WARNING – This blog is brutally honest about how a recruiter works!

Most recruiters / recruitment agencies don’t get paid unless a candidate is placed with a company. Take a moment to think about that and how that might benefit you – It is in their interest to find you a job!

The reality in recruitment is that time is the biggest enemy, and a good recruiter won’t want to waste any of it. It is also in the recruiter’s interest to find a long last match because they will probably have a guarantee / rebate period that will come back to bite them if a candidate doesn’t stay, so doing a thorough job is important.

A recruiter will organise their time based around which clients and which candidates they are most likely to gain a suitable “match” and therefore gain a fee. 

Here are 4 tips for dealing with a recruiter and enabling you to find that dream job.

1) FIND A RECRUITER THAT SPECIALISES IN YOUR TALENTS - Most recruiters specialise in what we would call a Niche. A niche would usually be split by geography, industry, and then job types.

A niche recruiter will understand your needs better and will more than likely have more relevant opportunities and options available to you. This is definitely a case of “Jack of all trades is master of none”.

2) USE A RECRUITER THAT YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH AND THAT YOU TRUST - The days of a smooth-talking slick Rick are done in recruitment. There is no longevity in working this way, reputation is key and with social media these days, reputations that take years to build can be squashed in a minute.

It is important for you to find a recruiter that listens to you. The reality is, a recruiter is more likely to spend more time on your application if they trust and like you (people buy people right?), so ensure you give them your time. You are less likely to do this if you are working with someone you don’t trust or like. ASK AROUND, colleagues and industry professionals for recruiters that have done a good job for them in the past.

3) BE SELECTIVE – Try and use 1 recruiter for a period of exclusivity. It is likely that a recruiter will spend more time on your application if you are only working with them. You scratch their back and they will scratch yours.

Of course limit this to a 2 week period max. If you aren’t happy with their performance in this period, go and try someone else.

4) BE HONEST - The main reason any good recruiter asks so many questions is because they want to find out how to help you, if you aren’t honest then they won’t represent you in the right way.

Recruiters have a knack at finding out the truth, this probably isn’t their first rodeo, so they can smell a white lie a mile off. If a recruiter finds out you are not telling the truth then they will be less likely to prioritise your application and work to find you a suitable position.