Yet, I am not for everyone, nor am I interested in representing you. My focus is on serving my corporate clients--they pay me, of course, and you don't . . . unless you are in my VIP Program, a service I created to help me help more people and justify taking the time to do so.
Does this mean that I ignore individuals? Of course not. But the fact remains that my interests start off with the fact that I am paid to fill jobs for a living in service to my corporate customers. I don't "place people".
When you evaluate who to work with, I would try to see who has a job that fits what I do? Are they with a firm that seems to have positions for what I do? What is the experience level of the search professional (I am sorry to say that many have been schooled to lie when they answer that question so listen to what they say in order to figure out whether to take their advice with a grain of salt).
Unless you live in country where the norm is to pay the fee, do not pay for service.
A specialist or specialist firm does not guarantee success. Frankly, after spending most of my career as a technology recruiter, several of my clients pushed me into a few other areas, making me more of a generalist with strong technology capabilities. Does that make me "less competent" than a specialist with three years or thirteen years experience? Obviously, not.
If they ask to meet you, ask them what they will be screening for and what they hope to find out about you? Although many years ago, meeting you was designed to give you the "once over" to see how you presented yourself, most experienced recruiters are now capable of discerning what they need in a ten minute phone call. Why be dragged in for a meeting that does little more than seek confirmation that you know how to dress and can string three sentences together?
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is a leader emeritus of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.
To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe. to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, or to learn more and sign up for his VIP Personal Search Agent service, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
