A word about fees. Professional recruiting firms never charge a fee to an applicant. Client companies pay the recruiter for knowledge of the marketplace as well as for expertise in matching the client’s needs with the most qualified candidates available. If a search firm offers to help you for a fee, walk away and don’t look back. A qualified candidate is an asset to a professional search firm and should be treated as such.
Once your resume is in order, a recruiter will match up your qualifications with current openings. He or she will also market you and your skills to both client companies as well as other recruiters with associated firms. If a position matches your background, the recruiter will present you to the client. When the client expresses interest, either a telephone or face-to-face interview is set up. A solid recruiter prepares you for the interview, providing a complete job description, company information and background information on the individuals with whom you’ll be meeting. After the interview takes place, the recruiter will debrief you, aiding you in managing the thank-you process, and hopefully, setting up a second interview.
If all goes well and you prove a good fit for the position, a recruiter manages reference checks, compiling them and presenting them to the client in a way which highlights your good points. In a best case scenario, the recruiter negotiates an offer to you from the company, working to get you the best compensation available. (Even though the recruiter technically works for the client company, most search firms receive fees based on the successful applicant’s first year negotiated salary. Consequently, the best compensation package for you is also the most profitable for the recruiter.)
Finally, a professional recruiter helps you manage the resignation process from your current position, guiding you through counter-offers and easing the transition from one position to another, ensuring a successful move for both you and the client company. (Beware! Studies show that employees accepting counter offers still leave their current employers within six months.)
Once you establish a relationship with a seasoned recruiter, keep in touch, via a phone call or email every few weeks, even if the search firm has no current openings. Again, a qualified applicant is an asset and keeping your name in the forefront increases your chances that you’ll get a call when a potential employment situation becomes available. In addition, many recruiters are also adept career coaches and can suggest ways in which you might make your skill set more marketable.
Even in a tough economy, perhaps especially, it’s important for workers to establish long-term relationships with professional recruiters who have the current pulse of the job market. Seasoned recruiters are the career specialists who will help you navigate the ups and downs of your professional life, succeeding along with you every step of the way.
Dave Bontempo is owner of The Bontempo Group, a full service executive search firm located in Bucks County. Contact him at info@bontempogroup.com with questions for this column.
So, who helps manage your career?
Registering with a recruiting firm should be high on the list of every job seeker’s priorities. An experienced professional recruiter can become your partner in successfully managing your career, helping you to avoid pitfalls and steering you towards exciting opportunities.
Long gone are the days of the generation that worked for the same firm for 50 years, garnering a gold watch plus a sizeable pension. Today’s typical employee will work for numerous companies throughout a career and the key to progressing with each move is to establish a professional relationship with a few experienced recruiters long before you need them.
An established and reputable recruiting firm will specialize in a few industries; stay away from generalist firms that try to be jacks-of-all-trades as they usually master none. Just as you would consult a specialist for a specific medical issue (you’d never go to a podiatrist for a heart problem), be specific when turning to advisors to guide you in career decisions. If your expertise is in Internet Technology (IT), a search firm with a concentration in health care won’t be of much help.
That said, most reputable staffing companies have multiple contacts within the staffing industry and should be able to refer you to another company that can help. Often, search firms work “splits” with other offices. In other words, if a firm can refer you to an associate company which specializes in your industry, the referring office can split a fee with any staffing company which places you in a position. Therefore, it is in a search firm’s best interests to help you by referring you to a qualified associate if the company you initially contact is unable to assist you.
So, how do you find the search firm that’s right for you? Good, old-fashioned leg work. Research companies on the internet by area of specialization. You’re looking for a company with contacts in your industry. Call and ask to speak to a recruiter in your area of specialization. Once you make the initial contact, the recruiter should ask to see a current resume, even if there are no openings matching your skill set at the moment. A good recruiter is always on the lookout for quality candidates to keep on file for their best clients.
Ask if you can meet with the recruiter at a convenient time to discuss both current opportunities as well as anything which might open up in the future. As with any personal interview, this is your opportunity to sell yourself. If you can forge a relationship with a seasoned recruiter, they will know which of their clients might be able to utilize your skills as well as be a good fit with your personality. If a recruiter and candidate work well together, it’s not unusual for the recruiter to place an applicant multiple times over the course of the worker’s career.
Experienced recruiters are in the job marketplace all day, every day. They know which companies are struggling or laying off workers, and conversely, which are hiring. Professional recruiters frequently have inside information about which companies are ready to expand or launch new products. More importantly, they know the movers and shakers within individual companies and can steer qualified applicants to company decision makers. Also, as noted, established recruiters know each other and can market your credentials to other recruiters (think of a multi-listing service for real estate professionals), ensuring that you receive the highest saturation level for your resume.
A strong recruiter will assist you with critiquing your resume and will suggest phrases and key words you can include to get your resume noticed in larger companies. Many quality recruiting firms have resume writing services available should you need to start from scratch, but a seasoned recruiter will often make changes and suggestions free of charge, especially if your skill set matches an open position.
A word about fees. Professional recruiting firms never charge a fee to an applicant. Client companies pay the recruiter for knowledge of the marketplace as well as for expertise in matching the client’s needs with the most qualified candidates available. If a search firm offers to help you for a fee, walk away and don’t look back. A qualified candidate is an asset to a professional search firm and should be treated as such.
Once your resume is in order, a recruiter will match up your qualifications with current openings. He or she will also market you and your skills to both client companies as well as other recruiters with associated firms. If a position matches your background, the recruiter will present you to the client. When the client expresses interest, either a telephone or face-to-face interview is set up. A solid recruiter prepares you for the interview, providing a complete job description, company information and background information on the individuals with whom you’ll be meeting. After the interview takes place, the recruiter will debrief you, aiding you in managing the thank-you process, and hopefully, setting up a second interview.
If all goes well and you prove a good fit for the position, a recruiter manages reference checks, compiling them and presenting them to the client in a way which highlights your good points. In a best case scenario, the recruiter negotiates an offer to you from the company, working to get you the best compensation available. (Even though the recruiter technically works for the client company, most search firms receive fees based on the successful applicant’s first year negotiated salary. Consequently, the best compensation package for you is also the most profitable for the recruiter.)
Finally, a professional recruiter helps you manage the resignation process from your current position, guiding you through counter-offers and easing the transition from one position to another, ensuring a successful move for both you and the client company. (Beware! Studies show that employees accepting counter offers still leave their current employers within six months.)
Once you establish a relationship with a seasoned recruiter, keep in touch, via a phone call or email every few weeks, even if the search firm has no current openings. Again, a qualified applicant is an asset and keeping your name in the forefront increases your chances that you’ll get a call when a potential employment situation becomes available. In addition, many recruiters are also adept career coaches and can suggest ways in which you might make your skill set more marketable.
Even in a tough economy, perhaps especially, it’s important for workers to establish long-term relationships with professional recruiters who have the current pulse of the job market. Seasoned recruiters are the career specialists who will help you navigate the ups and downs of your professional life, succeeding along with you every step of the way.
Dave Bontempo is owner of The Bontempo Group, a full service executive search firm located in Bucks County. Contact him at info@bontempogroup.com with questions for this column.
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