Like most recruiters, we work a specialty niche.
We find people for specific client openings.
CIB places Business-to-Business (B2B) sales people from outside of insurance into sales careers with our retainer clients, commercial insurance brokers (thus, the name CIB).
When someone outside our wheelhouse asks for career advice, I often can’t directly help.
The reality: unless you fit our niche – or better – a client opening, I probably can’t help you.
So, I offer the following 3 points of generic career advice for candidates.
- Refresh your LinkedIn profile. This is where recruiters (internal HR and staffing agencies) live now. LinkedIn is where you will be found for career opportunities. Make sure your profile is fresh. It needs to tell your story well. Show that you are a high achiever in your field. Reverse engineer your profile to include the experience, skills, education, and keywords being sought in any job adverts that you find compelling. Activate your “Open to New Opportunities” feature on your LinkedIn profile and be clear about the types, locations, etc. This “open to new opportunities” feature on LI alerts recruiters (and we’re drawn to your profile like bugs to a porch light on a hot summer night).
- Read “The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired”. The wisest $10 (Kindle) or $20 (paperback) spend you can make on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Hiring-Getting-Hired-ebook/dp/B00B9JZMKE
- Network. Identify target companies that you want to work for and – using LinkedIn – network your way into connections with key people. Call these people and ask for a cup-of-coffee discovery meeting or a short exploratory phone call. Most people will be accommodating if you’re nice and don’t jump right into asking for a job. Find 3rd party recruiters (staffing agencies) through your network and Google searches; introduce yourself to recruiters that specialize in your industry or niche specialty.
