How working with a recruiter can change your career

Passive job searching is a trend you want in on

How a Recruiter Can Help You Land Your Dream Job

Because a good recruiter can change your future

The job hunt is an incredibly stressful process and it has become even more difficult as companies have begun using automated systems to narrow the candidate pool. It can become frustrating as application after application is rejected before a human even sees it. Even if the application gets through to the HR department, there are so many candidates for the one position that it becomes impossible to rise to the top. This is a problem that recent graduates, those who have been laid off, and people looking for a job change all experience: the headache that comes from trying to find a job on their own. Here is where a placement agency comes in. Many companies have short-term needs either due to seasonality, large contracts, or government work; things they are hesitant to hire long-term employees for especially if they do not work out. Companies pay the placement firm to find workers willing to work for a specific duration. Therefore, the companies do not deal with the hassle to find a short-term employee and outsource to a placement agency to do the work. People seeking employment should consider using a placement agency to help them find a job for many reasons. One of the first benefits these agencies have is access to a larger network of companies that they are placing candidates at. They can find so many more jobs than you can on your own. When people talking about finding every open door, the agencies know about all the possible ones and will help you find them. Placement agencies are in the business of finding jobs, so let them do the hard part! Once the agency has placed a candidate at a job, this employee has a chance to test drive a position and a company. They can observe the politics, the culture, and the management style and decide if the environment is suitable to work in. Since the positions filled by placement agencies are usually short-term, this is a great way for employees to see different companies and the aforementioned aspects without any commitment. If the company is not a good fit, then the employee can be moved to a different job with minimal reputation damage to the employee or the company. Many people hope that once an employee has proven their worth through their temporary position the company might decide to hire them for a full-time job while others continue to use placement agencies for a long career in short-term work. Many people hired through a placement agency are later hired by the employer once their contracts ended. There are many placement agencies of various reputations that fill a variety of jobs fields: from maid service through highly technical specializations. No career is out of reach for these agencies as they have connections for any job people want. This can be especially helpful for recent graduates who have extremely specific degrees or those who have overly general degrees, a placement agency may be the best way to find a position. The pay is also typically quite good because these companies desperately need someone to fill the position, but the employee will not experience all the benefits the company offers their full-time employees. Most placement firms offer benefits to their candidates in order to supplement what they do not receive through a company. This way you do not have to worry about paying for your own benefits while working part-time through the placement agencies. A placement agency is a great option for anyone who has struggled finding a full-time position, trying to find a company that is a good fit, or someone looking to always be challenged by a new job and new environment. They can be your ticket to finding a great job or the chance to experience numerous good positions.

There are great recruiters and horrendous recruiters. There are recruiters who will hustle for you any day, any time to help you land a great opportunity and there are recruiters who will lie, misrepresent, and waste your time. Unfortunately, it’s up to you find the good ones and you will find that they can be your biggest cheerleader who will open doors you didn’t even imagine…but it takes some effort on your part, too. So, how do you build a strong relationship with your recruiter and create an advocate for yourself? Be present From the moment you connect with a recruiter, you need to show them that you are in the game. We are evaluating you from our first communication – your professionalism, interpersonal skills, communication skills. If you are lackadaisical in your response or our conversation about yourself and the position, we’ll probably take a pass because we question your interest level. When you receive a call, text, or email from us, respond! If we ask for additional materials (resume revisions, thank you notes for clients, etc.), give us a realistic timeline and then deliver. Being present throughout the process demonstrates interest and reliability. These are musts if you want us to fight for you. Help us help you Realize that if you’ve found a good recruiter, we want to help you. It’s the squeals of joy when we tell someone they’re getting an offer for their dream job that drive us, and nothing makes us happier than a candidate who is thrilled about their new career and a client that is gaining a tremendous asset. So if we ask you for additional details or resume revisions, it’s with your best interest in mind. If we give you advice for attire or interview technique, follow it...we know the client. If we volunteer to do mock interviews with you, take us up on the offer!! Be honest If you’ve found a good recruiter, they will be honest with you about everything. Return the favor. Not totally sold on the position? Tell us and tell us why . Have a spouse who might hold up accepting an offer or relocating? Tell us. Have other interviews going on and offers coming down the pipe? TELL US! The more we know, the better we can manage the situation before it becomes a situation. Realize we’re people too Recruiters, no matter how good they may be, are human. We will occasionally drop the ball or have to reschedule. We have families at home whom we’d like to spend time with. Try to be understanding when we apologize profusely for missing something (I promise, we’re kicking ourselves harder than you ever could). And no matter your schedule, please don’t demand that we make ourselves available during evenings and weekends. If you politely explain extenuating circumstances that prevent you from speaking during normal business hours (including lunch), we will offer to make ourselves available during the evening or weekend with no ill will. Just treat us like people, because, well, we are. We’re ready to be in your corner. this article was first published on Linkedin