Almost every reputable search firm saves the resumes it receives from job hunters. The advent of computerized record keeping allows firms to categorize arriving resumes by industry, specialty, location and compensation level, and retain them indefinitely. In the event that a person's qualifications closely match the needs of a client company, chances are good the candidate will be contacted, recruiters say.
"If you have the right qualifications at the right time, it makes sense to contact search firms because it's possible you could be brought into the loop of a search," says Paul R. Ray "My philosophy is, nothing ventured, nothing gained."
The VP - Korn/Ferry agrees, saying the economics of contacting recruiters are particularly sound. "Every avenue should be explored and since it only costs so little for a stamp, it's worth sending a resume to us," says the vice president of Korn/ Ferry International in New York, the nation's largest search firm.
Do You Earn Enough?
To be sure, not every resume mailed to a recruiter is entered into the firm's database. The criteria for inclusion are strict throughout the industry, with a large percentage of unsolicited resumes weeded out each day. Salary level is the biggest hurdle.
"We cull unsolicited resumes for our database by salary first, with $75,000 as the minimum accepted level," says Mr. Duarte, who estimates that his firm receives 1,000 resumes a week, 300 of those at its New York office. While the salary level is lower at some Korn/Ferry offices in other parts of the country, Mr. Duarte says managers earning below $75,000 annually should concentrate on reaching contingency rather than retained search firms. (Retained search firms are hired by client companies to fill a specific opening and are paid regardless of their success. Contingency search firms are paid only if the candidate they represent is hired.)
The next hurdle faced by job hunters is how their resumes and cover letters are viewed by each firm's research department, which is where most unsolicited resumes are forwarded. Correspondence that's poorly written, full of typographical errors or unconventional in format or style is eliminated immediately from consideration, says executive vice president of Chicago-based recruiters DHR International.
"Assuming that a person is at the right salary level, we contact about 10%" of the job hunters who submit resumes, "unless they've given a half-hearted effort in their letter and resume," says a spokesperson, whose firm recently incorporated the Chicago offices of Boyden International. A poorly conceived resume or cover letter demonstrates a lack of effort and ability and is justification enough for throwing it away, he says.
A resistance to relocating is another barrier that excludes some candidates from consideration. Few recruiters limit their clients to one geographic area. By sending your resume to a recruiter, therefore, you implicitly acknowledge your willingness to move for the right opportunity, says the spokesperson. His advice to job hunters: "Think seriously about whether you'd relocate and under what circumstances before becoming involved in a search."
When trying to set an effective strategy for contacting search firms, applicants should follow a few guidelines, recruiters say.
First, call recruiters who may have contacted you in the past. Even if you rebuffed their advances before, you aren't necessarily eliminated from future consideration. Next, talk to co-workers and other managers in your industry. "Ask if they've ever been contacted and get the names of specific recruiters for you to write to," says the spokesperson.
If your network doesn't turn up a recruiter's name, you're left to choose between two approaches: rifle and shotgun. "Candidates who feel they're in the senior-level national or international job market should take a broad approach and contact all of the largest search firms. Those are the types of positions they specialize in," says, a Fitzwilliam.
"It's awfully hard for an individual to find out which recruiter specializes in the cat food industry at Hedrick & Struggles in Chicago, for example. Therefore, they should use a shotgun rather than a rifle approach when sending resumes and try to hit as many search firms as possible," says the person whose publications include Executive Recruiter News, a monthly newsletter and the annual Directory of Executive Recruiters.
Middle managers, on the other hand, and senior staff specialists typically have better luck contacting smaller, more specialized search firms. "The top 100 firms by and large are generalists. They're relationship-oriented not industry-oriented," says a person in Chicago. "Of those, the top 40 receive material from every possible source: outplacement firms, universities, senior executives." By focusing on smaller firms, he says, you increase the odds of being called and receiving personalized attention if you match a client's needs.
A Matter of Contention
Whatever size of search firm you decide to target, how you get your resume into the right hands is a matter of contention. Some firms actively discourage follow-up telephone calls while others advocate a personal follow-up. "To zero in on the right person to contact, it's a hell of a good idea to call each firm and ask who specializes in your industry. You might get the name of a research director, from whom you can find out if there's one person or one office that handles more searches in your field," he says.
Paul Ray Jr. hopes few job hunters adopt this strategy. "It's a hassle to have people follow up by phone. We receive from 500 to 1,000 resumes a week and we'd be on the phone all the time" if even a small percentage tried to call, he says.
If your efforts to enlist a recruiter's support are successful, Mr. Ray offers a checklist of points to be considered that can make your relationship with the search firm more effective. Those include:
- Remember that the primary objective of a retained search firm is to serve the client, not the candidate.
- Be candid up-front concerning your background, education and salary level. Those facts will be verified later on.
- If a position isn't of interest to you, say so immediately and ask to be kept in mind when a better match arises. You will be called when that occurs, he says.
- Ask about the firm's past business experience working in your industry or function before agreeing to interview.
- Ask for specific job information about responsibilities, exposure to top management, company culture and the compensation package, but realize that not all information can be divulged during the early stages of a search.
- If you aren't invited to interview, understand that it isn't a reflection on you personally. It's probably just not the right situation for you in this case, Mr. Ray says.
