As a recruiter, I've encountered many people that due to poor experiences with other recruiters prior to my contact have been reluctant to speak to me and refuse to acknowledge the value of a good Technology Recruiter.  I’ve always been capable of convincing them that it’ll be worthwhile for them to talk to me, I was trained how to recruit the right way.  For those who don’t return a recruiter’s call or give them a chance, I thought I’d share some thoughts on how to quickly distinguish between a good recruiter and a poorly trained recruiter, especially in Technology Staffing.  

There's a common theme among the complaints I’ve heard about bad experiences working with recruiters: lack of follow up and lack of time spent learning about you, the prospective candidate.  These complaints paint a fairly clear picture of the not-so-good recruiter.  The poorly trained recruiter will spend more time talking than listening and will often attempt to pitch or present positions before learning if you would even be interested in or qualified for the opportunity they are presenting.  This recruiter will get you excited about an opportunity, tell you they are submitting your resume, and never call you back.  Even worse, they will secure an interview for you with their client then fail to get back to you with follow-up after the interview because they never got feedback or the feedback wasn’t positive.  The not-so-good recruiter will leave you messages or start their first conversations saying things like “I have the perfect position for you!”…although they have never spoken with you in the past and haven't taken one moment to learn about you and what your aspirations are.  They will pitch positions and have little to no information about the company or group where you would potentially be working, other than the name of the company.  The list goes on and on...

There’s an old saying that applies here…”A few bad apples spoil the bunch.”  If you’ve had a bad experience (or several) with recruiters, it’s easy to assume all recruiters are the same and perhaps decide not to work with any of them.  However, allowing these bad experiences to dissuade you from working with any recruiter will cause you to miss out on the benefits a good Technology Recruiter can provide.  I assure you there are many good recruiters out there who do the right thing…they help you with your search for that next ideal career opportunity!  The key is to recognize the characteristics and qualities of a good recruiter, so you can easily make the choice to continue working with them.  After all, you always have a choice in deciding whom you will work with especially when it comes to something as important as your career. 

A good Technology Recruiter will start their first conversation by telling you who they are and what they specialize in.  They will spend a significant amount of time focusing all on you…learning things such as what's most important to you, what is your ideal role, what expectations and desires do you have with regards to commute, work schedule, industry, earnings, etc.  They will always listen, and let you know they're listening. They will hear your questions and concerns and answer them, or do their best to get you the answer. They will know their client, and share with you information about the company, the culture, and the group they are presenting you to.  A good Technology Recruiter will serve as a true trusted advisor on things such as what to expect in the job market, how to revise your resume to get the interview, and best practices for interviewing techniques that get you the job!  They will ALWAYS get back to you…with good news, bad news or even no news just so you know they haven’t forgotten you.  A good Technology Recruiter will be a sounding board, a confidant, and a career coach.  They will do everything they can to understand your career aspirations and match you to only those positions you are truly interested in that fit your qualifications and career objectives.  They won't always find you the job, but they will add value to your search to help you find the job.

In these busy times, it's often difficult to find the time to conduct an effective job search. A good Technology Recruiter who has taken the time to listen to you will help ease the burden by serving as your eyes and ears looking out for those positions that are truly the best match for you.

Choose to work with a good Technology Recruiter…your career will reap the benefit!