7 Best Practices For Working With Headhunters In New York City

Guest Author

Although today’s economy is slowly improving, working with headhunters to find New York City jobs is often a great way to better your chances of finding employment.

Staffing firms have been around for decades, but few candidates utilize the benefits of working with headhunters, which gives the job seekers that do a better edge. Like any business relationship, there are best practices for working with headhunters in New York City.

1. UNDERSTAND THE RECRUITER – Understanding the recruiter is as essential as understanding the job you seek. Recruiters are human, and they care about certain credentials and ignore others. Learning what makes individual headhunters tick is key to staying in the front of their mind and landing IT staffing jobs in New York City. Take the time to learn about the key strengths recruiters are seeking in their candidates, and you’ll find that your resume is submitted more often to hiring managers.
2. UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIPS – Understand the relationship between the headhunter, the employer, and yourself. Often, candidates believe the recruiter works for them, because they make money from placing you into the job. This is a mistake though; the employers pay them, not the candidate. Treat the headhunter as an extension of your potential company’s HR department and be as polite as you would to an internal hiring agent.
3. UNDERSTAND THE HEADHUNTER – Understand that headhunters are hired to find an exact match for the employer’s open position. They will not appreciate having their time wasted as you try to carve yourself into the position. Be patient; if the position they have isn’t a fit, be honest about that. They’ll appreciate it.
4. REPLY QUICKLY AND OFTEN – If you are presented with several jobs in New York, immediately take time to research each and let the recruiter know which ones you are interested in. Often, the first candidate that recruiters submit has a better chance at landing an interview.
5. MAKE YOUR RESUME STAND OUT – Headhunters trying to fill jobs in New York can see thousands of resumes over a day’s time, and only have a handful of jobs to fill. Make sure yours catches their eye and leaves an impact.
6. WORK WITH A BOUTIQUE STAFFING AGENCY – Try to work with a boutique staffing firm that specializes in placing jobs within your industry specifically. There are many huge recruiting firms that place across all industry sectors, but the smaller, more specialized ones may be the key to finding your niche position.
7. CHECK-IN WITH YOUR RECRUITER – Maintain a schedule for checking-in with your recruiter, but don’t overdo it! Headhunters often talk to scores of people every single day, and their time is very valuable. Even five minutes on the phone can be a critical setback for them if they are swamped with more pressing commitments, so make sure to check in over email when possible and don’t bombard them with calls.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of how recruiters work and what they are looking for. Use these 7 practices to create great relationships with headhunters and find the perfect position for you.

Guest Author Bio:
Matthew Walden is a partner at Infinity Consulting Solutions (ICS), one of the top IT staffing agencies in New York City. As an expert in the recruiting field, Walden offers over 20 years of expertise. If you would like to reach out to him send him an e-mail at matthew@infinity-cs.com.