The question today is: Do you post your resume to a job board or not? In today's ever-increasing competitive job market and the Internet posting your resume to a job board such as: Monster, Med Reps or Healthcare Reps has become second nature. Yes, by using job boards it is a fast and efficient way to get your resume into the hands of as many recruiters and companies possible. But don't forget that by doing so you also can put your resume in the hands of your boss and or manager. Unfortunately, this is the downside to posting your resume to a job board.
Value of headhunters
Let's not forget the reason headhunters became popular. A headhunter allows a candidate to know what career opportunities are available in the marketplace and to do so confidentially. One of the most devastating things that can happen to an individual is to get let go or fired from their jobs before they are ready to make a move. A candidate is most marketable when they are employed. In other words, you are more valuable and can get top dollar for your experience and skills.
Right or wrong, there are many companies that will not even look at a candidate who is unemployed. If I look back on my own experience in the marketplace for 25 years the only time I had a difficult time securing a job was the time that I was unemployed for 30 days. Back in those days there were no job boards. It used to frustrate me to no end to hear a headhunter tell me that I could not interview for a job because I did not have a job. Having been on both sides of the fence as a recruiter today I work with many companies and managers and the majority of them will still not interview a candidate who is not currently working. No matter how clean and successful the resume may be.
To post or not to post
This question of whether or not to post your resume to job boards has become the number one discussion among recruiters today. My recruiting firm belongs to a network of approximately 300 affiliate recruiting firms made up of over a thousand individual recruiters. Many of the recruiters that I work with today are adamant about not representing a candidate whose resume is posted on all the job boards. This is a double edged sword for recruiters. Although it has been profitable for recruiters and easy to secure many resumes very quickly it does not keep an individual's search for a new career confidential. Again, as I've mentioned, the purpose and job of a good headhunter is to help a candidate securer the career of their choice and to do so while they are currently employed. A tech savvy recruiter today will have all their jobs securely posted on their company's website. This allows the candidate to still use the efficient Internet to search for careers and submit their resumes confidentially. The Internet and job boards have been fun and profitable, but sometimes processes and relationships are best left to the old fashion way.
Food for thought: before I hit the send button, do I really want the world to know that I am currently looking to make a career move?
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