by
2014-10-24
Most people assume that a recruiter’s job is to help them land a job. Although this is true, a true headhunter works for an employer. Their aim is to successfully fill a position for a company. They meet with hundreds of candidates and it is your job to make sure you’re the first person they think of when a position opens up. If you stand out to a recruiter, you will be the one they recommend to companies.
1. The Cardinal Rule of Recruiters: They’re Not One-Size-Fits-All
To understand what working with a recruiter is like, you must understand that there are two types of recruiting firms – staffing agencies and professional recruiters. Staffing agencies focus on hiring short-term or temporary employees. They have a bank of available workers to send to companies whenever they need temp workers. When you apply to work with a staffing agency, you may have to fill out an application, along with sending them your resume. You may also have to take a skills test to evaluate your expertise with certain programs. The staffing agency then ranks your skills. When a company needs a temp, they will send the staffing agency a list of required skills and the staffing company sends their highest ranked temp who best matches the list. If the temp employee and company don’t fit well, the staffing agency will send another temp. Staffing agencies typically don’t take the time to really get to know each candidate they’re working with. They focus on placing temps as quickly as possible.
On the other hand, professional recruiters, like Veritas Recruiting Group, take their time to get to know each candidate they work with. Professional recruiters are engaged by an organization to fill degreed positions. They spend time getting to know each candidate that they work with. They not only evaluate a person’s experience and skills but also gain an understanding of the career objectives of the candidate and what’s important to that person. Professional recruiters are preferable because they spend time to get to know each candidate and build a relationship with each one. They aim to find a job that best fits the candidate’s needs. They initially conduct an interview to get to know more about the candidate. During the interview, they learn more about what your talents and qualifications are and exactly what you’re looking for.
2. Recruiter Meet-and-Greet: What Can You Expect?
Usually, you will randomly get a call or email from a recruiter who may have found you on LinkedIn or through a reference. They will briefly describe a position and ask you if you’re interested. If you are, they will try to set up a time where they can meet with you either over the phone or in person. A professional recruiter will conduct an in-depth interview that usually lasts anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. In the interview, they will try to get to know you thoroughly and assess your skills and personality. If they like you, they will present you to a company and facilitate any meetings between you and the company. They also have a very strong influence on the company over who they should hire or not hire. It’s important that you impress the recruiter because they have the ability to convince a company to give you an interview or be the deciding factor between you and another candidate.
3. How to Rock the Recruiter Interview
Many people don’t understand the importance of impressing a recruiter during the interview. It is just as important for you to convince the recruiter that you’re qualified for the job as it is for you to impress the hiring company. An interview with a recruiter focuses on your personality and career accomplishments. They want to know more about your past achievements. It is important you emphasize how you added value to a company by using numbers. For example, you can talk about how you increased ROI by 20%. You have to prove to them that you are qualified. Recruiters meet with hundreds of people but you have to show them why you are more qualified than other candidates. Also, it’s important that you are honest with a recruiter. Do not lie about anything! Be open and honest about why you haven’t worked over the past year or why you left your last job. Recruiters will conduct research to find more out about you and if they discovered you lied, they won’t be as willing to help you because you aren’t trustworthy. Most importantly, stay in contact! You want to be the person they immediately think of when a job opens up. By staying on their radar, they will always consider you for a position.
Overall, recruiters play a major role in your job search process. They can strongly influence a company to hire you, or not hire you. It is important that you impress them and emphasize your achievements. Although it is their job to get you hired, they also work with hundreds of other candidates who are just as qualified. You have to stand out and make yourself memorable. You want to be the first person they think of when a position opens up. Recruiters are often busy and may fail to keep in steady contact with you so it is up to you to make sure you stay on their radar.