Many professional jobs these days are handled by outside recruiters. If you are working in technology industry, you will have to work with recruiters a lot. In this article I would like to share the qualities of a good recruiter because they really do matter. You don’t have to work with every single recruiter who contacts you, but you do want to work with someone who can truly understand you and your needs as well as represent you with dignity. So let’s talk about how to recognize a great recruiter you want to continue working with over and over again.
#1. They always return your calls and emails. Regardless whether there is a current job opening for you or not, whether you were selected for the position or not, a diligent recruiter will always call you back in a timely matter, prepared to deliver good news, bad news or no news. And you will hear it from them, not one of those automatically generated emails with a “no-reply” address. They will not keep you hanging or wondering and they will not avoid you just because they have nothing for you at this time. No matter how busy they are, they will always find 5 minutes of their time to tell you what’s happening. That being said, however, please be respectful of their time as well and don’t pester them with emails or phone calls just because you’re on edge. As a rule, wait at least a week since your last correspondence and follow up with them if you haven’t heard back by then.
#2. They always call you after your interview. If you receive a phone call from your recruiter to find our how your interview went within 24 hours of in interview, this is a true indication that you are working with someone who cares. Extra bonus points for them if they call you after 5pm or on Saturday to talk about the interview you had on Friday. This is a nice gesture and it shows the willingness to go above and beyond the job duties as well as their investment in you as a candidate.
#3. They continue reaching out to you for more job opportunities after you’ve been turned down by one of their clients. This is actually a huge sign you picked the right person to work with because most recruiters will forget about you after the first interview that didn’t produce an offer. Even if you are a great candidate with excellent skills to offer, sometimes you don’t get selected for a variety of reasons and recruiters understand this. This is also a great sign because it shows they have several open opportunities, which means they are working with multiple clients and their recruiting firm is thriving.
#4. They present you with relevant job opportunities. This shows not only that they take time reviewing their clients’ needs and requirements, but also spend some time assessing and listening to your specific needs and requirements. Some recruiters will present you will any loosely related job openings for the sake of “what if?” Or they will try to “sell” you the job opportunity and even convince you to relocate for it.
#5. They are open to networking and talking to you even if they don’t have immediate job openings for you. Great recruiters understand the power of networking, both in person and online, utilizing social media. You can always recognize a good recruiter who knows what he/she is doing by looking at their LinkedIn profile. A good recruiter’s profile will include a summary statement, a nice professional photo, lots of connections and sometimes even a few words about what types of professionals they typically look for. They would encourage you to connect with them and even spare a few minutes of their time to chat with you about your skills and career goals. They may not have any positions for you at the moment but they will keep you in mind for future openings if you are in their niche and show good potential.