How can you effectively work with recruiters in your job search?

"Recruiter" covers the following: Internal recruiter who is an employee of the hiring company. "Staffing recruiter" who may work for an agency which does not have an exclusive relationship with the company, but who "shops" jobseekers to potential employers. "Retained recruiters" (my prior career), where a firm has an exclusive relationship with the hiring company and is paid on a retainer basis. Establish that first. Because the level of access to a client is different among all 3 types.

The biggest trend I see is candidates reaching out casting a broad approach to job searches instead of being highly specific in their approach. Sending a message to every Talent person saying “here is my skill set do you have a job?” Is a waste of your time and the Talent person’s time. Instead, be picky about the companies you are applying to that already have openings and apply to the posting. Then reach out to the job poster and Talent people specifically responsible for hiring. Randomly sending a message to every talent person you can find is not a good approach. Apply to roles that are active now. In my current role, I hire 90% Armed Guards and people from IT apply every day to me when I haven’t had an IT opening in a year.

Clearly communicate your career goals, skills, and preferences. Provide a well-crafted resume highlighting key achievements. Actively engage in the process, responding promptly to inquiries and attending scheduled interviews. Be open to constructive feedback and insights from recruiters, adjusting your approach accordingly. Cultivate a professional relationship by expressing gratitude and maintaining clear communication. By actively participating and fostering a positive partnership, you maximize the impact of recruiters in facilitating a successful job search.

Effectively working with recruiters in your job search involves building strong communication and collaboration. Clearly articulate your career goals, skills, and preferences to recruiters, enabling them to match you with suitable opportunities. Maintain a professional and responsive attitude, promptly following up on communication and providing necessary documentation, such as an updated resume or references, to streamline the recruitment process and truly respect their time.

Start by building relationships with recruiters in your industry, conveying your career goals, skills, and preferences clearly. Showcase a polished resume and LinkedIn profile aligned with your aspirations. Engage in open communication, promptly responding to inquiries, and maintaining professionalism throughout interactions. Be specific about your job preferences, location, and compensation expectations to streamline the search process. Follow up regularly while remaining respectful of their time and workload. Cultivating a strong partnership with recruiters, demonstrating your value and professionalism, maximizes opportunities for landing the ideal role.

Do not get frustrated if your consultant is chasing you to get something back to them (registration forms, updated CV, reference points, qualifications, etc), and then they take a few days to get you feedback from then. This is usually a case of the client not getting back to your recruiter, rather than them delaying the process! Work with your recruiter to speed up the process as much as posible.

Recruiters get as frustrated about lack of feedback or delays in the recruitment process as you do! We are always chasing the clients and attempting to push on a decision, but this is not always possible. Work with your recruiter to see if there is anything else you can do to speed up the process, and if not, keep in touch with your consultant but understand you are on the same team.

It's important to use every piece of the hiring process to build trust. Recruiters are people - they understand if something comes up and you have to reschedule. Be respectful of people's time and treat others as you would like to be treated. It really is that simple.

Be polite. Keep your answers to their questions short, concise, and engaging. Focus on how you and your background fit the open position, not on needing a job as soon as possible. Research the suitable salary range for the position you are interviewing for. Do not ask for something outrageously high or low.