No, I Don’t Get People Jobs – I’m a Recruiter.

People are constantly asking me to “get them a job”. Just yesterday I got a text from someone who heard I was recruiting for openings in Chicago. It literally read “Sh!t! Get me a job!” (stay classy, ex-husband).

But wait, you say. You’re a recruiter. Your whole professional existence revolves around getting people jobs… right?

Not exactly. A very smart boss once put it to me this way. “I know you care a lot about getting people jobs. That’s admirable. But the reality is you’re the recruiter. You facilitate the introduction. The hiring manager gives someone a job”.

Wait… really?

Yes. So if I’m not getting people jobs… just what exactly DO I do all day?

Read the hiring manager’s mind. We all know that job descriptions have little, if anything, to do with what the job actually entails. I have to get inside the head a bit of the person who actually does the job giving – what problem are they trying to solve? What skills and abilities does a candidate need to possess to adequately solve that problem?

Find people. We call that sourcing. Some recruiters still do the old post and pray, some tweet, some inmail, some search resume databases, some even actually pick up the phone.

Probe and influence. Ok, I’ve got the people. Now I have to read their minds. What would make them consider an opportunity with my company? Where’s their salary threshold? Do they have what it takes to be successful in this circus? At the same time, I have to influence my hiring managers to give my (qualified) people an interview.

Close, close, close. Move the hiring manager towards an offer. Close them high. Move the candidate towards offer acceptance and resignation of their current job. Close them low. Meet in the middle and make everyone happy. Then make sure the candidate not only shows up on day 1 but that his new boss has arranged for a desk for him to sit at.

At the end of the day, I don’t “get” anyone a job. I set the stage for job getting. I bring the players together, ideally for the end result of an accepted job offer. Candidate, you still have to interview for it and Hiring Manager, you still have to make it worthwhile. But if you’re expecting your recruiter to wrap up a job like a birthday gift and hand it to you, forget about it.

Comment by Mark Fort on October 13, 2011 at 3:41pm: The cleint company typically payes if my services are provided as part of the serverance. ( typically $1,800 for 30 to 40 hours of support over the course of a couple of months. )

If retained by an individual, then hourly at $60 per hour with a minimum retainer of $600 for the first 10 hours.

Having spent 15 years in recruiting and staffing through the hay day of the dot.com era in the Ssilicon Valley, I have worked with hundreds of companies from Cisco and Sun Micro, Wells Fargo, Bechtel, down through dozens of mid sized companies and start-ups alike.

Happy to be of service.   ;-)

Comment by staffingreviews on October 13, 2011 at 4:31pm: Try to fit 15 million round holed unemployed people into 3.1million square pegged jobs!!!!!!!

Comment by Sandra McCartt on October 13, 2011 at 4:34pm: I always wanted to know what a career guru was paid. Now i know.

Comment by Amy Ala Miller on October 13, 2011 at 4:41pm: @Mark, if any of your Cisco contacts are looking for work and want to come to Seattle I have jobs for them. Purchasing and vendor relationship mgmt.

Sadly, I don't think my ex could afford that... plus you'd probably require hazard pay after talking to him.

@Sandra, now you know. :)

Comment by Mark Fort on October 13, 2011 at 4:49pm: ;-) Wonder no more Sandra. Loving what you do can be very liberating in so many ways. I used to take pride in billing at double that rate for work that was ultimately much less personally rewarding. Because I spend almost as much time on my own personal spiritual development as I do with my clients and their careers, humility continues to shown me the error of my ways. ;-)

Comment by Sandra McCartt on October 13, 2011 at 4:52pm: A noble calling indeed. I wish somebody would pay me 60 bucks an hour for spiritual development. I could get pretty spiritual pretty fast. :)

Comment by Mark Fort on October 13, 2011 at 4:57pm: John; No worries my friend. As with you staying connected and in touch to the needs of your own clients and partners, I spend much time networking with recruiting professionals who are ultimately the partners with whom I have the greatest professional symbiosis

Comment by Amy Ala Miller on October 13, 2011 at 4:58pm: I think we're forgetting the most important comment on this page, which is Amy needing Cisco people to work in Seattle. I know a bunch got laid off recently... come on Mark who ya got?? :)

Comment by Mark Fort on October 13, 2011 at 5:01pm: Sandra, I paint portraiture as a hobby, I would be an "art guru" if I could afford to live on $25 per hour. ;-)

Comment by Mark Fort on October 13, 2011 at 5:31pm: Amy, I actually do have a Cisco contact who is fairly Sr. in Vendor Mgmt. I think he is still secure there but he likely knows those who have been downsized is there are any at all. Ping me off line here so that I can gain a little more info about your opportunities. I am happy to help if I can make a connection.

Mark Fort

CareerGuru.Fort@gamil.com

(831) 722-0024