Working with a Recruiter

Working with a Recruiter – 15 Tips to Help You Succeed

Working With A Recruiter

Here are 15 tips about how to get the most out of working with The NonProfit Recruiter™ and how to help us find the best job opportunity for YOU.

  1. Send a resume
    When you contact or are contacted by a recruiter, send a resume and other requested information, even if you make it clear that you are not interested in a current opportunity. Having your resume on file will make it more likely that the recruiter will call you again. If there are special circumstances surrounding your job search, tell your recruiter. These professionals deal with hundreds of applicants and understand discretion. If you are seriously interested in getting a new job, you shouldn’t be afraid to send your resume. After all, the whole point of using a recruiter is to gain access to opportunities you would miss on your own.
  2. Tell the truth
    Don’t EVER pad information or lie on your resume, on the phone, or during an interview. All recruiters have a universal disdain of candidates who lie, and they all have friends in the recruiting business—you might need their help in the future. Don’t “burn your bridges” by purposely misleading or by lying. Besides, you might be risking your career, as well. It’s not worth it.
  3. Make up your mind
    Be sure you have discussed your job search with your spouse, partner, or significant other. Decide which areas of the country you would be willing to consider. Be open to change, and don’t limit yourself unnecessarily unless there are significant reasons restricting your relocation. Other factors such as pay expectations, job title/responsibilities, and industry type should also be firmed up. Nothing is more aggravating to a recruiter than to have a candidate back out of a position because they changed their mind on one or more of these crucial points at the last minute. Make up your mind and stick to it. If something changes with your situation, inform your recruiter right away. Don’t wait!
  4. Keep information confidential
    It’s in your best interests to respect the confidentiality of information shared with you by a recruiter. Candidates and client companies depend upon a recruiter’s ability to keep secrets. If a recruiter calls you, don’t expect to be told how they got your name. Don’t be offended if you are not told all of the details about a potential position. You will be given information on an as-needed basis, and you will be expected to keep it confidential. Your friends and family may ask you about your job search, so please be careful what you tell them. It’s especially important not to share details about compensation and other sensitive matters with anyone except your recruiter and your spouse, both of whom need to be informed and should respect your confidence.
  5. Stay in touch
    Occasionally call and/or send resume updates so that the recruiter is aware of your continuing interest, current salary, etc. This does not mean daily calls and a flood of paper. Be polite and be reasonable. Your placement is important, but it takes time.
  6. Help your recruiter
    If a recruiter calls about a position that is not right for you, be kind enough to pass along the names of potential candidates or individuals who might know potential candidates. Your participation will be kept confidential, and you will be remembered when the appropriate opportunity for you comes along.
  7. Share
    Don’t be afraid to share personal information with your recruiter. Knowing what’s important to you helps us to find a suitable combination of position, company, and location.
  8. Call promptly
    When your interview or phone screen is over, call your recruiter as soon as possible to discuss the day’s events and your feelings about them while everything is still fresh in your mind. A recruiter prefers to have your input before calling the client company to follow up the interview. Help your recruiter to help you. In fact, maintaining contact even after you’ve found a great job can be a good idea.
  9. Don’t “burn your bridges”
    Even if you didn’t like what the recruiter had to say or they didn’t give you as much attention as you would have liked, be professional and polite. That same recruiter might be the one to hand you your next job on a silver platter. Professional recruiters look for the most qualified and successful people in their field. Usually those people are too busy to search for a job.
  10. Don’t take it personally
    Of 200 candidates uncovered in initial research, perhaps 50 will make the first cut, five will be finalists, and one will get the job. The search process aims for a perfect fit, and if you’re not chosen, it’s probably in your best interests, anyway.
  11. Be patient
    Don’t “burn your bridges” with either the recruiter or your present employer. Recruiters may intend to get back to you, but in the recruiting world, whatever is most pressing gets done first. If a recruiter doesn’t get back to a candidate, there’s nothing to talk about because the recruiter doesn’t have an appropriate position available.
  12. Avoid unnecessary follow-up
    The recruiter will call you if they have a good reason. However, stay in touch with recruiters with periodic email updates to demonstrate your continued interest. After you speak with an employer, always call your recruiter immediately. Give the recruiter feedback after visits and telephone interviews so that they can be more accurate the next time or perhaps work out any minor problems that may have come up. The recruiter will be “running interference” between you and the potential employer, so don’t leave them out of the loop once the interview process begins. Use your recruiter’s skill in negotiations to express any concerns. This will help facilitate communication and allow some of the details to be handled at a more comfortable arm’s length.
  13. Don’t juggle more than one offer
    If you’ve received more than one offer, it’s generally best to let your recruiter and all potential employers know. Disclosing interest from other parties quite often has a snowball effect and if handled diplomatically, can certainly work to your advantage.
  14. Don’t take too long to think about the offer
    The longer you take to make your decision, the more likely it is that the employer will think that you’re not committed and that perhaps they’ve made a wrong decision. We’ve even seen cases where, due to inordinate delay, employers have retracted offers of employment.
  15. Follow your recruiter’s instructions and listen
    Listen to what your recruiter has to say. You will be more successful in your search, as well as in an interview situation! Your recruiter often knows more than you do about the client, the hiring manager, and the interview process and should prepare you for each interview. Be sure to listen closely to the recruiter’s interview tips and instructions. Also, it’s important that you always do what you say you will do. When your recruiter asks you to call them after the interview, be sure that you do! Otherwise, they may take it as a sign that you are not interested or are unprofessional, and they may not want to work with you in the future.