Nicola O'Hanlon
Nicola O'Hanlon
Senior Associate

Articles From the Team

Why use a recruiter to assist you with your job search?

So this month, my research for my blog sent me down an interesting path...

(a bit like getting lost in the depths of Instagram and finding yourself reading about the powers of crystals and how to use them to enhance your intuition…!) and some of the searches which came up included:

-          Why recruiters are bad for your career

-          Is using a recruiter worth it?

-          Can I trust recruiters?

-          Do recruiters lie?

-          And my favourite - ‘Top 5 recruiter lies’

How very dare you!!  I have been in recruitment for… let’s just say more than 10 years and we’ll leave it at that.  One of the things I have never felt the need to do is lie to my clients or candidates.  What’s the point?  Even if the lie is perceived to be a harmless one it helps nobody in the long run.  Whether a firm is struggling to recruit because they are paying the lowest salary in the market or a candidate is struggling to find a job because they’ve moved 20 times in the last 10 years, I will offer them constructive advice to help them.

This led me to thinking about what clients and candidates should expect from a recruiter. 

Is a recruiter bad for your career?  Yes, if they don’t have the market knowledge to properly advise you on your next career move so always make sure your recruiter knows your market/specialism.  I recruit specifically within conveyancing across the North West and during the time I have worked with BCL, I have built long standing relationships with both clients and candidates because I have been able to offer them an insight in to the market they are moving jobs in and can advise them on the best places for them culturally.

Is using a recruiter worth it?  As a candidate it costs you nothing to work with a recruiter, which includes offering you market advice, an overview of firms actively recruiting, whether your CV is well written and contains the necessary information to secure you an interview.  As well as interview advice and any negotiations on a job offer.  You stand to gain a lot more if you’re working with the right one.

Can I trust recruiters?  I can’t speak for everyone in the market but I’d like to think anyone (clients and candidates) who has worked with me would describe me as honest.  Never sending a CV without the consent of the candidate, providing constructive and honest feedback and telling someone if you can’t help them are all basic things you should expect from any recruiter you trust to help you with your next career move.

Do recruiters lie? I’m sure some do but there are also lots of us out there who take pride in what we do and genuinely want to find someone a job they will remain in for the long term.  I completely appreciate that this is not always the case and have heard some horror stories but if you’re working with a specialist from a reputable and long established consultancy, it’s a worthwhile investment to make.

For a confidential chat about opportunities in the North West conveyancing market, please contact Nicola O’Hanlon at BCL Legal.

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