Kelly Services 

With the right recruiter you can:

Avoid the general inbox: Recruiters have relationships with human resources and hiring managers, so your résumé goes directly to them, not a "job response inbox" containing hundreds of résumés.

• Access unadvertised opportunities: Recruiters often know about and fill positions well before they are advertised.
• Gain valuable insight regarding company culture: A good recruiter should be able to tell you about the company culture and what to expect from individual interviewers on your schedule.
• Get your own advocate: As an advocate, a recruiter can present you in the best way, provide feedback and follow-up, and provide assistance through the negotiation and hiring process.

Different types of recruiters:

• Staffing recruiters work for staffing firms to provide a wide range of candidates to customers. Staffing recruiters may place administrative, professional or technical candidates, ranging from entry level to senior level, in temporary contract or permanent jobs.
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• Corporate recruiters handle most aspects of the employee recruitment process for their own organization. Corporate recruiters are typically in the human resources division.
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• Executive contingent recruiters work for search firms that are engaged by clients to perform a specific search for a range of mid- and senior-level positions. Contingent recruiters receive a fee only upon the successful placement of a candidate.
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• Executive retained recruiters work for search firms that are engaged by clients to perform a specific search for a senior executive position. Retained recruiters receive a retainer (upfront fee) to execute a search.

Make a recruiter shortlist
There are many types of recruiters, and each may have a specific industry or area of expertise. Ideally, you should focus on building relationships with the recruiters that can best help you with your career aspirations.

Don't just engage a recruiter, build a relationship
The best recruiter-job seeker relationships are mutually beneficial. A candidate receives access to unadvertised career opportunities and gains an advocate. A recruiter will appreciate reciprocal access to your network of potential referrals as well as specific company or industry insight.

A common job-seeker mistake is to engage with a recruiter only when actively searching for a new job. A strictly transactional relationship -- candidate needs a job, recruiter needs a candidate to fill a job -- is less valuable for you, the recruiter and ultimately the hiring organization. Be prepared to invest time in building and maintaining a long-term relationship.

Consider these guidelines to strengthen a good working relationship with recruiters:

• Make a good first impression: Approach a recruiter as you would a prospective employer, and send an email with a professional cover letter or social media message.
• Make an introduction: Introduce yourself during the first conversation, just as you would in an interview. A recruiter will need to be comfortable with you before advocating for you as a candidate to a prospective employer.
• Provide information: Let recruiters know how you found them and if you're interested in working for a specific company or targeted industry.
• Think longer term: Be prepared to stay in touch over the short, medium and long term to find the right opportunity.
• Keep your information current: Ensure they never have an out-of-date résumé on file, and update your recruiter when things change.
• Be open to constructive feedback: A recruiter can share a great deal of information about the company, job requirements and even specific interviewer characteristics before an interview. After the interview, ask for and be open to constructive feedback.
• Share insights: What did you learn in the interview that would help both you and your recruiter? Was the job as described by the recruiter or has it changed? Was there a new interviewer in the process? Is this the right role for you based on your career goals?
• Keep the communication open: Maintain a positive relationship for the future, even if you secure another job.
• Become a resource: Share your industry knowledge and network of contacts who may be interested in learning more about an opportunity.
• Consider all kinds of work: Short- or long-term project and contract work can often be a steppingstone to a permanent job and allows you an opportunity to evaluate the job and company.
• Be clear: An open dialogue regarding your work experience, career goals and salary requirements will increase the chances of a successful placement.

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