How to Work with a Recruiter to Get a Great Job

As painful as looking for a new job can sometimes be, job seekers often overlook the simplest way to make the search easier: work with a recruiter. A recruiter can ease the pain of the search in several ways: she has contacts you can only dream of, she knows where the jobs are that you probably won't, and she will help you prepare for interviews with inside knowledge of the company and an objective eye for you. However, sometimes there are misconceptions about recruiters that cause a candidate to question the process. The two main questions candidates have are always the same: "How much does it cost?" and "Why can't I apply directly to the company?"

All contingency recruiters work in basically the same way: Candidates pay nothing. Clients pay if a match is made.

HOW A RECRUITER WORKS:

1. You submit your resume to the recruiter.

2. The recruiter looks to see if she has a job order that is a fit for you--or if she knows a company that could use your skills and experiences in their organization. Some of the best jobs are created for candidates-- more specifically, great candidates.

3. If she sees a good match, she calls you and describe the opportunity. If you agree, she submits your information to the client company.

4. The company puts you through its hiring process.

5. If they hire you, they are billed by the recruiter. If not, you get the news that they are not moving forward. And then the recruiter keeps you in the database in case there's another appropriate opportunity for you. And since the recruiter has gotten to know you, you will likely be remembered every time she works with a firm that could use your specific talent. Recruiters frequently make introductions between companies and candidates sometimes before they even realize there is a need.

WHY CAN'T YOU GET THE JOB ON YOUR OWN?

So, why shouldn't you apply directly to the company? Because it's much riskier for you. When you apply directly, your resume goes into a company black hole. Very few companies mine their database like recruiters do. (If they do, your resume had better be absolutely incredible for you to surface to the top.) You're stuck waiting for them to call you. If you call them, you'll likely get less than a direct answer. At best.

WHAT A RECRUITER CAN DO FOR YOU:

On the other hand, a recruiter has the freedom (and the responsibility) to call the company after she submits you, push for a first interview, help you prepare for the interview since we know the company and what they're looking for, correct some mistakes before you make them, and give you specific feedback after the interview. Even though you're not "the client," a recruiter is going to be an advocate for a successful placement. If the recruiter has taken a chance on you, he or she is going to have a vested interest in your success. It becomes an advantage for you.

Having said that, if a recruiter finds out that you've already applied directly to the company, he or she won't deal with you on that. You will have shot yourself in the foot on that one, because you've taken away the incentive for the recruiter to work for your chance at that job: if the recruiter doesn't place you from the beginning, he or she won't receive a fee. In other words, you can't apply and then decide you need help. You won't get it.

It's almost always going to be to your advantage to use a recruiter from the very beginning of your job search.

For more information, go to www.phcconsulting.com.