How can a recruiter help me with my job search?
We recently asked our LinkedIn network: “What is the main service you use a recruiter for?” A whopping 94% of you responded with “Finding a job”.
Whilst that is one of the most popular and common services a recruiter offers, there are also a wide variety of other services that recruiters can help you with when looking for a new role.
So, how can a recruiter help with your job search?
1. Advice on the market
Recruiters have excellent knowledge of the current job market and will know the latest insights related to their field and your expertise. They can help you with understanding current market trends, making your job search more manageable.
2. Personalised Advice
Not only do recruiters have a wealth of knowledge, but they can also support and guide you through the job market. Finding a new role can often feel overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. Recruiters can support you with providing personalised advice including helping you to understand what is important to you in your next role, helping you to perfect your CV and LinkedIn profile and helping you to improve your interviewing skills. They will also be able to advise you on current salary expectations at your level to make sure you do not over or undersell yourself.
3. Access to network
A recruiter’s network is next to none, they are constantly making new connections and expanding their contact base and often have long standing relationships with a variety of employers. When using a recruiter, you will also have access to their large network. With a competitive job market, when applying to a role directly, your CV will most likely get lost amongst the large number of other applications. By befriending a recruiter, they can help push your CV directly to the Hiring Manager and help to promote your application directly. They can also speculatively approach employers that they have a relationship with (and that you may want to work for), introducing your profile for any roles they may be hiring in the future at your level.
4. Finding a job and the speed of the recruitment process
Do not assume that every role a recruiter is recruiting for is posted on job boards. Some companies will specifically use a recruitment agency to support with them with confidential roles they are recruiting for. These roles are often not advertised due to the sensitive nature of the positions. We recommend you aim to build a good, longstanding relationship with 4 recruiters who will understand your experience and motivations well and will speak to you about the confidential roles (not advertised) as well as those advertised. Equally, securing a role through a recruiter can be a quicker than process than applying for a role directly. When an employer approaches a recruiter for support with a hiring process, the recruiter will shortlist up to 6 CV’s, most of whom will secure a first stage interview with a client and the process will typically move quickly.
5. You’re never forgotten about
A job search can be a tiring process. You may feel like you are spending time constantly looking for roles that match your experience and wondering if you should apply to them. Well, a recruiter can help you with the hard work. If you don’t manage to get the first job you apply for (which is pretty impressive if you do) your CV doesn’t get thrown away. It is kept on the recruiter’s radar so they can put you forward for new roles that become available and match your experience, so you won’t be forgotten about.
6. Negotiations
If you have secured a role through a recruiter, congratulations! The next steps consist you to acquire your contract and negotiate the terms. This is where a recruiter is a great asset. They can help advise on the offer you receive and help negotiate for you to get the best offer you deserve.
Using a recruiter for your job search is a great way to gain support and advice. At JasperRose our mission is Creating Success Together, and we are always looking to connect successful people with successful brands.
If you are currently looking for a new role, then take a look at our latest job opportunities and follow us on LinkedIn. Or, if you would like to find out more, then please do get in touch.
