I know – recruiters have a bad rep, I get it, I’ve worked with the ‘sell their own granny’ types, the pushy, aggressive, and underhand types and the do anything for a sale types. I have also worked with some genuinely amazing recruiters who really do care, give great advice and will work really hard on your behalf.
The key to getting the best out of a relationship with a recruiter is to understand the below points –
Find one that is a specialist in your industry, they will have great relationships with businesses that are looking for people with your skills, they will understand the roles inside out and what they can offer to you both now and in the future.
Work with them. This is really important, they will do the leg work, they will offer you a full service, they will champion you to their client, spend hours on the phone talking to the right people but you have to give them a reason to do this. Be honest, be contactable, be open, don’t treat them like the enemy, they could open doors for you that you wouldn’t even know about without them.
This is YOURÂ job search make sure YOU are in control. If you work with a recruiter you should know exactly whats happening in the process. Build a relationship with them, remember this is a free service for you so take advantage of it. They can advise you on the market, what clients are looking for, what they are paying etc. They are a fantastic source of information.
Common mistakes people make –
Over cautious, like I said I get the reputation recruiters have but if you are too evasive how can they help you? I’ve had a lot of potential candidates who want the help but don’t want to give anything. Why should they help you if you are not open to building a relationship with them?
Not being truthful. It’s a common problem, not giving information about previous applications can be detrimental to any further applications. I’ve had clients tell me they have had a CV 3 or 4 times through various recruiters and it’s not a good look.
Not being honest about your intentions. It’s frustrating when you’ve spent 2 days on the phone to clients, secured a number of interesting opportunities for the candidate to either go through the motions to secure a promotion or pay rise in they’re current company or to suddenly have a family crisis, grandma’s dying or so other reason why they can’t proceed. If you are not 100% committed then don’t start the process. People remember the ones who let them down more than the ones who don’t. You never know when you might need that hiring manager to give you a shot at some point in your career.
Ghosting is a big problem for the same reasons. I know it can be a difficult conversation, and some recruiters can be very pushy but if you’ve changed your mind for whatever reason then just tell them. They can smooth things over with clients which won’t reflect badly on you in the future Preserve relationships they can be very valuable.
The best advice I can give to you is that recruiters – the good ones- can be invaluable for you and not only can they help you now but for your next move and the one after that. Do your research, find the right one for you, someone you like, someone you know understands you – trust me it’s worth it!