| v> | | | | relationship with will have come to a good enough |
| | | | understanding of your background that they've |
| If a recruiter has a position open, guess who their | | | | submitted your resume for a position that you |
| first move is when they want to fill it. If you guessed | | | | recognize is a very good fit for your background and |
| posting a job on a job site, you're wrong (at least | | | | interests. You may even have gone on an interview |
| most of the time). Recruiters are like any other | | | | that the recruiter has set up for you but it didn't |
| human being and they want to get their work done | | | | work out for whatever reason. These are the |
| with the least amount of effort. So a recruiter's first | | | | recruiters who you want to maintain relationships |
| move is usually to call (or email) someone they | | | | with. If they recommended you for a job in the past, |
| already know. Posting a job on a job site is time | | | | chances are they'd do it again in the future. For |
| consuming and typically requires having to deal with a | | | | simplicity, let's refer to these people as "High |
| deluge of responses (most job ads yield 300+ | | | | Probability Recruiters." |
| candidates responding with their resumes). It's much | | | | Don't Be a Pest |
| easier for the recruiter to try someone they know | | | | While it's important to stay in touch, you also don't |
| first. | | | | want to become a pest. If you haven't heard |
| Being the Candidate the Recruiter Calls First | | | | anything from one of the High Probability recruiters |
| In addition to the hassle associated with posting a | | | | as described above for a couple weeks, go ahead |
| job on a job site, there is another downside to a | | | | and shoot them an email to let them know you're still |
| recruiter using this approach: since they don't know | | | | on the market. In the long-term though, you don't |
| the people responding to a job posting, they have to | | | | want job searching to be the only reason you're in |
| take the time to review the resumes, talk to | | | | touch with a recruiter. Try to find out (in a phone |
| potential candidates, and try to get to a comfort | | | | conversation or in person) what some of their |
| level where they feel like they can recommend the | | | | interests are. This gives you an opportunity to have |
| person to a client. If you already have a relationship | | | | something else to mention when you email them. For |
| with a recruiter, they're going to be much more | | | | example, if you find out the person is fanatical about |
| comfortable recommending you than someone else. | | | | college basketball, you can email them if there was a |
| Don't Let the Relationship Die Out | | | | great game on TV the night before. |
| Most job seekers, and frankly most recruiters, make | | | | Another way to keep up a relationship with a |
| the mistake of letting their relationships die out. | | | | recruiter is to offer to be helpful to them. |
| Recruiters get busy with new open positions that | | | | Networking expert Harvey MacKay has talked about |
| have to be filled. Job seekers get distracted by new | | | | how a friend of his, a former coach of the |
| jobs to respond to or calls from new recruiters. So | | | | Notre-Dame football team, would always end |
| the time invested in getting to know each other | | | | conversations by asking sincerely if there was |
| often goes to waste. Does this mean you need to | | | | anything he could do to be helpful. In a recruiters |
| work hard at building a relationship with every | | | | case, they may have hard to fill positions that you |
| recruiter you talk to? Not at all. Rather, you may | | | | could help them with by asking your friends if they |
| notice as you go about your job search that certain | | | | know anyone who could be a good fit. If you |
| recruiters seem to understand you and your | | | | demonstrate your willingness to help them, they will |
| strengths better than others. It is these recruiters | | | | be much more open to maintaining a relationship with |
| who you want to stay in touch with. | | | | you, even if they do have a hefty workload and |
| Typically, the recruiters you want to maintain a | | | | work schedule. |