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Job Search Hack:

OLIVIA JOHNSON image

OLIVIA JOHNSON

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Job Search Hack:

IF you have a staffing recruiter reach out to you for a role that you are not interested in, take a look at their company site and see if there is something that you would be interested in pursuing and share! Instead of declining or not responding...take advantage of the connection!

Example:

"Thank you so much for reaching out about xyz opportunity. I would be more than happy to discuss opportunities available through your agency. When would be the best time we can connect?"

On this call:

Hear them out on the opportunity in question, as it may be a pleasant surprise.

IF not a good fit, transparently share your thoughts on what you are looking for and don't focus on why it won't work for you.

Lastly, share the opportunity(ies) that you found available through the agency that you are interested in and ask if they can assist. A win is a win for them. (And if not, be persistent and ask if they would be willing to make the introduction to the internal recruiter that is managing the opportunity...to be honest, they may not be happy but it's a 50/50 shot that they are a team player and willing to forward you along to a colleague.)

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  1. Anonymous

    Great idea and sample email! Thanks!

  2. Lisa Woods

    That is a great idea. Thank you for sharing.

  3. Anonymous

    Thank you so much for your post, Olivia! I never thought of doing this, but what a great idea.

  4. Larencia

    Love this tip thank you

  5. Anonymous

    I would be careful with this approach. Most outreach I have received starts out with something like, "After reviewing your [significant] skills ..." followed by a job title that points out they have not even looked at my resume or my profile on the job board. It is something like "remote customer service..." or "selling insurance/wealth management products remotely" when my profile and resume state I am looking for senior (director level or above) non-profit work, and my education and job history support it. There are too many scams preying on people desperate for remote work with a high-income potential (which in 99% of the cases are too good to be true) and scam people out of personal/private information (including banking information). Responding to the emails only acknowledges that 1) your email information is correct and you check it regularly, and 2) you are looking for a job. Some companies pay people to vet this type of information, so the scam could also be your email gets put on a list and sold to anyone who wants to send email offers (legitimate or not) to people looking for jobs. Your email box only fills up faster.

    Only respond to emails from companies and positions you have applied to. If you receive an unsolicited "invitation to apply," ensure it is from a legitimate business address, not a "free" email like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, or internet provider domain, and you have researched the company. Getting your name out there and networking is essential, but so is due diligence. Stay safe, ladies.

  6. NPW

    Great advice. Thanks for sharing the email scam tip.

  7. Anonymous

    You're welcome. I was concerned about so many "love this" responses. I was afraid many overlooked the OP's note to research the company first. I have had hundreds of these, most directly after updating my profile on a job board. Almost all of them have been scams reported to BBB and other boards. Some bilked people out of "startup money" ended up draining their accounts (i.e., they will ACH money to buy a laptop and office supplies, and after they place the order, the ACH bounces, causing the person to lose thousands of dollars). Others turned out to be 1099 or commission-only "cattle calls" or MLMs. None of them have added value to my job search, only cluttered my email inbox.

  8. OLIVIA JOHNSON

    Yes! Definitely agree. Be careful of scams. When doing job searches always Vet first! I always say if you even second guess it then don't engage. Some other things to look at to Vet:

    • Look for misspellings, personal email accounts, anything unusual,
    • Research the company
    • Check out their website, LinkedIn profile, how many employees etc.
    • Look at the LinkedIn profile of the Recruiter, how long they have been in business, etc.
    • Google always works...Google for reviews or even just ask if the company or opportunity is a scam.

    Thanks for the add! This hack is only for legit Staffing Recruiters reaching out to share a job opportunity. Unfortunately quite a few legit Recruiters also don't read the entire resume, which is part of why the scams works but if from a legit recruiter, just having the connection for other opportunities is a great in.

    Thanks again!

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