Ghosting, Networking and other scary topics: an interview with Amy Goldstein, recruiter extraordinaire.
This interview was conducted and posted on LinkedIn by Alexandra Sepulveda, Senior In-House Counsel, Technology, SaaS, Commercial Contracting.
What is your best advice for job seekers approaching a challenging market?
Network as much as you possibly can and focus on your audience. Relationships are so often the key to landing a new job and who you know becomes even more important when the market is tight. While you are relationship building, have an eye on the value that you can offer someone else. Yes, you want to land a job for your own personal reasons but remember that who you are speaking to is focused on their own needs. Make sure all of your interactions- whether you are networking through LinkedIn, email, in person or otherwise are tailored to your audience and not solely on your needs.
Networking can be difficult for folks on a number of different levels. One specific thing I hear is that they get so busy at work that they forget to respond to messages on LinkedIn for a long period of time and then do not know how to re-engage. What advice do you have for those folks?
I think people overthink this. Everyone is busy and has been in this situation so admitting that something dropped off your radar or that more time has passed than you would have liked is the way to begin and move on to whatever it is you would say if you had kept in touch. Conveniently, the upcoming holiday season is the perfect time to get back on track. No matter how long it has been since your last contact, use the built-in ice breaker that exists from Thanksgiving to the New Year to reconnect. The subject line is truly as simple as… Thanksgiving/Holiday/New Year wishes. Anyone can take advantage of this easy opportunity to reach out and strengthen current relationships, rekindle the ones that have lapsed or create new ones.
One piece of advice we all hear is the importance of building relationships. Time is a finite resource, what advice do you have for folks in building their relationships both inside their current companies and with others outside their current network?
The strongest relationships develop organically and take effort so it is important to be strategic. None of us have time to build relationships with everyone. Focus on people you find easy to talk to and have common interests with and also those who don’t fit into the first two buckets but who you can learn from. Build momentum and deepen your relationships by seeking out opportunities to connect as part of your regular routine. This doesn’t have to be time consuming - be present and express genuine interest in people whenever you interact. If you ask how someone is doing, actively listen to the answer and respond thoughtfully or draw connections to your own experiences. Volunteer to help when you can lend a hand, personally or professionally. And, keep a personal calendar to help you remember to follow up. Lastly, if some time goes by and you think of someone you haven’t seen in the office or out, see the answer to question 2. :-)
Ghosting. It seems to be rampant on both sides of the hiring equation. What advice do you have for both hiring managers and candidates on how to avoid this?
The best advice is as simple as can be…don’t ghost. Every one of us has a brand we are marketing, either our own personal brand or that of a company. Ignoring someone you should be responding to reflects badly on us and who we represent. The world in general and the legal profession specifically is small and we often cross paths with the same people over time. Whether you are on the hiring side, rejecting a candidate or a candidate deciding you are not interested in an opportunity, a polite response goes a long way to leaving everyone feeling good about the process regardless of the outcome. We are very fortunate that technology makes responding quick and easy.
If you are a hiring manager, schedule reminders to yourself to not only update your recruiting person if you’re managing the search but also, while actively recruiting to update candidates or make sure your recruiting lead does.
On the candidate side, respond to recruiters who reach out about roles. It takes less than a minute to type “thank you for thinking of me, I am not interested” and hit send. I often see candidates who do not get back to recruiters (even those they have relationships with!) and then find themselves in the unnecessarily awkward position of needing to rebuild a relationship when they are in the market or see a role that interests them.
Thank you Amy for taking the time to talk with me. Your advice to candidates and hiring managers in the legal market is invaluable. You can reach Amy at info@grayson-allen.com.