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Why Headhunters Don't Call You Back By Joyce Lain Kennedy Dear Joyce: I'm trying to switch jobs and have sent my résumé to 25 headhunters. They haven't given me any encouragement -- in fact, I only get voice mail, and they never call me back. My age and skills aren't the problem. What's wrong? -- H.R.J. Dear H.R.J.: Are you contacting the recruiters who handle your career field or geographic preference? Assuming your qualifications are as you describe, the problem is probably a slackening of demand in your industry or skill-set area, or a problem in self-marketing. Résumé Connects First, the recruiter has to know you're on the planet. That's why e-mailing your résumé is a surer shot than postal mailing or faxing it. The reason is that clerks scan paper résumés into databases and the software can make mistakes. Even when the mechanics are perfect, the right words must be on your résumé -- keywords that relate to a job order. If a computer match isn't made, your résumé enjoys the sleep of the dead. Many of books tell you how to construct computer-loveable résumés, including my own, "Résumés for Dummies," third edition. Once human eyes read your résumé, recruiters look for a match in "profile." If, on the face of it, you're a potentially good match, you'll get a telephone screening call to see if you should be seen in the flesh. If you pass the in-person step, you'll go on a short list of perhaps five or six candidates and be referred to the client employer. Right Recruiters Another reason you might be wondering if anybody in America wants to interview you is your choice of recruiters. If, for example, you're in pharmaceutical sales and applying only to sales and marketing recruiters and overlooking health-care recruiters, you're missing a bet. Here is a selective online list of some specialty or geographically specific recruiters:
You get the idea. Use several search engines to type in your career area or locale, adding the word "recruiter." Book Pick I've mentioned this book before, and in fact wrote its foreword, but Women in Communications has just named it best career book of the year. Headhunters Revealed by Darrell W. Gurney tells you the ins and outs of becoming a hunted head. Dear Joyce: Can a company require that you be a citizen of the United States to be hired? -- S.P. Dear S.P.: All companies must consider employing all individuals eligible to work full time in the United States. U.S. citizenship may be required by an employer only when the employer is bound by a federal, state or local law requiring citizenship for the position, or by a federal contract that requires citizenship for the positions, or when the U.S. attorney general approves citizenship requirements for a particular position. Dear Joyce: I have a two-week vacation scheduled within the next two months with my wife's family in her native country. The problem is that I am interviewing with several interested companies after a fairly long job search. I would hate to cancel my vacation. Must I? What's the best way to handle this situation if I get a job offer right away?-- O.W. Dear O.W.: I can't decide this dilemma for you -- how desperate are you? Until the job market cooled this year, most companies would try to accommodate your prior plans, but that consideration might be less of a sure thing today. If you're unwilling to hold off on the vacation until next year, wait until you're offered the job and are discussing when you'll start. Explain that you've made prior vacation plans and purchased nonrefundable airline tickets. Show great enthusiasm about the job and be very apologetic about any inconvenience in starting. Dear Joyce: What are some fast-growing careers that only require training on the job? -- M.W. Dear M.W.: The government says that these occupations will need big numbers of people who can learn the work at work: desktop publishing specialist, medical assistant, home health aide, human service assistant, dental assistant, correctional officer, ambulance driver and bill collectors. Send career questions for possible use in this column to Joyce Lain Kennedy at Box 368, Cardiff, CA 92007, or e-mail her at jlk@sunfeatures.com. Sorry, the volume of mail makes personal replies impossible. ©2001 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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