8 critical hints on using recruiters to find you a job

Scarier than the undertaker, we are meeting our matchmaker. (“Mulan”)

Recruiters are slightly neurotic, money driven, and a little paranoid. To get a recruiter to do the most possible for you, work with them within their limitations.

1. Never pledge your undying love unless they are willing to give you weekly progress reports.  A recruiter should be willing to tell you all the places your credentials are presented if he asks you to stop looking for a job yourself.
2. Only use recruiters you trust.  If you feel good talking to a recruiter, you can probably trust them.  If you get an uneasy feeling, if you think they are hiding something from you, run away.  More than half of recruiters are honest.  Find one who has ethics.
3. Only tell a recruiter the names of companies you are already applying at if you really trust them.  Then get them to promise not to submit other candidates unless they are already working on that job.  You don’t want them to flood that opening with candidates and make it harder for you to get a job.
4. Use a recruiter who has a history of placing people in the job you want.  Ask the recruiter how many people he has placed in your job in the last year.  If the answer is “None, but I’m trying hard.”, then let him try.  However, you need to keep looking as if he will never do anything for you.
5. Be honest about the other jobs you are applying for.  Don’t try to figure out if going on other interviews will help your candidacy or not.  If the recruiter asks, tell the truth.  One whiff of a lie and the paranoid recruiter stops being open with you.  Honesty begets honesty.
6. Every week or two call the recruiters you respect and who regularly place people in the job you want.  Many recruiters forget you after talking to 200 people in a week.  Remind the ones who can really help you that you still need a job.
7. Don’t use a recruiter where you have a better contact, unless the recruiter told you about the job first.  If you already know about an opening in a company and know the hiring manager yourself, don’t use a recruiter.  Submit yourself.  If the recruiter first told you about the job, let him submit you or he will stop telling you about new jobs.
8. Reread number one. Don’t give your whole job search over to one recruiter unless he proves he is doing great things to find you a job.

Recruiters combine a love of helping people and making money.If they can help you and make money doing it, they will.   They talk to at least 100 new people every week.  You have to be sure you know how high you stand in their priority list, and how hard they will work for you. Use recruiters wisely.

Something To Do Today

Make a list of all the recruiters you talk to.  Make notes about whether you trust them and how often they have placed people in the job you are looking for.  That list will help you to know who to concentrate on working with.