Systems Engineers Need a System to Work with Recruiters Successfully

Develop a Staffing Relationship to Boost Your Career

As a distributed systems engineer, you’re used to overseeing projects and working with others closely. Your success depends upon developing an end-to-end system to deliver the products expected of it. To do this, you’ll work with different people. You’ve got to be responsive, transparent, and prioritize needs. When you don’t get the same level of service from a recruiter that you provide in your everyday working life, it’s infuriating. We feel your pain.

What you need is a system to work with recruiters – and to ensure that not only are you working with the best, but getting the best out of them too.

What Do Bad Recruiters Do Wrong?

Before we run through how to work with a recruiter to obtain the best systems engineer jobs, it’s worth taking a quick look at what bad recruiters do so wrong. You may have encountered these frustrations yourself.

· You got an interview, but the role wasn’t right for you

Did the recruiter even listen to you? Or are they just throwing spaghetti at the wall, sending as many candidates as possible to their client, hoping that one will stick? Of course, the recruiter works for their client, but this approach doesn’t help them or you. A good recruiter understands the needs of their clients, and equally importantly they will understand you, your ability, and your career objectives.

· Your recruiter goes AWOL

You were contacted about a role, and it sounds perfect. You instruct the recruiter to put your name forward and eagerly await the next call to arrange an interview. You wait. And wait. The call never comes. You follow up, leave messages, and send emails. No reply. What a waste of your time. Your frustration probably boils over – because this isn’t how you treat others, so how come you’re being treated this way?

· The recruiter is focused on the deal, not on you

Have you ever received a scripted call to discuss your situation or a standard rejection email from a recruiter? Have you ever discussed your career with a recruiter, and then heard nothing back? Recruiters who don’t keep you in the loop or make grand promises without follow-through don’t care about you. They only care about their commission. That’s bad news for you – roles will be oversold to you and your time will be wasted.

Engineer a System to Work with Recruiters

You can avoid all the frustrations of working with poor recruiters by following a few simple steps.

1. Work with a recruiter that specializes in hiring for systems engineers

Specialist recruiters know their markets and understand their clients. Focus on working with these recruiters in the location you wish to target. Companies who have the best systems engineer jobs available in your sector will work through specialist recruiters, not general staffing agencies.

2. Be visible

Many of the best recruiters focus on a niche. They will actively search for appropriate candidates in their niche area. The key here is to make yourself visible to them. Be active on social media (especially LinkedIn), and network in your professional community. You may even consider building your own website to showcase your skills and projects.

3. Ask questions

Before deciding to work with a recruiter, learn as much as you can about them. Ask about their experience, the types of clients they work with, and the people they have placed. Learn what types of roles they specialize in, and the types of hiring companies they work with. Find out about how their process works, and how they will communicate with you.

4. Make sure you won’t be forgotten

Whether an active or passive candidate, once you have made the decision to consider your career options you shouldn’t be forgotten. So, ask whether the recruiter searches its current list of potential candidates for the roles it is hiring for, or if it searches for a new candidate with each client assignment.

5. Be a committed candidate

Once you have committed to be a candidate for a role, don’t back out. Always be certain that you want to follow a hiring process through to its conclusion.

6. Put your trust in your recruiter

You’ve selected a staffing agency and specialist recruiter to work with because of the clients they work for and th

7. Be open to contact, and become a recruiter’s resource

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to receive opportunities regularly? That’s because they are open to being contacted. If they don’t want to make a move, they are also willing to recommend others who would be suitable. They develop a relationship with a recruiter which is mutually beneficial, and that encourages the recruiter to work hard for them when the time is right to make a move to a new role.

Do You Have a System to Engineer the Recruiting Process?

Developing a good relationship with a recruiter could be the key to greater success in your career as a distributed systems engineer. The best employers often work with specialized recruiters when they want to fill specific roles. A candidate who is known by that recruiter and who works successfully with them will have access to those opportunities. To be that candidate, contact Kofi Group today, and start engineering the recruitment process in your favor.