3 ms·

Dabockster- I did a stint as a tech recruiter a while back (not doing that anymore), so I can offer some perspective from the other side of the table - although

Dabockster- I did a stint as a tech recruiter a while back (not doing that anymore), so I can offer some perspective from the other side of the table - although limited. A few questions: 1. How many events do you attend per week? (could be related to any industry at all - could be a tradeshow, a panel of speakers, tech meetups - anything really)? 2. How many hands do you shake at each event? 3. How many people from these events do you follow up with? If your score is "0" for all of the above then you are doing it all wrong. You need to meet people in person, each week. The only way to do that short of showing up at the front desk, resume in hand, is to go to events. You need to set a goal of attending 1-2 events per week (minimum), and figuring out how to get in front of hiring managers from companies you admire. Figure out what events those people might attend socially or professionally. Get up to speed with events in various industries in your city. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable at events, and find a way to make them enjoyable. People who log facetime at events do immediately jump to the top of the pile compared to people like you who are #200-300 at the bottom of the stack in the applicant tracking system for some BS job posting on Monster (many of which are for non-existent jobs). Don't be #300. Start attending events! There's no reason you should have to apply for 3,000 jobs, that is a waste of time. Start working smarter - even if you are introverted and awkward in person. Now pick your head, up, get out there and get started! You can do this! D.

matt_the_bass 8y ago
Thanks for posting what seemed to me to be a kind, positive and constructive response.
bradknowles 8y ago
When I was in college in the mid-80s, my mom already had many years of experience as an HR professional. I never forgot the rules-of-thumb that she taught me: 90% of all successful placements come from people who have personal contacts with the hiring manager or somewhere else at the place doing the hiring. 90% of the remainder (9% of the total) come from headhunting firms that are actively looking for candidates to fill a particular special position. The final 1% comes from placement advertisements and job search facilities. And this from the lady who ran the job search facility for the University of Oklahoma (at Norman), called the “Job Location Program”. It covered every single staff and faculty position that was being hired for across the entire University. So far as I can tell, the job placement situation hasn’t really changed much in the 30 or so years since. So, you have to ask yourself, where do you want to spend your time and money? Do you want to spend it all in the area with only 1% placement success, or do you want to spend it somewhere else that might have a higher probability of getting you something?

matt_the_bass 8y ago

Thanks for posting what seemed to me to be a kind, positive and constructive response.

bradknowles 8y ago

When I was in college in the mid-80s, my mom already had many years of experience as an HR professional. I never forgot the rules-of-thumb that she taught me: 90% of all successful placements come from people who have personal contacts with the hiring manager or somewhere else at the place doing the hiring. 90% of the remainder (9% of the total) come from headhunting firms that are actively looking for candidates to fill a particular special position. The final 1% comes from placement advertisements and job search facilities. And this from the lady who ran the job search facility for the University of Oklahoma (at Norman), called the “Job Location Program”. It covered every single staff and faculty position that was being hired for across the entire University. So far as I can tell, the job placement situation hasn’t really changed much in the 30 or so years since. So, you have to ask yourself, where do you want to spend your time and money? Do you want to spend it all in the area with only 1% placement success, or do you want to spend it somewhere else that might have a higher probability of getting you something?