How to Find the Right Recruiter

Job-hunting can drain even the most positive person. You embark on a rollercoaster of putting your heart, enthusiasm, and soul into applications and interviews, followed by some inevitable rejections. However, when you begin a job search using a recruiter they can help you to nail a job which will not only take your career to the next level but hopefully find a job quicker, reducing the ups and downs of the job search process. Most of us understand the benefits of finding a job via a recruiter, but the key question here is how to find the right recruiter in Australia?

Can a recruiter find me a job?

Of course, there are no guarantees, but if you can find a good recruiter then they will have your interests as well as their own at heart. And this means they will do their utmost to not only find you an opportunity but find you the perfect opportunity. This is because when they find the perfect position for you they will not only earn their wage; they will also improve and build on their relationship with the company you have earned the position with. When you can build a good relationship with a recruiter they will get to know your skills and really try to help you find an ideal placement.

The recruiter can’t give you the job, but they can help you to put your best foot forward, and give you insider insight into the company looking to fill a position. The knowledge and support they give you can give you the best chance of success and can help you find the perfect job much quicker than you would alone.

What do recruiters do?

Recruiters take a lot of information from you (your work history, education etc), and will put you forward for various open positions. They may initially contact you in regards to a position they have in mind, or you may approach them and identify jobs which could interest you. A good recruiter can give you tips and advice for the interview, and may even conduct a practice interview with you to help you prepare. They might make suggestions on tweaks you can make to your CV (Remember, a recruiter’s job is not to write, or re-write your resume, but more offer suggestions. If you need a hand designing your resume then check out our range of premium templates!)

Your recruiter will then put you forward to companies they’re partnered with for matching vacant position/s, and the people HR department there will make the decision about whether to offer you an interview or not.  

How much do recruiters get paid? Does it cost me?

The way agency recruiters* work is if you get the job then the recruiter gets paid a commission based on a percentage of your annual salary. The percentage could be anywhere between 15-30%, this means a job with an $80,000 salary pays the recruiter a tidy commission of up to $24,000. Don’t fall off your chair yet! You, as the employee, don’t need to pay the recruiter or the company anything; this comes out of the pocket of your new employer.

* Agency recruiters are recruiters who don’t work directly for the company, instead, are outsourced by organisations.

How to find a recruiter – Top tips

Recruiters often actively seek people to fill particular positions, and they will look out for potential candidates on platforms such as LinkedIn. Therefore, make sure your profile is up-to-date and well-rounded. Ask people to leave feedback for you, and write some articles which demonstrate your expertise.

Present yourself professionally at all times, if you are slow to communicate, or don’t show up to appointments they have arranged for you they won’t feel confident putting you forward to their best clients.

When you search for a recruiter, begin looking for an office with a speciality matching yours. For example, if you are a marketer look for recruiters who specialise in this field. When you find a specialist, who matches your area then they will have a better understanding of your skills and how attractive a company will find you. Furthermore, they are more likely to have built up good relationships with companies looking for work.

Don’t just rely on online searches (although searching online is important too), go around town and visit the recruitment offices in person. You can then get a real sense of how they work, and how professional they are too.

Before contacting the various recruiters you have shortlisted, look out for businesses that have been established or individuals in your area for some time. Furthermore, have a look online and see what feedback they have from job seekers.

Bear in mind, most companies will give their job opportunity to more than one office. This means if you simply go to all the recruiters and they all put you forward there will be problems deciding who is paid the commission. This means if you do use more than one recruiter, make sure you are honest with everyone about it so they can avoid all submitting you for the same jobs. Once they’ve missed out on a commission once, you will find them much less willing to help you in the future!

While you don’t have to always go through a recruiter to land the best jobs, often, the most sought-after professional jobs will use recruiters. This means you need to impress your recruiter first, and once you have them on-board, they will support you to find a new role and advance your career.