Today's IT industry has changed significantly over the years. What once was considered commonplace is now completely irrelevant now. What should you focus on to make sure as a job seeker you gain the best opportunity from recruiters?
While we still hear some bleak news about the broader US economy, the IT industry has been steadily growing and is a leading engine of global growth. As our industry and technology itself continues to evolve career advancement strategies of yesteryear may no longer be your best options.
Here We Go Again: Job Search Frequency
No one assumes that they will spend their entire career with one employer and the thought of having only one job title or function is almost beyond comprehension. The reality today is that people tend to stay in a role for less than 5 years.
There is also strong evidence that as our life expectancies increase, workers can expect to work many more years then previous generations. (chart thanks to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
What this means is that conducting a job search is something you will be doing many times over the course of your life and that the reality of a ‘forever home’ is exceedingly rare.
Quality vs. Quantity in the Technology Industry
Today’s technology exposes a typical job seeker to a dizzying number of opportunities. Over 85% of Americans live at least some part of their lives online, and as you read this now we are safe to assume that this statistic applies to you. Even the smallest of companies have an online presence and strategy for communicating their hiring needs.
What has not kept the same pace of change is for technology alone to be able to connect highly qualified candidates with unique and rewarding job opportunities in meaningful ways.
To address the universal human preference for quality over quanity, another human is best suited to help esure that true communication is actually happening.
“The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate." - J.B. Priestly
Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You
Aside from this being a reference to a famous Julie Andrews performance that shows my age, this quote "Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You" is also a statement about the relationship between a job seeker and a recruiter. In fact, the definition of the word relationship typically also includes the concept of time, as deep relationships grow and become stronger over time.
Consider this:
If you rode a roller coaster 5 years ago, who would it be easier for you to describe that experience to? Someone you just met today or someone who was sitting next to you on the ride?
As time is an ever-more precious commodity and the need for clear communication is stronger than ever, developing new relationships with a large cadre of recruiters every few years does not ensure that your objectives will be clearly understood.
Is Your Cart Before the Horse?
Many IT job seekers assume that the creation of opportunities always follows the same linear path:
- The client company discovers a need for talent
- Defines both required and desired attributes to address that need
- Conducts a search for talent
While this is the most common timeline, it is not the only one.
In fact, when recruiters and the account executives they work with are part of the conversation with client companies it changes the dynamic significantly. Many times the most rewarding experiences for both job seekers and employers are when the role and responsibilities associated with a new opportunity are established in the context of knowing what strengths and experiences an individual can offer.
This compelling improvement in the process to better understand the unique value(s) a job seeker possesses only happens when recruiters have meaningful, long-standing relationships with job seekers.
Trust Me Now; Believe Me Later
I am certainly not suggesting that sending your resume off to a posting you see on a job board is a bad strategy, but here's a few suggestions on why partnering with a Recruiter for Life might make sense:
- You're looking for a more meaningful job search experience.
- You will get the most from your time investment in the new job search.
- You will uncover jobs you may have not considered or been considered for before.
About the Author
Dennis Engel is the Director of Recruiting at V-Soft Consulting and leads the Recuriter for Life initiative at V-Soft. With a formal education in Psychology, Dennis has been a career advancement specialist and a student of the IT and staffing industries for the past 19 years. Dennis spends his time away from work connecting with his family enjoying the great outdoors of America including the woods and waters of Northern Wisconsin.
