Full Disclosure

Working with a recruiter shouldn’t be hard. In fact, the recruiter should do a lot of the heavy lifting in the job search. That said, a good recruiter can’t do their job well unless there is an open line of communication between them and the candidate. To that end, at Sand Search, we want to know EVERYEHWERE that you have sent your resume (either on your own or through another recruiter). This information is critically important for us to do our jobs.

A sure-fire way to miss an opportunity is to have your resume submitted to an employer by more than one recruiter. It does not increase your chances of getting the job. The thought that ‘well, if TWO recruiters think I’m right for the job, that makes me more attractive as a candidate’ is flawed reasoning. Most employers would rather not debate which recruiter brought the candidate to them first, so in turn, they will pass on the candidate. That’s a missed opportunity for a well-qualified candidate that is based solely on poor communication!

Further, if you have submitted a resume through your own efforts and forget to tell a recruiter about the submission, it makes both you and the recruiter look bad when the resume is sent a second time. A good recruiter’s reputation can survive a hit like that. An applicant for a position has very little capital on which to trade, so it may be a fatal blow to the candidacy.

Don’t make those mistakes. It’s easier to just let the recruiter know that you have already taken the field for that employer. Have a frank conversation with your recruiter and let him/her know who has seen your credentials. It will be better for everyone in the long run!

Cover Letter Thoughts

A cover letter can be a powerful tool in your job search when used correctly. Too often the letter is used incorrectly or ineffectively.

A cover letter is not a resume in paragraph form. Rehashing a resume by simply telling me where you worked and what skills you gleaned from the position (repeated for each position) is not helpful.

Instead, you should think of the cover letter as an opportunity to do two things and two things only: (1) entice the reader to read your resume through your thoughtful presentation of (2) a compelling case for why they should hire you and not the next resume in the pile. It’s your chance to make your case as to why YOUR experience will solve the firm/company’s problem.

Another thing to keep in mind is that in today’s digital age, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out who is seeing a cover letter. At our company, there are only two people and they are both guys, so I often wonder how much homework someone has done when they address a cover letter to “Sir/Madame”.

Finally, please keep the cover letter short. You need to sell yourself, but if the letter is text-dense and long, it’s a daunting task to read the entire letter (when there are 19 other letters/resumes on my desk). Please be concise and summarize why you are a good fit for the position in a couple of paragraphs.

Following these few tips will help you get more interest in your resume and should improve your job search.