The Recruitment Waiting Game

In a world where jobs are scarcer than ever, he work of a recruiter is busier than ever. Recruitment is one industry that is keeping its employees busier than ever. If they are not spending their days chasing even scarcer business to kept THEMSELVES in a job, they are scanning the hundreds upon hundreds of applications they receive for even less openings than ever.

But what if you are that job searcher whose calls are not being returned? More and more we are hearing

“I fit ALL the recruiters criteria, I applied, now NOTHING”

It’s a common problem, recruiters are overwhelmed with applications and perfectly qualified candidates are sat twiddling their thumbs waiting for a response. Whether you’ve spent the last few days working on how to write that professional CV or finding that effective online CV Builder, chances are you’ll experience these circumstances at least once in your job hunting experience.

What to do? If you are unemployed and searching for that first or next career move, writing it off and waiting for the next chance isn’t really an option. Nor should it be. I personally believe that the culture of ‘ignoring until they go away’ is bad business and plain bad manners, but it appears to be an acceptable culture in some parts.

You need to get on the ‘phone to the recruiter. No one is advocating any permanent stalking tactics, but communication is key. Emails get lost in the cyber ether, certainly if it’s an anonymous auto reply type application from their website. If you call – and manage to get through to the right person, you will be creating a positive link between yourself and the recruiter. But be aware of the tendency to overdo what is not a norm in the recruitment industry. Be sure to create that friendly and professional relationship between you and the recruiter. If need be ask for an appointment at their preferred schedule just to get your profile prepared for any upcoming job vacancy.

Here are a few rules to remember in establishing a win-win jobseeker-recruiter relationship:

1. Never insist on anything. A recruiter is an employee with targets and objectives. The least he can do is prioritize someone who’s impatient and unprofessional.
2. Treat them with respect. They too are professionals like you. They don’t deserve a bad mouth just because you were not called after a few months from your initial interview.
3.  Update them with your status. If you get hired in the middle of an active job search for your profile, it’s your responsibility to inform your recruiter of your recent status. This would help them move on and find other suitable candidates.

You get the chance to ‘sell’ yourself to them personally and leave a lasting impression. If it is not convenient to have a long chat, make sure you find out the recruiters preferred mode of communication (‘phone or email) so that you are not wasting your precious job seeker time in future.