4 Ways to Get the Most from Your Recruiter!

Marcianne Kuethen

December 10, 2013

When we were kids, my brother saw a possum in a bush. Being fascinated with creatures of every kind, he prodded it with a stick until it played dead and then caged it to keep as a pet. But every time we tried to feed the possum, even though we meant well, it would become defensive, hiss, and bare its razor-sharp teeth. It brought to life the phrase, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!” Eventually, my brother realized that this wild animal was impossible to help, and he let it go.

In your job search, it’s important that you don’t bite the hand that feeds you, too! As you establish a relationship with a recruiter who’s invested in helping you find a position, keep in mind that an employer typically doesn’t pay the recruiter unless or until you are hired. This means that your recruiter personally has a lot at stake in representing you. If you act in a way that alienates the employer and sabotages all the work the recruiter has thus far performed without pay, you may well lose your recruiter’s support.

What can you avoid doing in order to keep from discouraging your recruiter? I asked our staffing managers this question, and here are four behaviors they listed that will hurt your chances of being considered for the job:

Misrepresenting the facts and dates on your resume. Understand that your recruiter will always follow up on this information to confirm the accuracy of stated dates/skills/roles. It’s his or her job. Honesty is still the best policy!

Failure to review your resume, questionnaire, or emails for misspellings and errors. If you’re a solid candidate but your written answers come back with multiple grammatical errors, it forces your recruiter to question your ability to be detail-minded and accurate.

Rambling. When you give rambling answers in a phone or in-person interview, your recruiter or the client assumes:
– You don’t actually have a positive direct answer for the question
– You aren’t able to comprehend a clear question or direction
– You don’t have the ability to communicate experience that they do have
– You can’t adequately decipher between relevant and irrelevant information

If you can’t stay on topic when speaking with your recruiter, it causes the recruiter to wonder how you will perform in an interview. If you ramble when interviewing with the client, it makes them wonder how you will interact with co-workers, customers, and vendors.

Not taking your recruiter’s advice. Not being prepared in any way that your recruiter suggests is a sure way to ruin your chances of getting the job.

To positively state it, here are four ways to get the most out of your recruiter and support his or her hard work to get you the interview:

1) Be honest on your resume, job application, or any questionnaire you submit.

2) Proofread your resume, job application, or questionnaire before you turn it in. Whenever possible, have someone else proofread it too.

3) Be concise in your answers. This means learning to anticipate what kinds of questions you may be asked, and thinking through possible responses beforehand. If this seems difficult to do, check out How to Answer 10 Tough Interview Questions. You can also search our blog for posts about interviews and behavioral interview questions. Then practice answering questions concisely by mock-interviewing with a friend.

4) Listen to your recruiter! He or she really wants you to succeed, so take advantage of any advice or information they give you, do your homework, and get ready to put your best foot forward!

Should candidates work for free? Click here for interview no-nos to avoid.

By Marcianne Kuethen, Marketing Director