Should You Work with a Recruiter?

The job market stinks right now, no two ways about it.  But if you’re struggling to find a job, will it help you to work with a recruiter?

 

Let’s start with who recruiters are.  Broadly speaking, there are 2 types: in-house and external.  (There’s actually a lot more nuance than that, but let’s keep it simple for today.)

 

Internal recruiters are usually full-time employees working at larger corporations like Google.  These folks are usually in HR, and know lots about the company culture, the needs of hiring managers, and so forth.  However, it’s more unusual for them to work at places that aren’t corporate, so if you’re more of a free soul, these folks may not be best of you.  You can usually tell you’re working with a corporate recruiter like this when they have an email address specific to the company.

 

External, or third-party, recruiters usually work at agencies and are tasked with finding qualified candidates and connecting them with the employers.  These agencies or individuals may specialize, for example, working with executives or engineers.  Sometimes these recruiters are paid on contingency, meaning they only make money when they place people, and sometimes they get a salary regardless.  With these agency recruiters it’s not unusual to have s sort of tiered system, in which a lower-level individual is responsible for finding potential candidates and passing them up to someone who had more authority.  (More on that next week.)

 

What do recruiters do?  Depending on your level or specialization, a recruiter might reach out to you, screen you for a role, work with you on developing your resume, and even walk you through interviews and negotiations.  They often function as liaisons between candidates and workplaces.

 

The benefits of working with a recruiter are:

 

1. It’s free to you. No reputable recruiter will ask you for money unless it’s for something like a deep dive into your resume.
2. You might get access to opportunities that would be hidden otherwise. Recruiters often get job postings before they go out to the general public, and if they fill them, the posts won’t need to go out at all.
3. It’s another tool you can use to find your next position. It’s never a bad idea to put out as many feelers as possible!
4. They can help with salary and benefits negotiations when the time comes. A lot of people are very anxious about this process, so it’s not a terrible idea to have someone helping you with it.
5. You can get feedback on your application process, including things like resumes, LinkedIn, and interviewing.
6. They may specialize in what you do. This is especially true in areas like engineering, where employers might have a hard time finding qualified candidates.
7. And you can get some human support along the way, too. Job-searching can be lonely and frustrating.

 

The drawbacks of working with a recruiter are:

 

1. They’re often extremely overworked, and unless you have skills that are hard for employers to find, you may not get much (or fast) responses.
2. They are likely to send you a broad range of things, and many of those might not be of interest to you.
3. You won’t get much control over the process, at least on that side of things.
4. It’s easy to over-rely on the recruiter, who may or may not find you things that make sense.
5. The recruiters aren’t working for you, they’re working for the employer. This means they’re less focused on you and your needs, and more focused on finding possible candidates, of whom you might be one.  Or not.
6. You might be constrained if you find a role at a company the recruiter has ties to. For instance, you may be prohibited from accepting an ongoing role if a recruiter placed you in a temp one, or you might find you’re not able to apply for a role directly because the recruiter won’t get the commission that way.
7. They might oversell the role. Often this is because they’re external and don’t really know the details, so they’re going on what they have.  But it’s still frustrating for candidates who feel they’ve had a bait-and-switch job posting.
8. And finally, there are some shady operators out there. They might be less diligent about guarding your info, or may even send your resume for misaligned jobs without your permission, so suddenly you’re getting postings for things you absolutely don’t want.

 

As you can see, it’s important to do research before you begin working with a recruiter.  Ask friends and family if they have recommendations, read reviews, and have a good sense of what you’re seeking.  Trust your instincts along the way, too: a recruiter who feels smarmy to you isn’t going to be a good fit!