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Recruiter Reflections
Job
hunt advice and demystifying the notorious “headhunter”! |
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Editor's note:
Interviewer:
Public Health Hiring Help These individuals do exist, and, no, they aren’t trying to scam you! This isn’t to say every random DM on LinkedIn or any other job board is legit—some truly are predatory—but a whole industry exists for outsourcing recruiting. Ever heard of Apex Systems, Beacon Hill, TEKSystems, Insight Global, and other staffing agencies? These companies don’t necessarily help random businesses either—many organizations you’ve heard of, like Fortune 500 companies and government institutions, contract staffing agencies to make their hiring processes more efficient. One of these recruiters is my lifelong friend who, for the sake of anonymity, we’ll call Kendra. Kendra has worked for two years as a technical staffing specialist for a major staffing agency and focuses primarily on opportunities in the southeastern US. In a nutshell, she sources candidates with experience in data analytics, insights, and modernization for client companies with short- and long-term positions. Kendra is no stranger to our space, having recruited for many projects across the healthcare space—from health insurance companies to hospital systems to agencies like the CDC. While she looks for a wide variety of talent, she works mostly with technical staff with experience in coding and data visualization. We sat down a few days ago to talk tips and tricks for the job hunt and to demystify the enigma that is independent recruiters, also known as “headhunters”. PHHH: What do you look for when sourcing candidates for client companies? K: As a recruiter, I am always searching for people to reach to about opportunities, so LinkedIn is an essential tool for my job. LinkedIn acts as a potential candidate’s first impression and what I see really influences whether or not I reach out. Is the info on your LinkedIn accurate and consistent? Is it easily accessible? Is it up to date? Is it specific—can I decipher what you did, when, for who, and with what skills? Same goes for portfolios, personal websites, resumes, cover letters, etc! A solid skills section is key and, again, be specific! For example, can you just use point-and-click PowerBI or can you also do more advanced data manipulations with DAX? PHHH: Okay, so you find a potential candidate—then what? K: I ask for a resume or CV. In my mind, a resume is the closest thing to talking to someone before an interview. Again, it’s all about first impressions! Although industry standard is the 1 page resume, I personally prefer to see 2-3 pages with more details than a couple bullet points. Utilize hyperlinks if you need! I want to be the best advocate when submitting your information to the client, and I can’t do that with minimal information about you and your experiences! PHHH: Seems simple enough! So what are red flags to you as a recruiter? Why might you choose not to reach out to someone or submit them to the client? K: Carelessness like typos, inconsistencies within their information, etc. Be consistent and make sure everything agrees between your LinkedIn, CV, etc. It’s a first impression thing—if you aren’t thoughtful with creating a clear image of yourself as a candidate, can a company trust that you will be thoughtful with your work as an employee? Another big problem is nonresponse. Even if you aren’t interested in the opportunity I share with you, still connect with me! What if I have something else that is a good fit for you down the line? My role is to advocate for potential candidates for different client companies—just because I don’t have the right position for you today, doesn’t mean I won’t tomorrow. PHHH: That makes a lot of sense, but I think it makes a lot of candidates weary, especially when there are now so many scams and predatory accounts on LinkedIn. How can candidates be discerning? K: Recruiters are real humans! Even behind any use of AI or bots are still humans—we’re just using things to help us do our jobs more efficiently. That being said, there are certainly sketchy accounts out there and potential candidates need to be careful. I have a few guidelines I share with applicants to help keep them and their personal information safe. THEY AREN’T REAL IF: 1) They are being weird/vague about what they are recruiting for 2) They ask you to send personal information of any kind to a non-company email or number 3) They ask for any kind of compensation 4) They lack updated information on their profile (profile picture, titles, consistent information, etc). Recruiters should practice what we preach! 5) They aren’t willing to or are difficult about scheduling a phone call or Zoom meeting with you to chat about the position 6) They lack clear affiliation with a staffing agency PHHH: This is so helpful! What other advice do you have? What are other common mistakes candidates make? K: There’s a number of tips I like to share, some more common sense than others, yet they are common mistakes that are made! 1)Read the job description. Like for real. Actually reading the posting word for word helps you distinguish two things. Is applying worth my time? And is this a real posting or a ghost job? 2) Upload your documents—CVs, cover letters, etc— as PDFs, not Word. PDFs keep the formatting you worked so hard to perfect, even in applicant tracking and AI systems. 3) Don’t upload files with unprofessional names. Yes, we can see those. 4) Not to keep repeating myself—detail, detail, detail! Be specific and consistent! 5) It’s always a world of who you know—network! Join groups, go to conferences, etc. Meet people face to face! Don’t just rely on the digital route! 6) Not having a job or having a career break doesn’t mean you aren’t amazing or qualified—don’t let it discourage you! IT WILL COME! Put in the work, be creative! PHHH: Great! What misconceptions do you encounter as a recruiter? What else should candidates understand about recruiters? K: A headhunter’s job is to advocate for the folks they’ve found and help them get a job. Specifically, a good recruiter is people- and relationship-focused—they want to find the right fit, not just any fit. We truly want to help you! Additionally, you don’t have to wait for us to find you—look for us too! Reach out! We are happy to help you look and keep you on our radar for opportunities that come our staffing or recruiting agency! PHHH: Thank you so much for your insights and pulling back the veil on external recruiters. Any last words or advice?
K: Yes! Job hunting for a position that
aligns with your skills, goals, and interests can be exhausting and
can get the best of us if we don’t take care of ourselves. It’s hard
to keep faith in a process that has a lot of rejection, but find
places in your life to find moments of joy and moments for yourself! |
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