Obviously, everyone in our network has an important role to play.
While it’s important to avoid rash judgments about one contact
being more important than another, I will tell you that if you have the
choice between being in touch with a recruiter or a hiring manager, lean
toward the hiring manager every time. The recruiters are there to screen
applicants and determine who is best suited to move on to the next level
of interviewing. While it’s extremely important to have a strong relationship
with them, if you have the contact information for the hiring manager,
then use it. If you don’t have his or her information, then do your
due diligence and attempt to get it. I’m not condoning being pushy, but
I am encouraging assertiveness. The hiring manager can provide exact
expectations for the role, including the unwritten description. A hiring
manager can provide insight as to what successful, and not so successful,
people have done in the role in the past. Even if a hiring manager holds
back some information, they now know who you are beyond your résumé.
The contact also establishes a relationship that could be critical if
there are equally qualified candidates applying for the same job. In that
case, the hiring manager may even appreciate the extra effort you took to
learn more about the job.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
- Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
- Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
- Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
- The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
- From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
- The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com