Making Yourself Prey

4 August 2009 by Peter Severinson for BC Business

With all those eagle-eyed recruiters scanning the professional ranks for the next hotshot to fill that lonely corner office, how do you get yourself in their line of sight? Ken Werker, managing partner of Odgers Berndtson's Vancouver office, and Kevin McBurney, senior client partner at Korn/Ferry International in Vancouver, share some tips about what grabs their attention.

KNOW THYSELF
Recruiters aren't career counsellors, McBurney stresses. So before contacting one, find out what you're good at and what you want to do. Read up on the sectors you're interested in. Find out who the leaders are and what they need in today's market.

"It's an eight-to-1O-hour- a-day, full-time job a new situation," he says, and contacting a recruiter is just one part of it. "Maybe that's sad but true,

THE RIGHT RESUME
Sometimes a CEO gig begins the same way as your first stint at Starbucks: a solid resume in the right hands. Werker insists a recruiting firm's online resume database is a primary research tool for recruiters: "They are not black holes."

McBurney counsels that a good resume is a list of achievements. Let your victories speak for you. And remember, a recruiter is often scanning resumes for skills and experiences matching their clients' needs. If you've done your research, you can guess what those might be.

THE GOOD WORD
While Werker insists a great CV from an unknown applicant can make an impression, personal recommendations often out punch a slick cover letter. "Maybe that's sad but true, but usually it's who youknow," he says. McBurney's common advice is to make a list of everyone you know who can put your name out there and let them know you're looking for something new.

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU
Top-level recruiters are hired by clients to fill specific positions, and maybe the position for you just isn't there right now. But be patient. Only apply for positions where there's a good chance you'd be a top contender; recruiters don't look kindly on people who apply for every job they see, Werker says. However, "if you get into our line of sight by being a favoured applicant," he says, "you tend to stay in our line of sight."