Talented ‘Non-Jobseekers’ Should Always Be Interested
5 Reasons to Talk to a Recruiter When You Receive That Call
You’ve been asked about your willingness to consider a new position in staffing. You’re not sure whether to accept the invite for an ‘off-the-record’ chat. You’re happy in your current role, yet curious to learn why you have been approached. Should you speak with a recruiter if invited?
Here are five reasons to accept an invite to talk, starting with why you should never say never.
1. Never Say Never
Your time is precious to you, but talking to a recruiter could be the most productive time you spend:
- First, it will give you the opportunity to learn why you have been targeted – and it’s always good to know what others think and say about you.
- Second, your discussion is likely to provide industry insight that will be useful to you irrespective of your immediate career thinking.
- Third, youmight just learn of a role that is even more exciting and rewarding than your current position in staffing.
- Fourth, you will have made a connection that could be the one that makes a big difference to your career – if not now, then in the future.
2. The Best Roles Are Unadvertised
Should you wish to make a move, it’s less likely that you’ll find a great role on a jobs board. Research indicates that 51% of executive searches are executed confidentially, and that only around 6% of executives are hired from job advertisements.
The executive jobs market is like an iceberg – what is visible is only a fraction of the potential that awaits you. Talking to a recruiter about roles in staffing allows you a better view of the potential for your career.
3. You Gain Market Insight
As well as greater insight to your potential career path, you are also likely to gain greater insight into your industry. It is likely that the recruiter is working to fill a role that requires your skills to help develop capacity or innovate new services.
The market insight that you may learn could be invaluable in your sector and business. Understanding how your market is evolving will help you keep your career on track.
4. You Are Laying Foundations for Your Future
The role that the consultant wishes to discuss with you may not be quite right for you now, but this is not wasted time. Things change, and who knows what the future holds for you?
Your current employer may move in a direction with which you are unhappy. They may restructure. A promotion you thought was yours may be given to a colleague. You may begin to find your role unrewarding and lacking challenge.
Connecting with a recruiter provides you with a valuable addition to your network. Cultivate this connection by staying in touch, providing referrals, and developing a relationship which can help you evolve your career path as your circumstances change.
5. You Learn More About Yourself
Your conversation with a recruiter is an evaluation. Take the opportunity to understand why you have been approached. What are your strengths that have compelled the approach?
As you listen to the opportunity, take note of demands of the role that may throw up potential weaknesses. These are elements on which you can work, helping to ensure that in the future you are even better equipped for similar or even more challenging roles.
When a Recruiter Calls, Be Available
There is rarely a perfect time to receive a call from a recruiter. It’s very unlikely that you will be actively seeking a new role when they do. But you should always make yourself available to talk.
If you don’t talk, you’ll never know about the opportunity you may havebeen given. You’ll never know what direction your career may have taken, the success you may have found, and the role that could have been the most enjoyable and rewarding of your career.
Lewis Carroll, author of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking-Glass’, famously said, “In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.”
If a recruiter calls to discuss your future in staffing, don’t look back and regret your indecision. Take the chance to build the relationship that could spur your career to new heights – if not today, then when the time is right in the future.
To learn more about our executive career strategies, contact EnabledForce.