Since we are on the subject of recruiters... I’ve worked with quite a few (both local and overseas) and finally landed a role. It’s always been a hit or miss lol and below is just my two cents’ worth.

1. Not all recruiters are created equal. A good recruiter listens to what you have to say ie role you’re looking for, type of work, culture etc and actively seeks roles suitable for you (as versus asking you to apply for every single role that pops up in the market).

2. Look at whether the recruiter has a good track record of placing hires in the team. This will typically indicate the recruiter has a good relationship with the hiring partners. I’ve come across recruiters who miss the nail on the head completely because they do not understand what type of candidate the partner is seeking but just puts forth your CV. Most recruiters do not tell you this but if they put forth your CV to a specific firm, depending on each firm’s policies, that recruiter may “own” you as a candidate for a year - this is especially common in London or international firms in SG.

3. Keep your CV under lock and key. Do not randomly mass send your CV to multiple recruiters (as tempting as it is). Avoid overly pushy recruiters who don’t take no for an answer. One of my friends had a recruiter put in their CV to a firm they’d expressly said no to applying to. That’s highly unethical. Stay far away from recruiters like this. I would recommend having a chat with the recruiter and testing their knowledge of the market and what roles they are aware of out there BEFORE sending your CV. This is especially so when working with recruiters who make cold calls/reach out to you on LinkedIn and my colleagues and I always find out we’ve received the exact same message. Discretion is key. Always helps if you have seniors/friends who worked with that specific recruiter before.

4. Information asymmetry - some recruiters play candidates off each other for highly competitive roles by sending the weaker ones in and then asking them the interview questions asked by the partners to more adequately prepare their stronger candidates. For each role, some recruiters may put forth many many candidates (can even be 20 CVs). The better recruiters will take a more targeted approach and intentionally put forth fewer candidates better suited for a specific role, and pour time and effort talking to you about the firm, doing interview prep, telling you each partner’s quirks etc. A good recruiter will have an in-depth understanding of the firm and the type of work the hiring team does. When you find a recruiter like that, they can be a powerful arsenal in your job hunt. Always check out a recruiter’s LinkedIn profile to gauge their level of experience.

5. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that if you get placed, the recruiter makes $$ off you. I think using a good recruiter makes a huge difference (there are more bad than good apples) and it always helps to have someone in your corner when negotiating pay and sign-on bonus.

Not all recruiters will yield you results. It may not be that recruiter’s fault but could simply just be market conditions, over-supply and/or stiff competition for a specific role. Hope the above helps someone out!