New to Working with a Recruiter? Follow These Dos and Don’ts to Succeed

Everybody has to start somewhere when launching their career. We’ve put together the info you need for success in Part 1 of the process: working with a recruiter. (Part 2 is interviewing with the company; read our post on Interview Tips & Tricks for those must-know tips).

Why Work With a Recruiter?

• Large companies have in-house talent-seekers, but getting their attention when you’re new to job-hunting can be challenging. Especially when they’ve outsourced their needs to a recruitment service. When you work with an outside recruiter, you have someone in your corner, someone with inside information on what the company and hiring managers are looking for. This is a professional who will be working with you before, during and after the company’s interview process.
• Even though the recruiter is representing you they are working for the company that retained their services to help find top talent. So you need to sell yourself to the recruiter as an ideal candidate.
• You should never pay the recruiter for his/her services because they are paid by the company.
• Never sign an exclusivity agreement with a recruiter. In fact, the best way to find a job is to work with a number of different recruiting firms as each agency has access to different companies and opportunities in your area.
• But don’t stop there. You should also network with friends and post your resume on job boards. Make every effort, seek every angle. If you treat the job search itself like a job you will increase your chances of getting the job you want.

Crafting Your Resume

• For all the details and tips you need to do this right, check out our previous post Think You Know How to Write a Winning Resume?
• Essentially, you need to submit a resume that is well organized, easy to navigate and shows quantifiable achievements. Even when you’re new to the job market, you can find ways to call out successes, such as work you did in internships and volunteering.
• This may sound obsolete but it’s still important to include your home address. Recruiters come across searches all over the country.

Partnering With Your Recruiter

• Be a good listener. Your recruiter will lay out the job opportunity at hand. Pay close attention to their insights, direction and advice. If your resume needs to be enhanced, it is in your best interest to modify accordingly to show that you are a good fit the role.
• Ask questions to clarify things if you need to, or to see whether some of the knowledge and skills you offer can be an additional benefit—one they wouldn’t know about if you don’t tell them.
• If the recruiter does not feel you are a good fit, ask them to keep you in mind for other opportunities.
• The recruiter is always looking for the best people who have a track record of success, are a good cultural fit and are professional in their manner and communication skills. Simple things like calling on time, sending thank you emails, etc. go a long way to cementing the relationship. Recruiters won’t act on behalf of candidates they themselves are not fully excited about.
• Mom was right, honesty is the best policy. Always be upfront about any issues you may have had. Not only will this prevent you from having your recruiter ambushed later in the process, but it also gives the chance to coach you in framing this. Everyone has had an issue along their career. Oftentimes, dirty laundry is found during reference and background checks, which will eliminate you from consideration if you haven’t come clean about it at the beginning of the process.

When the Recruiter Sends You Out

• As with all professional and personal relationships, communication is key.
• Check in with the recruiter the day before or day of the interview if there’s time for one last briefing.
• When you leave the interview, immediately call, text or email your recruiter with how you think things went.
• Do not be confrontational if the feedback from your recruiter is negative. Instead, seize this opportunity to improve on your weaknesses for the next role.
• Never cancel an interview the day of. I have heard it all: I was in a car accident, woke up sick. If you cancel an interview at the very last minute not only do you miss the opportunity you were going after, but in all likelihood the recruiter will not work with you again. Their reputation is at stake as much as yours.