Keep Calm and Trust Your Recruiter

If you’re on the job market again, my most important advice is to keep calm and trust your recruiter! Whether you were forced into it or you feel like it’s time for a change, being on the job market is scary. There is so much information out there on who to work with, how to find the perfect job, how to nail an interview…the list goes on and on. One of the first things you should do is get in touch with a recruiter who specializes in staffing for your particular industry.

Now, we all know that the staffing industry–recruiters in particular–may not always have the best reputation, mostly because we are inundated with an exponentially heavy load of candidates with whom we’re attempting to stay in touch. There are, however, many recruiters out there who do care for you and do want to place you in your ideal job. Here are three reasons why you can keep calm and trust your recruiter:

1. You’ve done your homework. Don’t just work with any recruiter available to you. Interview them, too! The Wall Street Journal recommends that you ask experienced professionals in your network to refer you to the recruiters they’ve used, and to find recruiter referrals on boards hosted by their trade association, professional society, or alma mater. Another tactic I suggest is to pick three top employment agencies in your area that specialize in your industry to work with, and find a recruiter within that company who is right for you. Once you’ve done your homework and found a recruiter whom you can work well with, keep calm and trust your recruiter to have your best interest in mind, because we really do.

2. Your resume is 100% accurate. If your resume is 100% accurate and you truly can do everything your resume says you can, then your recruiter will know what positions are best for you. Likewise, if there is a job you really want but you don’t feel you are the best fit for it, BUT your recruiter thinks differently, give him or her permission to send it any way. (For tips on how to sell yourself when you feel unqualified, click here.) Don’t just let any recruiter send your resume to any company. But reputable recruiters work closely with hiring managers, and they know what the hiring manager really wants. If you’ve chosen a good recruiter (see #1) and your recruiter thinks it’s worth a shot, then go for it. If you’ve done your homework and your resume is 100% accurate, then keep calm and trust your recruiter.

3. You’re being honest. This is related to #2 above. However, there are a few more things you need to be honest about, details like your salary history, your references, employment gaps, what you know how to do, what you can’t do, if you’re interviewing elsewhere, if you will or will not consider a counter offer, how far you are willing to commute, how much you are looking to make in your next position, etc. There are several things that a recruiter needs to know prior to deciding whether or not to represent you. If you’re not being honest with your recruiter, it will start the relationship off on the wrong foot. I know this is cliché, but seriously, honesty really is the best policy. Be as truthful with your recruiter as you expect your recruiter to be with you. Then, with honesty as the foundation for your job search, sit back, relax, and keep calm, because you truly can trust your recruiter.

This also means that when your recruiter says she/he will call you when she gets feedback, trust him/her. Don’t call every hour on the hour. It won’t leave a good impression; it will only show you’re desperate. And if your recruiter says you aren’t a fit for the position and gives you reasons why, don’t argue with your recruiter. Keep calm and trust your recruiter to call you with positions for which you are better qualified.

Is the job market improving? There’s good news on the horizon.

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