How to deal with silly recruiters in a tough market

Last week, I made a really silly TikTok video featuring some of the more uncommon things i’ve heard recruiters hold against candidates - it ended up getting some media coverage and I was honestly surprised as it wasn’t even a great video. That said, after thinking about it, I realize that the job market just feels so ridiculously challenging for people that anything that could illuminate why this market is so tough will get traction.

The truth is that there ARE recruiters or hiring managers out there who are holding petty things against candidates - things like not sending a thank you note or not having a LinkedIn following (both things I’ve seen posted on LinkedIn).

So, my thought? Whether you like it or not:

-Having a professional email address (like [email protected]) will never hurt you; having an email like [email protected] could for some employers.
-Sending a thank you note will never reflect negatively on you; not sending one could for some employers.
-Having a locked down Instagram won’t reflect negatively on you; having a public one with drunk pictures could for some employers.

This doesn’t mean you have to play the game. You’ll probably end up at a better place to work where they don’t hold candidates to old school expectations.

But not every candidate has the luxury of holding out for the best company - some people just need to get hired as quickly as possible. And if that’s you, I’d probably watch out for potential traps like these and play the game.

Finally, remember that there are lots of us who truly want to get to know you and what you bring to the table. I can’t remember the last time I looked up a candidate on social media (other than if they linked their LinkedIn) or even noticed whether or not someone sent a thank you note.

Most recruiters are on your side, we are rooting for you to do well, and we are here to support you!!

Here are two posts I saw this week with helpful advice for navigating the job search in a tough market - one from a jobseeker and one from a hiring manager!

This awesome post from Rebecca Lee Doran making the rounds - she’s getting rapid traction on her job search and shares some actionable strategies. Yes it’s similar to a lot of the advice I give (apply strategically, apply directly with the company, network, etc.) so it may not feel “new” but it should affirm that this is ultimately a strategy that WORKS!

And this post from Megan Bianco pretty accurately captures how competitive the current job market is AND shares some great suggestions for how to stand out amidst this tough market.

👀Here’s Some Interesting Stuff In My World! 👀

Next week, I’ll be joining a panel to talk about virtual recruitment events - this is geared towards K-12 - though anyone who runs virtual recruitment events may find it useful. If you’re in this space, join us!

Nearly every week, I host an event where I get to know one of my colleagues at Zapier! We learn about their career path, discuss a topic or two that interests them, and answer questions from jobseekers. This week, I’m chatting with a colleague who is a fellow transitioned educator, Emily Mabie. I know I’ve got a lot of transitioning educators in my network so if you’re free, check it out!

I contributed to this compilation of ChatGPT prompts for recruiters - if you work in recruiting, check it out! (And if you don’t, check it out anyway, maybe you’ll get some ideas you can apply to your own work or search).

And I also weighed in on leveraging AI in your job search for this LinkedIn article!

A reporter from Huffington Post reached out about job scams after I mentioned them a few times in this newsletter - here’s some advice from me and others in the recruiting space on spotting them!

I did a post about a resume tool earlier this week, and included a picture of me with a resume I’d created. An interesting thing happened. A couple of people reached out about opportunities! I work in recruiting…this is NOT something I’m used to these days. So if you’re looking for a new job, maybe try sharing a picture of your resume - what have you got to lose?!
(My theory on why this happened: pictures draw people in more than a text, and they could quickly scan my resume without clicking on anything).

This week's issue is sponsored by Recruit CRM - a powerful ATS+ CRM combo designed by recruiters, for recruiters. It is the highest-rated recruiting software that is trusted by recruitment agencies across 100+ countries.

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🙋Answering Your Questions🙋

Each week, I’ll answer a few of your questions in this section. You can submit your questions here.

What are your top tips for transitioning careers? How do to learn about jobs out there that would be a good fit with my transferable skills? - Cristel Moubarak

Thanks for this question - it’s one of the most common ones I get! I wrote an entire issue of Landed! on this so go back and check that out!

A few tips:

1. In a tough market, it’s going to be even harder to transfer to something new - so focus on one change at a time. Let’s say you’re in marketing at a CPG company and want to move into product management in tech - well that’s gonna be hard. So try going marketing in CPG to marketing in tech; or marketing in CPG to product management in CPG. Then you can make the next move in a few years. That way, you have more relevant experience to lean on.

2. Find places where your background is a unique value-add. So if you have a background as a dietician, getting into sales or marketing for health food companies could be a great fit - your background gives you a lot of credibility so they may be more willing to train you up in other areas. (Teacher friends; this is the same reason why I suggest ed tech/anyone selling to teachers for you - you have the inside scoop on what teachers want and that can benefit companies!)

3. Be willing to take a step back. When I switched industries, I took a step back from management to an individual contributor role. This helped me be more competitive since my work experience made up for my lack of industry experience.

4. NETWORK. You have to sell your background and what makes you a great fit a bit more when you’re not the most obvious candidate. (I’ve shared tips on this in previous editions of Landed! as well!)

5. If you have no idea what you want to, try some informational interviews to learn about different fields. You could also talk with a career coach to help you think through your strengths and how they could transfer to other fields.

Hope this helps! Career changes aren’t the easiest path and WILL take more work but

I have shifted from the technical side to Talent Acquisition, as I find this combination to be both interesting and valuable. Having experience working directly on technical projects and knowledge of the day-to-day operations provides a unique perspective, which can be advantageous in the Talent Acquisition field.
Despite having eight years of experience on software QA and two (years) technical vetting, as well as leading recruiting projects at an international startup, I still struggle with the perception that "I don't have enough experience," which leads to companies dismissing me rather easily. I have revised my CV multiple times, utilized AI and demonstrated how my profile can be useful, but it has not been easy.
Any advice? - Future Recruiter

One thing to consider - this is a tough time to transition into talent acquisition - it’s a very competitive market because there are so many highly skilled recruiters on the market. So even someone with very transferable skills may struggle.

Some steps I would take:

1. Consider how you can make your recruiting experience stand out more clearly. Can you incorporate it into your job title in some way? Are you highlighting the recruitment projects you’ve done?

2. Networking is always your friend when making a change. You will need to explain your experience more than other candidates. Maybe you can put together an overview of the recruiting projects you’ve done and what impact you had, and link this in your resume and networking outreach as an example.

3. I would look at agencies and entry level roles. You could even look for roles adjacent to recruiting (like a recruiting coordinator or an HR role) to get into something more related to recruiting given that recruiter roles are so hard to land right now.

Recruiting is a tough space to be in right now so honestly, it just may not be the most ideal time to make this transition - I’d be ready for a longer search, but hopefully this gives you some direction!

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The In-Flight Amenities 🍱

Each week, I share job openings within my network and a featured jobseeker that I hope we can all support in their job search.

Jobs you need to check out:
Zapier is hiring as always!
Here’s a remote VP of Growth role with eXp Realty (with a contact) at the company!
HRBP role at TikTok (posted by an HR leader that may be the HM - they have another role posted in the last week as well!
Transitioning early childhood teachers? How about this remote opportunity, posted by the hiring manager?!
Here’s a post from this week with lots of ed tech jobs!
And Josh Czupryk updated his education jobs board (which has jobs for everyone, not just teachers) in the field of education or education non-profits!
A former colleague just posted this admin role with his consulting company.
Lawyer friends - here’s a General Counsel opening in DC!
And as always, I share jobs regularly in my Talent Collective! This week, I added 200 new roles! (If you’d like to share jobs, we’d love to have you!)

A jobseeker you need to hire: Meet Rashad Nelson!
Rashad is an Atlanta-based Data Engineer and honorably discharged Marine Corps Veteran. His background is in manufacturing engineering and business management. He recently made the transition over to data engineering. He attended and completed Purdue University’s Data Engineering Post-Graduate Program.

He uses AWS tools (data storage / database creation / SQL queries) and Microsoft products for data engineering work in his own company, DGS Property Group, an Atlanta-based sole proprietorship formed for the purposes of acquiring investment real estate. He’s presently looking to put his skills to work as a Data Engineer in an enterprise environment.
Think you might have a role that’s a good fit for Rashad, or be able to help make a connection? Add him on LinkedIn and let’s get Rashad hired!

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