| How To Avoid Being ‘Shopped Around’ Please be aware some recruiting agencies play a numbers game where the more resumes they send out, the better their chance of landing a fee. If a number of agencies of this type have your resume, their methods could result in an employer seeing your resume several times over. This gives the impression you are desperate and possibly a flawed candidate—not a position of strength for you. We are traditionalists at heart. We believe our business is about people. We also recognize the value of online recruiting as a research tool. And we believe online recruiting is useful where it is discreet, focused, and personally relevant to both job seekers and employers. However we advise you to seriously consider your options when it comes to marketing yourself online. We especially caution you to avoid job boards that give away access to their resume databases, and "blaster services" that offer to post your resume to thousands of job boards and recruiters. You won’t have control over who sees your resume, or where your resume is forwarded and when. The greater your exposure, the greater the risk your present employer will hear of your search. |
What You Should Expect From A Recruiter You should expect to feel confident that your recruiter understands you—your strengths and weaknesses, your past career choices, and your present aspirations. Without this understanding, you can not hope to be properly presented. Expect your recruiter to want to meet you, to take time to listen to you, and to ask questions. Be prepared for your recruiter to ask you to speak candidly. Expect your recruiter to want to steer you towards a position where you can feel challenged and yet confident. In this regard, expect your recruiter to ask for your help. Your recruiter will need to know your limitations in order to represent you honestly and to play to your strengths. No recruiter should ever ask you to pay a fee for their services. With Taylor Associates, when you feel you have established a mutually respectful relationship, you can expect it to continue. We will keep your file on hand, but we will never forward your details without your prior consent. We will give you feedback on your resume, your interviews, and your options as we see them—at this time, and well into the future. |
How To Work With A Recruiter Communicate. Tell your recruiter what you know, the challenges you have enjoyed, and what makes you proud. Do not exaggerate your education, job experience, accomplishments or salary history—our clients expect us to obtain references and run background checks. Let your recruiter see you in your best, most professional light and, above all, be honest. The best time to contact a recruiter is while you are currently employed. We can then feel comfortable presenting that ‘best fit’ position to you, rather than worrying about merely finding you an income. You can feel confident that your availability is being handled discreetly while you keep your options open. Be prepared to provide an updated resume, and expect us to critique it. However, we know a resume never tells the full story... expect us to request more information about you. We get to know hiring authorities personally, and we know what questions they are likely to ask about you. If you will give us your time and the information we request of you, we will be well equipped to help you make your next career move. And finally, keep in touch. Think of us as your source for information on what’s happening in the insurance industry in the Tampa Bay area, and keep us updated throughout your career. We want to think of you, and your colleagues, as a valuable part of our mutual network. (If you would like to refer a colleague to us, please ask your friend if you may do that before giving us their contact details.) If we are able to help place your referral, we pay a small finder’s fee to you as a ‘thank you’. |
How To Construct Your Resume We can provide you with a resume outline that is specific to the insurance industry (prepared by a national insurance association, with whom we are affiliated). But here are some tips you can use while you are thinking about how to compile or update yours:
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How To Interview Your interview is your chance to shine. Make the most of it! You want to leave the interviewer with the impression that you are the best candidate for the job. You also want to leave the interview feeling that your questions were answered, and it was worth your time. The keys to a successful interview are attitude, attitude, and attitude!
You should leave your interview feeling that your time with your interviewer was well spent. We do not attempt to influence your final decision—we know that your career move is a serious decision that will likely have an effect on the quality of your life for years to come. You are the person to make the final choice, should you be offered a position. Our job is to make the introductions that we feel may be most beneficial to all concerned. We believe a successful interview is one in which both you and your interviewer feel that your meeting was worthwhile, that you both enjoyed a clear and revealing exchange of information about your mutual needs, capabilities, future concerns and plans. Whether a job offer is extended or not, our hope is that you feel you communicated your skills, knowledge, attitudes and aspirations, and that you learned not only the details of the vacancy, but also the company’s expectations, plans for the future, and how you may contribute and grow with the firm. If you would like to meet with us to discuss your job search, our ‘Send Your Resume’ page is the place to start. Or take a look at our ‘Featured Jobs’, and then simply call us. We’ll be happy to talk with you about your current situation, answer your questions, and discuss how you might go forward from here. |
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