Recruiters exist to find people for jobs, not jobs for people. Once you have chosen a recruiter (who is specializing in your field) and he/she has agreed to represent you, you still have to do you part.
These five actions will help you succeed when working with placement professionals.
1. Be Forthcoming
Be honest and upfront about any personal information that may impact your decision making process when it comes to job offers. For instance if there are geographic locations to which you won’t travel or if your availability to work is limited speak up. A placement person can’t work toward a win-win if she’s operating in the dark.
2. Be Honest about your Pay Requirements
The right placement professional works from your best interests as well as the hiring manager’s best interests. He/She is working to match your needs with the hiring manager’s needs. To do that effectively he/she needs to know what you’re really looking for in the way of pay as well as the least amount you’re willing to accept. By being up front you can avoid being overlooked for positions you would actually be interested in because the recruiter thought the pay rate was too low.
Don’t worry that he’ll/she’ll sabotage you’re negotiating leverage. The vast majority of recruiters work on a contingency basis. That means it’s in her best interest to help you negotiate the highest possible salary.
3. Utilize Coaching or Constructive Feedback
A quality based recruiter will have insight into the hiring manager’s decision making criteria. To help you prepare for an interview he/she may make suggestions about what experience to emphasize or what personal mannerisms to play down. Be ready to act on those suggestions. Don’t put your recruiter in a position to regret recommending you for an opening by behaving in a way that would reflect poorly on her or the firm.
4. Be Responsive to Requests
There may be times during the placement process when your placement agent or recruiter needs quick answers to client specific questions. This may come up when your candidacy is first submitted or it could happen after an interview. Your immediate response (or lack thereof) to these requests for information can make the difference in whether or not you get the job.
If your recruiter asks that you call him/her at a specific time, do it. As a professional recruiter I knew of upcoming openings (positions waiting for the hiring go ahead) or pending offers that required time sensitive contact. By asking certain candidates to contact me at specific times I saved both of us a lot of back and forth phone tag. The number of times this sped up placements was significant enough to continue the practice. A professional recruiter won’t waste your time or his/hers if he/she doesn’t truly think he/she has the potential to place you.
5. Stay Top-of-Mind
If you apply with a staffing firm but aren’t placed immediately, don’t disappear. Timing is everything. The position you were first interested in may get filled with someone else. And the next great opening could come in that afternoon. Placement firms are constantly recruiting which means your candidacy could get pushed down the list.
Stay in touch as long as you are actively looking for work (assuming the recruiter specializes in your field). Help your recruiter help you by keeping her up to date on your job seeking status.
Vary your communication between email and phone calls. Contact her once a week or every two weeks. (When in doubt ask the recruiter about the appropriate time interval between contacts.)
Choosing the right recruiter, having her want you as a candidate and then holding up your end of the bargain is the way to win a job through a placement professional. When handled correctly you and your recruiter will forge a relationship that has the potential to serve you both for years to come.
Source: Shirley Ray, a former hiring professional turned infopreneur empowering job seekers