Further adventures in recruiter-land

I’ve previously written about my experience with three different recruiters, as well as the problems I’ve had with inept recruiters. Today, I’d like to look at another few examples, both to show how not to do it, as well as to showcase what I consider to be red flags.

1: The non-descriptive overture

This arrives as an invitation to connect. It is non-descriptive, so I ask for some basic information; what is the position, and who is the employer.

2: The job spec

The position is located in Stavanger – on the literal opposite side of the country from Oslo. Taking this position would mean relocating myself and my family. That’s simply not happening for a contract position. Strike One. The job spec is asking for an extended list of skills, most of which are not even close to being mentioned in my profile. Strike two. Among the highlights are expert level proficiency in SCCM, and experience with SQL Administration, as well as expertise with Azure. While I do list having worked with SCCM, I make no claim to expert level proficiency – nor is it implied. Strike three.

At this point, it is clear to me that the recruiter in question – and I’m using that term in a very broad sense – is simply looking to pad their candidate list, and hasn’t actually read my profile at all. In addition, they haven’t even bothered to look at a map of Norway to consider whether they’ve got a viable candidate or not. The recruiter is not only wasting my time, chances are they are wasting a lot of other people’s time, too.

This, then, is my advice: To recruiters: don’t. Just don’t. You make yourselves look bad, and the company you work for looks bad by association. To candidates: Don’t waste your own time on these recruiters. To clients: Use recruiting companies that can demonstrate – at least – a basic understanding of the location they are recruiting for. If they are pitching you candidates on the opposite side of the country, you might want to find other representation.