Most of us have gone through the process of looking for a job on our own at one time or another, which means you understand that the practice of doing so is a full-time job in itself. If you’re someone who is seeking out a new position while you still have a job then congratulations on burning the candle at both ends because you officially have two full-time jobs.
Why not ask for help, and better yet, why not get assistance from someone whose job is literally to match qualified job seekers with an open position? One word… stigma.
Although recruiters serve a valuable function for job seekers and those looking to advance their careers, there is a stigma out there about recruiters that they either come on too strong or they lack effective communication and follow through. What people might not realize is the actual role of a recruiter.
A recruiter acts as a liaison between the company looking to fill a position, and the candidates sought out as possible fits for the role. One misconception is that recruiters act as agents for job seekers. Open positions aren’t just pulled out of thin air by a recruiter. They can only offer positions available at contracted companies. They aren’t a job seeker’s Jerry Maguire, so your dream job might not be one they can offer.
In most cases, the job positions recruiters are recruiting for aren’t exclusive just to them. The company might also share the same job description with other recruiting firms, post it on job boards, and display it on their internal website. A recruiter will spend hours, days, weeks, or months searching for viable candidates, reading through resumes, narrowing down the top prospects, interviewing said prospects, and coaching applicants on how to nail company interviews. What might not be known is that all of the work a recruiter puts in might not be compensated if the hiring company or another recruiting firm provides a candidate who turns into the new hire.
So if you’re thinking, ok I get it, they get paid if I get the position, but what if it’s not the right position for me and they are just looking to make a buck? Fair question, and this is why there are contingencies in recruiting firm and company contracts with a certain amount of time a new hire needs to stay with the company for the recruiter to be paid in full. No recruiter is just going to throw you in any position because it truly is of no benefit to them if you aren’t happy with the choice and the company isn’t satisfied with the hire.
Whether you’re actively looking for a new position or casually glancing at what’s out there, chances are you’ll come in contact with a recruiter. Remember how much time it takes to find the position you want on your own; it only makes sense to try working with a recruiter.
It’s evident that working with a recruiter will save you time, but it might also save you some frustration. Think about it. The second you go at it alone and provide your email or phone number out to the world via the internet, it’s no doubt you will see more ads and find scams or junk in your inbox. That’s the way it works in 2019.
You’ll save time and remove frustration, but another benefit is getting your resume into the right hands. If you apply for a job yourself via a job board or on a company’s website, most likely your resume will find itself to the right person, but when you’re working with a recruiter, they have an in and can get the resume exactly where it needs to be right off the bat. Their network of connections can only help if you’re looking in a specific industry and they have experience in it.
If you are going to work with a recruiter, prepare your personal and professional branding to do so as 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to research their candidates. To cover all bases, get your profiles up to speed with what you want a future employer to see on all your social media accounts.
Once your social media is good to go, get your resume ready too. Job experience is what 67% of recruiters say they look for on a resume, followed closely by cultural fit. Include a complete breakdown of your experience and the work you’ve done to showcase the quality candidate you are, while also mentioning the type of company culture that you are looking for and is important to you.
One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to the resume either, as 63% of recruiters say they want resumes tailored to the open position from the job seeker.
You’ve done your homework, and you’ve prepared your brand, now it’s time to find a good recruiter. What signifies a “good” recruiter?
Saying a good recruiter needs to have good communication skills is an understatement. Effective communication is what the practice of recruiting revolves around whether face-to-face, via phone, or by email, they need to be good at it all as the messenger between the candidate and the hiring manager.
Communication is critical for a recruiter, but being a good listener has to go hand-in-hand with this. In the role of recruiter, there is a lot that needs to be communicated not only about the open position, but why the job seeker should choose to work with them. However, you can argue that it’s equally as important for them to be good at listening to the needs of the candidate. If a recruiter can be categorized as a salesperson, then they should follow the 80-20 rule during conversations; speaking 20% of the time and listening 80% of the time.
So you’re working with a recruiter that has excellent communication skills, the ability to intently listen to your needs, what about their follow through? Any good recruiter does what they say they are going to do. If they say they are going to call you back at X time, they should, and if they say they will email you by Y, they should.
Give working with a “good” recruiter a try. If we can help, take a look at the open jobs we have available and let us know about your needs.
