Not all recruiters are the same!

I hear stories all the time and receive testimonials from people that the recruiters at P&A have helped find jobs.  There are lots of recruiters out there calling you, wanting to work with you, acting like they have your best interest at heart. There are recruiters that tell you they are the best. There are recruiters that say you should only use them because they have some sort of recruiter certificate.

What should you really look for in a recruiter? The bottom line is simple – you want someone that cares. They don’t need to be slick and a certificate is just a piece of paper. What they need to do is care about YOU. Care about how looking for a job is one of the most stressful times of your life. Care about how your job, or lack of a job, impacts your entire family.  Cares that their actions could determine whether or not your job search is successful.

What prompted me to write this blog is an email I received from someone that just got a job through Taylor Clark at P&A – whose blog testimonial coincidentally is the post below.  What happened to this candidate is pretty scary and sad. When you work with a recruiter you should interview THEM. You should develop a bond with them and feel that you are partners in your job search.  You should get a sense that they truly want to help you find the best job possible.  If you do not feel that they are working with you because they want to help you not because you are a paycheck – RUN. There are many great recruiters out there. Do not let your chances be ruined because a recruiter does not do their job.

Below is the letter I received that prompted me to write this blog:

I just wanted to thank your establishment for the recent assistance I was provided.  I recently had my resume on line and it fell into the hands of another recruiter.  Initially I was excited to know that there was someone out there that was willing to assist me with my career advancement.  Shortly thereafter, I was left with the impression that I was inevitably, still on my own.       

 Basically after our initial consultation what I got was a go between.  We had a brief discussion, this recruiter ran through a few different companies who were looking for staffing.  He asked me if I was interested in any of them. I chose three.  He told me that I should expect to start hearing  from them in the next few days.  Two or three days later I got a call from Cracker Barrel.  Awesome!…  Kinda. I totally bombed the phone interview.  Same deal with Boudreaux’s Cajun Kitchen.  I could feel the exasperation in the recruiters tone when I recounted the situation with him.  By the time I heard from Fox & Hound, I was so discouraged that I had pretty much resigned myself to staying where I have been for the last three years.  Although I did get a scheduled face to face interview with them, I was petrified.  What are they looking for? What do they need to hear?  Will they be a good fit?  It was pitch black! 

     I can’t describe his assistance as anything less than a God Send!  Taylor was constantly asking questions and giving answers to anything I was concerned about.  He re-wrote my resume with me!  He sent me no less than 10 pages of E-mails describing what I needed to know about the company I was interested in. What the company was looking for, What not to say. What to say.  You name it, he did it, and then some.  By the time he was done with me, I WAS THE KING!  I knew everything I needed to know. Every contact I had through-out my next four interviews was a slam dunk.  I have been in the restaurant industry for about 20 years. Alot of that time spinning my wheels. Finally with Taylor’s help,  I’ve been able to hook up and put the rubber to the road!