Episode #124 – How to Stay on an Animal Health or Veterinary Recruiter’s “Radar”
Samantha: Welcome to “The Animal Health Employment Insider,” brought to you by The VET Recruiter. In this podcast, executive recruiter Stacy Pursell, founder and CEO of The VET Recruiter, provides insight and practical advice for both employers and job seekers in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. The VET Recruiter’s mission is to help Animal Health and Veterinary organizations hire top talent, while helping animal health and veterinary professionals attain career-enhancing opportunities that increase their quality of life.
In today’s podcast episode, we’ll be talking about how to stay on an Animal Health or Veterinary recruiter’s “radar.”
Hello, Stacy, and thank you for joining us today.
Stacy: Hello, Samantha. As always, I’m glad to be here.
Samantha: Stacy, can you start our episode today by talking a little bit about the title and what it means?
Stacy: I certainly can. I use the phrase “getting on a recruiter’s radar” because it accurately describes how the process works. While you might not talk with a recruiter every day or even every week, they should know you’re there should a job become available that would be a fit for you. It’s the same concept as an actual radar, where you can see a plane or ship on a radar screen. As a job seeker or candidate, you want to stay on a recruiter’s “radar” in the same way.
Samantha: In our previous podcast episode, we discussed the best ways for a job seeker or candidate to engage with an Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter. How is the information we have today different?
Stacy: What we’re going to talk about today is how you can make sure you maintain the connection that you have with your recruiter once you successfully engage them. Engaging with them is the first step, and it’s an important one, but you can’t just stop and do nothing once that step is over. There is still much that you should do, not only for the relationship you have with the recruiter, but also for the growth of your career.
Samantha: Well, let’s get started. What’s the first item on our list?
Stacy: The first item is to be known in your field. I know that sounds a little vague, but I have some specific ways a person can do that. They include joining animal health and veterinary industry associations, writing articles for trade journals, and participating in social networking sites.
And when I say social networking sites, I mean primarily LinkedIn. That is the professional or business related social networking site, after all. Yes, Facebook and Twitter do have some value, but LinkedIn is the main one used for professionals. The key is to stand out by participating, and by that, I mean having a profile for starters. There are some Animal Health and Veterinary professionals who don’t even have a profile on LinkedIn, and I believe that’s a career mistake.
You need to have a full profile, and you should also share articles and ideas. When you do that, you position yourself as a provider of value to other people in the industry. If you haven’t already engaged with a recruiter, then one might see you on LinkedIn. If you’ve already engaged with one, then being on LinkedIn is a way to stay on their “radar.”
Samantha: What’s another way to stay on a recruiter’s “radar”?
Stacy: Another way is to attend industry events. For our purposes, this includes conferences and tradeshows within the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. There are a number of such events throughout the year, including the AVMA Conference, the New York Vet Conference, the VMX Conference, and the Western Veterinary Conference.
I attend all four of these events and others too, and I can say without a doubt that they are great networking opportunities. I talk with hundreds of professionals in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession when I attend. We talk about all sorts of industry related things and I provide as much advice as I can on a variety of topics. If they’re interested in starting a job search, I do what I can to help them with that, as well. There are many candidates who stay on my “radar” by attending industry events like these.
The next item on our list might be the most important one to staying on a recruiter’s radar.
Samantha: Why is that? Which one is it?
Stacy: The next item is building a relationship with recruiters by helping them with the process.
Samantha: What does that mean, exactly?
Stacy: Let’s say that an Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter reaches out to a you about a job opening. After speaking with you, you are not interested in moving forward with the position or the recruiter discovers you are not really qualified for the position. Instead of just saying good-bye and hanging up the phone, you could give the recruiter the names of people you know, either friends or colleagues, who might qualified for the opening and also interested in it.
This is another example of the “Principle of Reciprocity,” which we’ve talked about previously on our podcast. The principle is rather simple: when someone gives us something, we feel compelled to give them something in return. In this case, if you give a referral to a recruiter, that recruiter will feel compelled to give you something in return at a later date. I know personally when professionals in the Animal Health Industry and Veterinary Profession recommend people to me for various positions then I remember to think of them when a suitable position comes along that could be a fit for them.
Samantha: That something could be a new job!
Stacy: Exactly! Although the position the recruiter just presented wasn’t the right fit for the candidate, the recruiter could have the perfect job for the candidate. The recruiter will remember that the candidate provided the referral, and they’ll keep the candidate in mind in the future.
The “Principle of Reciprocity” actually leads us right into the next item on our list.
Samantha: What’s that?
Stacy: Acting with integrity. Unfortunately, not everyone in the employment marketplace acts with integrity. But they should. This means not being dishonest in any way and doing what you say you’re going to do. Acting with integrity is a great way to stay on a recruiter’s radar.
As a recruiter, I have to say that it’s not a foregone conclusion that a person is going to act with integrity. Maybe once upon a time, that was the case, but it’s not the case any longer. In fact, when a person does act with integrity and they do it consistently, then they become memorable. A recruiter is going to remember someone who is honest and always does what they say they’re going to do.
Samantha: Stacy, what do you think are the reasons that people don’t act with integrity?
Stacy: Most of the time, people believe that what they’re doing will help their employment situation or their career in some way. It could be lying on a resume or exaggerating their experience during the interview. It could even be “ghosting” during the hiring process in one way or another. Basically, they’re doing something that might give them the illusion that it’s helping them. And even if it does help them, it’s only doing so in the short term. It’s not helping them in the long run, and a person’s career is long and people have memories. It is hard to forget.
Not acting with integrity is a great way to drop off a recruiter’s radar. An Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter will NOT want to work with someone who conducts themselves that way.
Samantha: What’s another way to stay on a recruiter’s radar?
Stacy: I have one more item on our list, and this might be the biggest one. The best way to stay on a recruiter’s radar is to be the best that you can possibly be in terms of your job, your career, and what you do. If you’re a top candidate within your field, then recruiters will know who you are. This might sound a bit simplistic, but it’s not. When you’re a top candidate, your accomplishments and achievements will attract attention.
We’ve talked numerous times about how to be a top candidate in this podcast, and we also have a bunch of articles and blog posts on The VET Recruiter website. I encourage your listeners to visit www.thevetrecruiter.com and check out our candidate archives.
Samantha: Stacy, before we wrap up today’s podcast episode, can you say a few words once again about the importance of engaging with an Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter and then staying on that recruiter’s radar during your career?
Stacy: I certainly can. I’ve mentioned this before, but approximately 64% of all executive-level positions are filled through recruiters or search consultants. This statistic all by itself illustrates why it’s important for you to have a relationship with a good recruiter.
Employers use recruiters to help fill their most important high-level job openings, and many times, these openings are not advertised through traditional means. In other words, employers are not posting these jobs on Monster or Indeed. Sometimes they are only using recruiters. So if you want to know about these jobs and you want to be considered for these jobs, then you must build a relationship with a recruiter and you must do it the right way.
And when you seek out recruiter, you want to find an experienced one with a proven track record of success. In other words, it doesn’t make sense to send a resume to a search consultant that places lawyers or accountants if you work as a veterinarian. If you are in the Animal Health Industry it wouldn’t make sense to work with a recruiter who specializes in the Automotive or Construction industry. You want a recruiter who has a history of placing people just like you at the type of organizations that you want to work for. They will have many relationships and a track record that could help you get to where you want to go.
If you’re serious about growing your career in the Animal Health Industry or Veterinary Industry, then you should take proactive steps to reach out to an Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter. And once again, for more information, I encourage our listeners to take advantage of the resources that we have available on The VET Recruiter website.
Samantha: Stacy, thanks so much for joining us today and providing all of this great information.
Stacy: You’re very welcome, Samantha, and thank you. Once again, it’s been my pleasure, and I look forward to our next episode of The Animal Health Employment Insider!