Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength ~Eric Hoffer

Any recruiter can spend a few moments on a forum at LinkedIn and get a full dose of how much a segment of the population enjoys hating recruiters. Anyone reading a LinkedIn forum looking for advice can find a ready group of immediate friends who will tell you how horrible all recruiters are and that they know for a fact that they've been ignored and lied to.

But what you won't find on these forums is a lot of recruiters. I've noticed that every now and then one will poke into the fray to point out some facts about the business world, vendor/client relationships or the very real possibility that you shot yourself in your own foot so the recruiter didn't have to do it for you.

Then the recruiters disappear. I think we don't stick around because the effects of the mob are such that our voices aren't heard anyway.

In an effort to point at that civility is a two-way street, I will show you a paragraph from an actual resume. After reading this paragraph, I want you to ask yourself if you would pick up the phone to talk to this person. I'm sure he has had one or two bad experiences that have prompted this behavior, but much like someone who has had a couple bad dates, using this approach is unlikely to garner any more offers for dinner & a movie. Rude is rude no matter which side of the conversation you're sitting on.


"I prefer to be contacted by email first. That means you email me and wait for me to return the email to you and set up a time for you to call me. It does not mean you send me an email and then call me! Please do not call the cell phone ever - unless you have pre-approval and do not call the home phone unless instructed to do so; as I said please email first. I do not look at contracts less than 6 months in length. Also if you cannot tell me what the rate is to begin with there is no need to discuss the position. My rates are as follows: 75-80/hr on a W2 only plus expenses or 110/hr on a W2 all inclusive - I do not work on any other type of contract."

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