5 Tips to Recruiting for Niche Positions

5 Tips to Recruiting for Niche Positions Sometimes to find the perfect candidate for your open position you have to think small. That’s what niche recruiting is all about. As job boards boom, recruiters are starting to realize that specialization is actually saving time and money. With current unemployment hovering around 8% in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, any open position is going to garner a good number of resumes. This avalanche of resumes could range the spectrum from qualified to woefully wrong for the position. Niche recruiting can help to cut down on the pre-screening process, since the target is to get more qualified resumes right from the start. You’ll be focusing on candidates that are both the most qualified and the most passionate about their career field. The following are some niche recruiting tips that will help you sort the best from the rest. 1. Specificity in the job description Recruiting for a niche position starts with the recruiter, after all. Make sure that you’re being very specific about the job description at hand. List out the qualifications necessary and whatever skills and experience the candidate should possess. Be concise and to-the-point because your niche candidates aren’t just looking for any job that comes along. You’re recruiting people already interested in your career field, so feel free to use specific language and jargon. If they don’t get it, they’re probably not right for the position. 2. Know your job seeker Recruiting for a niche position means that job seekers will often share attributes. Are they more technically minded or more creative? Knowing information about the typical job seeker in your niche will allow you to tailor the outlets you use to advertise your position. It will also allow you to seek out your ideal candidate in the places they most often visit, both online and off. 3. Get specialized If you post your job listing on one of the huge job boards, you’re going to get a lot of responses. Some of them will be from great, talented candidates uniquely qualified for the position. However, more will be from candidates with no relevant experience at all. Sorting through these resumes will take a good chunk of time, even if you only spend about 6 seconds apprising a resume. So what’s a better way to let qualified job seekers know about your position? Getting specialized could be the answer. Take that job listing and share it with a community or network of individuals looking for opportunities in your career field. After all, that’s what networking is for! Sharing your job posting within your networks will help you to find the most qualified candidates. It’s likely you’re not the only one who knows about these communities; motivated, career-minded job hunters have surely already found them. This will help to significantly cut down on the initial weeding out process. 4. Get social Social media is a great way to connect with niche job seekers. With 66 percent of online adults on one or more social networks, there’s a good chance that great candidates have found their way to social media. Social media also allows for greater self-selection based on interest and career aspirations. Candidates interested in your niche will most likely be following a lot of the same companies and people. They’ll also be reading a lot of the same blogs and attending the same events. Tools like Twitter chats are invaluable resources for finding the plugged-in job seeker. You know the individuals putting time and effort into growing their niche networks will put the same time and effort into your position. 5. Prize creativity The best job candidates are the ones who can think outside the resume. Job seekers who expand their job hunts in new and creative ways will similarly be able to expand the business of their companies. These professionals are motivated and not hemmed in by rigid thought patterns. Job seekers are finding tons of creative ways to apply for jobs, from infographics to video resumes. For instance, a candidate that sends in a video resume is more likely to be a creative problem solver in the office. Candidates who find ways to work their career niche into innovative applications are showing their passion. What are your best niche recruiting tips? Share them! RELATED:  How Disney and 5 other Top Employers Use Twitter to Recruit. Josh Tolan is the CEO of  Spark Hire, which combines a video job board and online interviewing platform to enrich interaction between job seekers and employers.

Tips For Writing An Engineering Resume For Your First Job Out Of College

Tips For Writing An Engineering Resume For Your First Job Out Of CollegeWhat should you know when you're writing an engineering resume for your first job out of college? It can be a bit intimidating if you don't know where to start.Obviously, you have to pay your dues and move up the ladder before you get the big money. In the case of engineering, you have to start somewhere, even if it's just as a weekend intern. With that said, there are several tips for writing an engineering resume for your first job out of college.First of all, the degree you're aiming for should come in handy. Most employers are looking for a bachelor's degree. If you are still working toward a master's degree, it is a smart idea to start by lowering your head down to a bachelor's level, unless you have already completed it. This can often confuse your interviewer because you may appear to be taking an easier route than he or she might have expected. After all, you're trying to impress them, so don't let them d own.When you're applying for jobs, the best advice is to try and impress. Do your best to state your strengths in a positive light and avoid doing the usual 'tell me about yourself' ploy. State your job skills and why you want the job in your resume and then outline what you're good at doing.One thing that tends to get overlooked is making sure your resume lists all of your pertinent details. Don't put your real name, your full legal name (first and last), or your last initial in your details section. What you should do is simply list your title and call sign. However, you might find it useful to list your designation in the details as well.Don't forget to mention your full legal name in your cover letter. The cover letter is the one most people read, so it's very important that you make it as professional looking as possible. A professional cover letter can mean the difference between getting the interview and being passed over.Engineering is a highly technical field. While you sho uldn't actually be afraid of these details, you do need to be confident in them. Make sure that your cover letter is written in a way that spells it out for the reader. Keep in mind that you are looking for a certain type of person when you are writing a resume for your first job out of college.On the right side of your resume, you should list your name, address, telephone number, and email address. A professional person would probably also include their references (your references should be listed as well) in the 'Additional Comments' section, but they should not be listed as the 'References.' Of course, this is mostly a personal decision, but it can certainly help to get your foot in the door.