Tips on responding to a job pitch from recruiters
REGARDLESS of whether you have just graduated, are happy in your job or want to change career, if you maintain a profile in an online job network, you’ll probably get messages from recruiters or headhunters.
It is not always immediately clear who is behind the enquiry and what you are being recruited for. If you’re not interested, do you just ignore them?
“I recommend always looking at and responding to enquiries from HR consultants and potential employers, even if you’re not currently looking,” says HR consultant Kerstin Sarah von Appen.
Even if them contacting you is inconvenient at the time or the job offered is uninteresting, networking can be helpful later on.
Politely reject offers
Even if the position is not that interesting or the consultant seems dubious, you should still briefly respond and politely decline, says Julia Held from the consulting firm Kienbaum. Anyone interested in a change of job and who finds the position exciting can, von Appen advises, get in touch to suggest a time to call to discuss details about the vacancy and ask questions.
Regardless of whether you like the job or not, it always makes sense to answer the recruiter. Held says that the Linkedin job network, for example, can tell whether a user is responding to recruiter enquiries. Those who want to get in touch then get an indication as to whether a person is likely to answer or not.
“If you keep getting messages about positions that are not a good match, a reference to your own orientation and potential development steps can be helpful,” says von Appen.
This is also a reason to keep your profile on networking websites up to date and to take a look at your messages on a regular basis.
Valuable contacts
But how do you know whether a request is legitimate or not?
“I would question vague enquiries that don’t personally address you, and without reference to any professional focus and without specific information about the new position,” says recruitment expert Olga Schwalbe.
This could be, for example, enquiries from recruiting consultants who only want to fill their database with contacts – and who don’t have a specific role to offer, says consultant Joerg Albold.
Moreover, it’s OK to ask a recruiter questions, says von Appen – for example about their experience in the industry, or about why the position is a suitable career development step from the recruiter’s point of view. A recruiter who is serious will provide information on this.
As a general rule, taking a look at the recruitment agency’s website can provide clues on whether their offer is serious. If the website makes a good impression and there are references, Held recommends getting in touch and giving them a call before sending over your CV. – dpa