Should You Use A Recruiter In Your Job Search?

Should You Use A Recruiter In Your Job Search?

If you are searching for a new career or you are an eLearner earning your college degree online, you may have wondered if a recruiter could help you find employment more easily than if you take on the challenge by yourself. What might assist you in making the decision whether or not to utilize a recruiter’s services? Here are some pros and cons... RELATED: Need job search advice? Watch these tutorials!


Pros

Steady stream of work. If you are good at what you do, then using a recruiter could be a great way of channeling a continuing stream of work. It is best to be honest about the type of work you are looking for, your educational and career background, and your qualifications. If you are not, you could be setting yourself up for failure. It’s cheap. Since you do not have to pay an employment agency to assist you in your job hunt if you use a recruiter instead, you could bank that money you might have otherwise spent. Get in the door. Recruiters are generally well-connected people. They know other recruiters and they may even share information they glean. Plus, they have reputations to uphold with their clients. If you make use of a recruiter's services, you could find yourself presented with more opportunities with larger companies that you may not have stood a chance with on your own.

Cons

Missing information. Do not assume that a recruiter will tell you everything you need to know about a particular job opening. Be sure to ask questions. For example, if you receive an offer to travel out-of-state for a job interview, ask who is footing the bill for your travel expenses. To pay out-of-pocket for airfare, a rental car, and hotel room only to discover that you did not get the job and you are not going to reimbursed could be costly. Misunderstanding your skills. Recruiters are like managers. While they may know certain industry buzzwords, they might not understand exactly what it is that you do. Therefore, it is up to you to fill them in on your expertise so that the job opportunities you may receive are viable, potential options. You may not hear back from them. This reality could happen to you. You might not be a great match for the openings they have. It may be okay to follow-up once or twice during the process but any more than that and you could get labeled as a pest.

Should You Use A Recruiter In Your Job Search?

Having a recruiter assist you in your job search could be a great way for you to expand your career opportunities. Even if the recruiter does not have a current job slot for you to fill, if they like you and feel that you are who you say you are—yes, they usually perform background checks—you could end up on their call-back list. So, don’t give up hope if it takes some time to find the right career. As long as you remain positive and act professionally, you could find yourself matched sooner rather than later. For more tips, check out this article, "Recruiter's Secrets To Help You With Job Searching." This post was originally published at an earlier date.

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