Tom Sorensen | NPAworldwide

8 reasons why you should hang-up when a recruiter calls you

If you think recruiters help you find a job, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that they don’t! 

Executive search firms and recruitment companies find candidates for jobs – they do not find jobs for candidates. 

Please, don’t shoot the messenger (read: me).

When you call or email a recruiter and ask if we can help you find a job, we can only do so if one of our clients has a job opening that matches your experience and skill set. 

Recruiters must be focused on their clients’ needs. That is how the business works.

My apologies if this is too obvious

I  do apologise if  I  am just stating the obvious, but trust me, most people have no clue about how executive search firms work.  And why should they?  

Once upon a time, I was an ordinary candidate who experienced almost every job search faux pas in the book.

You can imagine the surprise and increased frustration that  grew inside me,  when  I was on the other side of the table (some 20 years ago before joining the world of executive search). 

No headhunter wanted to talk to me when I called, and they didn’t return calls when I left messages with an assistant or on voice mail. Nobody bothered to answer emails either. Aaarrrgghhh.

Nowadays, anyone can get into the Thai recruitment business. 

☹ Every Tom, Dick and Harry calls themselves a headhunter nowadays, even though all they do is shop on the internet and in their database. 

It is the kind of small agency that invites you to a hotel lobby or cafe because it operates from home or a small office space. Oh well.

It’s annoying to say, but professional and experienced recruiters are competing with recruiters who should not even be in the business.

Hang-up reason 1: Professional recruiters say their name

If all the person who calls you is saying: “I’m calling from Blue Sky Recruitment Company; are you looking for a job?”. Read more…

Hang-up reason 2: Rude and aggressive recruiter

You may be spammed, or you may be just a number that some lazy junior recruiter found on LinkedIn. Read more…

Hang-up reason 3: Perhaps there is a job – perhaps not!

If no detailed information can be shared on the spot, the call is bogus, and you should end it. Read more…

Hang-up reason 4: Protect your resume as it was your ID card

Hang-up because the recruiter may not have anything but is simply trying to reach the daily target for new resumes. Read more…

Hang-up reason 5: Why should I consider your client’s job?

If the recruiter calling you cannot answer that question, why you should consider their client’s job opportunity, don’t waste your time on an amateur. Read more…

Hang-up reason 6: What about your LinkedIn profile?

If the recruiter is asking if you have a LinkedIn profile (and assuming you have one). Read more…

Hang-up reason 7: Meeting at Starbucks for the interview

If the recruiter suggests meeting you at the coffee shop or in the hotel lobby, alarm bells should start ringing in your head. Read more…

Hang-up reason 8: What is your salary?

Hang-up because a professional headhunter will never start a conversation about your career in that manner. Read more…

You should do this now

Email or call Tom Sorensen and get a feel for how professional headhunters really work. 20 years in the Thai recruitment space is what you get. Contact details here.