VIEWPOINT: Getting a job while evading the algorithm and (mostly) avoiding recruiters

Listen to this article

After more than a decade in engineering, I became a recruiter specializing in recruiting in the manufacturing environment.

Though my work uses technology, I believe that connecting directly to another person is the ideal way to find work and find people. Recruiting often funnels people away from other people, and towards virtual contact. If you are applying for jobs online, you have chosen (and sometimes been forced to choose) the most impersonal transactional process possible.

In most cases when you apply online your resume does not go to the decision maker; it goes to that place we refer to as The Black Hole. Sometimes your resume is viewed by AI — a tech tool that matches, often inexpertly, the keywords in your resume. That’s why job seekers are instructed to construct a different resume for each position — because AI can’t recognize the application of your background to a different job.

Sometimes a real person will read your resume because the hiring manager doesn’t have time to eliminate the ones that aren’t a fit. The first person to view your resume may be experienced at what they do but they’re often not experienced in your particular area of expertise, which isn’t their fault. When there are several degrees of separation between the hiring manager and the initial person screening resumes, it’s challenging for that screener to determine the fit. They also won’t be able to assess your transferable skills that apply to the position.

If you apply online enough times you might get lucky. But the real solution is the same as it’s always been. It’s about the relationship. Somehow you must get in front of the decision maker so that he or she can see you. Although resumes are important, when you have a relationship the resume matters less.

Here are some tactical tips to navigate this painful virtual world.

1) If you are applying online, research the decision makers for those jobs. Find the hiring managers on LinkedIn and reach out. Let them know that you’ve just applied for a position at their company and ask to treat them to a cup of coffee and learn more. If you really are a fit, they will often talk with you.

2) Reach out to your network and let them know, confidentially, that you are looking. Your network consists of your customers (know whom to trust), vendors, school buddies, groups you’re involved in, church members, friends, and even family. LinkedIn messaging is a good way to do much of this work.

3) Find groups and participate in them. There is almost always an industry networking group for what you do. Find groups for your hobbies. Engage in church or another faith gathering. Invite contacts to coffee and engage in some industry specific networking.

If you’re not known by other people, you’re in trouble. Start getting known.

4) Everything above can be done without a recruiter. But it’s a good idea to keep in touch with your recruiter. Pick one that you like and who knows your field, who is willing to get to know you, and put your best interests at heart. A recruiter’s trade is about knowing great companies and about having an excellent network of candidates that he has cultivated before there is a position. You should know him or her well enough to reach out when considering an internal promotion (which won’t bring a commission), to get advice on your resume, to forward a job posting before you apply online to see if he has a connection. Sometimes I don’t have relationships that I can leverage. But sometimes, I went hunting with the owner last week.

Recently a woman who worked in continuous improvement in manufacturing reached out to me about a great opportunity that was an external move. I helped her evaluate the opportunity, negotiate and present a counteroffer, and coached her through the process. I did this because we had a connection, and I did it without the possibility of a commission.

There are great recruiters out there who specialize in your field who can be a long-term resource for your career.

Gary Vaynerchuck, the serial entrepreneur and immigrant from Belarus, says it well.

“Saying hello doesn’t have an ROI. It’s about building relationships.”

Ben Talbert is the president and CEO of Better Than Found, a full-service professional and executive recruitment firm focusing on industrial sectors in manufacturing, engineering, and construction.