Find a recruiter for life


I did a short stint at a recruitment agency.  It was long enough to see the underbelly of the industry.  While what I saw was not pretty, I’m now thankful that since then I found a very professional recruiter to work with.  For the past 4 years I’ve stayed loyal to a recruiter who has landed me two great jobs in a row.  In fact, they have all been bigger and better than my previous ones.  Okay, so I kissed a few frogs before I found my prince(ss) – but my search certainly paid off.  I can now say that there are some great professionals out there.

What does my prince(ss) have that all those frogs didn’t:

1. She shows respect for me:  On our first meeting, it was clear to me that she took time to get to know about my career path.  From her comments, I knew that she had gone through my resume with a fine-tooth comb.

2. She gets me:  At our first meeting she asked me well-thought questions about my career and life in general.  To close our meeting she did a great job at summarizing my checkered career path and pointed out aspects of my personality that were quite insightful. 

3. She keeps her word:  At our first meeting she proposed a series of next steps.  Shortly after, she followed through on each one of her commitments.

4. She shows integrity:  Although shortly after we started to work together, she asked me for a 30-day exclusivity, she never asked me to sign a contract.  She trusted my word.  In return, I felt compelled to trust hers.

5.  She keeps me in the loop:  Since day one, whenever she makes contact with a potential employer, almost immediately I receive a phone call to let me know how it went and what are the next steps.  When she’s not meeting with my potential employers, she also keeps me up to date about her search and potential opportunities that may be coming her way.

6. She involves me in the job search:  She encourages my feedback about the roles that she sends my way.  As she often reminds me, she wants to know if these opportunities are on track with my expectations.

7. She has my best interests in mind:  She isn’t manipulative and has never forced me to go to an interview I’m not 100% sure about.  The same has applied to every position I’ve accepted.  She gives me space and time to make up my own mind.

8. She’s well-networked and specialized:  Being that she’s worked in the healthcare industry in Australia for more than a decade, she’s known by the key players.  As an owner-operator of her boutique agency, she personally takes care of these relationships.

9.  She thinks laterally:  Time after time, she identifies opportunities that most recruiters would not think to connect with my career path.

10.  She’s supportive:  Using her back-ground in coaching, she’s able to help me resolve doubts I might have before an interview.  Usually she also gives me clues as to what the employer is looking for.  I’m well aware that she gets commission if I get the job, but to me it feels that she’s going the extra mile to make sure that I feel prepared at my interviews.

Maybe your prince is right around the corner.  When you find them, I suggest that you hold on to them.

2 thoughts on “Find a recruiter for life

  1. any suggestions? I am looking for a top recruiter outside of Italy, because I have not been completely satisfied with the ones I have “worked” with here.
    If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them other than the ones I have read above. In fact, I have asked friends to give me some infos on top recruiters in the usa?!

  2. Hi Barbara,

    I’d be happy to give you some guidance. To do that I’d like to find out a bit more about what areas you’re looking for work – both in terms of industry/ies and geography.
    If you like we can take this offline – feel free to send me an email with your answers and any other questions: silvana.avinami@gmail.com

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