Recruiters are one of the most underutilized tools for job seekers, let me tell you why.
By definition, recruiters are people who either work for staffing agencies or are employed by a prospective employer to find qualified candidates for open roles. A recruiter’s single objective is to place qualified candidates for companies seeking talent; oftentimes, recruiters are incentivized via commissions or bonuses to find candidates.
Having worked as a recruiter for many years, followed by working closely with recruiters for many years after that, I can tell you recruiters are incredibly busy people. They see so many resumes it’s hard to keep track, the trick is an expertly crafted resume becomes a memorable candidate.
Ways to partner with a recruiter:
- Cultivate professional relationships and build a network of recruiters that specialize in your industry. If a recruiter can’t place you with a great company during your first encounter, if you made a good impression, I can guarantee they will hang onto your contact information for future roles.
- Recruiters are your resource to the role and the company, ask questions that give you insight. Good questions to ask:
- What is the company culture?
- Can you describe the ideal candidate for this role?
- How long has this position been open?
- What are the top reasons candidates haven’t been chosen?
- Conversations about salary can be uncomfortable; candidates are always timid when the subject is addressed during an interview. By being transparent and discussing salary requirements upfront with your recruiter, you can avoid wasting your time interviewing with companies that can’t meet your salary requirements.
- Ask your recruiter for resume and interview feedback. It is perfectly acceptable to ask your recruiter for feedback. If you haven’t interviewed in a long time, ask for a mock interview to polish your skills. Ask about your resume and how it compares to that of your peers. It’s in the best interest of your recruiter that you do well.
However, the biggest perk of working with recruiters or staffing agencies is they’re free to you. The hiring companies pay recruiters and staffing agencies, recruiters are just one more resource for you to use.
– Melina
