Posts tagged with “recruiting”

Twenty years ago the best way to find a job was to speak to your personal network (which is still the best way), scan the newspaper classifieds and call the employer, or go to a career fair. Unfortunately, nearly everything we do has become automated or online or more efficient in one way or another, thus minimizing interpersonal contact. As such, the best way to get your resume in the hands of a hiring manager is to use the most direct route possible. Job boards are easy and you can definitely focus on quantity over quality by utilizing that route, but is that the best way to find the job?

Question:

"What is the source of the research that 70% of jobs are hidden, not advertised? I read it all of the time but there is never any source of this research."

Answer:

This information comes from the Us Department of Labor. However, it is a bit misleading because it actually refers to the fact that major companies not advertising their jobs themselves. The statistic reads 75% to 85% of jobs are not advertised in the newspaper or posted on Web job boards.

The reason this is misleading is because the majority of large and mid-size companies use staffing agencies to recruit for them rather than incorporating a huge HR cost into their budgets. These staffing agencies will place the jobs on the job boards and advertise and in the end the client company is actually paying for these costs. They pay for them by way of a permanent placement fee or a mark up on a consultants hourly pay. In the end they are not directly advertising, so it does not count towards this statistic.

Staffing companies will utilize this statistic to get you to work with them, and I do suggest working with them because we have a direct connection to the client companies usually. However, do not let this statistic dominate your view or approach to your job search.

Also, According to a department of labor statistics; 48% of jobs are found through friends, business contacts and relatives: 24% by direct company contact; 13% by combination of both; 5% job ads; 4% by search firms; 6% through unions, college and private placement firms.

What they are really stressing here is that your job search should not entirely be based on job boards and should be focused on building your network. For clarification I have linked to some sites below that back up what I have mentioned. The main point they are trying to let you know here is that networking is key to your employment search... The last link below really focuses on how you should spend your time on your job search as it relates to advertised and non-advertised position.

http://www.dol.gov/odep/archives/media/speeches/vital.htm
http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/tap/tap3_4.pdf
http://www.doleta.gov/Seniors/other_docs/jobSearch.pdf

It's Tuesday, 3:00 p.m. and for some reason, after a month of job searching with no luck, you have been called by 5 different recruiters about a job you are "perfect for".

How do you determine which recruiter is legit? Who really knows the hiring managers? Which recruiter is the best fit?

If you've made the choice to work with a recruiter, here are some tips and suggestions for how to get the most out of the relationship.