Is working with recruiters worth it for job seekers? In most cases, it isn't. The few success stories I've heard involve people who weren't actively job hunting but were headhunted. These individuals were approached by recruiters with enticing positions and compensation packages, decided to explore the opportunity, and within a few months, started at a new company.
For active job seekers, however, working with recruiters often slows things down. It adds an extra step - meeting the recruiter - which can feel like a stressful interview due to time constraints. Recruiters typically promise to share your profile with their client company and keep you updated.
But more often than not, you don't hear back.
If you persist in following up, you'll likely only learn that you weren't shortlisted because there was "a better fit" among their candidates.
When you're short-listed (selected for the interview), recruiter can be very helpful and guide you through the interview steps and support you with the information you won't find in the role description, company website, etc.
During the last 2 months I was in touch with 6 recruiters and only 1 got me an interview in a company, which constantly rejected my applications before. By the way, he also gave me good hints regarding my CV and what I should focus on before we started the whole process. There are really great recruiters out there, but, you know, 1 out of 6.
From a business perspective, it's clear why building strong connections with candidates isn't a top priority for recruiters: their clients are the companies, not the job seekers. It's easier for them to promote candidates with years of experience in the exact same position rather than advocating for interesting candidates without formal experience in the role.
But since neither my mentees nor I were looking for jobs identical to our previous positions, spending time explaining our experience to recruiters often felt futile.
To recruiters: The current "candidate-rich" market won't last forever. Start building better relationships with candidates now!
A simple follow-up with all candidates you've spoken to, even those not shortlisted, will help you stand out. Providing explanations for why candidates weren't selected or offering feedback to improve their future chances would earn you bonus points.
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