| If you wonder why you rarely hear back from | | | | referring multiple candidates in hopes of filling the |
| recruiters you submit your resume to, or get | | | | jobs they get, and not specifically on trying to |
| very few interviews through them, it is most | | | | help job seekers. |
| often because your experience and qualifications | | | | As I stated before, a recruiter will be beneficial to |
| simply do not ideally match the needs of their | | | | you if you match the needs one of their paying |
| client; and their client is the employer who has | | | | clients. Your best strategy as a candidate is to |
| either paid or will pay them for filling the position | | | | literally register many agencies that deal with your |
| you applied to, not you. For the most part a | | | | industry or discipline to ensure that you have a |
| recruiter is beneficial to you if you match the | | | | chance at being considered for the very small |
| specific needs of a paying client. | | | | portion of the job market represented by the |
| When dealing with third party recruiters (those | | | | industry; regardless of what any one recruiter |
| that work for agencies or search firms) you must | | | | may tell you about their working on your behalf |
| understand the reality of how they operate and | | | | and promises to place you in a job. |
| appreciate that their primary job, is not to assist | | | | Now I hope this does not appear to be an article |
| you in finding a job. | | | | against recruiters, or that they should not be a |
| To hire for a permanent position through a | | | | part of your job search strategy because they |
| recruiter the company pays a fee, a fee which is | | | | absolutely should. Recruiters have access to jobs |
| normally based on the starting salary for the job. | | | | you do not and after all it does not cost you |
| The higher the starting salary, the higher the fee. | | | | anything except that time it takes to register or |
| The percentage charged will depend on the fee | | | | send you resume, which is something you are |
| schedule used by the agency the recruiter works | | | | doing anyway. What I am saying is that you need |
| for and can vary widely from one to another. For | | | | to appreciate that the job of a recruiter is not to |
| example, the fee for a job with a starting salary | | | | help you find a job, it is to help the employer; so |
| of only $25,000 per year can be anywhere from | | | | you should never rely on recruiters as your only |
| 10% to 25% or $2,500 to $6,250, and the fee | | | | means or even your primary means of finding |
| for a job with a starting salary of $50,000 per | | | | work. |
| year can range from 10% to 40% or $5,000 to | | | | If you want someone to work on your behalf and |
| $20,000. | | | | focus on finding you a job then you should |
| In all cases, you see that it can be quite | | | | consider finding an Outplacement Consultant or |
| expensive for a company to use the services of | | | | Job Developer. They are the opposite of |
| a third party recruiter on a regular basis and it is | | | | recruiters in that they work with/for the |
| for this reason that most companies actually do | | | | candidate. The obvious major difference is that |
| not use them, and that those that do only use | | | | the fees for their services are paid by you (or |
| them to fill a small portion of their jobs. When you | | | | the downsizing employer you are being let go |
| look at the fees employers pay and add to this | | | | from). The main advantage is that these |
| the fact that in most cases all or the majority of | | | | professionals have a much more extensive |
| what a recruiter earns is based on filling the job, | | | | network of contacts and greater access to job |
| you can easily understand how selective an | | | | and career opportunities as there is no fee to the |
| employer will be when they hire through a | | | | employer to work with them and hire through |
| recruiter, and how careful the recruiter must be | | | | them. |
| about who he or she sends, for fear of losing the | | | | Whatever you choose to do, remember that |
| employer or losing out to another recruiter. | | | | recruiters are paid to fill jobs and would love |
| What makes this even more challenging for | | | | nothing more that for you to be the candidate |
| recruiters, and thus for you as the candidate, is | | | | their client needs when they review your resume. |
| that there are hundreds of agencies and search | | | | It is their skill, expertise and opinion the employer |
| firms and thousands of recruiters who work for | | | | is paying for to help them fill the position. It is |
| them; and in many cases they are competing | | | | their livelihood at stake if they send the wrong |
| with other recruiters, sometimes even at their | | | | candidate. A recruiter or employment agency |
| own firms, to fill the same jobs. You should now | | | | might not be able to help you to find a job but if |
| be able to understand why employment agencies | | | | you sign on with them so they can find you when |
| focus on finding employers who are willing to pay, | | | | they have a job to fill they just might. |
| and why their recruiters focus finding and | | | | |