Looking for a new role can be tough! Navigating the consulting world and evaluating the opportunities available in the market can also be quite difficult. One way to transform your job search and make sense of the noise you see on job boards is by working with a recruiter that specializes in your area of expertise. In this blog post, I have put together my thoughts on how a job seeker can most effectively work with a recruiter and also touch on what a good recruiter should do for you.
It’s a good idea to build a relationship with a recruiter when you aren’t actively looking for a new job. This can save a lot of time once you decide you would like to see other opportunities. It’s always easier to be a passive job seeker!
Working with a recruiter should be a partnership. If you want to make the most of that relationship, there is going to be some give and take. Initially, when I first connect with candidates, I’m looking to get an understanding of what your background is in, what type(s) of new opportunities you are interested in and your areas of highest passion. Be open to having this conversation, even if you aren’t very active in your job search – it will only help once you are ready to look for a new role. In this conversation, I’ll want to understand:
- What you’re working on now
- How you got to where you are
- What excites or doesn’t excite you about your current role
- If you aren’t looking for new things actively, what’s your dream job that would get you to take a look
Be as specific as you can here; let me know if there are companies you’d really like to target or types of projects that you’d like to get onto. I will also want to understand basic logistics about where you want to work, what you want to get paid, etc. It’s also great to meet in-person. Getting to meet face to face certainly helps build a relationship quicker than only communicating over the phone. Building a good relationship with a recruiter could take you through many roles in your career.
Communication is extremely important when working with a recruiter, and it goes both ways. It is important as a candidate that you get back to me on opportunities and in a timely manner. Sometimes roles can move really quickly. If a role isn’t the right fit, tell me why. The more specific you can be about the reason a role is or isn’t the right fit, the better. This will help me narrow in on what hits the mark for you. Also, if your situation changes, communicate that too. Communication on my end is also key. I do my best, and any good recruiter should, to give timely updates. This can be difficult, especially when we are waiting for others to make decisions, but I do my best to keep candidates aware of what is going on. You shouldn’t be left in the dark. If it turns out you aren’t the right fit for a position, I try to get you whatever information I can from the hiring manager on why. I understand that feedback is probably one of the most valued parts of the recruiting process – you want to know if you’re a fit and if not, you want to know why. If you haven’t received feedback from a recruiter, I would recommend you ask! It might be the case that there is no new information, but not always.
Honesty is also important in the candidate/recruiter relationship. It is important for us both to understand where things stand. If you are interviewing for other roles, please tell me. If I have candidates that are further in the process for a specific role, I will let you know. Let me know if there is something that would stop you from accepting the job that we are working on or any hesitations that you have. It’s better to know those things now rather than having them be a surprise at the end of our process.
It can also serve you well to work with a specialized recruiter and I highly recommend it to any job seeker. At Mindset Consulting our core focus is on SAP and everything innovative associated with the SAP space. Of course, If you’re reading this blog, you probably already know that. We understand SAP, we know the market well, and we have an internal team of experts that are able to help screen candidates technically and highlight their skills to better sell their value to hiring managers. Overall, no matter your field, it is best to work with a recruiter that has experience working with candidates and hiring managers of your skillset.
A good recruiter should be an advocate for you, and the more a recruiter can get to know you and your skills, the better!
Hopefully, this gives some insight on working with a recruiter! Be open to communicating honestly with your recruiter and to building a relationship with him/her.
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