“Must have outstanding skills and excellent resume”

I’ll bet if we took a survey among job seekers and recruiters and asked what an “excellent resume” was, the answers would be as different as night and day. So I think I should explain it from the recruiter’s point of view.

It is NOT about a technically well executed or constructed resume, at least not exclusively. It is more about the content. You see a candidate must have a skill set, background, history, experiences, and achievements that are well illustrated in the resume, and that will make him IN DEMAND. We are talking about a candidate that is at the top of his field. A ‘water walker’, someone who, when a CEO or VP hears about him or her, will drive them to action.

There is a place for the B player, but that isn’t a person who will be marketed by a recruiter. That person is someone who will be presented for a job order that the recruiter already has, or gains through his marketing campaign.

So don’t get confused about what an ‘excellent resume’ is, it is one that will generate an interview for a candidate because of the impressive nature of it’s content and the achievements of the candidate. It is NOT one that has a certain style, no spelling mistakes, and uses keywords. All of those things are important and good to have, but they won’t make you a superstar.

CEC Search – Website | Restaurant Jobs Listing | Restaurant Recruiters Blog

CEC Search – Website | Restaurant Jobs Listing | Restaurant Recruiters Blog

I think that what you are laying out is “the system”… or, how it works. What if your best best best friend in the whole world, who met your criteria, called you and said he just got laid off? Wouldn’t you give him maybe an eensie bit more attention than the rest of your candidates? I understand that you respect and value all of your candidates…

I know a couple of recruiters here locally that have found their friends in need and took extra time and extra attention to turn over some rocks that they otherwise might not have.

Here is a list of my criteria for marketing a candidate:
Must be relocatable (almost 100% of the time)
Must have realistic salary expectations
Must have outstanding skills and excellent resume
Must work exclusively with me for a specified period
Must cooperate on all levels (flexible to interview, always available for information exchange, follows MY program, must do the homework assigned)

Not all candidates will meet those criteria, but ones that do can get effort from a recruiter on their behalf that would be valued at 10’s of thousands of dollars… all for free.

My point with the relationship is, if you can have strong relationships with great recruiters then when the time comes they might go looking for jobs specifically for you, based on your relationship. Don’t count on it, but if there is any chance of finding a job immediately for you, these recruiters are in the best position to find it.

Thanks Carl!