Recruitment consultants

Many people will meet recruitment consultants for the first time when they are applying for their first or second jobs, but might not realise the role such a person can play in helping a PR person develop a long and successful career.

By Sarah Stimson

A good recruiter should be a friend for the length of your career. They are also an excellent resource for industry information and gossip, particularly if you and they specialise in one area of PR, as they will have an in-depth knowledge of the movers and shakers. But what is a recruitment consultant’s exact role, and what can you expect them to do for you? Here are some insights.

Firstly, if you send your CV to a recruitment agency you should be able to expect the courtesy of a reply. Even if it’s to say “sorry we can’t help you this time”. It lets you know that your details have been received and read, and whether there is going to be any action taken by them. I am not keen on agencies which say they only respond to successful applications. It’s true that it can take busy agencies quite a bit of time and effort to reply to everyone, but it is polite, and lets you know they care enough to fully consider your experience.

If the agency think that your experience is suitable for their clients they will ask to meet you. An interview with a recruitment consultant is slightly different to a job interview. They will probe you on why you want to leave your current role, and why you have left previous positions. They will also want to know what you want to do next, and why, and where you think your skills lie. Keep in mind that your consultant will be representing you to potential employers, so it is important to make a good impression.

Crucially, recruitment consultants build relationships with their client companies, which means they are the first to know when there is a new vacancy open and they get to know what kinds of people each company likes to hire – so they can advise you on the culture and requirements of each firm.

They will be able to tell you about the industry standards for salary and benefits, and give you pointers on how to improve your CV and interviewing techniques.

Your relationship with your consultant is a two way street. You should be able to rely on them to get in touch regularly to let you know of suitable vacancies, or just to catch up and see how your job search is going. You should also be confident that they won’t send your CV off to any of their clients without your permission, and that they will give you frank, honest advice.

They should be able to brief you fully on any job they put your forward for and give you helpful hints and tips to get you through the interview process. If you are offered the role, they will act as your negotiator for salary and benefits and once you’ve started the position, should call you to make sure you’re getting on okay and enjoying your new job. If you don’t get offered the role, they should give you feedback as to why so that you can make adjustments to your approach in the future. In many cases, candidates quickly discover which recruitment consultants are working for their interests and which are just desperate to push you into unsuitable roles. The good ones really stand out and it has been known for candidates to then become clients and use the consultant to hire their own team.

In return your consultant will need you to return their calls and reply to their emails, whether you are interested in the position they have open or not. You will also need to be clear about why you are looking for a new job and what you want to do next. You should also keep in mind that the more flexible and open minded you are, the more vacancies they will be able to send your way.

Keep a note of which recruitment agencies have sent you for which jobs so that if a consultant calls you about a position you can tell them if you’ve already been briefed on it by someone else. If you get called to interview by one of their clients, make sure you call the consultant afterwards to give them your feedback and to find out what they thought about you.

If you find a job elsewhere – either through another recruitment consultancy or directly – let your recruitment consultant know. Just because they couldn’t help this time, doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to in the future and being helpful and polite ensures you are remembered. Just think, your dream job might land on their desk and you want them to call you about it.