How Do You Get On A Recruiters’ “Top Candidate” List

When the doctor looked at my scans, winced, and said “ouch“ I knew it was bad. I was 25 years old and had been working 10-15 hours a day as a warehouse manager. I was overseeing a team of 60 people when I was hit with a back injury. I had worked so hard on building up my own skill set and now I had no choice but to find something I could do from the comfort of an office chair.

Becoming the recruiter I am today is a story in itself filled with growing pains, lots of mistakes, insane amounts of ‘Hashgacha Pratis,’ and a whole lot of juicy anecdotes. I’ll be sharing with you in this column in the coming weeks. Baruch H’ today my back is fully healed but the experience pushed me in ways I never thought possible.What did I learn from my experience? Just because you have been successful in one career for a long time does not mean you will not thrive in a completely different field and role.

As a recruiter one of the main things I’m looking for are transferable skills.

Here is a secret you probably don’t know about the industry. All recruiters have a list of people that they consider “top candidates”. These are not people who are necessarily the best CEOs, CFOs, Managing Directors, or the like. These are people who a recruiter understands could thrive in any company whether they have the skill set of a secretary, manager, or COO.

This is the list you want to be on. How do you get on it?

Transparency: Be yourself. If a recruiter feels you are who you say you are they will put their own name on the line to get you the perfect position.

Attitude: If you can show that you want to work, will do whatever is necessary to get your job done well, and are invested in the success of others around you as well as yourself you will make a serious impression on any recruiter.

Drive: Recruiters love people who want to grow and want to make a positive impact on the companies they are working for. Ambition, initiative, and enthusiasm will set you apart.

Good recruiters want the best for the candidates and the companies they work with. They want you to have a positive experience throughout the recruitment process. If you can show them you excel in the above points your recruiter will invest all their energy into finding you the position you have been waiting for.

Follow this column to get an insider’s view into the world of recruitment. I’ll be discussing the recruiting process, how recruiters read resumes, what to do (and what not to do!) on a zoom interview, and more. My aim is to increase your chances of having a positive experience working with any recruiter and to help you get the job you have been dreaming about.