How to Tell the Right Recruiter From the Wrong Recruiter

If you’re looking for a new job opportunity or career change then establishing a strong relationship with the right professional staffing recruiter will help you achieve your goals.

Your resume is polished, Linkedin is up to date, recruiters are starting to take notice and the phone is ringing. But most of them sound like pitches from a used car salesman.

“This is a great opportunity just for you.”
“You better send me your resume fast. This offer won’t be around for long.”
“Whatta I gotta do to get you in this job today?”

While it’s definitely nice to know they all think you are “perfect for this opportunity”, how do you know which recruiter is perfect for you? One way is to interview the recruiter while they are interviewing you.

Here are 5 questions you should ask a recruiter:

How long have they been a recruiter at their current staffing agency?

Professional staffing firms tend to have high turnover rates. If the recruiter is committed long term to their own job goals, chances are they’ll be committed to yours.

Who are their current clients?

Do you recognize any of them? Are you impressed? If not, you should consider moving on to someone who actually recruits for companies in your field.

How did you get my name?

Don’t settle for some vague answer. Chase down the referral source so you can ask questions about the recruiter.

What is their skill-set expertise?

The best recruiters are specialists. The one you want is a specialist in your field.

Why are they working at this firm?

Understanding how the staffing firm treats its own employees tells you a lot about how they will treat you.

Getting those phone calls can be exciting. It means you’ve made it and people want you. But don’t settle for just any recruiter. Find the one that’s right for you, someone who listens, knows your industry, and will stick around. Avoid the recruiter that’s just looking to sell you something.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.

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