Have you considered contacting a recruiter lately? Perhaps a recruiter messaged you on LinkedIn or you found an unfilled job opportunity.

Job seekers often assume that recruiters hold the keys to lucrative, unadvertised roles. Others try to avoid them at all costs, preferring to apply directly.

A successful recruiter-candidate relationship doesn’t evolve from thin air. It’s important to realize that recruiters are navigating through dozens, if not HUNDREDS, of messages in order to find the best fit for the roles they’re filling.

There’s no doubt that contacting a recruiter can be imperative to your success in securing a new role, but there are some things you should know before firing off your messages.

A recruiter is trying to meet their client’s needs

When you’re contacting a recruiter, they’re typically not the ones who set up the job requirements. Third-party recruiters work closely with hiring managers to figure out the needs of the companies they serve. This means, that if you aren’t meeting the requirements, it’s likely that the recruiter is not going to be able to convince the hiring managers to change their minds.

Most recruiters will keep your name in a database in case a better-suited role appears. If you are a solid candidate, you can expect to hear back from them eventually. However, you should never rely solely on that expectation, and you should continue your own search efforts.

You need an updated resume

When you contact a recruiter, it’s always a good idea to attach your resume. Even the most qualified candidates get skipped over because they didn’t have a resume on file.

Your most recent accomplishments and achievements need to be listed. Remember, the recruiter is going to have to pitch you as a viable candidate! Outdated resumes should get revamped before contact is made.

An easy fix is to have a colleague review your resume. Some even go the extra mile and hire a career coach.

PRO TIP: Always keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date.

Experience is key

Experience is everything when it comes to executive roles. Consider your career trajectory. Recruiters are hired by companies to look for candidates with a demonstrated history in certain types of roles. This can make it difficult if you’re looking to career-hop or if you’ve switched industries.

You can still reach out to a recruiter if you feel your expertise is beneficial for the role. You will need to know how to market yourself and prove that you’re capable of getting the job done.

Know exactly why you’re making contact

It doesn’t make sense to apply for a job as a real estate agent one day and a hotel general manager the next. You should know exactly what job titles you’re applying for. What are your career goals? Where do you want to be in the next 5 years? Does location matter to you?

Even more importantly, you should know what type of searches the recruiter is filling. While recruiters make their best efforts to reach out to everyone, you may be hearing nothing but crickets if you’re contacting headhunters outside of your niche.

Great recruiters advertise their searches on LinkedIn and have listings on their websites. It never hurts to skim over their searches to make sure they’re actually looking for roles in your field.

If you’re interested in checking out JDI’s hospitality or senior living roles, you can check out our searches here.