Recently Jeff Schwartz asked me several questions via Twitter and asked that I answer them in an article. He lists these as key questions that many job seekers have about working with recruiters.
What do we really need to know about working with recruiters?
First, you should understand how recruiters are paid for their work. Recruiters are paid by their clients, not by individuals seeking jobs. A recruiter’s job is to help their client companies by filling a specific opening. If they think you might be that person, there are advantages to working with a recruiter versus trying to get in to a company blindly on your own.
Good recruiters have relationships with their clients and can therefore help candidates prepare for interviews, understand what to expect in terms of corporate culture, and provide specifics on the group or person they’ll be talking to. They’ve most likely spent some time at the company and may have met the people you’ll be interviewing with. They’ve also typically placed people with these companies in the past and stay in touch with them, and therefore have additional insight from people who are working there now.
Recruiters are not resume writers or career coaches. Their job is not to “find you a job,” help you change careers or figure out what you want to be when you grow up. You should consult a professional career coach or resume writer for help in these areas.
For additional insight you can read “Demystifying the Recruiter” by Lindsay Olson.
How do I know if a recruiter would want to work with me?
If you have had a stable, upwardly mobile career track in a particular field, are not a career changer, and have specific experiences and skills that a particular recruiter sources, you may be a good fit.
If you are fresh out of school, haven’t stayed at any of your jobs very long, are trying to break into a new field, or are not particularly experienced or unique in your skill set, a recruiter may not be interested in working with you.
How important is it to be on LinkedIn, and how does a recruiter use LinkedIn to source candidates?
Miriam Salpeter of Keppie_Careers asked this question several weeks ago.
If you are not on LinkedIn, create a profile now. I suggest building out a robust profile – the more detail you share, the better. Recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn all the time to find candidates, and at least some of their efforts involve doing key word searches. Many times these are based on job responsibilities, so if you have your title but don’t fill in what you actually did in each job you may not show up in the search results. Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume and should closely match the resume you provide to employers.
The next thing you should do is search for and select several groups to join. The groups you join should relate to your job function and/or industry. Jobs can now be posted free in groups, and if you’re a member you’ll have access to the listings. Recruiters join industry groups in order to have access to the members. Remember, your goal is to be found!
Finally, recruiters and hiring managers are looking to see how many recommendations you have. Carefully select several people you have worked for and with in the past, and ask them to write a recommendation for you.
A word of caution: if your recommendations are all reciprocal that can be a red flag (“I’ll write one for you if you’ll write one for me.”) Instead, write several genuine recommendations for other people you’ve worked with in the past and pay it forward.
How can I find a good recruiter to work with?
Start with your network. Current (depending on your situation) and/or former colleagues and others you know who work in your field…ask them who they’ve worked with in the past that they trusted and felt comfortable with.
You can also check with your current or former employer’s HR department to see which firm(s) they like and work with.
Finally, don’t forget about social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Use search tools on both to connect with and reach out to recruiters in your field. Your initial contact should be a friendly and courteous introduction with a brief explanation of your background and career interests. Very often, even if they don’t have anything for you at the moment, they’ll be able to refer you to other recruiters and resources.
You can find Jeff on Twitter and read about what he does here.
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