Is Working with Recruiters like Pushing a Rope?

At this time of year, many people decide it is time to look for a new job. Is starting a job search one of your New Year's resolutions? If so, you'll probably brush up your resume, hit the job boards, apply for a few jobs and wait. When nothing happens, you'll think, "What should I do now? I know, I'll ask a recruiter to find me a job!"

As a recruiter, I can tell you that I continually get emails and calls from job seekers looking for help. Like many recruiters, I have more candidates contacting me than jobs to fill. I do my best to help them by providing resources and advice, but often this is not the result they're hoping for.

I'm sure many job seekers feel like they are "pushing on a rope." Meaning that despite their best efforts, they are not getting the response they want from recruiters. As a job seeker, you need to spin the analogy around. You need to get the recruiter to pull on that rope and contact you instead. But how can you do this?

Recruiters use all kinds of methods to find the right candidate for the jobs they fill. They often accomplish this through networking with their contacts and job posting sites, but these days, they also network through countless other on-line resources. Recruiters love to use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to connect with new job seekers. Some conduct in-depth searches throughout the Internet. What does this mean to you, the job seeker? You need to be where they are looking.

In short, you should have a personal marketing plan. This is a strategy on how and what to promote about yourself to the world. The traditional marketing plan covers:

1. Product (in this case, your special talents, experiences, and abilities), Price (salary requirements)

2. Promotion (resume, on-line promotion, and networking) and

3. Placement (geography, level of position, and industry).

When you launch your marketing plan, start by making sure your network knows you are interested in making a career change. Then, make sure your resume is top notch (enlist professional help if necessary). As a part of your promotion strategy, consider building your on-line persona throughout Social Media destinations and keep it professional. Go to networking meetings. Have a business card with all your contact information and an elevator speech. Many job seekers even start blog sites related to their occupation. Once the plan is implemented, the recruiters may come knocking (or pull on the rope) to learn more about you.

If you know a recruiter personally, the rope between you is short and you can push on it and likely get a response. The longer the rope, the less likely that will be. But you'll always feel a tug when a recruiter pulls on it, no matter how long it is.

Jeff Lipschultz is a founding partner of A-List Solutions, a premier recruiting firm in Dallas-Fort Worth. Jeff shares his views on employment trends and quirky observations of society at http://jefflipschultz.wordpress.com