A Day in the Life of a Job Recruiter

Finding a job isn’t always an easy process.

Imagine being responsible for dozens of job searches in any given day. That’s the task faced by recruiters at staffing firms like Aerotek all across the country.

We spoke with a few Aerotek experts to understand what life is like on their side of the desk. Knowing how recruiters do what they do may help you get the most of the relationship you have with your staffing partner.

The daily schedule

On any given day, Aerotek recruiters will reach out to numerous candidates, answer hundreds of emails and alerts from LinkedIn and other job posting services, shore up job details with companies who need qualified candidates and meet with their peers to compare notes and set goals.

The largest part of a recruiter’s day, typically up to 50 percent, is spent reaching out to job seekers. Aerotek Recruiter Lead Michael Sawchuk says, “Every day, I have a call sheet prepared for the specific positions I have available, that typically includes resumes for 50 candidates. I usually spend four hours each day working through these calls. That’s the part of the job I enjoy most — just talking to people and doing whatever I can to help find them a great job.”

That leaves the rest of the day for planning, paperwork, meetings, training, reviewing materials, contacting references and talking to companies about qualified candidates. It adds up. Depending on their management responsibilities, it’s not uncommon for recruiters’ work to extend beyond the typical nine-to-five each day.

Helping the helper

Want to get the most out of your relationship with a recruiter? Our Aerotek experts ask candidates to meet them halfway to help them be even more effective allies.

The biggest key, according to Klick, is communication. “Knowing as much as possible about what candidates really want helps me find the best fit without having to spend time guessing,” she says. “Saving that extra time actually makes it easier for me to help everybody find better jobs.”

Jordan adds, “And it makes a big difference to be honest about what you want. I’ll never be disappointed to hear if a candidate really isn’t interested in a role. That just helps me focus my attention on finding opportunities they do want.”

As you progress through your job search, the little things you do to help your recruiting partner can make a big difference.

For example, Champion suggests, “When candidates come to me with an updated, very detailed resume, that helps a lot. It’s much easier to remove resume items that might not help with a particular position than to go back and add things.” Klick recommends bringing or emailing an electronic copy of your resume in Microsoft Word format.

Aerotek Account Manager Travis Young says, “Have all references you want to use ready.”

Sawchuk adds, “It’s always an awkward conversation when a reference isn’t prepared to speak on a candidate’s behalf.” Give your references a head’s up so they can prepare a brief statement about your past work experience.

The 25^th hour of the day

With a hectic day-to-day schedule, most recruiters wish they had more time to do the little things that can help them develop their ability to find people jobs. Often that means seeking out growth opportunities — on the job and after hours.

If there was a 25^th hour in the day, how would recruiters spend it to get better at finding great jobs for candidates like you?

Aerotek Senior Professional Account Recruiting Manager Rachel Klick says, “I wish I had more opportunities to learn about employee skill sets outside of my specific industry, to help me be more responsive to people who are looking at a career change.”

As far as on-the-job training, recruiters are just as keen as anybody. Senior Professional Account Recruiting Manager Jane Champion says, “I always get so much out of training sessions, and would love to spend more time learning from peers who are in different offices or markets.”

Bethany Jordan adds, “It’d be great to be able to attend more networking events, so I could get more face-to-face interaction with candidates in my industry and learn more about who they are and what they need.”

Recruiting is a two-way street

Just as you want your recruiter to be responsive and dedicated to your success, they’ll appreciate knowing they can rely on you to support the effort and follow-through.

Aerotek recruiters are some of the best in the country at maintaining supportive relationships with the job seekers they talk to daily. Want to see it first hand? Reach out today.

If you’re looking for a job, visit our job board to find your next great opportunity. Create a free career account today to customize your search. And consider contacting an expert career advisor: Our recruiters are available to provide advice you can use.