It is important to understand how you can make the best use of a recruiter's services. This will save you, and the recruiters you deal with, a lot of time. A recruiter's job is to fill a client's required positions (usually somewhere between 10 and 50 positions a year) using their access to hundreds of thousands of candidates. In order to make a living, recruiters must focus on dealing with candidates who obviously match open requirements.
Recruiters don't find you a job! They fill positions for clients who pay a fee.
Appropriate Ways To Contact Recruiters
It takes a recruiter about 5-10 seconds to determine if a resume matches one of their open positions. If it does, they will not hesitate to contact the candidate. Many candidates attempt to book appointments with recruiters to "sell" their skills. This leads to the unfortunate situation where candidates feel brushed off, and a recruiter's time to make a living is used up. The following are inappropriate ways to contact recruiters:
"Dear Recruiter, I would like to book a time with you to present the skills I have to offer"
"Dear Recruiter, I am on the market, I'd be willing to get together for a coffee so you can understand what I'm looking for."
"Dear Recruiter, I am open to offers, please provide me a list of your current openings, and set up a time on my calendar to talk."
Recruiters can only help candidates if they have a position available with their background. Candidates can best help recruiters recognize their value by presenting their skills as clearly and simply as possible. The following are appropriate ways to contact recruiters:
"Dear Recruiter, I am a Project Manager with 10 years of experience leading teams of 5-10 software developers for IT projects in the banking sector. I would appreciate being in your database, and being considered for matching positions. I have attached my resume."
"Dear Recruiter, I am a Software Developer with 8 years of experience in C# .NET web application development for small technology companies. I would appreciate hearing about matching positions, and any advice you can provide for my resume content. I have attached my resume."