Ask the Sourcing Dude and Dudette

We’ve enlisted the help of the Master Sourcers themselves, The Sourcing Dude and the Sourcing Dudette, to answer some questions that are at the forefront of many of our minds. In each issue of The Source, they will respond to some of these questions.

If you have a pressing issue you’d like the Sourcing Dude and Dudette to answer, please email us and we will bring it to the SourceCon shrine for consideration.

The Sourcing Dudette will be fielding this month’s inquiry:

“I am interested in working as a contract sourcer. What are some of the steps I need to take in order to begin this process, and what are some things you would recommend to be successful in such an endeavor?”

The initial steps would be to:

Have two resumes, one that focuses on sourcing experience and one that focuses on recruiting experience. If your resume reads all full life-cycle recruiting, then it is unlikely that you will be the top on the list for sourcing opportunities. Most sourcers come from FLC recruiting backgrounds (or agency recruiting) and have transitioned well into sourcing roles.
Get yourself registered with any of the local or national staffing agencies that may be dedicated to placing sourcers and recruiters.
Set up a profile on all of the relevant social networks. Get connected with other Sourcers to share ideas and information.
Sign up for all of the Yahoo! and LinkedIn groups that are specific to sourcing and research, candidate development, passive pipelines, etc.
Meet with your financial advisor or tax accountant to find out your options for contract status (ie. 1099, W2, Corp-to-Corp). Depending on your home state, home office expenses, tax bracket, income, etc. – it could make a huge difference in your taxable income.
Be aware of ALL of the great resources available to the Sourcing Community for continuing education: webinars (free and paid), local and national conferences, social networking groups, learning websites, etc.
Stay (or get) current and familiar with all of the sourcing-specific technologies that are prevalent in today’s market .

Make sure you follow the Sourcing Dude (and Dudette!) on Twitter as well: @SourceConDude