Working with a recruiter can be extremely beneficial for your job search.

You’ll get exposure to jobs you may have never found, guidance throughout the process, and even someone to negotiate on your behalf.

Think of the recruiters you work with as agents for your specific skills and talents, much like an athlete or actor would think of their agent.

More on this concept from Rich Drennen, Senior Technical Recruiter at Talution Group, in his blog post, Think of Your Recruiter as an Agent.

There are a lot of recruiters out there, all of whom would love to help you find your next dream job.

Finding the right recruiter or firm to work with can be tough. So how can you tell if the recruiters you’re connecting with are going to represent you and present you with the best employment opportunities?

Here five signs that the recruiter you’re working with knows what they’re doing and is the right person for the job.

1. They only show you jobs that are a good fit. 

If you’re desired commute is under 30 minutes, recruiters shouldn’t be showing you jobs that are 45 minutes away. If you don’t want to work at a big company, they should not be showing you jobs at huge banks. Be sure that your recruiter is sharing jobs that make sense based on your conversations. This shows that they were listening to what you had to say and truly want to help you find the best fit. Remember, presenting the MOST jobs is not always a sign of the best recruiter.

2. They aren’t overly pushy.

No solid recruiter is going to push you to interview for a job you aren’t interested in. Good recruiters know that building a great rapport with their candidates is much more important than inflating their interview numbers.

3. They know their client.

Ask questions about the clients that recruiters are pitching. They should know a good number of the answers. You want to work with a recruiter who has established relationships with their clients, not recruiters who are sending your resume to a Hiring Manager on a whim with little connection.

4. They know the market.

A good recruiter won’t just help you get a job, they’ll help you get the total compensation you deserve. Your recruiter should tell you what the market rate for your skill-set is, what type of salary of you should target, and will help you negotiate during the offer stage.

5. You like them!

Work with a recruiter that makes you feel good! You’re going to be chatting with them a lot, so you might as well work with someone who you enjoy talking to.

Working with a recruiter that doesn’t have these characteristics? Time to move on. A good recruiter will be with you for searches down the road too. Stay in touch with your favorite recruiters and good luck with your search!

Ryan Swartzendruber, Technical Recruiter for Objective Paradigm’s Talution Group, recruits on both contract and direct hire positions in addition to his Account Manager responsibilities. Ryan’s focus is in the financial and software industries where he consistently meets clients needs by identifying and placing talent to help businesses scale. Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn.