Can't People Just Find Jobs On Their Own???

This past weekend a received a comment on my Blog Post called The Kitchen Sink.

The comment said simply, "I don't understand why we need executive recruiting. Can't people just find jobs on their own?"

So, Mr. A. Nona Mous, who didn't leave an email address to get notified that I'd actually answer your question, GREAT QUESTION! The answer is yes, people can find jobs on their own. But can they find the best job on their own? Can they diligently maintain 80 hour weeks at their current job, and find time to dedicate to an effective job search? Probably not.

Our firm focuses on top-tier MBAs, and I lead our practice which expertise in "recovering consultants" - candidates with additional pedigree from an elite management consulting firm or i-Bank.

Candidates of this caliber- particularly the consultants have pedigree experience, that is only valued at a premium by a small segment of the world's hiring managers, and are unwilling to be offer their services at a discount.

Hawkes Peers segments the market accordingly, working with hiring managers who specifically value consulting skill sets (ex-consultants, and individuals from corporations with a consulting culture like GE's Management Rotation). In fact, many of the hiring managers we deal with were candidates of Hawkes Peers when they transitioned out of consulting.

Unlike other firms that focus on a specific industry or geography. We focus on all opportunities that are relevant for recovering consultants across industries and geographies.

And since recovering consultants will be recovering consultants long after they have completed the 12 steps, your relationship with Hawkes Peers as both client and candidate will remain meaningful for the balance of your career.

Because of this structure, our clients see efficiencies including (but not limited to):

• More meaningful submissions- every candidate shares the background of the hiring manager
  
• Fast turn around- we maintain a data base of consulting candidates at all times, so we can deliver transitioning consultants faster than anyone else
• Job Market insight- Most hiring managers use trial and error to separate must-haves from nice-to-haves during the initial round of a search. Hawkes Peers is a staffing partner, not just a vendor, and we counsel our clients on what skills they must identify to successfully fill an opening, what the expected timeline should be, and what compensation will be competitive in a market where "this is what we paid to get these candidates 2 years ago" doesn't cut it anymore

This means that our candidates see

• Relevant opportunities that view their experience at a premium- Don't go on ten interviews to find one that's relevant. Go on three interviews with the "right" opportunities
  
• More meaningful feedback from our clients that can be leveraged in future searches- Feedback is structures, not merely a yes or no at each stage as you move through the process
  
• A consultative approach to assisting in your job search- We help you understand what you should be looking for, and what others have attained based on your seniority and tenure at your firm

Please don't misunderstand me. It would be irresponsible to pass the buck to your recruiter in your job search. It's your life, and you better take ownership. Build your "Internet Brand" via Linkedin, Facebook, and other social networks. Use the alumni portals for you MBA and your firm to network in your industry/geography of choice. But a relationship with the right recruiter is integral to your search- even if you plan on leveraging search time to identify your next opportunity, and especially if you'll be working while you search.