Let's examine an important aspect to job hunting; the role played by recruitment consultants or as some of the agencies, who handle senior jobs are called - "search firms". Many vacancies are handled by recruitment agencies and so it is really important to know how to make the best possible use of them, what to expect of them and what they expect of you.
Rule 1: Understand the relationship
What relationship does the consultant have with the employer, for example:
- Is this the first time the consultant has worked for the employer, do they know much about them?
- Is the consultant working exclusively for this employer and will he be the only consultant putting forward candidates for the vacancy?
In either case you will have to ask for information to help you in the application process.
Rule 2: Understand the consultant
Understand what success means for the consultant; most recruitment agencies receive a fee or commission from the employer when the successful candidate starts the job, but the fee can be contingent on the candidate remaining in the job for 3 or 6 months. Clearly all consultants want you to prepare well enough for interviews to have a good chance of getting the job but some also want to know you will make a good enough start in your first 3 months to keep the job. This second point is especially important for agencies that have a long term relationship with an employer, where they need to be seen as a reliable provider of high quality candidates. Be ready with an up to date CV to discuss your background.
Rule 3: Understand the process
So how can consultants help you? For a specific vacancy you should expect a written job role description summarising the main duties of the job and the skills, knowledge and experience of the ideal candidate (which, like the ideal job, rarely exists so if you are not exactly matching the requirements don't be too deterred). Consultants should be able to tell you about the "process" the employer will use to select the right candidate. For example:
- When does the employer plan to make a decision on hiring someone?
- Will there be one interview or several and might you have to take a test of some sort?
- Who will interview you, what are their names, their job titles and what will they ask you about?
Ask the consultant for feedback about your strengths or weaknesses in relation to this vacancy so that you can prepare for the interview and make sure you ask what the dress code is as well. Consultants who do not have a specific vacancy for you now, may have one in the future so it makes sense to keep in touch with them by email and phone. The idea is that when they do have vacancies to fill, you want to be the first to hear about them. Consultants who specialize in types of jobs such as IT or government may be able to suggest extra training to make yourself more employable.
Rule 4: Follow up
Follow up contact with the consultant during the job selection process should provide you with information about your progress. Expect delays and changes to the selection process as the employer's everyday business can affect their recruitment timetable. However, sometimes if you do not get feedback about a job at the expected time, it is also possible that another candidate is ahead of you. So, with an open mind about why a delay has happened, try and get the feedback from the consultant about the status of your application and always agree a specific date and time for your next follow up call and diarise it!
Rule 5: Track online applications
Online / internet based job agencies demand much more attention in follow up activities as they deal mainly via email and often in high numbers of vacancies. You should track each online application you make and have a diary system to record when you expect to hear about progress and chase it up on the due dates.
In summary, make recruitment consultants your competitive edge, take advice from them and be very disciplined about tracking each job application and following up at an agreed time and date.
These tips and skills are covered in our online courses Work and Get that Job. LET'S-BEGIN courses are built on a unique range of working experiences from over 30 years in job roles that required very strong inter-personal skills in sales, sales management, general management and organisational leadership.