As the customer service representative at BlueSteps, two of the most common questions I am asked is "What is BlueSteps?" and "What can BlueSteps do for me?" This blog article will provide a description of how BlueSteps functions as a service, what we aim to achieve on your behalf and how BlueSteps can fit into your career.

1. BlueSteps is a tool offered by the global Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) designed to assist you with your long-term career planning and management. BlueSteps is not a job board or a recruitment firm, but a direct link to the over 8,000 executive search consultants around the world who are members of the AESC. We believe that finding a position, regardless of its seniority, is based largely on your network and on being visible to recruiters (be that search consultants or hiring managers). BlueSteps enables executives to place their profile and resume in a database that is actively used by AESC member recruiters around the world. BlueSteps shares some similarities with other professional networking sites, but what makes it unique is that you won’t be one of over one million profiles—BlueSteps members are all of an exceptionally high caliber and are heavily invested in their careers—which makes it a valuable recruiting tool for AESC members.
    
2. Executive job hunting relies heavily on successful networking and relationship management. At BlueSteps, we offer members access to our database of 8,000 search consultants, allowing them to initiate and create long-lasting connections with consultants in their industry or region. We also have a confidential LinkedIn group that allows our members to network with one another. As well as relationship creation and management, the search consultant database also allows our members to establish the legitimacy of anyone they may be dealing with in relation to a job search.
    
3. At BlueSteps, we believe preparation is essential to successful job placement. That’s why we provide complimentary resume reviews, career consultations and an entire library of articles and blogs about every stage of the job searching process. We also partner with companies who can assist our members with their personal online marketing, giving them the power to control what information others can see.
    
4. Unlike most professional networking sites, BlueSteps is highly confidential. Many executives wish to remain on the radar of executive search consultants, in case their dream job becomes available, without being seen by their company or colleagues to be actively job searching. With BlueSteps, it is possible to do either with total privacy.
    
5. We ensure that our executives are privy to reports about retained executive search, guaranteeing that our members are aware of changes and trends in the executive search market. BlueSteps therefore assists members in deciding when factors such as the economy mean that the market is particularly strong and when seeking a new position could be most successful.