Working with Recruiters 101
Do You Really Know How to Work with a Recruiter? We are Career Coaches who help you find a job for free!
Have you ever been frustrated when a recruiter doesn’t call you back? The following information will help you set realistic expectations and hopefully obtain better results.
It’s important that you understand the following realities about Staffing and Recruiting Firms to ensure you are obtaining the best results:
Ensure that your Recruiter knows the industry:
Most recruiters specialize in a specific industry, profession or geographic location.
ACTION ITEM: You must identify and ensure the recruiters you are using specialize in the type of jobs you are seeking.
Review your Resume:
When companies hire recruiting firms to provide them with talent, they are very specific about the education, skills, experience and job stability they require. This greatly limits who recruiting firms can present to their various clients.
ACTION ITEM: Review your resume. If you do not have the education, skills, experience or job stability required, you may have more success by either changing your job target or applying directly to companies.
Find the Recruiter that’s right for you:
Staffing and Recruiting Firms also specialize in different segments of the job market. Some place only full-time positions, some specialize in temporary jobs and others focus on higher level long term contracts. There are also firms who consider themselves blended who place in more than one segment of the profession.
ACTION ITEM: Work with recruiters who specialize in the type of job you are seeking. If you want to work as a contractor, identify contract staffing firms in your niche or area of interest.
Keep your Recruiter up-to-date:
Recruiters don’t have time to provide daily or weekly updates. They spend most of their time reaching out to their clients trying to market your abilities, to schedule interviews for you. They also often represent 200+ candidates and if they constantly reached out to them, they would have no time to find you the perfect job.
ACTION ITEM: Contact your recruiter if you change information on your resume or schedule interviews on your own. This helps your recruiter fine tune their search efforts on your behalf and not duplicate any of your efforts.
Set yourself up for success:
In the end, recruiters only earn commissions if they place their candidate in a job – so they have a vested interest to place you. However, if you are not in their area of specialization, want to work in a segment they don’t represent and lack experience or job stability, often their hands are tied.
Take time to RESEARCH the Staffing and Recruiting Firm Recruiter who places in your area of expertise, and you will greatly enhance your chance of success.
This article was written by Patrice Rice. The original article can viewed here on her LinkedIn profile.
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Michael Greig was absolutely fantastic in every way! 
