Whether you are presently employed, or out of work and looking for your next adventure, the process of finding your dream job can be arduous and time-consuming.
We talked to Louise Reed, managing director and co-owner at CML & Nova Recruitment, about why jobseekers might consider approaching a recruitment agency to help make it easier.
Q: What are the advantages of using a recruitment agency when looking for a job?
A: Registering with a recruitment agency will ultimately save you time, energy and stress, as they get your foot in the door and do the heavy lifting to match you with the right job and send out applications.
It is also a great source of career advice. Recruitment consultants have intimate knowledge of the local market, the skills companies are looking for, what jobs are available, salary guidance information and the frequency of openings in your chosen field/ level. All invaluable information when planning and making career decisions.
Using an agency gives you access to many more job opportunities than you’d come across on your own. As a job seeker, you must keep your eyes peeled across printed media, job boards, career pages and social media to ensure you’re finding a range of positions. Recruitment agencies know about hundreds of job openings at once and are usually the first to hear about a new role and will reach out when one ticks all the boxes you’ve identified that are of interest to you.
Recruiters have a strong understanding of the ideal candidate and qualities employers are looking for in a new hire, so they can help you to put your best foot forward at each stage of the recruitment process. An experienced local recruiter will be able to introduce you to contacts at the companies they work with, giving you access to new connections in your industry and alerting you to new positions as they become available; this is especially important in niche markets and positions.
And, as a job seeker, it’s free. You have access to more opportunities, receive great feedback, and have to do much less work.
Q: What qualities should a job seeker look for when choosing a recruitment agency?
A: When choosing a recruiter to partner with in your job search, you should ensure they have strong relationships within your specific industry and employers of interest. That way, you can feel confident that their introduction gives you an advantage over a direct application.
The best recruiters also work tirelessly to understand your professional history and career aspirations so they can offer a personalised planning process. A specialist recruiter will have a strong understanding of your market and understand and empathise with industry-specific issues and challenges you may be facing, offering confident and knowledgeable advice throughout. Do not settle for less.
Q: What makes a candidate stand out, both to a recruiter and to prospective employers?
A: A good recruiter will help you navigate how you stand out to a prospective employer, but it’s also important to jump off the screen to a recruiter, too. Recruiters get hundreds of résumés a week, so it’s essential to have a résumé with enough pertinent information to get you noticed for the roles you are interested in. The recruiter can help you refine it further and tailor your skillsets for each specific role.
Your résumé is only the beginning though; it’s important that when meeting/speaking with your recruiter that you showcase all your best soft skills. Remember that you not only need to impress employers, but also your recruiter because they need to feel you are a good fit for their clients and can feel confident putting you forward for roles.
Understanding what you are looking for and what you need from your next role is a great help; it’s also really important to be open to feedback.
Your recruiter will also advise that you ‘professionalise’ your online profiles. Make sure your Facebook and Instagram pages have the proper security and talk you through how to make sure your LinkedIn profile is helping you get picked up in online searches.
Your relationship with a recruiter is a partnership, so it’s crucial to stay in touch with them as well as the other way around. Recruiters can take and make hundreds of calls a day, so a call or email every other week or so for niche searches to update is great.
Related Videos
