This article is sponsored by ZipRecruiter, the #1 hiring site.
You probably know someone who knows someone who landed a great gig by working with a recruiter or recruiting agency.
Maybe you’ve picked up the phone to a recruiter's call for a reference on one of your former employees or coworkers. Maybe you’ve considered applying to a job listing through a recruiting agency.
But at the end of the day, do you actually know what a recruiting agency is, let alone how to best take advantage of one?
Honestly, we weren't so sure either. It's a complex and foreign world of negotiation, phone screens, and email blasts, so it's natural if you feel like avoiding recruiters entirely, but this is also your career on the line.
We set out to find out exactly how to use (and make the most of) an all-too-often underutilized resource.
In this article, you'll find the following sections:
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What Is a Recruiter?
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The Types of Recruiters
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DIY Digital Recruiting (featuring ZipRecruiter)
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When Should You Use a Recruiter?
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How Can You Help Recruiters Find You?
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How to Email a Recruiter (template)
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Where Can You Find Recruiters?
What Is a Recruiter
A recruiter is in charge of finding qualified candidates for a job opening.
A recruiter will work directly with a hiring manager to determine the skills needed for the role, create a job description, and then manage the application process between the employer and potential employee.
This means reviewing the resume, setting up phone and in-person interviews, submitting a job offer, negotiating the offer if needed, and sometimes even onboarding the new hire.
In conclusion, recruiters are there to meet the demands of both the employer and the employee throughout the hiring process.
Types of Recruiters
Recruiters can be “internal” meaning they work full-time for a company and only hire for jobs within that company, but recruiters can also work to hire on behalf of many companies.
This type usually works for something called a recruitment agency. Agency recruiters are essentially intermediaries between you and potential employers slash hiring managers across many companies.
Recruiters might work for a firm that's hired by companies to help them fill open positions or (maybe more often) they might work in-house for a single company.
Still, for the sake of how thorough this article is, here are the three types you'll most likely encounter; Internal recruiters, agency recruiters, or freelance recruiters. Let's dive into each recruiter's specialty!
Internal, In-House, or Corporate Recruiters
Regardless of what you call them, these are the people who are tasked with finding talent for the company where they work, and they're everywhere.
Facebook has a whole team of them. Our founder, Lauren McGoodwin, used to work as a recruiter at Hulu. Some recruitment teams even have their own Instagram accounts.
Because of this, there are a few positive elements: internal recruiters know the company better than an agency recruiter would, and they're also interested in finding candidates who fit with the company culture—which they know well since they're a part of it.
Typically, these recruiters will contact you—often through LinkedIn or from your online application on their company website—but you can also reach out directly to an internal recruiter about a specific position you find on a Careers page or to request an informational interview.
If you want to learn more about an internal recruiter’s role and their inner workings, check out this podcast episode with Meghan Kaye at Brooklinen.
Contingency or Agency Recruiters
"Contingency recruiter" is another word for agency recruiter, i.e., an independent professional who doesn't work for a specific company but is hired by various teams to find the best talent.
They’re compensated only if and when they find a candidate to fill the role and their compensation is usually a percent of your annual salary.
While they don’t work in-house for the company they are hiring for, they usually know the client (company, hiring managers, etc.) pretty well and can still give you a good sense of the role.
Since their compensation can be tied to you getting hired at that company, the stereotype is that they can be a bit pushy and encourage you to accept the role...even if you’re on the fence. That’s why you want to make sure to find a good agency, but more on that later!
Freelance Recruiters
Freelance recruiters are less common than internal recruiters or agency recruiters, but worth considering if you’re trying to make a living by working for yourself.
Freelance recruiters can put you in touch with clients who need contract work.
This is especially common in the design and web development industries. In the interest of brevity, we won’t go too much into this type of recruiting, but here’s a great resource if you’re freelancing.
DIY Digital Recruiting
If you’re still unsure as to whether you want to use a recruiter to find an employee or to find your next employment opportunity, there are great digital options.
ZipRecruiter is built with both parties in the job search and hiring process in mind—and they have created the tools and functionality to show that they know their stuff.
They’re not consistently known as the #1 hiring site for no reason. Here’s how ZipRecruiter works for employers and job seekers.
How ZipRecruiter Works For Employers
Much like a human recruiter, ZipRecruiter excels at connecting employers with qualified candidates. ZipRecruiter’s customizable templates make it easy for an employer to construct an effective job post and send it out to hundreds of job boards across the internet—and the world.
ZipRecruiter’s powerful matching technology scans thousands of resumes to find candidates with the right skills, education, and experience for an open position—then actively invites them to apply.
But that’s not all. ZipRecruiter also debuted their “Invite to Apply” tool, which allows employers to handpick their favorite potential candidates and let them know that an employer is interested before they even apply!
When employers use the Invite to Apply tool, the “pre-qualifies” candidates are nearly 3x more likely to be hired for the role!
With technology this powerful, over 80 percent of employers have found qualified candidates within 24 hours of posting their first job.
How ZipRecruiter Works For Job Seekers
For a job seeker, ZipRecruiter is also an extremely powerful tool in finding the right job. While ZipRecruiter is not involved in the hiring process itself, it is the best way for job seekers to get their resumes in front of employers that are looking for them.
Using ZipRecruiter, job seekers can:
- Apply with one click
- Let employers "apply to them" by inviting job seekers to apply to their role, pre-qualifying them as a great match
- Know when they are qualified as a great match
The powerful matching technology that ZipRecruiter uses to alert employers of a great candidate is mutually beneficial for job seekers, too. Seekers can easily activate job matching on their end by uploading their resumes and creating a profile listing their skills, references, education, work experience, objectives, and more.
This allows employers to find the job seekers that best fit their open role and invite them to apply to it.
A job seeker named Tracy C. Bozeman told ZipRecruiter, “I had recently moved to Oregon when the pandemic hit. It seemed hopeless to find an opportunity in this job market. But…then [my employer] found me on ZipRecruiter! So, even when I gave up hope in finding a good job, it found me instead.”
Job seekers can also set up job alerts to ensure that they’re getting the first look (and the first chance to apply) to some of the best roles for them!
ZipRecruiter’s powerful tools are also great for the more passive job seeker who wants to keep their eyes peeled for the next big opportunity.
What Is a Headhunter?
Headhunters are recruiters for hire— and they are usually filling executive roles or “head” of office positions hence the name.
Often they work for an outside agency and are hired by companies (usually the big guys) to find them highly-specialized or C-suite talent.
Most often headhunters are approaching employees who are not actively job searching and then try to entice them to leave. Also, the jobs that headhunters are trying to fill aren’t usually listed on a job board. When was the last time you saw “CEO” on a job board, right?!
While recruiters and headhunters have the same end goal to hire the best person, their approaches are different. A headhunter might only fill a few roles a year—but their fee is a percentage of that person’s (most likely) high salary.
Think of headhunters like bounty hunters looking for the most prized candidate—one that might not even be actively looking for a new position... yet.
For clarity’s sake, we’re not going to focus too much on headhunters but if you want to learn more, here’s a great resource.
Why (or When) Should You Use a Recruiter?
There are so many different reasons why a person might work with a recruiter. Let’s review some common reasons.
Use a Recruiter When You're Looking in a Specific Industry
There are some definite advantages to using an internal recruiter or agency recruiter, especially if you’re in certain industries.
Many companies in the fashion and beauty industries work exclusively with agency recruiters to hire new talent. The same goes for many web design, development, and technology jobs.
Do some quick research to see if agency recruiters are common or even some informational interviews with people in the industry you want to pursue. It’s pretty obvious if the majority of people use an agency—and you can even ask them which one.
Also, some companies prefer to hire through an agency first. I once interviewed for Nike and they used an agency to hire for jobs that were “temp to hire” positions vs. internal recruiters that hired for their immediate full-time jobs.
Use a Recruiter When You Don't Have a Strong Personal Network (or Just Want to Better Your Odds)
Often, agency recruiters have contacts and relationships at the places you’re applying (or in the case of internal recruiters, they’re actually working for the company already) so chances are they can bump your resume to the top of the pile if they like your style.
This is a great option when you’re making a career transition.
For example, if you’re going from a finance company to a retail company, your retail network might be smaller or (seemingly) non-existent.
Try networking with agency recruiters who have retail clients and especially with internal recruiters at the retail companies you’re most interested in.
Use a Recruiter When You Want Expert Help
Consider this too: an agency recruiter’s blessed with the stellar ability to sell you.
It's their job. We’re not always our best representatives during a job search (consider any interview you ever botched, and you’ll see what we mean), but it’s in the agency recruiter’s best interest to get you the optimal gig, and they do it with great form and style.
Agency recruiters might even work with you on your resume and interview skills first. And that personal pitch? They will hear it first so they can give you feedback on it before you have a conversation with a hiring manager.
Use a Recruiter When You're Moving to a New City or New Industry
Then there’s the advantage of someone knowing the environment and competition.
While I bounced ideas for this article off a close friend who works in fashion as a Creative Director, she pointed out that it was in her best interest to go through an agency recruiter when she decided to move from the East to West Coast.
“I had no idea what companies were working out of Los Angeles beyond two or three big names, and I didn’t know many people in my industry working out here,” she explained. “But my agency recruiter gave me all sorts of insight about my options, in addition to setting up some interviews. Then I started combing through LinkedIn.”
Even if you don’t meet any of these specific reasons, you can follow this general advice: internal recruiters work for the company, and agency recruiters work for you. That’s why it’s hard (and more competitive) to get an internal recruiter to “work” for you.
You’re better off trying to build relationships with internal recruiters at the companies you love but approach with professionalism right away.
How to Help a Recruiter Find You
While you're out there looking for a recruiter, optimize your presence to make it easy for recruiters to find you, as well. Even once you find your next job, it's never bad to keep yourself (and your resume) viewable to future opportunities.
Internal, In-House, or Corporate Recruiters
As we mentioned earlier, internal recruiters tend to reach out to you and not the other way around, but here are a few ways to up your chances of grabbing their attention:
Optimize your LinkedIn profile. We can't say this enough. We know it’s a headache to navigate the various LinkedIn settings and sections, but it’s also the social platform that recruiters use most often.
Make sure you have a killer LinkedIn summary, that all your information is updated, that you've optimized your skills list for the roles you're seeking, and that you've requested as many connections in your field as appropriately possible.
Include resume keywords you know recruiters love. The keywords you use are completely dependent on your industry, but you can glean some insight by studying job listings that interest you.
Update the experience and skills sections on your resume to include terms that a recruiter might be seeking for a specific role.
If you’re applying for more than one type of job in your industry, create multiple versions of your resume and tailor them depending on your need. Never send a resume to an internal recruiter that is not tailored to their specific job and company.
Treat any phone call like an interview. When a recruiter does reach out via email or phone, take the process very seriously. Their screening call may mean the difference between never hearing from the company again and landing your ideal job.
Even if you don’t fit the open position, an internal recruiter may go out of their way to find you a place at their company if they like your personality and experience.
A friend in the art industry once interviewed with a recruiter for a position at a museum, but they ultimately offered the position to someone in-house. That same recruiter, though, called her in for three more interviews over the next four months until, finally, they found her a position that suited her needs and theirs.
The key here is to stay in touch and build that relationship so when a role opens up, the internal recruiter thinks of you right away.
Where to Find Internal Recruiters
Naturally, you might be wondering how do you find and connect with these gatekeepers? Here are some places to start:
We guarantee the recruiter at your dream company is on LinkedIn. You can search “recruiter Company Name” or if you know their job title, search for that. Keep digging down in connections till you find the recruiter who hires for the specific jobs you’re interested in at that company
Company Career Pages
The career pages are getting so much better and companies want to share more about who works there, the culture, and the open roles. See if you can figure out from the Career page or the job description who is the recruiter for the role you’re interested in.
Industry-Specific Events
There’s a good chance there is a recruiter at whatever event you RSVP to next. You can increase those odds exponentially when it’s a career event or specialized professional networking event. Like when we had recruiters give resume feedback during a live webinar.
Subscribe to a professional networking newsletter to make sure you're on top of the latest networking events and opportunities.
Here are a few examples:
Where to Find Contingency or Agency Recruiters
The good news is, they're everywhere.
If you’re at a point where you have no idea what you want to do exactly, but you know you’re ready for a change, try reaching out to an agency in your field (or the field you’d like to enter).
Chances are they're aware of some positions that aren't publicly available yet—and those positions might be a perfect match for your background and goals.
You can start by doing some research just by searching terms like "fashion recruiting in Los Angeles" or "marketing agencies in Chicago," or whatever it might be including the list we shared above.
Once you find an agency or two to contact, get your introductions going and be sure to treat the initial email seriously because you want them to want to work with you.
There are a lot of recruitment agencies out there and we would always recommend first asking your local network if they have used an agency and the name. But we also want to be helpful so here are a few “big” and trusted agencies to check out:
And here’s another great list with top agencies in the United States.
How to Best Utilize Contingency or Agency Recruiters
Here are the best tips for using an agency recruiter to your advantage—and, to be frank, their best interest, too!
Ask All of the Questions
Ask as many questions of the recruiter as they ask of you. The goal is to find a good fit for your goals and industry, so make sure the recruiter you go with has your best interests in mind during the process by asking them detailed questions. You’re kind of like a rising actor picking the right agent.
Pick Their Brains
Don’t be afraid to pick their brain. Just like my friend who asked her recruiter for details on companies in Los Angeles, remember that your agency is working for you as much as potential companies.
Don’t be afraid to ask their advice or suggestions on companies that might be a good fit or how they think you can optimize your resume for their field.
Choose the Right Fit
Make sure you pick the right recruitment agency for your field. Often recruiting agencies are industry-specific and that’s a great thing. No one wants to go through a Walmart-esque staffing agency to find a job.
Trust us, it won't be good. If you’re unsure what the best recruiting agencies are in your industry try these three tricks:
- Start by talking with people in your network. See if anyone has worked with recruiters in the past.
- As you’re scanning job boards, take note of any positions that look like they were posted by a particular agency. When you start to see patterns, that’s the agency for you.
- You can also do a Google search and reach out for a screening interview at a firm that looks promising, then browse through their site listings to see if anything appeals to you before contacting them.
How to Email a Recruiter (+ Email Templates to Use)
Reaching out to a recruiter—both internal and at an agency—requires you to stand out and get to your point fast. Regardless of where they work, they’re busy so it’s your job to make their job easy.
Make it easy for them to present you to a hiring manager. Here are few tips to make contacting a recruiter a bit more successful.
Sometimes you know exactly which company you want to work for (some of us are just meant to work at Github or Everlane, you know?).
If you're after the environment and work style more than the job title or salary, you're probably primed for reaching out to an internal recruiter who works in-house at your dream company.
Consider optimizing your LinkedIn profile for, and reaching out to, a company's recruiting team via a carefully-crafted cold email or LinkedIn message.
If you have a few companies in mind, reach out to each of their recruiters as you see fit with their direct work email. If you know their name, do a quick Google search to see how the company sets up their email addresses and then contact them directly.
Template: How to Contact an Internal Recruiter About an Open Role
Dear Name,
My name is Heather Brown and I'm reaching out because XYZ company has a role open that I'm excited about (job title + link to role). I believe I could be a great fit with my skills and previous experience in (explain why you’re a good fit.)
I'd love to share some quick background on myself. I spent from 2017 through 2021 at Company A, a customer experience SaaS analytics company in Nashville, helping build out the strategy, operations, and finance functions. Over that time, I helped with things like global pricing strategy, scaling sales & revenue operations, new product roll-outs, expansions into new markets, and executive partnering among other things.
At the end of 2021, I voluntarily left Company A to focus on my family and our move to the west coast. Along with it being incredibly rewarding to have the last year with my family, this move also helped me re-prioritize some of my personal and professional goals!
I’ve attached my resume to this email and I would love to connect further about this role and how I can add value to XYZ company.
Sincerely,
Name
My name is Heather Brown and I'm reaching out because XYZ company has a role open that I'm excited about (job title + link to role). I believe I could be a great fit with my skills and previous experience in (explain why you’re a good fit.)
I'd love to share some quick background on myself. I spent from 2017 through 2021 at Company A, a customer experience SaaS analytics company in Nashville, helping build out the strategy, operations, and finance functions. Over that time, I helped with things like global pricing strategy, scaling sales & revenue operations, new product roll-outs, expansions into new markets, and executive partnering among other things.
At the end of 2021, I voluntarily left Company A to focus on my family and our move to the west coast. Along with it being incredibly rewarding to have the last year with my family, this move also helped me re-prioritize some of my personal and professional goals!
I’ve attached my resume to this email and I would love to connect further about this role and how I can add value to XYZ company.
Sincerely,
Name
Template: How to Contact an Internal Recruiter For Networking
Dear Name,
My name is Heather Brown and I recently came across your name while researching FinTech companies in the Seattle area. I really admire XYZ company’s (explain why you like the company.)
Quick background on myself — I spent from 2017 through 2021 at Company A, a customer experience SaaS analytics company in Nashville, helping build out the strategy, operations, and finance functions. Over that time, I helped with things like global pricing strategy, scaling sales & revenue operations, new product roll-outs, expansions into new markets, and executive partnering among other things.
At the end of 2021, I voluntarily left Company A to focus on my family and our move to Seattle. Along with it being incredibly rewarding to have the last year with my family, this move also helped me re-prioritize some of my personal and professional goals!
I’m curious if you’d have time to connect via phone so I can learn more about you, XYZ company, and share how my background could add value to the company?
I’ve attached my resume for your review in case it’s helpful and I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Name
My name is Heather Brown and I recently came across your name while researching FinTech companies in the Seattle area. I really admire XYZ company’s (explain why you like the company.)
Quick background on myself — I spent from 2017 through 2021 at Company A, a customer experience SaaS analytics company in Nashville, helping build out the strategy, operations, and finance functions. Over that time, I helped with things like global pricing strategy, scaling sales & revenue operations, new product roll-outs, expansions into new markets, and executive partnering among other things.
At the end of 2021, I voluntarily left Company A to focus on my family and our move to Seattle. Along with it being incredibly rewarding to have the last year with my family, this move also helped me re-prioritize some of my personal and professional goals!
I’m curious if you’d have time to connect via phone so I can learn more about you, XYZ company, and share how my background could add value to the company?
I’ve attached my resume for your review in case it’s helpful and I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Name
Template: How to Contact an Agency Recruiter About Working Together
Dear Name,
My name is Heather Brown and I've been working in digital marketing for the last five years in a variety of industries: tech, retail, and most recently media.
While researching media marketing roles, I came across your agency as a resource to help me find a new role. I’ve attached my resume, portfolio, and link to my LinkedIn profile and I’d love to discuss your services and how we might be able to work together.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Portfolio Link
LinkedIn Link
My name is Heather Brown and I've been working in digital marketing for the last five years in a variety of industries: tech, retail, and most recently media.
While researching media marketing roles, I came across your agency as a resource to help me find a new role. I’ve attached my resume, portfolio, and link to my LinkedIn profile and I’d love to discuss your services and how we might be able to work together.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Portfolio Link
LinkedIn Link
Final Tips
Well, we're about ready to leave you to hit the road on your recruiter journey, but not before we offer a few final tips!
Return a Recruiter’s Calls or Emails Promptly and Please Spell Check
Even if you don’t think the job they’re pitching sounds like your style, take the time to answer.
They’ll have other jobs to fill in the near future, and they're working hard just like you.
Don't Exaggerate or Lie
Recruiters are there to find the right person for the job. Eventually, there will be the right job for you.
By being as honest as possible, you ensure you won't end up in the wrong position and you won’t burn any bridges with the recruiter who you might need to use again in the future.
Include Links to Your Web Presence and Personal Portfolio
Recruiters see a lot of resumes and cover letters. In fact, some of them even hate receiving cover letters because going through them is such a time suck.
By including clear links to your web presence like your LinkedIn, portfolio, or even an Instagram account, you help recruiters easily access and see your working style, background, and talent in a more digestible way. Include links wherever applicable.
