How a professional blog can help your career

by K B , updated on January 16, 2011

Today I received an email from www.phdinhr.org saying they had included me in their top 50 up and coming HR blogs. This got me thinking about why I blog. Is there any reward for writing late at night, researching topics, speaking with experts and reaching out to the blogging community? Am I mad? Probably, but I wouldn’t change it.

I’ve found writing a blog professionally and personally rewarding. The downsides have never been enough to discourage me. In the interests of not sounding completely like Pollyanna, I will touch on those at the bottom of this list.

1. Blogging brings people to me. Apart from checking my statistics, I have no idea who reads my blog, so when I get emails telling me people are including me in their top 50, or in a list of ultimate HR and career blogs, I get a little chuffed.

2. I have been headhunted twice as a result of this blog. I said no, but was tempted.

3. I have been approached for a TV audition as a result of this blog. That did not come off, but would have been amazing. There is no way they would have approached me if I hadn’t written this blog.

4. I have met amazing people in a global online community. I’ve never met them, but through Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and now Quora, we’ve connected. People whom I have never met, support me. Most people who talk to you about social media say that it does not replace face to face contact. So true.However I do hold a special place of thanks for people who have helped me, without meeting me.

5. Blogging helps me clarify my thoughts and opinions. It makes me better at what I do, because I am always looking for ideas to share. In my space in the UK and the US in particular, there are some great writers out there. I will always read what they write.

6. I have a global audience of experts I can ask questions of, and they will respond.

7. Blogging and social media brings a level of accountability to my work. People when they read my blog can decide whether they want me to work with them, or not. When I meet people the biggest compliment they can give me is to say “I feel like I know you already.”

8. Blogging has helped keep me up to date some of the technology I”ll need in the future. I’ve gained a new bunch of skills I never had before.

9. Blogging is my permanent resume.

As for the downsides, there are a few.

1. It is really hard work – make that really hard work. As much as I try to launch online more than twice a week, life does (and sometimes should) get in the way.

2. Blogging can also feel like a bottomless pit of giving, especially when you’ve put your heart into something and receive nothing back. Most bloggers say that this is one reason they feel like quitting.

3. Blogging is my permanent resume. I sometimes change my opinions. One day this might come back to bite me.

Of course there’s more, but my day job is calling.

If you need any advice on setting up a professional blog, let me know.

{ 12 comments }

Happy New Year to John Jobhunter!!!

by K B , updated on November 8, 2020

How to find a job in Australia – part 2

Hello friends! We met a couple of months ago. I hope you remember me. My name is John Jobhunter. Does that ring a bell? I was the skilled migrant struggling to get a job. If you don’t remember read lessons from my job hunt.

My job hunt continued after we met. I met recruiters and consultants, used career websites, newspapers and networked with friends. You name it! I kept on looking for a suitable job everywhere. I have learnt a lot during this whole process including a lot about myself.

I had more interviews with recruiters, and believe me, now I can tell immediately when an interview with a recruiter might be profitable or I am just wasting my time. I met a couple of new people in different agencies. Some of them told me they will put me forward to a job position, find me an interview with a company or find me a job. At least it was a good training! Who would say no to free training? Not me!

I decided to start a more “risky” and adventurous strategy that required deeper research. Taking more risk brings higher returns. I should know this. I am, after all, a Risk Manager.

Besides dealing with agencies, I did my best to contact the company directly. I did not target just HR people. I found out the name of the person who would be the direct manager of the person getting the job and I contacted them directly. Phew! Lots of work!

This bit is like espionage. You have to find out everything you can about the position and the direct manager so the application can go directly to the person making the hiring decision. Of course the hiring manager will also know the exact skills and experience required. These are things that HR people might not know.

Let’s begin where I left off last time – lesson 10.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 10

Big wars are won by armies that can cover different flanks. Job hunting is a war!

I managed to obtain the details from a Manager working for a company I would love to work for. I put my new strategy in practice. I found his position details of course. But I also found where studied, his academic degrees, previous workplaces and more relevant information. And you know what? It is not that hard! Sites like LinkedIn provide you with all that information.

One thing that amazed me is that this person has similar academic qualifications as mine. I prepared a great cover letter and resume, put them inside a nice envelope, dressed up and went to the office to leave my “application” in person. I leave the envelope addressed to him at the reception. I would have left it on his desk if I could. I leave the office. Too much work for less than 2 minutes I was there? Might be, but again, it was a risk I was willing to take.

Days went by and no answer, no email, nothing. So I called him to see if he received my envelope. He did, but didn’t really care about it and told me there were no open positions at that time. I knew there was one open position, the one I wanted. I just had no luck. Could have been that my extremely personal approach is worthless? Or just, who knows?

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 11

You can’t win them all. Sometimes there’s no explanation. Carry on and never give up!

It was too soon to write off this strategy. So I tried it again with another person. I got a phone call a couple of days after. Yes, the manager was calling me. He said he really would like to have a coffee with me. So we made an appointment.

I was so happy about it. I met with him, had a coffee and a great chat. He said he would love to hire me immediately but the open positions they had were filled the week before. Great strategy I think, but bad timing. He said he would offer me a job late January but he understands I might not be willing to wait that long. He was hoping I will be still available by then.

Too bad, but I least somebody told me “I want you to work for us”. That was a boost in my motivation. I am good I think. I will find a job soon!

But nothing happened in the next couple of weeks, not a single phone call, not an email, nothing. I was starting to lose faith again. I thought about finding a job as a supermarket clerk or as a waiter. anything. But I thought about it a second time. I realize I could end up falling into my comfort zone and stop looking for a job in my area. It would have been a pity travelling to the other side of the world to end up as a clerk with two Masters degrees and many years of experience in risk management.

I took two days off from my job hunting job to think about what I really want, where I want to work, where do I see myself and my dream job.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 12

Stay focused! Taking the first job you get offered will eliminate the symptoms but not the disease.
I got an interview through a consultant with a company in the sector I have always worked for. “Perfect for me” I thought. I had an interview with the line manager. Everything went really well. He was impressed with my experience and my qualifications. The job was a really good one. Nothing I have done before but something I could excel in. After some days I got a call from the consultant. I did not get the job and I did not get any negative feedback, I just didn’t get it. I remembered my own lesson. I can’t win them all. But after some reflection I understand there was no place for lesson 11 and a lot of room for lesson 12.

I stayed focused and started looking just for the jobs that where meant for me, always keeping a positive attitude. I have to admit I had really tough days where my attitude was not positive at all. I lost faith and thought life and luck forgot about me for a while. I hit rock bottom and was starting to get depressed when I realized that attitude won’t take me anywhere and I would not achieve what I wanted. I had to regain my positive attitude and keep on fighting!

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 13

Attitude is everything! You can achieve anything believing in yourself!

I found a really great job. Actually -really great – might not be the best description. It was my dream job! I prepared my whole application and submitted it when I was satisfied and it was perfect. I applied directly to the company trough their website. Two days later they called me to schedule a telephone interview. Oh, and by the way, it is a Risk Management job. Hooray!

I received an email confirming the interview appointment with the names of all the people involved. Now is the time for me to make my second great move (the first one was the application, of course). I prepared and sent a very formal letter addressed to the person who sent me the confirmation to also confirm the appointment, to thank for the email and to thank them for considering me.

I prepared myself for the interview, and, since it was a telephone interview I had my lap top in front of me and every single thing that might have been useful printed over the table. Imagine a desk covered with papers. Of course I organize a perfect layout to find everything really quickly. I did some research about the people who were going to be in the interview. It was a panel of five people. I knew something about them and everything I could about the company and the job.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 14

There are many ways to be prepared for an interview. You have to analyze the specific case, know the audience and design a strategy that fit the specific case. There is no such thing as “general interview preparation”.

If you are a guy and like a girl, you will not use a “general approach”, right? You would find something about her, what she likes, what she doesn’t like and based on that plan your move. Well, a job interview is also a relationship you will have with a company and the people in your team!

The day came! The phone rang! My nerves shattered!

“Deep breath, relax, you’re going to do fine, might this be your best interview ever!” I said to myself. The interview started with all five panel members introducing themselves. Then the question shootout started! Bang! From one side, from another, about technical aspects of the job, previous experiences, risk models, about the company, behavioural questions, There was no “script” or order for the interview. Five different people from different areas all asking what is important for them. But I was well prepared for anything. I thought about things that I have never been asked before during an interview, and had the answers in my never-ending notes. I looked at the call timer on my phone, one hour and twenty three minutes, I must been doing brilliantly! Otherwise the call should have ended long time ago”. The interview finished.

Time for step three: A “thank you letter” addressed to each person that was on the other side of the line. In that letter I also mentioned important things said during the interview, like the values and the way they work. I mentioned my extra desire to be part of the team and to share the values after hearing about the company from them. I also used this powerful line:

“I know you plan to make a decision within the next few days. Therefore, I would like to summarize a few of my attributes, which I believe show that I am capable and enthusiastic about this opportunity.”

I listed some of my attributes including the ones I thought would have more impact according to what was said during the interview.

Two days later I got a phone call from the HR manager telling me they were inviting me over for personal interview. So exiting! I got an email confirming the interview and the plane ticket. Of course I sent another letter thanking them for the invitation.

It was time to prepare myself. Of course I was well prepared before but this time I wouldn’t be able to have all my notes with me. I was very exited about it and trying to remain calm. I arrived at the airport and took a cab to the office, getting more and more nervous after each mile.

I arrived 30 minutes before the scheduled time. I enter the office, was received by the HR manger who took me to a meeting room, just to find five more people sitting there waiting for me. Panic!!! The door closed. Everybody was in position and ready to start, well not quite everybody. I felt I wanted five more minutes to chill out. The HR manager placed a glass over the table in front of me, filled it with water and sat down. I was so thirsty and felt like having a sip. But I took a deep breath and avoided the water. I didn’t want to do anything stupid like spilling water all over the table as I was shaking so much. And believe me I was so sure I would!

The interview started. I could feel the sweat on my forehead.

They asked me to start by telling them what I knew about the company and the position. I gave a quick review about the company and hit them with my secret weapon.

I prepared a small document, something I named a “30-60-90 Day Action Plan” where I described very shortly, based on my understanding at that point, what would be my commitment and immediate actions upon being hired.

It was perfect! Never expected by them! The only problem was that I just had four copies of it and there were six people on the room interviewing me. I couldn’t let this big weapon remain in my briefcase. So I handled the copies and apologized by not having enough copies “I didn’t know there would be so many people in here today” I said with a friendly and kind of silly voice. They all laugh about it. The Executive Manager said that wouldn’t be a problem since they are all friends and don’t mind sharing, with a similar friendly and silly voice smiling at me.

The interview continued very well. The HR manager did not ask any questions, and every time I looked at her, she smiled and leant her head like she was saying “you are doing fine”. It was time for one of the most expected questions, I don’t remember the exact phrase but the message was “Why should we hire you?”

Time for my killer line! Don’t get me wrong, it is nothing made up. But it was something I had thought a lot about, something that would show them I know almost everything about the job, about what would be expected and what could I give that not everybody could. In other words, what makes me the best candidate for the job that can be summarized in a couple of sentences:

“My risk management experience has always been in unstable economies where there are more risk variables that in stable economies might not represent a real risk and be considered as stressed scenarios. I know how to identify and model those variables that would mitigate risk in a more efficient manner and will allow us to be prepared to any scenario relieving us of many worries about uncertainty.”

God!!! I almost stand up and clap myself! I had thought about it but explained much better than I thought I could.

After that line I saw the face of the woman who would be my direct manager, whose face was kind of full of suspicion before that. Her facial expression changed suddenly and I could almost hear her thoughts. She might was thinking something like “I do not need to hear more. You know what you are talking about and I want you on the team!” and if not, at least the suspicious look vanished.

I kept on focusing, structuring my ideas clearly, speaking slowly, articulating well and calmly, and the most important thing, being me. No showing off, no pretending, 100% me. And they loved it!

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 15

In case I didn’t make myself clear: Be yourself! If you don’t get the job go to lesson 11 and 12. People can easily know when you are acting or not being honest. Everybody likes genuine people.

I thank them for the opportunity and considering me after asking lot of questions about the people, the company, the values, about the people I had in front of me. They thank me and were about to close the interview. But I didn’t want them to close the interview. The last word should be mine! And was something like this:

“After talking to you and knowing you in person, I am sure this job is the right one for me. I really would love to be part of the team”

Wow! I have to be honest, I did not think about it before. This was not on the plan. It just came out so naturally, so spontaneously and honestly. I was more convinced after hearing myself talk. This is my dream job. And I asked for it so honest and directly.

When I left the room the HR manager, the one who asked nothing, walked with me to the lift. She saw me catching my breath an asked me “are we a tough crowd?” and I replied “no, you were a really friendly panel”. She laughed and told me I did great.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 16

Ask for the job! If a baby is hungry and does not cry, mum won’t come and feed him.

As soon as I arrived home I wrote an email for all of them, thanking for the opportunity and with a great closing paragraph:

“If given the opportunity to fill the risk management position at XYZ I am ready to start immediately and work hard to prove you have made the right decision. I thank you for your time and really look forward to joining the team!”

The next day I got an email from them asking me for some information to start the paperwork. I didn’t take the job for granted. They didn’t say I had it. I kept on looking for a job, going to more interviews. I even got that formal offer from a company in Sydney. They were hurrying up to meet me since I told them about me being in the final stage of a hiring process. I didn’t give up on my job hunt. A week later I got a formal offer from the other company, for the risk management position, for my dream job. It took me about less than 2.5 seconds to accept it.

My entire struggle, all those hard moments but also all my hard work and dedication made me land in my dream job. I did a quick scan in my lap top just for curiosity, 364 different files between resumes, cover letters, thank you notes, letters and other stuff related to job application processes, and the most important lesson of all:

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 17

Patience, hard work, dedication, faith, a positive attitude and never giving up will help you achieve whatever you want!

Sincerely,

Mr. John The Employee
(formerly known as John Jobhunter)

{ 7 comments }

LinkedIn has a new resume feature

by K B , updated on November 8, 2020

LinkedIn meet the resume!

LinkedIn has a new resume feature, they call: LinkedIn meet the resume. You can instantly upload your LinkedIn profile to create a resume. It has some interesting features, including giving you the ability to share your resume on social media, create a pdf and email it to friends. You can also manage your privacy settings. That’s a big phew if you want to use this, but also want to keep your job search private.

Does the resume builder work?

Big points for trying at the LinkedIn Labs, but as you can see by the chunk from my resume, I’ve copied and pasted below, the result is a little awkward. Here’s a better view of the resume I created with my profile.

I get the convenience, but unless I haven’t fiddled enough, I can’t adjust the spacing in my summary section. So my resume just looks a bit messy.

I’d also like the option to add bolding and bullet points, so I can emphasise certain points.

I’ll keep you posted on any updates. (Or even when my fiddling skills with this feature improve)

Here’s the Resume Builder in Action

LinkedIn Resume

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Six most common job interview types

by K B , updated on November 8, 2020

The Stress Interview

Top tips for the six most common interview types

There are several common types of job interviews, beyond the stress interview! Don’t be afraid to ask your recruiter what type of job interview will be conducted, as it serves both of you and the interviewer to know. In this article, Jorgen Sundberg, aka The Undercover Recruiter, talks us through the six of the most common types of job interviews.

1. Traditional one on one job interview

This is the traditional one on one interview is where you’re interviewed by a company representative, most likely the manager of the position you are applying for. If you get the job you will be working with this person directly. They will want to understand who you are and if your skills match those of the job requirements.

You may be asked questions about your resume and your experience, what you can offer the company and what you can bring to the position. The interviewer may ask you questions such as “Why would you be good for this job?” or “Tell me about yourself.” The one on one interview is by far, one of the most common types of job interviews.

2. Panel Job Interview

These can be difficult. In a panel interview, you will be interviewed by three to four interviewers. The panel may consist of different representatives of the company such as human resources, management, and employees. The reason why some companies conduct panel interviews is to save time or to get the collective opinion of panel regarding the candidate. Each member of the panel may be responsible for asking you questions that represent relevancy from their position. Government agencies typically conduct panel interviews and they are very strict on protocol.

3. Behavioural Job Interview

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer will ask you questions based on common situations of the job you are applying for. The logic behind the behavioural interview is that your future performance will be based on a past performance of a similar situation. You should expect questions that inquire about what you did when you were in XXX situation and how did you dealt with it. In a behavioural interview, the interviewer wants to see how you deal with certain problems and what you do to solve them. Find out how to behave in a behavioural interview.

4. Group Job Interview

Many times companies will conduct a group interview to quickly pre-screen candidates for the job opening as well as give the candidates the chance to quickly learn about the company to see if they want to work there. Many times, a group interview will begin with a short presentation about the company. After that, they may speak to each candidate individually and ask them a few questions.

One of the most important things the employer is observing during a group interview, is how you interact with the other candidates. Are you emerging as a leader or are you more likely to complete tasks that are asked of you? Neither is necessarily better than the other, it just depends on what type of personality works best for the position that needs to be filled.

A group interview is different from a group exercise you may face in an assessment centre. Here are some tips on how to handle group exercises.

5. Phone Job Interview

A phone interview may be for a position where the candidate is not local or for an initial pre-screening call to see if they want to invite you in for an in-person interview. You may be asked typical questions or behavioral questions.

Most of the time you will schedule an appointment for a phone interview. If the interviewer calls unexpectedly, it’s ok to ask them politely to schedule an appointment. On a phone interview, make sure your call waiting is turned off, you are in a quiet room, and you are not eating, drinking or chewing gum.

6. Lunch Job Interview

Many times lunch interviews are conducted as a second interview. The company will invite you to lunch with additional members of the team to further get to know you and see how you fit in. This is a great time to ask any questions you may have about the company or position as well, so make sure you prepare your questions in advance.

Although you are being treated to a meal, the interview is not about the food. Don’t order anything that is too expensive or messy to eat. Never take your leftovers home in a doggy bag either. 😉 You want to have your best table manners and be as neat as possible. You don’t need to offer to pay, it is never expected for a candidate to pay at a lunch interview.

Chew quietly and in small bites so you don’t get caught with a mouthful of food when the recruiter asks you a question.

So, now you have an idea of these six common types of job interviews. However, no matter what type of job interview you go on, always do your best to prepare for it the best you can ahead of time so you can do your best and show them the best of who you are.

Jorgen Sundberg is a Personal Branding Consultant based in London. He helps sales people, entrepreneurs, business owners and executives to create, build and promote magnetic brands to attract more business online. After 7 years of marketing people in recruitment, he started Personal Branding UK and he blogs at The Undercover Recruiter and JorgenSundberg.net. You can connect with him on Twitter @jorgensundberg.

Need to get ahead of the pack for your next interview?

Get our free e-book The 7 Deadly Sins to Avoid at Job Interview!

Deborah Barit wrote this book. She is one of Australia’s leading interview coaches.

To get your free e-book and some of our best interview tips direct to your inbox, simply click on this link.

Here’s what happy readers said about the e-book and interview tips:

“Deborah Barit is a very smart lady…She is good at figuring out what an employer is looking for. It’s like she has ESP, with her help in preparing, I found no surprises in a recent interview and I was prepared for every question….” Cathy, Leichhardt, NSW

“Because I read so many of your posts, I feel as if you were my personal employment coach. I start my new position in two weeks. I had so many obstacles to overcome and each day you posted a solution to my dilemma and how to improve my search. Thank you so much for your input and PLEASE continue to do what you do!”

Click here to get access to the e-book.

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20 great ways to find a job using LinkedIn

by K B , updated on November 8, 2020

Looking for a job – Using LinkedIn will be your goldmine!

Thinking of using LinkedIn to find a job?

Well you should!

I have said this before and will say it again until the cows come home.

Using LinkedIn can put the power back into the hands of you the candidate and out of the hands of recruitment consultants – and can help better hiring decisions all round.

 

There are plenty of ways you can be proactive, rather than reactive in your job search.

Here are my 20 top LinkedIn job hunting tips, in no particular order.

1.  Get a decent profile. There is no point being half-hearted. You will miss out on opportunities if your profile does not have enough relevant information showcasing your strengths. This point is my big bandwagon point for Australian professionals and job seekers.

2.  Connect with people. Look up people from your past and find out where they work now. Use the connect email to invite people for coffee and find out what they are up to. Show some interest in them, and what you are looking for, job wise, will inevitably come up.

3.  Join groups of interest and participate in discussions. I know of one person who did little more than this. He was approached by a recruiter about a job, based on the thoroughness of a question he answered.

4.  Find a role model networker who is working in your desired area. Look to see which groups they belong to and join those.

5.  Start a group around your area of interest and expertise. Invite people who can add value to join. Welcome them to the group and ask them a question directly. You can build up your knowledge of their organisation, any problems they may be facing, and approach them with a solution in mind (you).

6.  Look to see who has viewed your profile, and add them to your network. If they are recruiters, see if they have jobs coming up in your area. As a carrot to see you, mention that you may have useful contacts for them.

7.  Look to see where people with your background are working and what their responsibilities are. That way if you want to approach a company directly about jobs, you are making an informed and targeted approach.

8.  Invite people out for coffee to find out what they do. This is a good tactic if you want to change careers. You can find out the good, bad and ugly about their jobs, and whether that might be an area of interest for you.

9.  Add value to your network. Be known as someone helpful. You often have to build trust with people before you can ask them for favours. If you see someone asking a question, then answer it. Be proactive and send them an email with a link.

10.  Update your status with recent information of use to your network. You’ll give people a reason to contact you if you do that.

11.  Link your LinkedIn profile to your personal emails.

12.  Make it easy for people to connect with you. State that you welcome contact in your profile summary.

13.  Put your LinkedIn link to your Facebook profile. I have seen jobs come through friends, and Facebook is one place people tell their friends if they’re looking for staff. You want to make it easy for people to check you out.

14.  Target people with big networks. That increases the pool of people you can search to make contact with if you are looking for jobs.

15.  Go along to social events that are organized via LinkedIn. Often group owners will do this. There is only so much you can achieve online. Trust is better built face to face.

16.  Ask a connection for an introduction. That’s kind of one of the big points of LinkedIn.

17.  Ask for recommendations. A strong recommendation from a former manager carries a lot of weight. This is one big area recruiters and employers focus on when they look at your profile.

18.  Find out what a job really requires. Job advertisements often have a lot of woolly wording. If you can, find a company insider to give you the insight into what the company is about, or even what the job requires. They may even pass on your resume, and save the company a recruitment fee.

19.  If you’re actively looking and public about it, join the job seekers groups on LinkedIn. You’ll find heaps of great tips.

20.  Join our LinkedIn@Lunchtime training, starting soon. We’ll help you launch on LinkedIn with a hit new profile. Or if you prefer more one on one attention, hire us to optimize your profile to help you come up when headhunters search. I can give you tailored training to network effectively and maximize your chances of being found by employers and headhunters.

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Dark Ages Recruiters (and job seekers too)

by K B , updated on November 8, 2020

The inspiration for this post comes courtesy of Ross Clennett, trainer to the recruitment industry. He talks about “Dark Ages” recruitment practices. His pet peeves include recruiters who ask the strengths and weaknesses questions; the tell me about yourself question; and recruiters who describe organisations as dynamic and opportunities as exciting.

Here are his points in full:

1. Candidate interview ice breakers: “Did you find us ok?’, How’s your day?’ and How’s the weather outside? Is it still sunny/rainy/windy/cold/cloudy etc?” are the three excruciating ice-breakers that burst from the lips of every unprepared or lazy recruitment consultant. Is that the best that you can do? Really? How about reading the candidate’s resume and coming up with something much more personal? It’s not that hard, surely?

2. Agency website “about us” section: “We are a boutique recruitment agency, We are committed to providing the highest standard of service to both candidates and clients”. Yawn, Yawn. Next you’ll be telling me you have an extensive database with access to the very best candidates.

3. Recruitment ads: “This is a dynamic organisation’, This is an exciting opportunity’, Seeking a motivated and enthusiastic person….”. Gawd, after a century of ad writing, are we still reverting to such mindless cliché’s?

4. Interview questions: “Tell me about yourself?, What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest weaknesses?”. Shoot me now if you are still using these useless, completely predictable questions. (If you need convincing why these sorts of questions should be as dead and buried, like Stephanie McIntosh’s singing career, then refer to my InSight article from May 2008 Interview Questions to Avoid and What to Ask Instead).

Ross’s points are a good way to tell a recruiter from a consultant as trainer to the industry, Bronwyn Murphy, wrote a few months ago.

I have a few others to add to this list.

If you want a consultant to take care of you as a candidate and discuss their role in terms of being good for your career, look to see how they network. LinkedIn can give you an idea of this.  For some reason I dislike the LinkedIn group interjections, where people may be exchanging ideas about a topic in a group, and up pops a recruiter with a variation of – ‘Great pay. Great conditions. Call me. Call me now!’ It looks a little desperate.

Now here’s the flip side. Networking is a two way street. Some job seekers forget this as well.

If you are approached by a headhunter in a professional way, via LinkedIn, they meet with you and are interested in you, then help them as well. If you have people you know who may be interested in roles and open to approaches, then recommend them. At the very least give them information about the industry or your role that may help them.

The best consultants know the best candidates in the industry.

You’ll want to be filed in their books under “H” for helpful.

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