How Good is Your Recruiter?

Posted by Krista at 9:06 pm

A recruiter can be a great asset to your job search strategy. Whether pitching you a position hidden from your online searches to resume and interviewing advice, recruiters can be often be another effective (and free) iron in the fire. This said, a lot of job seekers actually don’t know how to best utilize recruiters.

So what should you look for in determining how good your recruiter is? You can start by asking questions about the available positions they have mentioned. A good recruiter will be able to tell you more than just the salary range and position title. They fully understand their clients’ needs and will be able to go into depth about what they are looking for. In addition, they might be able to tell you the benefits and what to really expect for salary (depending on the client).

A good recruiter is also your personal sales person, therefore, they need to get a total picture of who you are. Expect them to ask you questions, some of which might be a bit personal including:  career history, salary, if you are interviewing anywhere else and where you see yourself in 5 years. With the right information your recruiter can do a better job matching you with the opportunity and presenting you to a client.

Furthermore, a good recruiter will put finding quality candidates over just meeting placement goals. Most recruiters have goals to meet, and they work hard to do so. However, if your recruiter seems to be pushing you into an interview you don’t want or are not prepared for, they might only care about their quota.

Keep in mind that it does not matter how experienced the recruiter is, it matters how  professional they are. Knowing their clients, matching candidates to the right companies and putting your needs first are just a few things to look for in a good recruiter.

For more information on job searching and recruiters, visit the StratStaff blog.