T.A.P. Q#364 – What’s Proper Recruiter Etiquette?

November 9, 2009 by sparktalk

Dear Experts,

Ok, I don’t know of any other way to say this so I’ll just state the facts. I’ve had recruiters hit me up a couple of times for certain positions, some positions were negotiated while others just weren’t a fit and I remained on cordial terms with them. Recently, I’ve had a run-in with a couple of recruiters that approached me through LinkedIn, eager to recruit me for specific roles/positions they had in mind for me. I performed a thorough check of their company sites before replying to them and at their request forwarded my CV. I waited a decent amount of time (usually 6-7 days) each time and emailed them wanting to discuss the positions in further detail. The shocker was an absolute lack of correspondence back from their side. My LinkedIn profile lists the same experience as the CV. I specifically inquired about the need for a cover letter with my CV submissions but the recruiters said they did not require one. This complete lack of protocol and/or etiquette on their behalf has left me completely befuddled. Is there something wrong at my end? Could my CV possibly lack the luster? Was I spammed? Or is it standard practice for time to time? Very eager to hear your views.

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Here is how our CAREEREALISM-Approved Experts answered this question on Twitter:

Q#364 Sounds a little like spam to me. Don’t spend too much time on recruiters who come out of the blue. (@gradversity)

Q#364 What’s proper recruiter etiquette. Sounds like you covered the angles: http://bit.ly/3e4baE. (@ravingredhead)

Q#364 In this market, 6-7 days maybe too long; also u know cover letters r place 2 make ur case so send one. (@juliaerickson)

Q#364 Recruiters can be rude & u can’t control them. Control all factors u can, then let go of results. (@juliaerickson)

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