By Karen Friesen

What a fantastic day it would be if the hiring manager for your dream job were to roll up to your house, Publishers Clearing House-style, and drop a spectacular job offer right in your lap. I mean, riiiight?

Alas, job search typically requires no small amount of strategy, planning, effort and innovation. And, part of that strategy may well involve working with recruiters. Yet, for many, the idea of finding, reaching out to, and working with recruiters seems rather daunting, and raises plenty of questions.

How do they work, exactly? Do you have to pay them? How do find the right recruiter for your search? Do you have to wait for them to find you, or can you call them proactively?

Let’s break this down. I’m going to outline the different varieties of recruiters out there, and answer some of the most common questions we hear.

Internal recruiters, agency recruiters, temp firms…what?

INTERNAL RECRUITERS

There’s a very good chance you’ve already worked with a recruiter, but didn’t quite recognize it that way. Internal recruiters (also often known as talent acquisition specialists) are employees of the hiring company, and focus exclusively on filling open positions within that organization. They are charged with finding and vetting candidates and can be great allies through the interview and hiring process. They don’t typically make the final hiring decision, but they have plenty of influence. You want them on your side.

AGENCY RECRUITERS

Agency recruiters, on the other hand, work for outside firms. They’re engaged by organizations who either don’t have in-house recruiters or, often, by those whose hiring needs exceed their internal capabilities. Unlike internal recruiters, who typically earn a salary, agency recruiters rely on commissions for most or all of their incomes. In other words, they sink or swim based on their ability to find and introduce the right people for the open positions their client (the hiring company) has asked them to fill.

What you need to know about external recruiters is that you are not their client; the hiring company is, and the commission they earn is usually a percentage of your first-year base salary. For that reason, they’re super motivated to get you the best salary they can, so they’ll be in your court when it comes to negotiating the most lucrative deal. But at the end of the day, they answer to the company that hired them to fill positions. External recruiters do not typically work like talent agents for you. (And, if they did, you’d be paying them.)

TEMP FIRMS

Temp agencies are often misunderstood, bringing to mind less skilled or seasonal workers. But the fact is, short-term jobs exist at almost every business level, in nearly every industry. And if you need to work NOW, these agencies can be your ticket to expedited temporary employment. Once hired, you will be employed by the agency, not their client company. The temp firm earns their profit by negotiating an hourly salary above the rate they pay the employee – guaranteeing you a solid rate while covering their own administrative costs.

Side note: If you do such a bang-up job that the company offers to hire you permanently, just be sure you check with your temp agency first in order to keep communication transparent and not damage the relationship between the agency and their client.

FINDING THE RIGHT RECRUITER(S)

You’re already on the right track by recognizing that you don’t need to wait for a recruiter to contact you. When that does happen, it sure is nice – and flattering – but that’s akin to waiting for those sweepstakes hander-outers to knock on your door.

Be proactive. LinkedIn is a great to place start in identifying the name of an internal recruiter. Just go to the search box, enter the company name you’re interested in pursuing, and then add “recruiter” or “talent acquisition.” See if you score any hits. Adding in other search teams like “North America” or the specific type of job you’re seeking (for example “talent acquisition” and “marketing”) may help narrow the field with larger organizations.

Zooming in on the right external recruiter can take a little more effort because many of them specialize in certain career fields. Ask around. Do you personally know people in your line of work who have used a recruiter? Did they like them? Professional associations in your area of expertise can be a solid resource for recruiter names as well.

Still struggling? Ask Google. Key in “IT recruiters Boston” (you know, if you’re looking in Boston!) and do some research on the firms you find.

Establishing a productive relationship

Once you’ve scored a contact name, how should you approach? An email or phone call is a perfectly good place to start.

With an internal recruiter, you might try something like this:

“Hi. I’m a retail merchandiser. I noticed the post you have up, and I think I might be a good match. May I ask you a couple of quick questions about the position?”

Your approach in approaching an agency recruiter would be slightly different:

“Hi there, I’m a packaging engineer, and I noticed that your firm represents clients in my field. I wonder if it might make sense for us to chat?”

Notice that I’m not suggesting that you bombard them with voicemail messages or hound them with follow-up emails. Recruiters are typically drowning in work and correspondence. Yes, you could follow up if you don’t hear back, or try someone else at the same agency or company.

Once you have made that connection, here are some great ways to ensure your relationship is productive and (importantly) beneficial to your search:

Be clear about your goals (types of companies you are interested in, salary range, openness to relocation and / or remote opportunities). Knowing and communicating what you can or cannot do can save tons of time and annoyance for all parties involved.
Be responsive. Also, find out from the outset what the recruiter’s process is, establish how often you should contact them, and try to get a realistic idea of how you stack up against similar candidates. You don’t want to waste their time – or yours.
Ask for their input. Recruiters of all stripes can be wonderful allies. They can often outline how the interview process will go, give you hints and tips for success with a particular hiring manager, answer questions about dress code and interview format and share other helpful information. Some can even help with interview prep.

What if a recruiter ghosts me?

If you’ve been contacted directly by a recruiter, or the ones you’ve reached out to have seemed super interested in you, that’s exciting stuff. But, sometimes even the most promising recruiter relationships sort of, well, stall. What should you do if you’re feeling like communication has dropped off ?

First, remind yourself that you are not their only client or project, and another role may have taken priority. Having a little patience is a wise approach. But if it genuinely feels like you’ve been ghosted, plan your follow-up strategically.

Keep your confidence and professional pride intact and send a quick follow-up. Something like:

“Hi. I’m just checking in to let you know I’m still interested in the ________ role we discussed on <date>. Could you please fill me in on status of this position or potential next steps?”

And keep working on other opportunities! If you continue to be pushed off, don’t seem to be getting traction, or it just doesn’t feel like a good fit, it might be time to move on to a new recruiter or to fine-tune your approach.

When might it not make sense to work with recruiters?

There are many, many instances in which a recruiter can be an amazing partner through your job search. Some instances where that may not be the case? Recent college graduates who don’t yet have much job experience probably aren’t going to be ideal. (Focus instead on university job fairs, look for companies who target new grads, maybe search for a good internship).

Folks who are looking at stepping into a new field – making a career pivot – may also not find recruiters to be the best fit. Again, recruiters usually represent companies who need experienced, obvious fits for the roles that need to be filled. If you fall into this category, focus instead on joining relevant professional associations and working hard at networking with people in your new field.

Keeping a good relationship going

Assuming you find a great recruiter — and they’re pivotal in helping you land a great job — be sure and share a heartfelt “Thank you!” for their support and take proactive steps to stay in touch. Better still, find ways to help them succeed (e.g. introduce them to other great people for roles). Maintaining a solid relationship with talented recruiters can benefit you (and them!) over and over throughout your career.

Want to take a deeper dive into this topic? Watch Jenny’s self-paced LinkedIn Learning video course, “Working With Recruiters to Land a Job.”