What triggered this topic was an inbox message I received this morning from someone claiming she could perform a “resume review.” I politely responded to the inbox message, “You might check profiles before electing to send blanket emails.” When using an executive recruiter test the waters to be sure that it’s your best interest that the recruiter has in mind and not their own. An experienced recruiter who has a potential candidate’s interests in mind will be very forthcoming about the candidate’s resume, sharing his/her knowledge on ways to improve what is essentially a personal/professional marketing tool. What they won’t do is submit a resume with routinely-made mistakes, redundancies, and overall mediocrity. So, how do you know your recruiter is working diligently to assist you? Assess your recruiter by the questions they ask you. When you can say, “great question!”…and the conversation feels consultative and not “salesy”, then you’re off to a good start. I can’t emphasize more, the relationship between you and your recruiter should be collaborative…not a resume slinging contest. Research their LinkedIn profiles for recommendations and endorsements…if you find very little…that’s probably what you’ll get; very little results.
The New Year tends to produce new career opportunities! Prepare for them. Much success with your search!
John Daskas
Vice President, PlacementCorp
