Is it ok to contact you directly on your work e-mail?

Last week, I received an e-mail from a target candidate. He was so offended by the fact that I had contacted him on his work e-mail that he took the time to share his feelings with me…in very clear words…

I can fully understand that someone does not like to receive calls on their cell phone. Let’s face it, most of us are in an open space office and receiving a call from a headhunter is uncomfortable at best.

Or imagine that you are in the car…with your boss…and you get me on hands free. Such an approach might not be the right way to engage you in an exploratory conversation.

I tend to turn to e-mail to pitch my opportunity in the hope that you will be attracted by it, or curious at least.

Obviously, there is LinkedIn, which is an easy way to get in touch and that is usually the starting point. But we all know that not everyone checks his or her LinkedIn account on a regular basis. When you have the right profile for a position, chances are that I will take the time to dig up an e-mail address that I can use to contact you directly. And in most cases, your work e-mail will be the easiest to find.

There are several ways to respond to my pitch e-mail.

When you are interested in this or future opportunities but you prefer to stay in touch through a private e-mail address, you can simply ask me to use another e-mail for future correspondence or even easier, send me a reply from your private account.

When you are not interested, a simple ‘thanks but no’ will do the trick. But it is equally fine to just delete it. I’ll get the message and I won’t be contacting you again.

When you do direct search, like I do, there is no other way than to invade your privacy to find to out whether you are open to explore new job opportunities. After all, my clients pay me to find the best possible candidate for a position. So rather than being offended by the ‘creative’ ways I use to get your attention, consider it a compliment, a sign that your profile is attractive to other employers.

Nevertheless, the clear words of my candidate resonate so here is here is my question for you: what is your preferred way of being contacted for job opportunities?

I look forward to hearing from you,

Isabel

Through a personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be

Follow me on Twitter @IngeniumSearch

The invisible age barrier: when am I too old to change jobs?

With rain pouring down, summer has really ended so time to start blogging again.

Today is a special day, today is the day that I turn 45. I strongly believe in the cliché that “40 is the new 30” combined with “you are only as old as you feel” …. but still, it feels like some sort of life milestone.

I don’t seem to be the only one who feels this way as I meet a lot of candidates who worry that at a certain age, you pass some kind of invisible barrier after which you are stuck in your job.  

We all know that we are expected to work into our late sixties while a lot of employers remain fixated on hiring people in their mid-thirties. But does this also mean that at some point, you are simply too old to change jobs?

The good news is that it is never too late to change jobs or even make an entire career shift, unless you want to become a ballet dancer or professional soccer player. The bad news is that reality shows that it is more difficult, especially if you are over 50.

Success lies in the way you approach a job or career change.

When you take the obvious route, where you randomly apply for jobs, chances are that you will receive rejection after rejection. Needless to say, that this will only reinforce the feeling that you are over the hill and stuck.

A much more strategic approach is called for.

It is imperative that you highlight the added value that you have acquired over the years. This can be a more coaching, learning-focused approach towards people management, a solid technical expertise, the mental rest you can transmit to a more junior team…

It is equally important that you combine this with proof that you are still eager, dynamic and linked to market trends and technology evolutions.

Once you have a clear view on those qualities that differentiate you from the crowd, it is time to start capitalizing on the network that you have built over the years. Those people can provide you with a personal introduction to headhunters, job brokers and potential employers.

Changing jobs after the age of 50 or even 60, might not be easy. And it may prove to be equally difficult to define your unique selling points or different ways to enter the job market. At that moment, it is a good idea to call a career counselor. He or she can help you to find the right way.

As for me, I am going to enjoy my special day, without worrying as to whether I am on the right career path. On the contrary: I took the time in these last few months to further develop Ingenium Executive Search. In the next few weeks, we will be launching a new website and some state-of-the art tools that will enhance both client and candidate experience. Stay tuned J

I look forward to hearing from you,

Isabel

Through a personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be

Follow me on Twitter @IngeniumSearch

"Do what you love”: the mantra for happiness or the worst career advice ever?

We all know the quote from Confucius: ‘do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life’. It has become a mantra in career guidance.

Although I am a big fan of career counselling, the thought that the key to having a great career is to identify your passion and pursue a career involving that interest, gives me the creeps. I cannot help but wonder whether matching people with the right job is my true passion or is it something I became passionate about over the years because through experience I became good at it?

The problem is that we talk about passion as if it is something that exists deep within ourselves. It is there, just waiting to come out…. if only we give it a chance. But most of us are not born with one clear out passion. And our passion may evolve over time. Or maybe you are not great in what you are passionate about. Passion may create an intimidating standard that you are not likely to meet.

So, if you've been feeling like you are destined for mediocrity because you can't find your one true passion, relax.  Many successful people are passionate but when you take a closer look, their passion often developed alongside their success, rather than coming first.

So maybe it is time that we define passion within the context of a career in a different way. Maybe it is time we start focusing on interests that you find compelling and things that you do really well. If your work helps others, you practice to excel at it, you work on engaging tasks, and you work with people that inspire you, then you are likely to become passionate about it. Very often, the ingredients of a dream job are all about the context of the work, not the content. 

Maybe doing what we love has more to do with learning and further developing the characteristics that we naturally good at and integrating those onto a job where you have a sense of purpose, a job where you feel that you contribute to improving the life of others. With the further development of those skills we might create that passion that makes us feel like we are doing what we love to do.

In the end, the goal is to be happy with what you do. But does passion really play a significant role in this? Or is there a difference between following your passion and having work that you are passionate about?

I look forward to hearing from you,

Isabel

Through a personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be

Follow me on Twitter @IngeniumSearch