Working with a Recruiter
In today’s job market, there are some amazing opportunities for candidates looking for a new career, a career change or even a chance to better their situation. Likening the job market to real estate, there’s no more important relationship in real estate than the one with your Realtor. In the job world, the same can be said for you and your Recruiter. With that in mind, and the fact that many Recruiters see jobs that many job seekers will never see posted publicly, it’s important to value this relationship.
There are many steps in a relationship that we focus on early, then almost forget as we get comfortable in the relationship. Relationships can be hard work, and the relationship between a Candidate and Recruiter is no different. With that in mind, it’s important to remember a few key items as you work with your Recruiters:
- It’s ALWAYS an interview – From the 1st meeting you have with your Recruiter to every time there’s a face to face encounter, assume it’s an interview and dress appropriately. Unless told otherwise, it’s ALWAYS an interview! You never know who else you may meet and who else may show up while you’re meeting with your Recruiter. Dress professionally unless you’re told otherwise.
- Be HONEST – I know, it sounds obvious, but it can be harder than you think. The market is too hot at the moment to “play games.” Let your Recruiter know what other opportunities you have, only apply once to positions you’re interested in, let them know if you have offers in hand, and certainly let them know your financial expectations. With the speed of today’s job opportunities, “game playing” only wastes time and puts you and your Recruiter towards the back of the line for opportunities.
- Be RESPONSIVE! – In today’s world of email, voice mails and text messaging, there should be NO reason why you can’t get back to your Recruiter within 15-20 minutes. Even if it’s a text that says “get with you in 20 minutes,” send it! This is SO important in the current job market because timing is everything. Waiting 2 to 3 hours to get back to someone only gives an employer the chance to move on to the next candidate. With technology, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to respond to your Recruiter within 30 minutes (or maybe an hour tops!).
- You’re only as good as your word – TRUST is everything. We talked about being honest, now the time comes for commitment. If you make the choice to do a phone screen, an interview or even accept a job, you’ve essentially given your word to your Recruiter and made a commitment. In life, we’re only as good as our word. With that in mind, follow through on your word. As for interviews and meetings, certainly life events happen and things can come up. In the end though, before you commit to a job (or anything else for that matter), you’re in a relationship. Are you ready and willing to give your word to someone and commit to a ___________? (phone screen, interview, JOB?!?).
Relationships are hard and they take some work. The relationship between Candidate and Recruiter is no different. If there’s communication and honesty, regardless of a placement the relationship works!
Kaplan, Howard. Fri. 20 May 2016. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/its-relationship-howard-kaplin?trk=prof-post
