Are you an all-star employee feeling frustrated with your job search – or disillusioned with your current job?
An executive recruiter is your magic button to finding a job you love that’s a perfect fit for your natural skill-set, while still challenging you.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not.
Most career professionals talk about dream companies and dream jobs, but the secret key to always have a job you’re excited to wake up for every morning is creating and nurturing a relationship with your dream recruiter.
Yep. A headhunter.
The person who’s so dialed in to your industry that they can spot opportunities months before they even surface on LinkedIn.If you’re searching for a job they’ll be the first to know when one opens up that’s perfect for you. If you’re unhappy with your current role they can guide you toward something new, fresh, and supremely satisfying.
Now, most A+ employees are already connected with a recruiter, but a very small percentage of them take the time to develop a rock-solid relationship with their job guru.
Don’t be one of those people.Be smart and fully utilize their wealth of knowledge to benefit you and your family.You and I know your job isn’t just about you – it affects everyone around you too. When you’re fulfilled, that energy trickles into every area of your life and positively impacts every person you come into contact with.
So make the effort today to take your career seriously and create a win-win relationship with your dream recruiter.And honestly?Even if you’re 100% satisfied with your current job, you can’t predict the future, and it’s a super strategic move to foster an authentic relationship with a recruiter now.
By taking these six steps, you can create a relationship with your dream recruiter, or grow and solidify your existing relationship:
1. Nail the first meeting – starting with punctuality.If your dream recruiter is local, suggest an in-person meeting.We speak to thousands of new people every year, and it’s much easier for us to remember you if you take the time to meet us in person.The first step to making a great impression?Be on time.If it’s a phone meeting, make sure you call us at the exact time we agreed upon.There’s a reason most recruiters will ask you to call them – yep, it’s a test to see if you’re punctual and can take initiative.
2. Differentiate yourself from the crowd.Recruiters talk to hundreds of people every week, and you need to stand out, starting with your first interaction.Your elevator pitch – your mini spiel on what you do – is the first thing you need to master to stand out from the masses and build a solid relationship with a recruiter.Your pitch should be focused on the tangible value and benefits you bring to the table, and should take 30-60 seconds.Practice it in front of the mirror – or with a trusted friend – to really nail it.Keep it succinct, positive, honest, and humble.
3. Get specific, and don’t be afraid to talk money.Your elevator pitch can quickly touch on numbers, but once you move beyond that and are talking in an interview format, it’s absolutely essential to quantify your results.Recruiters want talent that will directly impact a business from a revenue perspective, so you need to know exactly how you fit into the bottom line.Memorize 3-4 specific examples that have directly impacted your past and/or current company’s revenue, and be able to relay them in 30-60 seconds flat.Keep them in your back pocket for recruiting conversations.
4. Be honest about your role and goals.Your recruiter needs to understand exactly how you fit in at your current or previous organization, and your specific responsibilities.You need to be able to articulate how your role fits into the big picture of the company, and where you stand on the organizational chart.We also need to understand if you’re truly a leader or trying to be a leader.Effective leaders don’t take all the credit – they distribute it appropriately to their team. A great leader is confident in their position at the helm, but they don’t constantly speak in “I” language, for example, “I did this… I contributed to that…”They’re more likely to speak in “we” language and credit specific people for certain projects.The best leaders know how to groom talent and give credit where credit is due, and that’s what the best companies are looking for.
5. Be transparent about compensationIt’s customary for recruiting firms to require W2 statements, so this isn’t the place to inflate your salary in hopes of earning even more at your next job.Be honest and direct.Share your current number with your recruiter, and whether you feel your compensation is fair, under, or over market.From there, they can give you excellent perspective on the market and communicate to the hiring team what it will take to get you on board, and exactly why they need you.
Candidates who refuse to talk about compensation make it impossible for a recruiter to represent them.We exist to facilitate the hiring process – not to waste people’s time with impossible demands or mismatched talent.Be straightforward about your current compensation and your goals from day one, and your recruiter will be able to match you with far more ease and accuracy.
6. Get to know us.I know that might seem counterintuitive since you’re probably focused on selling yourself and making sure we remember you, but it’s important to keep in mind that your recruiter is a human too.Building rapport is the foundation of any relationship, especially in the workspace. Plus, getting to know us is actually key to you getting your dream job.If you take the time to get to know your recruiter by asking them questions – even just 2-3 – they’ll naturally feel more connected to you and want to go the extra mile to find you a fantastic position. It’s simply human nature.
Having a solid relationship with a specialized recruiter in your field is kind of like having a bulletproof vest. It gives you the security that no company, no matter how great, can offer you.You never know when layoffs will happen, and a great alliance with an executive recruiter is one of the smartest moves you can make for career security, since they’ll always have their eyes and ears open for you.With these six steps, you’re ready to initiate a new relationship with a great recruiter or optimize your existing ties by creating a stronger bond.
Do you have a recruiter on speed dial? If so, what’s the next step you’ll take to grow your relationship? If not, what’s one step you can take this week?
Hit reply and share with me – we can’t wait to hear from you.
