Saturday, March 14, 2020

Recruiter - Your Career Intel

What is a Headhunter / Recruiter - Your Career IntelIf youre a busy working professional, chances are youve had a recruiter reach out to you before, if only on LinkedIn. Thats because these folks are seeking and placing talent day in and day out.So, what is a recruiter? Executive recruiters, also called corporate or job headhunters, act as intermediaries between top-notch candidates and companies seeking talent. Recruiters are responsible for client and business development, candidate sourcing and screening, successful placement and follow-up. Because they know about positions that havent been advertised and are in hauch with candidates who arent actively looking for work, they are in high demand across many different industries.Recruiters tend to enter the profession because they like working with people, but they come from a variety of fields and backgrounds. To succeed as a recruiter, it helps to have hands-on knowledge about your area of focus. But it also takes good communicatio n. Because recruiters deal with peoples businesses and lives, they need to understand the complex needs of all parties involved in a candidate search. Doing so goes a long way to create successful placements.As an executive recruiter at Lucas Group, I strive to deliver quality results to both clients and candidates. In my experience, the best recruiters know that their work is about more than just the transaction itself. If youre interested in learning about executive recruiting, here are some key details about the top three job responsibilitiesReaching Out to ClientsExecutive recruiters network with potential and existing clients to find out about their business needs and to develop long-term, treugesinnt and fruitful relationships. They have strong industry contacts within their region, as well as deep knowledge of market trends and opportunities. Recruiters are connectors, with the ability to create positive introductions and bring clients and candidates together.Because executiv e recruiters work with high caliber candidates, they act as consultants in decision-making and team strategy. Recruiters get to know HR and hiring executives, business goals and company culture well enough to look past a job description as it appears on paper. They understand nuances such as what type of personality a hiring manager is looking for, where a position might lead in 5 or 10 years and whether it offers the opportunities for growth that a candidate needs.Sourcing and Screening CandidatesExecutive recruiters aim to place industry leaders who drive positive cultural changes and financial impact. To find high-value talent, recruiters conduct extensive research by leveraging existing contacts, using social media, attending networking events and exploring many other avenues. From there, they create a targeted list of candidatesoften as many as 200-300. They work with candidates who are actively seeking a career change, but more often initiate contact with those who are not. Re cruiters help candidates overcome the security of the position quo and see the growth potential in new opportunities.The role of an executive recruiter transcends simple hiring transactions, as executive searches can be complicated and delicate. Each one depends on different factors such as a candidates technical and soft skills, team environment, current business needs, opportunity for growth, personality fit and even intangible qualities. By using expert interviewing and profiling techniques, the recruiter determines whether a candidate is a good match for a particular position.Creating Successful PlacementsSuccessful candidate placement often depends on talking to many people, listening closely, reading subtleties and delivering key insights to both parties that help drive the final decision. Before a search is undertaken, the executive recruiter facilitates the contract negotiation, which can often be complex. Personality dynamics and compensation variables require a recruiter w ith well-developed negotiation skills. Some contracts require a dozen or more negotiation points, each of which must be carefully considered, discussed, compared and finalized.Successful matches depend on performing extensive work up front and acting with speed, integrity and tact in high-stakes environments. The work is demanding, but the pay-off is big helping to make a positive difference for great companies and valuable candidates.Still have questions? Please leave a comment.

Monday, March 9, 2020

The Impact Of Education On Women In Tech

The Impact Of Education On Women In Tech As far back as I can remember, computers and technology were a part of my life. Whetzu sich it was playing Pitfall or using my Tandy 1000 to learn how to type, my family utilized technology.Early on, I was always good at math and enjoyed science. My wonderful high school math teacher/mentor encouraged me to think about how software technology could be used to support math and science. After obtaining my degree in mechanical engineering, I looked for a job where I could leverage my analytical skills in technology. This lumineszenzdiode me to global professional services company, Accenture, and a job in technology consulting.In retrospect, my moms career journey has had an uncanny effect on my career. My mom furthered her education by taking courses in information technology. She then transitioned into the payroll industry. Only now, I realize how her experiences shaped mine. One vivid memory I have is talking about cycling the backup tapes and why that was important Little did I know that backups would be a topic that I still discuss today.Its been almost 20 years since entering the field, and I now have two young children. The landscape for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education has changed dramatically. Each school term, my daughter comes home with a list of after-school enrichment classes. Shes taken creative beading, theater, tennis, and art. I love that my daughter tries different things and has an open mind. This semester, Boolean Girl, a class focused on coding for girls, was offered. I love the title. The students act out a story, and then they use a software program to develop the same story on a computer. My 8-year-old daughter asked me what Boolean meant. I fumbled through a response about 0s and 1sIm aya it was super clearAfter her first class, we were discussing the session, and she said, Its complicated. Thinking back to my first programming class, thats probably what I thought.Mo m, it took me a little to figure out how to put the pieces together to make it work, but I figured it out, she said. I was energized that she was trying something new and felt it was challengingyet she seemed unfazed that it wasnt easyThe creativity around software-development programs for children has changed the way I think about technology and how our children engage with it. I wonder how different my generations initial experience with coding would have been if we didnt spend our time doing such things as coding to calculate the area under a curve in math class. Would we be having such a technology crisis with women if there were as many opportunities to make technology fun and interesting and adaptable to a womans way of thinking?My daughter is taking her fourth class now, and I know shes learning how to think more analytically. Whether its creating a loop or an if/then statement, these new methods of incorporating fun into technology allow girls to be enthusiastic and creative while learning new technical concepts. I cant wait to hear the excitement in her voice when she gets home.With great new opportunities for children to learn skills in STEM at an early age, the skys the limit. The change in education will fundamentally change the skills and the tools our children will use to live their lives and create our common future. When I speak to college students of all majors, they develop and use software to make their lives easierwhether it is for a school project or even supporting an extracurricular activity. Their adaption to technology at an early age will change their interaction with it as they move through their careers. They will remain in the core technology fields without migrating to the softer-skilled careers many women move into as they progress. What a change from the pastI am a huge proponent of organizations like Girls Who Code. They are working to educate, inspire, and equip high school girls with the skills and resources to pursue opportu nities in computing fields. Having mentors at an early age with a love of technology makes all the difference to create an exciting and interesting industry for girls to grow in. I encourage girls to get involved with organizations such as Girls Who Code and Hour of Code. Its not just good for kids, its fun for the adultsRecently, through my work at Accenture, I was honored to be named as a finalist for the Women in Technology (WIT) 2016 Technical Leadership award. Ive always found purpose in giving back to the community. I support the work of others to broaden and heighten womens roles in technology. Through my personal journey with my daughter, I have realized we have to focus on encouraging technology across all levels. We have to make technology exciting and thrilling for anyone interested. I founded a Washington, D.C., Women in Technology forum focused on staying relevant in technology, while finding a career path in technology.As a leader in technology, it is my duty to give b ack and help the tide rise to support our girls and women and colleagues to improve and diversify our business and community.This article was originally published by Accenture.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer