Social networking is all the buzz in recruiter circles; but many recruiters get frustrated after the "benefits" of social networking fail to materialize after posting their LinkedIn profile or sending a few tweets.  What's important to understand about social networking is that it requires that recruiters Engage, Network and Share valuable information and all of that takes time, energy and most importantly a good strategy.  Let's take a closer look:

Engaging others on social networks such as LinkIn, Facebook or Twitter, requires research into the demographic you are targeting.  Also, recruiters must create and implement a steady, consistent, long-term strategy to make their audience aware of their presence on various social networking sites. But to grasp a significant share of the social networking community, recruiters must engage in a little networking themselves.

Networking with others who have access to and the trust of your demographic is one of the easiest and most effective ways to build your social networking community. This could be as simple as posting valuable information on other recruiter's blogs or writing an article for newsletters that target your demographic while inviting them to join your social networking community. While gaining an audience may take some effort and time, keeping them is will take an ongoing effort of offering information that will benefit your community.

Sharing valuable information such as, articles, job postings and industry specific news with your social networking community will help you lay the groundwork to build a loyal following that will eventually pay major dividends in the future.

 

Not surprisingly, matching job candidates to the right client is just as difficult if not more difficult now that unemployment has risen and the ranks of job seekers have swollen. Many recruiters are faced with candidates who are desperately searching for a job (any job) and may end up taking a position because it's expedient not because it's a good long-term match for them.  These types of candidates usually don't last, costing the company money and recruiters their reputation. One strategy that recruiters can use to increase the chances of making good job candidate/client matches is to have candidates rank their needs in order of importance, before they go on an interview with an employer and then have them rank those needs after the interview; but based on how well they think the company could fulfill those needs.

Here is a list of needs that all job candidates have:

• Type of work.
• Importance of work.
• Recognition for work.
• Career growth and advancement.
• Mentorship opportunities.
• Co-workers who are easy to get along with.
• Current Compensation.
• Benefits.
• Job security.
• Long-term compensation.
• Company culture.
• Company-sponsored learning opportunities.
• Work/life balance.
• Commute.

If your candidate believes that the company could fulfill most of their most important needs, you may have a good match.  However, if your candidate ranks "current" compensation as their most important need you may have someone who is only looking at the short-term benefits of the job, which could spell trouble for you and your client.

In every group there is a central, key person referred to as the nexus of the group. For example, a group of friends are all connected through John, the person who knows everyone in the group. As a result, he becomes the leader or center of the group, the person to whom all others might look to as a catalyst or motivator.  Bob and Paul are part of “John’s group”, but would not likely have contact with each other without John’s initiation.  In other words, Bob and Paul are friends through John.  In this group John is the nexus or center of influence.  In networking we learn a particular person is the nexus of a group.  Everyone seems to know and like that person and they have considerable influence in a group.  So if you are invited to a group by a person with a very strong sphere of influence or who is a genuine nexus, it might be easier for you to establish relationships within that group.  

Related to this concept are strategic alliances and pre-existing relationships that might have occurred from other contacts or networking.  An example is siblings or couples who join groups or go to meetings together.  It’s a kind of “strength in numbers” situation, and is part of the reason we might choose to attend meetings and events with someone else rather than alone.  As we form, build, and develop relationships we will inevitably run into those people in other networking situations.  Over time they become allies and even friends.  These strategic alliances allow us to feel more comfortable, introduce our new “friends” and meet people in their pre-existing network.

As we spend more time in a group we might move closer to the center of the circle, the nexus.  The more we attend a group regularly the easier it is to have influence and power within the group.  When I started in one networking group I was one of 40 other attendees.  As time passed, I spoke to the group and was on the steering committee for the establishment of new chapters.  In addition, I volunteered to be speaker chair of one chapter, facilitator for another, and greeter at another.  All of this involvement allowed me to know more members, raise my profile within the group and to become a nexus and center of influence.  

With increasing nexus positioning comes the potential for a wider sphere of influence.  As we establish strategic alliances we become more bonded and loyal to the group.  Another aspect of this is making yourself valuable by connecting or introducing people who might have potential value to one another.   You can become a “gateway” to people and industries who are in your sphere of influence.   People who take leadership positions enhance the value of the group for themselves.  Get involved, be dedicated, a hard worker and competent.  All of these factors increase our chances for more referrals and other business activity.  One of the best ways to raise your profile in a group is to get involved.

There are a number of specific things you can do to get to a center of influence.  If you do all of them on a consistent basis, you will not only get to the center of influence, but you will become a center of influence.  These factors are as follows:

•    Listen more than you speak. Be interested and interesting.

•    Try to find out the hobbies or passions of centers of influence and ask open ended questions about these passions.  People love to talk about themselves, especially things they are passionate about.

•    Always be respectful of the person and their time.  Don’t keep people waiting or talk too much.

•    Be positive, pleasant and likable.  Others are much more likely to let you into their ‘inner circle’ when they like and trust you.

•    Show up early and stay late to events in order to increase the likelihood you might be able to have a one on one conversation with the center of influence.  You can also become a nexus by consistent attendance.   A group develops a nucleus of people who attend regularly, and you will become part of the nucleus.
 
•    Ask to be introduced not only directly to the nexus, but to people who might be gateways to them.

An example will illustrate how people become a nexus in a group.  I started a speakers’ consortium which originally had a list of ten potential members.  Some of these never attended a meeting, and were ultimately dropped from the list.  Some had minimal attendance, and were not known by everyone in the ‘core’ group.  Of that original ten people, only four attended regularly.  Those four people became the nucleus of the group.
The primary importance of the nexus concept is that you should establish a positive relationship with the nexus of a group in order to be successful within that group.  Because the nexus usually has a wide sphere of influence, it is to your advantage to know and get along well with that person.  It is preferable to become the nexus of a group to maximize your influence and the ensuing benefits.  Ultimately, it’s not who YOU know, but WHO KNOWS YOU!

Bill Saleebey, Ph.D.
Regional Manager, Corporate Relocations
American Relocation & Logistics

www.drbillsaleebey.com

wsaleeb@aol.com

 

In order to stand out from the crowd of other job candidates, a job seeker's resume must avoid certain "resume killers" that could close doors instead of open them.  Below are some words and phrases that job seekers should avoid when creating their resume:

"I have a strong work ethic." - This is a horrible clichéd phrase that was exhausted during the 1990's. If you want your resume to appear fresh avoid using the phrase "strong work ethic."  Instead, highlight accomplishments at your former employers that demonstrate that you have a strong work ethic.

"I assisted with _____."  When job seekers use the word "assisted" it sounds like they were the "water boy" for the football team.  Instead talk about what you did exactly on the project.

"I have a proven track record." This is one phrase that will cause recruiters and employers to roll their eyes.  Anyone can declare that they have a proven track record; but most people fail to actually prove it.  Do yourself a favor and avoid declaring anything about yourself, instead actually prove it with concrete examples of how you brought value to former employers.

"I'm a team player." The phrase "team player" has become an annoying buzzword, much like "think outside the box" and it rings hollow to those who read resumes hundreds checkered with this phrase everyday. Instead of declaring that you're a team player, give specific examples of how you worked successfully with a team.

It’s that time of year again. The time when law firms descend upon law schools; the time when students interview for law firm jobs. This year the competition is fiercer than ever, with fewer firms recruiting on campus, and fewer interview slots available for those that do. Acing the interview (and your summer program) has never been more critical – here are tips on how to do it.

1.    Get your resume in order. Using the standard legal resume format is important, but there is still some room for variation (and thus, error). If your career services office has a resume workshop, attend it. You should also ask fellow law students and junior associates for copies of their resumes, so you can get a sense of what works best. Don’t cut and paste from your old resumes; tailor the presentation and wording of your past job experience to cater to the job which you seek. And since a resume typo can undo all your hard work, no less than three friends should proof your resumes for grammar and substance.

2.    Dress with flair. Many “how to interview” guides advise you to wear conservative, dark suits, plain shirts, and if you’re man, whit shirts and staid ties and if you’re a woman, drab heels, limited jewelry and no perfume. But rigorously adhering to the guidelines makes for no impression at all. And that’s not a good thing.

Most law students have very similar resumes and experiences, so it’s important to make a (physical) impression in an interview. Alligator shoes and neon wigs are still out, but tailored suits, pastel colored shirts and interesting ties for men and well-designed heels and bold jewelry for women can help convey a dynamic and engaging personality. Snazzy glasses are another great option.

3.    Take advantage of mock interviews. Mock interviews are like exam review sessions – vital if you want to pass. Career services personnel and associates who act as interviewers will give you an idea of the types questions you may be asked and you can use the opportunity to refine the questions that you plan to ask. You’ll also get feedback on your interview style, resume and even dress, which can be invaluable to honing your interview game.   

4.    Do your research. Conducting research on law firms means more than just checking out the firm’s website or conducting simple Google searches. Any question at all – from recent deals the firm has worked on, to that day’s Wall Street Journal articles – can come up in the interview, so it’s essential to go in prepared. Resources such as NALP (for core statistics on firms), Practical Law Company’s Interview Resource Center (for the latest information on what the firm has been working on and know-how on transactional practice) and Vault.com (for the low-down on what associates themselves say about their firms) can give you the edge by helping you ask and provide thoughtful and researched questions and answers that a deeper understanding of the firm’s landscape.  

5.    Prepare for practice.  Once you’ve scored the summer associate position, your work isn’t over. Offers to join as an associate upon graduation are no longer guaranteed, so you need to add value from day one. One way to prepare for your job is to take practice-oriented classes in trial advocacy or transactional law. In addition, Practical Law Company offers students free access to practice notes, how-to guides, legal updates and more so you know how to run a closing or assemble disclosure schedules before you’re ever staffed on a deal.

The art of closing the sale is one of the most powerful tools a recruiter can learn.  "Closing" as it \ can mean the difference between a potential client that tags you along for months and a client that hands you the job immediately or at least within a reasonable amount of time.  Below are some tips on what you need to know to close the deal with potential clients:

1.    Make It Clear!  Let potential clients know specifically how they will benefit from working with you. This is not the time to be vague.  Clearly point out what makes you uniquely valuable to their business as a recruiter.

2.    Address Their Objections.  This requires that the recruiter listen very closely to what the potential client is concerned about.  Every sale has obstacles, also known as fears that keep the potential client from becoming a paying customer.  Identify and dispel their fears about doing business with you.

3.    Be Persistent And Respectful. Closing a new client may not take place in just one phone call or meeting.  Sometimes closing a new client takes place over several encounters, conversations and meetings.  Keep your objective clear and restate your value at every encounter.  But continue to listen to the client, if they give clear indicators that your persistence is an annoyance, it's probably time to back off.

4.    Have Good Timing. Make sure that you are closing the potential client at a good time.  For example, if a potential client has just suffered a financial loss, it's probably not a good time to attempt a closing. But on the other hand, if a potential client's sales are up or if they received new funding, it may be the perfect time to transform a potential client into a paying customer.