3 ways you should be leveraging your recruiting partner to advance your career

3 ways you should be leveraging your recruiting partner to advance your career

Chances are you heard from a recruiter today. Probably a bunch of recruiters in the last week or month. It’s a great time to be working in some key areas like tech, engineering, pharma, clinical healthcare, and more. When you have such a great background, you become highly targeted by recruiters — maybe even some of our recruiters here at SSi People!

In fact, you’ve probably worked with a recruiter at least one time in your career. Chances are, though, that you heard from a recruiter, applied and either took another job, or landed that job and then moved onto the next one. 

It’s time to view your recruiter as a career partner

Today, we challenge you to reconsider that approach to your recruiter relationship. That’s because in our 20+ years of business, we’ve seen some really incredible career leaps with consultants who’ve partnered with us for years (even decades!). When you look at recruiters as transaction opportunities rather than relationships, you’re missing out on some of the strongest benefits to your career. 

In fact, here are 3 ways you should be leveraging your recruiting partner to advance your career:

1. Always ask about or consider redeployment opportunities. 

Redeployment is a critical metric for staffing & recruiting firms — it makes them more successful, while also making you more successful. It’s truly a win/win! 

Redeployment means actually “deploying” you — sending you — to your next project or assignment. Here at SSi People, your dedicated Consultant Care Manager (CCM) will proactively reach out to you before your assignment is about to end to see what type of role you’re interested in next. Then, he or she will look at our openings and opportunities to see what may be a fit for you. 

If you haven’t heard from your recruiter, don’t be afraid to reach out directly and ask about your next role – preferably before your assignment ends! That way, there are no gaps in your earnings potential, and you don’t have to worry or think about when you will land your next opportunity. 

If you’re like nearly 3/4 of candidates out there, looking for a job is one of the most stressful events in life. By working with a recruiter who reaches out to you about your next role with plenty of time, or proactively reaching out to your recruiter to ask about your next assignment, you eliminate the most stressful parts of looking for a job.

2. Never be afraid of giving or accepting referrals. 

This is a piece of advice where there are multiple benefits – some more obvious than others. Recruiters are ALWAYS looking for referrals. Strong professionals like you are in demand, and if a recruiter is impressed with you, it stands to reason they’d be impressed with your referrals as well. 

Of course, you’re helping your recruiter by providing a referral. So, most recruiters and staffing firms offer a referral bonus. This is a very direct and simple benefit to you — refer your friends and former colleagues and if they get hired, you get paid. Win!

But, there are some potential career benefits down the line. If your career started more than a year or two ago, you know that people who were your colleagues a few days ago can be your boss, or your client, down the line. Referring people in your network for jobs now could literally end up getting you a referral or better opportunity down the line. Or, it could get you some serious goodwill if one of the people you refer ends up in a senior position and your paths cross again. 

We’ve seen it happen quite a few times, in fact! Referrals are a powerful way to advance your career, or at least more quickly help you reach your goals, whether financial or professional. 

3. Always ask what employers are looking for. 

This is a simple piece of advice that is actually very powerful. Your recruiter shouldn’t just be submitting your resume for a job. They should be offering you advice and guidance to help you land that job (and any job that may be of interest to you as your career advances). 

If your recruiter isn’t actively sharing insights into what a particular employer is looking for, or industry trends that could help you ace an interview, be sure to ASK for that input. Even for roles that are in high demand, you still need to impress employers during the interview process. Your recruiter should be a trusted resource and ally who helps you understand the landscape and put your best foot forward, now and in the future. 

Our Recruiting and Consultant Care Teams are Trusted Resources.

Our network of consultants trust SSi People recruiters and Consultant Care Managers to give them the resources, information, and opportunities they need to reach their goals. Here at SSI, we get people. We put you first, and you can count on us. To search our available openings and apply for a job, visit our job board today. 

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