As your career develops, you may find that your skills and experience are in demand and opportunities come to you. If you have a strong personal brand and can be found, particularly online, then it is possible that you may find yourself being approached by recruiters about job opportunities. But how should you respond?
Always acknowledge and reply
Regardless of whether you are interested in the opportunity, acknowledging the communication is a good place to begin. This is simply the polite thing to do. Of course, with today’s online scams, it is best to check whether any unsolicited opportunities are genuine. However, if they are, it would be a shame to damage the potential of connecting with a recruiter by ignoring them. You never know when they might have an opportunity that you will want. If the opportunity they have now is not right for you or you simply aren’t looking to change jobs, you can acknowledge the opportunity and politely decline.
If you’re interested, ask for more information
When a suitable opportunity does come along, be sure to engage with it. Ask the recruiter about what they are looking for and why they approached you. This information can help you to assess whether the opportunity could be a good fit for you. You should also ask any questions you may have about the role and find out how to apply. Although you have been approached, it is still usual that you will need to submit a formal application just like any other candidate. However, unlike some candidates, you can apply knowing that the recruiter is already interested. Use this to your advantage and highlight your skills and experience that the recruiter has expressed interest in.
Should you connect?
Often, opportunities come through social networking platforms or groups. This leads to the question of whether or not you should connect with the recruiter who approached you. Although there may be exceptions, there is generally no harm in connecting with trusted recruiters online. They can often be a good way to stay in touch with what is happening in the job market. So whether you decide to follow up on an opportunity or not, staying in touch with the recruiter could help you stay alert to future opportunities.
How you respond to approaches from recruiters is important. Especially if you are currently in senior or executive positions, or looking to move into those positions, take a moment to consider how you would respond when opportunity knocks. Make sure your personal brand is on point. Keep your online profiles up to date. Make it easy for recruiters to find you for the roles you are most interested in. Stay open to connecting with recruiters, even if the roles they have at the moment are not right for you just now. Be prepared to explore promising opportunities and take advantage of the fact that a recruiter has sought you out. You never know where your next opportunity lies.
If you are looking to recruit an executive, seeking an executive opportunity or have questions about recruitment, feel free to reach out to the SULLIVAN Consulting team on social media.
