Posting a Job Doesn’t Make You a Recruiter

A recruiter added me on LinkedIn so I guess it must be getting serious.

memegenerator.net

I just finished a contract with a Fortune 100 company. As with most enormous companies, contracts go through a recruiting firm, so unfortunately recruiters are part of my life.

Recruiters continue to amaze me. A month before my contract was due to end I contacted the recruiter who had been making at least 5% of my earnings for administering my contract (in addition to the recruitment fee). I let them know that I’d be in the market for another position and their answer to me was “Check our website for opportunities”. What’s wrong with this picture? I just finished my 5^th contract with the same company and had stellar references, so wouldn’t you think I’d be top of mind if an opportunity came up that would be a good fit for me? Or at least I'd come up in a search of their database? After all, I’m a cash cow for them. Apparently this isn’t the way it works at all.

Recruiters post jobs on a variety of external sites and on their websites. As a job seeker I have to let the recruiter know if they have a job on their website that’s a good fit for me. Clearly they don’t use relational databases or are just too lazy. They just sit back and wait for resumes to be emailed in. The relationship that they pretended they had with you ends the minute your contract ends and your cash value ends.

Last week there was a job posted on an external site for which I was a perfect fit. Of course this is no guarantee that you’ll ever get a call… The poster was a recruiter that I’ve had no previous contact with. I sent my resume; the recruiter called within five minutes and then forwarded my resume to the employer. A day later I noticed that the recruiter who had administered my last contract posted the same position. I found it interesting that they’re working the same position, have a copy of my current resume which is a perfect fit for the job, and never called me. I’m still trying to figure out if it’s laziness or stupidity. If I did my job as badly as the recruiters I’ve had contact with I’d never work.

We’re pretty sure we won’t hire you but not so sure we won’t stop wasting your time.

someecards.com

Make someone smile today.

Geri

To My Fabulous Colleagues – THANK YOU!

I truly believe the wireless mouse was invented so people at work had one less thing to hang themselves with.
- Mike Vanatta

I’ve been self-employed for many years and in the process there have been many contracts. By and large I’ve worked remotely and made myself available for meetings in order to avoid the ugliness of the corporate world which quite frankly offends me to my core. Watching corporate animals trying to destroy each other for career advancement makes my blood run cold. I’ve spent a lifetime believing that every human being deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, and as a result I’ve avoided the corporate jungle.

Eighteen months ago I began a new contract in a major corporation. I needed the cooperation of others to get my job done so I spent more time onsite than I normally would. Amidst the swirling winds of corporate intrigue, the team that I landed in was like Fantasy Island - an oasis of calm where people liked and respected each other and came to your aid before you even knew you needed it. My manager is the most wonderful you could imagine – a human being of the highest order who is somehow able to survive among the corporate vultures nipping at her heels. She sincerely has the best interests of her staff at heart and her modus operandi is to encourage and nurture, bringing out the best in everyone - totally contrary to the common corporate practice of “rule by fear; divide and conquer”.

As a contractor, I’ve always worked alone, until now. I was fortunate enough to begin a collaboration and friendship with a U.S. colleague that transcends the border and will continue after I’ve walked away from this contract. One of the happiest parts of my week were our Wednesday afternoon video chats where we discussed our business at hand (yes, we really did get our work done) and then chatted about anything and everything under the sun. Thanks to video we were able to play “show and tell” with our latest shopping acquisitions, hairdos and nail polish colours. I think I’ll miss these video chats most of all!

Over the last year and a half I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know and becoming friends with my Toronto colleagues. We all share a love of travel and enjoy a variety of ethnic cuisines. I love seeing the photos of our resident world traveler who with his family sets off to exotic locales. I am definitely “shopping simpatico” with one of my colleagues; we share a love of bargain hunting. And I adore our resident free spirit who moves through life in her own special way. She lights up the room every time she walks in. I love learning about all of their lives and hearing about the latest additions – in this case it was an adorable puppy. Regrettably my time has been too short with my U. S. colleagues but I’ve enjoyed working with each of you and the time we spent together.

A few nights ago my manager was in town and 9 of us went out for my farewell dinner. I’ve never had a farewell dinner before so this was all new to me. It was at my favourite French Bistro. Quite frankly, I’m still a little stunned. They had cards and gifts for me with lovely notes from all of my colleagues on both sides of the border and other people in the organization that I’ve worked with. In the past when one of my contracts ended, I just rode off into the sunset without looking back. I realized that next week I’ll be walking away from my contract, but not from my friends. And, I will look back. You have all in your own way enriched my life in ways you can’t even imagine and for that I will be eternally grateful. I guess that all there’s left to say is THANK YOU!

It’s true that hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?
- Ronald Reagan

Make someone smile today.

Geri