Keep Your Resume Atop the Miles of Piles

March 15, 10:28 PMOklahoma City Job Search ExaminerJessica Miller-Merrell

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Move your resume to the top.

Just last week in Illinois, over 1,000 applicants were accepted in the first hour for 125 open grocery warehouse positions.  Two weeks ago in Florida, a job fair in Miami had over 7,000 candidates in attendance.  With so many unemployed and in the job search, even high qualified candidates and their resumes can get overlooked and lost in the shuffle.

Working with a professional recruiter or headhunter could be the answer to navigating the growing candidate pool.  Decision makers and human resource professionals are now faced with thousands of applications per open position.  Companies are overwhelmed with resumes and phone calls from desperate job seekers looking to make contact with the decision maker.  Professional recruiters and headhunters should be considered as an option for job seekers looking to land a position in a difficult, niche, or specific industry.  These individuals work on a 100% commission and contract basis directly with the employer.  

A recruiter who specializes in an industry can help you do the following: 

• Candidate Marketing.  Headhunters sell and present the highest quality candidates and assist the job seeker in highlighting qualifications and experiences. 
• Connected.  They are connected with industry leaders and know the industry trends.  These individuals interact directly with the decision maker. 
• Forefront.  Headhunters contact the decision maker directly.  Those who work with headhunters can avoid the red tape associated with applications.
• Sales Oriented.  Headhunters are revenue driven and typically no nonsense.  Their direct nature is to the point and clear cut.
  

Contacting a recruiter is relatively simple.  A LinkedIn keyword search for recruiter will result in thousands of hits.  I recommend utilizing industry specific LinkedIn groups to find a recruiter(s) that specializes in your industry.  Do not be discouraged.  Recruiters log your information in databases and will contact you once a position that meets your qualifications surfaces.   Depending on your industry, qualifications, and ability to relocate will determine your marketability as a candidate for the recruiter.  Contact them regularly, to keep you at the forefront of their minds and atop the resume pile.