Make it easy to be recruited!

So, now that you have earned your eMBA, it’s time to kick your career into high gear. You’ll need to catch the attention of executive recruiters. How? Well, consider a few facts about executive recruiters:

1. Recruiters have the information about what positions are open, and what the ideal candidate looks like for those positions.
2. Recruiters are incredibly busy people, pressed for time, so they’re trying to do searches and make connections quickly and easily.
3. Because they are pressed for time and receive so many resumes each year, the average executive recruiter spends less than a minute per resume. Many spend less than ten seconds per resume.
4. Recruiters want to please their clients, the employers. Once you’ve caught their eye as a potential match for an open position, the next step is to take a comprehensive look at you and your career to ensure that you are a good match.
5. Choosing you as a candidate for the position reflects on the recruiter and their professional judgement: They have a stake in your image, fitness for the position, and your performance in interviews.

So, knowing these facts about executive recruiters gives you a great deal of information about how to go about attracting their attention. Want to get noticed by a recruiter during your job search? Here are some solid suggestions on how to make it easy for an executive recruiter to choose you:

1. Make it an easy match. Your resume should be tailored to each open position. Highlight the skills and experience listed for the position to make your fitness for the job easy to see. While you must list your eMBA as an MBA on the front page of your resume, emphasize your executive MBA everywhere else, including your cover letter!
2. Be easy to find, easy to remember. Create an effective LinkedIn profile, be a subject expert on social media, attend networking events, and make it known that you’re looking to take the next step in your career. Offer your connections to recruiters at networking events. Making a productive introduction is a great way to become memorable to a recruiter!
3. Ensure your expertise is easy to spot. Place the most vital information on the first half of the top page of your resume (ten seconds or under!), get a second set of eyes to help you proofread your resume, and use a format that is scannable by today’s technology.
4. Make that second look an easy one. When an executive recruiter takes a second look at you, make sure they find all the answers and no big questions: Check that your resume and online profiles match, explain any gaps of 6 months or greater in your career on your resume, offer a polished personal brand online, and be a consistent subject matter expert on social media and while networking.
5. Be easy to like. Present a positive, polished online presence, consistently promote your personal brand, be polite and friendly, and tell the truth.