In this economy, most recruiters seem to be overwhelmed with incoming resumes. Unfortunately, when you have almost 700 applications for one job, most of them unqualified (over or under, take your pick), it means that recruiters are left with the standard keyword search.

I recently joined a local Job Seekers' Networking event, and I was explaining the importance and mechanics of keyword searching to the job seekers. The logical question that came up was "how do recruiters construct their search strings?"

The answer is not simple. As I told them, an experienced recruiter will use keywords from the job description, but will *also* use similar phrases that have to do with not just the actual job description but also other functional skills or knowledge that might be relevant and net the better candidates. And, either from a lack of time or understanding, many recruiters never set up their sourcing queries beyond the job description in hand.

When I see "Junior Recruiter" or "Internet Recruiter" titles, I cringe because so often, these individuals are set the task of sourcing job boards and resume databases. Sourcing is an *advanced* skill, not a basic mimicry. And when we are bombarded with resumes to the nth degree, it behooves us to be *more* thorough, not less. Part of the basic innate skills of a recruiter is to learn and understand the industry and types of positions they are recruiting for.

Technical Recruiters in this area generally make more money than, say, sales recruiters. Part of that is because there are so many pieces of information with technical jargon and an understanding of how things *work* to learn and understand. I can see relief cross a hiring manager's face when we are discussing a technical position and I ask questions indicating I know the difference between a server and an application, or whether they need an automated software *tester* or a software design *engineer in test* capable of authoring the test harness and potentially debugging the code.

It's the same with any industry; healthcare recruiters need to know a ton of medical terms and operational procedures that are Greek (and Latin!) to the rest of us. It takes a lot of time, effort, and expertise to learn some industries. Setting a "junior" professional to try and excerpt the candidates may narrow the flow of resumes, but it doesn't necessarily generate "qualified" results. So many recruiters dislike "sourcing" as a necessary evil of the profession. I see it as a fun puzzle that challenges my creativity and knowledge.

I guess I would urge all of you out there that are overwhelmed with resumes to take the time to do some in-depth sourcing. Hone your skills. Ask hiring managers (or if you don't have access to them, your Account Rep) for related terminologies and skill sets for creating search strings. And whatever you do, take the time to learn as much about your client and their industry as you can. The internet puts an incredible library at your fingertips.

Oh, and you can always contact me if you need a superb sourcer :)