3 Sides of “I Have Already Submitted My Resume”

3 Sides of “I Have Already Submitted My Resume”
by: Brett Stevens



You are interviewing a candidate about a position for your client, and
then you get to the part about interviewing. You ask,” Who have you
submitted your resume too?” I have submitted it to A, B, and C companies.

There are 3 major problems with submitting your resume to a company or
Job Board.

Number One: The Company loses if they haven’t seen the resume. Typically
the recruiter is now out of the process. There is no need to continue the
conversation, because it’s now in the clients resume “abyss.” Therefore
the recruiter is not entitled to a fee. Some clients have honored our
pointing out that the resume has been previously submitted, and had it
not been for the recruiter bringing it to the attention of the client
company this person was currently being overlooked. Other companies don’t
want to know about a candidate that has been submitted, and they are not
entertaining the candidate and you know they have a solid background for
the position. There needs to be a policy in place to handle candidates
that have submitted their resumes in the past, and they are currently not
under consideration.

Number Two: The candidate loses out because the resume is lost, and they
can’t get a shot at the position. I have had candidates actually say,
“Well if you don’t want to represent me, then it’s your loss. The resume
is probably being overlooked.” Both points are valid and have probably
crossed the recruiters mind once or twice during the conversation.

Sending your resume to a several companies has both positive and negative
effects. The positive is you can land a great position. The negatives are
that you are not sure “where in cyberspace” your information is floating
around.

I have had several potential candidates and I have asked them if they
have previously submitted their resume to my client and they say no or
the amnesia surfaces and they can’t remember so it slows the process
down. A couple of weeks ago, I interview a candidate and cover submitting
his resume. He said he had not submitted his resume, and I submit his
credentials and my client calls me back almost immediately and tells me
when they received it. It was just two days prior to our conversation.
Coincidentally, he gets a couple of interviews. He didn’t get the job.

Now I look like I am not qualifying my candidates, and the candidate
lessens his/her qualifications. Then the candidate calls back two or
three weeks later and wants to know about other opportunities. What would
you do?

Another problem occurs when someone sends the resume to a company. The
candidate sends the resume in to a company in the past. As long as six
months prior to the new position opening and the candidate has not been
reactivated.

I was working on a search. The client needed someone with very specific
technical skills. I submit a candidate that had submitted his resume six
months prior to our conversation. Once I submitted it, I get a call from
the client stating they already had the resume on file and I wouldn’t be
entitled to a fee. After some negotiations and stressing the fact that we
brought the candidate to attention of the candidate we should be entitled
to a fee. What is the right thing to do?

Conversely, we hear the hiring manager knows this person. The candidate
takes the initiative to call the person after we have revealed the have
an opening for the same skill sets. Would they have reconnected if the
recruiter had not spent time with the candidate?

Tips for using Job Boards:

Job boards like Monster can be very helpful, but from a recruiters stand
point it’s like using the phone book. We have to search for the right
person, then the screen the person. We will get hundreds of resumes sent
to us. We will narrow down the number of viable resumes by background and
skill sets required. We’ll call five people and amazing only 2 or 3
people will return the call.

• Monitor where you have sent your resume
• Don’t submit your resume for a position that you are not qualified for
• Remove your resume if you are no longer interested in a new opportunity
• Check your resume for spelling errors
• Make sure your contact information is current
• Be realistic about your requirements i.e. salary, relocation, commute
• Be aware that your current employer can find you on job boards like
Monster

Several times we have qualified a candidate and submitted the resume only
to find out it had already been submitted by someone else without their
knowledge. There are recruiters who will submit a resume to “test the
validity” of a search. Hopefully it wasn’t your resume.

Some companies ask recruiters not to use Monster. I feel that is like
asking a recruiter not to use the telephone. Job Boards are like phone
books. You need to “dig out” the proper person. We often hear, “If you
use Monster we will know.” Good but we all have job boards to utilize and
it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s just another resource for
finding the right person for the client.

Submitting your resume if like using the telephone. If someone answers
and takes your call then congratulations. If you keep calling and no one
answers or returns your calls then don’t be disappointed. This goes for
both companies and potential candidates. Think carefully about
“submitting you resume” and then make the best move for your career.

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About The Author
Brett Stevens is founder and President of The SearchLogix Group.

http://www.searchlogixgroup.com

Brett has enjoyed remarkable success in the executive search business in
the fields of Software Sales, Logistics, Supply Chain Management,
Distribution, Warehousing, and Transportation. He has achieved the
industry's highest level of professional certification: Certified Senior
Account Manager (CSAM). He has received numerous regional, national, and
international awards through meeting the needs of his clients. He
continues to achieve record breaking performance and has been nationally
recognized for those results with The SearchLogix Group. Brett is a
member of The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, formerly
The Council of Logistics Management (CLM), The Association for Operations
Management, The Warehousing Education and Research Council, and The
Institute of Industrial Engineers. He has been recognized in many trade
and online magazines and is a notable guest speaker. Most recently, Brett
was recognized internationally by both the American Stroke Association
and the Prostate Cancer Foundation for his fundraising efforts. You can
email Brett at brett.stevenspr@searchlogixgroup.com or telephone him at
770-517-2660 x20.