A Jobseeker’s Guide to Building a Strong Relationship with Your Recruiter
Partnering with a recruiter has the power to take your career to the next level, unlocking unique employment opportunities and providing a great resource for industry insight. While some professionals believe that working with a recruiter is a one-time occurrence, it’s advantageous to develop a strong, long-term relationship with your recruiter. With their extensive knowledge of multiple markets, as well as their numerous connections, your recruiter can be the key to unlocking your future – if you make the most of your partnership. Here’s a quick three step guide to building a strong relationship with your recruiter.
1. Be Honest and Transparent
Communication is by far the most vital aspect of building a successful relationship with your recruiter. From your first conversation, you should be straight-forward about what you’re seeking. Speaking with a recruiter isn’t a negotiation process – you don’t have to mince words about compensation or position title. There’s no reason to withhold your thoughts and feelings from your recruiter – it’s their job to ensure that you’re receiving reasonable treatment. By clearly stipulating your requirements and ideal salary from day one, your recruiter can more effectively operate on your behalf in the job search and hiring process.
Additionally, be honest about your previous positions, such as why you’re leaving your current role and what responsibilities you’ve managed. These baseline discussions set the tone for your working relationship, and the more valuable the information that you provide to your recruiter, the better they’re able to work with you to find your next opportunity.
2. Have Realistic Expectations
Thanks to their familiarity with industries and organizations, as well as their insider knowledge, recruiters are a great resource for job-seekers. They’re able to offer unique guidance for your current situation and are a valuable sounding-board for your questions. If you’re unsure about a role or an organization, talk to your recruiter. They’re equipped with the knowledge to discuss your doubts and determine whether or not you’d be a good fit.
That said, recruiters are meant to augment your job search, not manage it. While you may ask them to help you polish your resume, don’t expect them to redo it from scratch. Also, they serve as the liaison between you and an organization – they won’t always be able to give you immediate, definitive information. By understanding what recruiters can – and can’t – do for you, you can develop more realistic expectations for your relationship, optimizing it for long-term success.
3. Stay Involved
Interactions with a recruiter shouldn’t be short-term and transactional; they should be part of a long-term, mutually-beneficial relationship. That relationship may start before you’re even in the job search, and often continues after they’ve found you your dream job. Keep an eye on their job listings, subscribe to their RSS feed, or follow them on social media, then reach out if something catches your eye. If you think you know a solid potential candidate, share their contact information with the recruiter or facilitate a conversation between the two. Occasionally touching base will keep you on their radar and allow you both to seamlessly reconnect should you decide to revitalize your job search.
Reap the Benefits
At least 70% of jobs go unlisted – meaning they’re not shared on any job board or social network. Instead, these positions are shared with recruiters, like yours, who have industry connections and will fill the role quickly with a highly qualified professional. Not only are recruiters often privy to these “hidden” positions, they’re able to provide expertise on companies, and entire markets, as well as new contacts and other potential job leads. Their insight can improve your chances at landing your next job opportunity – and the one after that, if you successfully maintain the relationship. Take advantage of all that your recruiter has to offer by building a strong relationship with them from day one.
At KORE1, we have recruiters that specialize in a plethora of industries, from IT to Creative – learn more about how our team can augment your job search today.
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