Many job seekers shy away from working with recruiters.

As a recruiter, I understand the hesitation. Whatever the excuse might be, it’s not worth putting that wall up.

Here are a few pros and cons that can help you decide whether or not you’re ready to build a relationship with a recruiter you trust. 

Pro: Recruiters are looking out for your best interest.

You’ll have a resume reviewer, an interview coach, someone who is looking out for YOU throughout the process.

Yes, they are looking out for the employer too, but a recruiter’s job is to make everyone happy. That satisfaction starts with a qualified, driven and dedicated candidate.

Con: You will be pushed and challenged.

You can’t be lazy. Recruiters aren’t going to do the work for you. Communication and follow-through are essential to the process.

Pro of the Con: There are a lot of moving parts, a recruiter will help keep track of progress, process and feedback. 

Pro: Jobs you can’t find or didn’t know about will be presented.

Recruiters work with startups, large corporations and everything else in-between.

Sometimes things move so fast that organizations don’t always have jobs online. In addition to being informed about those opportunities, you’ll also learn about other models of employment like remote work or contract opportunities. Recruiters also have access to confidential searches that will not be made public in any regard. 

Con: You’ve never heard of a company and they might not have a lot of history.

Because recruiters help growing companies there may not be a lot of information or data out there to paint a picture of the organization’s culture. While this excites some workers, others may not want to take the risk of joining an organization with a developing culture or small headcount.

Pro: Long term relationships.

Con: You will be kept busy outside of your normal job. 

Pro: Recruiters do the dirty work, especially when it comes to negotiating offers and asking tough questions. 

Overall, when you open up to a recruitment professional who understands your desired industry and role, you open up a world of opportunities.

So, are you ready? I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about how to start finding jobs that fit you like a glove! 

Alex Nadeau, Technical Recruiter at Objective Paradigm, enjoys sharing his thoughts on staffing for the startup community and more. Alex is an alum of Illinois State University and served in the US Army as an Infantryman from 2009-2012. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our team and helps to identify and hire talent across verticals and recruitment models. Connect with Alex on LinkedIn.