Ok, I did it. I renamed the series. I got some input from some folks who thought that by naming the series “Exploring the Recruiter’s Bill of Rights” I was doing two things, both bad. One I had a boring title so no one was gonna read what I wrote, and two the title was off putting for candidates and job seekers. I didn’t want to do either of those things, so I changed the title. The goal of the series is still the same – to bring new understanding and clarity to job seekers so that they can work more productively with executive recruiters.

This week I’ll be covering the second tenant that should be followed by candidates in order to get the respect and create a professional working relationship with recruiters; “credibility.”

Credibility – Candidates that apply for positions or express interest in a position during recruitment will do so and substantiate that he or she is willing to accept a new position based upon the criteria that is outlined to the recruiter. This means that a candidate is ready, willing, and able to commit to a job change for an acceptable offer.

It is a good idea, as part of your career plan, to form long lasting relationships with a select number of recruiters that specialize in your field. Having identified them and introduced yourself you have the beginnings of a professional relationship that can pay handsome dividends over your career. Check out what Jason Alba of JibberJobber has to say in his article “Love Your Recruiter:”

You know that if I had a few that I had relationships with, they would have been hunting for a job for me on the day I called them. But that is based on developing those relationships! Do me a favor… no, do yourself a favor. Go to recruiting.com and browse the posts there. Look for a recruiter that might fit you industry, or your personality. Or, Google for a recruiter in your area. The time to begin this relationship is NOW, not when you need it!

One of the easiest ways to ruin that relationship is to not be serious and committed when ask the recruiter to work with you. DO NOT use recruiters to investigate your value in the market place to use a leverage for getting a raise. It would be fine to call one of the recruiters you are working with and ask “Hey Carl, what are the salary ranges you are seeing for guys in my position?” I’ll give you that info right off the bat. But if you call me up and say you are looking to move to a new company, then you have just asked me to invest time in helping you find a new position.

All the work I do for you is absolutely free, no charge, zero cost… to you. I only make any money in the deal when I am successful at guiding you through the interview process and getting the company to make a offer that you and I have discussed and agreed will be acceptable. That involves a ton of work. So I expect some commitment back from you. When you tell me you want to leave your current company, that means you will take an offer if we get to an acceptable comp plan. When you say that you will relocate, then you are making a commitment that if a job is offered that requires relocation, you WILL relocate. If you don’t follow through on those commitments then you will be damaging the relationship, probably beyond all repair.

So, the second step to making a recruiter love you, be credible – make sure that you do what you say you will when the time comes to field offers.

About the author, Chief Executive Restaurant Recruiter

Born in Arkansas, moved to FL for 3 years as a youngster. Lived in GA most of my life. Married in 1985, 2 kids, one of each. Graduate of USNA Class of 1980. Love golf, computers, poker, photography, and gadgets.

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