See who is already coming to #socialrecruiting summit in November!

Blog Network

Contract Recruiting

…tidbits for the Professional Contract Recruiter

Are Contract Recruiters Insulated from the Economic Woes in 2008! follow this blog post

posted by on Jan. 31, 2008

OK, so all day and night I have been flipping channels trying to get away from the election results and the bad economic forecasts, bummer!  But it got me to thinking about the Contract Recruiter world and how Contract Recruiters may be impacted if 2008 continues to be doom and gloom?

 

If you look at some of the opportunities out there for Contract Recruiting positions, it appears that in some ways the professional Contract Recruiter is insulated from huge economic swings up or down?  When times are good, companies and recruiting agencies are in a position to add Contract Recruiters to quickly bolster their capabilities to meet hiring manager?s needs.  Then, on the other side of the coin, when the economy slows, Contract Recruiters are brought on to fill gaps in the recruitment department without having a long term commitment by hiring direct employees.  All in all, Contract Recruiters are the perfect solution in either economic situation!

 

Then why do Contract Recruiters fear the unknown of these economic swings?  I think it?s because of the lack of planning and proper market position.  In other words, we need to do a better job of planning for the upswings and falloffs too.  So how do we do that you say?  Well, I think we need to have a plan for our ?careers?.  We shouldn?t just hop from contract assignment to contract assignment and never reinvest in our futures.  Here are a few thoughts on the things we can do to bolster our long term success and insulate ourselves from these economic gremlins:

 

�      Create a marketing plan for our Contract Recruiting career.  Include the proper materials like business cards, portfolio with past experiences, and a great resume. 

 

�      Challenge ourselves to find new contacts and opportunities ?before? we are in need.

 

�      Stay current in technology and training for recruiters.

 

�      Establish ourselves as an expert by function, market, or some other differentiator.

 

I?m sure there are many other ways to improve our Contract Recruiting careers.  I?d love to hear from you and also whether you think that Contract Recruiters can stay insulated from the economic swings of 2008?

| 4 comments | flag

4 comments

Log in or register to post a reply.

  • 1 point 21 months ago

    Sandra,

    Check out my Yahoo Group called ContractRecruiterJobs on Yahoo.com. It's free and has many Contract Recruiter jobs posted weekly. There are over 3600 members worldwide.

    Good luck!

    Doug

  • 1 point 21 months ago

    Are there job boards that are specific to contract positions? I am interested in short term assignments anywhere.

  • 1 point 22 months ago

    Thanks, Doug, for the great article. I've been both a FT regular and a contract recruiter; in my current contract role I have been on a rollercoaster similar to Bill's. I agree that being prepared to be let go at a moment's notice is essential to a contract recruiter. I've learned to be diligent during the interview process, and have asked my potential employers (both on the HR and hiring manager side)to lay out their workforce plan in detail for me so that I can not only perform for them but also get a good idea as to when I'll need to start putting out feelers for my next role.

  • 1 point 22 months ago

    Doug,

    First, let me say great article... Thank you.

    In some ways you are correct. Being a Contract Recruiter has its advantages but like everyone most of us want stability. My current contract has been on the verge of closing twice in the last 10-months. The insecurity of not knowing where the economy is headed and your future can be a serious stress to some people.

    As a Contract Recruiter, it is up to me to be prepared for this down turn. Who do I know? What companies are hiring? What other fields (other than my speciality) can I recruit in? Am I flexible in my rates? All these questions need to be addressed before you can truly feel safe.

    I do have to say... I wouldn't want to do anything else. I love my work, my client and my situation. This is the greatest job in the world.

    Bill Gallop Job Hunter, LLC.