Question:
I am in the process of looking for career advancement. To that end, I am interested in seeking out opportunities in Mexico and the United States. How can I go about connecting with recruiters in both countries? My experience in the past has not been so good with recruiters. I feel there must be something I can do to turn this around but haven’t been successful.
Jose Ruiz:
I have to make an assumption that the feeling that things have not gone well with recruiters is based on expectations and that your sense of future success will be based on expectations. So, it is important to align your expectations by understanding what drives a recruiter:
Recruiters work for clients and seek candidates based on what their clients need. The success and income of a recruiter are directly linked to finding the right candidates.
The life of a recruiter is very hectic, and it requires balancing their time between filling the positions that they have open with clients, proactively identifying candidates whom they feel their clients will need (a calculated gamble), and building client relationships.
In this challenging economic environment, recruiters are typically so short on time and receive so many resumes that most sit unread. In a best case scenario, a recruiter will open the résumé, but if it does not catch their eye (based on the criteria mentioned in point two) it will not even make it to the database.
Your best shot is to guarantee that you are visible to recruiters in your target region and your target specialty (discipline and/or industry). The word “target” is key. Avoid casting a broad net by presenting yourself in a way that attempts to qualify for a wide range of positions. Focus on creating a distinct personal brand. Success will start by having an online profile that will provide visibility for executive recruiters to find you and it will be solidified by building a relationship. Nothing can take the place of the relationship, and you do not achieve this by just sending a résumé, selling yourself and calling every month to see if a position is available. It is built on valuable interaction regarding trends and issues that affect the disciplines and industries that you work in helping the recruiter stay on top of what is happening in that space. This level of interaction helps you and the recruiter build knowledge and expertise, making the relationship valuable for both beyond the specific transaction of a single job opportunity.
About Alder Koten
Alder Koten helps shape organizations through a combination of research, executive search, cultural & leadership assessment, and other talent advisory services. Our recruiters and executive search consultants bring to the recruiting process an in-depth understanding of the market conditions and strategic talent issues faced by clients within their particular industry. Our leadership consultants provide advisory services that are crafted to be collaborative, responsive, pragmatic, and results oriented. Focused on expanding the capabilities of the organization through talent.
