What Recruiters Want Job Seekers to Know

As recruiters, we speak with dozens of job seekers every day and have found that many don’t have a clear understanding of how to get the most out of our partnership. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that job seekers are sometimes unaware of, but could actually benefit from knowing. Recruiters look at their relationships with job seekers as partnerships, not one-sided transactions, and so we wanted to offer some of the key things recruiters wish job seekers realized to make the most out of working together:

1. We really do want to help you find a job

Recruiters wish they could place every single candidate they have into a great job position. The reality is however, that just isn’t possible. Even if you haven’t heard from your recruiter in a few days (or even weeks) doesn’t mean they don’t care and aren’t working to match you to a job position, it simply means they don’t have anything they think would be a good match yet. The process often takes time and, unfortunately, a match can’t ever be guaranteed. Don’t mistake a lack of immediate contact for the fact that they haven’t matched you with a job yet as disinterest. Your recruiter wants to find you a good job position just as much as you do.

2. You’re going to have to do some work

There’s a common misconception that sending your resume to a recruiter and sitting through an interview is the only thing a job seeker needs to do in order for them to get matched with a great job, but this just isn’t true. As a job seeker, you need to take ownership of maintaining regular contact with your recruiter. Every recruiting agency is going to have different policies and procedures, so be sure to check with your recruiter about what you need to do for the next steps after your interview – and follow through on those steps! Your relationship with your recruiter is a partnership that will only be successful if both parties do their part.

3. You’re not qualified for every job… and that’s ok

Recruiters work to fill a lot of different jobs across all levels and industries, which means you’re not going to be qualified for (or even interested in) a large majority of what they’re recruiting for… and that’s ok! It’s a recruiter’s job to match a candidate’s skills, work history, qualifications and interests to positions that will be a good fit for them – no one wants a bad match. One of the best things you can do as a job seeker is carefully review the descriptions of the jobs you’re looking at to make sure that you’re not only interested, but also qualified for it. It’s a huge waste of time, yours and your recruiter’s, if you apply for every job you see regardless of your qualifications or interest level.

4. We pay attention to everything

Small details create the big picture of who you are, therefore recruiters pay attention to everything. If you’re polite during the interview, but rude at the front desk, it’s noticed. If you say one thing during the interview, but turn around and say something completely different on the phone, it’s noticed. Even that small typo you didn’t bother correcting in the email you sent the other day to your recruiter was noticed. The big picture of who you really are demonstrates to recruiters how you’ll most likely conduct yourself while on the job, which is a major influence on hiring decisions.

5. We work as a team

Often when working with a recruiting agency, you will deal with an entire team of recruiters rather than just one person. This is advantageous to job seekers because it means not only will you almost always be able to reach someone familiar with your job search, but you also have multiple different people working to match you with a great opportunity. Because recruiters often work as a team, they are in constant communication with each other and have excellent record-keeping systems. This means that whatever you tell one recruiter will be documented for the entire team to access. Job seekers who tell one recruiter something over the phone, a different recruiter something else when responding to an email, and check in on social media with yet a different message are only doing themselves a disservice by appearing not only disorganized and forgetful, but dishonest.

There are numerous benefits to working with a recruiter to enhance your job search, and job seekers can get the most out of that partnership by keeping some of these key points in mind. There are many factors that go into a successful job search, many of which recruiters wish all job seekers knew, but remembering the above points is the first step to a successful partnership.