Recruiters fill positions for clients who pay a fee for this service. Recruiters are not really in the business of helping you to find a job! Finding a job for you is a different activity, and recruiters are not paid to do this. This is an important distinction. The responsibility is definitely on the candidate's part to understand how to present the value of their skills so they can be identified easily when the right position shows up. Many recruiters are helpful and provide assistance on resume content, preparation for interviews, and other career advice.
Candidates can save a lot of time in their job search if they understand how recruiters work, and what they can, can't, and won't do. If a resume is on file with a recruiters it will be identified every time a matching position comes in and they will be able to contact the candidate within minutes of the release of the position. Typically recruiters fill 10-50 positions a year, and have access to several hundred thousand candidates. By dealing with many recruiters and companies, and having the right resume keywords and content, the chances of being selected for matching positions increases.
When you make an unsolicited call to a recruiter it is possible but unlikely they will have a position for you on that day. You may find recruiters are not keen to talk for more than a minute or two. They may ask a few quick questions and request you send a resume. It is good to be able to give a 10-15 second high level overview of your background. I suggest saying: "I am a [Position Title], I have [X] years in the industry and I have [Y] years of experience in [Your Main Skill]. Would you like me to go into more detail? If a recruiter has a matching position they will be eager to continue the conversation.
When you get a call from a recruiter it is usually because you are a possible match for a position which has come in from a client. You may be in competition with anything from 10 to 200 other candidates. Your success in making it to an interview is only as good as the quality of the information in your resume and how well your actual skills match a position.
It is a good idea to send in your resume to recruiters so you can be part of their primary search. Locally stored resumes are the first place recruiters look when new positions come in. Candidates on job boards such LinkedIn and Indeed are usually part of a secondary search. This is because these systems do not provide access to your contact information unless you specifically post it and adjust visibility settings. Recruiters also have to pay to send you a message and they may have to wait days to get a response. As a secondary search candidate you are at a significant disadvantage. However, LinkedIn and Indeed are definitely good places to post your resume otherwise you may not be found at all. LinkedIn and Indeed are heavily used by recruiters.
Learn how to maximize the value presented on your resume so that you can be identified as a top candidate for positions which match you. Send your resume to many recruiters to get lots of coverage. Make the numbers work for you. Over time and by accessing many recruiters your resume will work in the background to connect you with matching positions.
Out of country candidates face an additional challenge: in order to hire them companies must be prepared to spend days to understand and process immigration requirements, and may have to wait months before the candidate is legally able to work. It is much easier for them to hire a local candidate. Be prepared to get little or no response from recruiters unless you have figured out why your application should be considered far above a locally available candidate with a similar skill set.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/marketing-your-full-value-improve-job-search-chris-sherret/