from ExecuNet's Ask Michael
     
Q:  I had a lengthy conversation with an Associate Member who has been in search for the better part of a year. Her question was, "How do I connect with more recruiters?

A:  In a past issue I suggested it was a waste of time and effort to cold call recruiters, as they are currently overwhelmed with candidates. I received a lot of feedback on that observation, some in agreement and some in disagreement. So I'll use this question to answer some of those comments, as well as to impart a great way to connect with recruiters without cold calling.

In answering the question above, I asked the member about the efforts she had put forth so far. She had contacted former colleagues, friends and associates, fellow church members and so forth, asking if they knew of a position, and if they didn't now, would they keep her in mind. She joined ExecuNet as an Associate Member as well as other social networking groups. She responded to job postings and had a strong résumé that produced a few interviews. In sum, she had done a lot of the right things.

I asked her since her goal was to connect to recruiters, when she reached out to her network, had she asked to be connected to recruiters that her contacts had either used in the past to fill positions or recruiters who had gotten her network members positions in the past. She hadn't, which was a great missed opportunity.

The best way to connect with a recruiter is to be introduced to them by someone who has benefitted from them in the past and may benefit them in the future. Your odds of having a recruiter reach out to you are far, far greater, if you are introduced to them by a former and potentially future client. You are instantly transformed from just another résumé to someone who is being recommended by someone who has earned them revenue in the past, and may earn them more revenue in the future.

So if you haven't reached out to your network's recruiter connections, I ask that you do it now. I think that you'll find a referral is infinitely more valuable than cold calling.

Michael Sherman