This is a guest post by Jenny Battershell
It’s no secret that companies struggle to fill job openings, which can significantly benefit today’s job seekers. The roles available are almost endless, and they can be found at practically all levels within a corporation. Many employers have found themselves with more vacancies than they can fill. Though a wave of resignations over the last few years has created what many would describe as a jobseeker’s market, it isn’t always as easy as applying to land your dream job. Companies are still looking for their ideal candidate, which is why many people searching for a new job are turning to recruiters.
If you’re not finding the opportunities you’re looking for, it may be time for you to do the same. However, don’t just make an appointment out of the blue. You want to ensure you have all your ducks in a row before meeting with a recruitment professional. Here are a few tips to get the ball rolling:
1. Do Your Research
Recruiters often specialize in specific job categories, industry verticals, and candidate levels. Executive search recruitment, for example, typically places high-level candidates for executive positions. So, you’ll want to work with someone with experience in your occupation and industry who regularly receives job opportunities matching your skills, knowledge, and career aspirations.
Do a quick search of the recruiter’s credentials, background, and length of service. More importantly, check to see how well-connected the individual is. A review of their LinkedIn page can tell you how deep their connections run within your industry. Going through these steps can increase your odds of securing a job.
2. Update Your Social Media Profiles
Recruiters do their research, too. Review all your social media profiles to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward, starting with one of the most important: LinkedIn. Ensure all the information is up-to-date and that you’re following the best practices for the platform. Then, go through all other profiles, removing any photos, posts, or comments that could be questionable, embarrassing, or paint you in an unflattering light.
3. Get to Know Yourself Better
When meeting with a recruiter, you’ll be asked many questions, and you’ll want to know your answers to questions like, “What position are you looking for?” What are your salary expectations? Do you have any short- and long-term career goals? Have you given any thought to the company culture of your ideal employer? What sort of work arrangement are you looking for? Is it remote? On-site? Hybrid? What about growth opportunities? Are you looking for additional training or education in a specific area? It’s also important to consider your strengths, competencies, interests, values, etc. These, too, will probably be areas of discussion during your meeting.
4. Prepare Questions
Meeting with recruiters is like the interviewing process for a job. There should be an element of give and take to the discussion. You always want to prepare a few questions for the upcoming meeting. You should ask the person about themselves, their experience, the recruitment process, how they match talent with openings, and so on. You may also want to prepare more job-related questions should that meeting result in an unexpected opportunity. These questions could cover additional information about the interview process and the position, such as how long the position has been open, whether they know why the job is available, what is the career track for this opportunity, what’s the timeline from interview to hire, what skills are needed for success, what does a typical day look like at this employer, and so on.
5. Inquire About Exclusivity
Recruiters will sometimes want exclusivity from the individuals they represent. It’s entirely up to you whether to go this route. Just understand that this can limit your job prospects. Not all recruiters hear about all job openings.
6. Ready Your Documents
Recruiters will often want to verify the information you’re providing. And if you and the recruiter decide it’s a good fit, they’ll want to get started as soon as possible. So, having everything on hand for the meeting is good practice. Pull together a work portfolio (if necessary), multiple copies of your CV, reference list, credentials, certifications, and driver’s license.
7. Consider Building a Personal Website
Above all other personal branding tools, a personal website can be a great way to share your personality and demonstrate your knowledge to potential employers. It also shows that you take your career seriously, which can be very attractive to a recruiter and a potential employer. Fortunately, you don’t have to break your back to make one. Website builders make it both affordable and accessible. Like anything related to business, remember that personal websites should be professional, not stuffy. Be creative, but also make sure it’s grammatically correct, free of typos, and written with attention to detail.
Working with a recruiter holds excellent potential for a job seeker. But, like a potential new employer, you want to make a good first impression. Preparation will be key to this and help expedite finding your next job.
About the Guest Post Author:
Jenny Battershell is the Director of Marketing at Goodwin Recruiting, a full-service executive search recruitment firm. Battershell spent nine years as Goodwin’s director of sales and four more as the marketing and client relations manager before moving into her current role. She currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.