Despite economic uncertainty, a time when employed individuals are least likely to take a career risk by changing jobs, IT professionals will often take that risk when presented with an opportunity to join an emerging software or internet technology company.

Kevin Jenkins is a talent acquisition consultant who recruits top IT performers exclusively for start-up and growth stage technology companies in the Los Angeles area. He continues to successfully fill client vacancies with passive candidates regardless of the current recession. This reality challenges the popular notion that job security is the ‘top priority’ for people who are currently employed therefore making it harder for recruiters to lure them away the from their current employers.

“What motivates IT workers is much different than what motivates other types of employees. They want to work for innovative companies on interesting projects that have the potential to shape the future. They want to learn new things and work with cutting-edge technologies. They want creative flexibility. And they want recognition. No type of company offers a better blend of these motivating factors than software and internet businesses. Of course, the future of these types of companies are less certain, but that’s a trade-off most techies seem willing to chance.”

Start-ups and growth stages companies have a clear edge over their larger counterparts in several key areas that are especially important to IT workers. IT professionals simply despise being a faceless drone toiling in a giant corporation’s hive. Growth stage companies offer talented candidates the chance to play key roles in daily operations, a flexible work environment, direct access to top management, rapid promotion and other advantages that a large company would be hard-pressed to match.

Kevin believes his recruiting niche is one of the best to be in today.

“As a talent acquisition specialist, my success depends entirely on the caliber of candidates I bring to the equation. Because the type of candidates I recruit love the type of companies I recruit for, they don’t spend much time debating whether to make a job change or not. That certainly makes my job much easier. It’s a rewarding area of recruiting to be active in right now.”

Start-up and growth stage technology companies can contact Kevin Jenkins at (818) 745-9863 to discuss their IT resource requirements.

ResumeCloud™  is a web 2.0 tool for visualizing keyword density in job descriptions and resumes. The cloud format offers a unique ‘at a glance’ perspective of job descriptions and resumes. By analyzing a ResumeCloud™, job seekers and recruiters can visualize documents instead of reading them. The result is a faster, more accurate and less tedious way of evaluating job descriptions and resumes.

For an example of how ResumeCloud™ can be used commercially, see it integrated into a resume search site at kevin-jenkins.top-candidate.com.  To see the ResumeCloud™ in action, click any resume or job link.

Hiring managers and recruiters may now search my personal resume database online, featuring over 10,000 resumes representing technical candidates in Los Angeles and California. Please visit http://www.top-candidate.com for more information and to sign up. I look forward to working with you!

Ultimately, a good recruiter can help give you an advantage over other people looking for (and interviewing for) the same jobs you are.

1. A good recruiter can help you find jobs that you might otherwise not know about.

You may have heard about the “hidden job market.” Sometimes it’s so well hidden, you can’t actually find it.

A recruiter has two main goals in life: to find jobs to fill and then to find the person to fill it.

So first off, the recruiter needs to find open positions that they can help a company fill. Then they look for suitable candidates like you to actually present to the company for consideration for the job.

In other words, a recruiter is a person who by definition needs to know where the available jobs are and who is hiring. They do this so that you don’t have to.

2. A good recruiter should help you prepare for interviews.

A good recruiter will shed light on specific information that will help you stand out from others who are interviewing for the same job as you but who applied on their own and won’t have access to this information. This can only help you!

A good recruiter will know the hiring manager (or whoever is interviewing you) and will be able to fill you in on some information you wouldn’t otherwise know about.

For example, information that I always pass onto my candidates include things like:

• The personality of the interviewer(s). Imagine if you always knew before the interview what sort of people you’d be interviewing with so that you could prepare for each person individually?
• Hot buttons that the interviewer/company really wants to see ie. the recruiter tells you what to focus on during the interview so that you don’t forget to mention the skills and experience that the interviewer really wants to know about.
• Where other candidates who have interviewed for the same job have failed. In other words, a good recruiter will tell you how to avoid making mistakes that other candidates have already made!

3. A good recruiter will help you role-play for an interview.

In other words, they will help you prepare for the interview by mimicking how the interview could actually go. It’s easy to surf a company website and think of a few ways to answer possible questions that might arise during the interview.

It’s another thing altogether to actually answer questions as if you were already in the interview.

Role-playing where you verbally answer questions as if you are already in the interview is far superior to simply thinking about how you will answer the questions.

An interview – especially when it’s for a job you really want – is not the time to freestyle it and think that you can go into an interview and just wing it and still win the job.

4. A good recruiter understands the importance of timing.

Often, finding a new job is (among other things) a case of being in the right place at the right time. Not only does the job become available at a time that suits you, but the company comes along with a position that requires the same experience and skills that you happen to have at a time when you just happen to be considering switching jobs.

How many times have you been happily working away and not thinking about looking for a new job when a position pops up that would interest you if only it had have been presented to you in say 6 months or perhaps 12 months from now?

I’ve seen that happen quite a bit, where the timing just isn’t right to change jobs.

Timing really is everything especially when it comes to changing jobs.

And a good recruiter who knows you well will help you find a job within your timeframe which will save you from having to constantly keep your eyes open looking for the same positions or positions that would suit you that you didn’t even know about.

The best part is that you don’t pay to use a recruiter, the hiring company does.

You should also quickly see the benefits of using recruiters at this time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Mueller

Ultimately, a good recruiter can help give you an advantage over other people looking for (and interviewing for) the same jobs you are.

1. A good recruiter can help you find jobs that you might otherwise not know about.

You may have heard about the “hidden job market.” Sometimes it’s so well hidden, you can’t actually find it.

Just mention the word recruiter and many job seekers cringe. This is unfortunate considering that conceptually speaking recruiting has the potential to be one of the most respected professions of all time. How many other professions can you think of that enable a person to get paid for having a positive impact on another person’s earning potential and therefore their quality of life?

Our careers shape our lives. They are an inextricable part of who we are as people and how we are perceived by others. To a large degree they define the level of confidence we have in ourselves and thereby our sense of dignity.

“Recruiting is a career in which our success is measured by how effective we are in helping other people to succeed in their own careers.”

In short, responsible recruiters play a key role in helping to improve the quality of other people’s lives. For recruiters with integrity, that is a rewarding thing to do.

“Unfortunately, the concept of integrity is lost among many of self-proclaimed recruiters whose only interest is in improving their own quality of life.

And they selfishly do so by persuading other people to compromise theirs.”

These are the long-on-talk and short-on-listening breed of recruiters who essentially manipulate people into taking jobs that don’t truly serve their best interest. They are masters of both the hard-sell script and the guilt-trip script depending on which side of the fence you appear to be leaning in reaction to their ‘dream job’ pitch.

Clearly, these types of recruiters wouldn’t know what the right opportunity for you was if it hit them in the face. How could they know since they never cared to cultivate a meaningful enough relationship with you to find out? Granted, that’s a lot to ask of a recruiter whose only interest is in a placement fee. To prioritize a fee over another human being’s genuine welfare is a disgrace. On the other hand …

“to think of a placement fee as a reward for helping others to realize their career goals is respectable.”

Any recruiter who does not share this attitude should be abolished from the profession.

While a large group of undesirables have certainly tarnished the image of the recruiting profession, I am here to assure you that there are many GOOD recruiters out there who do actually care about your best interest and who do conduct their business ethically and professionally.

Good recruiters measure their success by one thing only … that being your success. I am one of those recruiters.

While writing this post I had the brilliant idea of turning this into an interactive project. I think it would be a fascinating exercise to team up with my readers and together pen the perfect recruiter values statement. Surely, many of you have had bad recruiter experiences and have something to share.

I will start off with the first five … albeit from a technical recruiter perspective (because that is what I am). However, the values are most certainly transferable to any type of recruiter.

• As a technical recruiter, I know technology. That means I understand what your resume says therefore what your skills set is. I won’t waste your time with opportunities you are not qualified for and clearly would not be interested in to begin with.
• As a technical recruiter, I know technology. That means I am able to speak your language and understand what it is that you do. I will ask you the right questions so that I will be able to present you to my client accurately. I won’t waste your time with incompetent phone screens.
• As a respectful person, I realize that a career decision is a life altering process. I am appreciative of that and do not engage in aggressive, hard-sell tactics.
• As a respectful person, I will always return your phone calls or e-mails if we have had previous correspondence. If we have not had previous correspondence please respect that I receive hundreds of inquiries and it is not physically possible to respond to everybody.
• As a respectful person, I will always work in your best interest … because it is also mine.

Now its your turn. I have turned on the comments feature for our project. I look forward to your input!

I am looking for a Coldfusion Developer for a position in Los Angeles, California. Please see a detailed job description and upload your resume at coldfusioin.techjobslosangeles.com.

E-mail: k.jenkins [at] tech-source [dot] com
Web: www.techjobslosangeles.com

As a high visibility recruiter, I receive a torrent of resumes from candidates seeking opportunities in the region. About one-fourth of those resumes represent truly elite candidates. Regrettably, I don’t have as many opportunities as I do great candidates! Yet, I do believe that the common practice of receiving and archiving resumes is counterproductive for both the candidates who reach out to me and the businesses that need them. Consequently, I am the first recruiter ever to put their personal resume database online and make it fully searchable by hiring managers and recruiters. By doing so, I am maximizing the value of my database for everybody.

I am looking for a Chief Data Steward for a position in Orange County, California. Please see a detailed job description and upload your resume at manager.techjobslosangeles.com.

E-mail: k.jenkins [at] tech-source [dot] com
Web: www.techjobslosangeles.com

The answer is simple: time, expertise, resources, and, most importantly, an increased exposure to potential employers and an increased network of contacts.

Let’s face it, you’re busy. You simply don’t have the time to research every potential employer, the opportunities those employers may have, and, how to contact the employers should you actually find a position of interest. When you work with a professional tech recruiter you maximize your exposure because identifying job opportunities is our business, we maintain a unique position and relationship with numerous IT Managers. Due to our unique relationship with the IT Managers, we are made aware of staffing needs that outside individuals would simply have no way of knowing about. Many of these opportunities simply will not be posted on any websites. And, most of the employers don’t have the time to find your resume on a job board. Hence, in most cases, using a tech recruiter will be your only way of being considered for most opportunities. Be it an IT Manager with immense hiring power or the “HR gatekeeper,” we know who to talk to in key organizations. Exposure of this type is simply impossible for any job seeker. So, to increase your exposure to employers and hence, increase your network and career growth and opportunities, using a professional tech recruiter is your only bet.

Finally, other than your time, you pay nothing. What could be a better deal than that? All you do is put in a little time and all the hard work is done for you. In essence, you let someone else increase your exposure, network and career opportunities for you.

I am looking for a Reports Analyst Developer for a position in West Los Angeles. Please see a detailed job description and upload your resume at analyst.techjobslosangeles.com.

E-mail: k.jenkins [at] tech-source [dot] com
Web: www.techjobslosangeles.com