The recruiter becomes the recruited
Your HR Guy is for hire?!
In what should be an interesting turn of events for this blog, I am searching for a new job and you will likely hear more feedback about the recruiting process than usual. Part of the reason I am guessing some of you will hear about it is because job seeking sucks. But as I have advised my readers, that won’t get me down because that is how the game is played.
(Do I sound convincing yet?)
As far as career transitions go, this is about as good as it can go. I love the company I am leaving, the company loves me back and doesn’t want me to go but outside circumstances are forcing us apart like a corporate version of Romeo and Juliet (minus the double suicide). Those circumstances are a fabulous job my wife got…250 miles away. The last six months involved me telecommuting but HR is one of those things where something gets lost in the distance. Ultimately, they need an HR guy (or gal) on-premise and I really want to work with someone besides my cat. So while I help in transition, I also have the pleasure of seeking a new position.
The best part about this is applying some of the things I didn’t know when I first started job seeking a long while ago. For one, I have started by reaching out to my network instead of just mindlessly sending out a resume to every HR job in sight. I’ve already received a few leads along those lines. The next thing I am doing in conjunction with reaching out is…well, this. I am blogging about it. I know I have readers in Portland, OR and others who may be familiar with the area as well and I would love your tips and leads on anything HR/recruiting in Portland! Networking events and similar types of functions are also appreciated.
You can e-mail me at lance (at) yourhrguy (dot) com or you can check me out on LinkedIn (which more than a few of you are already linked up with me).
And your e-mails are being answered, I promise. They are just a little…slow this week.
Breaking into recruiting
Here’s one from the mailbag:
Hi, I went to a pretty good university and graduated with a degree in human resources. The problem, I took some time off after I graduated to travel and work at places that offered flexible hours (i.e. waitressing, part-time marketing). I’ve tried talking to the career center at my school and looking up places to apply to. I have a lot of experience in marketing but I’d really like to break into HR as an internal recruiter. I was hoping you had some suggestions on what companies I should apply to. I’d appreciate any help you can offer.
Great question though I don’t know if I can help you with specific companies to target. The problematic thing is obviously the work record after college. And while it is problematic, it isn’t something you can’t overcome.
The biggest issue I see right off the bat is that getting into internal recruiting is not easy for newcomers. If you want to stay on the internal side, you might have to opt for an assistant/intern type program typically reserved for new grads (which you essentially are at this point).
If you really want to get into recruiting though, third-party recruiting may be a good start. If you have experience in marketing, a human resources degree and are relatively green to the industry, third-party recruiters are often looking for motivated people. And if you want to position yourself for internal recruiting, I’d say this would be a better bet rather than going for an assistant type position (unless it is a recruiting specific assistant).
Happy Holidays, I got you spam
While it is the thought that counts, spamming me with your resume is not going to get you a job.
Not now.
Not tomorrow.
Not ever.
I hate spam. I hate the mentality behind spam (repeat it over and over until you get a response because spam is virtually cost free).
I also hate e-mail in general but that is for another post altogether.
Back in the “good old days,” it took a lot more time and effort to apply for jobs so spamming was less of an issue. Now since fax machines and then electronic applications have taken over…well, it has become more of an issue.
Here’s a clue: you aren’t going to annoy yourself into a job. I am not going to relent because you’re a pain in the ass.
I’ve had a rec up for two weeks and will often see multiple apps. I have had people that applied every single day for the same job.
How much will do they think I have? I am in the business of telling people “no” all day. What makes them think I am actually going to not say “no” to a person that gives me a good reason to do so?
All of this ties back to the holidays because consumerism is all the rage and spending truck loads of money is cool instead of figuring out what I “really” want, you’re just going to throw whatever at me. I am flattered. You should go for quality, not quantity though. It only take one right resume to get a job but a hundred bad ones won’t get it done. Ever.
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More video resumes aren’t the answer
MSNBC writes about how video resumes aren’t the answer to your job hunting woes. Surprisingly, they talked to me. I wonder why?
They talked quite a bit to Aleskey Vayner who did the Impossible is Nothing video resume. Vayner is still looking for a job. I know you’re probably as surprised about that as I am.
Even if Vayner’s video resume was the most spectacular failure of them all, there are apparently many small flops every single day being made that are a waste of time.
Every manager and HR person I’ve talked to hates the idea of video resumes in any context. The only people with interest are three types of people:
- HR and managers who are curious about it but don’t want it to become popular
- Companies that have video resume products to sell
- People who are desperate to get a step up in competitive areas or markets
Many people have seemed to use tired arguments about phone/in-person interviews, resume and other deficiencies in the interview process. I am well aware of the deficiencies of these methods. Video resumes don’t help. They hurt job seekers when they don’t need it. Good candidates stand out because they give me a resume and cover letter that speaks to the position I am hiring for, they are competent in their field and they show a great interest in their job and our company. Video resumes can rarely communicate that better than a resume or interview.
Let’s put video resumes to bed and I’ll look forward to technology that actually helps me make better hiring decisions.
Bad credit can hurt your job hunt
From the mailbag:
I have less than a year before I graduate. I will be in the IT field, most likely a Network Administrator. The pay rate is pretty nice in these parts. Though I am at the top of my class, as far as my credit goes… I am scared for my future! I would like to know if cleaning up my credit starting next pay period, lol, would help my chances at landing the so-called perfect job when I finally get out of here? I am 29 so imagine how much damage I have created since 18, with that first “so you are off to college?” credit card everyone receives.
I guess what I’m asking is, does HR look up credit scores?
-TR
I fear a little bit for you too TR. HR departments do often pull credit reports and use them to evaluate candidates. And even though governments do it quite a bit more than the private sector, it has been rising in use there as well. A recent study by SHRM shows that 35% of employers use credit background checks as part of their screening process. That means, if you are applying for three jobs, one of those, on average, will be hitting your credit profile and seeing your “whoops” and “oops.”
But how they use that information is another thing altogether. Many employers are looking for consistency of what story your resume tells about you. So if you say you’ve been in school in Atlanta but all of your credit records point to an address in Michigan, there might be a problem. Many HR vendors have said that the use of credit reports has gone down though and that adverse action taken because of information contained in a credit report is around the 5% range. If you have a criminal record or have lied on your resume, you are much more likely to get your job offer revoked than a credit blemish or two.
And really, in the scheme of things, that 5% isn’t a huge figure to worry about.
But…
You are talking about a Network Administrator job. This would be one of those jobs that has “high sensitivity” written all over it. I am not surprised to hear about double standards in background checks for people in sensitive positions (IT, accounting, finance, executive, HR). When you have access to information that most other people in the company do not, that’s certainly a risk factor.
So yes, HR is likely to check your credit background and in some cases, bad credit may disqualify you from a job. Your mileage may vary though.
Is it enough of a concern to pull your credit report and start to understand it and correct any mistakes? I think so. You have time to get some of those mistakes cleared out and get some of your current issues out of delinquency status in time for a sweet, well paid job. Not to mention that a good credit score can help you in other ways too.
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About
Your HR Guy is a Human Resources Generalist practicing in the field. But don't let that fool you, this isn't a boring blog. I seek relevance and humor in a place we will spend much of our lives. Everything from workplace issues, job seeking and terrible bosses. Read more...
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