This is Your Time to Shine

A day in the life of a recruiter is filled in interaction. Interaction with clients, peers, networking contacts, potential candidates and management. It is quite enjoyable for me to interact with so many different types of people in such different ways. Technology makes it easy to quickly IM (instant message) a peer, or whip up a quick email and send it to a contact asking for any new referrals. This is all a wonderful aspect of our vastly connected lives. However,I want to caution anyone who is seeking a job to always remember who you are talking to when contacting HR/recruiting professionals. It may be extremely convenient to answer an email regarding a newly presented job opportunity from your smartphone/tablet. One word = don't.

We have all become so accustomed to the shorthand and "quick speak" of our smart devices. It is perfectly fine to answer a friend who is inviting you to coffee with a quick, short hand response. Answering the representative of a potential employer this way can all but ruin your chances of any further contact. Let me give an example. You receive a well crafted email laying out a fantastic job opportunity that has been targeted to you specifically, because you are a match to the experience and skillset they are looking for. You answer the email like this: "how much does this job pay? where are u located?" --- Oh boy, you have just answered a great opportunity with the equivalent of "No thank you, I am not nearly serious enough to respond properly." Remember who you are talking to. This is your time to shine. You want to take the time to answer this email with an equally well crafted response, and respectfully ask to advance the conversation to the next step. This will assure you of being considered for what you can really offer, and not immediately passed over.