This week’s blog focuses on getting the most out of the relationship you have with your recruiter as a job-seeker.
It’s important to first understand how recruitment agencies work. Essentially, we exist to assist our clients in finding the right people for the roles they have available. By doing this,we help you, the job-seeker, find the role that suits you best. It’s as simple as that. However, working with a recruiter is more than simply clicking on the ‘Submit CV’ button and waiting for that dream job to appear. Yes, you get masses of help using a recruitment agency but you still need to do your part to increase the chances you’ll get the job you want. Here’s how.
Send a tailored CV along with a proper introduction about who you are.
The amount of times we have received generic CVs that we have merely been CC’d on still amazes us. You wouldn’t do that for a job application so don’t do it for your recruiter either. We are here to focus on you as an individual and we need to get a sense of who you are as a professional. Help us to do that by giving us a tailored CV along with something that tells us about you as a person.
Do some research
We can tell you all about ourselves and the industries we serve but you can also look us up on LinkedIn, our website, our social media networks, etc. Perhaps you’ll find a role that you’d like to go for – let us know! Anything you can do to help us get a sense of what you want out of your career and where you’d like it to go is useful to us. You might not be eligible for the role you spotted but we can tell you how you to get closer to being right for it.
Timekeeping
When your recruiter asks you to get them documents like transcripts and references, do it quickly! Time really is of the essence with any form of job-seeking and recruitment is no exception.
Communicate
If there’s anything going on in your life that could hinder your chances of attending an imminent interview, let us know! If you’re sick, tell us so that we don’t schedule an interview that week. If you’re going on holiday, tell us! We are trying to represent you in the best way possible but we need you to come to the party in order to do that. There’s little worse than having to go back to a client and tell them that a candidate can no longer make the interview they previously confirmed attendance for. Be honest with us. It’s the best way to secure a fruitful relationship with your recruitment consultant.
Presentation
There’s no beating around the bush, we, as recruiters, are judging you. We’re doing this purposefully because we need to see you as a potential employer would. Therefore, perfect presentation is not just for job interviews, it’s for us lot too. When you come to meet us, dress as you would for an interview. Conduct yourself as you would for an interview. Of course, formalities will pass somewhat, but at least we have that first impression to go on. If we think you could have done something differently, we’ll tell you and by doing so, improve your chances at getting the jobs you interview for.
Be patient
The right jobs for you, or anyone for that matter, don’t grow on trees. As a job-seeker, whether you use a recruiter or not, you will have to exercise a lot of patience. You have to be patient in waiting for the right job to apply to and you have to be patient after you’ve interviewed for it. Trust that your recruiter is in constant communication with the client and will let you know as soon as any developments have occurred.
Call us after the interview
It’s a great idea to get into the habit of calling your recruiter after any interviews you have. Not only is it a great opportunity to wax lyrical to someone who really wants to hear it, but if the interview didn’t go so well, or you forgot to mention something important, we can do that for you. We are always talking to our clients, so we can help your case by giving them more information about you. If you feel the interview went terribly, tell us why and we can help you improve for future job opportunities.
There’s so much value in the support that we offer to you and the insight we have into the world of job-hunting. Not to mention the fact that we have connections in our clients that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to gain access to. So when you take up the services of a recruiter, make it count!