1. Search Yahoo Groups for contract recruiting jobs. Doug Franklin’s “ContractRecruiterJobs” group has approximately 4,000 members, and job opportunities are posted on most days. By joining a group like this, you can also develop professional relationships with other contract recruiters and be informed about new training opportunities. Search Yahoo Groups for other contract recruiting groups as well. These groups can be a great way for contract recruiters and employers to find each other, making them a great way to find jobs in recruiting. You may well find this one action can make a difference to your employment, income, and professional development.
2. Plan your contract recruitment career rather than just moving from one contract to another. Contract recruiting jobs are needed in both boom times and bust times. When things are good, people are often hired to handle work overflow, and when the economy slows, they are hired for short-term recruitment contracts so that an employer does not have to hire permanent staff. However, despite this ongoing demand, many contract recruiters get lulls in their work flows and begin to worry that there is no demand for their services. The key is to plan for the long term by creating a business marketing plan with improved personal resources such as a resume, portfolio of successes, and business cards. Source new recruiting jobs before you are in dire need of a contract and keep up-to-date with human resources software and professional training. Find a way to differentiate yourself and your services.
3. Employment agencies specializing in human resources staff often have temporary recruiting contracts. Contact these agencies and make an appointment for a face-to-face interview. Don’t waste your time sending an unsolicited resume, because chances are it will end up in the waste paper basket. When you attend an interview, it goes without saying that your presentation should be professional and immaculate. It’s also very important that you have a succinct and professional resume, along with a portfolio containing information about your successful completion of other recruiting contracts. Of course, you should make sure that you have permission from clients to include such information; otherwise, you’ll need to remove any details which might be deemed confidential.
4. Keep an eye on the big job boards. You can easily search online job sites for contract human resources work, and even apply online. You’ll usually be contacted by email or telephone if you’re being offered an interview. By taking a proactive approach of regularly searching and applying for contract recruitment jobs online, you’ll build up a potential client base and contacts even if you’re not in a position to actually undertake a particular assignment.
5. Join professional associations. Professional associations can give individuals in any profession added prestige, and contract recruiting is no exception. By belonging to professional human resources associations, you’re establishing that you have the qualifications, experience, and ethics required by the association of its members. This gives added protection to clients and can enhance your prospects for employment.
6. Read professional journals. Contract recruitment positions are often advertised directly to human resources professionals through their professional journals. It pays to keep up to date with your industry while scanning advertisements for potential employment opportunities. It can also be quite impressive to contribute articles to these journals and write letters to the editor. This gets your name out there, and you can keep clippings for your portfolio to establish yourself as an expert in the eyes of potential clients, a move which may well lead to offers of recruiting manager jobs. Whether you accept or not, such an offer adds to your reputation.
7. Build your brand as a contract recruitment professional and directly market yourself to clients. Create a brochure outlining your experience, qualifications, and the recruitment solutions you can offer clients. If, like most contract recruiters, you are a one-man (or one-woman) band, do not limit your contact details to your own cell phone. You will lose business that way, because when you are working for someone, your phone will often be turned off. It’s wise, therefore, to pay a small monthly fee to have a dedicated telephone number answered at a call center on your behalf.
8. Look for jobs for recruiting in the employment section of your local or regional newspaper. Contract recruitment positions are sometimes advertised in newspapers, but even if they are not, job advertisements for other human resources positions can be an open door for you to offer your contract solutions.
9. Network with other local businesspeople. Business breakfasts, chambers of commerce, and community organizations can all provide excellent opportunities to make new contacts and get to know people who may well be open to using your services in the future. Always have business cards with you and be relaxed and friendly in these social situations. People will ask you what you do and want to know more about it; you won’t have to be pushy to get good results.
10. Look for (or create) virtual recruiting opportunities. Virtual services are providing increasing opportunities for people to work from home, allowing them to save on gas and time. Why not contact previous and current clients and suggest that you can offer them a discount if they want to call on your virtual services? This is great for recruitment projects that are highly confidential and would be best done away from the workplace.
If you take these steps, you will not only have as much work as you need in the future, you’ll be in high demand and able to charge rates at the high end for the industry. You’ll also likely find that you are regularly offered permanent work at attractive salaries. Who knows, maybe one of those job offers will actually tempt you to give up the freedom that contract recruiting provides.