Working with a recruiter can be helpful in your job search, even more so when you have a good understanding of the purpose of the relationship from their perspective.
It is a common misconception that a recruiter’s main goal is to help you get a job. It’s important to keep in mind that a recruiter works for a company either as a company recruiter or with a recruiting agency and his/her main goal is to find the right person to fill that employer’s job needs. Knowing that there are actually three of you in the relationship (you, the recruiter, and the company), and that your needs are not the top priority can help with managing your expectations about the process.
While your needs may not come first, a good recruiter will want to get to know you to determine if you are a good fit for the job they need to fill. So, expect a thorough interview designed to give the recruiter insight into what is most important to you in your work life. A common way to do this is for the recruiter to gain an understanding of what has been important in your past to help predict your future needs. Some questions recruiters could use may be:
* Can you provide five major accomplishments and the impact they had on your past employers?
* Can you name five things you would change if you were the boss?
* What are the most important issues for you to make a change now?
* What are the main reasons you have changed jobs in the past?
* What are your strengths?
* What are your weaknesses?
* What are some of the reasons to hire you over someone else?
* Which words describe you best?
Be as detailed as possible in your answers to give as complete a picture as you can. A good recruiter will let you talk and listen carefully to what you have to say. In the end, if the recruiter can find a good match between the employer’s needs and yours, everyone wins.