With fierce competition in the job market, job seekers can find a recruiter to increase their chances of landing a top job. Most people think of job recruiters in terms of their relationship with companies that hire them, but individuals can build relationships with recruiters too. Doing so can build trust and lead to better job offers. Here’s a look at how to find a recruiter.
In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about finding a recruiter. One way you can allow recruiters to find you is by uploading your resume on a resume database. Before uploading your resume, we recommend updating your resume or using a professional resume writing service to perfect it. ZipRecruiter has a resume database that allows recruiters to quickly find and discover you. Upload your resume to ZipRecruiter for free today.
Benefits of Working With A Recruiter
Companies use recruiters to find the best candidates to turn into valuable employees. They also rely on recruiters to perform most of the heavy lifting in the recruitment process and sometimes hiring process. Recruiters are good at finding qualified people who fit the needs of their clients. Often, they scour resumes from online job boards to find potential candidates. As a job seeker, you can possibly increase your chances of finding a quality job by building relationships with job recruiters.
Building a relationship with a job recruiter builds trust and could place you in the forefront when they are helping their clients find capable job candidates. This can help you find good jobs to apply for and land job interviews.
Top Benefits of Working With A Recruiter
- Recruiters save you time
- Recruiters allow you access to a larger professional network
- Recruiters guide you through the hiring process
- Recruiters help you find the right job fit
- Recruiters often help you with interview preparation
- Recruiters allow you to have access to more job openings
How To Find A Recruiter
You want to find recruiters, but you also want to find the right recruiters for you. Here are some tips for how to find a recruiter to match your needs.
Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an online professional networking platform. If you’re not on LinkedIn already, start by creating a free account. There’s also a paid option available that gives you a little more access to connect with the right people.
LinkedIn is searchable, so if you have specific companies in mind, you can enter them into the search bar. Then, clock over to the “people” tab to see a list of company employees. You can search within the people tab for “recruiter” or a similar search term. This generates a list of internal recruiters for your desired employers. Connect with recruiters through LinkedIn or locate their contact info to connect outside of the platform. If you have LinkedIn Premium, you can send InMail messages to anyone with an account.
Ask For Recommendations
One of the best ways to find recruiters is to ask people you already know, like family members, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, and peers. If you know someone who worked with a recruiter to land a new job, ask them about the recruiter and their experience.
Use discretion when seeking out information on recruiters, especially with anyone you are connected to professionally. The last thing you want to do is ruin your current situation when inquiring about possibly leaving for another job.
Search via A Directory
Several online recruiting directories exist to help people like you find recruiters. Most recruiting directories are searchable by location, industry, and other relevant terms. Here are some of the most popular online directories for finding recruiters:
- i-Recruit
- Online Recruiters Directory
- Recruiterly
- Recruiter Networks
- Searchfirm.com
- Headhunters Directory
Search Professional Associations
Join The Break Community
Professional associations are also a great way to find recruiters. Sometimes you’ll find recruiters present at association conferences. Some recruiters rent a table or booth at an event’s vendor exhibition to connect with potential clients.
Steps To Help Recruiters Find You
Not only can you search for recruiters, but there are things you can do to make it easier for recruiters to find you. Doing both will help your cause and hopefully lead to better connections for you and future job opportunities.
Dress For The Job You Want
When meeting with or introducing yourself to a recruiter in person, put your best foot forward by dressing the part. If you want someone to consider you a professional, you should look like a professional. Dressing appropriately will leave a good impression with recruiters.
Be Choosy About What Recruiters Get Your Resume
Don’t send your resume to every recruiter that you find. Not all recruiters are created equal, and some might hurt your cause more than help you. More coverage isn’t always better. Employers often pull candidates from multiple recruiting agencies, so you put agencies in an awkward position if they all submit the same candidate for open positions. You could get passed over completely because the employer doesn’t want to choose one firm over another.
Be Prepared For Your Recruiter Interview/Screening
Recruiters typically screen candidates before making any recommendations to their clients. Like a job interview, be prepared to answer questions, including any questions marks from your resume.
This is also your chance to ask the recruiter questions. You want to know that you are being represented fairly and professionally. Ask about their experience as a recruiter and their track record for helping people like you get hired. Ask if you can speak to some of their past clients too. This gives you first-hand information on the recruiter from someone who’s been in your shoes.
Have A Professional Online Presence
I mentioned using LinkedIn earlier. It all starts with crafting a professional-looking LinkedIn profile that will attract attention and accurately convey your experience and skills. You can boost your profile by adding things like:
An engaging summary of your skills and abilities
- Recommendations
- Work experience
- Endorsements
- Samples of your work
Consider LinkedIn as an online resume to attract recruiters and potential employers.
Also, consider creating profiles on the top job search sites. Sites like ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Monster let job seekers create free profiles and post resumes. Profiles on these sites are searchable, and recruiters use them to find potential candidates.
How To Choose A Recruiter
Locating recruiters isn’t that hard, but you want to find the right ones to further your career. That requires doing some research and being selective. Here are some tips on how to choose a recruiter.
Research The Recruiter
Always do your homework when looking for a recruiter. Search Google, LinkedIn, and social media for information on recruiters you’ve located. Research gives a better understanding of who the person is and how they’ve helped people like you in the past. It also enables you to discover potential red flags that they aren’t the right fit for you.
Read Testimonials
You can often find testimonials on a recruiter or their agency. Read through them to get a sense of what they bring to the table and how they’ve performed for other job seekers. You can also see any negative reviews and how they’ve responded to them.
Learn About Their Specialties
Some recruiters are good at helping everyone, while others choose to specialize in particular industries or types of clients. Find out if they specialize in specific industries or are uniquely qualified to help in a particular way that fits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I hire a recruiter to find me a job?
Hiring a recruiter can potentially lead to job interviews and placement employment with an ideal company. It’s worth the investment if you can find a recruiter to match your needs and has a history of helping other job seekers with similar backgrounds and qualifications.
How much does it cost to hire a job recruiter?
Job recruiter rates vary considerably based on the services they offer and time commitments.
How do I find a recruiter to find me a job?
You can find recruiters through an online search, on LinkedIn, and online recruiting directories.
Is a headhunter the same as a recruiter?
Yes, headhunter is another term for a job recruiter. They perform the same functions for companies and job seekers.
Bottom Line
If you are having trouble with your job search working with a recruiter can lead to job interviews and employment with your dream company. Though it may seem like extra work to seek out a great recruiter, the extra effort will be worth landing your dream job. If you aren’t having luck with a recruiter, we also recommend using ZipRecruiter to search for open positions.
