Working with a recruiter can be like hiring your own personal sales force for your job search --- if done right.  Below are a few rules for working with a recruiter, the right way.

Rule 1: Never be a beggar, always be a chooser.  That old saying “beggars can’t be choosers” has some truth to it. Job candidates should never shoot out their resume to recruiters indiscriminately.  Be picky about the type of recruiter you want to work with.  Find out if the recruiter generally recruits for the type of companies you want to work for and if they are recruiting people on the level which you want to work.

Rule 2: Don’t be shy about expressing what you want.  The job candidate/recruiter relationship is a partnership where each half must be clear about what they want. Don’t assume that the recruiter knows what you want.  Be specific and find out if they can help you reach your goals.

Rule 3: Make it easy for the recruiter.  Make it easy for the recruiter to read your resume by pasting a properly formatted copy into the body of the email. Make it easy for the recruiter to contact you by providing both an email address and a phone number. If you have one of those spam blocker programs which require the sender to fill out a form “verifying” their authenticity, turn it off during your job search.

Rule 4: Never send your resume to more than one recruiter at the same firm. If two recruiters working at the same firm receive your resume this may create a conflict. Remember, recruiters make their money when they place you, so two recruiters probably won’t want to share a placement fee. Choose only one recruiter at the firm to work with.

Rule 5: Once the recruiter has agreed to work with you, stay in touch. Email the recruiter once a week to let them know you are still available and see if they’ve made any progress on placing you.