Over the years I’ve had lunches and dinners with the two outspoken guerrilla job search experts Dave Perry and Kevin Donlin.  They are so confident about their guerrilla strategies and tactics that they have taken their show on the road, even to distraught Michigan, teaching people how to do a job search differently and get real results really fast.

They also have some CD training that they practically give away (free plus S&H).  I just got mine but haven’t looked at it yet.

I was on the phone with Kevin recently and my question was really about the viability of their system and advice.  Is it real?  Is it hype?  Are they just good at marketing their well-named product, or is there really substance behind what they talk about?

That is going to be the basis of a teleseminar this Friday at noon EST (that is 10am for me, in MST.  You get to do your own math to figure out what time zone you are in ).

I made it clear to Kevin, when I talked about this, that I’m skeptical.  He said he’d explain why he is such a believer.

I don’t disagree that this stuff works, but I don’t know that it will work for everyone very quickly.  Perhaps as the economy gets a little stronger, those who have these tactics and the guerrilla mindset will be heads-and-tails ahead of their competition… so the economy will be the catalyst to make their ideas more valid.

What do you think – real or hype?

I tell you what – jump on the call with me and Kevin Donlin and Dave Perry on Friday morning, listen for about an hour, and then you can decide on your own.  You can order their almost-free DVD here, and if you like their stuff and want to move forward you can get a discount on their paid program here (I get a kickback for everyone who signs up).

To get on the call on Friday just dial in (it is not a webinar) to (605) 475-4900 and type in the code: 964394#.

Then you can judge for yourself.  If you like it, take their next step.

This week answer this question and win the fantastic book by Ask The Headhunter Nick Corcodilos titled “How to Work with Headhunters.”  Nick’s work is fantastic and this book is invaluable.

Share a story – good or bad, funny or sad – about working with a headhunter or recruiter.  One that makes you cringe or smile or something – I want to get shocked or moved.

ANSWER ON THIS BLOG – not on Twitter, or Facebook, etc.

Want a taste of the book?  Click here for a snippet.

Perhaps you’ve gotten emails like this:

• Do you know a recruiter who specializes in IT (or project management, or supply chain, etc.)?
• Do you know a recruiter in Seattle (or Houston, or D.C., or Podunk, USA)?

When I get this question I cringe.  Not because the job seeker is doing the wrong thing (they are just trying to get a job), but because they are barking up the wrong tree.  Here’s why I say that, based on my experience and observations. I’d love to know what your experience has been…

Recruiters don’t work for you and they don’t care about you.

Really.  Maybe some of them do (okay, I know some of them who do care about you, as a human being), but their job is to match a company’s needs with a candidate who fits those needs.  They work for the company, not you, and when it comes down to it, they get their multi-thousand dollar commission because they placed the right person, not because they spent the time to coach all of the wrong people.

Recruiters aren’t really good at networking.

In Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi includes “headhunters” as that elite group called “power connectors.”  The idea is they talk to people all the time, know everyone, know what opportunities are coming up, and can likely introduce you to the person you really need to talk to.

Wrong.

My experience with most recruiters is they (a) are so busy they don’t know which way is up and which way is down, and can’t take a second to spend any real time with you, (b) are very protective of their network because this is how they make a living (protective of your peers because they might eventually place them one day; protective of company contacts because that’s how they get those big-commission opportunities in the first place – not by charitably help you, rather by signing a contract with the company so they get a piece of the pie when you are hired).

Now, I say they aren’t good at networking, but in fact they are excellent at networking as it pertains to their job.  Don’t expect them to put their networking mojo on to help you figure out who you should talk to – perhaps I should say “recruiters aren’t really good at networking for you.”

When you find that right recruiter, you make THE mistake.

I bet 99% of the people do this.  If you ask me for a tech recruiter in Podunk, USA, and I give you a name or send an email introduction, you do the wrong thing.

What is the wrong thing?

You become a needy job seeker, just like the other 5,000 needy job seekers in their database.

You send them a well-thought-out email that looks a lot like a cover letter, talking about all of your great strengths and accomplishments, and a resume.  You have prepared hours to send this stuff, which makes you sound and look very professional, so you think.

But you look just like 80% of the rest of their candidates.

And then you don’t follow up right.  You ask them a week or two later if they got your email, what did they think, and do they know of any positions open.

Here’s the problem: you are using them like a tool, and they are considering you like a candidate.

UNLESS they have a position open right then that exactly matches what you showed them, or if they can recognize some very special qualities and qualifications and know something might come up where you’ll be the perfect match, you are mentally (and virtually) filed into some “add one more to my 5,000-person database” bucket.

You have marginalized yourself because you played right into the system, instead of actually “networking” with the recruiter.

How do you get around this stuff?  Realize that, as human beings, not all recruiters are the same.  I’d say most that I’ve met fit into this stereotype, but there are some out there who care more about you as a human being I’ve given them credit for.  I’d listen to anything that Steve Levy, Heather Gardner, Nick Corcodilos (aka, Ask the Headhunter – get on his awesome newsletter) recommends.

Here’s my advice, if you get the name of “a recruiter who specializes in….”:

NETWORK WITH THEM.

Don’t send them a resume and cover letter or intro email.

From one professional (that’s you) to another (that’s them), send them an email or make a phone call and network.  Work on a long-term relationship. Nurture it.  I’d start off asking them questions about their openings and how I can help them.  I OFFER to make introductions to my industry peers.  I bring something to them to help them do their job and get that commission. I try and become a power connector FOR them. I try to become helpful, and memorable.

Sure, they’ll know I’m looking, but I’ll stand out from the other 5,000 candidates they have in their database.

My followups won’t be “do you have anything for me yet,” or “have you heard anything at my target companies?”  That is focused on me… rather my followups would be “what can I do for you, how can I help you with your current openings, what kind of professional do you want to get to know.”

Perhaps I’m way off-base on this one – what do you think?

New: an EVENING JibberJobber User Webinar on Tuesday, March 9th at 7p EST. Register here. (other webinars listed here)

He recently wrote The Best Recruiters Eliminate YOU With their First Question, which is a must-read if you are (or want to) work with recruiters.

It is a long post but it is an eye-opener.  What I’m taking away from the post is:

The recruiter is not your BFF.  No matter how nice they are, they are not to be dumped on. Don’t let your hair down, don’t be overly casual with them.

When they talk with you, they are working (they are on the clock).  They are evaluating you.  Are you someone they can confidently take to their employer?  Will you embarras them?  Are you the best candidate they can find?

All of this is determined in your communications with them – make sure all of your impressions, not just your first, are strong.

Go check out Barry’s post.

A few days ago I wrote Time Magazine on Labor Day, Unemployment and Stress and Teena Rose asked a really interesting question in the comments:

I have a question for you Jason … and if anyone can answer, you can, seeing as how you have an IT background. Do you know how long it took for the IT industry to realign when that bubble burst? I’m sure there wasn’t 15 million IT professionals (was there?) unemployed back then, but …

Very interesting!  I remember the time well but I was in a secluded little town with a nice stable job… I could essentially watch from the sidelines and be glad I didn’t pursue my original dream of heading straight to Austin, Texas to work at Dell or something like that (I heard there were a ton of unemployed IT people in Austin during that time).

I asked my friend Heather Gardner, who is a recruiting professional in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area – she gets a terrific perspective of what’s going on in the job search world from that perspective.  Here’s what she had to say:

I’m not sure what the “right” answer is to Teena’s question, but here’s what I would say if we were having a chat. First, there has never been such economic downsizing since I became a recruiter…. Even the dot.com bust does not compare with what we are currently experiencing.

Unemployment is high, job losses are growing with more to come and what’s not being reported but has an effect on the economy is the companies cutting back on people’s hours (furloughs) not only in State & local government but the private sector.  This drastically affects a household on the financial edge to begin with….. regardless of what happened with the dot.com bust, this is much different.

Okay, now for the good news.  Just because it’s bad out there doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a job. There ARE people getting jobs, finding multiple opportunities for employment and entrepreneurs who are thriving in this market, yep, thriving.

What I see working for job hunters who are successful is that they think outside of the box, understand that they are in a sales role now and they don’t give up.  If something’s not working they make changing, they qualify openings to make sure they can position themselves as the “right” candidate and they are stealth networkers.  The IT Manager who just got laid off, he/she needs to have several versions of his/her resume:

1. A resume to position himself/herself as the perfect candidate for another IT Manager position
2. Another resume to position himself as a software developer – something he/she has experience in and can do again.  This resume now downplays the management background so that he/she can easily be considered for another completely different role.
3. A resume that might be geared towards IT project management.  He/She many have done it in their IT Manager role, but not necessarily had the title.

Now this IT Manager can open up doors for a variety of different career roles.  The good news now is that this IT Manager that just got laid off has increased his/her chances of landing a role that they are perfectly qualified to do.

I think the best approach to this job market is NOT to compare to anything we’ve experienced before, but rather think outside the box. The more resourceful you are the better your odds are of landing that perfect role, even in this down economy.

I know people getting jobs right now…. I know companies that are hiring…. It’s possible!

Isn’t Heather Gardner a breath of fresh air?  You can follow her blog here or follow her on Twitter here.

I assumed recruiters would be my silver bullet to a short job search.  If I could just get a few good recruiters to see my resume, and find my job for me, I’d be set.

That wasn’t the case at all.  I learned a lot about recruiters and the “candidate”/recruiter relationship.  Powerful, yes they are.  Silver bullet, not necessarily.

In the last 30 months since I started this journey I’ve seen some of these “powerful” recruiters become job seekers themselves.  Geesh, who better to successfully do a job search than a recruiter?  After all, they know how jobs are found, know how to network, and should have a TON of contacts with decision makers at companies.

Alas, some recruiters who become job seekers flounder as much as we do.  And it always shocks me.  Here’s why I think recruiters don’t necessarily become good job seekers:

1. They aren’t ready for it. Who is “ready for it?”  Even if you think you are getting ready for it, the reality of “we’re going to have to let you go” doesn’t hit until you actually hear the words.  Then you can lose all hope of it maybe not happening, which means you really, really have to shift gears.
2. Their network relationships are weak. Sure, they are on the phone all day.  But many candidates I talk to don’t like recruiters.  Passive candidates (the ones who are NOT looking for a job) are annoyed that recruiters bug them during the day, and active candidates (the ones who are desperately looking for a job) are annoyed recruiters never call them back!  And some recruiters don’t deal with companies, who to them are the “clients,” because someone else in their office is taking care of the client relationship.
3. They don’t really understand the job search process – for themselves. Working with candidates to get their resume good enough, and helping them prepare for interviews, and cold-calling and working LinkedIn to find the right candidate… you’d think this was good training for a future job seeker.  Have you ever noticed that it’s a lot easier to tell someone how and when to do things, than to actually do them yourself?  If a recruiter enters a job search, and it goes on and on and on and on (like mine did), I bet they are struggling with the same things I struggled with (self-doubt, lots of introspection, changing of strategies, etc.).
4. There is little-to-no career management. In programming there’s a term: heads-down programming. I first heard it when describing a worker who did nothing but program.  He was great at churning out code, but there was nothing else this guy did.  That’s okay, but if we treat our job like this, heads-down doing our job but not ever looking up or getting involved in something else. we are in for a big surprise when the boss lets us go.  Many recruiters I’ve met are in heads-down-recruiting mode, doing their job, working on their work goals, making X number of phone calls and trying to place Y number of candidates, that they are blind-sided by “we’re going to have to let you go.”  HUH?  I was just doing my job?

Principles of job search and career management are the same regardless of who we are.  Recruiters aren’t any different than we are… some are extremely prepared, and others aren’t.  I’d love to hear from recruiters what they think they’d do if they lost their jobs… anything different than what most of us normal job seekers are doing?

It was two years ago yesterday that I wrote my first blog post.  I thought I was a darn good blogger until about 6 months into it one of my respected peers said “hey, it sounds like you are finally finding your blogging voice!  Congrats!”  I know it was a compliment but I was offended because I didn’t know I had sounded so lost before that :p

Anyway, this week I’ll share some special stuff with you, like I did for last year’s anniversary.  Stay tuned for that.

Today I wanted to share information on something called Sourcing, which is something that recruiters rely on.

If you are a job seeker, check out the description below – you should know what techniques and tactics recruiters are taught so that you can optimize your chance of being found.

If you are a recruiter, fork over the $149.97 to attend this session by the master of sourcing, Shally no-last-name-required.  Shally (okay, it’s Shally Steckerl) is one of the most respected people in the recruiting space, and probably has some kind of super-human abilities.  He is an expert at searching… that is, finding talent.  Whether it’s through LinkedIn or Google, or however he does it, Shally finds hidden talent.  This is a must-not-miss opportunity.

If you are a career professional who works with job seekers (job search coach, resume writer, career counselor, etc.), consider taking the course so you can learn how to better position your clients.

There you go – a two-fer blog post… first, happy birthday to us (yeah!) and second a recruiting event you shan’t miss!

I have really been out of the loop as I try and recover from my trip last week. The good news is, there was a lot of good that came out of that trip. That not-so-good-news is I have a lot of follow-up that I’m doing, which is taking a lot more time than I thought it would.

Many of you have asked about the branding contest deadline… I’m extending it to Monday, March 3rd. We’ll comment on and vote from there, and I still plan on announcing the results on March 10th.

Now, with that out of the way…

Want to hear what recruiters think about job seekers? The Recruiting Animal went off for about 5 minutes – no holds barred. Just be forewarned, he is irreverent. But if you want to know what recruiters think about YOU, and what YOU DO, you really need to take a few minutes to listen to him rant. Listen here, for the first 6 or 7 minutes, as he “delivers a message to all you job hunters out there, to give you a little hope!”

Are you dumb or stupid? Go listen to find out.

I love the Animal. And the fact that he’s laying it all out like this is great, because some people really need to hear it.

Listen here. If you have time, stay for the rest of the show, where he interviews Robert Merrill (of UtahTechJobs.com).

More on the branding contest tomorrow! You can read the first five posts here (Introduction, Q&A, Brand Issues, Education Factor and Tag Lines), and if you want to participate, submit your entries here!

You can see Part I here. Next week I’m going to meet Heather Gardner in person. I’m really excited – I’ve gotten to know her on the MLPF Group and have found her to be genuine and helpful. All of her responses in this interview sound different than most recruiters that I communicate with, but I can say, she is the real deal. Enjoy this the second half of our interview!

We are told to network into our next job. How can I network with you? I mean, you are super busy… is that just going to offend you, or is there a way that I can actually have a healthy recruiter/candidate relationship?

Yes, let’s network together into your next position!

Yes, I am super busy, but never too busy to communicate with you, the candidate. If I do my job, I will set up expectations with you. Since the positions I recruit for change continuously, I may not be the best resource for every candidate all the time. For example, I don’t recruit for Bio-tech positions. I may refer the Bio-tech engineer to a more appropriate career search recruiter. There is generally one recruiter in our employ that I can refer a candidate to if I’m not the best resource.

As a professional recruiter, I am always open to candidates sending me emails or calling me. It doesn’t mean I will have your “perfect” job each time we chat, but it is nice to hear about changes in your job status, receive a revised resume, or discuss an interview you just went on. Sometimes you may want to call for career advice or share with me a few target companies you’d like to work for in the future that I didn’t already know about. Keeping this professional line of communication is important.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s always nice to stay in touch throughout your career. I had a candidate recently contact me after 8+ years. She saw me on LinkedIn and wanted to reconnect. This amazing sales professional was working at the same company I had originally placed her at and doing quite well. Excellent match 8+ years ago!

How many communications (e-mails, phone calls, voice mails, etc.) do you deal with on a daily basis?

How many is endless? Sometimes I am surprised at the sheer volume of communication I deal with on a daily basis.

To be quite honest with you, it’s like Christmas to me every time I log in to my email or listen to my voicemail! I am not kidding you… all those emails and voicemails are like getting a ton of wonderful gifts. I never know what to expect. I make so many recruiting calls and when the responses start coming back in, it’s always surprising to me what the results turn into. Christmas every time! I love it!

As a recruiter, I am constantly working, even during my off hours. When I attend a birthday party, BBQ or other social event, I am always networking. I never know when I will meet the candidate of a lifetime or a contact at a target company. Whether the communication is face to face, telephone or email – it’s 24/7. I like to think of it as the “recruiter lifestyle.”

What is your opinion about the resume … what makes a good one? What is a common mistake that turns you off?

The resume is really just the first impression. It’s to get you the interview.

I keep an open mind when it comes to resumes. I will learn more about you and what it is you are looking for in your next position by speaking with you directly, not by your resume. Some of the worst resumes came to produce the best candidates. I use it as merely a “working document.”

If I’m doing my job well as a recruiter, I will pre-screen you so well that I can introduce you more effectively to the hiring manager than your resume ever will.

A good resume is generally one that is written specific to the open position. If you aren’t working with a recruiter, it’s best to tailor the resume to your background that matches the job description – NOT word verbatim. It’s so difficult to list every task or accomplishment in your resume without turning it into a novel, but making sure to select things you know are important to the hiring manger is always a good choice.

The most common mistake that people make on their resume is not using spell check. I have received countless resumes that have incorrectly spelled words or incomplete punctuation. Again, it’s such a simple fix, most people just don’t think to print and proof their resume before sending it off.

Do you ever Google candidates, or look at their blogs, or social profiles?

I have never done a Google search on a specific candidate before, but good idea! I have looked at LinkedIn profiles. It would be a great way to get to know your candidates prior to an introduction call and give you a better snap shot of their professional background before talking.

I am still trying to better understand how social networking can work for me as a recruiter. Let’s talk a year from now when I figure all this new social networking technology and read your new book “I’m on Facebook — Now What???”

My experience with the local branch of an international recruiting firm was lame. It continues to be lame, two years later! Getting these types of responses from Heather, who works at Volt Workforce Solutions is really cool – instead of forcing them to focus on numbers, she is given the latitude to focus on people. And I like that

Note – we are having a branding contest. And it’s exciting! You can read the first five posts here (Introduction, Q&A, Brand Issues, Education Factor and Tag Lines), and if you want to participate, submit your entries here!

I met Heather Gardner online, at the MyLinkedInPowerForum Yahoo! Group. We picked up a discussion outside of MLPF and have begun networking and nurturing a professional relationship. I’ll warn you now, Heather is different. She is not the typical headhunter that you hear about (the one that everyone complains about). I’m not sure how many recruiters would respond the way she has, but this is clearly an example of the type of recruiter you want in your corner.

What bugs you about candidates?

As a professional recruiter, I am nothing without my candidates. Candidates NEVER bug me. I would not be successful in my job without good solid candidates.

What do you wish candidates knew about your job?

Recently I’ve had a few candidates say to me “just send my resume over and see what happens.” I am not in the business of resume pushing. My primary focus is to develop a professional relationship with my candidate so that I know more about their career ambitions, job requirements and what will motivate then in their next position.

The flip side of this is making sure that I send the “perfect’” candidate to my client for their open position, not just a resume. Sometimes candidates may not realize that it’s my job to keep in contact with them over the life of their career. Even if I was not the recruiter to place them at their current company. Just because their job search is over for now, doesn’t mean my job as their recruiter is. I always want to be able to contact you with a great career opportunity in the future regardless of where you are. Building long term professional relationships is my focus.

What do you wish candidates understood better about the job search process?

Searching for that “perfect” job can be time consuming. An active job search is a full time job in itself! Depending on the candidate’s working status, it can be a frustrating experience for them. It’s far too easy to get discouraged and impatient at times.

For the unemployed job seeker it can be an anxious process of finding that needed job. Working with a full service staffing company actually expands a candidate’s search efforts, without having to do much more than they are already doing in their job search process, giving their resume more visibility. With locations throughout the US. I can refer such candidates to a local branch to better assist with ready opportunities while they continue to search for the right long term position. I have had several candidates start on a contract assignment through a branch for one of our clients and then end up getting hired on by the company. It’s a win for everyone!

I also want to encourage job seekers to have patience with the job search process. There are so many new job search tools. JibberJobber is one of the latest tools out there that can really help out the active job seeker.

I understand your client is the company that has a position open. Can you help me, as a candidate, understand where I fit in?

As the candidate you are also my client. Just as I would qualify the needs of the company with the open position, I need to qualify you as the candidate. I need to know what you are looking for in your next position and see if it’s in line with what the hiring manager is looking for. I’m like a professional match maker.

Often times, you as my former candidate, become the hiring manager with an open position for me to fill. I can’t tell you how many times it cycles like that. As long as I’ve done my job well as a recruiter, you will call me first with your open headcount needs.

I’ve heard tons of horror stories about recruiters who forget their customer service manners and mistreat the candidate. That’s a foolish, short sighted approach. I would not be nearly as successful if I didn’t treat my candidates as clients and provide you with the same level of good customer service.

Different, right? Part II is tomorrow… stay tuned!