Build Your Web Presence and Let Recruiters Come to You

Your typical recruiter is inundated with a flood of resumes every day. Many job seekers get lost in the mix and it’s extremely hard to stand out. As a valuable candidate (like yourself), how can you avoid getting drowned out in the noise?

One strategy is tostop chasing after recruiters. Let them come to you. Job seekers need only market themselves in the right way to enhance their exposure and get noticed by the right people. Here are some of the ways you can show up on a recruiter’s radar:

Indirect Marketing: Many recruiters start their search for great talent in one place. That place is Linkedin. If you’re a job seeker and you’re not using it, you’re selling yourself short and missing out on countless opportunities.Stop blasting your resume to the recruiters and companies you find on the web. Spend more time enhancing your LinkedIn profile with recommendations (personal endorsements from clients, co-workers, and managers) and participate in group and forum discussions that are relevant to your industry. Recruiters hang out in these groups, probing for leaders and experts that have something to offer.

Explore multiple avenues: Build a blog and get on Google+. Strapped for time? Tweet your daily ruminations or pass on an interesting article. Treat your online profiles like subtle personal advertisements. In some ways, social media profiles  are more valuable than your traditional resume. They’re less restrictive and allow generous space for discussing important skills, accomplishments and credentials. At the same time, they allow you to showcase your best qualities, make connections, and campaign your name.

Integrate your efforts: As you expand your online portfolio, you open up additional gateways for recruiters to find you. Make sure all these sources lead back to you.Your reach is even more powerful when you cross-link your social media sites. A recruiter that reads your LinkedIn forum post may scan your profile and find a link that leads back to your Google+ account, or Twitter, or blog (and by that point, they’re so interested in you they have to ask you for a resume!) When you do hand one over, make sure it includes a link back to one of your social media pages, to re-enforce your marketing cycle.

Recruiters come to you when they see see a clear value proposition. You can actually do more for your job search when you stop chasing after recruiters – and start working smarter, not harder. You can position yourself an exclusive resource by building your web presence and decreasing your resume spam. Remember, a passive “if you build it, they will come” mentality isn’t enough, but by building a strong web presence, there is a good chance recruiters will take notice.