THE DILEMMA

There is a strong similarity between the challenges of placement and the obstacles most site visitors face when they apply for a company opening that is also not a perfect match to what they are currently doing. The following chart provides an overview.

The Challenges
1 Typical placement organizations or recruiting agencies are not necessarily a good venue for the job seeker who wants to change industries or functions, transition to a different career path, or even for the unemployed.
Site visitors applying to companies who have a posting which states a specific job requirement, may get discouraged and lose interest in the job board, because they do not exactly fit (or cannot expertly communicate the fit to), that job posting. The candidate, in many cases, is rejected and perceived as a square peg in a round hole, thus discouraging the site visitors.

2 Using recruiter-based placement or a firm’s current posting is a best choice when a company wants to hire someone whose function is exactly the role it is attempting to fill.
That company needs to recruit a candidate who has a solid history of success in that type role to justify the placement fees, and the recruiter or HR department. This approach usually will be limited to, or preferred only for, “blue chip” professionals and / or those with an exact fit.

3 “Blue chip” professionals rarely require the platform of an online job board.
This is because their talents and reputation are well-known, and their jobs are primarily found through an integrated network of contacts and industry referrals.


The Perception of Fees
1 Non- “blue chip” candidates are often (unknowingly) offered a lower salary in the employer’s allocated salary range, which allows the recruiter’s client company (the employer) to absorb some of the fee paid for that person.
This true loss usually compounds each year, during the balance of their career, and is rarely recovered because future increases will be based on a percentage of a lower starting income. Thus, new hires are potentially losing income each year and ultimately are never paid commensurate to their true contribution.

2 Placement fees can actually become a deterrent to hiring.
If an organization wants to expand but they do not feel the placement candidate is a best fit, they will not want to pay the placement fees and will hire another equally-qualified person, or even a less qualified person who does not have such a large hiring cost.

HOW JOB BOARDS MAY LIMIT YOUR CAREER OPTIONS

The challenge for most site visitors who are looking to make a change using a typical placement organization, recruiting firm, or company posting to secure their next position, will be that often times, a good candidate may not necessarily be the best person to hire from the view of the recruiter or employer.

Do you ever use online job boards to seek that perfect job for your talents? The task is daunting, and you better have a lot of free time to scour the 100,000+ employment-related websites posting over 50 million jobs, most of which may not be the optimum for your skills and experience.
Statistically, most site visitors are not looking for the exact same position, role or functionality that they are currently in. Also, many times, they are seeking opportunities outside of their current industry, and become frustrated in their search because they may truly believe they are well-qualified.

The challenge, however, is creating the perception of skills transferability made by the recruiter or company decision maker regarding the candidate, which may lack the exact criteria posted for the job requirements.
You should seriously consider the need for an expanded marketing approach that explores the marketplace beyond typical job postings. Keep in mind that statistics show 53% of managers / executives hired from an external source (rather than from internal promotion) are gone from the company within a year. With this in mind, determining and negotiating the best fit in market targeting is critical.

Once you have found a potentially great job, there are inherently three insights that you should know:
The posting’s requirements usually are not an exact match to your background and qualifications.
The postings concept may run counter to your desire for an advancement, change in industry, role or functionality.
The public exposure of the opening using the Internet creates local, regional, national and even global competition.
The challenge that job boards face is the possibility of frustrating many of its site visitors who do not have the professional skills to properly market themselves for a substantive change.

In truth...

even when you know intuitively that you have alternatives, figuring out exactly what it is you want to do about your career can be a daunting task filled with some baffling questions:
Where do I begin?
Where would I be the happiest?
What is the path to the best paying job?
Is it worth the effort?
What steps must I take?
How long will it take?
For what else am I suited?

RL Stevens can help...

If you have struggled with answering career and happiness questions like these, understand that our firm is dedicated to helping you resolve them quickly and well.

Our staff has many years of hands-on experience in identifying and realizing career options for Communications professionals both inside and outside of their industry.

With extensive market knowledge and modern research tools, we can find growth firms that need your communications expertise. We can also help you develop other career options, identify firms in which they are in demand, and then help you move steadily and surely toward achieving your career objectives in the most expeditious manner possible.

We at RL Stevens know that when any professional is in the market for a new position, he (or she) must remain keenly aware that regardless of where he has worked in the past, how he markets himself is vital to his success. He must know how to minimize his liabilities (such as the lack of a degree or certification) and how to best showcase his achievements both verbally and in writing. He must know how to approach potential employers in the best and most efficient manner possible. He must know how to secure interviews and how to win a new position during them. In short, he must know his own worth and how best to convey that worth to his next employer if he is to maximize his chances for better pay, advancement, and job satisfaction.

If we decide to work together, we guarantee to work with you until you are in the position of your choice. Furthermore, we can provide you services for the lifetime of your career