As the number of jobs in the legal industry inch up incrementally or not at all in some regions, legal recruiters are pressed to figure out how they can stand out in an already crowded industry. Below are a few tips:

1. Study your competition and then figure out what makes you different.  As employers become inundated with outside recruiter agencies vying for their business, they are getting pickier. Employers want to know what really makes a recruiter unique.  You can’t answer this question honestly if you don’t do your homework. So find out what other recruiters are doing and then determine how you do business differently.
2. Really know your client’s business and then offer a custom fit job candidate.  One of the biggest complaints that employers have about independent recruiters is that they claim to understand their business; but continuously send them job candidates who obviously don’t fit into their culture.  One of the ways around making this mistake is for recruiters to make a habit of identifying the various firm cultures and then categorizing candidates accordingly. This strategy allows recruiters to easily identify clients who would fit well into a company once they receive a job order.
3. Don’t try to be a jack of all trades. Not only is it not possible; but employers know it’s not possible.  When recruiters attempt to recruit for everything and anything, they risk incompetence which can kill a recruiter/employer relationship even before it gets off the ground.  Learn to say no to job orders you know you can’t fill and employers will respect you for your honesty.