Recruiters can be a valuable piece of the job search puzzle, especially if you seek a higher level position with a larger company.
Why should you consider working with a recruiter? You’re certainly capable of conducting your own job search. If you’ve been reading this blog all along, you know how. The latest statistic says only 10 percent of jobs are filled through recruiters. Why bother?
The biggest reason to work with recruiters is that they have access to positions that aren’t advertised, aren’t published on social media, job boards, or any other way. Some companies decide that is how they will fill positions. They tend to be higher level positions at larger companies. If that is the type of position you are targeting, a recruiter may be a key to one or more of those positions.
Working with several recruiters that represent a geographical or industrial niche gives you access to a good number of the unadvertised positions in that area. These folks network with companies daily, and many have long-term relationships with principals in the companies. Choose the number of recruiters carefully; you don’t want to spend all your time answering recruiter calls, either.
Recruiters, especially those who specialize in certain markets or industries, often have information on the market or industry in which you are searching. Recruiters will also have information on the positions they are trying to fill, often more than is found in a bare job description you’ll find online. Especially with companies they have worked with for many years, recruiters will have insight into company culture and history that is difficult to find elsewhere. Ask them about the companies they are representing, but remember, the companies are paying the recruiter’s bill; you’re not. Their loyalty will always be with their client, and that is the company.
Keeping that in mind, also ask if they recommend changes to your resume to better address the specific interests of the company. Ask what to expect in the interview. Ask about personalities at the company. In short, find out as much about the company as the recruiter will share.
Your chances of hearing back about the results of an application are better with a recruiter than if you apply online, especially if the recruiter is the only one working to fill the position for which you are applying. That limits the number of candidates and speeds the hiring process. Recruiters are in touch with the hiring authorities more often than candidates are, so you have access to more timely information during the entire process.
Finally, and for some candidates most important, the nature of a recruiter’s work is confidential, so conducting your job search exclusively through recruiters affords a level of confidentiality you won’t find on job boards, resume boards, and social media. However, your boss can still be best friends with the interviewer, so there are no guarantees.
There are good reasons to work with recruiters, especially for candidates seeking higher level positions with larger companies.
If you need access to recruiters, contact me today about distributing your resume to as many as 2500 recruiters nationwide.
Related
Recruiters: What they really do
Image courtesy suphakit73 via FreeDigitalPhotos.net
