Feature Article: Are Headhunters Calling You . . . Or Ignoring You? Ex-Recruiter Reveals Secrets
to Gaining Headhunters' Attention
Special Feature: A Day in the Life of a Headhunter
A Quintet of Quick Questions: QuintZine's Q&A with a Career Expert: Employment Search Expert Kristen Griffin
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
Latest Additions: What's New on Quintessential Careers
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
I certainly have learned a lot about recruiters and headhunters in the
last year. I must admit, I once thought that working with recruiters/
headhunters was of limited value to job-seekers. But experts like our friend
Darrell Gurney, who first graced the pages of QuintZine a year ago, have changed
my viewpoint. Darrell offers more of his expertise about headhunters/recruiters in this
issue, as does guest contributor Deb Walker. And the subject of this issue's Q&A, Kristen
Griffin, also has a background in recruiting.
Hope you're learning as much as I am about how helpful headhunters/recruiters can be.
This issue date is 03-03-03, which is even more auspicious because it's technically
QuintZine's 3rd anniversary. But we're postponing the celebration until later in the
month when we can bring you an even more power-packed issue.
Are Headhunters Calling You . . . Or Ignoring You? Ex-Recruiter Reveals Secrets
to Gaining Headhunters' Attention
by Deborah Walker, CCM
In my former life as a recruiter (also affectionately referred to as "headhunter"), I received hundreds of
resumes a week from all parts of the country. The statement that a person's resume gets a 15-second read is not far from
the truth. In fact, 15 seconds is a generous assumption. In reality, a resume must capture the recruiter's attention in
the first five seconds to avoid the round file. Candidates can greatly improve their chance of catching the recruiter's
attention by following three simple rules:
1. Use the correct format.
2. Include plenty of quantifiable accomplishments.
3. Sprinkle liberally with appropriate keywords.
Special Feature: A Day in the Life of a Headhunter
by Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP
A favorite lesson from the classics of cinema can be found in "To Kill a Mockingbird," the 1962 film starring
Gregory Peck. At one point, Uncle Atticus tells his young daughter, Scout, that she will get along better in life by
learning one simple trick: You only really understand people when you consider things from their point of view -- when you
get into their skin and walk around in it. Similarly, to best understand and appreciate the value of "relationship maintenance,"
it is helpful to have a feel for what goes on in a headhunter's typical day. So, let's explore the nature of the beast you are
courting -- or being courted by.
Recruiters organize their days in various ways, all centering around certain basic activities. A headhunter, you might say,
manages the flow of several pipelines, which must stay full, alive, and vibrant if the business is to be successful. With
any of these pipelines out of commission, the headhunter is out of commission -- and, consequently, earns no commission.
A recruiter focuses on balancing these activities and increasing the flow in each of the pipelines --
as described in the full article.
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Kristen Griffin, experienced in the recruitment field since 1995, owns Griffin Career Solutions in Richmond, VA.
Speaking in our Q&A with her about what strategies worked in attracting
her attention when she was a recruiter, Kristen Griffin said:
"My first contact with a candidate is through his/her résumé
and cover letter. My first piece of advice is to ensure that
your employment-search documents are attractive, well organized,
and quickly provide the recruiter with the information needed
to determine a possible match. If you really want to catch
the eye of a recruiter, I recommend sending your resume and
cover
letter the old fashioned way via regular mail; it shows
initiative. Or deliver it in person if you are able to. Another
tip -- résumés that were enclosed in 9 x 12 white/off-white
envelopes, unfolded, marked at the bottom right-hand 'resume
enclosed' always caught my eye first!"
Read more of Griffin's advice, including avoiding recruiter fishing
expeditions, how to make yourself stand out as a job-seeker in a tough
economy, the skills employers are really looking for, and the pitfalls
of Internet job-hunting in our
Q&A with her.
Katharine Hansen Earns Prestigious Credentialed Career Master (CCM) Designation
Katharine Hansen, editor of QuintZine and creative director
of Quintessential Careers, has completed a rigorous
evaluation process to earn her Credentialed Career Master
designation. The CCM, the first credential of its kind for
career and employment industry professionals:
Validates Hansen's expertise within her field of practice.
Demonstrates her commitment to the careers community through
her active participation in continuing professional education
and development programs.
Indicates her knowledge of the current trends in the careers
community and the employment market.
Instantly email your resume to 1000s of recruiters,
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Workopolis, Canada's leading provider of Internet recruitment and job-search solutions, offers a
wealth of career-related content in addition to the ability to post a resume and search among some 31,000
job postings. On Workopolis, you can search for a job by keyword, location, and date.
Career resources on the site include sections in which you can "Ask a Career Advisor," read the work of regular columnists,
learn about moving to Canada, research an industry, find salary info, find a student job, share success stories, and find an MBA
program. Most comprehensive of all is the Subject Guide, containing
content on resumés and interviews, quitting/getting fired/retiring, salary, benefits, working conditions, legal issues,
searching and training for the job, life at work, and loads of sub-categories.
Workopolis switches from English into French at the click of a button and also provides
a "Boss Panic Button," presumably to change the image on your screen in case the boss is suddenly
looking over your shoulder as you're job-hunting on the site. We could not get the button to
work consistently, though.
CarolinaEmployment.com --
a job site for finding employment opportunities in North and South Carolina.
Job-seekers can search for job postings (by city, job category, employer, or keyword)
and post your resume. Includes information about cities in both states. Free to job-seekers.
GAAPjobs.com --
a national accounting and finance career site for professionals, where
job-seekers can browse or search for job listings (by keyword, location,
specialty, industry, and posting date), as well as post your resume.
Free to job-seekers.
HireHealth.com --
an excellent career and job site for bio-pharmaceutical professionals,
with job postings spanning the entire drug discovery continuum, from
the laboratory to the executive suite. Job-seekers can search for job
listings (by keyword, location, posting date), submit your resume,
sign-up for a job-search agent, conduct industry research, and read
industry news. Free to job-seekers.
TipTopJob.com --
an excellent multilingual, multinational site for global job-seekers. Currently in a number of
countries around the world (including most of Europe), with numerous others
due online in the future. Job-seekers can search for job listings (by location, industry, job type,
and keyword), post multiple CVs and application letter, and register for an email alert.
Also includes career tips. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
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College students and new grads should check out this e-book,
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Diane writes: "I would like to send my resume with a cover letter to recruiters/employment agencies. The career
development office I'm working with advises that it is better to have someone's name to address the cover letter to. Since
it would require a great deal of time to try and get a staff member's name for each agency, would it be acceptable to use
a generic salutation, such as 'Dear Recruiter?'"
Gina writes: "I'm interested in pursuing marine biology as a career, and I know it's a very hard career to get
into. Any information regarding fields, careers, jobs, and colleges related to marine biology or marine science would help."
Cathy writes: "I am seeking advice for my husband. He had an interview for a position, which he thought went well and
was also told it was a good meeting. He was called back for a second interview. But the night before the
interview, he received a message on our answering machine saying that the
meeting was being canceled. It has
now been a week and he has heard nothing. The agency that was working with him only knew that the meeting was canceled. At this point, does he
'write off' this company as a potential employer, or should he follow it up in some way?"
Lynn writes: "I have recently made a slight shift in my job field. I was an administrative assistant for
more than six years, and now I am working in the Accounting Department. How do I reflect the change
in duties from administrative assistant to (I don't really have a title now) ... accounting. I have
been doing this for only a month, but I recognize that the pay is better on this side of the fence. Some of
my daily functions parallel what I was doing in my previous position. However, I want to show progression
on my resume without looking like I job hop."
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Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
It's a fairly widely accepted tenet of job-hunting that you can make excellent inroads by talking to
knowledgeable people in your field. Shay Welch, a technical staffing manager writing for Net-Temps,
suggests that recruiters are among the best of those knowledgeable
people. "One of the most untapped resources for career seekers are the recruiters who specialize in the various
careers available to today's workforce," Welch writes. "Why recruiters? They know what companies are hiring, and
they also know what types of positions are in highest demand, as well as the criteria top employers are looking for in
employees. If you want an inside look into any industry, a recruiter can be a wealth of information, because they're
always interacting with both talented professionals and companies that are hiring. And, in today's economy, there
are specialized recruiters for just about any profession you can think of. Areas of expertise vary from technical
to legal fields, and there are even recruiters who specialize
in writing or working with stagehands for theatrical productions! With so many specialized recruiting firms,
there's bound to be one that can offer you guidance with your career of choice," Welch suggests.
The recovery in the job market isn't here yet, reports CNN. That's the consensus of the most recent jobs survey by Manpower Inc.,
which found that employers nationwide are scaling back plans to add workers to their payrolls. The survey is the latest
indicator that hiring has hit another roadblock. That news will deal a blow to those who've lost jobs -- or those who
worry they might join the ranks of the unemployed. Experts aren't mincing words. Their advice? Tighten your personal
financial belt and be prepared for a bumpy ride ahead. Expectations are for only small gains. A combination of
factors may be to blame. Uncertainty over a war with Iraq doesn't help. But with little new demand for products and
services, companies are generally holding staff levels steady, rather than increasing payrolls in expectation of rebounding
performance. In fact, as of March 2001, the official start of the recession, some 1.6 million jobs have been eliminated
entirely. Many who've received pink slips are still pounding the pavement for work. One in five individuals who are out of
work -- some 1.7 million job seekers -- have been unemployed for more than six months.
Want to know what career fields to avoid? Susan Aaron recently reported on the MSN Careers site about a dozen jobs that are
winding down, according to the Department of Labor's Monthly Labor Review. These specific positions, Aaron reports, have a
limited future, but "their mutations promise increased opportunities in other areas. Workers in the declining jobs have skills that
are transferable to jobs with more possibility. However, those related jobs demand a higher level of learning. More and more,
education is the difference between employability and obsolescence."
Here are the dozen fading job fields:
Farmers and ranchers
Order clerks
Tellers
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
Word processors
Sewing machine operators
Computer operators
Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers
Prepress technicians and workers
Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products
Loan and eligibility interviewers for government programs
If your school, organization, business or other
entity has a Web site, we welcome you to link to Quintessential Careers.
If you already have a link from your site, we want you to know we
appreciate it. If you don't have a link to us, please
send a request to your site's Webmaster to establish a
link to Quintessential Careers. Thanks so much!
For more details (including sample HTML copy), see our
Link to Us page.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Crafting a successful e-mail resume
* The interview as sales call
* Getting the raise you deserve
* 10 things I wish I'd known before starting my first job
* Letters of recommendation
* Employer research: step by step
* Learn about careers through job-shadowing
* 10 job-search reality checks
* Is job flexibility right for you?
* First days on the job: Strategies to get ahead
* Dealing with a bad boss
* Making your case for telecommuting
* Don't wait by the phone: Following up on all job leads
* Dining etiquette
* The relationship between personality and career choice
* What employers are really looking for
* New series: 10 mistakes to avoid in: resumes, cover letters, interviews, salary
negotiation, career change, networking, job-search
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Quintessential Careers also offers writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
remarks.
Need a speaker for your career-oriented conference or
event at your college or organization? The Quintessential
Careers Speakers Bureau can help! Our quintessential experts
can provide presentations/workshops on a variety of
career-related topics.
Katharine Hansen, editor of QuintZine and creative director
of Quintessential Careers, has completed a rigorous
evaluation process to earn her Credentialed Career Master
designation. The CCM, the first credential of its kind for
career and employment industry professionals:
