Before You Select a Recruiter to Assist you with Your Health Career Search
There are virtually hundreds of recruiting firms nationwide. How do you determine which one is best for you? Below are a few questions to ask of a recruiter before partnering with them and allowing them to represent you in your career search.
"Do You Specialize in Healthcare Recruiting?"
Your chances for success will be greatly increased if this recruiter specializes in the medical industry. Otherwise he or she may not represent the type of job to suit your skills and qualifications.
Or, if they do, they may not understand the position well enough to assist you. If the recruiter is representing a job you really want, then you may want to continue working with them, depending on the answers to the following questions. If there are no jobs of interest to you with this recruiter, move on.
"How Long Have You Been Working as a Recruiter?"
If the answer is less than 1 to 2 years, proceed with caution. It's okay to continue working with this person if they seem professional and they are representing quality job prospects. However, you may want to also work with one other recruiter who has more experience, in case this one is unable to help you find the right job for you.
"How Long Has Your Company Been in Business?"
Just because a company is new doesn't mean they're bad, but if it seems like a fly-by-night operation, it may be best to work with a more experienced firm. Healthcare is a highly specialized field, and it's difficult to succeed as a recruiter, unless you have a lot of contacts, which a more mature firm will have.
An exception may be a new firm which consists of experienced recruiters, who have a great deal of medical industry experience.
"Who are Your Clients?"
A recruiter may not be able to reveal every client to you, because some searches may be confidential, including the one for which you wish to apply. However, they should be able to name several of their satisfied clients, so that you can get a feel for the quality of employers they represent, as well as check up on them if you know any people at those client companies.
Note that there is no reason why a recruiter should not be able to reveal the name of the client before they submit your CV to them for the position. You should know where your information is going before the recruiter submits it to their client.
"Is There Any Charge to Me for Your Recruiting Services?"
You as the job-seeker should never be charged a fee from a recruiter. Typically the fees are paid by the employer, the recruiter's client.
"Do You Specialize in Healthcare Recruiting?"
Your chances for success will be greatly increased if this recruiter specializes in the medical industry. Otherwise he or she may not represent the type of job to suit your skills and qualifications.
Or, if they do, they may not understand the position well enough to assist you. If the recruiter is representing a job you really want, then you may want to continue working with them, depending on the answers to the following questions. If there are no jobs of interest to you with this recruiter, move on.
"How Long Have You Been Working as a Recruiter?"
If the answer is less than 1 to 2 years, proceed with caution. It's okay to continue working with this person if they seem professional and they are representing quality job prospects. However, you may want to also work with one other recruiter who has more experience, in case this one is unable to help you find the right job for you.
"How Long Has Your Company Been in Business?"
Just because a company is new doesn't mean they're bad, but if it seems like a fly-by-night operation, it may be best to work with a more experienced firm. Healthcare is a highly specialized field, and it's difficult to succeed as a recruiter, unless you have a lot of contacts, which a more mature firm will have.
An exception may be a new firm which consists of experienced recruiters, who have a great deal of medical industry experience.
"Who are Your Clients?"
A recruiter may not be able to reveal every client to you, because some searches may be confidential, including the one for which you wish to apply. However, they should be able to name several of their satisfied clients, so that you can get a feel for the quality of employers they represent, as well as check up on them if you know any people at those client companies.
Note that there is no reason why a recruiter should not be able to reveal the name of the client before they submit your CV to them for the position. You should know where your information is going before the recruiter submits it to their client.
"Is There Any Charge to Me for Your Recruiting Services?"
You as the job-seeker should never be charged a fee from a recruiter. Typically the fees are paid by the employer, the recruiter's client.
