When you’re working with a Recruitment Consultant as a means of optimising your job hunting journey, it’s essential that you think carefully about how to gain the most from this relationship. After all, working effectively with your Recruitment Consultant can make a real difference to the success of your job search, particularly in the specialised accountancy sector.
The Role Of The Recruitment Consultant
Your Recruitment Consultant has a range of skills that can help match you to the perfect position. Able to build and nurture positive relationships with employers and candidates alike, your Recruitment Consultant will have a thorough understanding of the needs and requirements of all parties involved, as well as sound knowledge of the market you hope to work in. For roles in the competitive financial sector, this experience and know-how can be invaluable, and save you time and effort as a result.
Able to provide useful advice on salaries, training or qualification requirements, and relevant opportunities, as well as practical guidance such as interview preparation, your Recruitment Consultant is a valuable resource at your disposal.
Getting The Best From The Relationship: Start Strong
It’s important, then, that you think about how you can get the most benefit from your time working with a recruitment professional, and, fortunately, there are many things that can be done to optimise the experience. After all, building a strong working relationship with your Consultant can mean the difference between being offered your perfect job, and not even being aware that it was being advertised.
Start off on the right footing by giving your Consultant the best possible first impression. Treat your first meeting as you would a job interview: this means presenting yourself smartly and acting professionally. This ensures that your Consultant will have confidence in your calibre as a candidate in putting you forward for the best vacancies. After all, if you come across as a high-quality candidate at future interviews, it will reflect well on your Recruitment Consultant, too.
Putting In The Background Work
Whilst your first meetings and chats with your Consultant will likely be focused on general topics such as your reasons for wanting a new job, and your preferred roles, there are ways to get the best out of these early discussions. Arrive ready to answer your Consultant’s questions by carefully considering these areas in advance. Think about the different roles available in accountancy which you might like to apply for, rather than giving your Consultant a vague or uncertain picture of what you are hoping to achieve.
This may require you to spend some time researching the different jobs in the sector, but this time will be well spent if it then allows your recruitment professional to better target their search on your behalf. It’s also a smart move to come ready to provide the details of any referees, as this will highlight your professionalism and initiative.
Prepare by updating your CV and making sure that all of your relevant experience and skills are included, too. Whilst many roles in accounting require specific qualifications, many firms are keen to support their staff as they work towards gaining them, so demonstrating a commitment to learning can be highly advantageous.
This can be achieved by highlighting any evidence of continuing professional development such as training courses. Likewise, any transferable skills such as IT know-how and management experience can be really beneficial. Your Recruitment Consultant will help you tailor your CV so that it is as strong as possible, as well as ensuring that the right people see it.
Don’t Be A Stranger
To get the best from your relationship with your Consultant, it’s vital that you keep in touch. Your Consultant is likely to be working with many talented candidates, so it makes sense to ensure that your name remains front of mind for all the right reasons. Checking in is particularly important following any unsuccessful job interviews, as your Consultant will be able to feed back any tips or pointers that can help you make your next interview performance even better.
Your Recruitment Consultant will know exactly what your target employers are looking for in their staff, so listen to the advice offered and take it on board. By being responsive to any suggestions, you are demonstrating your commitment to the process, and are far more likely to land that perfect accounting role.