Recruiters know details that job candidates just don’t

Monster’s career expert Vicki Salemi answers user questions on Quora.com. We’re republishing her answers here on a regular basis. If you have a question, email socialmedia@monster.com.

Q. What do recruiters know that job seekers don’t?

A. How much time do you have? I can seriously talk about this for hours.

For starters, when it comes to your resume, recruiters are reviewing them very quickly to see if you have the basics in order — education requirements, years of experience, etc. Then, they’re drilling down deeper to see if your skill set and experiences are a match.

Recruiters also know that when it comes time to interview you, they’re looking to see if you’re the right fit. You may be a perfect match on paper, but more often than not, hiring managers always seek to find stellar candidates who will fit in to the group, who are enthusiastic, who demonstrate strong soft skills.

When making an offer, recruiters and hiring managers definitely know the maximum they can offer for salary, which is all the more reason why job seekers need to negotiate.

Recruiters also know the candidates they’re turning down, so if you don’t accept the job offer, they know who’s left in the talent pool.

Finally, the recruiter and hiring manager know why the position is available — perhaps the job has been open for six months, and maybe three other people in the position left three years in a row because they couldn’t tolerate the disrespectful boss. Of course, the prospective employer isn’t going to tell you that, which is why it’s so critical for you to keep your eyes and ears completely open while interviewing.

In short, recruiters know a lot.