Six Tips for Working with a Recruiter

Finding a new job is tough. There is a lot of competition, especially when economic conditions affect the availability of jobs in certain industries or geographic areas. Working with a recruiter to find your next job has many benefits, including the ones we covered in this blog post, “Six Benefits of Working with a Recruiter to Secure Your Next Job.” But did you know that there are things you can do when working with a recruiter to increase your chances of success? Here, we will cover 6 tips for working with a recruiter.  

Tips for working with a recruiter 

When working with a recruiter there are a few key tips that can help you stand out and make it easier for a recruiter to help you land your next role. 

1. Clearly communicate your goals and preferences

The more your recruiter knows about your job search criteria, including desired job title and working model and industry preferences, the more suitable opportunities they can find for you. For example, if a hybrid working arrangement is a must for you, make sure your recruiter knows this so they can filter out any jobs that don’t match the criteria. 

2. Share your salary range

Although candidates can negotiate salary, it is important that you share your salary requirements with your recruiter, so they do not recommend any positions offering a salary beneath the low end of your range. However, it is important you have done salary range research to ensure the salary you are asking for is fair for your skills, experience, and role. To help find salary ranges, you can look at websites such as Glassdoor and Indeed. 

3. Craft a tailored, scannable resume

A resume tailored to the type of position and industry you want to be hired for is critical. Your resume is often the first thing a hiring manager or recruiter sees. If it is not clear, easy to read, and free of typos, it may hurt your job search.  

4. Be responsive and proactive

Respond to your recruiter’s messages and inquiries in a timely and professional manner. Jobs go quickly so don’t assume your recruiter will wait to hear from you about a hot opportunity. Also, if you see a job opening that you’re interested in, let your recruiter know immediately so they can submit your resume.  

5. Ask questions

Don’t be afraid to ask your recruiter questions. As we explained in this article, the hiring companies are clients of the staffing agency. Therefore, your recruiter most likely has worked with them before and placed other candidates with the company. Feel free to ask about the company culture, hiring process, or anything else that’s on your mind about how the recruitment and placement process works.  

6. Follow up after interviews

Let your recruiter know how your interviews go and whether you’re still interested. This will keep them informed and help them advocate for you with the employer. Additionally, staying in touch signals to your recruiter that you are interested in working with them and pursuing opportunities – this will help you stay top of mind with your recruiter.   

Connecting with a recruiter 

There are many ways to connect with recruiters, including via LinkedIn, at job fairs, and by connecting with a recruiting firm or staffing agency. When connecting with an agency, make sure they specialize in your field or industry. For example, The Judge Group specializes in contract/temporary, direct hire, and contract-to-hire staffing for IT, engineering, clinical and non-clinical healthcare, marketing and creative, and manufacturing and supply chain roles across all industries. 

To connect with a Judge recruiter, submit your resume to one of our open jobs at https://www.judge.com/jobs. One of our recruiters will contact you if your skills and experience are a match for one of our open positions.