Im a recruiter so it probably wont come as a surprise that Id recommend using a recruiter as part of your job search.

Rather than justify my existence, I think it would be more valuable to you the reader to understand exactly how a good recruiter can add value to your career search.

Truthfully, a good recruiter can help give you an advantage over other people looking for (and interviewing for) the same jobs you are.

1. A good recruiter can help you find jobs that you might otherwise not know about.

You may have heard about the hidden job market. Sometimes its so well hidden, you cant actually find it.

A recruiter has two main goals in life: to find jobs to fill and then to find the person to fill it.

So first off, the recruiter needs to find open positions that they can help a company fill. Then they look for suitable candidates like you to actually present to the company for consideration for the job.

In other words, a recruiter is a person who by definition needs to know where the available jobs are and who is hiring. They do this so that you dont have to.

2. A good recruiter should help you prepare for interviews.

I dont just mean that they email you a link to the company website and read directions to the company out to you over the phone, either

If your recruiter just does that, get a new recruiter!

A good recruiter will shed light on specific information that will help you stand out from others who are interviewing for the same job as you but who applied on their own and wont have access to this information. This can only help you!

A good recruiter will know the hiring manager (or whoever is interviewing you) and will be able to fill you in on some information you wouldnt otherwise know about.

For example, information that I always pass onto my candidates include things like:

• the personality of the interviewer(s). Imagine if you always knew before the interview what sort of people youd be interviewing with so that you could prepare for each person individually?
• hot buttons that the interviewer/company really wants to see ie. the recruiter tells you what to focus on during the interview so that you don't forget to mention the skills and experience that the interviewer really wants to know about.
• where other candidates who have interviewed for the same job have failed. In other words, a good recruiter will tell you how to avoid making mistakes that other candidates have already made!

In other words, they will help you prepare for the interview by mimicking how the interview could actually go. Its easy to surf a company website and think of a few ways to answer possible questions that might arise during the interview.

Its another thing altogether to actually answer questions as if you were already in the interview.

Role-playing where you verbally answer questions as if you are already in the interview is far superior to simply thinking about how you will answer the questions.

An interview especially when its for a job you really want is not the time to freestyle it and think that you can go into an interview and just wing it and still win the job.

4. A good recruiter understands the importance of timing.

Often, finding a new job is (among other things) a case of being in the right place at the right time. Not only does the job become available at a time that suits you, but the company comes along with a position that requires the same experience and skills that you happen to have at a time when you just happen to be considering switching jobs.

How many times have you been happily working away and not thinking about looking for a new job when a position pops up that would interest you if only it had have been presented to you in say 6 months or perhaps 12 months from now?

Ive seen that happen quite a bit, where the timing just isnt right to change jobs.

Timing really is everything especially when it comes to changing jobs.

And a good recruiter who knows you well will help you find a job within your timeframe which will save you from having to constantly keep your eyes open looking for the same positions or positions that would suit you that you didnt even know about.

My suggestion is to find a small handful (ie. 3-4) good recruiters (youll quickly see the difference between a good one and a bad one) that you trust and allow them to help you with your job search.

You should also quickly see the benefits of using recruiters at this time.