Need a job? Think like a recruiter

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, May 15, 1995 by Tony Lee

How's this for a great fantasy? You're toiling away at your job (or job search) and the phone rings. It's Ernie, the executive recruiter, and he wants to double your salary, boost your reputation in the publishing world, and provide you with lasting job security (or, at least, a sound employment contract) at a topnotch magazine publisher across town.

Sound too good to be true? Maybe not. More than 150,000 positions were filled by executive search firms in the United States and Canada last year, reports Kennedy Publications in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, which publishes the Directory of Executive Recruiters. But waiting for the phone to ring is about as productive as hoping that Ed McMahon will appear at your door with an oversize check in your name.

Instead, savvy magazine professionals should adopt the same tactics that successful executive recruiters and company hiring managers use to identify solid job prospects. By thinking like they do, you can anticipate recruitment needs and the best methods for becoming the primary candidate. That's the advice of David Richardson, co-founder and executive vice president of DHR International, a Chicago-based search firm.

"Job seekers need to stay current on the changing alternatives used by magazine publishing companies to identify their potential hires," says Richardson, who is based in the firm's Upper Montclair, New Jersey, office. "That way, they'll ensure that no stone is left unturned as they look for new job opportunities."

To this end, Richardson has identified eight methods being used most often these days by recruiters and publishers as they search for top candidates. By matching your efforts to these eight techniques, you'll enhance your visibility among hiring decision-makers, he says.

Start networking. inform your personal network of friends, business associates and colleagues of your job-changing interests, and give them a chance to help. Concentrate on meeting with contacts who are employed by publishing companies where you'd like to work, or who may have contacts of their own at those firms.

"A referral from an employee who feels good about his place of employment is the most cost-effective means a company can employ to secure new talent, since everybody wins, " says Richardson.

"This is the way most jobs are filled," says Lew Levetown, a human resources vice president in New York. Adds Cathy Diamond, a New York staffing director, "My company welcomes and encourages employee referrals."

Participate in industry conferences. Try to attend all magazine industry trade shows, particularly if companies that you've targeted are participating. Many headhunters attend with the sole purpose of identifying qualified, interested, mobile candidates. Being seen at conferences is especially helpful if you're from a lesser-known publication, or have recently graduated.

"There's always lots of networking going on, depending on the conference. Some are more amiable than others," says Marlene Kahan, executive director of the American Society of Magazine Editors in New York City. "Formal, out-of-town conferences usually are attended more for educational reasons than for personal career advancement, although I'm always happy to accept resumes from our members and ass them along to the appropriate person if I hear of something," she says. Kahan notes that local gatherings - for example, luncheons and workshops - are usually better places to swap job leads.

In either case, don't rely on conferences and seminars as your main sources of leads. They simply don't occur often enough. And hiring managers who attend often use them only as screening events to separate applicants who are worth a second look from the rest of the field. That means you'll rarely leave a conference with a job offer in hand. At best, you may earn an invitation to interview, which means you'll have many more opportunities to wow them.

On the other hand, trade shows are perfect for learning the latest industry developments. "Magazines are looking at new means of distribution, such as CD-ROMs and online services, and unless you stay up to date, you'll be left behind, " says headhunter Susan Bishop, president of Bishop Partners Ltd. in New York. "That's the real educational value of attending trade shows."

Join magazine industry associations, job clubs and career management groups. Most publishing-related organizations, such as the Society of Professional Journalists and the Direct Marketing Association, have resources to help members locate job opportunities in person, online or through a phone-in service. In each case, success will be a reflection of your efforts to provide a precise self-description. Few publishers win approach your alumni relations office asking for a "smart, talented magazine executive." They may, however, seek a controller will 10 years' experience in trade association publishing. Use key words that will stand out to potential recruiters.

Associations also offer great networking opportunities. Don't just join a trade group, but get involved," says Bishop. "Volunteer for or chair a committee. Then others will get to know you on a totally different level, not just professionally.'