In the past year, we have discussed at length on how tech recruiting is broken, all the irrelevant cold calls/mails that we hate, the interview process taking too long, etc.
I have been a developer for more than a decade, I have been heavily involved in hiring/interviews at companies that I have worked for, and I have always wanted to take a stab at innovating in the tech recruiting space. I think getting to know the nitty gritty details from the recruiter's point of view is important, so I was thinking of working as a recruiter or starting recruiting agency.
Does this sound like a reasonable step towards innovating in the recruiting space? How does one go about transitioning from a developer to a recruiter? What would be a typical day for a recruiter?
Yes, if you want to learn the trail...then saddle-up next to an Old Trail Horse.
Suggest by reaching out to friends in the community, ask who is the best 3rd party tech recruiting firm they know and why? Pro-tip, it's almost never the big national firms. Most often its a small boutique shop that can really hustle. Check out these folks > http://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-best-recruiter...
Additionally, you can do an advance search via Linkedin to create your own hit list of target firms. Think of this as the Discovery Process, set up a Skype call or even better go see them in-person. Be prepared for an exhaustive process, upwards of 100+ individual conversations.
Develop a scorecard to help you determine a good match. For example you might probe for sophistication, tech savvy, and curiosity to see if the firms leadership is truly open to innovation. And importantly, if they're receptive to coaching a new hire in the Dark Arts of recruitment. A good firm is one that takes a consultative approproach with clients and candidates, that's rare these days.
Recruiting blogs is good for basic info on the space > http://www.recruitingblogs.com/
Scott Love for solid professional development content > http://www.greatrecruitertraining.com/