There can be many misconceptions when it comes to the role of an agency recruiter. And coupled with the fact that not all recruiters are the same, I thought it might be helpful to confirm what it is that I do.

My firm, Communications Collaborative, works with companies looking to hire marketing and creative talent. We get paid only when a candidate is placed in a job. Our fee is typically based on the candidate’s first-year salary and agreed upon between our account team and the client long before I reach out to any candidates to discuss a job.

Once we take the job order and ensure the requirements and spec are in our wheelhouse, I conduct outreach to my candidate base, which consists of: 

Candidates I’ve already interviewed in person or by phone. I know their background, salary and location requirements, and most importantly, their strengths. The best-case scenario is that I’m able to find phenomenal candidates from this search and get them in front of the client asap.

First connections on LinkedIn. My second wave of outreach is an organic search, largely via LinkedIn. These are typically first connections whom I have connected with, had an exchange or two via email (or none at all), and appear to be a fit on paper.

New connections on LinkedIn. If I need more candidates, I reach out to people I am not connected with on LinkedIn and have a conversation to gauge interest and learn more.

Outreach, interview, vet, present candidates to clients, repeat. This is how I spend the majority of my day and how my database is built and maintained. I’m also always connecting with new people, regardless of the jobs I’m recruiting for. Folks I can place, though maybe not today. And by connecting with me, candidates can see my posts and the jobs I am working on.  

But what if you’re not in my network? How do you reach out to me?

1) Confirm that our areas of expertise align. I only place marketing, digital, advertising and creative people in the New England area. You can find out more by reading my LinkedIn profile and by going to www.communicationscollaborative.com.

2) If you work in marketing and advertising, feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn with an introduction outlining who you are, what specifically you are looking for in your next role, salary range of interest, location and most importantly your sweet spot. We all have one and the sooner you know what yours is, the better.

3) Have faith. It is humanly impossible for me to circle back to everyone who reaches out, but trust that if you are someone I can place, I will reach out to you if/when I have an appropriate role.  

4) When we speak, this is the time to shine. Be prepared to make it clear where you have been and what your strengths are. If you are a passive candidate and not looking to make a move straight away, we can keep in touch via email and do a phone interview when you are ready. Just be clear when we first connect.

I’ve been recruiting for nearly 15 years and it’s an enormous understatement to say how much this industry has changed. I’m now connected with thousands of people. As much as I would sometimes like to, I cannot be an advisor, job coach, resume writer or therapist. I will make suggestions to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward, but my main role is matching hard-to-find, top talent with the jobs I am hired to fill.

I truly want to help good people secure great opportunities. It’s simply a matter of the right connections coming together at the right time.