According to theUnited States Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in America is the lowest it’s been in over 18 years, which means most companies across the U.S. are hiring! Not only is this great news for a candidate looking for a new role, but it’s also beneficial to the recruiters placing these candidates in the role of their dreams.

So, now that you know that there are many jobs available at your fingertips, how do you start finding them? And better yet, how do you go about landing that dream gig? Let’s begin with the basics. When looking for a job, there are typically two types of people you’ll find yourself working with: internal recruiters and agency recruiters.

• An internal recruiter works for one company and hires only for that company.
• An agency recruiter works for a firm that partners with many companies; and within the firm, the internal teams can be divided by areas of business to better place candidates looking for roles in a particular field or at a specific level.

Here are the top five reasons why it’s best to work with a recruiting agency and how to leverage recruiter relationships to help set your career up for success:

1. It’s Free
   
   Recruiting agencies are free for candidates to use—so why not utilize a costless service to get yourself out there and learn about what opportunities are available. Agency recruiters look to find the perfect person on behalf of their client who, in return, pays the recruiting firm for their services. So, while you’re searching for a job, they’re searching for you!
2. Process
   
   The benefit of working with an agency recruiter is that they help manage and drive the job-hunting process, so you won’t go to an interview blind. When I work with candidates, I set the stage for what to expect—from the initial phone call to the final interview. This way, a candidate’s expectations are managed from the very beginning on what the company is looking to learn from them and how the candidate can fully be prepared prior to them first meeting.
3. Relationship Building
   
   Creating a professional rapport with a recruiter only helps leverage your future success when searching for your dream role. We often work with candidates over the course of several years at Russell Tobin and it’s due to the relationships we build. Landing the job of your dreams may not happen with the first role you interview for, but it could very well happen with the second or third role—you never know when the position might come across the desk of your recruiter. And once a candidate is in a role, they come back to work with us on the client side to help them build their teams months and even years later.
4. Feedback
   
   How many times have you been told, “At this time, we are going to pass on your candidacy,” “We are going to move in another direction,” or even worse, you were completely ghosted? Feedback is the most important take-away a candidate should receive from the interview process. Because of the partnership’s agencies have with their clients, the agencies are likely to receive feedback on the candidate sent their way. Agency recruiters should always be sharing feedback with their candidates as to why a company may have passed on them for a role. And just in case an internal hiring manager overlooks something on a resume (which can always happen), it’s important for the agency to talk to the client to receive feedback so candidates don’t get overlooked due to an honest mistake.If you are not receiving feedback from recruiters as to why you were passed for a job, ask them! They most likely know why, and that feedback can be crucial to future positions you apply or interview for.
5. Honesty
   
   It’s important to be honest and transparent when working with a recruiting agency. Always remember that recruitment firms have relationships with hundreds (even thousands) of companies, so it’s important not to burn bridges. Recruiters at Russell Tobin have found the most success with candidates who are honest about where they’re currently interviewing and where they have interviewed over the last year. If a client receives a candidate’s information who has previously interviewed for a role at their organization (without the candidate telling the agency recruiter), the company will have this information on record as all candidate submissions are saved in a CRM system. Honesty is the best policy when working with recruiters—this helps them help you!

With offices located both domestically and abroad, Russell Tobin is here to assist! Always feel free to contact the team for support in helping you find the right job fit for your future career plans. Good luck, and happy hunting!

Caty Berry Theall

Caty is a Senior Associate at Russell Tobin and specializes in recruiting sales professionals for financial services and FinTech companies in New York. Click to connect with her!