headhunter aka agency recruiter since I was 23, here are a few things recruiters and hiring managers know that job seekers donʼt:
#1. All basic qualifications having been
met, likability trumps all.
What this means is that the B and C-GPA
students have just as good a chance at making it in life than A+ students. In real life, this metaphor translates as, not the most talented and technically savvy engineer becomes the CTO. Itʼs usually the most politically admired and personally connected candidate that wins and progresses into the C-suite.
Of course, basic qualifications are
important to even be considered a feasible candidate (i.e. has an xyz degree required for the job), but success is dictated more by oneʼs ability to influence, actively listen and respond appropriately, level of social etiquette, and general acceptedness by their peers and superiors than oneʼs technical scores.
In other words, the “smartest” people
donʼt actually end up succeeding the most in real life. On the same token, the “dumbest” people also have just as good as a chance to survive, if not thrive.
#2. HR people actually are not that
important in the hiring hierarchy.
Certainly when I graduated college as a
bright-eyed naive young professional (if you could even call me that), I knew nothing about how the real world worked. I thought that HR people deserved the utmost respect as they were the gateway to my future and career prospects.
In the real world, as a headhunter (my
first job out of college), my job was literally to ignore HR and go straight to the REAL decision maker - the HIRING MANAGER. Now, thatʼs the real boss! The departmental heads have the most power because HR kowtows to their demands and requirements. HR is no more than a service and administrative function.
The hiring manager dictates everything.
Who to interview, what price to pay them, who to hire, and which headhunters to utilize. When dealing with HR, all I had to do was just be polite and nice, but ultimately, if they didnʼt like me, it wouldnʼt matter. As long as the real boss, the hiring manager, liked me, I would have food to eat and deals to make.
Especially as you become a serious
professional, you can utilize LinkedIn to directly approach hiring managers. Most candidates donʼt do this so youʼll actually be ahead of your competition! Furthermore, if youʼre in a field that headhunters serve, make sure to make friends with all of them to utilize their services down the line too.
#3. You can negotiate and leverage
other offers to great effect.
Many candidates are scared of upsetting
prospective employers that they feel bad for disclosing where else theyʼre interviewing at or how much money they actually want. For many people in high- demand labor markets where the supply of jobs outstrip candidates available, the candidate actually holds a LOT more power than employers do.
Candidates should definitely negotiate
and be transparent about exactly which other offers theyʼre juggling and when deadlines approach. If handled appropriately, this will increase employersʼ desire for you, not penalize you for “looking greedy” or “not interested”. Itʼs simply reflective of the competitive labor landscape in which firms must fight for top talent.
In todayʼs world, itʼs all about the
etiquette and manner in which you communicate. If you present an articulate, fact-of-the-matter case as to why your demands are as such, people respect you rather than dislike you. After all, itʼs a given right for a worker to demand their just wages.
#4. You should interview your
interviewers harder.
Commonly, candidates are so scared of
losing the offer or being looked at as needy or demanding that they donʼt actually say whatʼs on their mind. This hurts their success on the job even if they manage to obtain a great salary and offer. Reason being that they probably agreed to something that they did not fully understand or align with.
Thatʼs why itʼs your prerogative to be a
strong communicator. Get the answers you truly need during interviews by asking the tough questions that are detailed and specific. This is where youʼll be spending your next few years; you better be aggressive in how you vet it out!
Donʼt be scared to say whatʼs on your
mind. If something important to you doesnʼt align with your future employer, things wonʼt work out anyways, so itʼs better to know before you take the job to begin with!
#5. Interview even if you donʼt need to.
Due to loyalty, fear, laziness, and/or
arrogance, most candidates refuse to proactively learn about what opportunities are available. Even if headhunters call them with unbelievable and legitimate roles that could seriously impact their earning potential or career trajectory, people say no to themselves all the time, allowing others less qualified to leapfrog them.
As a headhunter, I see this happen daily.
Iʼll call a bunch of similarly-talented people, but some are just more open- minded to listen to othersʼ advice. Theyʼre clever about their future. Others who think they know everything, miss out! No matter if you need to look or not, once you hit a certain amount of experience in your role, itʼs time to take your head out of the sand and start interviewing, even if just for your own education.
This phenomenon disproportionately
hurts women due to the majority of women being extra bought-in/loyal and super paranoid of being “found out”. Please, especially if youʼre a woman, go out there and interview EVEN IF YOU DONʼT NEED TO.
In Conclusion
I could go on and on about misguided
resume designs and why people should stop wasting their time freaking out over cover letters, but the above points are the most important in terms of mindsets about the job-getting process and ecosystem that will really misdirect job- seekersʼ actions and strategies.
Keep a positive attitude, an open heart,
and be smart about who you let into your life (and which company to work for) to stay in control of your life and career.