How to pick the right Recruiter to help your job search?

When you’re looking for a new job it’s often beneficial engaging with a recruitment consultant to help you secure the right role for you. Identifying what recruiter you should work with can be quite daunting, given the large number of recruiters out there.

Here’s some basic tips to help you pick the best one for you.

1. Ask for recommendations. Speak with colleagues and friends in your market and ask them if there is anyone they’d recommend. Obviously it’s important to speak with the right people that you can trust and make sure it won’t get back to your current employer.

2. Find a sector specialist recruiter. You want to work with someone who is an expert in your market, not someone who is a generalist and recruits across multiple sectors. 

3. What locations do they cover? Typically a recruiter that has a national coverage will often work with large corporate companies but not necessarily work with the smaller – medium size companies in your area. A recruiter who covers a smaller geographical patch will more likely work with a wider spread of both large and small companies.

4. Check their background. Have they got longevity of working for the same company and recruiting in the same market. If they’ve moved about a lot between various recruitment companies this is often a red flag. Longevity in the market will generally mean they have long-standing relationships with clients and know what companies will suit you in terms of workload as well as personality fit.

5. Review their LinkedIn profile. Have you got many mutual connections? Review their activity, are they posting relevant jobs?

6. Look at their job postings. Look at their website, have they got similar jobs to what you are looking for?

7. Call them and “interview” them. You will get a good feeling if they are the right person to help you from a quick 5 minute call. Firstly – do they listen to you and take on board what you are looking for? If not politely end the call and move on.

Ask them the following questions:

• How long have you specialised in this market?
• What companies do you recruit for?
• What jobs do you currently have that would suit me?
• What salary do you think I could achieve?

By following these basic steps you should be able to identify the best recruiter for you. A good recruiter will be able to help you throughout all stages of your job search, and ultimately help you to make the best decision for your next career move.