When you work with a professional talent specialist to help you in your job search, you’re not simply looking for someone to do the busy work for you. There’s more to landing that perfect job than just shuffling resumes, typing up submittals, and managing emails.
The best recruiters are the ones who take the lead for you. These men and women pull out all the stops to match your talent with top hiring managers in the companies that are the best fit for you.
In some sense, your recruiter is doing battle for you. And his or her knowledge of your industry, of trends in your field, and of companies most suited for your skillset is the ammunition you need to prepare for that all important event in the process – your interview. The best recruiters will set you up at the best vantage point, give you the latest intelligence on the company, the team, and the hiring manager so that you have the best opportunity to win the job when you interview.
The most successful recruiters leverage everything they’ve got for your success – the latest technology, the best inside information, and, above all, the long-term relationships they’ve nurtured with company leaders and hiring managers. Your success largely depends on the reputation your recruiter has with client companies. Make sure you find the best.
When you engage a top recruiting firm in your job search, depend on them as you would a battlefield leader. Trust them. Learn from them. Follow them. They succeed when you succeed.
There are lessons from battlefield leaders that are characteristic of the very best recruiters. Leadership guru Michael Hyatt wrote of these qualities after sitting next to an Army Captain on a short flight from Dallas to Nashville.
The nugget of their discussion, which Hyatt described in his article titled “Leadership Under Fire,” revolved around General Harold G. Moore, author of the book We Were Soldiers Once…and Young, which inspired the movie by Mel Gibson. General Moore’s four leadership principles are:
- Three strikes and you’re not out. You’re never out unless you quit.
- There’s always one more thing you can do to influence the situation in your favor. And after that, one more thing you can do.
- When there’s nothing wrong, there’s nothing wrong … except there’s nothing wrong! This is when a leader must be most alert! Danger lurks.
- Trust your instincts. They are the product of your education, your reading, your personality, and your experience. When seconds count, this is all you have. Learn to trust them and act on them.
Every one of these principles should describe the caliber of top recruiters.
They never quit. They are always on the lookout for opportunities and obstacles. Their experience and reputation inspire your trust. And they know there’s always one more thing they can do to help you succeed.
Experience. Integrity. Savvy. Relationships. That’s how you help build careers.