Dice.com interview with Bob Vissers
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Q&A with Bob Vissers of CareerFactor LLC What is going on with my Job Search? Have you ever wondered what was going on with your job search? Or how things looked from a recruiter's perspective? We interviewed recruiter Bob Vissers of CareerFactor to find out what goes on behind the scenes at a recruiting company and what job seekers can do to improve their chances of landing a position. Q: As a recruiter, what is the first thing you notice when you get a resume? A: There is a great exercise that you can do to find out what your resume says to recruiters: Get out a blank sheet of paper. Now, read through your resume and write down all of the adjectives you find. To a recruiter that is who you are. If you are not getting interviews, this exercise will help you reconsider what types of positions you are applying for. My guess is that you are applying for positions that contain different adjectives than your resume does. Q: What do you consider a perfect candidate for a position? A: Ideally, recruiters consider a candidate to be a 'perfect' match for an opening when he or she has experience in the hiring company's line of business. A candidate who is a strong technical match, yet who lacks the business experience is only a 50% match for a position. Understand that the 'business' component is often the top priority. To improve your search results, look at the companies that you have worked for over the course of your last two or three positions&mdash those are your current business skills. If you find companies in the same niche you will be more successful in your submission to interview ratio. Q: What about technical proficiency? A: Often a position specification will have what is referred to as a 'laundry list' of skills. The 'laundry list' is important, but can be misleading because it can include both essential and 'nice to have' skills. As a job seeker, when you look at a position description, first you need to 'generalize' it. Is it a programming position? Architect? Manager? Engineer? This will help you determine if you have the right mix of experience before you start considering specific skills. If you have the right mix of experience, then you need to match your technical skills to the 'laundry list', focusing on those skills that are essential to the position. For example, think of the 'laundry list' as ingredients in a food product. If you pick up a container of juice and top three things you read are 'sugar', 'sugar' and 'sugar' then it's not juice, it's sugar. If you read a job description and it's 'Oracle', 'Oracle' and 'Oracle' but it mentions DB2 or Sybase, it's an Oracle position-and Oracle is going to be the essential skill. Q: What else do you look at? A: The candidate's motivation for searching is an important part of the evaluation. Everyone has a cause and effect relationship occurring in his or her business life. In recruiters' terms these are known as pushes and pulls. Pushes are those things kicking you out the door. For example, perhaps you don't get along with your boss or co-workers, or you don't like the way a project is going, or maybe your views are not being considered the way you want them to be. Pulls, on the other hand, are those things enticing you from other companies or opportunities. For example, the need to develop new skills or the opportunity for more leadership or responsibility. Whatever your specific 'pushes and pulls' are, you should get in touch with them immediately so that you can communicate why you are looking and what you are looking for in a new position. You need to write this information down and memorize it so that when you recite it back it is natural, believable and legitimate. In conclusion, use the advice above to help you understand what is going on when you apply for a position. When you are contacted by a recruiter ask about the 'business requirement' of their specification. Try to understand how or why you are a fit for the position and remember that a laundry list is just a list, you need to know what the position requires you to do. Finally, set a realistic expectation for your job search and be able to effectively articulate your pushes and pulls. |
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