How Do I Reach Out To A Recruiter?

Making contact with a recruiter isn’t necessarily difficult. Making contact with the right recruiter may be a little trickier. Recruiters rely on a constant stream of qualified applicants in addition to regularly available opportunities to present those applicants to. If you have a skill set in demand or are a highly qualified individual, recruiters will be happy to hear from you.

Research

Before you decide to reach out to a recruiter to assist you with your job search, do your due diligence and conduct some research. Try to determine if there are any local agencies or recruiters that specialize in your career area or your level of experience. If there are reviews on their businesses, take them into consideration.

Recruiters and recruiting agencies aren’t all created equal. Some recruiters have specialty areas like manufacturing or finance. Other recruiters or agencies only focus on high level positions (CFO, Director, Manager, etc.). You first need to ask yourself what you’re looking for and what you can offer before reaching out to a recruiter.

Ask your friends or trusted colleagues if they’ve ever worked with a recruiter or know anyone who has had a positive experience. Many recruiters get additional clientele through word of mouth.

Recruiters are active on job boards and social media networking sites. Occasionally, a recruiter will be the one posting an opportunity and calling for applicants. Look at social media sites like LinkedIn and local job boards for opportunities that interest you. If they’re being posted by a search firm or recruiting agency, considering adding them to the list of recruiters to contact. You already know they have a few jobs that peak your interest.

Reach Out

When you’ve decided on a recruiter (or recruiters) you’d like to connect with, reach out to them via email and provide a copy of your resume. Odds are, they’re going to ask for it anyway. Having the resume available to them immediately will allow them to determine if you’re a candidate they’d like to bring into their fold.

Recruiters spend a lot of time on the phone with candidates and clients. Reaching out via email is oftentimes the best way to get their attention without overwhelming them.

Be sure to let a recruiter know if you have any connections in common. These might be professional connections or someone who recommended the recruiter. If you’re able to view the recruiter’s profile on LinkedIn, you may be able to tell if you have an affiliation in common – organizational or educational. Developing a link between yourself and the recruiter serves as an icebreaker much like a personal introduction would.

Don’t just send a recruiter your resume and ask them to review it for any potential fits. Be clear about the roles you’re interested in, the company culture that you find ideal, and any other specifics that will immediately help a recruiter narrow the field down for you. Recruiters get paid to fill positions, not to find candidates jobs. Make it clear why they should want to put you in front of their clients.

Another option is to apply to the jobs you find posted by recruiters. This is one of the fastest ways to get on their radars and start a conversation.

Stay Connected

If there was an initial opportunity a recruiter thought might be a fit for you, don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work out. Remember that a recruiter’s job is to secure the business. Sometimes this means putting up multiple candidates for one job. They might be representing you, but they’re representing others as well.

Should a recruiter reach out to you about a job opportunity you’re not interested in, be clear as to why. This will help a recruiter gain a better understanding of what you’re looking for and what positions/companies might be a better fit for you.

If it’s been a few weeks since you’ve had an initial conversation or meeting with a recruiter, don’t hesitate to reach back out to them. Instead of just asking what new opportunities they might have, include a list of jobs you may have applied to or interviewed for. Again, this signals to the recruiter you’re serious in your search and are out there marketing yourself as well.

Hopefully you’re fortunate enough to secure a wonderful new opportunity through your relationship with your recruiter. If that happens, don’t lose contact! While you’re no longer in the candidate pool right now, something fantastic might come up within a few years. Maintain a professional relationship with your recruiter. You may even be able to utilize their skills again by having them recommend other candidates for your new company.

Former candidates can often become a great resource for recruiters. Just as you may have solicited recruiter recommendations from friends and colleagues, others may do that too. If you’re regularly recommending potential candidates to your former recruiter, your professional relationship will continue.