Finding Your Dream Job Requires Collaboration
You always hear that respect is a two-way street. If you want it, you gotta give it.
The same holds true for collaboration in job searches. Great recruiters are more than just hired guns who single-handedly fill jobs and place candidates. The best recruiters are excellent collaborators, which alludes to the fact that filling roles and finding jobs is a partnership.
The definition of collaboration is the process of two or more people or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. When a job candidate works with a professional recruiter, they are working toward a common goal: landing the candidate their next great career move!
Collaboration begins from the start of the search process. It’s important to establish the rules of engagement for how the process will proceed and the desired outcome.
These are the areas where collaboration is vital.
- Prework: At the outset, decide if a new job search is worthwhile or not. Consider the pros and cons. Be sure that both sides are committed because it’s time-consuming and resource-intensive.
- Presentation: Work together with your recruiter to create your Client Presentation. Don’t expect the recruiter to create it on their own.
- Interview: During interview prep – and when debriefing after the interview – be open and honest. Don’t gloss over the details.
- Timeliness: Candidates must complete tasks on time (i.e. sending an updated resume, being available and prepared for interviews, doing their homework and research, etc.).
- Follow-Thru: Recruiters must follow-thru on their items (i.e. sending job details, getting clients to make timely decisions, keeping candidates informed along the way, etc.).
- Compensation: Be on the same page relative to compensation (past, current, and desired salary).
- Offer: When closing the deal, lay out all the cards to avoid being blindsided (on either side).
When the above process is not followed, it creates unmet expectations, inefficiencies, and frustration. Also, it’s nearly impossible to attain the goal.
So make it easier on yourself and collaborate from the get-go. In 30+ years of recruiting, I’ve discovered that it’s the No. 1 ingredient for a successful job search.