Sorry: The Recruiter Doesn't Work for You
John, a job hunter who’d attended a resume-and-LinkedIn boot camp I held a few months earlier, emailed me: “Do you know a recruiter who can get me into a company, somewhere, that I might like? The last time I tried to use one, they didn’t do a single thing for me.”
My answer: John, recruiters do not work for you. They do not represent you, they do not "do a single thing for you", they do not introduce you to people they know at companies (unless you’ve been part of their network for years), they do not get paid by you.
And therein is the answer: they get paid by their client companies. They are 100% commission. They get paid ONLY if they find a candidate who lands the job, so they work fast. Sure, they may "present" you IF you’re a viable candidate, along with 2-3 other viable candidates. But it’s not an automatic. If the candidate does not fit any position RIGHT NOW, they are politely thanked and sit on the bench until something comes up.
But they. do. not. work. for. you.
Yes, they want to help. They have been job hunters themselves, and they know how tricky the process can be. Several serve on my unofficial board of advisors, giving me info that helps you, the candidate. They’ve looked for jobs, they are human, and usually very nice people. They like helping candidates but the people they really want to please are the employers. In the end, they work for their companies.
And recruiters will readily tell you all this, and very readily tell you they are responsible for only 4-12% of landed jobs. And that the best way into companies is by networking. And that they and their recruiter colleagues will tell you to work with a job search coach if you want to learn the best ways to land a job (thank you).
Help them help you:
1. If you do talk with recruiters, be very clear with the recruiter about what you are after: the job title, tasks, technologies, etc.
2. Be clear about the company or two you’re after. Not "somewhere", not “one of the biotech firms”, but by name. Do your research to create a realistic list for yourself of 5-10 companies, and share this with the recruiter. If any are among their clients, they’ll note that.
3.Listen to their advice and insights about the companies you are after.
4. Recruiters will tell you this: Use LinkedIn to find people in your target companies and see if you can talk with them to learn more and get known by them. Two of my recent clients who landed great jobs, tapped their network and each of their job searches was less than two months long; someone "inside" pulled them in. This is what has always worked, especially today in the age of AI.
5.Help them remember you by hiring them once you're in your new position, if you need to add to your team. Recruiters take time to answer questions from job hunters but express disappointment that they never hear from them again. Be different: once you can, hire them. You'll help them AND yourself.
It’s work to do this, but it’s what pays off. The alternative - months and months in job search answering ads (dangerous because it makes you feel busy) and hounding recruiters, with few if any productive responses – is just painful. Painful and dispiriting not to mention confidence-killing.
And “make sure you network” may not be what you want to hear, but time invested in it will, in the end, save you time and a lot of pain. Networking is one of the most-used skills in your entire career so be sure to keep it going after you land your next job. You’ll thank yourself!
