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Recruiters and Your Salary: the 7 Secrets You Have to Know

Administrator — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:25:22 +0000

Kelli Smith asked:

The idea of recruiters seems fairly straightforward. On the most fundamental level, they’re hired by companies to identify the best potential employees and “recruit” them. For some, this may bring to mind visions of champagne receptions and ball game box seats, but recruiters can bring up feelings of suspicion for many potential employees, especially when it comes to the salary negotiation.

Recruiters work for the company, after all, so isn’t their goal to save the company money rather than get you the best pay possible? If you are in doubt about working with a recruiter, here are 7 secrets about recruiters and how to work with one to get your desired position and salary.

#1. Recruiters Have the Inside Scoop

For many positions, salary is somewhat negotiable, but recruiters usually have the inside scoop. So let’s say a company lists the salary range for a position, but you suspect you can get them to go higher. The recruiter actually knows if they will or won’t budge, so the end effect is that working with recruiters can make the job search process easier for everyone since they can pre-negotiate. If you know you won’t take less than $100,000, and the recruiter knows the company won’t go above $85,000 for the position, everyone knows early on that the fit isn’t right, and you and the company both save time.

#2. Recruiters Can Sometimes Get You a Higher Salary

Not every company hires recruiters, and recruiters don’t recruit for every position. Recruiters often work on identifying candidates for hard-to-fill positions. It may be that the qualifications for the job are very specific and appropriate candidates hard to track down, or it may be that the position is in some far-flung location that doesn’t draw lots of applicants. Whatever the reason, the company wants and needs to fill the position, enough to pay a recruiter to help them do it, and in many cases, enough to sweeten the financial package for the potential employee. So it’s not a given that a recruiter can get you a higher salary, but a company hiring a recruiter signals that the position may offer a higher salary to begin with.

#3. Honesty is Critical

This one’s less a secret and more a mantra for job seekers everywhere. Being up front with recruiters about your qualifications, your salary requirements, and your interest in various positions will take you a long way. They won’t spend weeks advancing your candidacy for Job A just to find out that you’re only really interested in Job B or only really qualified for Job C. In the end, your honesty saves recruiters time, helps you earn their trust and respect, and means that they’ll root for you and be happy to work with you again in the future.

#4. Honesty is a Two-Way Street

Recruiters can do a lot to help you in your job search, and one of the most useful services they can provide is honest reflection of your candidacy. You may think you’re exceptionally qualified and that you deserve a salary at the top of the pay range for a position. A recruiter, especially one you have a good relationship with, can tell you whether or not that’s true. This is one of the points where some candidates become most suspicious of recruiters – since they work for the company of course they’ll tell you you’re worth less than you think you’re worth. Chances are that’s just not the case, especially if they’re doing their jobs right and trying to find great candidates for hard-to-fill positions.

#5. Skirting Doesn’t Pay

It may occur to you that the best way to work with a recruiter is to work around a recruiter – use them to help you identify a position and then skirt the recruiter and go directly to the company to work out the job and the salary on your own. Unfortunately, this clever plan almost universally backfires. The company knows they hired a recruiter, and they know you’re attempting to go behind their back, which is patently unethical behavior. Most companies see dishonesty as a major warning sign. What’s more, the company is no more inclined to give you a higher salary than a recruiter would be. Think about it: If a recruiter works for the company, someone at the company works?for the company.

#6. Recruiters Often Have Long Lead Times

Recruiters offer up a whole new avenue for finding jobs, and they’re unlikely to do anything to hinder your ability to command the salary you deserve, but they’re not necessarily your best bet if you’re in a hurry. Companies often put recruiters to work months before a position opens up. If you’re already working and simply looking to move up or change companies, a recruiters’ pace may work just fine. If you’re not working and need a salary ASAP, more active searching is probably a better match.

#7. Not Just This Job, But the Next One

You can get the most out of your relationship with a recruiter (and a higher salary) by being a great performer on the job after you’re hired. If you do well, you make the recruiter look good, and they’re much more likely to keep you in mind for future, higher-level positions.

Once you know the secrets, working with a recruiter to land the job and the salary of your dreams gets that much easier.

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5 Steps to a Successful Job Search

Administrator — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:36:18 +0000

Starting a job search can be an overwhelming and stress-provoking experience for some people. But it doesn’t have to be for you… Not if you approach it in the right way. You CAN have a successful job search, using the tips and advice you will find in this article.

Step 1: Know Where to Look for the Great Jobs

When most people begin a job search, they start with the Employment section of their local newspaper. But that is not the best place to find your dream job. Why? Simply because the best jobs are seldom found in the newspaper.

You may not want to hear this, but many times you can find the best jobs by tapping into “who you know.” Networking is absolutely the best way to locate a job. When you do a job search, talk to everyone you know about what you’re looking for. It’s hard to predict who might give you that valuable lead to your next job.

Recruiters or staffing consultants are also a great way to find a job. Many times, employers will outsource recruitment to a staffing firm. So those jobs are never listed in any public venue… only the staffing firm knows about them!

In today’s technologically-oriented world, the Internet is another way to conduct a job search. You still won’t always find the best jobs listed online, but you can get a much broader exposure by registering with a few online job search websites, such as Yahoo Jobs or CareerBuilder.

Step 2: Know What the Employer Wants

Employers care about more than your skills and experience. They’ll also want more intangible qualities, such as the ability to work as part of a team, creativity, and organization, depending on the job. They may also be looking for qualities unique to their corporate culture or employee expectations. Make it your business to find out as much as you can about what each employer is looking for before you begin your job search.

Step 3: Put Together a Powerful Resume and Killer Cover Letter

Once you’ve located a job you want to go after, you will need a resume and cover letter that will attract enough attention to make the employer want to interview you. You need to think of your resume and cover letter as a sort of “sales tool” that will convince the employer that you are the only one for the job.

There are many resources for writing resumes and cover letters on the Web and at your local bookstore and you are encouraged to learn as much as you can on this topic if you want to succeed in your job search. Or, if you prefer, you can always hire an expert to write them for you.

Here are a couple of quick tips. Your resume should be written clearly, simply, and to the point. Use lots of bullets and action words to highlight your accomplishments, rather than long paragraphs. Focus on quantifiable results, such as “Made a suggestion that streamlined operations and saved company $2500 in the first quarter”.

Your cover letter should not be a rehashing of your resume, but it can and should highlight specific points or expand on certain areas. Cover letters should always be customized to the employer and the job you are applying for. That is the single factor most likely to get you an interview.

Step 4: Prepare for Interviews Thoroughly

The interview is your opportunity to make a strong positive impression. It is essential that you prepare for it if you want to succeed in your job search. Take time to research possible interview questions the employer may ask and think carefully about how you plan to answer. Be prepared to discuss what you have to offer the employer.

It is also a great idea to have questions of your own for the recruiter. So take time to research the company before the interview. This is usually easy to do if they have a website. Think of some related questions about the company and about the job that you can ask and that will show your sincere interest, not to mention your thoroughness.

One set of questions you should always ask is what the next steps are after the interview. For example, how many other applicants do they have for the position, when do they expect to make a hiring decision, and will they let you know of their decision, one way or the other?

Step 5: Follow Up!

One of the most effective job search strategies, and one that is sorely underutilized by most job seekers, is following up. When you follow up consistently at different phases during the job search, you demonstrate your professionalism and your interest. As long as you are polite and considerate of the recruiter’s time, follow up should not be viewed as “annoying.”

After you submit a resume, application, and/or cover letter for a job opening, feel free to follow up within a reasonable time period to check on the status of your job application. As a rule of thumb, a week or two should be plenty of time.

After an interview, always follow up by sending a letter (or at least an email) to the interviewer to thank them for their time and for the opportunity to learn more about the job and the employer. This is also a chance for you to emphasize again what you have to offer the company.

And, if you haven’t heard about the employer’s decision on the job within a reasonable time frame (depending on what they told you about their recruitment process), it is perfectly permissible to contact them and ask.

Follow these five steps, and you are guaranteed to have a more successful job search.

Article by Jobsearchmanual.com
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