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1. If you get a call from a recruiter, be polite. I know it can be irritating sometimes when you get a "cold call" at work, but the person calling may just be calling you to offer you a dream opportunity. Most good recruiters will understand that you may be in an open office and unable to talk. They just want to introduce themselves and find a time that you can talk in private, either by telephone or by a face to face meeting. If you can't talk, at least ask them to send you an email, or if you are reluctant to provide your email address, ask for theirs and do follow up. If you can talk, give the recruiter a few minutes of your valuable time to hear what they have to say. If you're not interested, at least be polite about it because in a year or two you might be interested in something and you don't want to have left a bad impression on the recruiter. I know of a few cases where a prospective candidate has missed out on an "opportunity of a lifetime" just because they were very rude to a professional consultant calling them. 2. Before moving forward with a recruiter, find out about them and their company. Sad but true, there are quite a few unethical, poorly trained recruiters in the Tokyo market. Before you commit to actively work with a recruiter (i.e. send them a resume or agree to be presented for a specific job) do some due dilligence and find out whatever you can about them. What is their area of expertise, what is their process/approach to recruitment, what kind of success they have had in your specialized field, etc. Also ask them about their confidentiality policy. A recruitment firm should NEVER send out your resume to a client without your prior knowledge and approval. Trust and high ethical standards are critical, so ask yourself if you can really trust the person you are working with. 3. Even if you're not planning a job change, get to know a top recruiter or two in your field. Most of the top recruiters in each field are truly good people who want to make the best possible match for their candidates and clients. Try to find out through friends and colleagues who they know of in recruiting and make an effort to get to know that person. Good recruiters can be an excellent source of information on developments in your industry because they are in contact with many people who share their insight with them. Some of it is client confidential, but some is general information on trends, job openings, growth forecasts, etc. that can be shared. 4. Keep in mind that recruiters are very busy and cannot always make time to meet you. One of the major complaints I hear about recruiters is "I sent him/her my resume and there was no reply." Some top recruiters have so much incoming email that its impossible to reply to everything, especially if the person contacting them is not a fit for their specialty or a specific assignment they are working on at that time. I know its disappointing not to get any reply at all (and I do try to reply 100%, but know I am not perfect) but most recruiters have to stay focused on their current urgent assignments and "triage" their incoming contacts. 5. A personal introduction is often a good way to connect with a top recruiter. Considering #3 and #4 above, if you'd like to develop a relationship with a recruiter in your field, ask around to trusted friends in your industry if they know someone they'd recommend and would be willing to introduce you to. For most recruiters, they will pay special attention to people who have been personally introduced from someone they know, and especially so if that person give them a high recommendation. 6. If you send your resume to a recruiter and don't hear back from them, follow up in a few days with a phone call. Email can be a poor way to communicate with people who get too much email. Sometimes they overlook incoming mails or don't properly process mail. A follow up phone call is fine if you're polite and professional about it. In some cases, a recruiter has been busy with a deal or just overloaded and your call may bring their attention to a great mutual opportunity. 7. Once you have identified a recruiter you trust and who works in your field, tell them your short and long term career goals. For you to reach your goals you should have a very specific idea of what those goals are and be able to communicate them clearly to the recruiter. A good recruiter will not try to push you in a different direction. They will try to understand your goals and discuss with you how the specific opportunity aligns with your goals. The clearer you are on your goals, the easier it is for a recruiter to identify an opportunity that is right for you. 8. Be honest with the recruiter about your background. Lying, either on a resume or in discussing your background, is totally counterproductive and when the real truth comes out, it will reflect poorly on both you and the recruiter. We understand that most people have had both good and bad things happen in their careers and its best to be honest about it and discuss anything that may come out in background checks that might negatively affect your candidacy. This includes academic qualifications, reasons for leaving previous jobs, etc. 9. When you are working with a recruiter, when there is something urgent or important, always follow up an email with a telephone call. Again, the most common complaint about recruiters is that they are slow to respond or don't respond at all to email. If you are waiting for information/feedback or have some information to give to the recruiter, email is good for a written record, but CALL to confirm with the recruiter. Over the last few years, I have seen far too much reliance on email which has led to misunderstandings and missed opportunities. One more time....use the phone, it is your friend. 10. If a recruiter presents an opportunity that you're curious about, take a look! If there is an open job and you think it might be a good match for you, the best way to find out is to go for an interview. Too many people turn down good opportunities because they have heard some rumors about the company, the president, etc. without going to go see for themselves. I highly encourage you to go take a look and gather as much information as you can to make a fully informed decision. The worst thing that can happen is that you find out the rumors are true. The best thing is that you find a great match for yourself which takes you where you want to go with your career. Remember, you are always in control of your career and your destiny. Recruiters are the "lubrication of the labor economy" . We help people move around efficiently and effectively and we aim to make the best match for the candidate and the client. For some more tips, please check out 10 Tips for Working with Me! and don't forget to send me your resume if you'd like to work with me. Good Luck!!!
P.S. Tell a Friend! If you find the information above useful, please feel free to pass along the link to the main garybremermann.com page. Thank you very much.
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