Recruiter Pet Peeves

We have been surveying search firms that we know to get feedback about their Pet Peeves. The following will offer you some insights on what "not" to do!

1. Recruiter: "I call the candidate and their phone line rings busy, busy, busy - they have no voicemail service and no answering machine...
   
   Message to Job Seeker: Recruiters don't have time to call you back over and over so they will move on to another candidate (there are lots of them) that is easier to reach.
   
   
   
2. Recruiter: "I call a candidate's home phone (which might be the only number listed on resume) and a very young child answers or a person who cannot speak English...it takes me 10 minutes to leave a message and it is likely that the candidate won't get it anyway..."
   
   Message to Job Seeker: If you are serious about your job search, set up vehicles of communication that are easy and clear for the potential employer and/or recruiter...if it is difficult to reach you, they will be frustrated and move on.
   
   
   
3. Recruiter: "A candidate communicates with a cryptic email message, assuming I will miraculously know what he/she is talking about, even though I correspond with hundreds of people about all different jobs each week."
   
   Message to Job Seeker: Always include a context with any email correspondence. Don't assume the receiver of the message will remember every detail about your candidacy - or even who you are! Give them a very brief frame of reference so it will be easy to respond to you.
   
   
   
4. Recruiter: "I receive resumes by email without any type of introduction or cover letter. Sometimes they attach a standard cover letter that doesn't even pertain to the position(s) we have open. This shows me that the candidate is just playing a "numbers game" and sending out as many resumes as he/she can with no real specific interest in our organization. To me this demonstrates carelessness."
   
   Message to Job Seeker: Be thoughtful in how you correspond with recruiters and/or potential employers. In your haste, you send unspoken messages about your level of interest and how serious you are about the specific organization you are writing to.
   
   
   
5. Recruiter: "Because of email, people find it so easy to just shoot off a resume to any job they have the slightest interest in. I am getting overwhelmed with resumes for jobs that the people aren't qualified for. This presents a big problem for me since my job is to match skills and experience to the specific job that my corporate client is looking to fill. My job is not to convince the CEO of Company X that Joe Smith wants to make a career transition into another field. The company is paying me to find them what they need now."
   
   Message to Job Seeker: Don't take it personally when a recruiter won't submit your resume for a job that you really want and know you can do. Recruiters are hired by companies to find candidates who have the skills and experiences they need right now. This may or may not include you. Understand what the recruiter is trying to achieve and the boundaries within which they must operate. You are better off to befriend the recruiter rather than alienate them because you are frustrated. If you are making a significant career transition, search firms may not be the best avenues for you to reach your goal. Work with a career coach to learn other more effective ways of making a successful transition.
   
   
   
6. Recruiter: "I am so tired of receiving resumes that are so dense and verbose that I can't even read them. Just an initial look tells me that this person has not put a lot of thought into how they are presenting themselves on "paper". Some people send me a 4-page autobiography that is single spaced. Don't they understand that these resumes are much too wordy? I want a resume that is easy to read and that gets to the point. I want to know the skills, experiences and major accomplishments they bring to the table. I don't want to know every detail of their life! We can get to the details later…initially I just want a summary of the important points. If I feel like I am reading an essay…I'll just move on to the next person."
   
   Message to Job Seeker: We hear this complaint over and over again from recruiters. If your resume is too dense, people will not take the time to read it. Be sure that your resume gets to the point, identifies key accomplishments and important knowledge and skills. It should have a lot of white space so that it is easy enough to skim within a minute or so.