Seven Things You Should Know Before Contacting A Recruiter

Today’s highly competitive job market may require you to employ various strategies when conducting a job search. I often hear so many jobseekers say "I will send my resume to a recruiter and see what he/she can find for me". However, while engaging the services of a recruiter is a good strategy, it is helpful to understand more about the recruiters' role and how you can best maximize your relationship with them.

Before you jump out there and start calling or emailing every recruiter listed on the Internet, here are some quick facts you should know about recruiters and their daily job responsibilities:

-- They spend about four to five hours a day on the phone
-- They make contact with about 500 people every week
-- They can receive anywhere from 500 to 1,000 emails every day
-- They rely on their network for current industry information and market trends
-- They are compensated for finding the right candidate for their client (companies)

Now that you have a mental picture of a recruiter’s daily work challenges and a better understanding of what you are up against, here are some highly recommended strategies you should use in order to get a recruiter’s attention.

Be specific in your job targets

The best recruiters are usually specialized by industry and/or function. For example, a recruiter may only work with healthcare professionals while another may specialize in placing senior executives in any industry. A recruiter’s primary goal is to make a placement, so if you are unclear about your job targets or you are open to any opportunity that comes up, a recruiter is probably not your best option.

Prepare a clear, well-defined marketing message

Whether your first contact with a recruiter is by telephone or by e-mail, it is critical that you are able to quickly articulate your core competencies and qualifications, describe the value you bring to employers and be able to reference quantifiable career achievements.

Create a comprehensive, detailed resume

Regardless of the number of positive and negative jobs you have experienced, your recruiter needs to know everything about your career background – even the ones that lasted less than one year. There is nothing a professional recruiter hates more than uncovering skeletons in your career history.

While I strongly recommend that you minimize or de-emphasize employment gaps on the resume sent directly to employers, you need to be upfront and honest with the recruiter right from the beginner.

A good approach for a "recruiter" resume is to include all the start and end dates for each of your positions (month and year), the graduate dates for your completed degrees and certifications despite your age, list top-tier degrees on the resume's first page and use a series of bulleted statement to highlight your quantifiable accomplishments.

Incorporate a comparison table in your cover letter

If you are responding to a job opening listed online through a professional recruiter, consider inserting a table that has two columns in your cover letter. Use one column to list the job requirements and the other column to list your corresponding qualifications - this easy insert allows recruiters to quickly scan the document and determine whether you are match for the position.

Develop standout subject line

A compelling subject line in your e-mail messages can significantly increase your chances of getting an immediate response. Try using a phrase or referring to an individual or recent networking event to jog the recruiter's memory and grab his/her attention. With over 500 candidates competing for the recruiter’s attention, don’t leave anything to chances.

Practice honesty at all times

There are dire consequences to your job search and professional reputation when "white" lies, fact omissions and blatant misrepresentations are made to arecruiter. First of all, a majority (75%+) of recruiters use Google, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and other social networking sites to learn more about a candidate's career background, work history and qualifications. When you fabricate facts, it is the fastest way to ruin any potential relationship with a recruiter.

Be willing to give something

An effective relationship with a recruiter is like any other relationship and there needs to be a good balance of give and receive - if you have qualified leads, industry insights or ground-breaking market news that can make a recruiter's job easier, by all means, be the first one to offer a helping hand. You will ultimately reap the professional benefits in the long run.


By: Abby Locke

Abby M. Locke (http://www.premierwriting.com/) is a career marketing strategist and leadership brand coach who partners with 6-figure executives and professional MBA women to help them achieve true career mastery and success through cutting-edge, career branded communications, innovative job search campaigns, and proactive career management tools.