Yet Another Recruiter Question

[Beth Agnew]

The recruiter needs to know if you may have applied to a job for which 
they already have a contract in place with the employer. If you are 
successful, they can probably get credit for the hire, even though you 
submitted yourself. Also, they need to know if you are working with any 
other recruiters. If two or more recruiters submit candidates for the 
same job (yes, it happens), they need to know which one gets the 
commission. The recruiter wants to avoid a situation where your resume 
was submitted by a competitor and by them as well. That opens the field 
for a nice argument or a split commission, and they don't want to take 
that chance. The question then is more about turf than whether you are 
marketing yourself.

They probably also want an idea of whether you might take yourself out 
of the candidate pool by accepting a job for which they will not receive 
a commission, or by turning down a job they find for you. If you are 
actively looking for a job, it tells them you're serious. Some people 
float applications to recruiters just to see whether there are any 
nibbles. Recruiters don't want to waste time on people who are just 
testing the market.

James Barrow wrote:
> Here's another question that seems to have popped up more these days
> whenever I first discuss a job:
>
> "Have you submitted yourself to any other jobs?"
>
> Note:  This question takes several forms:  "Are you actively marketing
> yourself?", "Are you actively seeking a job?", "Are you working with any
> other recruiters", etc.
>
> There's a good chance that I'm missing something obvious, but at the moment
> I can't see the relevance of this question.
>
> Since recruiters make money off of me once I obtain a job through them, they
> should work hard to get me an interview, whether or not I'm working with
> other recruiters for other jobs, right?
-- 
Beth Agnew
Catch the Buzz: http://bethbuzz.blogspot.com
STC Presentation archived at:
http://www.301url.com/podcasting

Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology
Toronto, ON 416.491.5050 x3133
http://www.tinyurl.com/83u5u