‘How can I find a recruiter for my skills?’ This is a question most job seekers struggle to answer. Recruiters, often referred to as headhunters, find qualified candidates for various positions as advertised by employers. Some headhunters work directly for recruitment agencies, handling all the hiring processes. Are you looking to get headhunted and not sure about how to go about it? Here are a few tips:
1. Ask for Recommendations
Connect with your peers and colleagues who are in the circles you’d like to find a recruiter from. Understand the roles that your peers handle and how they relate to the recruiters in question. Ask for recommendations from the right people, and develop professional relationships that will ultimately benefit your career goals. While it is hard to connect to the hiring professionals on your own, it is easier to ask your friends to establish a rapport that works for your benefit. Your friend or colleague can put in a good word for you, scaling you up the ladder faster.
2. Join Relevant Professional Memberships
For most accounting roles, job seekers need membership certifications. For instance, a job description will list a professional membership as a mandatory requirement. When recruiters headhunt, these are qualities they look for in candidates, be sure to have some. Review available professional organizations, such as the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) for accountants or the Association for Supply Chain Management for procurement roles. With qualifications like these, you are instantly put on the road map to successful job-hunting processes.
3. Polish your Professional Brand Statement
To find a recruiter, you must be as prepared as well with a highly professional brand statement. A strong Linkedin profile would be the first step to position yourself for headhunting. One of the best ways for a recruiter to find you is through an optimized profile, which demonstrates your skills and achievements. For an outstanding profile, ensure that you include recommendations, endorsements and an objective career summary. Most recruiters use Linkedin to identify, shortlist and recruit candidates.
4. Create a Stellar Account with a Job Platform
Recruiters use job boards to find the most qualified candidates to fill the positions they are hiring for. This is why your first step to finding one would be having your professionals details available to them in the provided sectors. Job platforms like BrighterMonday offer countless opportunities to develop career profiles and stay visible to employers. With a career profile, it is easy to include basic personal details and contact information, academic background and qualifications. Most recruiters use the BrighterMonday profile to shortlist applicants. Ensure yours is up-to-date.
5. Find a Mentor
Finding someone to guide you through the job search process will no doubt, require the assistance of qualified professionals. This is why you need a mentor, who understands your career goals and progress. Like everything else in life, a helping hand pushes you further along the road when you understand what is needed. Find the relevant people who can lead you to more interviews, the right career decisions and productive networks. Do not let our fear prevent you from asking for help when you need it.
In Conclusion..
Learn to understand your skills, and how they are relevant for the career goals you are looking to attain. To find a recruiter, you must be willing to go the extra mile and beat the competition. Treat each job seeking opportunity as a potential job, and you will not be disappointed once a vacancy comes up. With the tips shared above, we are certain your jobsearch strategies will be better, and productive.
