Call My Agent
9/10, the jobs you apply for on boards such as Reed and Monster are via recruitment agencies. Meaning whilst you’re on the job hunt, recruitment agencies are pretty much unavoidable.
The reason for this is because many organisations don’t have a dedicated internal recruitment function set up, therefore don’t have the capacity to look for candidates with a required skill set for the vacancy. Another reason could be because they would rather save money by paying a one-off recruiting fee than the thousands per year on job board subscriptions. It’s a no brainer.
There are many opposing views when it comes to recruitment agencies, but whether you love them or hate them, you’ll have to work with them. And as the old saying goes;
If you can’t beat ‘em, learn how to navigate ’em and join ‘em.
1. Look At Me!
Recruiters are always on the lookout for new candidates, and they achieve this by boolean searching across job boards and LinkedIn. Now your CV is perfect, you’ll need to make sure you come up in the searches by selecting the option to make your CV visible to recruiters.
2. Self-Beneficial Honesty
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Once they find you, recruiters will usually give you a call to go over your current experience, education and career expectations. They’ll ask some tough questions such as why you left your last role, where you are in your job search and what companies you’ve been interviewing with. Be upfront with all of the above, but remember you don’t have to give them any details that don’t aid your job search with them. “I’m at 2nd stage interview with a media company” will suffice, and if they ask who specifically express you don’t wish to disclose.
3. Handshake
If the call went well it’s likely that the recruiter will ask you to go to their office to register with them in person and discuss potential roles with you in further detail. Although it can be a pain, I strongly recommend you do this. Many recruiters want to vouch for you properly to their hiring clients, they’re unable to do this with just a phone call. However, I’ll admit some visits into the office can be a complete waste of time, so ask specific questions before committing to going in. “How many vacancies do you have at the moment that you would like to discuss? What stage are they at? When would they like to begin interviews?” These aren’t guaranteed to ensure you haven’t gone in for no reason, but it better illustrates the recruiter’s intentions for this meeting.
4. You’re Not My Dad!
Agents don’t have your CV in hand knocking at potential clients doors in hopes one of them will give you a chance. The reality is the very opposite. They’ll prioritise the vacancies that they have (usually the ones with the biggest fee) and create a pool of candidates suitable for said vacancy, which may or may not include you. Recruiters will have 5+ roles to work on at one time, so as harsh as it sounds — you are not their main concern. No matter how well your registration meeting goes, you should never put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to job hunting. Keep looking, keep applying and keep registering with other relevant agencies that work with clients that appeal to you.
5. I Saw’d You
You’ll probably receive a LinkedIn request from the recruiter you’ve spoken to after registration meeting (sometimes even after the call). Recruiters will always post the vacancies they’re working on via LinkedIn, mainly because it’s the cheapest way (i.e. free) way to grow their candidate pool. Keep an eye on their posts and all activity by visiting their profile. Recruiters are also very likely to repost and share roles that their colleagues are working on (appears under ‘All activity’). Keep an eye out, and if you’re interested in something that their colleague has instead, send that introductory email, name drop the recruiter you registered with and get the ball rolling.
6. Kiss Frogs
As is normal life, not all recruiters have your best interests at heart. That’s not to say they wish the worst for you either, it’s an every man for themselves mindset. Many recruiters work in a sales environment with certain targets to achieve, including how many marketing calls they make, how many register meetings they have, and of course how many placements they make; all measured per week or month. It’s likely you might become one of those numbers recruiters use to hit targets and that’s okay; use those meetings to ask as many questions as possible and practice your interview skills. They’re there to provide a consultative service to you — for free. There are some recruiters you might speak to once and never hear from again, there are recruiters who will make you call and email repeatedly for an update on a role, and as annoying as that is you’ll be too busy focusing on your other job hunting avenues to dwell on it.
