I just heard that a smart phone has become the most important fashion accessory. I don’t doubt it. It is a powerful tool, especially if one is properly connected. I have apps on my iPhone to fetch my email from each of my various accounts. Messages left on my desk phone are relayed to my cell phone via text. All of my data is backed up to the cloud and accessible via my iPhone. My iPhone includes apps for LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook, among others. My office is wherever I am, whenever. As a result, my clients know that I am at their service 24/7. I hardly think that I am unique among recruiters so I am certain we are all working pretty much the same way. Last week I wrote about being prepared to talk with your recruiter. Now it’s time to talk about accessibility.
Just as I am accessible to my clients, my candidates must be equally available to me when I need them. When someone indicates interest in one of my searches I put their contact information into my data-base, tied to that search. I invite them to connect with me on LinkedIn and to opt in to my mailing list. Accepting those invitations helps me stay connected to those folks, during and after the completion of the assignment. I may have mentioned in an earlier blog post that I prefer to make email contact to a candidate’s personal email account; one they use regularly. Using a candidate’s work email address introduces a risk component that the candidate should avoid. Most companies don’t like their employees looking for another job while employed and using the company’s email account is like waving a big red flag. Text messaging is becoming more important as those people who are gainfully employed can acknowledge and respond to a text message when they cannot respond via email or by telephone. It is especially useful for getting answers to questions where a yes or no answer is required.
So, what should you do to be most accessible to your recruiter? To begin with, ensure that your resume contains the appropriate contact information. Your home address is not important anymore. It is unlikely that you will be contacted via the U.S. Postal Service. Your cell phone number and your personal email address is critical. Secondly, make sure that you put the recruiter’s information into your smart phone so that you will recognize that he is trying to contact you. You don’t want important email going into your spam filter, do you? My contact information is widely published and available on all of my emails. In fact, you should have a detailed signature block your emails as well. That tip makes it that much easier to respond to you, especially by phone or text. Finally, my best candidates keep me apprised as to their upcoming schedule so I will know if they are traveling or on vacation.
Life moves quickly. Technology has us connected like never before. We live in a real time world, or very close to it. Business moves quicker than ever with the expectation for immediate results. “Time is of the essence” has taken on an entirely new dimension. We have tools like voice mail, email, text messaging, and LinkedIn among others. To be competitive one must be competent and technically savvy.
To ensure that I am in the best position to help you land that next job, make sure that I can easily reach you when I need you. Use technology to your advantage. Ensure that all of your contact information is on your resume and in the signature block of your emails. Keep me abreast of your calendar, especially your travel plans. Make sure that my contact information is in your contact list as well.
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Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com