Working with a Recruiter

Recruiters at teaching recruitment agencies help employers fill positions. Professional recruiters, also known as headhunters, may work internally for a hiring agency or temporarily offer their services through a recruitment firm. Companies may seek the services of a certain type of recruiter, often specializing in the hiring of employees in a particular industry or field such as IT, legal, or sales.

Recruiters at teaching recruitment agencies help employers fill positions.

Recruiters typically work on behalf of employers, not job candidates — though recruiters may also accept resumes from job seekers while soliciting for a particular job. In-house recruiters play a major role within a company’s human resources department, vetting and hiring qualified candidates for open positions. By contrast, recruiting agencies simply lend their headhunting resources temporarily to the hiring company or organization.

Clients often delegate recruiting responsibilities to a recruitment agency. Such agencies provide services including sourcing, screening, and interviewing potential employees before presenting them to a client. Likewise, recruiters can help job seekers use their time and resources efficiently, matching them only with jobs for which they qualify and guiding them through the interview process.

How Do You Find a Teaching Job with a Recruiter?

Finding Teaching Recruiters

Recruiters often reach out to job seekers after finding them through a site such as LinkedIn or Indeed. To maximize your visibility with potential recruiters, you should maintain an updated, well-written LinkedIn profile. Include endorsements whenever possible and post your resume on sites like Indeed, Monster, and CareerBuilder. Beware a recruiter that charges you a fee, as most recruiters work for and receive compensation from the hiring employer or agency, not the job seeker.

Many candidates search for recruiters online through free sites like LinkedIn or Oya’s Directory of Recruiters, which also post reviews. Others seeking to find a recruiter for free can ask contacts within their network for recommendations. Additionally, professional organizations within your field can provide suggestions and feedback on recruiters with whom they work. Job seekers may also subscribe to job recruiter directories, which typically grant access to a comprehensive list of recruiters for a limited period of time or for a membership fee.

When working with a particular recruiter, consider the following key points:

Placement Record

This should be public, so any resistance to give it to you is a red flag.

Experience

Ask them about their experience as a recruiter. How many clients work with them, and how many years have they worked as a recruiter?

Method of Contact

Choose someone willing to communicate with you through your preferred method: email, phone, or both.

Connections

As someone who makes it their job to help network on your behalf, ideally, your recruiter knows lots of contacts in your field.

Compensation

Whether a recruiter receives payment on contingency or as a retainer may affect their motivation to match you with jobs.

Teaching Recruitment Agencies

Teacher recruitment agencies operate differently than in-house recruiters. When a hiring company or organization outsources to a recruitment agency to find and screen potential employees for a particular job, the employer — not the job seeker — pays the recruitment agent for their services. Teaching recruiters typically receive a percentage of the job seeker’s salary from the employer. Aspiring teachers who enlist the help of a recruitment agency can expect to work with the same primary recruiter throughout their job search.

Initial Interview with a Teaching Recruiter

Recruiters screen and interview potential candidates to determine if they fit a particular position. Recruiters may conduct a screening interview by phone or in-person, and some recruiters may require both. When working with a recruiter, pay attention to whether your recruiter seems to share in your approach. Find a recruiter with whom you can naturally develop a connection, not clash and disagree with at every opportunity.

Clearly explaining the type of job you aspire to takes top priority when working with a teaching recruiter.

Clearly explaining the type of job you aspire to takes top priority when working with a teaching recruiter. Searching only for jobs within your field or specialty makes the process more timely and efficient for both parties. Additionally, make sure to disclose your short-term and long-term career goals, desired working environment, and preferred salary and benefits package. A legitimate recruiter will always listen to your priorities and tailor their search to meet those needs.

While job seekers should aim to develop an understanding with their recruiter, they should refrain from revealing too much. For instance, never tell a recruiter whether your only opportunity comes through them, that you currently face financial difficulty, or that you will accept a lower salary than your target amount.

The Job Interviewing Process

The process of securing and completing job interviews through a recruiter differs slightly depending on whether they work in house or through an external agency. Typically, an external recruiter will prove slightly more forthcoming with tips and suggestions for a particular employer than an in-house employee. Once you get to the interview stage, recruiters typically either connect you with the hiring personnel or schedule your interview themselves.

After job interviews, the recruiter stays involved in the process to give feedback and check references of leading candidates for their client. They then follow up with the employer and keep you updated as much as they can. Remember: though they can make recommendations, recruiters do not ultimately make the final decision to hire a candidate. Job seekers should contact their recruiter no more than once a week to follow up after their interview.

Should You Look for a Teaching Job with a Recruiter?

Advantages of Working with a Recruiter

Job seekers often discover many advantages of working with a recruiter over finding a job on their own. For one thing, many recruiters receive a commission for their services based on your salary, which provides an incentive for them to find you the best job offer. Recruiters also possess an incentive to find a good fit that matches the needs of both you and the employer, as this could result in repeat business for the recruiter or their agency.

Timeliness serves as one of the biggest advantages of working with a recruiter in your job search. Recruiter’s connections can save you a lot of time and resources. Recruiters also know exactly what employers look for in their search for candidates, holding themselves responsible to both the employer and the job seeker to make the right match. Specifically, aspiring teachers may find opportunities in niche teaching specialities not otherwise available to them, including through intervention, special education, or teach-abroad recruiters.

Potential Disadvantages of Working with a Recruiter

While many job seekers find working with a recruiter advantageous over going it alone, for others, the prospect harbors some notable cons. First, recruiters rely on their earnings from employers each time the recruiter secures a new hire. If you fail to find a job, the recruiter may recommend a lower-paying job or a job that does not fit you.

A recruiter’s job revolves around always putting the employer’s interests first.

Additionally, a recruiter’s job revolves around always putting the employer’s interests first. While finding a great fit for you and the employer is ideal, recruiters often make cut-throat decisions that primarily serve the employer’s needs. Not all recruiters assume the responsibility of coaching job seekers to appear more “hireable” to employers; however, some will offer feedback and suggestions for how to improve your resume and your appeal.

Confidentiality serves as another drawback of working with a recruiter. Recruiters can’t always tell you everything about a position due to limitations imposed by employers. For example, an employer may ask a recruiter to narrow the pool of candidates to females only or to search by specialized experience not listed on the official job qualifications. While you may otherwise qualify for the job, a recruiter cannot disclose this part of the screening process to you out of obligation to their client.

Tips for Working with a Recruiter in Teaching

Strategy

While submitting your resume to as many recruiters as possible may seem to maximize your exposure, acting strategically instead can help you focus your strengths and target only the type of recruiter you need.

Dress Professionally

Your recruiter wants to see you taking your job search seriously, and that you understand how to make a good first impression. When it doubt, dress up.

Send Thank-You Notes

Acting courteously in this way not only demonstrates your gratitude to your recruiter, but shows them you would extend the same courtesy to your employer. Also, it helps you stand out from your competition!

Develop Rapport

Ideally, you should develop a rapport with your recruiter above an impersonal, surface-only acquaintance. Think of your recruiter as an equal partner in the process of finding your perfect job.

Recruiter FAQs

How Many Times Do You Meet with a Recruiter?

After making initial contact with a recruiter, you should expect to meet with them at least once in person. Most recruiters decide within a week of meeting a candidate whether they suit a particular position. Email your recruiter once a week to follow up.

What Kind of Qualifications Do Recruiters Typically Have?

Many recruiters start out as psychology, marketing, or HR majors in college. The field of recruiting typically employs more women than men and counts customer service, internet savvy, and training and onboarding experience among its fastest growing skills.

Can You Work with Multiple Recruiters at the Same Time?

While you may work with multiple recruiters, you should make sure to tell each of them. Some will require exclusivity; for those who do not, make sure that they tell you when they send your resume out.

What Are the Signs of a Good Recruiter?

A recruiter should possess organizational, professional, and communication skills. First and foremost, a recruiter should keep you informed of any potential positions for which you might qualify and guide you through the application process.

What Are the Signs of a Substandard Recruiter?

Substandard recruiters don’t put in the time to get to know you and your qualifications. A recruiter should not pressure you to haphazardly send your resume to as many contacts as possible, should never encourage you to lie on your resume, and should never hide information from you.