There are jobs to be had! After having the pleasure of working with so many candidates and on so many job openings, I have come to the conclusion that the value of recruiting is not as well-known as it should be. Perhaps this is an industry specific issue, but it can’t hurt to have a recruiter in your network working aggressively with your resume, regardless of what field you’re in. How can we make the value of recruiting known?

One way is by becoming the industry standard for hiring. In the manufacturing and engineering industry, this already is the case. If job seekers become used to the idea that the main way into a company is through a recruiter, then I have a suspicion that recruiter’s phones would be ringing off the hook. That part falls on the backs of the recruiters to set the tone for the industry. We have to do our job, and do it well so that when candidates get sent by recruiters, there is a CLEAR difference between people responding to job postings. In this case, having healthy competition is good, as it is setting the precedent that recruiting is too important and time consuming for an HR representative to spend their time on.

On the flip side, candidates have to do their part to reach out and refer. Recruiters are constantly looking for new was to find and contact candidates. When candidates reach out with a genuine and honest approach to marketing themselves to companies, good things happen. As recruiters, we will do our best to tell you as much as we can about a position to see if it makes sense. I often try not to sell the people I talk to on a position. I don’t want to throw someone in a position where 6-9 months later, they are regretting the acceptance of a position because they felt they were misled or did not understand the position. If the conversation does wind down to the understanding that this particular opening may not make the most sense for this particular person, then the candidate should do their best to refer someone who they think would succeed in this role. Your friends and coworkers will be grateful and flattered by your referral, even if they are not looking, or are uninterested in the role. The fact that you thought of them as a good person to fill a role will forever resonate in their memory.

It is important to remember that most recruiters only make money when they place a candidate in a position. If a firm develops a reputation for placing candidates that don’t fit well, their clients will most likely not come back for repeat business, and that firm will feel it. Most recruiters know the value in having a client repeat their business and will do their best to send the right candidates for the right job. Take comfort in the fact that recruiters want to send you to the positions where they think you will have the most success.

If you’re a candidate, remember that if a recruiter is holding off on you for a current opening it does not mean that they won’t send you for another position that opens up next week. Some job requisitions open and close in a matter of weeks, and it’s all about having your information already in front of the recruiter when that requisition opens.  This is why it’s important to reach out to a recruiter sooner rather than later. The same goes for any friends and coworkers, if you want them to thrive in a job that’s a good fit, their information needs to be in front of the recruiter before the job opportunity is.

At the end of the day, you have to do what makes you comfortable, but I think you’ll be hard pressed to come up with reasons not to have your information in front of a recruiter. Reach out to one of us today!

Have you used a recruiting service in the past to help market yourself to potential employers? What other advice would you give to job seekers about using recruiters? Most importantly–what have you got to lose!?

There are a lot of common perceptions people have of working with recruiters. We have all come across countless people who would prefer not to work with a recruiter, or who haven’t worked with a recruiter in the past. With graduation fast approaching in May, it’s a good time to discuss some of the benefits there are to working with a recruiter while searching for your first job or a new position. Here are just a few different reasons you may want to consider working with a recruiter in the future:

1.) Recruiters have access to positions you may not know about

Any person can log on to the job boards and apply to the positions that are posted. However, a lot of people don’t realize that the majority of available positions may not be posted on the popular websites. As recruiters, we are frequently working on positions which may be confidential or not posted on the job boards. We often talk to candidates who assume we’re calling about a specific position and immediately say, “I’m not interested.” If a candidate takes the time to talk with us about what they’re looking for in a new position, it makes it easier for us to match up their skills with what our clients are looking for.

2.)    We work directly with hiring managers and have a good idea of what they’re looking for

Our goal as a recruiter is to have you put your best foot forward and get offered the position. We can help a candidate to understand what to expect going into the interview, and how to present themselves in the best possible light. From understanding a company’s culture to the main job functions – our job is to help our candidates decide if a particular position would be a good fit for them. 

3.)    A recruiters job is to assist with salary and counter offer negotiations

A lot of candidates are uncomfortable when it comes to salary negotiations or counter offers. It’s our job to work with our candidates to get them the best possible offer from our clients. We are always working with our candidates to discuss important issues on the front end (i.e. salary, vacation, benefits, etc.) so we can let our clients know exactly what our clients would need to make a move into a position. We are also experienced working with counter offers for our clients.  Recruiters are able to assist with negotiating your salary and benefits with any new company.

4.)    Working with a recruiter can help to take the pressure off your job search

Recruiters understand that you’re busy and may not be able to actively search for a new role while you’re working. We are able to help find jobs/companies you haven’t heard about, facilitate the interview process, and help to find a position that fits what you’re looking for from a salary, culture, and responsibilities standpoint. We can do this without you having to take time out of your work day to actively search for positions online or in newspapers.

We’re not saying you HAVE to use a recruiter in order to land your dream job–but you shouldn’t rule anything out! There are thousands of recruiting agencies out there, and most specialize in a specific industry. Adding a few contacts from recruiters in your industry is a great tool to add to your job seeking plan. Do you have a success story from using a recruiting service?