So you're a great recruiter.....now what?

Ok, so by now you've already read my post about what it takes to be a great recruiter right?  Well, if not check it here....

Anyway, you've done all this cool stuff and you're an amazing recruiter.  You can fill any job, your peers love you and clients sing your praises.  Awesome right?  Well....kind of, I mean, yeah of course it always feels good to be awesome.  See Barney Stinson video resume:

Seriously, this is all great.  But how do you take this awesomeness and become sought after in the industry...someone who doesn't LOOK for jobs, because jobs look for you?  Here are a few thoughts about building your recruiting brand:

Build a huge network - It wouldn't be a Jeff Moore blog without a networking tip right?  Honestly, for us recruiters we're only as good at our network.  Most of us have networks of engineers, or sales people but slack off terribly when it comes to networking with other recruiters.  Why?  Honestly, I don't know but it's crazy.  Build a network of other great recruiters and you'll never be looking for a job again.

Speak out - A great way to build your brand is to speak at events.  Now you don't need to speak at ERE or Talent Connect(although those are great), tons of local groups or job fairs are always looking for recruiters to speak about hiring, resumes, etc etc.  I'm a big fan of the "unconference" like #Tru events which are a little more casual but give you great exposure (I'm speaking here in a few weeks).  Additionally, I'd be willing to bet your school would love to have their rockstar alumni back to talk about all things hiring.  The more you do it, the better you'll get and next thing you know you'll be leading a track at ERE.

Get social - Recruiters are social people but I'm always amazed at how few of us tweet or blog.  There is really no better way to build your brand than to share you're awesome experience with other recruiters looking to learn.  You don't have to have a million followers to make an impact, start small by following a bunch of folks and engage......you'll be social before you know it.

A few recommendations on people to follow can be found here and here

Amp up the LinkedIn profile- This one is pretty obvious but let's just be honest.  Recruiters are all over LinkedIn trying to find top talent.....does your LinkedIn profile represent your awesomeness? It better.  Take time to add content and recommendations to really show off your skills.

Hope this helps, building your personal brand is tough...but do it right and you'll be mad you didn't do it sooner.

Happy hunting this week!

Living on a Prayer - Recruiting Advice from Bon Jovi

Alright, hope everyone is doing well.  As some of you know...I’m on vacation back east.  Spending a bunch of time off the grid in Maine or New Hampshire.  We did however venture out to see Bon Jovi in concert.  It was pretty awesome, nevermind the fact that the J. Giles Band opened....it was great to see Bon Jovi and relive my 80’s metal days.  As such, I wanted to write a quick blog with a few recruiting/career inspiration from Bon Jovi.  Now, before you make fun of me....most of the lyrics are from older tunes in the catalog...what can I say, I’m getting old.

Ok, here you go....

Rainy night and the worked all day, We both got jobs cause there’s bills to play, We got something they can’t take away, Our love, our lives - Born to Be My Baby

We’ve all had these days right?  Rainy day?  Daylight Savings Time?   Let’s face it, everyone has a day that just sucks.  But at the end of the day, remember.....work to live, not live to work.  It’s really important to walk away, get home and enjoy life.  If you can’t do that...its time for a new job.  Trust me, it’s happened to me and I’m a better man for it.

Take you higher than you’ve ever known - In and Out of Love

I’m pretty sure this lyric is about sex in the original song....but that’s not the topic here.  This line really makes me think of mentors....at your job or externally a great mentor will help you get higher than you every dreamed in your career.  Don’t have a mentor?  Find a few immediately....

Faith: you know you’re gonna live thru the rain

Lord you got to keep the faith

Faith: don’t let your love turn to hate

Right now we got to...Keep the faith - Keep the Faith

Pretty simple message here....through the tough times and rough days...keep the faith and focus on getting your job done.  If you can’t....maybe it’s time to look around for something better.

Right now the rules we made are meant for breaking - Lay your hands on me

This line is definitely about sex but I guess this is what I get for a Bon Jovi themed blog....honestly though..this is a great line.   Rules are meant for breaking....sometimes, not all the time.  The key is knowing when to ask for forgiveness or permission.....great employees bend rules or break rules when the need to do the right thing for the business.....just think twice :)

Tommy used to work on the docks

Union’s been on strike, He’s down on his luck...it’s tough, so tough

Gina works the diner all day, Working for her man, she brings home her pay

For love - for love - Living on a Prayer

Obviously a great song, one of the best.  The moral here?  You’ll have ups and downs through your career but you’ve got to keep working to bring home the bacon for the family (or retirement, or whatever)

Never say goodbye, never say goodbye

You and me and my old friends

Hoping it would never end - Never Say Goodbye

Insert “Jeff Moore always tells me to network in his blog” comments here......

Well now that we’re together

Show me what you can do - Raise your hands

Great line here, and a great moral for your career.  Once you get the job...you’re like 10% done.  Once you are there, you’ve got to produce.  Get it done.

It’s all the same, only the names will change

Everyday it seems we’re wasting away

Another place where the faces are so cold

I’d drive all night just to get back home - Wanted Dead or Alive

My favorite Bon Jovi tune by far, so good.  This one made me think of having a long commute.  Man, nothing sucks more than a long commute.  I’ve got a short one now so I’m spoiled but meh....I’d drive all night to get home.  Think of that next time you take a job, go on an interview or transfer locations....a crappy commute can ruin your job.

Ok, that’s it for tonight.....I might write a few more this week, we’ll see.....lots of ideas the question will be motivation!

Good luck out there

How about a chat for your job search?

Quick post this week...but a really important one for those of you looking to get a little more social in your job search.  The topic, what’s Twitter chat?  Well, a Twitter chat is basically when a group of people get together and use a hashtag to have a conversation via Twitter.  Sound crazy?  Well, it’s not....it’s probably the single best way to network with new, social people today.

Here’s what you do:

1) Get comfortable on Twitter - Don’t tweet much!  Find people in your industry, follow them, and engage.  No one cares if you are watching TV or doing something mindless.....find folks talking about something you find interesting.  Trust me, they are out there.  Search for #jobs or something like that #java, #coffee...whatever, and you’ll be surprised.

2)  Watch a few chats happen - There are a bunch I’d recommend for job seekers, specifically #TChat, #InternPro and #JobHuntChat which are all HR related..lots of great people there, just follow the hashtag and watch the conversation.

3)  Tweet!! - Ok, you knew this was coming right?  After watching a chat or two....start participating.  You don’t have to do much.  Send a few RT’s?  Answer a few questions?  That’s it, start engaging in the community.

4) Network - Many of these chats (InternPro specifically) encourage networking at the end of the chat so people can take conversations offline and help each other off.  So, enjoy the chat and then at the end make a few new connections.

5) Turn your Tweeps into real relationships - This is the key tip.  These online relationships are great but converting them into real connections makes all the difference.  At the end of the day, all these newfangled social tools are great...but the same old networking rules that I preach about constantly apply....

What are you waiting for?  If you’re looking for a new social way to juice up your job search....find a few chats on Twitter and get going.

Hope to see you in a chat online soon!

The importance of speaking out!

Ok, just a few posts left this year but this is one that I’ve been thinking about for a while.  You hear a lot about the importance of speaking your mind and speaking up in meetings....what’s just as important is taking time to occasionally speak OUT at events.  I recently spoke at a few events here in Boston and it really reminded me of how important is to do if you have the opportunity.  Here’s why:

1) Share your expertise - Speaking out gives you a chance to share your experiences and help other people advance their career.  Sharing what you know is the ultimate experience in my opinion as you get to collaborate and share with other folks in the industry.

2)  Networking on Steroids - That’s right, speaking out at an event is like networking on steroids.  Think about it.  People are there to year YOU speak and listen to YOUR experiences....so, it’s a great chance to meet other folks and do some serious networking.  You can’t go wrong here, seriously, makes networking so easy to do.

3) Public Speaking are GREAT skills - The ability to present to a group or speak publicly are skills that every employer wants.  Most people are afraid of speaking publicly and really stress out when they have to do it.  So...practice makes perfect.  Take the opportunity, get good at it and turn it into another skill in your skillset that you can leverage in your professional life.

4) It’s fun - I love speaking out, think it’s a blast and really have a lot of fun doing it.  So, give it a try and I think you’ll like it too

That’s it this week, I’ll try to get another post out this week but if not....have a great holiday and we’ll keep the conversation going in 2013!

Good luck out there, tough time of year but LOTS of hiring going on.....

London Calling - Networking thoughts from my trip to London

Ok, sorry for the lack of content lately…just getting back from a week in London meeting my team there.  It was a great trip, tons of fun in an amazing city but more importantly it got me thinking about the importance of networking.  I know I talk about networking a lot in this blog but really I can’t talk about it enough.  Networking will change your personal and professional life like you never imagined.  You’ll have to wait for the “Jeff Moore – The life and times of a recruiting knucklehead” book for personal stories about networking but here are a few thoughts/lessons that really hit home during this trip.

1) Find like-minded people, and ENGAGE with them – A few years ago I went to an event called truBoston which was a recruiting event in town.  There I met a bunch of folks via Bill Boorman (@BillBoorman) like Mark Babbitt (@YouTernMark), Johnny Campbell (@socialtalent) and Mike Vangel (@MikeVangel).  What was great then and is still great today is that those folks are engaged and really pushing the envelope in my field.  We met at an event, engaged and I’m still learning from them today.  Kick ass.

2) Networking takes time and effort – Prior to about 2008, honestly, I HATED networking and didn’t really find most other recruiting folks to be that interesting.  Seriously, I was pretty sure I knew my shit and didn’t need to network to get better.  Um wrong.  You may remember that September when the world fell apart, well for me, everything changed.  TONS of my colleagues and friends were laid off a looking for work…..I was fortunate to have a great job but people came to ME for help….and my network sucked.  Long story short, I realized it was time to buck up and get out there.  Without a great network I was just another recruiter and eventually would find myself needing to network.  Hence this blog, my tweets, the hundreds of networking coffees and phone calls since.

3) Pay it Forward - The best kind of networking is when you help someone accomplish their goals....NOT just a one way street for your own advancement.  So, pay it forward.  That’s right, help people out and then w/ a little luck and karma when you need help....your network will be there for you.

4) In person matters - This might seem like common sense, but meeting people in person matters.  There is nothing quite like having a conversation face to face.  I spent a little time last week with some old Google colleagues, nothing better than having a beer and catching up on things.  It’s hard today in the global world we live but finding time to meet people in person will pay for itself in spades.  

5) Keep it going - Last point but perhaps the most important.  Once you get yourself networking and building relationships it’s important to keep it going.  Keep meeting new people, expand existing relationships and push the envelope.  You’re never done networking....ever.

Ok, that’s it for now.  I’ll try to get another post out later this week.  Good luck with things this week!

How much information should I share on LinkedIn

Ok, this week’s post is another one of my “guest ideas”...this one from Clayton Pritchard. Clayton is my boy, long story but really appreciate him sending this topic my way. Frankly, how we know each other is probably a great blog post. ANYWAY....

The topic...”How much information should I put on my LinkedIn profile?”

The easy answer is, as much as possible...but it’s not quite that simple as you want a profile that accurately reflects your background but also isn’t overwhelming to someone who’s looking to find someone with your skillset.

Here are a few tips that might help:

1) LinkedIn knows what they are doing - They recommend you fill out your profile “completely”.  They do this for a reason, because it works.  Take the time, fill out the profile as much as they recommend and you’re well on your way.

2) Don’t over communicate - You want to spell out your experience, but know go crazy.  Don’t put a thousand words in your summary.  Short, sweet and descriptive.

3) Recommend some folks...and get a few of your own - Recommendations are great...but they are a two way street.  You want people saying nice things about you but you want to contribute as well.  I LOVE seeing who people recommend...if they go crazy, it probably doesn’t mean anything but if they only recommend a few people that means a lot.  Now, go recommend someone.

4)  Join some groups - LinkedIn literally has groups for everything, and you should join them.  You’ll meet great people and even learn a bit.  I really like networking w/ folks in similar groups as I know we have shared interests.

Ok, that’s it, but this should get you started.  I’d also recommend following @LinkedInQueen on Twitter who offers a ton of great advice on this topic as well.

More soon, hope this helps!!

It's time for a recruiting Trafalgar

Ok, crazy busy week for me but I had this weird inspiration and wanted to share....so, hang on.  As you know, I’m a History dork.  I’ve got a degree in History and pretty much only read historical books....very little fiction.  This weeks inspiration comes from Lord Horatio Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar.  

If you aren’t familiar w/ Nelson or this battle, I’d highly recommend giving it a little study (I can even recommend a book in comments if you’d like!).  The moral of the story here is that Nelson won this amazing battle due to dramatically changing normally accepted tactics....and revolutionizing the art of battle.

For me...I’m feeling like it’s about time for a whole new take on looking for a job and hiring top talent.  A “Recruiting Trafalgar” if you will.  Here’s what I mean:

Nelson Bucked the Trends - At the time, opposing fleets would basically sail next to each other in parallel lines and blast each other to pieces.  Although this sounds manly and tough....it’s pretty dumb.  Rather than take his smaller force and face certain death...Nelson rethought the problem won via innovation.  If we are going to truly change the way people get hired we need to stop lining up in parallel lines and blasting away.  It’s time to think outside of the box, get nimble and build innovative solutions that work for you (or your organization).

Maximizing Fire for Maximum Results - To defeat the French and Spanish fleet, Nelson took his fleet and attacked them perpendicularly...thus allowing his fleet to maximize fire and devastate the enemy.  See below:

The analogy here is that if you’re looking for a job or trying to hire a bunch of folks...you HAVE to maximize fire and generate as much activity as you can.  The only way to “win” the battle is to focus your attention as much as you can and develop overwhelming activity.

Hindsight is 20/20 - Ok, last point on this and it’s a good one.  Hindsight is 20/20 in recruiting and history. Nelson died in the Battle of Trafalgar and became a national hero.  So, if you are on the edge and pushing the boundaries of hiring/recruiting/job search you may not even know it....but, history will look back on you.  Whether it’s a good new job, a great new team or amazing advice to a friend/colleague who’s looking around....it will be easy for you to see your success with the benefit of hindsight.

That’s it this week, my daughter put a copy of my favorite Nelson book in my laptop bag today and told me I’d need it for work....ironically, she was right.  I’m pretty sure in 1805, Lord Horatio Nelson had no idea he’d be inspiration for a recruiting blog in 2012.

Good luck out there this week.......and keep thinking outside the box.

My thoughts on “The 2-Hour Job Search” by Steve Dalton

I don’t know Steve (@Dalton_Steve) but if I’m ever down by Duke University I’m going to look him up because this book rocks.  So good.  Honestly, this is probably the best book I’ve read for someone who’s looking for a new job.  I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a job.  With that, here are a few of my thoughts on the book:

The Resume Black Hole -  On page 3, Steve talks about a student named Becca who’s been applying for tons of jobs....with no luck.  I talk about this a lot and this paragraph stresses the point.  Applying online is inefficient and unlikely to result in a new job.  You have to do it...but don’t get your hopes up in amazing results.

LinkedIn Start-up - There is a great, quick start-up guide to getting your LinkedIn profile working for you on page 14.  This page is really all you need to get up and running.  Great stuff and as loyal readers know....LinkedIn is critical to your job search.

The LAMP Methodology - The real meat of the book is the LAMP methodology that Steve recommends.  It’s FANTASTIC.  Very similar to some of the advice I give but broken down into a very easy to understand format.  I won’t go into a massive amount of detail (buy the book!) but this is exactly the kind of thing job seekers need to be doing in order to successfully find a job...and a great job at that.

The 99.9% - Great statistic on page 16, there are 27.5 million businesses in the US, only .1% of them have over 500 employees.  Think about that for just a minute.  99.9% of businesses in the US have less than 500 people.........that means, for every big company you know is hiring there are literally hundreds of companies you’ve never heard of hiring too......wow!

Quick Start Guide - The last few pages of the book are literally a quick start guide on how to get the LAMP method working for you.  It’s great.  If you are looking for a job, this is exactly what you need.  Check it out.

Ok, that’s it.  This is a great book...not good, GREAT.  I’m going to recommend this book to anyone I know who’s looking for a job.  Great stuff, and Steve if you ever read this and are in Boston...coffee is on me.

Good luck out there this week everyone, enjoy the summer....it won’t last forever.

Job Tip of the Week - Have a plan

I realized that it's been a while since I've done a "Tip of the Week"....talk about a slacker.  Thankfully, I've got one this week.  I hope it helps.

One of the most important things you can do during your job search or career really....is have plan.  Now, I'm not talking about having your life scripted out so you much that you feel like the Truman Show but you've got direction.  During an active job search this especially important so you can not only keep making progress but keep motivation.

Wonder what a "plan" would look like?  Here's an idea:

- Submit 3 resumes a week online
- Contact 1 (or 2) former colleagues or classmates a week for networking
- Contact 1 person OUTSIDE of your network a week for networking
- Attend 1 networking event a week (month?) to meet additional people
- Meet with 1 recruiter a month to develop a network of people looking at roles for you
- Find a mentor who can help advise you on your search

Now, this is pretty aggressive but  if you think about it....this is what, eight hours of work?  If you're looking for a job or between jobs eight hours is nothing.  Get it done.

Good luck out there!

Tell me who are you!

Alright, another blog topic that came in as a special request...this one from my buddy Greg Marsh (@gmarsh17) for those of you looking for some interesting tweets.....so, here we go...oh and if you don’t know the musical reference in the title....it’s “The Who”...

As you know, I’m a huge proponent of networking.  I saw a statistic the other day that said seven of every ten jobs filled are filled via networking.  So, if you’re not networking you’re not REALLY looking for a job.  As such, you should be talking to as many people as you can and really learn about as many roles as you can.

Now picture this, you’re out there networking....and you forget to REALLY introduce yourself to the person you’re contacting.  Didn’t tell them why you should talk.  Didn’t tell them what you do.  Didn’t do anything.  #networkingfail

Here are a few tips on how to let the person know “who” you are so you’ll be a bit more effective with your networking:

Include your resume - um, amazing advice I know....but you’d be surprised how many people forget this.  Job search 101 people...send a resume when you’re networking for a job.

Reference your LinkedIn profile - By now your have your LinkedIn profile looking good right?  So why not just put a link at the end of your email as part of your signature.  Name, phone number and LinkedIn profile.......short, sweet and professional.

Link to your blog or personal site - Lots of people have personal websites or online portfolio.  Adding a link to reference your work and show a glimpse of your skills is a great way to make the introduction for networking.

Attach an article - If you’d done a few publications or articles you can send them along with a note explaining your background/expertise and use that to open the door.  Publications give you credibility and the best way to network is to establish your credibility and start talking.

Ok, so there you go...when networking or speaking with someone about a job....introduce yourself.  Establish “why” the person should speak with you and do your best to find a great role.

Good luck out there!

Your cover letter is dead...

Ok, I’ve spoken a lot about resumes lately and so I wanted to quickly hit on the whole idea of a “cover letter’.  Here is a fact, the cover letter as it’s commonly known is dead.  D-E-A-D.  Do you know why?  Because no one, and I mean no one sends paper resumes anymore.  If you do, they probably end up in the trash.  It’s true, sorry.

So, if the cover letter is dead in it’s traditional form what are you supposed to do?  Here are a few ideas.

Send an email - um, duh.....email is the new snail mail (well, it’s not that new) but send an email that would kind of look like a cover letter of old.  You’ll obviously want to be less formal, and word to the wise----craft an email that shows up is only as big as the “preview pane” so recruiters like me can quickly review it and not have to scroll through a ton of text.

Send a resume - You know, apply online.......if you need more than that, nevermind....

Network for a job - This is my favorite and one of the most important.  The BEST way to get a job...networking.  So, do some networking and meet people by leveraging your LinkedIn profile so that you don’t NEED a cover letter.  All you need to do is have a few informational or informal chats about the role...follow up with a resume later....interview.....take the job.

That’s it for now, I should have another post later in the week.  Special thanks to David Rosenthal for the topic...Thanks!!

Jeff

Does your resume matter anymore?

Earlier this week I spoke a little bit about social media and your job search...and someone asked me “Does your resume matter anymore?”  Which seemed like a great follow up to my earlier post.

So....with all the stuff in the world now between profile pages, LinkedIn profiles and other social networks...does your resume matter?  In a word, yes....but not as much as you’d think.

The Ladders recently did a study that talked about how most recruiters can review a resume in about 6 seconds.  Crazy right?  I mean, I can’t believe it takes that long.....kidding!  But the point is, your resume matters and you HAVE to get to the point.  Long, rambling resumes just aren’t read anymore.  Take some time and look at the study above, pretty cool stuff.  A few other quick take aways from this data:

- Recruiters focus what they think is important....education, current experience and location.  Not rocket science if you think about it. Recruiters are basically asking 1) Does this person meet my educational requirements 2) Does their current experience map to the role I’m looking to fill and 3) How realistic is it for them to work in my office from a location perspective.

- You’ve got 6 seconds...........when people are writing resumes or doing “elevator pitches” the golden rule should be “Short and Sweet”

- Employee Referrals are REALLY the way to get hired now....recruiters are swamped and screening people in seconds.  Your best way into a great new gig.....finding a friend or former colleague who can get your resume to a hiring manager.

That’s it for now....hope you are all having a great week!

You're looking for a job...but can people FIND you?

Quick blog this week but I think it’s important.  When you are looking for a job, you should make sure to figure out how easily you are found.  Because if you are really actively looking for a job you want to make sure that 1) You’re looking for jobs but also that 2) People can find you if they are out looking for great employees.

So, here’s what you might think about doing...

1) Search for your name - Of course you know, “Google” yourself.  What’s funny, I did this and the results were very different depending on the search engine.  On Google, I’m the first or second result for any combination of my name...good.  Yahoo, um, not so much but I’m pretty findable...especially if you do “Jeff Moore Recruiter”....Bing?  Um, apparently I barely exist there.  That gave me a chuckle.  Will have to work on that :)   Anyway, figure out how people can find you and do things to help make it easier to find you.  Blog, tweet, write articles, whatever...get out there.

2) LinkedIn - Get your profile 100% complete and up to date.  Add connections and get some professional references. When you meet with someone...tell them “I’ll send you a connection so we can stay in touch.”  Building your network is the most important thing you can do whether you are in a job search or not.  Finally...LinkedIn is a HUGE recruiting channel now and if you are not there....you’re nowhere.

3) Experiment - Play around with different things. Find ways to contribute to the online world and get yourself “out there”.  Attend industry events.  I have a saying about lottery tickets (don’t ask!) which is “You’ve got to play to win”....the same could be said for your job search.

That’s it this week........get out there, it’s a new year so there are new opportunities!