For many people, hiring is a mystery and working with a headhunter or recruiting firm is even more confusing. In addition to not knowing where to start, many people don’t even know how headhunters work. If you’ve been trying to catch the attention of a headhunter, there are several things you can do to increase your chances of getting noticed.
Here are some tips to help you get started and be successful in your job hunt:
1) Beef up your LinkedIn account
Right now, there are 3 million active job listings on LinkedIn and 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to vet potential candidates. In light of this, it’s absolutely imperative for people who want to get recruited to spend some time making their LinkedIn profiles irresistible. To do this the first step is to pay attention to your profile picture. Make sure that your profile photo is one that depicts you in a professional light and that it’s not blurry, pixelated, a group shot, or one that features you in attire that would be inappropriate for a work environment.
Additionally, you’ll want to update your summary to feature your most recent accomplishments and make sure that any buzzwords you’re using are ones that appeal to the current market. Finally, you should make sure to include your most recent volunteer experience and update your endorsements and skills lists. These simple steps will go a long way toward helping you get noticed.
2) Attend conferences and networking events
Conferences and niche-related networking events are fantastic places to build relationships and find new businesses you may want to be involved with. To find potential networking events in your area, consult with industry leaders and other people in your niche. Even small communities generally offer conferences and other networking events and, with a bit of detective work, it shouldn’t be hard to find an event that you can get excited about.
3) Look into recruiting firms
Once you’ve determined what kind of work you’re interested in, its wise to begin researching recruiting firms. Generally speaking, there are two separate kinds of recruiting firms: contingency firms, which pay whoever places a successful candidate, and retaining firms, which often provide guarantees for their clients. Once you’ve done your research on firms you’re interested in, reach out to the executives at those firms to start building relationships.
4) Be persistent
Being recruited isn’t an overnight game and, in order to land a placement, you love, you’re going to have to be persistent. Don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out initially, simply keep building your resume, updating your skills, taking on related volunteer work, and keeping your eyes open. Companies need qualified candidates and, as long as you keep putting yourself out there, you’re bound to get noticed eventually.
While working with a recruiting firm can be confusing at first, it’s a great way to be successful in your job hunt and to find a job placement that you genuinely love.
To learn more about the benefits of working with headhunters or recruiting firms, visit Crawford Thomas today.