6. Working With Recruiters

Written by Tim Condon

Recruiters can be valuable assets to help you find your first role in tech. They’ve built relationships with companies and will be able to suggest roles to apply for and help you throughout the application process. However, it’s important to understand their motivations and what you need to look for when meeting recruiters. A good recruiter can be a valuable contact throughout your tech career.

What You’ll Learn

This chapter covers what you need to understand before reaching out to recruiters, what to look out for and how to make those connections. You’ll learn:

• How recruiters work.
• How recruiters can help you.
• What to look for in recruiters.
• Where to find software developer recruiters.
• How to interact with recruiters.

You’ll start by learning a bit about the tech recruiter role, so you know what their motivations to help you are.

How Tech Recruiters Work

Recruiters match up employers with employees to fill roles. They work with both sides of the job hunt and help people find work. Recruiters, or their companies, usually build relationships with companies first and are given roles by those companies to fill. They’ll then reach out to their existing network or go and find people suitable to fill those roles. Some companies may even only fill roles through recruiters, so you won’t be able to apply for those roles without them.

Tip: It’s worth noting that recruiters tend to focus on specific industries. So, some recruiters (or recruitment companies) will only find software engineers, while others will only find accountants, and so on. Make sure the recruiters you approach work in the tech industry!

It’s important to make the distinction between internal recruiters and external recruiters. Internal recruiters work for the company that’s trying to find employees; therefore, they only have jobs available within their company. External recruiters, on the other hand, work for a range of companies.

The motivations for the two types of recruiters are usually very different:

• Internal recruiters are usually full-time employees of the company and are motivated to find the best people for their open roles.
• External recruiters are usually paid a commission. This might be a percentage of the candidate’s salary in the first year (once they’ve accepted the job) or a flat rate per role filled.

This is discussed later in this chapter, under “What to Look for in Recruiters”.

This chapter primarily focuses on external recruiters, but most of the information applies to internal recruiters as well.

How Tech Recruiters Can Help You

Recruiters, especially external recruiters, provide more value than simply sending you job ads. They can give you advice, guidance and feedback to help you through every step of the job search process. After all, they want you to get the best position possible so they get paid!

The first step when you decide to work with a recruiter is to send them your resume. You’ll need a resume before you go any further, so if you don’t have one, read Chapter 4, “Creating a Resume & Portfolio”.

Once you start working with a recruiter, ask them for feedback on your resume. They have the experience and insight into the role to know what works in a resume and what doesn’t, so they’ll be able to help you fine-tune it.

Once you have an established relationship and they know what kind of work you’re looking for, they’ll be able to offer you a range of roles to suit your skills. You can streamline the process by discussing the kind of companies you want to work for and the type of job you want. Recruiters can then flag these roles to help you find a job that’s right for you.

Another common way to find roles through recruiters is to be added to their “Android developer” list or “ReactJS” list, for example. They’ll send out emails with any roles that match these lists.

As you progress through the application process, your recruiter should be there to help you with each step. When you get interviews, they should be able to provide content to research and insight into the type of questions you’ll be asked. They can review your resume to ensure you have enough to talk about in interviews and help you select non-tech experience to showcase your skills.

Once you’ve done an interview, the recruiter is usually the one to let you know the result. They’ll either call you or meet with you to (hopefully!) discuss the job offer and any contract and pay negotiations. If the interview wasn’t successful, they can provide feedback and areas to focus on for next time to help you improve your presentation at interviews.

Building long-term relationships with recruiters can help your career for years to come. If you find a recruiter you get on well with and trust, it’s worth keeping in touch with them. As you progress in your career, if you want to change companies, then they’ll be your first call.

When to Use Recruiters

Deciding when to use a recruiter doesn’t have to be difficult. Remember, you can work with a recruiter while also looking for roles yourself — even if you end up finding the same role! If you want to maximize your chances of finding a great first job, then it’s worth investigating both avenues.

Working with recruiters is a chance to get guidance, seek out a wide range of roles and have someone to help you as you look for your first role. When used correctly, recruiters can be a great resource.

If you’re unsure, send your resume to a few recruiters and see what happens. There’s no harm in seeing if they have interesting roles as you start your job search. You can also use them for advice and to check your resume. So, even if you don’t plan on finding a job through a recruiter, you only need to spend a small amount of time to get some valuable benefits.

What to Look for in Recruiters

Like every field, there are good recruiters and bad recruiters. Remember, most recruiters are paid when you accept a job offer. Good recruiters will work to build established relationships with companies and find people that fit the open positions. Bad recruiters will want to fill a role as quickly as possible, no matter the suitability, so they get paid.

A good recruiter will make an effort to invest in you in the long term. They’ll offer career advice, help map out goals and work with you to understand the type of role you’re looking for so they can match you with a job you’ll love. They won’t suggest roles that aren’t suitable for you.

Bad recruiters, on the other hand, might try to get you to apply for any role that’s remotely relevant in an effort to secure their payday. If you feel pressured by a recruiter into applying for a role that doesn’t feel right to you, then you should consider ending your involvement with them.

A bad recruiter might also try to push down salary expectations. In some cases, the recruiter is on a fixed budget and their cut is whatever you don’t get paid. It’s worthwhile to check the company’s website or websites like Glassdoor to see if the salaries reported by the recruiter are accurate.

Finally, a good recruiter will have a solid understanding of the tech industry. They should have insight into the basics of the different requirements and the technologies each company uses. For example, in mobile development, they should know that Flutter, React Native, Jetpack Compose and SwiftUI are all frameworks for building apps, but they’re very different. You should be able to explain to your recruiter the technologies you want to work with.

How to Find Software Developer Recruiters

There are a number of different ways to find recruiters, especially in tech. LinkedIn is especially popular with recruiters, and it provides advanced search functionality to help recruiters find people. Recruiters also attend local meetups, conferences and events, so these can be great places to meet them.

Using LinkedIn

If you have a strong LinkedIn profile that’s up to date and advertises that you’re looking for work, recruiters will likely approach you directly. LinkedIn offers professional tools to help recruiters find people who have the skills and experience they’re looking for.

To maximize your chances of being found, ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date. The most important parts for the initial search are your current position and headline. These two pieces are the most prominent in LinkedIn’s search.

Set your headline to give an overview of your desired area with keywords that recruiters might look for. For example, “Mobile and iOS Developer and Swift and SwiftUI enthusiast”. This gives the search several keywords that help your profile get found.

Next, set your current position, closely matching your headline. For instance, “iOS and Mobile Developer specializing in Swift”. You can enter your own name as the “Company Name”, even if you’re just building side projects. Use as many characters as you can for the best chances of being seen in a search.

In the “Skills” section, fill in all the technologies, frameworks and languages you know and use. These are usually the first keywords recruiters will search once they’ve narrowed down their job title.

Then, in the “About” section, write a brief description of yourself, ensuring you include keywords that recruiters might look for. For example:

Tim is an iOS and Mobile Software Developer who has recently completed the Kodeco Developer Bootcamp. He is an experienced team player with a passion for user design and experience and has experience building iOS and web applications using Swift, SwiftUI, JavaScript and React.

This description strikes a balance between giving a brief overview of your experience and further emphasizing the keywords.

In the “Education” and “Experience” sections, add an entry for each job and educational experience you’ve had in as much detail as possible. Describe the projects you’ve worked on, the responsibilities you’ve had and what you’ve achieved. Think of it as an extended resume — everything there is searchable and might help recruiters find you.

Next, ensure you add your location so recruiters know that you’re in the area they’re looking to fill! Otherwise, you’re severely limiting your search ranking.

Finally, make sure you add plenty of legitimate connections — this influences both recruiters and the rankings. It shows you have an established and complete profile, and you’re more likely to get requests. Add everyone from your bootcamp or degree, managers and coworkers from old jobs and mentors.

Meeting Recruiters at Events

You can also be proactive in finding recruiters. You can find them by using search engines and by asking friends and colleagues for referrals.

Recruiters often attend local meetups and may even fund drinks and pizzas to encourage you to attend and build their network. Don’t be afraid to approach them at these events — that’s what they’re there for!

Tech conferences are also a very effective way to find recruiters. Many of the companies that sponsor conferences do so to get their name out and find people to hire. The companies will send internal recruiters to meet attendees and get them interested in the companies. For more information on meetups and conferences, see Chapter 7, “Growing Your Professional Network”.

How to Interact With Recruiters

Finding a recruiter to work with is the first step. The next is to interact with them professionally — which, especially for someone new to the industry, can be daunting.

In the next section, you’ll learn what to expect and you’ll also receive some free templates and suggestions for how to phrase your requests. Of course, use your own words and adapt them to your specific circumstances as necessary.

Reaching Out to a Recruiter

If you’ve found a recruiter to approach in person, go up to them and introduce yourself. Briefly describe who you are, what your background is and what you’re looking for. If you’re at an event where you’re likely to meet recruiters, taking along copies of your resume to give to them is a good idea.

Tip: See Chapter 5, “Traditional & Nontraditional Ways to Find Jobs” for tips on how to connect at events.

Don’t worry about breaking the ice — they’re used to talking to lots of people. It can be as simple as:

Hi, I’m Tim. Do you have any roles to fill at the moment? I’ve just finished a bootcamp specializing in iOS development, and I’m looking for my first role doing that. Would you like to see my resume?

If you’re introducing yourself virtually, then send them an email with a similar introduction:

Hi,

My name is Tim. I came across your profile on LinkedIn and saw you’re looking to fill a number of iOS roles. I’ve recently completed a bootcamp specializing in iOS development, and I’m looking for my first role in that field. I’ve attached my resume for you to look at, and my LinkedIn profile is here.

If you have any questions, then please reach out. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tim

By sending your LinkedIn profile and resume, they have everything they need to add you to their lists for current and future roles.

Responding to Recruiters Who Reach Out to You

If you’re in the lucky position of having recruiters approach you, then they’ve already done the hard part. If they’re asking you for more information, or if you’re interested in the role, then you can respond with the requested details:

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to me with the role. The job description definitely looks promising, and I’d be interested in chatting with you more about it. I’ve attached my resume for you to take a look at. I’m free most afternoons this week if you’d like to discuss the role in more detail.

Thanks,

Tim

If you’re approached with a role that you’re not interested in, but the recruiter seems good, reply kindly declining the role, but mention you’re interested in others. This is a good way to get added to their list:

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to me with the mobile developer role. Currently, I’m looking for jobs that use SwiftUI and native development instead of React Native. If you have any roles that match those requirements, I’d definitely be interested in seeing those. I’ve attached my resume to give you some background on me, but please reach out if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Tim

Asking Recruiters for Help

Once you’ve established a relationship with recruiters, ask them for guidance on your resume and LinkedIn profile. This serves two purposes: It makes it easier for them to understand your skills and experience, and having an excellent resume also makes it easier for them to put you forward for roles.

When working with a recruiter, send them a message asking for their advice:

Hi,

I was wondering if you had any advice for tailoring my LinkedIn profile or my resume for the role that we’re looking at. I want to make sure they’re both as good as possible before I submit them to the company. If you could give them a look and let me know if you see anything that could be improved, that would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Tim

Remember, good recruiters will help you with your resume to ensure that you’re in the best possible position when they put you forward for roles. Don’t worry about asking for their help!

Thanking Recruiters

Finally, if you get to the position where you’ve accepted a job offer — congratulations! If you want to continue working with the recruiter in the future, it’s always a good idea to say thank you if they found the role for you. A thank-you email or card goes a long way toward the next time you need their help! You can write something like:

Hi, Alice,

Thank you for everything you’ve done to help me find my first job in tech. I really appreciate all the advice and guidance as I went through the process.

I hope we’ll keep in touch as I continue my career!

Tim

Key Takeaways

• Recruiters can be a helpful tool when used properly, as they have a much wider network than you’ll be able to build on your own. They can put you in touch with roles you might not otherwise find out about.
• Not all recruiters are good. You should be aware of their motivations and what to look out for so you can find someone you trust.
• You can find recruiters through social media, web searches, tech conferences and local events. You can also ask people in the field for referrals.
• LinkedIn is important — ensure your profile is up to date with all your experience, education and skills. Use keywords related to your field to show up in search. Also, be sure you’ve set your profile to “open for work” to help recruiters find you.

Resources

• Top 100 Hiring Statistics for 2022 provides some statistics on current hiring challenges.
• Recruitment Agency 101: What Does a Recruiter Do? explains the main roles a recruiter plays and offers another perspective on what you can expect.
• 4 Truths About Working With Recruiters (That They’ll Never Tell You) offers a different view of recruiters and helps explain what you should look for.
• How to Get Recruited on LinkedIn + Tips From Recruiters explains how recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates and what you should add to your profile to help get spotted.

Action Plan

You should now have a good understanding of what recruiters offer and how they work. Now, you can start to build those contacts to help you. Next:

• Look for recruitment companies in your area.
• Ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date.
• Look at local meetups or conferences to see if they’re sponsored by recruiters.
• Start making connections.

In the next chapter, you’ll get some more insider tips on how to grow your professional network. This will help you get more job opportunities, scout companies you’d love to work for, create a network of people to ask questions when you need to and more. See you there!

Reflect on what you’ve learned: Find this chapter’s worksheet (PDF) in this book’s GitHub materials repo.