This is part of an ongoing series in which I’m answering questions from job seekers. Please post your questions in the comments section below to be answered in future articles. Please include your name and location if you want to be addressed by name; otherwise the question will be attributed to “Anonymous.”

“I’ve read recruiters do not like nonspecific job seekers. However, with my background, education and interests, it’s hard to escape ambiguity. How does one get around this handicap if you’re truly willing and interested in career diversity?

– Kevin Acker, Duluth, MN

Allow me to first explain how recruiters work. Recruiters work for client companies in order to fill a particular opening.

A recruiter’s job is not to find people jobs.
It is to find the right person for clients’ jobs.

Like any professional, recruiters must spend their time working on what will best serve the client. Recruiters’ compensation is based on finding and placing the right candidate for the job.

As Bill Vick stated in his blog post, My Recruiter Hasn’t Found Me a Job – Understanding the Role Headhunters Play in Your Search, “…while a recruiting firm has quite a few active searches ongoing at any given time, it’s not a guarantee that any of them will be a fit for your background and experience. It doesn’t mean the firm is “no good” or that they’re not doing their job – it simply means they have nothing for which they can submit you for consideration at that moment.”

Unfortunately, this means that recruiters can’t interview everyone who submits a resume or is looking for a new job. They must focus on candidates who are a close match for current requisitions.

So, how can candidates with varied backgrounds and interests position themselves to work with a recruiter?

It’s important to take a targeted approach with your job search. I commented recently on Twitter that “I’ll do anything” is the Kiss of Death for a job seeker.

Job seekers’ Kiss of Death —> Q: “What do you want to do?
A: “I’LL DO ANYTHING.”

Cartoon by Hugh

Rather, determine what you want to do. While your initial reaction may be, “But I have many talents,” or “I can learn!” or “I don’t want to limit myself,” consider this:

You are in sales. You are selling YOU.

Successful companies and entrepreneurs target their audience and design marketing and relationship-building campaigns to capture the interest of a specific group and move them to action. [Think “sniper” -- as opposed to “firing squad.”]

• If you were selling sports cars would you pay to advertise in nursing homes?
• If you were selling medical equipment would you focus your marketing efforts on corporate attorneys?
• If you owned a cupcake store would you market to diabetic patients?
• If your product was heated blankets would you set up shop in Miami?

I hope not.

Taking an “I’ll do anything” approach makes it difficult for anyone to help you; particularly recruiters, since their job is to find specialists. Marketing yourself as someone who excels in personal training, retail sales, and plumbing, is confusing – and it’s certainly not inspiring. Recruiters aside; how will your network help you?

Depending on your background, one solution may be to conduct two or three searches simultaneously. This would require separate resumes highlighting your experience in relevant areas, and probably more than one recruiter based on niche. The down side to this is dilution. It may also become murky when using social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter as part of your job search.

In the end I firmly believe that a targeted and focused approach with a clear objective that is easily communicated and understood is your best bet.

For more information you can contact Stephanie via email and you can find her on Twitter at @StephanieALloyd.

Happy hunting!

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Tuesday night Miriam Salpeter and I hosted our first ever #ATLMix Tweetup at Pizzeria Venti in Buckhead; one of our favorite new dining (and remote working) locations.

We were so happy to have such a fantastic turnout! We were able to reconnect with friends as well as meet some new friends; some we knew from Twitter and some we’d never met before -- via social media or any other way.

I chronicled the evening with a series of brief video interviews.

If you were there you you had the opportunity to meet the Radiant Veracity Interns!

Paul Eulette

Beth Farrar

Stephanie Perrett

Todd Schnick and I made it onto The Customer Collective with our groundbreaking new series, He Said, She Said. Check it out!

I was also able take a few photos throughout the event.

If you missed it that’s ok; we’re making this a quarterly event.

Stay tuned for details!

]]> http://youneedajob.org/2009/08/the-first-ever-atlmix-tweetup-held-at-our-sponsor-site-pizzeria-venti/feed/ 0 http://youneedajob.org/2009/08/q-a-what-would-make-a-recruiter-want-to-read-my-resume/ http://youneedajob.org/2009/08/q-a-what-would-make-a-recruiter-want-to-read-my-resume/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:19:19 +0000 Stephanie http://youneedajob.org/?p=168

This is part of an ongoing series in which I’m answering questions from job seekers. Please post your questions in the comments section below to be answered in future articles. Please include your name and location if you want to be addressed by name; otherwise the question will be attributed to “Anonymous.”

Cartoon by Hugh

Stephanie,

I have a fresh question for you! I was reviewing employment opportunities on [a well-known website.] To contact a recruiter, this site suggests the following message as an example:

Hi Recruiter,

You and I may be able to help each other out. I’m a top-performing sales professional with 15 years experience in the semiconductor space in the southeast. I’m a senior-level professional who is just as comfortable running the show as getting my hands dirty. I’m looking to develop new markets and drive a quota-busting team to succeed. I hope to hear from you soon and look forward to working with you.

Best, Cheezy Desperate Job Seeker

Due to a recruiter’s workload, shouldn’t one’s message be a bit more truncated? What type of message would pull you in to view a resume?

I hope all is well with you!

Respectfully,

Kevin J. Acker, MA, Owner/Principal, Panoptic Consulting Group
Duluth, MN

§   §   §   §   §   §

Hi Kevin,

I’m glad you asked because that message is hokey and recruiters do NOT like hokey. The people who would send that message with their resume are the same people who would print their resume on blue paper with bunnies all over it and MAIL it to a recruiter and I do not recommend doing any of those things.

I prefer a courteous and brief introduction: how did you find me/my firm, why are you contacting me, what do you want to do in your next job, and are you willing to relocate.

This way I can review the resume against current openings and see if I have anything for that person at the moment. If I don’t, but I’m impressed with the candidate, I’ll ask them to touch base with me once a month so that I can keep them in mind as new opportunities arise.

Hope this helps!

Stephanie

Would you pull your own tooth? Wire your own home for electricity? Do you cut your own hair? Most would say “no.” If it is important (involving our health, safety or appearance), we hire an expert.

The same principle should apply when job seeking. Your career is one of your most crucial financial investments. Whether you are actively engaged in a search, underemployed or unhappily employed, it makes sense to consult an expert as you embark on your search for a new job.

Let’s face it – no one wants to be a professional job seeker. Most people don’t welcome the idea of a job hunt. It is hard work and may seem scary. Wouldn’t it be nice to have experienced allies who will help you every step of the way?

Many job seekers don’t stop to think about how much money less-than-optimal job search methods costs them. Consider, if you are unemployed, how much money you lose for every day that you are out of work? Your return on investment in yourself may pay off substantially!

It’s not a “come as you are” job market. Stop wasting your time; learn how to make use of today’s tools and resources to propel your search forward.

Let us help you help yourself!

photo by Zach Klein

Wondering why you didn’t get the job? It was probably because:

1. You’re not qualified.
2. You’re overqualified.
3. You’re qualified but someone else was more qualified or a better fit.
4. You wore too much cologne / perfume.
5. You smelled bad.
6. You wore too much makeup.
7. You were overdressed.
8. You were underdressed.
9. The job was filled internally.
10. The job was put on hold.
11. The CEO’s daughter got the job.
12. You’re too old.
13. You’re too young.
14. You look older than you are.
15. You look younger than you are.
16. You’re too good looking.
17. You’re not attractive enough.
18. You acted too desperate.
19. You acted uninterested.
20. You didn’t sell yourself.
21. You oversold yourself.
22. You didn’t give enough detail in your answers to their questions.
23. You answered questions in too much detail.
24. Your answers were wrong or just plain stupid.
25. You seemed overly prepared.
26. You didn’t seem prepared.
27. You were too chatty.
28. You weren’t talkative enough.
29. You were overly friendly.
30. You weren’t friendly enough.
31. You laughed too much.
32. You didn’t show a sense of humor.
33. You talked too loud.
34. You talked too softly.
35. You seemed arrogant.
36. You didn’t show enough confidence.
37. You were late.
38. You arrived *way* too early.
39. Your resume is too long.
40. Your resume is too short.
41. Your hair is too long.
42. Your hair is too short.
43. Your skirt was too tight.
44. Your pants were too baggy.
45. You were rude to the receptionist.
46. You were rude to everyone.
47. You appeared to be bored.
48. You were overly eager.
49. You lied.
50. You asked for too much money.
51. You were willing to take the job for much less than it pays.
52. You have drunk, naked, or otherwise scary pictures on Facebook.
53. They Googled you and found your blog about how much you hate your boss / your job / their product.
54. You said you hate your mother / father / sister / brother.
55. You didn’t go to the right college.
56. They have a diversity initiative and you’re a white male.
57. You answered your cell phone during the interview.
58. You were nervous / sweaty / jittery.
59. You live too far away.
60. You didn’t return their calls quickly enough.
61. You stalked the hiring manager.
62. You seemed stuffy.
63. You were too relaxed.
64. Your piercing(s).
65. Your tattoo(s).
66. They didn’t think you would fit in.
67. They’re skeptical of your willingness / ability to travel or to work the hours that the job requires.
68. You made weird facial expressions when you spoke.
69. You appeared aloof.
70. You used poor grammar.
71. You crushed fingers to the bone with your handshake.
72. Your handshake was too limp.
73. You didn’t make good eye contact.
74. You didn’t send thank you notes.
75. You brought your dog / boyfriend / girlfriend / mother to the interview.

The point of this list is not to overwhelm you with all of the things you might have done / will do “wrong.” It is to demonstrate that interviewing is extremely subjective, and if you apply to jobs that you meet the qualifications for, are prepared for the interview, and use common sense, there is no reason to beat yourself up if you did not get the job. Rather than second-guessing yourself or feeling defeated, after each interview take a few moments to do a self-assessment – and write the answers down so you can use them to prepare for your next interview.

1. What did I do well?
2. What could I have done better?
3. What was I lacking in preparation that I’ll be sure to do next time?

This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and it will help not only your confidence but your chances of success next time.

Now, go delete those blog posts [you know which ones I'm talking about] and take down those pictures from your bachelor party on Facebook.

Everyone knows they’ll be expected to answer a series of questions in a job interview.

It is equally important to be prepared to ask good questions. The interviewer will expect it, and I recommend having them outlined in advance so that nothing is forgotten or overlooked. And, it never hurts to show that you spent time thinking through this important meeting!

The interviewee is typically invited to ask questions near the end of the discussion. Following are some questions you may want to ask during your interview:

• Why is this position open? (Due to growth? Or was the position vacated, and if so, why?)
• What is your highest priority in the next six months, and how could I help?
• Are there any challenges in particular awaiting the person who takes on this role?
• What are the characteristics of your top people?
• What are your personal satisfactions and disappointments since you have been with the company?

Notice that I said be prepared to ask good questions. With the amount of information now available at our fingertips, candidates are expected to do a certain amount of research before the interview. Asking questions that could easily be answered by visiting the company’s website or with a simple Google search can make you appear uninspired and unprepared.

Know before you go, and don’t ask:

• What the company does.
• The history of growth of the company.
• Number of employees and locations, annual revenue, and whether they’re publicly or privately held.
• If the company is public, you might want to know its current stock price, bond rating, and overall financial health.
• If the company is private, check your local paper or Google for articles reporting impending layoffs, new product launches, or other potential signs of financial health.
• The company’s top competitors and how they stack up in terms of product, market share, and strengths and weaknesses.

These are all things you should research in advance and incorporate your findings as appropriate in the interview to demonstrate your initiative and readiness.

Whatever you do, don’t be this person:

Adria Alpert Romm, a Human Resources executive for Discovery Communications, is quoted in the May 2009 edition of Real Simple Magazine in an article about how to find (and keep) a job. “I interviewed someone recently and he boasted how much he loved one of our shows. The problem was that the show was on a competing network! It was clear to me that he knew nothing about Discovery.”

Ouch!

Please feel free to post any questions you have in the comments section.

Has it been a while since you’ve interviewed? Not much time to prepare? Don’t panic. The rules of dating can also be applied to interviewing.

Do not arrive too early.

Human resources professionals and hiring managers have busy schedules and work by appointment. By arriving more than ten minutes before the meeting is scheduled you show disrespect for their time. If you must, wait in the lobby or your car before going to the interview location.

Do not show your desperation!

Telling the interviewer that you haven’t had an interview in months, you don’t have health insurance, or that you really need this job is not going to improve your chances. Quite the contrary! If you told someone on a first date that you’re broke, about to lose your house – and car, and you really need to marry them because you need health insurance, what do you think are the chances that you’d see that person again?

A proper thank you is always appreciated.

Send a note and thank the interviewer for their time. Have the envelope addressed and stamped before you even leave for the interview, and the moment you get home, write the note. (At the very least, send an email!) This is important because the discussion will be fresh in your mind, and you should reference one or two key points from your conversation. Use this opportunity to reinforce why you are a good fit for the position and how you can benefit the company.

Whatever you do for God’s sake do not stalk the interviewer.

This includes calling and hanging up. Yes, they have Caller ID, and they know it’s you! Nobody likes to be stalked or harassed. When they have news about next steps they’ll reach out to you. If they don’t, you may need to prepare for the fact that they just might not be that in to you. Ask at the end of your interview when and how you should follow up, and do it. If at that time they don’t have any news for you, ask when and how you should follow up next.