Getting in the Door: How I got my first Recruiting Job in Boston

So you want to be a recruiter? It's as easy as walking into a company, shaking hands with the HR rep, and getting hired. Or is it...? In this post we will go over the steps you need to take in order to get your foot into the door for recruiting jobs in Boston.

1) Determine which industry you are interested in- For example, STEM or Education.

2) Do some research on companies in that industry and find out which ones have open positions. 

3) Make an excel sheet of all open positions at those companies with key information like contact information, hiring managers' names, job titles and benefits offered.

4) Schedule informational interviews with recruiters from those companies, or people who work at the company where you want a job. You can set up these interviews by e-mailing or calling the HR or Marketing departments.

5) Go to the interview prepared. Practice your speech, do research on the interviewer, and have your resume ready to go. Also make sure you have done research on the company and industry beforehand – meeting someone in a coffee shop and being clueless about their company is unprofessional.

6) Follow up on interviews! Send thank you notes in a timely manner and follow up with people via e-mail as well if they are interested in getting coffee together again or making an introduction to someone at their firm for you.

7) If you are invited back to the company, great! Thank them and mention that you would like to consider the job.

8) Ask for a meeting with the recruiter or senior recruiter at the company. This can be done by calling or e-mailing them and making sure to ask when they are most available. You want to prove that you are serious about coming in for an interview and that you want this job.

9) Congratulations! You have been hired! Now it's time for step #2.

-This was how I got my first recruiting job in Boston after I graduated from UMass Boston with a Degree in Biomedical Science and Computer Science. My name is Alexander, and I would be happy to answer any recruiting questions you might have. Feel free to e-mail me at alexisjakubowski@hotmail.com 

Best of luck!

-Alexis Jakubowski

Hey everyone, 

I hope everyone is ready for the new year because it is right around the corner. With that said and done, I'd like to share a few things that will help you get your foot into the door. The most important thing you can do is talk to someone who works at the company where you are interested in going to work for. One of the most annoying parts of the job search is sending blind applications. I don't know about you, but when I think of a job search, the first thing that comes to my mind is sending a resume into a black hole. Once you can talk to someone who works at that company, they can give you an idea of what the work environment is like, what skills are needed to be successful there, and how closely your skill set matches. It is also important to ask them how long it has taken for other people from your school to get hired at that company. Ask them for an introduction. If you are interested in a recruiting position, ask them to introduce you to a recruiter at the company. The worst thing you can do is try to contact a recruiter before being invited by someone who works there. It doesn't matter if you have experience or not. You need to be invited first! There is nothing worse than cold calling and sending e-mails without even knowing if the person has any interest in getting a new recruiter on board. What you can do is take advantage of your school's alumni. If you have a connection with someone who works at the company where you would like to go to work, e-mail or call them and ask if they can introduce you to a recruiter at the company. Don't just take my word for it. Do some research as well. LinkedIn is a great way to find people who work or have worked at your target companies. It will also tell you if they work on the recruiting team or not and what their job title is. Check out this blog post for more info:  http://www.bostonrecruiterjobsblog.com/2013/01/how-to-find-recruiting-professionals-on-linkedin.html . If someone works in recruiting, chances are they will be able to give you some insight about the hiring process. Make sure to keep your resume updated and proofread it carefully! It is important that you take advantage of all of your connections from school. You will be more likely to get a first interview if you have a connection who works at the company. A lot of recruiters will look for people with networking experience before actually interviewing them. Make sure you let your regional director know what positions are available. I would recommend making a list of companies in the area and their contact information. Use your alumni database, LinkedIn and research other places on the Internet to find the contact information you need. Once you have compiled a list of companies where you want to work, it is time to reach out to them. The first thing I would recommend is e-mailing your regional director or alumni coordinator at your school and ask them if they know someone who works at one of these companies that you could talk to. I also think it's a great idea to send an e-mail with your resume attached to someone who works at one of these companies that interests you.

Conclusion:

Remember that the most important thing is to get an interview with a recruiter. Follow up on your e-mails and make sure you give these recruiters a little bit of time to think about you before letting them know they are not accepted or getting them excited enough to see other candidates. Also remember, it will take time for them to decide if you are actually interested in the job for yourself or for their company. Make sure you let them know what you feel your skills are and where you think you can add value. When it comes down to it, it's all about fit! And don't be discouraged if things go wrong in the job search process. It happens.