It’s time to bring back “Dirty Little Secrets” as many of you are or will be looking for employment. As you know, I worked for Recruiting Agencies in Boston, Manhattan and Chicago. The 1st critical step is to find the right Recruiter. What will be extremely helpful is if your Recruiter understands the space you are working in because they have also walked down that path. If you are an Investment Professional you might avoid a Recruiter working in “Accounting and Finance”. It is not Wealth or Asset Management. Example: Being a Revenue Accountant at a Hedge Fund is Accounting. Most Recruiting Agencies lump Accounting and Finance together so do your own due diligence. Find out what types of clients they work with. Are they Asset Managers, Family Offices, Registered Investment Advisors, OCIO’s etc. Drop some knowledge on them to see how savvy they are. How is your Recruiter going to be effective in finding you the right opportunity if he or she doesn’t understand the investment business? Want a new role in a law firm? Find a Recruiter who was a Paralegal or has a JD. SearchGroup500 can help you navigate all of this but for now we are “unmasking” an industry! Now that you have found the “one” you have to know and remember that when your resume and or candidacy is submitted your Recruiter is also sending at least 3-5 other potential fits. Recruiters get paid only if you get a job! The more resumes, the better the odds. Therefore, find out by asking thoughtful questions, where you stand. How does my background stack up against your other talent? How long has the job been open? Why is it available? What is the ideal start date?” (Don’t settle for a lame response like “As soon as the right “fit” is identified). If you are afraid to ask these questions, my guess is you will not find the experience very rewarding. The reason why this installment is called “Do your job” is because your Recruiter has some baseline responsibilities and services he or she should both offer and excel in. When being sent out on an interview, know your customer. This is called being “Prepped” and it is time consuming. If you are only getting basic information like an address, name and or time, these things do not equal preparation. What are you going to ask the people you are meeting? What are they going to ask you? Did your Recruiter tell them how much money you make? What are you going to say when money comes up or were you instructed to stay away from that topic and coached on what to say? (Not Good) After your meetings, collect your thoughts and call your Recruiter with feedback. Ask when he or she will provide you with feedback. Write follow up notes because they matter. If you said something or didn’t say something because you forgot, well the handy follow up note addresses that. Your Recruiter should be at the very least reviewing them. We will be back with more information. If you get frustrated, email us your questions at: