We all know having the right connections can open doors that were otherwise locked, but what do you do if you don’t come from a well-connected family or friend network? One of the best choices you can make is to identify a good recruiter in an appropriate industry and form a solid relationship.

Recruiters can be your best advocate, sell a non-traditional background, and bring your profile to the top of the pile (or eliminate the pile all together). I have worked with people who stepped out of the IT industry and spent a few years as an HVAC tech and gotten them back into a great IT position, helped people change industries, and brought them from nursing to sales…but it takes more than just sending in a resume on your part. You need a relationship to gain their buy-in. How do you get there?

Do Your Research

Don’t just sit around waiting for a recruiter to contact you. They might never come across your profile, you might not look ideal, or if they do contact you, they may not be the right recruiter for you.

Ask for recommendations from folks in your network! If you aren’t having luck with recommendations, make sure you find some recruiters who will schedule “intake interviews” to really learn your goals, personality, and skillset…and interview them also to make sure you mesh!

Show Up

Such an important step in so many aspects of life. Respond to our calls and emails in a timely manner, answer pre-scheduled calls. In general, show your interest and dedication, show that you won’t be a headache to work with, and show respect. If the recruiter is spending a lot of time chasing you down and following up with you, not only will you become too much work to make it worth it, but they will start wondering if they want their name tied to you with a client.

Be Honest



Full disclosure; no surprises. Just like you should never lie on your resume, don’t lie to your recruiter. A good recruiter wants you to be hired into a job that’s a good fit. If you’re happy, you’ll work hard, be a good employee, and stick around. This all reflects positively on the recruiter. So, if you aren’t feeling the position, talk to us about your reservations! We can work to fix problems or find better fits if we have all the information. If you are interviewing with multiple companies, we can manage the process with the client to hopefully avoid a “bird in the hand” decision.

The more upfront you are, the better we can manage the situation and the more help we can be in finding you a perfect role.

Obviously, having complementary personalities goes a long way toward building relationships, but these three areas are things you can actually control.

Have you ever had a recruiter that truly went to bat for you?