When you are first contacted by a recruiter, pay attention to the type of company he or she works for. While the ideal opportunity for your career could come from any recruitment agency, some agencies will be more suited to your current situation.

You have a job and you are contacted by a recruiter from a placement or sourcing agency... The recruiter would like to meet you quickly, because he/she has one or more opportunities to present to you?

First of all, it is important to note that some placement agency recruiters contact individuals before they have any concrete job opportunities to present to them.

It is always a good idea to get more information about the position(s) you are applying for. Ask questions about the job and the client (the company) before accepting an interview. This may prevent you from missing out on work only to come out of the interview feeling like you wasted your time.

As for sourcing agencies, they usually only do pre-screening to build a bank of candidates for future clients. They may have interesting positions, but interviewing with a sourcing agency recruiter does not mean that you will be presented with a specific opportunity immediately.

Placement and sourcing agencies are your allies to find a job if :

- You are at the beginning of your career

- You are in fields such as administration, accounting, legal, health or insurance

- You are open to temporary or part-time positions

- You are unemployed and actively looking for work

Indeed, placement and sourcing agencies mostly have mandates for junior positions, support staff positions, or generalist positions. If this fits your reality, then it can be very beneficial to make a call or interview with an agency recruiter. If they don't have an opportunity that interests you at this time, chances are that new positions will come up. If you keep in touch with the recruiter, they can certainly offer you something else in the future.

If you are unemployed and actively looking for a job, you obviously increase your chances of success by responding to all recruiters who contact you. You can also contact placement agencies directly so they can add your CV to their bank of candidates.

However, we recommend that you focus your efforts on placement agencies that work in your field and region. Consult the directory of placement agencies in Quebec (only available in French).

You have a job and a headhunter contacts you?

Headhunters generally recruit for very specific positions. They will only call or interview a candidate if they have an opportunity to present to them or if they wish to introduce them to a client.

Since your time is valuable, you can always ask questions about the position during the initial contact with the headhunter. A good headhunter will give you a lot of details about the position and the company in order to fuel your interest in the position. However, you have to understand that headhunters must keep certain things confidential in order to respect the confidentiality of their client.

Headhunters are your allies to find a job if :

- You are in a mid to senior level position.

- You are in a highly specific and/or technical field such as engineering, construction, IT, sales or HR, for example.

- You are a director or manager.

- You are interested in permanent and full-time positions.

- You are open to new job opportunities.

Headhunters conduct very specific research before contacting candidates. In general, if they contact you it is because your profile corresponds to the needs of one of their clients. So you won't waste your time answering them.

If you are open to changing jobs, and have an intermediate or senior profile, it can be very beneficial to have a call or interview with a recruiter from a headhunting firm. Even if you are not interested in the opportunity they present to you, you can discuss your interests and aspirations and the headhunters can get back to you when they have a position for you.

If you are unemployed and actively looking for a job, contacting headhunting firms will certainly help you in your process. They can also add your resume to their database of candidates.

Each firm has its own specialties, so make sure you contact firms that are in your industry. Consult the directory of headhunters in Canada.

What if you are looking for guidance in your job search?

Unfortunately, as much as they would like to, recruiters do not have enough hours in the day to guide all job seekers through the search process. They will act as advisors for you if you are in a recruitment process with one of their clients.

At Thorens Solutions, in order to help more candidates, we have also written a number of articles giving advice for your career. See our blog posts.

If you need help writing a resume or would like guidance when applying for jobs, for example, you should consult employment assistance organizations. These organizations offer coaching, counselling and support in job search, as well as activities to prepare for the job market.

Consult the employment assistance organizations directory.

If you are thinking of making a reorientation or a big career change and would like to be advised in your choices, we suggest that you consult a guidance counsellor to help you along the way.

In conclusion, filtering requests when you are in contact with a lot of recruiters can be essential. And no matter your situation, it's always relevant to know who you're talking to. Also, asking questions allows you to choose job opportunities wisely before doing an interview.

Are you looking for a new challenge in management, engineering, IT, sales, finance or HR? Send us your resume!