IT Project & Program Management Recruiters: Where Are They?

 

I know what you might be thinking: How hard is it to find recruiters who place for IT project and program management?

The issue isn't so much that they don't exist; the issue is how to sift through the vast field of technical recruiting to find the ones who specifically place in the project/program management realm. Typically, most candidates will not do that. Or they will start out trying to do that and then give up in frustration. (There are only so many hours you can devote to proper LinkedIn searches and so many hours you can devote to calling/e-mailing recruiter after recruiter to see whether he or she is a good fit.) Furthermore, most candidates still believe that locality is the #1 factor in picking a recruiter. So they just look for ones close to their home and start calling.

The truth is, though, that recruiting is not as local as it used to be. And all recruiters don't recruit for all types of positions.

The most common scenario we find is that candidates spend a lot of time calling around or doing online searches, eating away a lot of their job search time, only to find out they weren't using the right parameters to identify the recruiter in the first place. Even worse, they end up engaging with a recruiter who might sound good on the surface but doesn't really place in their field of interest (or at their salary range). So, yes, there are lots of recruiters out there who place for IT project and program management; the question is how much time do you need to devote to finding them?  

OK, so now you might be thinking, "Well, I only need one or two and I'm good."

That's true if you luck out and find ones who need you right now. (Maybe that is how it used to go. They came to you, or when you went to them, it was so simple.)  

Chances are, though, in today's job market, you will need to reach out to several recruiters before you find one who fits your parameters and who has a viable position for you.

(Watch out...some might engage with you but not really have what you are looking for right now; instead, they might see you as a fit for something else, something you aren't going for; you can waste a lot of time on this!) So, here's the deal: Save yourself hours of frustration and research. Don't exhaust it on trying to find the recruiters. Instead spend the time engaging with the right ones.  

Too much precious job search time is spent on the administrative details when there are options out there to alleviate that.  

Plus, they cost much less than several months of LinkedIn Premium subscriptions!  

My advice: Get a specialized directory of IT project/program manager contacts and be done with it! Or take it a step further and have a customized list created by a job search specialist just for you!

In an instant, you'll be ready to get started and you can focus your time on more valuable things, like proper engagement with this recruiters once you do reach out to them.  

Doesn't that sound like a better plan?

--About Stephen----

Stephen Van Vreede is not your average IT/technical résumé writer. He provides career strategy and concierge job search solutions for senior (15+ years) (ITtechExec) and up-and-coming (NoddlePlace) (5-15 years) tech and technical operations leaders. Stephen and his team focus on building simplified, targeted, and certain career move campaigns, be it an external search or an internal promotion. He is co-author of UNcommon with career development leader Brian Tracy (out June 11, 2015). Contact Stephen directly at Stephen@ittechexec.com or send him an invite at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenvanvreede. To see whether Stephen and his team are a good fit for you, take their free (and anonymous) 1-minute compatibility quiz, Is the ITtechExec Approach a Good Match for You? Also, feel free to take his complimentary resume self-assessment quiz, How Certain Can You Be About Your Technical Resume? You might be surprised by what you find out!