Are you the candidate that recruiters turn to when a dream job comes up? Do you get a phone call from time to time to check in on you and see how your job is going and what you are up to? Or are you the candidate that struggles to get any attention from recruiters and never seem to have any luck?
If the latter sounds more familiar, there’s probably a good reason for that happening and no, it’s not just the market conditions. As a recruiter of nearly 20 years’ experience, I can tell you that there are some candidates that I just love working with. They are not necessarily the most technically competent or experienced either. I’d like to share four secrets as to what makes some candidates much more appealing to work with than others. This information will help you develop better relationships with recruiters. The benefit is that it will get them to think of you when they are putting their short list together for their best mining jobs.
Two very important reason to work with recruiters – your time and their knowledge
With 12-hour days and constantly high productivity and planning demands, working as a mining engineer on a mine site is intense. And then there is the professional development that must be maintained and grown. Old skills need to be honed and new ones developed.
So, when it’s time to find your next job, how do you know if it’s the right move? Do you have the time to do the due diligence and do it well? This is where knowing a good recruiter can make a huge difference to your time poor life because chances are, they already know most of the mining companies that would interest you, plus a few others you haven’t heard of yet.
The recruitment process takes time so be patient
To the uninitiated, the recruitment process seems pretty simple. Whilst the process is relatively straight forward, the skill of selecting the best candidate to put forward for the role can be a bit of a dark art. Without going into too many details that will take us down a rabbit hole, the key to a good match is for the recruiter to know their candidate well. This means genuinely understanding their strengths, motivations, skill level, competencies, areas for improvement, etc. This takes time to do properly, usually the first meeting is just the beginning. But believe me, your patience will pay off.
The best job for you is not always the one advertised so be honest
Are you open and honest with your recruiter? During the initial meeting or phone call, a good recruiter will get an understanding of what your ideal job is and if this job they are currently working on meets the mark. After all, there is no point putting you forward if it’s not a good fit, for you as well as the employer. Often, during the discovery phase, new opportunities emerge which can lead to much better opportunities for you. So, it pays to be up front with your recruiter about your goals..
Are your expectations realistic?
You may have a lot of experience with a particular operation and compared to your team, you know you are a technically competent engineer. However, how do your skills compare with the role you are applying for? Whist operations have a lot in common, there are a lot of differences too. Whilst remuneration might vary from one operation to another, your recruiter should have a pretty good idea of salary to skill level and what to expect in the current market. It really is in their best interest to make sure you are well remunerated and in a job where you will be happy to stay.
Don’t apply for every advertised job vacancy
By its nature, recruitment is a very competitive business and by engaging with several recruiters at the same time, all that you are doing is intensifying the competition and reducing their effectiveness and desire to work with you.
Specialist recruiters often work with the same or similar companies. Apart from their knowledge of job opportunities in the marketplace and their subject matter expertise, what sets them apart is their networks, the client relationship each recruiter has and their understanding of the company they are recruiting for.
So, exercise patience and spend some time wisely by getting to know your recruiter. It takes time to get to know people. Building a relationship with a recruiter you like, and trust will help you grow your career and keep you employed over the long haul. If you are considering a move soon, get in touch first before you start applying to opportunities advertised and I can guarantee it will pay dividends.
