Your recruiter should be your trusted advisor, your partner in your job search and your advocate. We do this best when our candidates are honest with us about the facts concerning their careers and job searches. Here are five of the most popular mistruths recruiters commonly hear and why it’s so important to be honest with your recruiter!
1. The reason you left your previous role
This one comes up often. Being laid off or fired does not make you a bad candidate! It’s a difficult conversation to have, but it’s important to be truthful about the real reason you left your last role. In fact, some of the brightest and most successful people in the world have been let go at some point in their careers. It is only debilitating to your job search if you lie about it. And trust us, the truth always comes out.
A proficient recruiter can help you figure out how to relay this information appropriately in an interview and present yourself in the best light. When you bend the truth, it creates anxiety and can negatively affect your performance. If you are open, you’ll be prepared for the reference checks and employment verifications, and the possibility the companies you are interviewing with may have someone in their network from your old company. We realize it can be scary to share this information with your recruiter, but the more we know, the better we can help you.
2. Your interest in a role we are presenting you
The advantage of working with a recruiter is having another set of eyes looking for positions that are in line with your background. While we always strive to make the best possible matches, there are times when we present a job that might not be appealing to our candidates.
Saying no will not hurt our feelings or make us angry, and we will certainly not stop calling you on new positions. What it will do is save time – yours, the company’s and your recruiter’s. There is no sense in setting up an interview if you know you won’t accept the job because there isn’t a work from home option, the pay is too low, you don’t believe in the science or any other reason. If we call you on a job that isn’t right for you, just tell us so, and let us know why so we can fine-tune our searches.
3. Your other job search and interview activity
If you are busy interviewing and using multiple resources for your job search in addition to your recruiter, that’s a good thing. It’s actually what you should be doing. Not only do you have more opportunities to land a job, your interview activity can, at times, serve as leverage. If your recruiter is aware of exactly where you are in the interview process for other companies, it can help with negotiating or getting a hiring manager to move faster with their decision about you! We will not stop trying to get you a role if you are in the interview process for other jobs. When your recruiter is aware of your activity, it will only help you and your search.
4. Your skill sets and information on your resume
Not everyone has the same education or set of skills, especially in the life sciences / biopharma space. There is a job out there for everyone at every level. Be honest with yourself and your recruiter about what you can and cannot do, or what you have and have not done. Eventually, you will be asked to showcase your skills. If you have misrepresented your abilities to land a job, you will end up at square one.
Don’t waste your time trying to convince your recruiter you have used a certain technology or had more involvement in a clinical trial than is true. Misrepresenting your past experiences to try to become a more “desirable” candidate is just prolonging the process of finding a job that is the right fit for you. Avoid attempting to mold yourself into the candidate that is right for the job. Instead, find a job that is already perfect for you!
5. Your salary requirements
It is a common misconception that recruiters are trying to lowball candidates to make more money. The truth is, most of the time, the more money you make, the more money we make. Our goal is to get you the highest rate possible. The fact is, what you were last earning does not always dictate what you will make in your next role. If you feel you are currently underpaid, there is a chance you are, so when talking about your salary expectations, be honest. We want to get you the highest rate possible. However, we don’t want to overlook you for your dream job because it is paying $5,000 lower than your “minimum.”
While it may be tempting, avoid not being honest at all costs. Looking for a new job is not an easy task, and no one understands that more than a recruiter. We are here to partner with you to assist you in your job search. Just like any other good relationship, this is built on trust. Be selective about the recruiters and agencies you work with. Then, once you find him or her, lay it all out there. The more we know, the easier it is to find you a job.
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