Dear Justy,

Love the column and all the advice. One question has been bothering me for a long time now and I hope you can shine some light on this.

There are a lot of recruiters out there who say they can help me find a new position. I am not sure how to tell who can really help me and who is just saying they can. My career sets the stage for my life and is very important to me. I want a recruiter who will listen to me and understand my situation, someone I can trust with my life. Recruiting isn’t my area of expertise, how can I know if I can really trust my recruiter?

Job Seeker looking for some light

Dear Seeker,

Thanks for reading and writing. Let me turn on the light for you.

Trust is built on the relationship and interactions you have with someone.

Speak with the recruiter to find out what they know about your area. If they don’t know much, pay particular attention to whether they are ready or willing to introduce you to their colleagues who have more experience in your specific industry or practice area. The guys and gals at Just Legal work closely as a team, they share information, and the focus is giving the best service to both their clients and candidates. And they are honest – sometimes the best move might be no move at all, and they will tell you this. It’s about the relationships and trust, not the quick buck.

Trust goes hand in hand with honesty. How they speak with you, is it sincere or scripted? Are they honest about the things they say? Do they listen to you? If a recruiter gives you a suggestion for a new position, does it match what you are doing or what you said you wanted? Does he give you reasons why this position is good for you? Discussion, getting more information, and learning more is key to your success… and your recruiter should be focused on your success, not theirs.

The recruiters who work as a team for their clients and their candidates have the best information because they share all of the information they have. It’s like the Iditarod; if they are working as a team they can get you to the finish line easier and before anyone else. You gotta love those hounds!

What I’m saying is, we’re all people here. OK, well, not me but you are. Do they treat you like a person, having discussions and listening to you, or do they treat you like a can of dog food for which they need to follow the FIFO rule of inventory?

Give the team a Just Legal a call and you’ll find the light you have been looking for.