10 Tips for Job Seekers

As an insider in international recruitment industry in the Philippines, I find below write-up titled “10 Things A Recruiter Will Never Tell You” truly correct and valid for many headhunters I know-- as published in recent issue of Crossroads JobSeeker News. There are indeed a lot of industry secrets and having access to those secrets can make the difference in whether a job applicant’s resume is accepted or rejected by headhunters-recruiters-- whether for local or overseas employment.

Top 10 Things Recruiters Will Never Tell a Job Applicant

1. Your cover letter put him off.
You might have been thrilled to find just the right cover letter form in a book of cover letters or computer template. What you don’t realize is that a thousand other people have also found that cover letter—and the recruiter has seen them all. It makes your cover letter look like 150 other letters he has read that morning. And it makes you seem unoriginal, and not a good candidate.

2. Recruiters spend five to ten seconds looking at each resume.
If your resume cannot get his attention in five to ten seconds, it will be passed over. In an extremely fast-paced environment, high-volume resume reading is required; recruiters are professionally trained to look for certain items. If your resume is not designed to contain what recruiters are looking for, you won’t get a second chance.

3. Your resume may be full of hidden or unsuspected red flags.
You think you have a great resume, but there may be red flags you are not even aware of. Here are a few that cause concern for recruiters: (a) Too many jobs in a short time = Unstable candidate; (b) Too many years at the same company/industry = Inflexible to change; (c) Overqualified = Too expensive or won’t stay long; (d) Underqualified = Long learning curve; (e) Too many different types of jobs = Candidate doesn’t know what he wants.

4. Your age is obvious from your resume.
You may think you’ve fooled the recruiter by leaving out your college graduation date, but there are many resume cues that can betray your age. In today’s youth-oriented market, this can lead to a whole series of misconceptions: (a) Your industry knowledge is out of date; (b) You don’t understand current technology; (c) You won’t be able to work under younger managers; (d) A well-written resume can prove your experience while downplaying your actual age.

5. Your resume indicates you are not a good "cultural fit" for his clients.
Your resume reveals more about you than you know. Your personal information or extra-curricular activities may actually make a negative impression on recruiters or potential employers. Even the way you phrase your job experience can prove that you don’t belong in his client’s workplace.

6. The recruiter’s first motivation is earning commissions.
The recruiter’s loyalty is not to you; it is to the companies that pay his commission. Those employers are interested in the bottom line—and so is he. Don’t expect a recruiter to be personally interested in your career goals; he only wants to talk to you if you match the qualifications of the job openings he has to offer. It is up to YOU to make him understand what a great asset you would be to his clients—and therefore to him as well.

7. He doesn’t care why the employer didn’t want you for a second interview.
If the employer isn’t interested in you, then neither is the recruiter. Recruiters don’t feel any obligation to tell you why you didn’t make the cut; he has other jobs to fill and other candidates to fill them. As much as we’d like to think otherwise, recruiters have to focus on jobs that pay them, not on improving your interview techniques. It pays to work on your interviewing skills well before you get to that stage.

8. He doesn’t care why the employer didn’t make you the offer.
Recruiters don’t want to admit that they knew you were the second choice all along or that the employer was just interviewing you to go through the motions. Maybe the top candidate was even someone else he sent in. You have to be aware that you are in competition at all times—even with other job seekers your recruiter represents.

9. He won’t tell you the real reason the position you want is on hold.
Again, a recruiter’s first loyalty is to the companies that pay his commission. So he is not going to tell you that the employer just ordered a budget cut or that they are having a management crisis. And you will be left to wonder if the company put the job on hold to avoid hiring you. By honing your interview skills, you will be able to determine those hidden concerns and rely on your own judgment, not your recruiter’s.

10. He won’t tell you the true salary range for the position.
For internal, corporate recruiters, it is in their best interest to keep the salary range low. It makes them look good if they can have a positive impact on the bottom line, and what better way to save thousands of dollars than by negotiating low? For third-party recruiters, their commission is often based on your salary, so they will try to inflate the salary range.

Don’t give up on recruiters just because you know these hard facts. Instead, use them to your advantage! Recruiters can actually be your best asset in a job search. Your recruiter can be an incredible ally. In fact, maintaining contact with your recruiter even after you have found a great job can be a good idea. Don’t burn your bridges. That same recruiter might be the one to hand you your next job on a silver platter - the right job at the right salary for you.