There are many resources  available to assist in managing your executive career and it is likely you have secured the services of a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Coach or Personal Branding Strategist. You may have invested in furthering your education to obtain additional accreditation’s and you are likely a paid member of various organizations. All are positive steps to managing a successful career. However, there is one more step that is sure to accelerate the success of your career and it is one which does not require a fee.

The one professional not directly linked to the organization or company that is seeking to hire their next candidate could be the most powerful connection to securing the job. If you really are good at what you do; if you are an expert in your industry, this is the individual who just might have you climbing your ladder to career success, two rungs at a time! Responsible for finding the perfect fit for the employer, it is the recruiter who will make the decision on the individual they believe best meets the criteria to present as a potential candidate.

Although the recruiter’s obligation is to the hiring company or organization, it is not possible to fulfill their mandate without their resource; professionals with the attributes necessary to assume the available position. Recruiters are key decision makers which makes them a valuable asset to your career. If you have not initiated a relationship or responded to the top recruiters in your industry you could be missing out on essential career advice and a chance to advance in your career.

Mark Anderson, ExecuNet President and Chief Economist says, “Conditions have clearly changed. We can now see the first clear signs of a recovery indicated by responses, (from recruiters) that are similar to what we saw coming out of the last recession in the second quarter of 2003. Executive recruiters expect hiring to increase as we move toward the end of the year”.

As recruiters see signs of new hiring from their client companies the negative outlook earlier this spring is slowly turning around. Those job seekers landing jobs are spreading the word and a large percentage of those still seeking work are seeing their networking contacts evolve into influencial leads as they move into their new roles. What goes around comes around.

Your consistent effort to introduce who you are, share your area of expertise, announce the position you are seeking and offer your guidance and support will likely be the reasons you are considered for your next potential job opportunity.

Do you have a professional resume? Do you have a significant online profile? Are you actively networking? If you answer yes to all of these questions you may be landing your next job sooner than you think!

If you are in need of assistance contact Elite Resumes for certified, professional executive career management services.

Higher Bracket, a leading executive job board recently shared an article, “8 Questions To Ask A Headhunter”. It is common that the recruiter/headhunter will have lots of questions for you but are you aware of the questions you should be asking them?  It is important for the recruiter to discover if you will meet their needs as a potential candidate but equally as important for you to discover if the recruiter will meet your needs in building your career.

Prior to disclosing any information, it is suggested that you find out who you are dealing with, including the company name and how long they have been in business. By asking if they are the only recruitment firm working on the search you will discover if they have been retained to fill a specific position or are acting on a contingency basis.  How did they find you and if they found your resume, what is it that stood out and is it a current version? Ask for a copy of the job description and by asking about the company culture you may be able to discover if they have a good relationship with the decision makers.

Anthony Kaul, Founder and CEO of HigherBracket.ca, says “There are countless questions to ask when assessing a recruiter, but the above, ( “8 Questions To Ask A Headhunter”),will help you figure out if this is someone who you want representing you to potential new opportunities”.

Your resume will get you in the door or it will not! Some believe their expertise on their resume will guarantee them the opportunity to walk through the door for a job interview. And there are those who believe their well written cover letter will get their foot in the door. Others feel that writing a resume to match the job description is the key. So why does it not open the door? Why have you not been contacted for a job interview?

The first step in the process for a  Recruiter or HR professional is to eliminate candidates from the huge stack of resumes in their inbox by checking resumes for spelling, grammatical and formatting errors. If your resume contains any errors, it will not get you in the door. Even though most are aware of this information, HR Professionals continue to receive resumes destined for the recycle bin. Recently, over 300 applications were submitted for a senior level project management position and 20% of those were turned down because of spelling mistakes or formatting issues even though they may have been qualified for the position.

With hundreds or even thousands of resumes, the number one goal is to reduce the number of potential candidates to a manageable level to begin scheduling job interviews. Your qualifications will only be significant once your resume has passed through the process to check for spelling, grammar, formatting, appearance, keywords and missing information. I recently received an email from someone who had intentionally left out past work history and graduation years and said they were pleased to hear that some ”HR folk” spend time digging around.

You can be assured that the process of elimination for most HR professionals and Recruiters is expedient and  includes dropping anyone who submits a resume with missing information. Do you believe you will be perceived as an ideal candidate by showing that you have something to hide? Your resume must pass through every process to put you within the top percentile if you are going to be given an opportunity to walk through that door for a job interview. It is safe to say that you will very likely see your online presence visited but it’s also safe to say that this will only happen after your resume has made it through the many processes designed to eliminate you from the competition.

Contact us today for a free resume critique and find out if your resume Will or Will Not get you in the door for a job interview! 

Are they who they say they are?  Today’s global recession presents a prime environment for many organizations that prey on the misfortunes of those who will be affected by it.  The increasing loss of jobs will leave some desperate and vulnerable, willing to believe promises of a new and successful career and gullible enough to invest $$$’s in order to get it.  The old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it is”, should be a constant reminder especially during tough economic times.  Some executive recruiters and career management organizations may not be who they say they are.  If during your job search you find yourself working with a recruiter who asks you for money, they are not a recruiter.  If you are seeking a career management organization, be sure the individual you are dealing with possesses a variety of certifications.  They may be out to sell you more than you bargained for.  Rip-off Report is written by consumers for consumers and I strongly advise you to check it out before engaging the services of any company that you do not have a reliable reference for.

Here are some questions that may help you in choosing a reputable company when looking for professional services:

• Does the company have a professional website, free of typos and grammatical errors?
• Does the website contain detailed information/photos of the individuals involved in the organization?
• Are there any clearly recognizable certifications?  Does it include the logos of the associated institutions?
• How detailed is the contact information? Is there a complete address, phone, cell, email, etc.?
• When you Google the company and individuals within the organization is the information positive?
• Is the company associated with other reputable organizations?
• Are you sure the company is not listed on sites such as, www.ripoffcomplaints.com?
• Has the company been in business for a number of years?
• Are you able to acquire references for the company from your business contacts, friends, family or online networking sites?

Yes, “machiavellian”; elaborately cunning, scheming and unscrupulous in his recruiting methods. A more deserved title than that of “rogue recruiter” as David Perry is referred to in The Wall Street Journal article, Snack Vendor — or Undercover Job Recruiter? by Sarah E. Needleman. David shares some interesting, certainly entertaining, and sometimes shocking details of many of his recruiting adventures.

David Perry’s search firm, Perry-Martel International Inc. recognizes that the top talent individuals they are seeking are already employed and in order to get to them it may require a slight deviation from following normal channels. Whether it is going undercover, bribing a janitor or tackling a remote mountain bike trail, David Perry will do what it takes and says his recruiting style works. In 22 years, he has completed 991 searches for jobs paying roughly $170 million in salaries.

As a client of Perry-Martel International Inc. you can be assured that David Perry will persist and persuade until a potential candidate is found, even if it requires unconventional methods. As a candidate, you can acquire 400 unconventional tips, tricks and tactics for landing your dream job in Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters, written by David Perry and Jay Conrad Levinson and Guerrilla Resumes for Job Hunters.

Morally questionable methods? Or simply, proven and successful, unconventional strategies?