Do they understand what you actually do?
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:35 am
You can very quickly get a feeling for whether a recruiter has your interests in mind or not. From the first conversation, it should be easy to assess their expertise but more importantly their intent. I’ve always taken the approach that if I can’t help someone at the time they contact me, then I’ll tell them. This would obviously come after a discussion about what the person is looking for, but it’s vital that you know where you stand. If the recruiter promises you interviews and nothing materialises, then did they really have the opportunities in the first place? You cannot let your CV become a marketing tool for someone trying to open up new clients. This approach can be very productive for the candidate if used in a targeted manner, but you must consent to it and know which companies are going to be contacted. We’ve even heard horror stories about CVs being sent to the candidate’s current employer. Not good.
A good recruiter will take the time to understand your motivations, where you want to spain phone number resource go in your career and also what wouldn’t suit you. You should only be discussing relevant opportunities. When I was looking for a marketing role a number of years ago, I was inundated with calls about sales jobs, often from the same company, despite my pleas to have my record updated for just marketing roles.
Your best bet is usually to engage with a recruiter in your particular discipline. It takes time to understand a sector and how the different roles interlink. Sometimes it takes an outsider to suggest a sideways move into a growing area, and this is where good advice can pay dividends. If the person you are dealing with does not understand the sector, they will probably just be looking at simple progression for you, which may not be the right approach. Ten years ago mobile apps and programmatic marketing weren’t the buzzwords they are now, or were certainly in their infancy. Now many companies are asking for mobile and data skills. Recruiters need to be able to explain the changing market and where the new opportunities are arising. This comes from having a finger on the pulse, reading trade magazines and other media sources every day. In other words, a good recruiter works hard to understand market trends and to keep candidates and clients informed.
A good recruiter will take the time to understand your motivations, where you want to spain phone number resource go in your career and also what wouldn’t suit you. You should only be discussing relevant opportunities. When I was looking for a marketing role a number of years ago, I was inundated with calls about sales jobs, often from the same company, despite my pleas to have my record updated for just marketing roles.
Your best bet is usually to engage with a recruiter in your particular discipline. It takes time to understand a sector and how the different roles interlink. Sometimes it takes an outsider to suggest a sideways move into a growing area, and this is where good advice can pay dividends. If the person you are dealing with does not understand the sector, they will probably just be looking at simple progression for you, which may not be the right approach. Ten years ago mobile apps and programmatic marketing weren’t the buzzwords they are now, or were certainly in their infancy. Now many companies are asking for mobile and data skills. Recruiters need to be able to explain the changing market and where the new opportunities are arising. This comes from having a finger on the pulse, reading trade magazines and other media sources every day. In other words, a good recruiter works hard to understand market trends and to keep candidates and clients informed.