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#SocialRecruiting for College Grads just got Easier

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:17:30 +0000

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, but a reference article about social recruiting for college grads. CollegeRecruiter has been a client of our company before however.

Riddle me this: What has more than 17 million candidates with more than 10 million active and graduating students and more than 7 million recent grads wanting to work for you? Or maybe this: What has hundreds of thousands of entry level jobs and internships waiting for you to see?

I asked Steven Rothberg and he proudly told me CollegeRecruiter.com. Have you heard of it? If not, you might not want to admit that. It’s been around since 1991 and recently has gone through facelift to emphasize social recruiting for college grads. I had lunch with Steven a short while ago and we spoke about what the evolution of job boards and social integration into the name termed “social communities”

You may have received an email from Steven and his group this past weekend but if not I encourage you to goes check out their new digs. It’s packed with video, reference material and candidates.

Pros:

Companies targeting college students or recent grads have the opportunity to create sub groups to court potential talent.
It’s built on the NING network which is fast, reliable and allows for complete interaction between employers, recruiters and candidates.
Video is plentiful and the resource section for college students and employers is overstock with great info.
Employers can have a “spotlight” page advertising your brand to your target audience.

Cons:

I wish I had this when I graduated
I wish I had that massive database of candidates to source from on my pc
I wish this was my idea

Didn’t receive the email? No worries, here it below:

We just re-launched CollegeRecruiter.com and I guarantee you it is radically different from just about any “job board” you have ever seen! Our web site always did have thousands of white papers and blogs for students, recent grads and employers. But now? Now we are offering so much more:

Our new Web 2.0 site emphasizes user generated content and facilitates interaction between job seekers, employers, career counselors, and others. At the same time, we have preserved the ability for job seekers to search and apply to your job posting ads.
Candidates will now search for jobs, click on posting summaries, and immediately be taken to your web site to both read the posting and apply to it. Think Google, where you search Google and then go to the third party site to read the information.
Candidates can post profiles on our site and you may review those and contact the candidates directly — at no charge.
We anticipate that we will continue to see hundreds of thousands of unique monthly visitors per month from our primary target markets of job seekers and employers but we will now also see significant use and great content from college career service office professionals, career counselors, resume writers, admissions counselors and more.
We’ve built hundreds of Employer Spotlight pages for the top employers of college students and recent grads. The current job openings of those employers will automatically appear on those Spotlight pages … even if the employer has not paid us to do so. Realistically, most candidates who come to CollegeRecruiter.com don’t know about your opportunities so they’re unlikely to go first to your Spotlight page. They’re more likely to run a job search by entering their location, desired job title, and other keywords. If you want your postings to come up at the top of the search results, which is necessary get a good response rate, post your jobs to CollegeRecruiter.com and therefore also our network of thousands of complimentary niche career sites.
Video, video, video! Employers and other users may post videos at no charge, helping them better connect with job seekers. Want to do this today? Go to your Employer Spotlight page or create one of your own if we do not yet have one for you and copy the embed code for your videos on YouTube etc. and paste it into the Spotlight page.

It seems like a great new tool for college recruiting, and I like that it uses social recruiting ideas to approach this demographic. Let me know your thoughts about CollegeRecruiter and if you have had luck sourcing college grads using other social recruiting methods.

Is ResumePal the Answer?

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:00:23 +0000

Is ResumePal the Answer?

Job Seeker’s frustration with the application process was sited as the number one concern during an informal poll I conducted last week using multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and LinkedIn. The response was overwhelming with well over 50 comments in the form of emails, direct messages, replies, and general comments. Survey participants expressed concerns with the length of the job search process from the resume to job offer process particularly with the Talent Management Tracking Systems that most mid to large sized companies use to manage their job openings and applicant flow.

@JenniferHarper commented like many, “(Biggest frustration) probably creating an account and entering your information on every organization’s website over and over again.”

Candidates on average spend between more than 20-30 minutes creating profiles and submitting applications for job board websites like Monster and CareerBuilder and sometimes even longer for company specific career sites depending on candidate assessments and skill questionnaires that are required as part of the application process.

Job Fox, a company formed in 2004 aims to bring candidates and companies together with a new tool called, ResumePal. ResumePal is a new service released earlier this year that hopes to make the application process easier for job seekers. Candidates can visit www.jobfox.com or www.resumepal.com and create a candidate profile online once and have the ability to apply to thousands of company career sites. Steven Toole, the VP of Employer Marketing compares ResumePal to PayPal. Much like PayPal, job seekers can use the ResumePal service as a way to universally apply for positions. Companies and Talent Management Systems who use ResumePal can do so at no cost which certainly makes the new tool attractive.

Job Fox’s biggest obstacle will not only be generating traffic and interest for candidates to log onto their site and create a profile as well as convincing millions of companies to utilize the free service. Although ResumePal is a service that is at no cost to companies, the majority of companies are struggling to manage outdated and expensive talent management systems. And updating career service sites is certainly not at the top of the priority list for most companies, who have paired down non-income generating departments like Human Resources, Recruiting, and Information Technology during the current economic crisis.

According to Cheezehead.com, Job Fox has also felt the effects of what Job Fox called “the new normal” economy. In early February 2009, Job Fox restructured its sales force and laid off 30 sales representatives. For most, job seekers and recruiting professionals included, the jury is still out for ResumePal.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a new mother to Ryleigh (pictured above), blogger, human resource professional, and social media enthusiast. Jessica’s blog at www.blogging4jobs.com provides job seekers tips and tricks for the job hunt allowing them to learn the unwritten rules of the job search. Jessica’s upcoming book scheduled to be released this fall is called “Tweet This!” Her book discusses Twitter business strategies for small business, non-profits, and consultants. You can follow Jessica on Twitter @blogging4jobs.

What to do about all those great candidates … New Rules of Engagement

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:00:07 +0000

What to do about all those great candidates … New Rules of Engagement

You have spent the last however many years building up your candidate pool. It’s impressive. There is a tremendous amount of talent in that pool, many that you have identified as MPC’s or Most Place-able Candidates. And you know, having survived in the industry this long, that there are many consultants, coaches and bloggers out there telling you how to use your candidate pool to help you obtain job orders and garner the relationships with clients. That is great advice, in normal years.

Seriously, one of the first things I learned as a recruiter “back in the day” (and that was even before caller ID was around!) was to have an MPC to open the door with and talk to the hiring manager. Once the door was open, you were “on” and you were connecting. You stayed in touch with your MPC’s and your candidate pool and you were able to send over 4 or 5 rock star candidates within the first 48 hours…

Fast forward to today. We all know we have had unprecedented times over the past 12 months. You don’t have to be an economist to know that it’s tough to be a recruiter today. Yada yada yada… We hear it daily. (Ok, I have to mention here that my niche is Financial Services Recruiting, say no more right??) Clients have stacks of resumes of overqualified candidates, often times they don’t have budget approval to use recruiters… if they have jobs at all. (again, financial services folks!)

Meanwhile, we have candidates calling and emailing us. We’ve all dodged a phone call, were slow to return an email…admit it. But what should we REALLY be doing right now when we are not recruiting for the handful of roles on our boards? How do we manage our candidate pool when, in reality, they are circling the drain instead of floating on top waiting to come ashore?

It hit home for me last week when one of my former hiring managers, who has been out of work for the better part of 2009, called me and I let the call go to voice mail. I hate to admit it. I did it. I called the candidate back, but the sense that I had nothing to offer was overwhelming.

I sat down that evening and wrote up a list of what I can offer to a candidate today. Forget the client for right now, what could I do for these hundreds (and yes, I mean hundreds) of candidates that are hanging on out there?

Here are the rules of engagement that I decided to put in place that I believe will carry me through until the tide turns: (and we know it will!)

1. Connect and stay connected. Candidates are not a commodity. It’s standard stay in contact with them and not only when you have a possible job for them in normal times. Make a point to contact them at least quarterly to say hello. To be there for them. Keep your emails fresh. Forward them a news story you just heard. No matter how you do it, stay connected. Use social media to connect as well, but don’t forget the power of picking up the phone or dropping a personal email.

2. Offer to help. Sure, you might not have any jobs for them, but there are jobs out there at companies that you do not know of. Help them. Offer to review the job posting and their resume and/or cover letter. Let them know you would be a reference for them if appropriate.

3. Be a friend. A candidate’s circle of contacts and friends changes when they are not working. Be someone they can count on to pick up the phone and chat or to answer an email.

4. Be honest. It’s a hard time for candidates and recruiters alike. I took a look at my spreadsheet and compared it to last year and it’s vastly different. Be honest with the candidate and let them know that you don’t have anything for them. Talk to them. They know how recruiting works and understand and are glad for the time on the phone.

5. Keep it professional and ask for their help too. When chatting with candidates, you want to find out what they know regarding who is hiring etc… And yes, it’s ok to ask and find out where they are interviewing and with whom. They know it’s tough out there for you too. But be careful and not get too involved and into the gossip side. Keep your head and stay sharp. Remember this is a business relationship.

If you do the above, I guarantee that you will build a business relationship that will benefit you in the long run, and I am not just talking about when the economy picks up and companies are using recruiters fully and consistently again. If you stick to the above, you will have a network of people who will be willing to help you out to find key candidates. You might even end up with a handful of new clients, all because you maintained your integrity and your connection to a person, not a commodity.

Finally, you might just help change a few minds about our industry along the way and you know what? In reviewing the above, I think I will do the same for my clients as well….

About Julie:

Wearing many hats, Julie Hankins is Division Director of Wealth Management Recruiting for RJ & Makay, is the Founder of eChirpy.com (newly launched!), and has recently stepped into a role as National Account Manager for eCompliments.com. A consummate geek for technology and networking, Julie has written for various blogs/websites and is pretty much one of “those recruiters” who loves the game and cannot believe she gets to recruit every day! A proud momma to a crazy and adorable 5 year old boy, Julie loves to hang out with family and friends, drink a little wine, and then head back up to the desk to work some more… did I mention recruiting is a disease for her? She has been involved in the Recruiting World for just over 10 years now, having had her first life (read: career) as a national level gymnastics coach. (Hmm – another obsessive, competitive role….. )

VisualCV – Continuing to build your online Brand

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:35:51 +0000

For recruiters and candidates, online branding is very important. By getting your profile online and up to date, thousands of people can find you.

I’ve noticed recently many people adding VirtualCV to there list of online media to promote themselves and brand themselves online. What is it? I hate when I get pictures on resumes, I think it’s silly (though that mindset can change tomorrow and probably will).

But this is different. It’s a way to add some pizzazz to your on-line brand.

VisualCV is highly indexed on Google and can really search as a landing page for those sourcing your name on-line. Hmm… as a recruiter this could be a great tool. Well, maybe not. Why would I want my profiles index by the one powerhouse of a search engine so candidates can research me and contact me? Do I need to answer this? It’s an actual question that was posed to me earlier today.

Seriously though give VisualCV a shot. Creating an online brand or a presence is obviously important as a recruiter. Findability is key to your success and how you brand yourself will dictate just that.

Visual CV is a pretty neat tool that can be used in a variety of ways. Employers can search for resumes or even promote a brand. Candidates can promote themselves; look for a new gig, or to promote a speaking engagement. The opportunities are endless and the marketing ability you gain can be priceless.

Social Networking, job boards, Blogs, career repository – these are just a few ways thousands have used this service. Online branding continues to play a greater role in job search, professional networking, and general life.

Sourcing Tip: the key to building an established on-line brand is inter-connectivity among all of your social networking sites.

Oh did I mention this is FREE!

A Poor resume will loose that dream job!

admin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:41:05 +0000

As a recruiter, a good percentage of my job is to review resumes in efforts to find the best candidates. Though this would seem simple in theory, I cannot begin to tell you how true this is not! It is no wonder why the majority of job seekers in the market place today have an extended job search – there are a lot of poor resumes out there. A resume is the single most important tool you can have in your arsenal; after all it is your introduction to the hiring manager.

With a shelf life typically lasting no longer than 10-15 seconds, it is truly important that you, the candidate put forth your best foot in representing yourself. According to a poll of more than 2,000 hiring authorities 90% of all resumes submitted will simply not be a qualified fit for the position. In essence this leaves you with 10% wiggle room to either become a star or just another candidate.

So let’s look at the situation this way:

100 Resumes submitted 90 Resumes will most likely be rejected 10 Resumes continue to the next stage

If we take the law of averages (in sales); out of these 10 only 3 may actually be contacted for interviews and out of these 3 maybe 1 will be the right candidate for the position.

I have spoken over the last few years with many hiring managers regarding this very topic. I find that for myself, having a true understanding of what makes my client tick will really allow me to zero in on what I need to do to be successful. Regardless of how much one can sell a candidate or how great a candidate is, if the resume is not up to par, he/she risks loosing that dream job.

The majority or resumes rejected after a hiring manager has had the opportunity to sit and review resumes fall within these main areas: – Falsifying information / improper work history – No documentation of achievements and goals attained
- Typos, grammar, and spelin mistakes (yes, I purposely spelled that wrong!)
- No professional summary or cover letter

So what do you do? If you ask 100 people, you will most likely get 100 different answers. With this said, my recommendation would be as follows.

A resume is best presented in 4 distinct sections including: Objective/Professional Summary, Relevant Experience, Chronological work history and Education. The goal of your resume is to professionally present yourself in an image that screams success.

Here is a brief explanation of each section to be included in your new power packed resume.

- Objective/Professional Summary:

A professional summary is the time to tell your story. Be concise yet detailed, and be sure to use action words to accurately describe your ethics. You want to be sure you clearly state what you are looking for and why you are an ideal candidate.

- Relevant Experience:

In creating this portion of your resume it is vital that you pay close attention to format. Though in reality this is a list, you must create an attractive table to represent your relevant skills and expertise. Do not falsify this section as most employers will use this section during your interview process.

- Chronological work history:

Creating a clear and concise review of your past and current work history will expose a couple of areas to a hiring authority. He/She will quickly learn of your ability to write and communicate on a professional level. This section will reveal your experience, skills, employment gaps, stability, growth, career goals, motivation and your ability to effectively communicate to others in report style.

- Education/Certifications:

There is always a debate on where to place your education on your resume. The choice is yours. However, if you are a senior level candidate or have enough experience to outweigh your education, I recommend placing this section at the bottom of your resume. On the contrary if you are a recent graduate or only have 2 years of experience, it may benefit you to place this section at the beginning of your resume. Be sure to highlight your GPA and the specific program/school that you attended.

Another great feature to add in this section is continuing education and certifications to highlight your motivations and career dedication.

Your resume can be a gold mine if written properly, but poor resumes can be terribly costly. Though it may be a daunting task, be sure to review, re-review and than have someone else review your resume to ensure that your final copy is truly your final copy.

Good Luck, and please feel free to contact me should you have any concerns.

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