The Recruiter is a Professional, Too (Guest Post)

 

The HR Recruiter is a pro too. It sounds condescending because you shouldn’t have to say it; but, people especially high-flying professionals seem to forget. Yes – you, the client are degreed with multiple credentials. I, myself, have an MBA, BA in International Economics and several project management certifications. However, when looking for a job or career advice, you have to remember and respect that the HR Recruiter is a professional too. You would want the same respect afforded for you and your expertise. Do the same for your recruiter. Recruiting is much more than merely positing a job on Indeed or Monster.com. It is about connecting the right job with the right person. Here are my three reasons why HR recruiter is a professional and an indispensable part of your career search.

 

They know the recruiting field inside and out

 

The HR Recruiter is the professional here. Let me give you my example. I have had a recruiter tell me that last year was a very weird job market and that 2018 was better. Now I have thought the same thing; but, hearing the professional give her reasons, I have trusted her insight and landed a new job.

 

They have the professional network

 

Remember, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. The HR Recruiter knows way more people in the field than you do. You are paying for her expertise. Listen to what she says. Let me give you an example. I have learned from another recruiter that my LinkedIn profile looked like a copy and paste resume. She recommends that I use my profile to tell a story instead. I have followed her advice and received a lot of interest and emails in my LinkedIn inbox over these changes.

 

They know the language

 

Every profession has its own jargon. Recruiting is no different. I have learned this by attending a job fair. While there several recruiters use the phrase ‘soft copy’ for the first time. Soft copy means a digital version of your resume (as opposed to hard copy or a physical copy on resume paper). You have to learn another language in order to get the desired result (an interview and a new job). The recruiter will help you understand and use all the right words effectively to get the desired result.

 

Recruiting is filled with highly qualified professionals and others should respect it. The profession is much more than a job board. The next time you contract a recruiter remember that he is just as much of a professional as you are.

 

 

Carla R Jenkins possesses over 10 years of experience helping private and public-sector businesses increase their profits and productivity while decreasing their costs. She has Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) licenses. Jenkins is also the author of an Amazon bestselling book, Expand Your Personal Brand, 20 top business lessons that every professional should know to have branding success.