In Part One, we outlined the basic job description of a recruiter and how recruiters are paid. We also mentioned that working with recruiters is often a matter of numbers since the types of jobs for which recruiters source vary from day to day. A recruiter might be given an assignment to source candidates for an electrical engineer one day and then three weeks later they are assigned to find a financial analyst. At any point in time, a recruiter might or might not have a placement assignment that your qualifications fit.
It’s important to stay in touch with recruiters without being a pest. You may be an electrical engineer and the recruiter to whom you send your resume may not be sourcing for electrical engineers at that particular time. In two weeks, though, he may be given an assignment for an electrical engineer that is a perfect match for you. Recruiters keep databases of candidates’ resumes and the recruiter might well check the database to see if there are any resumes that match. However, if you have stayed in touch on a regular basis and established some kind of rapport, the recruiter is more likely to remember you and pull your resume directly. That is why it is important to work with recruiters with a full understanding of how they operate rather than expecting them to work for you.
Make sure the recruiters with whom you work actually work in your industry. Many recruiters specialize in different industries. If you are a nurse and the recruiter only works in the software field, you are probably wasting your time and the recruiters. Do a little homework before sending out the resume.
How do you stay in touch without being a pest? After sending your resume to the recruiter, send an email to him/her to confirm that he received your resume and reiterating your interest in working with him. After that, limit yourself to an email to the recruiter about every three weeks. More often than that and you start to become a pest.
It is also wise to ask if the recruiter has anything on the table for which you may be able to refer someone else. A recruiter may not have a job that matches your needs, but you may know of someone who matches a job the recruiter is trying to fill. Helping the recruiter is an excellent way of establishing a rapport.
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