Posted by Brian Jones, TCC Senior Account Executive – Managed Services
In today’s competitive information technology job market, we all wish to know what the deciding factors are on who is picked for which job. Common questions I get asked are “Can you help me get into XYZ Company?” and “How do I bypass HR?” or “What can I do to make my resume stand out?”
These questions and many others can be answered by a trusted and reliable resource…a Recruiter. There’s an unwarranted reputation that comes with the staffing industry. The industry exists because it is a necessary means for clients that don’t have the manpower or hours to devote to finding the perfect fit, even with an internal IT recruiting workforce. Most recruiters are sincere and genuinely nice people, that work hard to put food on the table and a roof over their families’ heads, just like yourself. Working with a great recruiter offers you definite benefits that you won’t find by reaching out to a company’s website or job board. Recruiters are resources. They sell one product…You!
Here are a few of the reasons that working with a recruiter can pay you big dividends in your job search:
- Take the call. Your recruiter is often working on a very specific client request. It may be skill specific, experience based or personality/culture fit. A savvy recruiter will have inside working knowledge, working with the hiring manager directly so they know the specific needs required to fill that role and what the environment and culture are like. That will increase your odds being one in a few opposed to one in many. The recruiter dug deep to find you. Return their call. They won’t waste their time or yours trying to put a square peg in a round hole.
- Recruiters only get paid if you get hired. They are selling only on product, you! It’s like having a walking and talking billboard that is promoting you. In order for them to get paid, they’ve got to get you hired. A good recruiter will work hard to get to know you, your strengths and your weaknesses.
- Resources at hand. Recruiters are well versed in wage negotiation, analyzing and editing resumes and being that person that can connect the dots between your experience and the job requirements and can pass that information directly to the hiring manager. They provide you with greater knowledge and prepare you for the interview. They help you navigate the choppy waters of when it’s time to give your current employer notice. It costs the candidate nothing, but a little time. Let them coach you through the process.
- Good people know good people. Due to the sheer volume of IT candidates, hiring managers and HR personnel that a recruiter works with daily, gives them the advantage of being well connected and knowing the current market trends and needs. This is insight that you won’t have access to unless you’re as equally well connected. This is especially helpful if you’re moving to an unfamiliar market.
- Hidden access. Consider a recruiter as your behind-the-scenes access. Before the job is ever kicked off, they already know what is going to be released. They will advise you of what to prepare for, where and what experience to speak to and most importantly, key questions to ask the hiring manager.
What Can I Do to Help the Process?
- Make yourself available. Your recruiter is your personal representative. Things can happen quickly. Take their calls and reply to their emails with extreme urgency. They’re not trying to be a bother, they’re working for you in landing you that next step in your career.
- Follow through on your commitments. If you’ve promised an updated resume by 4 p.m., make sure that remains a priority and that you follow through on that commitment. Did they ask you out to lunch? Take that meeting! They’re not trying to butter you up, they’re wanting to instill confidence that you can rely on them.
- Interviews. Take every interview. Every meeting and every interview gives you additional exposure. If that opportunity isn’t the right one, you at least have the experience and knowledge to be even more confident in the next interview. Your recruiter will help you in those weaknesses.
- Be honest. Talk about the time you were let go. The skill sets that you’re soft on. If you had a brief run in with the law, let them know. The recruiter can help diffuse issues directly with the hiring manager, but only if you’re upfront and honest.
- Qualify your recruiter. Ask questions about their experience. Don’t let them run the conversation entirely. Your recruiter works for you. Get to know them. Are they interested in your family, responsibilities, and goals? How many job requirements are they responsible for daily? Let them know your expectations on how you want to be kept in the loop. It’s a two-way street.
To learn more about TCC’s IT staffing services, please visit our website http://e-tcc.com/services#ITStaffing.
Technology, Process and Expertise 