A Long Overdue Recruiter's Rant - Part 1

(a WARNING: this is a rant of the recruiter in me, Technical Writer mode is switched OFF at the moment of RANTING)

Dear Job Seeker,

Yes, am a recruitment consultant, I cater to hiring managers and their companies.
Yes, I can give you free advice on how to improve your resume. 
Yes, I may know someone "in" the company you want to work for...
Yes, I can coach you and help you prepare for interviews...and plan your career path
Yes, do send me your CV or resume, I'd love to see it in case a match comes up

NO, I will not recommend you, just because you are in any one of my social media networks, DO I KNOW YOU? I cannot recommend you and endorse you on LINKEDIN or write a recommendation letter of any type, if I haven't worked with you! I cannot attest to your character if we never met in person and never had a long-term social or business relationship.

NO, I will not write your resume / CV / profile if you don't hire me, neither expect any of my recruiter colleagues to do so, this is what we do for a living, not for charity. 

NO, I don't influence hiring decisions in companies or the hiring managers there who are not my clients! even if I know them. You see, I get paid by the client and not you my dear job seeker, as most of my fellow recruiters do. Even then, and even if I have hiring decision making power in most cases, all that I can do is recommend you based on your passing your interview evaluation with me. After-all, I'd be recruiting on behalf of the client.

NO, Don't email your CV with no cover letter what so ever! It doesn't have to be something fancy, or another attached file for that matter, just write a short paragraph (5 - 8 sentences long):

• introduce yourself, 
• tell us what position(s) your are applying for or are interested in
• give us a reason to open and read your resume
• distinguish yourself from the tens and hundreds of applications we receive daily
• make sure you have your correct contact information on your resume and in the body of your email too (add it after your signature)
• Give us something to work with for your sake!

Again NO, recruitment consultants don't run  charities; money is on the clock, yes we want to help, but for us to spend hours on hours working with you on your career or interview skills without compensation is not something we do if the client is paying us to find them the right candidates. 

There are specialized recruiters that will work with you, to develop your career and help you with leads to job opportunities; and yes, you have to pay them a percentage of your annual salary or a retainer. Seek them out, Unfortunately for you am not that kind of recruiter, but; ...if you want my help you can hire me as your career coach, but you really got to invest time and money in yourself and actually do most of the work yourself. You see, if you don't then after you are hired, this is what will happen YOU'LL GET FIRED eventually! and that's not good for either one of us! don't you agree?

We really want to hire people, and do our best to review all applicants, but can you please, a pretty please decorated with dandelions, can you just use the reference code we asked you to use in the subject line for any advertised vacancy? 

After going through hundreds of applications each day, we may as well, just overlook you because you already have demonstrated that you lack certain important skills, you didn't pay attention to details and you are unable for the life of your CAREER follow simple straightforward directions. You already have lost our attention, and probably would be moved to the Dump file, instead of getting shortlisted for second screening.

It is in the second screening mostly that a decision to call you in for an interview is made. SO please, a pretty please decorated with dandelions, Pay attention to details and follow instructions. 

If you don't meet  50% - 80% of the job requirements, please try and explain why you think you'd be the right candidate for the job? We really want to know what makes you the right choice. If you don't even meet 50% of job requirements, then, don't apply. Seriously, don't bother, because we won't!

please, a pretty please decorated with dandelions, help us help you

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LinkedIn Company Pages - Update Your Company Status

LinkedIn just announced a  new feature for Company Pages—"Status Updates".  What a brilliant idea! You can now, engage your audience with Company Status updates, which will allow you to:

• Post updates directly from your company overview page.
• Share company announcements, product releases, promotions, and other news.
• Engage directly with your followers and possibly their entire network.
• Optimize the conversation by seeing which updates are most engaging.

Updates can only be made by company "Administrators" when the Company Page is set to "Designated Admins Only". And make sure that your News Module is set to Show news about my company, (you can see the News Module by clicking on the Admin Tools - a blue drop down menu - choose EDIT, the New Module feature is located at the bottom of your page), otherwise, the Company Status update field won't show on your company overview page; and you won't be able to post any company updates.

For more information go to LinkedIn's Company Status Updates

Connecting the Dots: Find Your Own Social Media Recipe

So yesterday, I finally, decided to Explore Empire Avenue the social game, that I've been hearing and reading about quite often lately!  I did create an account, and set my profile and connections, and started exploring some.

I found it interesting and fun. but this post isn't about Empire Avenue, though the story of yesterday started with it. 

You see, I was curious about the 16 investors who had bought my shares. So I searched for some of them on Google+ and added them to my circles. Surprisingly, later in the day, I received Linkedin invitations to connect from those I circled on Google+. and I thought I'd check my G+ to see if they have circled me back. And sure enough they did. Oh Cool, and then I got back to work.

Early evening, I got on twitter, and seeing that I got new followers, I checked and I found a few of my Empire Avenue shareholders whom I have circled on G+, got connected to on Linkedin and now we are following each other on twitter.

I don't know about you, but I find that fascinating. especially that it completed the thought I have been entertaining for the past week.

I was thinking about the different social media platforms I personally use, and engage in. Specifically that, for the past few weeks (ever since Google+ launched) we have been seeing debates, comparing, and even over- analysis of which social media giant will lose to whom. I am not an expert on this, but as regular user of those platforms, I don't see why they one should lose to another. I find that each social media tool serves a specific purpose for me.

Despite the many similarities social media platforms such as Google+, Twitter, Linkedin, facebook, and other tools out there, they are different and am sure their users are also different, even though there are many users like me who use and rely on more than one tool regularly. Users are people, and people come in different shapes and personalities, eventually they will choose the Social Media tool(s) that appeals to them the most, and works for them the best.

Connecting the dots, I cannot do with only one social media tool. I find that all of them are useful in more than one way. 

Click image to buy on Amazon

                                          Now, Going back to my Empire Avenue story yesterday,and let's say that I was on vacation (My Empire Avenue exploration), and I met a few people, discovering we both belong to the same Country Club (where we have fun, relax, help each other, learn new things, get to know each other better, and build good relationships) my club in this story is Google+. Some of our club friends, connections and fellow members,  may be interested in further networking, and a professional meetings is mutually agreed on and set up. Thus further connecting on Linkedin: Conferences and Conventions, and following up on each others news on Twitter, the perpetual Trade/ PR Show.

After all of this networking and connecting,and given that deal is in the horizon, you can comfortable move to the Meeting room to discuss particulars (Email, IM, skype, phone, or a good old in person meeting).


Although, I find better uses for Linkedin, Twitter, and Google+, am still using Facebook, on a personal level (keeping in touch with Family, friends and old classmates), and on a professional level, a good number of my audiences are there, and its a good way to connect with them.


Therefore, depending on your own business needs and purposes for using Social Media, you may well find yourself using more three to five tools on regular basis, and using another two to three for certain events or purposes on occasion. Do not feel that you have to choose one over the other just because it is trending.


Find out what works for you and your business, experiment, connect the dots, and learn how you can improve and perfect your very own recipe for using social media.

My Circles My Rules

 +1 My Circles ==> MY Rules

Here is an illustrated article, that describes my usage and views of the top four social media platforms that I use the most.in the words of Donna Svei @AvidCareerist "sums up the state of play on the Big 4 Social Networks 

Google+ 1 page infographic"