What’s the best approach to get the attention of a recruiter? Should you call them out of the blue, message them over LinkedIn or is there another, more effective strategy? As an experienced recruiter, Smith Hanley Associates’ Data Science and Analytics Recruiter, Nancy Darian, says “What gets our attention is a really well written resume that includes your skills and relevant accomplishments. Do you tell me what specific challenges your company faced and what solutions YOU developed? Do you quantify the results of your work? That is what is going to get my attention.”
10 Additional Tips that Get the Attention of a Recruiter
- Mention a specific role you are interested in pursuing. That way, recruiters will know you have done your homework and are not just spamming them.
- Keep your resume to a couple of pages at most. The ease of understanding the essential parts of your background quickly keeps you out of the delete file.
- Move away from listing only your responsibilities. Focus on what you are getting done and be specific.
- Categorize your accomplishments. Don’t list everything you’ve done in a haphazard way.
- Be interview-ready. Prepare a short story of why you are on the job market, what you know how to do well and what direction you want to go next.
- Focus on the value you will bring to your next employer. If you can’t articulate this easily, you won’t get the job.
- Good recruiters will be honest and transparent, so offer the same in return about all aspects of your job search. Keep recruiters up-to-date on other interview activity and offers. They know how to use this information to your advantage.
- Be accessible and prompt when a recruiter reaches out. You should expect the same from them once you have established a relationship.
- Be reasonable. Hiring managers are looking for a very good fit and are unlikely to interview candidates who lack relevant skills and work experience. For the same reason recruiters may be wary of interviewing you, too.
- Let yourself shine! Bring your personality to the table so that recruiters can relate to you and enjoy your working relationship. The same is true for interviews and your on-the-job relationships.
Interested in talking further or starting a job search? Get the attention of a recruiter at Smith Hanley Associates. Data Science and Analytics Recruiter, Nancy Darian, can be reached at ndarian@smithhanley.com.
