I am a recruiter, so this one comes straight from my side of the desk.
Most candidates treat recruiters in one of two ways. Either we are gatekeepers to be got past, or a personal job agent who should be out there finding them something. Neither is quite right.
Once you understand how the job actually works, it is much easier to get a recruiter genuinely in your corner. And a recruiter who believes in you is one of the most useful people you can have in a job search.
What a recruiter does, and who pays
An agency recruiter is engaged by an employer to fill a role. When someone they put forward is hired, the employer pays a fee. You, the candidate, pay nothing.
That last point matters. A legitimate recruiter will never charge you to find you a job. If anyone asks for money to put you forward, walk away.
It also means the employer is the client. My job is to find the best person for the role I have been briefed on. That can sound a bit cold, but it works in your favour when you are the right fit, because the moment I think you are the best person for a role, your success and mine are exactly the same thing. That is when a recruiter goes into bat for you.
What it does not mean is that I can find you a job simply because you are good. I can only put you forward for roles my clients have asked me to fill. If you are excellent but I have nothing that matches right now, the most useful thing I can do is remember you for when I do.
It helps to know the different types you will meet:
Agency recruiters work for many employers, usually within a specialist area like retail, finance or tech.
Executive search firms are usually retained to fill senior roles and will often approach you, not the other way around.
Internal or in-house recruiters work for one company and only hire for that company.
How to brief a recruiter when they call
The first proper conversation is where most candidates either set themselves up well or make themselves very hard to place.
A recruiter's job, once they decide to put you forward, is to sell you to a hiring manager in a couple of sentences. Your job in that first call is to give them the material to do it.
Have answers ready for these:
What you want next, specifically. The role, the level, the type of business. "Open to anything" is the hardest brief a recruiter can get, because it gives us nothing to match against.
Your salary. What you are on now and what you are looking for. I am not asking to use it against you. I am asking because there is no point putting you forward for a role that cannot pay what you need. If you would rather not share your current figure, at least give a clear expectation range. I cover the wording in my salary negotiation scripts.
Your notice period. It changes which roles you are realistic for.
Where else you are up to. Other interviews, other offers, and especially any companies you have already applied to or been put forward for. This is not about pressure. It is about timing, and about protecting you, which I explain below.
Your non-negotiables. Location, office days, travel, industries you will not work in.
Why you are looking. One or two honest sentences. Hiring managers will ask, so I need to know.
Two or three achievements you are proud of, ideally with numbers you can stand behind. These are what I will lead with when I pitch you.
Practise saying all of that in about a minute. If you can do that, you are already easier to represent than most people I speak to.
Good recruiter, bad recruiter
There are excellent recruiters and there are poor ones. You will meet both, so it helps to know the signs.
A good recruiter:
Asks your permission before sending your resume anywhere, and tells you the company name before they do
Knows the role properly: the manager, the team, why it is open, what the last person struggled with
Is straight with you about salary and about your chances
Prepares you before interviews and debriefs you after
Gives you feedback, even if it is brief
Tells you when it is a no, rather than going quiet
A poor recruiter:
Sends your resume to employers without asking you first
Stays vague about the client even after you have said you are interested and are about to be put forward. Some confidentiality early on is normal. Submitting you without naming the company is not.
Pushes you to decide quickly or to drop your salary expectations to fit a budget
Asks for your referees' details before there is any real interview stage, which is sometimes about generating sales leads rather than checking you
Pushes for the names of hiring managers you have spoken to elsewhere
Disappears once a role goes a different way
You do not owe your time to the second kind.
Managing several recruiters without double submission
It is completely reasonable to work with more than one recruiter. I would suggest two or three good ones who specialise in your area, rather than every agency in town.
The thing to manage carefully is double submission. That is when your resume reaches the same employer for the same role through two routes: two agencies, or an agency and your own direct application.
From the employer's side, this creates a problem. Two parties could now claim a fee for you. Rather than get into a dispute, plenty of employers will simply decline you and move on. You did nothing wrong, but you are the one who loses the role. It can also make you look disorganised, which is not the impression you want to leave.
To avoid it:
Never let anyone send your resume without your explicit yes, for a named company and a named role
Keep a record of every role you have applied to or been put forward for, including the date and who submitted you
If a second recruiter calls about a role you are already in for, tell them straight away
If you have already applied directly, say so before any recruiter puts you forward
A good recruiter will thank you for this. It keeps your name clean.
Staying warm between roles
The candidates I think of first when a great role lands are not the ones who call me every week. They are the ones who stayed in touch in a useful, low-key way.
A few things that work:
A short update every couple of months, or when something changes. A new role, a promotion, a shift in what you are looking for. Two or three lines is plenty.
Pick up when we call, even when you are not looking. "Not for me right now, but I know someone who might be interested" is remembered for a long time.
Refer people. It is the single best way to stay top of mind with a recruiter.
Keep your LinkedIn current. That is often where we look first. My LinkedIn profile tips cover what recruiters are actually scanning for.
Needy looks like weekly "anything for me?" messages, or taking it personally when a recruiter does not have a match. Warm looks like being someone they are glad to hear from. If you want to go a step further and be approached for roles before they are advertised, I go through that in how to get headhunted in Australia.
When to go direct and when to go through an agency
If a recruiter is advertising the role, apply through the recruiter. Going around them to the employer usually just gets you sent back, or creates the same fee problem as a double submission.
If the company is advertising directly and no agency is involved, apply directly.
If a recruiter calls you about a role you could also apply for yourself, it is your choice, but think about what each route gives you. Applying direct can occasionally help at junior levels, because there is no fee involved. At mid and senior levels, a good recruiter usually adds more than they cost you: the real brief, insight into the manager, interview preparation, and someone negotiating the offer on your behalf.
Whatever you choose, choose one. Never do both for the same role.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay a recruiter to find me a job?
No. In Australia, agency recruiters are paid by the employer when they place someone. A legitimate recruiter will never ask you for money to represent you or to put you forward for a role.
How many recruiters should I work with at once?
Two or three good ones who specialise in your field is usually right. More than that becomes hard to manage and increases the risk of being put forward for the same role twice.
Should I tell a recruiter my current salary?
It helps, because it lets them avoid wasting your time on roles that cannot pay what you need. If you would rather not share it, give a clear expectation range instead. What matters most is that the recruiter knows your number before they put you forward.
What happens if two recruiters send my resume to the same company?
If it is for the same role, the employer may decline you rather than risk a fee dispute between agencies. Prevent it by never allowing anyone to submit you without your permission for a named role, and by keeping a record of where you have been put forward.
Why did the recruiter stop replying to me?
Usually because they do not have a matching role right now, not because they have written you off. Stay in touch lightly and keep your LinkedIn current, so you are front of mind when something suitable comes up.
Can I apply directly to a company if a recruiter is advertising the role?
It is best not to. If the employer has engaged a recruiter, applying around them usually gets you redirected back to the agency, and if both routes reach the employer it can cost you the role.And if you want the exact words for every one of these conversations, the Job Search Toolkit includes my full Recruiter Scripts Pack, for $37.
Career Kit has a full module on getting visible to recruiters, including how to get on their radar before roles are advertised. You can find it at careerkit.com.au.