Bridge Insights

Ask A Recruiter: 5 Things All Applicants Should Know

Jan 3, 2020

Whether you have been looking for a job for one week or several months, chances are a recruiter has contacted you about a “can’t miss” opportunity. Unfortunately, a lot of those emails go unanswered by job seekers because they aren’t seen as good matches, or because of a personal negative experience working with a recruiter in the past.

Whether it be in the positions offered, clients served, or career opportunities opened, it is important to remember recruiting firms are as unique as the positions they can match you with.

Before you go and hit delete on that email, here are 5 things you should know about staffing agencies:

1. We Are Not a Temp Agency

A lot of times, the terms staffing agency and temp agency get confused with one another. Yes, both types of businesses will help you find a job, but there is an important difference between the two.

Typically, with temp agencies, a jobseeker can walk in and start work the next day for a position that lasts a few days to a few weeks. There are situations where assignments can last longer than this, but a temp agency’s jobs all have defined run times.

Staffing agencies, on the other hand, provide long-term opportunities to their candidates where a permanent hire option is offered after a set amount of time or at the time of the job offer.

[blockquotes color=”highlight” quote=”yes”]Most people think a recruiter’s job ends once a candidate has been placed in a position, but that is where our job begins[/blockquotes]

2. More Than Just Job Matching

There is a common misconception that staffing agencies only care about placing applicants in positions at one of their clients, and once that happens, you never hear from them again. That is not the case at Bridge!

Matching you with a job that fits your career objectives is where our job begins. We offer resume writing assistance, schedule interviews for you, and prepare you for said interviews. We will even help you prepare for the first day of your new position once an offer has been extended.

Consider us a career coach that is here to help you land your dream job!

3. We Are Free for Job Seekers to Use

At Bridge, we believe the money you earn while on the job is YOUR money! Not all staffing agencies operate under this philosophy, but for those that do, the only thing we ask for in return of our services is feedback, insight, and referrals to be able to assist more jobseekers going forward.

4. We See the Potential in You

Have you ever received an email from a recruiter and wondered, “Why are they contacting me for a role like this?” or thought “I’m not experienced for a role like that.”? Well, there’s a reason.

As recruiters, we learn our clients’ businesses and what they are looking for in candidates. Too often we see candidates dismiss jobs and hiring managers dismiss applicants because they view the employment landscape through a black and white lens.

As recruiters, we match job seekers with positions all day; we look beyond the lines of a job description as well as titles on a resume and see the position or person on the whole. If we contact you about a certain role, it’s because we see potential in you and your ability to succeed professionally.

5. If You Didn’t Like Our Initial Job Matches, Don’t Write Us Off

When a recruiter first reaches out to you with a job we think you would like, we are doing so with limited information about what you are looking for. This is because we haven’t had a chance to sit down and learn about you, your career goals and job requirements yet.

Staffing agencies have many clients with many different positions –and more positions become available all the time.

If our initial job suggestions were a little left of center, we most likely have other positions that would be a better fit for you once we know more about you.

[blockquotes color=”highlight” logo=”yes”]Looking for Open Positions?
OPEN POSITIONSQUICK APPLY[/blockquotes]

Bringing It All Together

We want to help you achieve professional success both in the short and long-term. At Bridge, we offer application guidance, resume assistance, interview tips, and workplace coaching—all in an effort to help you land a position that will be a good fit for you and your career goals.

Staffing agencies often get a bad rap because of a previous bad experience where a recruiter was more interested in filling an open position than looking for the right job opportunity for you. Good staffing agencies know that no one wins when recruiters are simply filling positions to fill positions.

At Bridge, when we place good candidates in positions where they can be successful and grow, everyone benefits – applicant, employer and recruiter alike.

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