Working with Recruiters can be a great way to give your Job Search a boost, but there are a few important points to consider when seeking out the help of a recruiting firm. All headhunters are not created equal, so you will need to research the one that can best help you in your job search. Don’t rest on your laurels just because you have someone working on your behalf – it will still be up to you to stay motivated and be on the lookout for employment opportunities. Make sure that you give your Recruiter as much information as possible so that they will have a clear picture of the jobs you want, and the ones you don’t. Follow up with your recruiter on a regular basis to keep them informed of any interviews you’ve had or positions that you might be interested in.

1. Research Recruiters: Most recruiters specialize in certain industries, so it is important to do a little research to identify the firms that will be able to help you most. I doubt that you would ask a brain surgeon to fix your car, so why seek help from a firm that specializes in healthcare if you are looking for jobs in hospitality? By doing a little extra research about the firm, you will eliminate the risk of wasting your time with a recruiter that can’t actually help you secure a new position in your chosen field.
2. Connect with Recruiters: Once you have found a recruiter that knows your industry, talk to them about your aspirations and ask them questions about the ways that they can help you. Not only will this get some of the preliminary information out of the way, it will also give you a better idea of the people you will be working with and their level of experience, ability, and dedication.
3. Information is Power (Honesty is the Best Policy): Just as it is important to get a lot of information about your recruiter before signing up with them, it’s just as vital to give them as much information as possible to help in your job search. Be open and honest with your recruiter about your goals, qualifications, accomplishments, strengths, AND weaknesses. If they don’t know that you would prefer to work for a small company rather than a huge multinational corporation, then they won’t know the most effective way to find open positions for you.
4. Keep in Touch: Follow up with your recruiter on a regular basis and let them know how your job search is going. By staying in contact you can gain valuable insight into your performance during interviews and possibly get advice on ways to improve your interviewing skills. Staying in touch is completely up to you. As mentioned above, recruiters work for employers, not job seekers, so it’s not their primary responsibility to follow up with candidates on a regular basis. With this in mind, make sure that you don’t follow up too much and become a pest. Follow up once or twice a week – any more than that and you can seem desperate, which is never good for a job seeker. When you speak to your recruiter make sure to keep the conversation professional and let them know about the interviews they’ve set up and the job leads they have uncovered for you. It’s just as important to let them know the positions that you are not interested in as it is for them to be informed about jobs you want.
5. If you find a Great Recruiter Give Them a Chance – MORE IS NOT BETTER: Using many agencies could result in more than one recruiter sending your information to the same employer. This also goes back to the point mentioned earlier – keep your recruiters up to date about the places you have applied to on your own (or other recruiters have forwarded your information to) so that you don’t have multiple applications for the same position.  Make a plan with your recruiter and then develop a time frame for that plan before you consider jumping to another agency.

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