How to work with a recruiter to get a job

Finding and landing a job is a challenge, and you can make it less stressful if you follow these simple guidelines for working with recruiters.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a notebook, a calendar, a pen or your laptop

1. Review your resume, make sure it is correct and free of typos. If you have an "Objective" listed, remove it. Don't give out your references in your resume, either. Wait until you are asked for them. Remember that resumes are marketing documents - and are used to screen you, in or out, for a position. Telling them what you want to do also tells them that you are not open to other types of opportunities.

2. Keep track of who you send your resume to, what ad you were responding to (if any) and what date. You need to track this whether you sent it electronically, faxed it or snail mailed it. You should do this for any resumes you send out - whether to a company directly or to a recruiting firm. Recruiters will ask you where else you have submitted your resume - and you should be able to answer.

3. Once you have connected with a recruiter, remember that they are paid when they place a candidate. They are not working FOR you - they are working for their clients. The best ones will work WITH you. And you will get the best results from working WITH them. Start by getting their full contact information - Name, Company Name, website, physical address, phone, cell, fax and email address. You will want to get back in touch with him/her and you need to have the info available. Don't worry too much if they don't have a website, or tell you they work out of their homes. Some of the best recruiters are independent, and work through a variety of networking.
   
   The way to tell if they are really good will be if they ask you about your experiences, your career goals, you salary requirements and they explain their process to you. They may ask you to rework your resume - this is commonly done to showcase your relevant experience for a particular position - so be ready to do it - if you are interested in the position. You should ask for a job description (if one is available), what company the position is in and how long it has been open. If you are open to working as a contractor (i.e. temporary) or prefer permanent work - tell the recruiter up front.

4. You don't have to work with only one recruiter. And you don't have to work with anyone you don't trust or get along well with. There are many recruiters and recruiting firms out there. You can chose to work with whomever you please. Some tips on this are - keep track in your notebook of who you spoke with and about what. If you work with multiple recruiters be sure to tell them you are "Actively" pursuing work - to alert them that you are not putting all your eggs in one basket. If you have already applied to a company for a position that is being described to you, or someone else has submitted you for that position - tell the recruiter that.

5. Follow-up with the recruiter. If you have an email address, you can email a note asking for status and stating you are still available - once or twice a week. My suggestion is Tuesday and Thursday, as those are the least hectic days for recruiters. If no email, then pick one day a week that you call and be prepared to leave a message. Be polite, upbeat and always give your call back number no matter how many times you have provided it in the past.

6. If the recruiter gets you an interview, be sure to ask as many questions as possible of the recruiter about the company, the hiring manager, and anything else you can think of in order to be prepared for the interview. Don't forget to do your own research, too. When you have finished your interview, call the recruiter while it is still fresh in your mind, to debrief. If you know at after the interview that you do NOT want to work at that company or for that hiring manager - say so. Don't wait until you are in the offer process.

7. If the company wants to hire you, now is the best time to negotiate the highest salary you can get. The recruiter will be motivated to work on your behalf now more than ever, because the commission is usually based on the hiring salary. Don't forget to negotiate for vacation, and benefits at this point, too.

8. When you have completed negotiations and have an offer letter that you have accepted, and a start date; remember to thank your recruiter. Keep his/her contact information in case you need to find a job again, or know someone who is looking for a good recruiter.

Tips & Warnings

• If your recruiter asks you to misrepresent anything on your resume, do not do it - you are ultimately responsible for the veracity of your resume and it is unethical for anyone to ask you to do so.

[christyhow]

on 2/11/2009 Great article, I once was a recruiter too and know how frustrating it can be when job seekers don't know or follow these steps. Thanks for posting, I hope many read it!