Recruiters in the Nashville Market

From the Examiner:

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When searching for a job, many people use a recruiter. Recruiters , and opinions on them, vary a great deal. Some people - usually those who have been placed by a recruiter - swear by them. Others - often folks who have not been helped by the recruiter - are either ambivalent, or worse, dislike recruiters.

As with anything in life, one must understand the basics to get the full use out of it - and recruiters are no different.

Basic rule with recruiters - they are being paid by the company, so their loyalties will be with their client, not the job seeker. Once a job seeker understands this, and takes the personal aspect out of it, expectations of recruiters will be more appropriate.

Some good suggestions, when dealing with recruiters:
- Don't tell them something you would not tell the employer.
- Do try to sell yourself as being the best fit for the job.

- Don't use recruiters for career changes.
- Do use recruiters if you've been laid off and want to get back into your field.

- Don't think that just because you've spoken with a recruiter, that you have a better chance of getting the job.
- Do continue to apply through recruiters, as well as through other outlets.

- Don't dress inappropriately when interviewing with a recruiter.
- Do treat the interview with the recruiter as if it was with the actual company.

- Don't expect the recruiter to "think outside the box."
- Do take the time to show the recruiter that your experience matches up very well with the job they are recruiting for.

- Don't expect the recruiter to take your side in salary negotiations.
- Do discuss salary with the recruiter - recruiters can be an excellent way to determine if the companies salary expectations will be acceptable to you.

- Don't think that recruiters are perfect. Everybody can make mistakes.
- Do deal with a recruiter professionally. Even if the company they represent now is not a fit, they might represent another company in the future that is a fit.

- Don't take a recruiter's critique of your resume personally.
- Do take the recruiter's suggestions, and also realize that the same resume can look great to one person, and horrible to the next.

More than anything, realize that recruiters are salesmen and women. Their first job is to sell their client on using their recruiting services. Their second job is to sell you (or another candidate) to their client.