Reviewing my introduction on blogspot.com, I noticed that I promised "insider tips, tricks, etc." as an ongoing part of my blog. Reviewing past entries, I noticed a lack of tips and/or tricks. Thinking I'd better rectify this situation before my devoted readers stage a revolt, please consider the following "Insider Tips" when utilizing a recruiter to assist you in your job search.

TIPS TO WORKING WITH A RECRUITER:

#1: Be truthful. Seriously. We do not want to walk down the "I've got this great opportunity for you" path and have you pull a Pinocchio on us that perpetuates your candidacy for a position you aren't qualified for or that causes us to present information to the company that is untruthful. This doesn't only hurt you, it wastes our time, the company's time, and sullies your reputation with us, the company and Jiminy Cricket (to continue with my Pinocchio theme).

Yes, truth is a two-way street. This is why you have to take care when selecting the recruiters with whom you are entrusting your personal information, financial details, and career objectives. Look for recruiters who have been in the business a MINIMUM of five years, who specialize in the industry you specialize in, who respond to emails and phone calls promptly, and who are very "visible" on the internet as well as listing a snail mail/physical address.

#2: Communicate quickly and professionally. As an ethical, thorough recruiter, I am not going to reach out to you if I don't feel that this opportunity truly meets your future goals, matches your professional criteria, and would interest you enough to make you go through the pain of leaving one job and all of your friends there for another job. So if I do call you or email you, I would appreciate the courtesy of a return call or email, and I would appreciate receiving this response sooner rather than later. I know people go on vacations, they are caught up with business or traveling, but waiting a few weeks to get back to someone is unprofessional and, well, actions speak louder than words.

Again with the two-way street analogy, I will absolutely return your phone call or email within 24 hours (usually within an hour or two), and if I don't - I will be the first one to fall on my knees and beg your forgiveness. Communication makes the world go around, and for my part in this big wide world, I would rather communicate a truthful negative response than leave a message unanswered.

#3: Listen to Our Advice. I know that when it comes to what you do, you are The One, The Chosen, The Expert. You can take a company's faltering product, tweak this, revamp that, and turn the line around in a year, or utilize your industry contacts to introduce a product that causes your company's bottom line to fatten up quicker than a tick on a coon dog. But when it comes to presenting you to our client for consideration, why all the push back on resume preparation, skill presentation, career chronology and bulletpoints? We work with these companies day in and day out. When you are The Boss, you dictate the way in which you want to receive information. When you are the Candidate, our company is The Boss and we know the way in which they require information to be presented. Arm wrestling with you over these types of issues is not only silly, but it may keep you from being considered for an opportunity you would be great for. Oh, and since it's my candidate and I flatter myself that I do have control over who is presented to them, I will win the arm wrestling match, and too much of that will make the biceps really big. I don't much fancy looking like Nancy/Popeye-Sailor Man recruiter so help me out and cooperate with me if I ask you to revamp the ole' resume.

#4: Keep Your Contact Information Current. Nothing is more frustrating to a recruiter than reaching back into the candidate database, finding the candidate you were remembering who would be "perfect" for an opportunity we're working on, only to find that the email address and all phone numbers are out of date. These days there is simply no excuse for allowing your information to lapse. People keep cell phone numbers forever, social networking is taking over the world, and linked-in (a professional networking site) makes keeping your visibility and contact-ability current a snap. So drop an email, give a call, send an updated resume - anything - just keep your information current with us. Thank you. :)

Do you have any further tips on working with recruiters? What has worked for you? What suggestions do you have for recruiters on how to work more successfully with candidates? Drop me a comment or an email! I look forward to hearing from you!