As many of us know, recruiters (or headhunters) do mainly two things; one, provide companies with talented candidates, and two, introduce fitting jobs to those who look for one. They are a bridge between company and job seeker. With all the jobs and job seekers in the world, matching the two still is a challenge. That is why recruiters (consultants) work to make the best match.
Consultants, as their job is to do so, will still try to get the candidate in the company best paying them. Some people, maybe you, don’t like this ‘push,’ and try not to work with consultants when hunting a new job. But there are ways to make the consultant work for you rather than the company. Here are some tips on how to change a consultant from a sales person to a job-searching partner.
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1: Show you’re worth it.
Obviously, a consultant would work harder placing a candidate who is more talented and skilled then others. This reasons from how a recruiting company profits. Partnering companies pay about 30~40% of the candidate’s annual salary to the recruiting company. The more skilled the candidate, the more payment they receive, thus better profit for the recruiter.
How do you show yourself better then others? Simple: appeal what you have accomplished in the past. Tell the consultant, you have led a project, made a success, and profited the company by X% (don’t tell lies or false information). The accomplishment doesn’t matter as long as you have a specific number and reasons to back your statement up. Never say anything unspecific or too general, such as “I have great leadership,” “I’m a great team player,” or “I have management experience”. Consultant will expect those at the point they receive your CV, and they are meeting you because they want to know ‘what’ you done specifically and what the effect has been for the company in terms of money or increased performance. Have few accomplishment stories ready to let your consultant know, and keep them simple.
2: Have a reference ready.
Words from others speak as much, or even more than from the job seeker themself. Have an e-mail address or phone number ready to tell the consultant when they ask for a reference. Ask your boss or coworker to talk to the consultant about your work stile, personality, skills, etc. Never introduce a family member as a reference: this is business.
Still you might question, why do consultants need reference? Well, the consultant doesn’t, but the company does. It makes the hiring manager easier to imagine how you will cope after joining the company. A reference also provides information to determine if all you said in the interview is true. A reference is a powerful source itself.
3: Be positive, aggressive and open-minded
A person who acts on his/her own to solve problems is a great candidate. Companies are more then welcome to pay those candidates more, not just for their achievements in work but also for the potential in growth.
To show this, one thing you can do, is voluntaeer to any opportunity the consultant introduces you. Consultants will have several jobs in their mind, and try to give you the best matching one; even though it might not be in the area you are looking. Saying yes not just opens a chance of something new, but shows you are open-minded candidate actively looking for a job. Just because you met with a company, doesn’t mean you must join them. It’s all right to reconsider the offer. The important thing here, is to show your positivity.