The other side of the hiring desk, pt 2 What job seekers should NOT expect from a recruiter -

The other side of the hiring desk, pt 2 What job seekers should NOT expect from a recruiter - Its important to know what recruiters are thinking, what they do and what they do NOT do if you want to work with one successfully. Read another my series of interviews with my friend and colleague Stephanie A. Lloyd, a Talent Strategies Consultant and Owner of Calibre Search Group in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a National Careers  + Workplace Columnist for Examiner.com and also blogs at Radiant Veracity. You can also follow Stephanie on Twitter. Read on to learn how to be more competitive in the job market! What should job seekers NOT expect from a recruiter Job seekers should consider that internal recruiters handle a large number of resumes on a daily basis. Chances are, particularly in a job market like this, they are bombarded with hundreds or thousands of applications from the companys website and other job postings. Recruiters sort through those resumes and applications in order to find the few that meet the specific qualifications for each particular job opening. That takes a lot of time! Unfortunately, job seekers should not expect personalized treatment until they are identified as good candidates. Recruiters are not resume writers nor career coaches. Recruiters are not here to find you a job, help you change careers or to help you figure out what you want to be when you grow up. (Miriams note: that is what career coaches do!) For candidates who are good matches for a recruiter how should they go about finding someone who would be a good match? I would suggest starting with your network. Ask current and/or former colleagues and others you know who work in your field who theyve worked with in the past that they trusted and felt comfortable with. You can also check with your current and/or former employers HR department to see which firm(s) they like and work with. Finally, dont forget about social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Use search tools on both sites to connect with and reach out to recruiters in your field. Your initial contact should be a friendly and courteous introduction with a brief explanation of your background and career interests. Very often, even if they dont have anything for you at the moment, recruiters will be able to refer you to other recruiters and resources. Do you need help with your search? Follow this link to learn how I can help propel your job hunt!