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What goes through a person's mind when they buzz off a recruiter's call?

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Dave Jensen
(@davejensencareertrax-com)
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I'm sure surprised at the way some people respond to a recruiter's call or email asking the famous "Who do you know?" question. That's what we do when we're looking for leads on an open position we're filling for a client. It's indirectly a call to ask you if you are interested, but it's also a very sincere attempt to get a suggestion or two.

Before I was a recruiter, I would get these calls and say, "Well, you might try talking to so and so. Or, try this guy as well, here's his phone number." I knew that those were confidential referrals, that my friend wasn't going to be getting a call from someone who used my name. And as a result, I would always hear from recruiters. They called me to tap my resources whenever there was a need. That's how I would hear about new job openings.

That's still, years later, the way that recruiting calls work. It's an opportunity to open a connection for you . . . the recruiter may not be calling about something that you are personally doing, but don't you know someone who could be more valuable for the caller? Why wouldn't you want to at least plant the seed with that headhunter that you are a valuable source of information? Even if you have to ask for a phone number and call that person back after assembling a few leads for him or her -- that's helpful. And you'd sure get more job opportunities coming your way.

That's why, when I make contact with someone and they say, "No, I'm not interested in moving to Philadelphia" and hang up without a lot of further discussion, I just don't get it.

Dave

Dave Jensen, Founder and Moderator
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Dick Woodward
(@dick-woodward)
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Dave:

I would again refer people to our article on "The Care and Feeding of Executive Recruiters, which can be found at http://www.contractpharma.com/issues/2008-01/view_managing-your-careeer/the-care-and-feeding-of-executive-recruiters. Buzzing off a recruiter's call just does not make sense at any level, and people only do it at their own peril.

Dick


   
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Dick Woodward
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Parker:

You are quite right. However, if the person is busy, or the boss is within earshot, ask if there is a number that you can call back on, and set up a convenient time - ideally when you can call from a private setting. The recruiter will certainly understand.

You are also correct about the shortsightedness of some folks. This is what actually led to the article that Dave and I wrote. The fellow who "never took calls from recruiters" actually exists, and when the company was going down the tubes, really did come into my office to ask why they would not take his calls. Remarkably, this was a fairly senior fellow who should have known better.

However, senior people do not often think as clearly as one might expect. A high-end recruiter (i.e., only C-level people) of my acquaintance once told me how he wrote off a candidate who was perfect for the position that he was trying to fill. When the candidate sent his resume, he sent it over the company e-mail system, leading the recruiter to question (rightly, in my opinion) the good judgement of the candidate.

Dick


   
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Dick Woodward
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A major issue with the use of company e-mail is that they invariably specify, usually in the employee handbook, that you have no right to privacy in company e-mail. They often have filters to block adult sites, on-line gambling and the like - it is simple to also put in filters to look for words like resume and such. I cannot put it more succinctly than DO NOT USE COMPANY RESOURCES FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH!

In this day and age, everyone has a personal e-mail - use it. However, make certain that your address is professional - [email protected] or [email protected] don't cut it. (In fact, I once rejected an applicant for having a similar e-mail - gave me serious concerns about his judgement.) Get a free g-mail address for your job search if you must, and have it say something like [email protected]. In the increasingly rare case that a fax is needed, go to the local copy shop and send/receive it from there.

Parker is correct that academics think nothing about using their institutional e-mail for things like this, and there seems to be no problem with this. However, even in the academic setting, I think that it is preferable to use your personal e-mail. That way, there can be no question of misappropriation of resources.

Hope this is useful.

Dick


   
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