Brightstar Management Partners

Looking for the right talent fit is not something you want to leave to chance. That’s why Brightstar’s detailed approach matches top talent to the firms that need that talent to succeed. People are the underlying premier asset of any company………talented people are what makes a company succeed or fail in this talent driven economy.

You can’t be wondering if the rebound will happen BUT when it will happen.

The sentiment on the street tells us that these are tough times, but now is not the time to pull back and wait……we can’t put our heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich. I have noticed when talking to many clients that the thought is to hold off on adding talent or if they do want to add….get them on the “cheap”. This mentality sets them up for failure when the market rebounds in 2010. That lack of foresight to pay talent for their skills to save a buck now will inevitably cost those companies 2x, or massively many times that number, when those same companies start to play the talent game and wave money to get needed staff added to their priority one projects. Have one Senior Project Manager bail…….watch your project stall and all the milestones go to reset…….and watch that budget increase. Again, a little foresight goes a long way towards cost savings.

Now is the time to take advantage of the talent pool that is available in your market. The “wait and see approach” by your competitors is the time to strike and add talent so that you can leap frog ahead! The current recession conditions are the perfect time to forge ahead and strengthen business strategies and be prepared for quick growth when the market rebounds. Who wants to be behind the ball? Stay ahead of the game and make your move! Smart companies take advantage of tough time to build and acquire so that they can react quickly to the growth opportunities before their competition.

Brightstar provides a concise outlook for the Information Technology industry in 2009 and offers suggestions to IT professionals and organizations alike on how to take advantage of the opportunities still available.

Recommended site of the day:  One of the best sites out there to locate the opportunity that matches your skill set. If you’re not using this site…you’re missing out!

Indeed.com
Indeed.com is a search engine for jobs that drives job searchers directly to jobs on corporate career websites, employee recruiting job boards, online newspapers, blogs, and association websites. Indeed.com searches thousands of websites that employers use for employee recruiting to post jobs and gives the job searcher a comprehensive list of jobs that meet or closely match his or her specifications..

First off…..Giving credit where credit is due! Brian Link is a very smart guy and has a lot of great insights!: http://brianwlink.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/be-your-own-tyler-durden-raymond/

The following article applies as much to the entrepreneurial mindset as it does to your career path. You need to know passionately what you want to do or you will stagnate and die on the vine. One of the positives to this down economy is that it’s putting the proverbial gun to your head and forcing a lot of people to sit down and think……what the heck am I doing and HOW can I be successful.

Quoting Brian Link:

“So, what is it that “you’re” passionate enough about to risk everything?”

Unfortunately most of our clients and candidates have a skewed view of what we do……..and rightly so! There are so many firms out there that care only for one thing……making a buck off someone. They don’t look at what is truly important….bringing value and service to all that we serve…….yes….I know it’s a crazy idea………helping others! Service is what we do and service to others (candidates and clients) is how we are successful.

Finding people and filling jobs is just a small part of what we do….problem solving is the true nature of the business. There is a common complaint among clients that we are paper pushers passing along resumes from job boards while bringing little VALUE to the table. A firm must truly understand the client and this is developed by building relationships (recruiting is like courting a future mate…more on that later) and understating how our experience and services help to serve and improve their ultimate success.

Many of us have many stories to tell about working with external recruiters during job searches.   Some good, some no so good.  It is no different than any other professional role–some folks you can collaborate well with and some present challenges.  One of the key hurdles specific to recruiters is that you are working with them during a pivotal time in your personal life:  your career transition points.  That’s what makes these experiences stand out more.

With this in mind, I’d like to share and collect guidelines for candidates to use to ensure a best-in-class experience working with their present or next recruiter.  Being one myself, I appreciate new ideas and insights in this area.  So please comment on this list and add your own in the “Comment” section.

Guidelines for a Good Experience with a Recruiter

The Expectations

• Before engaging with any recruiter, realize that the recruiter’s role is to serve the companies that pay him or her.  The recruiter’s primary role is to find the very best candidate for a job.
• Be clear about what you are interested in pursuing:  type of job and company, size and location of company, company culture and type of clients.  Also make sure your recruiter understands any question marks in your work history.
• Set boundaries.  Make sure your recruiter knows which companies you are pursuing on your own or are absolutely off your list.
• Don’t assume you know the level of knowledge or size of your recruiter’s network.  Many recruiters have “reach” into companies that may not even being hiring, yet.
• Good recruiters should know a great deal about the company, employees, and the job itself.  You can leverage this information.
• Don’t expect recruiters to be career coaches.  Those people are out there, too.  These specialized coaches are professionals and can help more than a recruiter, especially when career direction is involved.
• Only pursue jobs you really want.  Wasting employers’ and recruiters’ time will hurt a reputation in the long run.

The Process

• Recruiters should always let you know when and to whom your resume is being submitted.  Make sure of this.  Recruiters should NEVER submit your resume without your permission.
• Stay in touch with your recruiter, but not too often.  He/she may not be able to follow-up as often with you as you’d like, but you certainly can keep the line of communication open from your end (especially when there is recent activity to follow-up on).  Many appreciate emails over phone calls so they can manage their day better.  Communication is essential when your situation changes (i.e., another job offer pending).
• It is not wise to work around your recruiter.  With the best ones, you can build a relationship and trust.  Be open about your desired strategies and come to agreement as to what the best approach is for each opportunity.  If you circumvent the recruiter, the employer may view you as impatient or a rule-breaker.
• Recruiters can help with the salary question.  In many cases, there are other benefits (some monetary, some not) that a recruiter can share that helps with the decision.
• Good recruiters act as your agent and move as swiftly as the employer process allows.  Listen carefully to what the recruiter is saying about the timeline and make sure it sounds sensible.
• In some cases, there is an online application or audio-screening.  These are useful tools for conveying your fit for the job.  It can also confirm if you truly want the position.
• There is no requirement to work with only one recruiter; however, keeping track of what is going on with each is essential.  Confusing these facts can lead to some embarrassing moments!  And make sure you’re only submitted ONCE to any given opportunity.

The Resume

• When submitting a resume to a recruiter, realize he/she looks at many resumes every week.  Your resume should tell a story about you and convey your strengths.  An accompanying email can have three bullet points about the job you are looking for, even if you’ve already discussed this on the phone.
• Also realize that resumes having exact keyword matches as job requirements have a better chance of being reviewed by a recruiter.
• Reasons resumes get rejected early in the process: spelling errors, small font, weak summary/objective statements, poor career progression, and unrelated experience.
• A good recruiter can offer advice on your resume and fit for jobs you are discussing.  Caveat:  This typically happens only when the recruiter is working on a job that is a good match for you.

The Interview

• Good recruiters are expert coaches in interviewing.  If they don’t offer help for a scheduled interview they set up for you, I would question how good they really are.
• Debrief with your recruiter after the interview.  Let him/her know your thoughts on the company/job.

The Person

• Good recruiters talk with a lot of people each week.  Give them a little time to refresh their mind on your last conversations.  The very best recruiters are super organized and can reference all notes and activity regarding you and the jobs your are working on together.
• Consider a recruiter a life-long friend in your career process, not two ships passing in the night.  If you have a well-established relationship with a recruiter, he/she is more likely to go beyond the norms to help you (or a friend) when you need it most.  And, the recruiter will know you as a person, not just as a candidate.  With this in mind, keep your recruiter appraised of all career changes.
• The best way to return a favor to a recruiter is to network him/her to a new client you know is hiring.
• Feel free to provide timely feedback, both to the recruiter and the employer.  Both stand to learn from this first-hand information.

Brightstar Management Partners is a recruiting and staffing firm specializing in the placement of information technology professionals. Established in 1999, is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and maintains a worldwide presence with partners in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information visit us at www.brightstarmp.com.

How We Help You Succeed

Businesses: We have built and continue to maintain an extensive network of highly talented candidates, providing you access to top talent in your field.

Candidates: Our recruiting managers are experts in your industry, providing valuable information on current industry trends and new employment opportunities.

BMP Services

In order to maintain a competitive advantage you need an IT department with the skills, resources and flexibility to meet ever-changing needs. Staff augmentation allows you to respond to changing market conditions with greater agility by providing access to professionals with the latest technology expertise. Outsourcing the process associated with recruiting and hiring new employees with specific skill sets turns staffing into a variable cost based upon the technology needs of your business.

Brightstar Management Partners (BMP) is committed to helping your company become more agile by offering a range of cost-effective staffing solutions. By leveraging our extensive database and nationwide recruiting partners, as well as an international network of business partners, BMP can provide you with experienced consultants in virtually any technology platform including client/server, web-based, midrange, and mainframe computing. BMP consultants are focused on today’s most highly-demanded skills—technologies that include Microsoft .NET, JAVA, HTML, ERP (Oracle & PeopleSoft) along with Cisco and Microsoft networking. Onshore, nearshore, and offshore resources give BMP the global capabilities to deliver the staffing you need.