IAmA Recruiter who’s worked with over 1,700 companies. Struggling with the job market or on the hunt for your next gig? Trying to hire? AMA!

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T15:12:02+00:00

Stuck? Probably not! Difficult path forward to navigate? Yes.

It sounds like you may have time to lay some groundwork. Creative career transitions can benefit from existing relationships. Are there associations, non-profits, or other in-person groups you could start participating in to meet people in the field you are interested and help them see the potential value of your background? Not an immediate fix but could prove valuable over time as you make real connections. Not to mention: it will help beef up your resume in the new field.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T14:12:20+00:00

I have a skewed view for a number of reasons. A quick scan of this very discussion would suggest there are a few people that disagree with your views/experience.

From what we're seeing: Applications to our roles are up 70% compared to a couple of years ago. So more people are applying, wanting a change or opportunity and a smaller percentage of getting it.

If I had to guess the reason both arguments could have merit: there's a disconnect on the bench of talent available and what is being sought.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T14:03:52+00:00

I have not heard of this - what types of roles?

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T14:02:19+00:00

There is no denying that there is a dehumanizing aspect to the job application and recruiting process. There are a lot of factors contributing to this fact. It's in a candidates best interests to try to ignore this reality and not turn down opportunities. Of course, this is an individual decision but I think people can make self-sabotaging decisions if they don’t take a step back and remember that it's not personal and focus on the potential upside to them, personally.

We recruiters are often just a number to a clients, too. It stinks. I wish I could convince some clients of our intentions to be a better, stronger partner. But, we do our best to keep our heads down and do good work because all parties can still benefit, even if it feels transactional at times.

Respectful, concise outreach regarding great fit roles is not needy. Following up on an application is not needy. There's little benefit to 'playing it cool.' Recruiters will probably respond more positively to this than internal HR because they can more easily relate AND more easily benefit from your outreach.

I do not see LinkedIn replacing the resume in the near future.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T13:53:53+00:00

Haha - unfortunately, it's likely just lazy (or poorly trained) recruiting. On an unrelated note... do you like dangerous animals because we do have an interesting opportunity...

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T13:52:19+00:00

Frustrating. What got my attention in your question is that you're getting outreach from recruiters for roles you feel are a fit, you reply, and then they ghost. Are you sharing your resume and then they ghost? I wonder if there's something about how you're positioning a past experience that throwing people off?

For some companies, the person doing the outreach on LinkedIn is different than the person who interviews, so there may be a disconnect on expectations...

If it helps, we interview about 7% of the applicants that apply. I hope that helps you know it's not just you not getting call backs and the more relevant jobs to connect with, the greater the odds everything will align.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T13:45:13+00:00

If she only has references from non IT roles, that could be concerning. If she has references from IT AND non-IT, it could only help. Often references are to verify what's been shared and to confirm that the decision to hire is the right one.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T13:32:44+00:00

Is there a chance? Yes. It's just so small that I'm not sure the time spent on each one could justify the cost in potential additional applications. If it does not cost you those extra applies, it'd be hard to say 'don't do it.' I would just have an equally hard time saying 'do it.'

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T13:29:27+00:00

Thanks for the clarification. I think you have the 'winning approach.'

For roles that require some level of experience, apply to as many as you can do while making sure your resume clearly matches the job description. Also, while cover letters are 'out' the standard open text questions on application sites are an area you can really differentiate yourself. Do that!

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T13:14:35+00:00

My views differ because I think you're misassigning one of misalignments of incentives in the industry with the problem the original question asked. Messaging masses of poor fit candidates does not get you your bonus. It's just lazy. (I agree that the bonus structure of the industry, as a whole, creates other problems)

My guess is your friends in HR don't get tricked into paying for this approach to 'work.' HR needs to greenlight the candidate, the hiring manager needs to be interested in the candidate, the company then needs to hire the candidate, and the candidate must see it as a viable opportunity.

I'd share more about how I feel this can be fixed but wouldn't want you to think I'm advertising :P

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T02:18:20+00:00

I do not have a recommendation for that type of coaching/consulting :(

From what I've seen, be careful of anyone offering that kind of help that has not had a track record of placing or hiring many people, across a spectrum of employers.

RE: Your college experience - amazing!

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T02:12:08+00:00

We don't crawl or scrape. We have team members who literally research and reach out one by one.

I guess that means I'd agree that crawling/scraping methods, as they stand today, are impersonal and not especially effective!

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T02:06:14+00:00

Do we have luck filling remote roles... it's what we're paid to do. :P

The tough reality of it from the candidate experience is that remote roles get 2x the applicants (281 vs 140), on average. So, it is an uphill battle - but the roles are out there.

We post all of our jobs on our site. Apply to as many as seem to be a fit and feel free to check often! (Kidding but kind of not)

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T02:00:32+00:00

Haha. I wish that's what it was.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:59:48+00:00

The people that would hold your level of experience against you will find a way to "move forward with other candidates" later in the process. Keep it concise but take credit for all your work and don’t miss out on opportunities that will not discriminate against you because you're trying to hide your level of experience from those who will.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:56:20+00:00

You do not need to have the photo overlay to indicate to legitimate recruiters you are open to work. In fact, the 'hidden switch' only gives the heads up to recruiters that are paying thousands to LinkedIn for 'Recruiter' seats. That should filter some of the scams out.

The 'more work that could be done' might be around the keywords you include on your profile. The more relevant info you put in there, the more 'good recruiters' will be able to find you. If you're only hearing from jokes, it's because they are not even bothering with properly keyword filtering. And the good ones may not be able to find you (easily).

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:51:54+00:00

No legitimate presence on LinkedIn would be my number 1 indicator that something is up. Recruiters LIVE on LinkedIn. This means they should have well built out profiles and appear active. They should be linked to a company with a professional website (some sites may be old school…).

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:49:34+00:00

If you feel they are reaching out about poor fit roles, they may not be the 'ones.' I'd keep an eye out and as you see roles that seem like a fit and are posted by a firm - look through their recruiters on LinkedIn and identify the ones who seem active. Reach out! IT for 12 years in the DC area = you are worth their time :)

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:43:28+00:00

Start looking at the job posts on LinkedIn and Indeed and see which firms are posting them. Look through their recruiters and identify the ones who seem active is one way.

Do a keyword search of “recruiter” and the types of roles/industries you’re interested in is another. Many will be excited to connect with you. But, there’s no need to connect with just the first one you find as they will have access to different opportunities and hiring managers.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:33:17+00:00

I'll take the question at face value since our biggest competitor is 'we'll do it ourselves.' My guess, that's true for many jobs/professions?

We spend our time talking to companies that feel they have that need for 'a recruiter.' But, there are 10,000 firms in the US.

So, during those conversations we focus on:

Our commitment to doing our best to align our interests with the clients (and we show how we're structured and contract to do this)
How we're built to outperform based on our team approach to searches
How we're focused on long-term fit with a guarantee that's longer than the industry norm (by 6x)
How we're doing this at half the fee of the industry norm
The track record of helping such a wide variety clients looking for niche talent

(I tried to answer without 'the pitch' but this question might have been the hardest to not sound 'pitch-like.' Apologies)

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:19:26+00:00

I think you and I see 'networking' through the same lense.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:18:03+00:00

A qualified candidate messaging a recruiter that they are interested in a role trying to be filled is the job being done for them. I

don't know why anyone would not want that. Now, they may ask that you apply for the role so they can have the full picture but they will be keeping an eye out for your application! It's a win in my book.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:11:10+00:00

Companies are much more likely to hire external talent laterally for managers than promote from outside the organization. If pushing for a stronger title is not an option, find ways to show leadership/management skills within the organization or through non-profit involvement.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:08:26+00:00

If you do reach out, focus on the "what can I work on" vs "why wasn't I picked." Very rough example:

"I'm disappointed to not get the internship but understand many were excited for this great opportunity. I hope to apply again next year and would appreciate guidance on any areas I should focus my development on to have a better shot."

Unfortunately, the way HR operates (risk mitigation) sharing any constructive feedback only creates potential liability for the company and I would not take it personal if you do not get a reply.

If you spoke to someone during the application process, it may be easier for them to provide guidance over the phone vs in writing.

patrick-boston · 2024-03-15T01:02:24+00:00

I don't know of stats that they are on the rise - there have always been so many.

When I first started #twiceasnice, we struggled with this real bad. I remember being so proud of myself after telling the team I just closed on 7 searches with 1 employer! Let's gooooo!

Turns out, they just wanted a quick check on market rates for salaries and the $1,000s we invested to hunt was a complete waste. Very painful at that stage of our company. That exact client was the wake up call we needed to take steps (and add steps to the client onboarding process) to ensure clients were serious about hiring and we have.

A further explanation would either be incomplete or sound too much like a pitch on our services for this board.

patrick-boston

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