Want to get the most our of your job search? Work with a recruiter! In order to get the most out of the experience, follow these 10 tips.
- Know what you want in your next job and explain that clearly to your recruiter. Too many times a candidate does not tell their recruiter what it is that they want out of their next job.
- Make sure that the recruiter you choose makes you feel comfortable about your opinions. The last thing you want is a recruiter that pushes you to make a decision that is based more on them making a fee then your needs.
- When dealing with a recruiter make sure you have your three most important salary figures in mind. They are what you want, what you need and what you will take when made an offer. Having these numbers already established will allow you to make a better decision when it comes down to an offer being made.
- Always remember the last thing that is said to you in an interview. It is usually a great indicator in telling your recruiter how things actually went. Since most recruiters have relationships with companies and you are not their first submittal, they should be able to tell you if there will be a second interview by how the company left it with you.
- Never discuss money with a company unless you absolutely have to do it right there and then. Your recruiter is paid a handsome fee to take care of this part for you and since that is a large part of their job they are generally very good at it already. They can much more easily find out how far a company is willing to stretch compared with you fishing around for what is the maximum you could get in an offer.
- The moment you finish an interview, whether you think it went well or poorly, call your recruiter. Many times a recruiter gets a phone call from the company the moment you walk out the door. It always looks good to a company if you get to the recruiter first and they give the company your feedback immediately.
- Never work with a recruiter that just blindly submits your resume all over the place. This can cause you to be submitted at the same company a couple of times and companies frown upon that. It makes you look like you have no control over who you are working with and can cause some issues with the recruiters pertaining to who gets the fee.
- Try and establish a relationship with several recruiters that understand your goals and needs. Remember that not all recruiters have your best interest in mind so a recruiter/candidate relationship that you trust is important. With traditional and online recruiting growing day by day, a good recruiter can help navigate you through the entire process.
- When you decide to take a position, make sure to tell all your recruiters so they can update their records and devote their time to the next candidate. A recruiter-candidate relationship can be a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship if handled professionally by you. A recruiter always thinks of their best candidates when their hottest jobs come up. Even if you have taken a job, you should still remember that things change so much so quickly these days that you never know what is around the corner.
- Do NOT rely on your recruiter to be your career counselor. Although many recruiters can be a big help in you making your decisions they do not have to go to the job that you ultimately accept. You are the one that makes that decision and you should take all input that you can get but never let someone else make that decision for you.
