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Having stumbled upon this blog, you’re likely in the market for a new job. If you’ve already dug through job boards, subscribed to job alerts, searched through your LinkedIn connections, and still aren’t having any luck – stay strong! Your ideal position is likely right around the corner.

With countless automated job search tools online, many job seekers overlook one of the most helpful tools out there – a living, breathing, job search partner. Otherwise known as a recruiter.

Up until this point, you may have purposefully been avoiding partnering with a staffing agency recruiter. It’s okay, we don’t take it personally. Throughout our fifty years connecting job seekers with rewarding positions, we’ve heard a handful of common misconceptions about working with a recruiter. Let’s take a look at four of the most common ones and why they could be holding you back from finding your ideal job.

Misconception #1: Recruiters are recruiting for undesirable positions that are hard to fill

Reality: Recruiters connect job seekers with positions across all industries and levels – from entry-level healthcare positions to executive level corporate positions.

You might be thinking to yourself, if these positions are so great, then why do companies need to partner with a staffing agency in the first place? Shouldn’t candidates be lining up to interview? The idea that recruiters are filling largely undesirable positions with low pay and monotonous tasks is an unfair stigma that has followed the staffing industry for some time.

It couldn’t be further from the truth. Recruiters connect job seekers with positions across diverse industries and levels – everything from a manufacturing position at the plant down the street to an executive position at a major firm downtown. These positions can range from temporary, temp-to-hire, direct hire, part-time, full-time, you name it.

Did you know: Here at Ethan Allen, we have a wide variety of open positions across the Hudson Valley. Whatever position you’re looking for, we can likely help you find it! Search our open positions here >

Over the past decade, as the unemployment rate has improved and demand for talent has sky-rocketed, the staffing and recruiting industry has seen continuous growth. Companies are turning to staffing agencies to fill positions because they want to lift the burden off of their internal teams who are juggling many other responsibilities. By enlisting the help of a third-party recruiter, they receive expert support from a team whose sole job it is to connect with candidates (like you!).

Misconception #2: Recruiters connect job seekers with positions that don’t match their skills or goals

Reality: A good recruiter takes their time to get to know exactly what you are looking for in a position. They won’t waste their time with positions they know you won’t be happy in.

As a job seeker, you’re likely inundated with dozens of automated emails from various job boards every week. Some of these positions are right up your alley, while others can make you scratch your head wondering how your IT skills are “the perfect fit!” for an administrative position. It can all feel pretty unauthentic.

A good recruiter, however, will strive to give you the opposite experience. They’ll work diligently to understand exactly what you’re looking for in a position, what skill sets you’d like to grow, where you see yourself in five years, etc. With this solid foundation, when the time comes for the recruiter to hand your resume to their client, they’ll already be positive you’re a great fit.

To further set this misconception straight, it’s important to note that the success of a recruiter is largely dependent on the quality of candidates they submit to their clients. You can rest assured that when you partner with a recruiter, your resume won’t just be one of dozens – a recruiter submits you because they truly believe you’re the best fit for the role.

Misconception #3: Recruiters have no weight in the hiring process

Reality: Companies partner with staffing agencies because of their recruitment expertise. A recruiter’s opinion is held in high regard and plays a big part in the hiring decision.

Another common misconception is that recruiters have no weight in the hiring process; they simply submit your resume to a company and go back to finding more candidates. As mentioned, companies enlist the help of staffing agencies because they need the support and trust their recruitment expertise. They want their expert opinion on candidates, not just someone to comb through resumes.

Because of this, recruiters are able to advocate for you by explaining how your qualifications measure up to the position requirements. With the stamp of approval from a recruiter, hiring managers will already trust that you’re right for the position, and vice-versa.

Misconception #4: Recruiters view job seekers as “just another resume” and don’t really care about them

Reality: A good recruiter becomes invested in the success of their candidates. They work closely with them during the hiring process and long after to ensure they’re satisfied.

For the modern job seeker, the process can often feel impersonal. You submit dozens of online applications and don’t hear anything back – your resume is seemingly floating around a black hole of other resumes, never to be seen again. Recruiters understand your frustration and make it one of their core goals to give you the individualized attention that you deserve.

Here at Ethan Allen, our recruiters work closely with our job seekers to help them map out their professional goals, optimize their resumes, prepare for interviews, and more. We get to know them as individuals past what we can learn from bullet points on their resume – it’s this relationship that ensures we connect them with positions they can feel good about. Even after our job seekers start their new position, we maintain close communication with them to ensure that the role is meeting their expectations.

A recruiter’s job isn’t done until both the job seeker and the client are happy. You can’t have one without the other. At Ethan Allen, our job – and our passion – is to connect job seekers like you with a position that you can feel excited about. Let’s get to work!

Discover why you should work with an Ethan Allen recruiter, search all of our open positions, or submit a general application today!