Working with recruiters (part 4)

A recruiter is absolutely not your career adviser. Since recruiters have an incentive to place you, any advice they give you can be biased. I've experienced this personally. Fortunately, I had a strong sense of self-interest and I knew what she was doing. I made one of the best career moves of my life by doing the opposite of what she advised. Even though the recruiter does not work for you, your relationship with the recruiter must advance your own interests. If there is no value exchange, then gracefully exit the relationship.

I remember being a candidate for a position for which the recruiter said that the employer wanted candidates to be able to go on an interview with less than two hours notice. This was an unreasonable request, but it was very telling. A potential employer completely unconcerned with a candidate's circumstances at the time that they want to woo candidates is unlikely to care at all once they become the candidate's employer.

Contact a recruiter only when you see an open position whose requirements match your skills. This can be a position posted to a job site or on the search firm's own web site. One exception will be covered below.

Think outside the region. Even if you're seeking employment where you currently live, keep in mind that some of the recruiters seeking to fill jobs in your area live and work elsewhere.

Speak to recruiters that contact you even if you aren't actively searching for a job, and return their calls if they ask you to. One exception is if you have good reason to believe that a relationship with that particular recruiter would not be beneficial. I had a friend who was contacted by an independent recruiter who wanted to meet her in person. She didn't meet with him because she wasn't able to find anything out about the man or his company.

Don't think you're being disloyal to your current employer by maintaining contact with recruiters. For all you know, your current employer could be giving you a pinkslip tomorrow morning.

It is in your best interests to include recruiters in your career planning network. You could face downsizing, reorganization resulting in a difficult manager, relocation, etc. A good relationship with a good recruiter is a good investment in your future.

To be continued….