[rfc63]

What do you do when a recruiter who you’re supposed to meet sends you an opportunity for a position in advance of the meeting that you already have an interview for?

[mla1169]

You tell the recruiter you've already applied directly for that position and have an interview.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[klink24]

Agree with mla1169. I am having a hard time balancing using a recruiter and going direct. I think recruiters can definitely get you in front of the right people as opposed to going at it alone. If you have a good relationship with one it's the next best thing to having a personal contact at the company. At least that's my perception. Would anyone disagree?

I've explained my situation before. No general accounting experience but plenty of A/R and billing experience and MBA. High salary so entry level is out of the question. So hard to find something in the way of Senior Accountant, Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, etc., which would be at my salary level. No turnover in accounting department at current company. Any more advice welcomed.

FAR: 4/19/2014 - 85!
AUD: 5/27/2014 - 90!
REG: 7/18/2014 - 81!
BEC: 8/13/2014 - 84!

4 up, 4 down, in 4 months.

Licensed 9/22 in NC.

[mla1169]

I don't believe recruiters are useful for upper level positions. I think they're useful as practice interviews, sometimes give good resume tips and certainly can't hurt your job search. I still have Robert Half calling me about AP clerk positions which would be fine if my Resume didn't state I am an accounting manager/controller with a masters and CPA. It's like they're herding sheep there.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[klink24]

Yeah, I dealt with Robert Half some, but nothing major. I'm working with Parker Lynch now and have spoken with about 3 people there, each the supervisor of the prior one. They seem really motivated to try to find something that will fit. E-mailed me today about a position but it doesn't seem like it's going to work out. I so wish I would have known this is what I wanted to do 5 years ago. Probably would have been ready to jump to controller once I got my CPA.

FAR: 4/19/2014 - 85!
AUD: 5/27/2014 - 90!
REG: 7/18/2014 - 81!
BEC: 8/13/2014 - 84!

4 up, 4 down, in 4 months.

Licensed 9/22 in NC.

[fuzyfro89]

RFC:

Tell them you're already being considered for the position. The company may be forced to remove your candidacy if it is unclear who brought you to the firm (i.e. whether or not they have to pay the recruiter). Plus, it's in the recruiter's contract that they can only get fees for hires that they source, not helping existing candidates.

Mla: “I don't believe recruiters are useful for upper level positions.”

Are you sure about that? I get the exact opposite feeling. For lower level positions, I feel like they have next to no help in getting you to the “next level” (either a promotion or just increased responsibilities). They are just outsourced HR. However, for mid level and management positions, I think they may be more useful since a lot of candidates aren't actively looking at those levels, and recruiting is a lot more specialized than just applying online.

In any case, I'm sure it varies, but that's just been my experience. I think the other time recruiters are useful is for small(er) companies with very specialized needs, but who don't have a robust HR/recruiting function in-house with the necessary reach or experience, or even for a large company who wants to screen multiple candidates and feel the market for a executive level hire (Controller for large public co, VP Finance, etc).

Btw, working as a sr auditor/consultant at a large public co now and had a recruiter who reached out to me recently, so I guess I'm also just hopeful that they aren't all useless morons. I'd be hesitant to leave, as I'm not dissatisfied in my current position, but worst case is I can see what I'm worth on the market.

ANyway, I hope you have better experience with recruiters in the future, or just find a awesome gig on your own!

[mla1169]

Fuzy, only said what I believe (which is based on my direct experience so it may or may not be true for others). I worked with dozens of recruiters, from large Robert half type companies to small self employed staffing professionals. I probably have in my contact list 40+ staffing people who I communicate with at least twice a year but a few more often. They were all a complete waste of time for me personally.

They will reach out to you, tell you they can get you in the door for the next step in your career, get you a positon that you likely couldn't network for yourself, yadda yadda. Remember their business is sales so you're believing all the upsides that are being given to you by a salesperson. When they actually place you and you start the better job they promise please let me know because I want my faith in them restored. I was actually told (confidentially) by a recruiter that their bread and butter is “low hanging fruit”. I am not “low hanging fruit” lol and more than one recruiter told me the BEST they can get me is $60k a year, even with a masters and cpa license. Obviously they have no clue what they're talking about or I'm better at their jobs than they are since I make much more than that. Also at least 50% of the time when a recruiter tells you he or she is filling a position for x, they have not been contracted by the hiring company they are scouring monster and craigslist and looking to apply to a job on your behalf (which is why the OP is being solicited by a recruiter for a job he already has an interview for). Its all a numbers game and they're going to try to get 6-10 candidates in front of a hiring manager for every position they can.

Also I've worked in 4 companies over my 20 years experience, so please understand I'm talking about my experience only but every time we've used an agency its been for clerical and admin positions, never hired staff accountant or higher through a 3rd party.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[fuzyfro89]

Mla: Didn't mean to accuse you of being wrong. Most recruiters are close to worthless since they don't really offer much insight or special placement skills (I will readily admit that there are at least 2-3 worthless ones for every 1 talented recruiter… probably even more).

“I am not “low hanging fruit” lol and more than one recruiter told me the BEST they can get me is $60k a year, even with a masters and cpa license.”

I think this is exactly my experience in entry level to 2-4 years of experience. I remember when I was at Big 4 audit last year as a 2nd yr associate, and I had recruiters handing me staff position descriptions announcing $55k. Gosh, those were some real morons. Maybe they overestimated how desperate I was to get out of public… or were under their quotas.

Now that you mention it I think there's one big difference in recruiters:

1) Recruiters that are looking to apply for you to a certain company

2) Recruiters that have been contracted by some company to hire for specific role(s)

1 – these guys suck to work with. Basically real estate agents.

2 – Still just agents, but a little better to deal with than #1.

[mla1169]

What I usually did was take a key phrase from the listing they emailed me and put it in quotes in a google search.

If the exact same listing came up on monster, craigslist, indeed, etc I didn't even reply. If I couldn't find that ad elsewhere I'd show interest.

But like I said I did get some valid input on my resume, so it wasn't all for nothing…

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[rfc63]

Thanks, I'll be straight forward with her. I'm finding recruiters have an ear on the hiring environment so you can strategize about your career options. They may not be an end all-be all but they are definitely a tool in your tool belt.

[fuzyfro89]

RFC:

That's a great attitude to take with them. Some are genuinely nice and good at what they do, but it's important to understand that they are usually representing the company more than they are representing you.

It's also a good way to see what's “reasonable” to get with your experience, as they won't waste their time on a stretch placement (unless you have a lot of experience and high salary potential… thus high fees for them), and to gauge the market in your local area.

Maybe once you reach a senior level (manager, controller, etc) they may try and sweeten your relationship a bit as there may be future opportunities for them to help you or to place you in a special skills fit with some company… but even then, there's a profit motivation.

Imagine buying a $700k home, knowing the agents combined will get 6%… it's hard to trust them no matter how nice they are.

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