Block out the noise and make a presentation!

Is someone considering the opportunity you’ve just presented to them? When your phone rings – or email buzzes – what are the chances it is someone saying “Let’s move ahead.”? If the chances are good, then keep doing what you’re doing. If not, you better change something pretty quick!

Am I old school? You bet. I’ve survived. Not only have I survived – I’m living the American Dream! I say this not to boast but to make a rather simple statement: Recruiting is a career that gives me the opportunity, daily, to decide my fate.

And what decisions do I make?

I spend my time talking to people about what I do and the clients I serve. It is not spent hoping potential clients are somehow made aware of my personal brand and decide they need my help. There are too many in recruiting with the idea that creating content, paying it forward, being a part of the “conversation” is the work. It’s not. Not if you need to make placements to survive....

You want to know where to spend your time? Take a look at the results on your desk and make a decision. Is it working or is it not? It doesn’t matter where things “are going” – it matters where they are today. So block out the Social Media Hype - and make some presentations. There isn’t much more to it than that.

Comment by Paul Alfred on December 16, 2010 at 5:32pm: So Jerry what do you mean by " It doesn’t matter where things “are going” – it matters where they are today." This is the reason why China is investing a Trillion dollars in new Technologies for the future ... Why would you not want to know where you are going ..

And your blog raises a contradiction if we blocked all the Social Media Hype and we go back to just doing what we do best like Recruiting its what I do best .,.. How do we share or connect ... How would I or any of the posters make any connection to you in this discussion ...

Am I the only one who sees the contradition in your argument ...?

Comment by Sandra McCartt on December 16, 2010 at 6:35pm: After Jerry's clarification i think what he is saying here is to quit wasting time dreaming about what you would do if you won the lottery and buy a ticket if you want a chance to win.

The comment about turning off the social media hype did seam to send everybody down the wrong path on this one. My take was it's fine that you are out there but if you aren't making presentations that lead to placements all the connections in the world aren't going to generate business. So focus on selling someone now, today so when some connection asks you have a solid answer that reflects successful efforts instead of just visibility.

Comment by Paul Alfred on December 16, 2010 at 8:51pm: @Rayanne and Sandra ... Look I love Jerry too ... But someone's has to play Devil's Advocate ( The A$$ I will play the part I don't mind getting beat up I can take it... ) It's what keeps me coming back to this blog site its fun edgy and not boring all the characters make it fun - I get a chance to turn things around ... I get what Jerry is saying and I am kind of playing with him ...

My point can be made in this story.... A Turtle and the Scorpion is at the bank of the River and the Scorpion wants to visit his new friends on the other side to spread the word about more hiding places he found to take cover from the tropical rains... He ask the Turtle to take him across to the other side and the Turtle says, "as long as you promise not to sting me.... I knows its' your nature .... "The Scorpion jumps aboard the Turtle's back and walla they get to the other side the Scorpion gets to tell his story to his buddies about the real-estate .. (In the real story the Scorpion stings the Turtle as its his nature they both drown) In my version you get to the other side my point is You can't get to the other side then have fault with the vehicle that got you there ...

Ok I am stretching .. :)

Comment by Jerry Albright on December 17, 2010 at 7:56am: Many times I'll blog a "note to self" - so perhaps this was a fine example.

I love to socialize as much as the next guy. Working from home it can get kind of boring at times. Coming to RBC or a few other sites gives me (and all of us) a sense of something larger. I love it.

But when I shut my office lights off at night - what have I accomplished? Who is talking to their spouse tonight about the opportunity I've suggested to them? What hiring manager is considering setting up an interview with the candidate I've introduced?

It is up to us individually to decide where we get our best bang for the buck. Is it in community building? I applaud that. Is it driving around knocking on office doors? Super. Sounds like fun! Is it emailing your candidate database all day? I'm into it.

Where is it for you?

Comment by Heidi on December 17, 2010 at 11:55am: Jerry:

Thank you thank you!!! I have been thinking about this article for a while. And the take away that I personally gained from this is that in order to be a successful recruiter you have to roll up your sleeves and do the work required to fill positions, there is no getting around this.

I love SM and I have spent a lot of time on it but at the end of the day I must ask myself what have I accomplished? If I have not filled any positions then what is the point? I have spent a lot of time trying to figure it out and to be honest I have wasted A LOT of TIME. Real Talk!

On a much needed personal level this is a wake up call for me. As recruiters, we know that in order for jobs to get filled you have to focus and you must cut through the NOISE. Thanks Jerry...I hear you loud and clear...

Comment by Jerry Albright on December 17, 2010 at 1:33pm: I'm happy this has resonated with you Heidi. It's good knowing someone read this thread and it's helped. It makes us all feel good!

I must admit - social media is awesome. So many like minded people willing to share what they know so freely. It really is great.

The tools, sites, communities - whatever category they fall under - just need to be sorted out. If they're putting you in real contact with more people then I say go for it. If they're not - you just really have to consider all your time spent doing it as personal vacation time. Luckily I have more than my fair share to use up! But when all is said and done I need to have someone to tell my client about.

Comment by Paul Alfred on December 17, 2010 at 1:48pm: So Heidi and Jerry are we to assume that because folks blog on line about Recruiting they don't make a good living at it ... Or should it not already be assumed that we still make deals some of us just incorporate multiple tools to get the same end result ,..

Comment by Jerry Albright on December 17, 2010 at 1:52pm: Paul - quite a while ago I realized the difference between "socializing" and "social recruiting". I do zero social recruiting. Though again - it must work for some people I guess.

So this wasn't really about where you're recruiting (I don't know anyone recruiting here...) It was more of the "are you recruiting" which in my world is making presentations all day, every day.

I can have my RBC screen open throughout the day but it doesn't mean I'm just sitting here reading stuff. I jump in and out. All between calls or sending emails, etc.

Being social doesn't qualify as recruiting. It only becomes recruiting when you're asking someone if they're interested in your job or candidate.

Comment by Paul Alfred on December 17, 2010 at 2:02pm: i agree being social does not qualify as recruiting ... Your blog is not about Social Recruiting ..I get that ... I just wanted to point out that there are folks who do Social Recruiting and Traditional Headhunting and make a Killer Living at it ... Lets not Knock the Social Recruiters.... or the Technique.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on December 17, 2010 at 3:58pm: Paul is bored today and wants a good debate to get his adreneline flowing. Jerry would you please fence with Paul a little bit so he doesn't go out and start throwing rocks at cars just to see what he can get going. :) I use that analogy because a hiring manager i am working with just called me to see what we had found for him. I told him to go have some egg nog it was Christmas and most candidates who could make him any money were either closing things for the end of year, up to their ears in budgets or at the mall and above all did not want to talk to a recruiter until after all of the above is over.

He laughed and said, "I know, i am just so bored today that i am thinking about hiding by the freeway and chunking rocks at cars just to get the juices flowing. I thought it so funny (mental picture) that i called another recruiter and told her i was so bored today that i thought it would be fun to go find some really neat , hand sized rocks , hide in the weeds and chunk rocks at cars. She died laughing and said, "McCartt you would have to go buy some rock chunking clothes and the perfect shoes to match before you could do it."

We all have our brand to maintain. :)