The inside joke regarding LinkedIn is “hey—if you’re not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist”. Although a savvy recruiter has many other ways of finding a candidate, LinkedIn has become an important tool. An experienced recruiter (especially one with a top-notch research team) can find even the most buried candidate; however, not everyone tasked with sourcing new talent is an expert in complex search disciplines. They may be great engineers, accountants or HR professionals, but they don’t have the desire (or the time) to devote huge chunks of their day to running Boolean strings, or knocking on back doors to find you. Instead, they’ll reach for the low-hanging fruit: People with complete LinkedIn profiles.
Sad but true: If you don’t have a complete LinkedIn profile, you’re probably going to be passed by. In essence, no click for you; meaning somebody else gets the dream job. Life isn’t fair. Or—is it?
In the interest of altruism, I offer the following check-list and advice for those of you creating or editing your LinkedIn profile.
1. Add a professional photo. Do not post a photo that makes you look less professional than you really are.
2. Use your name. Yes—your real first and last names. LinkedIn profiles without names are generally a waste of time. Even James Bond has a name, and he’s not even real. Unless you work on an unmentionable program for an unmentionable agency, use your name. If your first name is William (as mine is) but you go by “Will”, use the name that most people know you by in your profile.
3. Complete your work history. LinkedIn has a function that will automatically import your resume. This is almost a no-brainer, but I still see many profiles with no work histories.
4. Get some connections. If you have very few connections (10 or less), it looks like you don’t take LinkedIn seriously—and probably wouldn’t respond to a message because you probably don’t check your account often enough or even care.
5. Check your account! If possible, have your LinkedIn messages sent to an email address you check every day. Better yet, see #6 below.
6. Post your contact information—especially your email. I post my work and cell phone numbers and my professional email address in my LinkedIn profile. Nobody calls me in the middle of the night, and I don’t receive any more spam than the next person. Why make it difficult for people to find you? Heck—in the worst case scenario, you can always ignore them.
7. If you don’t post your contact information, you can be contacted via precious, expensive LinkedIn “in mail”. Just so you know, the entry-level, $25 per month paying member of LinkedIn is allowed to send only three “in mails” per month. Think of them as silver bullets. When you receive one, be flattered that someone spent $8.33 to contact you.
8. Join some appropriate LinkedIn professional groups. Choose at least one that is very popular (like Linked Strategies—which will offer you tons of information on how LinkedIn really works) and also join some that are relevant to your professional field. This makes you look smart—and fellow group members can contact each other for free in the LinkedIn system.
9. Occasionally post something intelligent. I suggest sharing links from professional journals under “network activity” in your profile. You can also ask for some quality professional advice in group discussions, or better yet—respond to someone’s pressing need for direction. Avoid participating in mundane discussions (yes, there are some on LinkedIn); they make you look like you have too much free time.
10. Spell-check everything—twice.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Why the odds are stacked in favor of passive vs. active candidates
Definitions:
Passive candidate—a potential new hire who’s currently busy working for another firm and not really thinking about making a move, doesn’t know your position exists, and really doesn’t care…yet.
Active candidate—someone who’s looking for a new job (and typically unemployed).
O.k.—I know I’m going to take some hits on this post, so I’ll raise my metaphorical garbage can lid to shield the criticism when I admit that 95%+ of my candidates are passive, even in this somewhat “down” economy.
I know--I should feel badly about not assisting the unemployed; but let’s get real: The primary reason that an outside recruiter (me) receives a position to fill is because it’s a very challenging one. Typically, jobs that are less challenging to fill are handled by my client’s HR department. By the time I get them, they've probably been posted on various high-tech job boards for a while--and nobody qualified has responded. Qualified is the operative word here.
So far this year, of all the candidates I've found, screened, reference-checked and submitted, only one has been active and unemployed. Ironically, even he turned down my client's strong offer of a six-figure salary plus a nice signing bonus because he believed he could wait a little while and do even better down the street. That’s how tight the positions that I recruit for are right now. There are very few, if any people with strong, in-demand skills and experience who are unemployed--unless it's by choice.
Personally, I believe anyone who’s been out of work for six months or more and has been unsuccessful in their job search should plan on choosing an activity from the following list:
• Moving to a different market—the grass might actually be greener there.
• Reducing his or her price—stale merchandise is always marked down, before…well...umm...o.k. then.
• Finding a new field—hopefully not one that offers fries with that order; but hey—it’s America and all work is honorable.
• Moving to the beach to sip little umbrella drinks while reprising Michael Douglas's classic role as an unemployed defense contractor in Falling Down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eREiQhBDIk
Sorry to be the bearer of the Cold Hard Truth, but isn’t it time we collectively began to embrace this logic? Not the movie Falling Down, which is really the study of an unemployed guy (Michael Douglas) and his psychotic behavior vis-à-vis cause and effect--but the concept that long-term active candidates are usually still active for what are often pretty good reasons. There are exceptions to every rule, of course.
Perhaps instead of waiting for some fairy-tale stimulus package, long-term unemployed professionals should get back into the game by taking a job in their field that’s perhaps a step or two below where they were, or spend the time wisely to improve their skills to remain competitive. To me, both are viable options, especially when compared to irresponsibly shot gunning resumes to semi-matching job posts while collecting unemployment benefits. If you’re an unemployed engineer, perhaps it's time to get smarter on ANSYS http://www.ansys.com/instead of Halo http://www.halo.xbox.com/.
There’s a lot of buzz these days about active candidates and age discrimination; I hear it, but I don’t see it. Let’s not confuse the lack of technological competence with age discrimination. If you’re 40, 50, or 60+ and refuse to learn something new or worse yet “don’t really need it”, well—you’re plain and simply a dolt, just as someone in their 20s or 30s would be if they thought the same way.
Is it a stretch to wonder why nobody really wants people who can't use the latest, sharpest tools of the trade? It’s not age (or any other protected class)—it’s mindset. My take: This kind of thinking probably keeps people “active” in their job search for a lot longer than they're willing to admit. In fact, it may be why they're active now. Again, there are exceptions to every rule.
A near truism that I didn’t invent: Generally speaking, the best people get the best jobs. If they’re unemployed and seriously looking for about six months, they’re either “not the best” (meaning their skills are not competitive), or their entire field has simply downsized to the point they need a new career direction.
If you’re waiting for the Pony Express or Bronze Age to pick back up, I sympathize—but you might consider moving on to something else. Please stop crying because the need for certain aluminum CNC components has declined with the adoption of new carbon fiber assemblies, or that the demand for hand cranks on telephones is now somewhat weak.
Me—I have no problem with active candidates. If I find the right one and they pass the same phone screening and reference checks as anyone else I submit, I’m good with it. In fact, I'm elated. In the mean time, I’ll trust my instincts and dial-up someone who might be able to “help”.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
Passive candidate—a potential new hire who’s currently busy working for another firm and not really thinking about making a move, doesn’t know your position exists, and really doesn’t care…yet.
Active candidate—someone who’s looking for a new job (and typically unemployed).
O.k.—I know I’m going to take some hits on this post, so I’ll raise my metaphorical garbage can lid to shield the criticism when I admit that 95%+ of my candidates are passive, even in this somewhat “down” economy.
I know--I should feel badly about not assisting the unemployed; but let’s get real: The primary reason that an outside recruiter (me) receives a position to fill is because it’s a very challenging one. Typically, jobs that are less challenging to fill are handled by my client’s HR department. By the time I get them, they've probably been posted on various high-tech job boards for a while--and nobody qualified has responded. Qualified is the operative word here.
So far this year, of all the candidates I've found, screened, reference-checked and submitted, only one has been active and unemployed. Ironically, even he turned down my client's strong offer of a six-figure salary plus a nice signing bonus because he believed he could wait a little while and do even better down the street. That’s how tight the positions that I recruit for are right now. There are very few, if any people with strong, in-demand skills and experience who are unemployed--unless it's by choice.
Personally, I believe anyone who’s been out of work for six months or more and has been unsuccessful in their job search should plan on choosing an activity from the following list:
• Moving to a different market—the grass might actually be greener there.
• Reducing his or her price—stale merchandise is always marked down, before…well...umm...o.k. then.
• Finding a new field—hopefully not one that offers fries with that order; but hey—it’s America and all work is honorable.
• Moving to the beach to sip little umbrella drinks while reprising Michael Douglas's classic role as an unemployed defense contractor in Falling Down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eREiQhBDIk
Sorry to be the bearer of the Cold Hard Truth, but isn’t it time we collectively began to embrace this logic? Not the movie Falling Down, which is really the study of an unemployed guy (Michael Douglas) and his psychotic behavior vis-à-vis cause and effect--but the concept that long-term active candidates are usually still active for what are often pretty good reasons. There are exceptions to every rule, of course.
Perhaps instead of waiting for some fairy-tale stimulus package, long-term unemployed professionals should get back into the game by taking a job in their field that’s perhaps a step or two below where they were, or spend the time wisely to improve their skills to remain competitive. To me, both are viable options, especially when compared to irresponsibly shot gunning resumes to semi-matching job posts while collecting unemployment benefits. If you’re an unemployed engineer, perhaps it's time to get smarter on ANSYS http://www.ansys.com/instead of Halo http://www.halo.xbox.com/.
There’s a lot of buzz these days about active candidates and age discrimination; I hear it, but I don’t see it. Let’s not confuse the lack of technological competence with age discrimination. If you’re 40, 50, or 60+ and refuse to learn something new or worse yet “don’t really need it”, well—you’re plain and simply a dolt, just as someone in their 20s or 30s would be if they thought the same way.
Is it a stretch to wonder why nobody really wants people who can't use the latest, sharpest tools of the trade? It’s not age (or any other protected class)—it’s mindset. My take: This kind of thinking probably keeps people “active” in their job search for a lot longer than they're willing to admit. In fact, it may be why they're active now. Again, there are exceptions to every rule.
A near truism that I didn’t invent: Generally speaking, the best people get the best jobs. If they’re unemployed and seriously looking for about six months, they’re either “not the best” (meaning their skills are not competitive), or their entire field has simply downsized to the point they need a new career direction.
If you’re waiting for the Pony Express or Bronze Age to pick back up, I sympathize—but you might consider moving on to something else. Please stop crying because the need for certain aluminum CNC components has declined with the adoption of new carbon fiber assemblies, or that the demand for hand cranks on telephones is now somewhat weak.
Me—I have no problem with active candidates. If I find the right one and they pass the same phone screening and reference checks as anyone else I submit, I’m good with it. In fact, I'm elated. In the mean time, I’ll trust my instincts and dial-up someone who might be able to “help”.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
Friday, July 23, 2010
10 reasons why the best people never see (or respond to) job postings
1. They’re too busy working. Seriously, who has the time to peruse a job board when they’re working 50+ hours a week?
2. Once you’ve read one job posting that’s been cleared by HR and Legal, you’ve read them all.
3. They’re not afraid of rejection—but they are afraid that if they respond, some cretin with no real understanding of the position will call with 20 questions like “if you were an animal, what kind of an animal would you be?”
4. You look like an idiot with Monster or Hotjobs loaded-up when your boss strolls by. Yep—that kind of idiot.
5. The typical corporate application process is extremely cumbersome, time-consuming, and unrewarding. Nobody really wants to send their personal info down the rabbit hole.
6. They’re too absorbed in their careers to think about moving. It never crosses their mind.
7. They’ve had bad experiences when responding to job postings in the past.
8. If the organization is so “world-class”, “progressive”, and “prestigious”, how come they have to work so hard to attract people?
9. It’s just another advertising image. Depending on the guru you follow, we’re hit by anywhere from 150 to 3000+ per day. Considering there are only 1440 minutes in a 24-hour period, 3000 might be a bit high--but you get the drift. Let it suffice to say there are a lot of little images that beckon down the sides of our screens that we mostly ignore.
10. If it's on a public forum like Craigslist, is it a bot, or not? Push "send" and you may be more popular than you think: Women from around the world may want to meet you; and General X from Unpronounceableland may have an urgent business proposition involving millions of dollars that only you are trustworthy enough to handle--but make sure you respond before midnight.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
2. Once you’ve read one job posting that’s been cleared by HR and Legal, you’ve read them all.
3. They’re not afraid of rejection—but they are afraid that if they respond, some cretin with no real understanding of the position will call with 20 questions like “if you were an animal, what kind of an animal would you be?”
4. You look like an idiot with Monster or Hotjobs loaded-up when your boss strolls by. Yep—that kind of idiot.
5. The typical corporate application process is extremely cumbersome, time-consuming, and unrewarding. Nobody really wants to send their personal info down the rabbit hole.
6. They’re too absorbed in their careers to think about moving. It never crosses their mind.
7. They’ve had bad experiences when responding to job postings in the past.
8. If the organization is so “world-class”, “progressive”, and “prestigious”, how come they have to work so hard to attract people?
9. It’s just another advertising image. Depending on the guru you follow, we’re hit by anywhere from 150 to 3000+ per day. Considering there are only 1440 minutes in a 24-hour period, 3000 might be a bit high--but you get the drift. Let it suffice to say there are a lot of little images that beckon down the sides of our screens that we mostly ignore.
10. If it's on a public forum like Craigslist, is it a bot, or not? Push "send" and you may be more popular than you think: Women from around the world may want to meet you; and General X from Unpronounceableland may have an urgent business proposition involving millions of dollars that only you are trustworthy enough to handle--but make sure you respond before midnight.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Part 2: Are you hiding in plain sight? Getting noticed as a five to ten year professional
A pearl of wisdom that I didn't invent:
The best jobs are rarely, if ever, advertised.
Want one?
Get found.
You may think you're in plain sight by using modern social media tools, but you're not--unless you've put some real effort and thought into what's in your profile. If you want a new challenge, more money, and more authority--you need to become findable in the right ways. Let's look at the options for getting found by a recruiter:
Facebook
Everyone's on it, we're not supposed to use it as a recruitment tool, but everyone does; and it falls near the bottom of the barrel in that department. Why? Because it doesn't lend itself to keyword searches, or Boolean logic (a key component in the way Google, Bing, and other search engines find things). If we know your name (example "Jane Doe"), we can find you on Facebook--and every other "Jane Doe". Let's say we know Jane lives in metro Seattle, WA. If Jane indicates she lives in Tacoma, WA, we won't likely find her on Facebook if we're looking in Seattle, even though Tacoma is basically just one city away. Besides this shortcoming, most people put very limited (if any) professional information in their Facebook profile. If we don't know your name (how would we?) and we try searching on professional accomplishments, education, workplace, etc., we're not usually going to come up with much on Facebook. I won't even get into Facebook's movable feast of profile privacy settings, or the goofy comments your friends may leave on your wall after "last call". My crystal ball says your future employer will find you on Facebook after you're located on LinkedIn, or through a more technical search.
LinkedIn
This is where you should be, and where you should put your efforts. Take some time and craft well-written statements of what you've accomplished--and say them as if you're proud of the work you've done and are equally proud of your employer. Be truthful, and pack as much information and (this is important) keywords into your structure. Almost everyone you work with (including your boss) will read your LinkedIn profile, so make sure it reflects well on your current status. If you're worried about appearances, don't list "career opportunities" in your LinkedIn interest field. Trust me, a good recruiter will contact you anyway if they're looking for you.
Here are some examples of how the same professional experience could hypothetically be described in your profile. I'll choose something in process engineering, but note that the logic applies to posting information on LinkedIn for any professional career path:
Bad example: "Currently producing products."
Better: "Developed process improvements in hydrochlorination for silicon / polysilicon production."
Way better: "Developed process controls, process improvements, and process engineering methodology for silicon / polysilicon production for Siemens reactor technology. Involved with trichlorosilane, HSiCl3, TCS process control, hydrochlorination, Fluid Bed Recovery, and FBR operations."
You get the idea...
Why is the last one superior, even though it's full of jargon? Well--it's not jargon to a recruiter or VP trying to track down their next Senior Engineer. Simple keyword searching, or Boolean logic will allow you to be found anywhere in the world if you have enough relevant information in your LinkedIn profile. If you want to make it pretty, that's a bonus--but the idea is to make you "findable".
Rome was not built in a day, and neither should your LinkedIn profile be hastily composed. Take some time to develop your profile information in a Word document--then paste it in your profile. Note that LinkedIn does not currently have a spell checker...the value of which should be apppararentt (sic) to most anyone.
Side bar: If you're ever posting a resume to a service (e.g. Monster or Job.com), this sort of key wording is equally important, but resume posting is another subject.
Clubs, professional, or service organizations
Make sure when you join an organization, the bio you give them has enough information for people to actually figure out what you've done and what you're currently doing. You might not want to include as much info as in your complete LinkedIn profile, but you get the idea. Many of these organizations post member bios, and therefore they're searchable. Hint: You can usually scrape and paste segments of your LinkedIn bio for these applications. Make them pretty.
Presentations and publications
If you give a presentation, make sure your contact information (email and phone) is listed somewhere in the document, preferably the title page. If you have a list of publications or technical reports, make sure they're listed in the back of every presentation you give. Many professional presentations given at conferences are searchable. You won't get much, if any spam from doing so and it makes you much easier to find by your next employer while still basically keeping you under the radar. Make sure you add your publications and presentations in your LinkedIn profile, too.
Keeping yourself fresh
If you receive a promotion, or are transferred to a new branch or division within a company, make sure you submit the information to the local business newspaper or magazine. It will likely end up online and make you that much more visible in a good way. Again, throw some keywords in, but make sure it reads well or the general public will think you're a jargon-wielding dork.
Last but not least
Figure out what the most successful, stereotypically sought-after people in your field wear, purchase the outfit, put it on--and go sit for a professional portrait. Add it to your professional profiles and bios. If you're male, ditch the wife-beater, sunglasses, and large fish. If you're female, the halter top and cowboy hat probably don't add to your professional image. Again, you get the idea.
As the saying goes, "If you build it, they will come". You've worked hard to get where you are professionally. Now it's time to be rewarded. Continue the hard work, but make sure you're findable when the right people go looking.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
The best jobs are rarely, if ever, advertised.
Want one?
Get found.
You may think you're in plain sight by using modern social media tools, but you're not--unless you've put some real effort and thought into what's in your profile. If you want a new challenge, more money, and more authority--you need to become findable in the right ways. Let's look at the options for getting found by a recruiter:
Everyone's on it, we're not supposed to use it as a recruitment tool, but everyone does; and it falls near the bottom of the barrel in that department. Why? Because it doesn't lend itself to keyword searches, or Boolean logic (a key component in the way Google, Bing, and other search engines find things). If we know your name (example "Jane Doe"), we can find you on Facebook--and every other "Jane Doe". Let's say we know Jane lives in metro Seattle, WA. If Jane indicates she lives in Tacoma, WA, we won't likely find her on Facebook if we're looking in Seattle, even though Tacoma is basically just one city away. Besides this shortcoming, most people put very limited (if any) professional information in their Facebook profile. If we don't know your name (how would we?) and we try searching on professional accomplishments, education, workplace, etc., we're not usually going to come up with much on Facebook. I won't even get into Facebook's movable feast of profile privacy settings, or the goofy comments your friends may leave on your wall after "last call". My crystal ball says your future employer will find you on Facebook after you're located on LinkedIn, or through a more technical search.
This is where you should be, and where you should put your efforts. Take some time and craft well-written statements of what you've accomplished--and say them as if you're proud of the work you've done and are equally proud of your employer. Be truthful, and pack as much information and (this is important) keywords into your structure. Almost everyone you work with (including your boss) will read your LinkedIn profile, so make sure it reflects well on your current status. If you're worried about appearances, don't list "career opportunities" in your LinkedIn interest field. Trust me, a good recruiter will contact you anyway if they're looking for you.
Here are some examples of how the same professional experience could hypothetically be described in your profile. I'll choose something in process engineering, but note that the logic applies to posting information on LinkedIn for any professional career path:
Bad example: "Currently producing products."
Better: "Developed process improvements in hydrochlorination for silicon / polysilicon production."
Way better: "Developed process controls, process improvements, and process engineering methodology for silicon / polysilicon production for Siemens reactor technology. Involved with trichlorosilane, HSiCl3, TCS process control, hydrochlorination, Fluid Bed Recovery, and FBR operations."
You get the idea...
Why is the last one superior, even though it's full of jargon? Well--it's not jargon to a recruiter or VP trying to track down their next Senior Engineer. Simple keyword searching, or Boolean logic will allow you to be found anywhere in the world if you have enough relevant information in your LinkedIn profile. If you want to make it pretty, that's a bonus--but the idea is to make you "findable".
Rome was not built in a day, and neither should your LinkedIn profile be hastily composed. Take some time to develop your profile information in a Word document--then paste it in your profile. Note that LinkedIn does not currently have a spell checker...the value of which should be apppararentt (sic) to most anyone.
Side bar: If you're ever posting a resume to a service (e.g. Monster or Job.com), this sort of key wording is equally important, but resume posting is another subject.
Clubs, professional, or service organizations
Make sure when you join an organization, the bio you give them has enough information for people to actually figure out what you've done and what you're currently doing. You might not want to include as much info as in your complete LinkedIn profile, but you get the idea. Many of these organizations post member bios, and therefore they're searchable. Hint: You can usually scrape and paste segments of your LinkedIn bio for these applications. Make them pretty.
Presentations and publications
If you give a presentation, make sure your contact information (email and phone) is listed somewhere in the document, preferably the title page. If you have a list of publications or technical reports, make sure they're listed in the back of every presentation you give. Many professional presentations given at conferences are searchable. You won't get much, if any spam from doing so and it makes you much easier to find by your next employer while still basically keeping you under the radar. Make sure you add your publications and presentations in your LinkedIn profile, too.
Keeping yourself fresh
If you receive a promotion, or are transferred to a new branch or division within a company, make sure you submit the information to the local business newspaper or magazine. It will likely end up online and make you that much more visible in a good way. Again, throw some keywords in, but make sure it reads well or the general public will think you're a jargon-wielding dork.
Last but not least
Figure out what the most successful, stereotypically sought-after people in your field wear, purchase the outfit, put it on--and go sit for a professional portrait. Add it to your professional profiles and bios. If you're male, ditch the wife-beater, sunglasses, and large fish. If you're female, the halter top and cowboy hat probably don't add to your professional image. Again, you get the idea.
As the saying goes, "If you build it, they will come". You've worked hard to get where you are professionally. Now it's time to be rewarded. Continue the hard work, but make sure you're findable when the right people go looking.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
Part 1: Are you hiding in plain sight? Getting noticed as a five to ten year professional
The most difficult position to fill (even in this economy) is an opening for a five to ten year professional with current experience on key projects, in-demand systems, or processes. I'm not talking about pulling someone out of the bread line--because most employers don't want that kind of employee. I'm talking about finding a stellar performer with five-plus years of directly relevant experience, currently performing at the highest level. Most employers (and recruiters) want them, most have a really hard time finding them.
If you're a five to ten year degreed professional, you're probably confronted with two of life's little ironies. The first is that you've worked very hard to get where you are--and are probably not adequately compensated for the value you provide. You continue to put in those 50-hour weeks, the occasional weekend, reschedule your vacations around new deadlines, and basically continue to bury yourself in your career. Your employer probably loves you, but still thinks of you as being a bit more junior than your time-in-grade should allow for. You're not looking for a job (seriously, who has the time?), but you might consider a new opportunity if someone contacted you with something golden. The second irony is that you, and your peer group are the most difficult people for recruiters to find--and we're all looking for you.
There is a third irony as well. The senior people in your organization are likely receiving credit for all your hard work. It's probably even noted in the bios for the "management team" posted on your company site.
Yes, we have no trouble finding them. Have you ever thought about that?
Guess what? If we do contact them, they're not likely to give up your name, number, or email address--because you make them look so good. They are usually quite happy to talk to us about their accomplishments and any openings we might have for persons of their professional stature, though.
If you fall into this five to ten year category, we typically can't find you because you're hidden. You may think you're in plain sight on social media, but you're not--unless you've put some real effort and thought into what's in your profile. If you want a new challenge, more money, and more authority, you need to become "findable" in the right ways. Part 2 will explore ways to accomplish this while still staying under the radar.
If you're a five to ten year degreed professional, you're probably confronted with two of life's little ironies. The first is that you've worked very hard to get where you are--and are probably not adequately compensated for the value you provide. You continue to put in those 50-hour weeks, the occasional weekend, reschedule your vacations around new deadlines, and basically continue to bury yourself in your career. Your employer probably loves you, but still thinks of you as being a bit more junior than your time-in-grade should allow for. You're not looking for a job (seriously, who has the time?), but you might consider a new opportunity if someone contacted you with something golden. The second irony is that you, and your peer group are the most difficult people for recruiters to find--and we're all looking for you.
There is a third irony as well. The senior people in your organization are likely receiving credit for all your hard work. It's probably even noted in the bios for the "management team" posted on your company site.
Yes, we have no trouble finding them. Have you ever thought about that?
Guess what? If we do contact them, they're not likely to give up your name, number, or email address--because you make them look so good. They are usually quite happy to talk to us about their accomplishments and any openings we might have for persons of their professional stature, though.
If you fall into this five to ten year category, we typically can't find you because you're hidden. You may think you're in plain sight on social media, but you're not--unless you've put some real effort and thought into what's in your profile. If you want a new challenge, more money, and more authority, you need to become "findable" in the right ways. Part 2 will explore ways to accomplish this while still staying under the radar.
Will Baumann is a recruiter specializing in difficult to fill technical and leadership positions.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/willbaumann
Company site: http://www.anrgroupinc.com/
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