The Recruiter Always Rings Twice

About half the jobs at the $100K+ level in this country are filled through headhunters, and understanding how to work with them can make your job search a lot more efficient and a lot less frustrating.

So I've collected eight of the best articles we've written on executive recruiters below.

From my own experience in the online recruitment industry — I've been in this business ten years now — let me give you my perspective.

Sometimes the bad rap on outside recruiters is that they're just trying to push you to take the job they're recruiting for and they don't truly understand your career goals.

I can sympathize with that viewpoint, so let me tell you why it sometimes feels that way and what you can do to avoid it.

In our research here at TheLadders, what we've discovered is that relatively few people have written-down or well-thought-out career goals. There's nothing wrong, per se, with not having written-down career goals, it's just that most people don't have them.

So when a recruiter gives you a call and is representing a new opportunity, it's difficult for either of you to know if you're really interested. And I can tell you, more than half the time the job you end up taking is one you had no interest in at the beginning of the process.

As a matter of fact, the way I got into this industry was by taking a job as VP, Business Development, at HotJobs.com a decade ago. And I remember walking out of my first meeting with the feeling that it was an interesting company in an interesting industry, but there was no way it was the right job for me. Turns out I changed my mind on that one.

So what you should understand is that a recruiter is putting a new opportunity in the best possible light for you and for your career. As most people (including me) don't have a perfect understanding of what jobs they will or won't take next, it makes sense for the recruiter to be persistent — the best ones are pleasantly persistent — because it just might turn out that you realize the job is great for you.

What's the best way for you to avoid feeling bad or pushed around in this process? Write down you career goals. Which means thinking through what type of company you want to work for, what work you'd like to do, what the next logical step in your career would be, et al. And that way you can help recruiters understand much more quickly whether or not a particular job is likely going to be a fit.

OK, with that introduction, folks, here are the eight best stories we've written on working with recruiters:

How to Work with Executive Recruiters
A step-by-step guide on how job seekers can work effectively with executive recruiters.

Why Employers Use Executive Recruiters
One employer explains why he retains recruiters to find job candidates.

5 Ways to Make Your Recruiter's Job Easier
Tactics job seekers can use to work more effectively with recruiters.

3 Lessons I Learned from Executive Recruiters
The reality behind how they work and what they do.

Step-by-Step: Your Role - And the Recruiter's
A step-by-step guide to how recruiters and job seekers partner together. (PDF)

Illuminating Recruiting's 'Black Hole'
Thoughts and notes from TheLadders editor-in-chief on how to beat 'the black hole.'

Can Recruiters Find YOU? 5 Online Methods to Borrow
Veteran recruiter Joe Turner describes online routes to the short list when professional talent scouts are looking for candidates.

Credibility with Your Recruiter
To catch the eye of a prospective recruiter or career coach, demonstrate these credential-building assets.


I hope you find your future this week, Readers!

I'll be rooting for you!

Warmest regards,

Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.com

Follow me on Twitter here.