When you are job hunting, you have several different ways of getting the position you want. You can apply directly to a company via a resume or application, you can go through a website that has listings of jobs in your area, or you can go through a job recruiter. What is a job recruiter and what should you know about them?
They Work for the Employer
The majority of job recruiters do not work for the person searching for a job; they work for the employer who is looking for a person to fill open positions within their company. The employer either pays their salary, or they are paid via a commission-based structure when they find the company the right person for each job they are hiring for.
They can help you to better understand the company and what they are looking for in a candidate, but their primary goal is to pick the right person for the company itself.
Different Types of Recruiters
There are actually several types of recruiters, which fall into a couple of categories – internal and external. Internal recruiters are employees of the company they are working for. They are usually a part of the Human Resources department and receive the applications and resumes from potential candidates. They go through the interview process and recommend to those that hire that this person has been deemed the right fit.
External recruiters are those who aren't employed directly by the company itself but instead are employed by an agency. They are also known as headhunters or search consultants. They can work at staffing firms and help many different companies find employees for open jobs, or they can freelance and are hired on a specialized basis when a company is looking for a particular skill set.
External recruiters can specialize in a certain area, like technology or hospitality. They may also specialize in a search method more commonly used by some industries and not by others. They may also only handle temporary workers as well.
They Don't Hire
Job recruiters are not the ones who will hire you for the job. Their only job is to find the right type of candidates for the position that is open, looking at education and experience levels. They do talk to those they deem could be a good fit, but they will pass along those names, after making a short list, to the hiring staff.
To learn more about job recruiting, talk to a recruiter near you.
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