Solely relying on a headhunter or recruitment agency to find paid employment can potentially leave you high and dry. For better results, consider using a multi-channel approach.
Who’s the client?
“A headhunter’s client is not the jobseeker – it’s the company looking to recruit. The headhunters also only know about a small number of open jobs – those jobs which they have been hired to fill,” says Ieva Eksts, an international career consultant. “It’s not unusual for them to be very active when they want you on ‘their books’, but when you’re waiting to hear about a decision, you might hear nothing. And if you miss out on a job, you won’t necessarily receive feedback. The recruiter has other priorities and moves on.”
Supporting your goals
That means it’s harder to learn from failures, which can be dispiriting for a jobseeker (especially when you’re in a new culture). By contrast, a career coach will be there to support you, to determine your employment goals and identify the next step to get there. “When I work with clients I spend time at the start getting to know them to better understand their goals. We can then proactively search for the right solutions,” says Ieva.
Going at your pace
“But, if you’re a job seeker, we would always go at your pace and assess your readiness levels. What’s going on in your life right now? Are you still unpacking and finding your feet? Are there cultural factors that need to be examined and better understood before a job search should begin? Again, those are examples of discussions you won’t have with a recruiter. It’s also worth adding that a coach’s work doesn’t stop when you get a job. A client may need further guidance after they start work, or come back to me if there are issues.”
Fair’s fair!
Ieva adds that recruitment agents can be useful as an intermediary and for obtaining key information, for example, about CV preferences, or salary expectations: “If you use a recruiter, choose one that specialises in your target area but continue to proactively network and receive recommendations, introductions and referrals from others. You can also explore job opportunities online by yourself and contact target companies directly. As I tell my clients, companies use multiple methods to source candidates, so why shouldn’t you use multiple channels to source an employer?”
This article was originally published for the thousands of expat partners that Global Connection supports around the globe. It is reproduced here in its original form.
Stock photo: Pexels
