Let’s get it out in the open. Generally speaking I am not the biggest fan of job search firms; particularly in an economy where employers are not utilizing 3rd party recruiters like they used to. With the cost of labor continuing downward and the talent pool getting deeper every month, the perceived value for an employer to rely on the services of a recruiter just isn’t there.
I actively participate in forums, blogs and other venues with job seekers. Quite a few have tried utilizing job search firms and are still unemployed. I have colleagues in the recruiting industry who are looking for work. If they can not find themselves a job, imagine how hard it is for them to find you a job.
At the risk of speaking out of both sides of my mouth, I do have a success story to share with you. An associate of mine was recently recruited from a Fortune 100 company to a Fortune 800 company with the help of a corporate recruiter. He is highly trained in Lean Engineering and has 15 years of successful management experience in manufacturing. The job search firm found him at the right time where he was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with his current employment situation.
This particular recruiter specializes in finding talent for a handful of Fortune 1000 companies. The recruiter also provided quite a bit of helpful information to prepare for the interview; including discussing hot topics that were important to the employer and providing information on what the employer was looking for in a top candidate. Overall, my associate had a very good experience.
What’s the verdict? Am I fan of job search firms or not? The simple answer is that they can be helpful, but you need to be cautious of not falling into the trap of waiting for the phone to ring. In my example, my friend had a job and was lured away to another employer. The important distinction is the difference between being specifically sought out vs. waiting and hoping someone else will find you a job.
As an unemployed professional, it is important to diversify your activities. If you are going to add job search firms to your list of methods, make sure to ask the important questions.
- What is their track record is for helping people with your skill set.
- Ask how long the expected wait is to earn an interview.
- Do they have references that you can call to learn about other clients’ experiences?
- Do they have insider information (like me associate received) that will assist in the interview preparation?
You want to do everything you can to slant the playing field in your favor. Soliciting the help of job search firms is just one method to help uncover potential opportunities. This method is less fruitful as unemployment numbers rise.
