28.06.2023

 

HOW TO WORK WITH RECRUITMENT AGENCIES

When looking for work, the approaches are to do it on your own or through an intermediary.

Companies offering recruitment services can only operate with a valid license issued by the Employment Agency.

• For mediation activities abroad: 217
• For mediation activities in Bulgaria: 315

Recruitment agencies work for the benefit of their clients and they are the only ones who can receive remuneration for their services.

In other words, headhunters and agents are not career counselors and will not simply find you a job - they are motivated by the commission they will receive on placement, which the employer will pay them. In order to be profitable, recruitment agencies usually work on a large number of positions and the volume of applicant flow that passes through them is not small.

Unfortunately or happily, in Bulgaria it is illegal to make money from candidates for finding them a job. Of course, there are agencies that circumvent this through various techniques - fees for registration, for document processing, for a photo, for logistical support, for obtaining a visa. They, of course, do not guarantee finding a job and their goal is to accumulate as many candidates as possible in their registers.

Recruitment agents should not be confused with the profession of "career consultant", who are professionals who assist their clients - job seekers - in choosing a profession, making decisions and career development. A career consultant does not actually have the right to recommend a candidate for a job and ask him for money for it. However, he can advise him where to apply himself and how to present himself in general and precisely in this case. Help him to assess his strengths and weaknesses, analysis of the labor market, comment on specific companies, draw him an action plan, connect him with agencies, etc.

Consultant agents - selection specialists and headhunters

These professionals are also called "recruiters" from the English word recruitment, which literally translates to "recruit".

All of them work for the employer's account and for the benefit of the employer, but at the same time they provide career counseling and candidates as part of the process and good practice in their work.

Some agencies specialize in certain areas: industries or type of positions. For example in information technology or marketing and sales.

The other choice to make is the level at which given agencies operate: low, expert, middle, or top management. Don't waste your time looking for a job as an administrative assistant at an agency looking for managers. You may be interested in global players who, through their local office, can provide you with opportunities beyond the country and elsewhere in the world. In order to work in this context, it is good to understand the differences between different agencies and approach accordingly.

The best source for this is the agency's company website, where you can see what positions they are currently working for and cross-check them with their profile.

Here are some concrete practical tips for selecting and working with a recruitment agency:

• Do not apply without a selection process
• Be adequate - if you are a waiter, do not apply for the position of chief financial dealer with a requirement of 10 years of experience in the position
• Be specific - just posting a CV to a database has very little chance of "sticking".
• Remember where you applied. When they call you, you must respond appropriately. There is nothing more irritating for an agent than to talk to people who have just applied without remembering the specific position.
• If you have applied to many places, write down where and what the name of the agent or company is. Put their phone numbers in your phone memory so you can recognize them when they call you.
• When writing cover letters, remember that if you use a ready-made template, it shows immediately. It is better to write a personalized message accompanying the resume about the specific opportunity, using specific names and numbers, adequate for your profile and the benefits you can bring with you. If you don't have much experience and nothing to share, write about your motivation, passion and interest, supported by knowledge and facts. Show that you've taken the time to research.
• If you have an arranged interview with the agent or he has arranged one directly with the employer and you have found another job in the meantime, be sure to call to let them know in person and on time. Do not write an email or SMS. Thank them for their assistance. Sooner or later you may need their help again.
• In general, do not fail to give feedback on any change in your status as a job seeker if you are involved in a recruitment and the agent has told you that they will introduce you to the client.
• It is good to build long-term relationships with good agencies. We deliberately do not say agents, as the turnover is not small there either. It is good that your relationship is with the agency as a whole. Find out who a partner or long-term senior consultant is and keep in touch with them. Don't forget the others too, because sometimes "the king gives, but the poor don't".
• Forget about "spitting" on online forums (if you can, forget it altogether), even though you may be right, your negativity invariably affects your reputation and all other things being equal, you will be the "second choice". Agents regularly check these channels and if you have defamed any of them, you will be blacklisted forever. A bad reputation in the virtual world is bad in any situation. Especially when it comes to job hunting.
• If you are offended by someone's behavior or attitude, give feedback, defend your position. Do it constructively and if possible without attacking a specific person, just the problem. Good agencies will appreciate it and learn when it's done right. This will help the consultant/company to spot gaps and improve service.
• Don't be annoyed if they tell you no, accept it and say thank you. Leave the door open for next time. Being pushy and persistent can show motivation, but be careful not to come across as desperate or "I don't care anymore". This can be interpreted as self-doubt or mental instability. Even if you're unemployed, the key to getting hired is to you act as if you don't need a job but new opportunities.
• If you decide to remind yourself, do it with an occasion - for example, instead of "Will you keep me in mind if something comes up?" something like "There's a change for me, I've done this course, I have the following additional qualifications, I've won this award in the department ".
• Remember that it looks suspicious if you refuse to reveal certain information. It is good to be as frank and transparent as possible. If you miss periods where it's not clear what you've been doing, be sure a good agent doesn't fail to note them.
• 1 Salary Tip: If you still want to hide something that you know will discredit you, say that it was a period that you consider a mistake in your career and that you take as a lesson. Too much justification is also not appropriate. Even more to blame someone else. If you must specify and explain the circumstances somewhat, do not attack people, but situations, circumstances, factors, politics and times. If you must, share with the consultant that you are not particularly proud of it. He should appreciate your openness and at the same time willingness to learn from difficult moments and mistakes.
• Be sure to tell the agent what you are looking for and what your expectations are - type of company, position, type of boss, remuneration... He can only help you and save you time. If you let him down at this stage, and then he introduces you to the client, and you subsequently change your mind, nobody wins. Surely you.
• If you have any special expectations or restrictions - for example, you are a mother with a child who is in kindergarten and you may have to be away, there is no point in hiding it. Sooner or later it will be known. The agent does not decide what music will be played there, but can tell you what music will not be played there and direct you to the club that will cater to your taste.
• Remembering an important detail at the last minute can also derail things because you risk appearing suspicious or unstable for no particular reason.
• Talk about specific and measurable things. Don't leave the agent guessing what you mean and struggling to gather information. Say what you can do for his client that will benefit him.
• Don't expect the agent to do your job as well. You must also be an active party. His goal is to find a person for his client, and yours is for you to be that person. Don't expect him to write or tailor your resume for the specific opportunity. If you procrastinate and put it off, the consultant will think you're either lazy or not the right candidate for the position.
• There is nothing strange or unethical about having several different versions of your resume as long as everything you have listed is true. If you are applying for a position that requires project management experience, be sure to include any information that is relevant to the topic. Remove the extra stuff too. Adapt the CV and according to what the agent told you.
• You are the ones who have to define what you are possibly good at and what you are not. You also need to determine what you want and search accordingly. This is not the job of the agent or the headhunter. This could be the job of the career counselor who makes his money from this, but he will only guide you. The agent's job is to evaluate you through the lens of specific opportunities and find one. When you say you're "open to new things," all the agent hears is "I have no idea what I want." You will be asked to send him a resume and he will not call you again.
• 2 Salaries tip: Give to get. Call the agent and recommend a person who is suitable for the position they are working on. Do him a favor. Point him to a potential customer he can contact. Tell him about an open position you know about. It could be one from your current company that you know is having a hard time filling, or an agency selection competition is coming up. He will pay you back sooner or later.

It is quite likely that you will also come across an incompetent or biased agent who does not want to represent you for subjective reasons about a given position. Keep in mind that there may be things you don't know about and he has no way of telling you.

Usually, the decision to call you is based on a 10-second glance at your resume. This is not necessarily due to carelessness. Some recruiters develop skills to extract the information they need in seconds. But just in case, provide yourself with a short essence of what is most important to you at the very beginning, which catches the eye immediately.

For example:

40 years, MBA, 15 years Operations director in the production of fast moving goods, excellent English. In general, avoid words like "dynamic," "people-oriented," "team player," etc. No one reads them. Stick to facts, not adjectives.

"You are not performing well."

Based on your clothing, mannerisms, the way you speak and present yourself, an agent may decide not to introduce you to their client. He is careful not to introduce people the client might not like on a personal level, judging by his judgment of the employer's preferences and even hunches. Although only one candidate will be hired in the end, it's a good idea to only present those that he would get good feedback on. In this way, the client will be more satisfied with the options and the fact that his time is not wasted, and with a successful appointment, he will give more work to the agent. Recruiting is part science, part art.

If you're invited for an interview, then the agent has judged that you can "technically" do the job - that's the "science part". Your motivation, attitude, and presentation are the “art.” Once you've landed an interview, focus on these three art forms to impress the agent and make him want to work with you.

"You are not competitive in the context of the current job market."

The fact is, there is no substitute for a good solid education if you want to pursue a career in the knowledge economy. The good news is that there are already cheaper alternatives to Harvard and Cambridge that are of excellent quality.

Online courses and distance learning programs are now well received, and those making the decision to hire you care less and less where your degree came from. In addition to this, there are quite a few intensive and short (e.g. 14 days) management education programs (also called mini MBAs) organized by the Ivy League universities, which can increase the authority of your profile. In Bulgaria, there are also quite a few opportunities, such as online and distance courses.

The term "lifelong learning" is gaining more and more popularity and content in career management.

If you want to be competitive in the coming decades no matter how old you are, roll up your sleeves and sharpen your pencils.

"I probably won't be able to get you a job."

You will be invited to an interview only if there is something specific - an open position with a specific client. Agents avoid meeting just like that because if they do, they won't be able to do their other work. There must be an occasion. To fill a position, a consultant looks at sometimes hundreds of CVs, talks on the phone with about twenty candidates and meets with no more than 10. Finally, he presents the client with a short list of 3-4. Of these, only one will be hired, so if you are invited to a meeting, your chance is roughly 1 in 10. If you are introduced to the client: 1 in 3 or 4. Some agents, mostly headhunters, might invite you to interview and without having anything concrete, try to "sell" you to some client proactively. There the chance is even smaller. In short, although quite a few positions go through the agents, the statistics show that the odds are against you.

"I'm not going to tell you why you were rejected."

It is possible for an agent to introduce a candidate more than once to different clients, but they are unlikely to want to introduce a candidate a third time if they have been rejected twice. Unfortunately, it's quite possible that you'll never be able to learn from your mistake because you won't be told exactly what the cause was. The customer may have told the agent that you are a "horse with lids", "stuffy", "in a bad suit" or... "with bad breath", but this will not be conveyed directly to you. You may hear veiled and general variations, but some things cannot be shared openly. This is partly because it is very difficult to tell the truth to someone's face when they are.

In order to still have real feedback to draw on in the future, if you've been turned down multiple times and get vague general explanations, put down the shield of pride and insist on an open conversation. Ask former coworkers, bosses, or other agents you've worked with. And take their comments as a man and don't be offended.

"You are the missing 'filler' on the shortlist."

Most clients require a minimum of three candidates to be presented to them. If the agent has only two, it looks for one more to meet the expectation. No wonder you are that "outsider" or "let's see if this one doesn't somehow pass" candidate.

Be realistic and beware of positions that sound too good to be true. Research is your responsibility.

No one cares about your career more than yourself.