Guerrilla Marking for Job Hunters 2.0 - Jay Conrad Levinson [82]
While you may be trying to save the employer a few dollars, circumventing the recruiter shows that neither the recruiter nor the employer can trust you. The employer understands that using the newspaper or job boards will not necessarily deliver the results they want. The recruiter’s fees are part of the hiring cost, which has been budgeted for already. It is not coming out of your paycheck. I have heard about several candidates who tried this, only to have the recruiter blow up the bridge to ensure that the candidate was definitely not considered. Headhunters have a “one-strike-and-you’re-out” mentality. You don’t write the headhunter’s paycheck directly: the client company does.
Headhunters don’t work for you; they work for themselves. You are just the product. They assume all the risk and costs in marketing you. Make sure you know what you are looking for before you contact them. Make sure they understand what you are looking for and keep them informed about your progress on the interviews they arrange for you. If you are looking for a good recruiter because your job search is stalled, ask your friends to refer one. Treat them with respect and don’t bother them unnecessarily for frequent updates.
• Tools of their trade: In-house databases, ZoomInfo, Linked In.com, referrals, split networks, national and regional niche job boards, bizjournals.com, and a contract Sourcer. Make sure you can be found. Read more about this in Chapters 4 and 5.
• How to reach them: Ask for a referral from a college, kennedy-info. com, ExecuNet.com, the recruitinganimal.com blog, RecruitingBlogers. com, The Fordyce Letter, LinkedIn, TheLadders.com.
Temporary Employment Agencies
Temp agencies do exactly what their name suggests. They provide employers with temporary help on a day-by-day temporary or contract basis. The industry is huge—upward of $100 billion per year in the United States.
Because human capital is now easily expensed away or treated as a variable cost, there is a built-in incentive for an employer to hire people on a project basis for only as long as the company needs them. In most cases, the temp agency will pay you and invoice the company separately. Many agencies supply benefits that are equal to those provided to full-time employees by major corporations.
Temp agencies are a great place to get your foot in the door of an industry or a particular company. Starting as a temp can mean you are the first in line when a permanent position opens up. Temp agencies normally work with hourly employees or those earning less than $30,000 per year. The exceptions are specialty agencies for techies or senior executives, for example, where salaries can run from $15 to $400 per hour, or more.
Each agency will have different corporate clients. Register with as many as you can that are specific to your skill set or represent the industry you want to work in. Then keep in touch with them on a biweekly basis. Every time you go out on a project, take pains to overperform and build a reputation for being reliable and honest. By doing this, you will ensure that the agencies are fighting to represent you and keep you busy. It is not unusual for a temp agency to have 100 or more clients. By registering with the top 10 agencies, you will have your finger on the pulse of more than 1,000 employers. Little if any effort is required on your part—beyond doing a great job.
• Tools they use: In-house database, bizjournals.com, LinkedIn for specialized skills, referrals, networking, regional and/or niche job boards, newspaper classifieds.
Contract Placement Recruiters
This type of recruiter places people into companies to carry out special projects or to staff