August PLUG Meeting: Mid-Career Development

[Charles Curley]

On Mon, Aug 06, 2007 at 01:10:37PM -0600, Robert Merrill wrote:
> On 8/6/07, Ryan Simpkins <plug at ryansimpkins.com> wrote:

> > - What are recruiters good for?

Besides target practice?

> > - Why are recruiters HATED? (Open source-style feedback loop).
> > - Careering.
> > - How to be irreplaceable (protect yourself against layoffs).
> 
> @All: I am looking forward to this presentation.  I hope to start a
> conversation about these topics.
> - What do you want to know?
> - What aggravates you about job-searching and/or recruiters in general?

I would say that what follows also applies to personnel departments,
except that they are usually so totally clueless that I don't bother
with them.

Most recruiters show their technical illiteracy by not accepting
resumes in a resume XML DTD. I think OASIS standardised one several
years ago. Does anyone accept it?

Recruiters who

* don't return phone calls or emails.

* don't follow up, with candidates or clients.

* don't give me a reasonable time frame. For example, when the
  recruiter submits the resume, he should be able to tell me how long
  before he expects a response. Then I can note that, and check back
  with the recruiter to see if there has been a response.

* don't remove filled job orders from their ads or web sites. This is
  called "false advertising" and is explicitly illegal in California.

* don't share the job order with me.

* have web sites with no contact information.

* expect you to enter your entire resume on their web site (usually
  with a crappy intake form) before they'll even talk to you.

* treat candidates and/or clients like commodity items.

* want resumes and other documents in Microsoft Turd format(s).

* don't ask persmission before submitting a resume to each and every
  client company.

Recruiters and candidates have to work together. They are selling a
product, the candidate. The recruiter knows the clients, often a
hiring manager (thereby bypassing the personnel department, who are
usually clueless). The candidate shuld help the recruiter to prepare
sales tools, like resumes customized to the client. A lot of both
candidates and recruiters don't get that.

> - What are your thoughts/concerns in this market/economy
> - What do you wish hiring managers and recruiters would "get" that
> they just don't get.

Courtesy.

Telecommuting.

> - How do YOU like to be approached about job opportunities?

Email. But first read my resume and pre-screen me. That saves both of
us time.

-- 

Charles Curley                  /"\    ASCII Ribbon Campaign
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