Looking for a new job? Your timing is right. Today’s market presents you with a good time to look for something new—if you know where and how to look. But this raises a couple of questions to ask yourself: Is the go-it-alone approach the most effective way for me to find a job, and would working with a recruiter to help me find a job be a smart option to consider as my job search gets under way?
Not necessarily to the first question, and a simple “yes” to the second one.
There might be plenty of jobs out there, but they’re not all good jobs. Recruiters can help you find good jobs that match your qualifications, and chances are, they’ll have information on open roles you may otherwise not even know about. Getting a recruiter’s help from the outset when it comes to finding a suitable job makes sense on many levels.
If you’re like most job hunters, you’ve been disappointed with many of the open roles you see on job boards or by the responses to your applications, or maybe you’ve been underwhelmed by the offers you’ve received. And when you do see an opening for a job that’s right for you, it’s been difficult to muster the energy to write yet another cover letter and tailor yet another resume after a long day of work, house chores or other responsibilities.
If you’ve found yourself thinking, "I need a recruiter to find me a job," you’re on the right track. The next step is to put that thought into action. A professional job recruiter can help you find suitable job opportunities that you may not uncover on your own.
In any market, when it comes to finding a job—that is, finding a good job—two heads are better than one. Whether you’re seeking a permanent, contract or contract-to-hire role, and whether you prefer it to be remote or onsite, working with a specialized talent solutions firm can open doors and boost your search.
Having a top-notch job recruiter in your corner is like having your own personal advocate, someone who can help you find the ideal role, prepare for the interview and negotiate the salary. Plus, with Robert Half, there’s no need to “hire” a recruiter to look for job openings—the recruiter will search on your behalf, but you’ll pay no fee. Basically, you just send us your resume and tell a recruiter, “Find me a job.”
By connecting with a recruiter to help you find a job, you’ll be working with someone who knows the ropes and can direct you toward the kind of job you’re seeking. Here are 10 specific things a professional job recruiter does to be your new best friend.
The best job recruiters know your local market—who’s hiring, who’s planning to hire and the open roles that aren’t yet publicly posted. Professional recruiters build extensive networks and strong relationships with client companies, having earned a solid reputation for delivering talent. That means they know what those employers want.
And a global talent solutions firm such as Robert Half, with offices worldwide and across the United States, has the capacity to not only produce leads near you but outside your area for remote jobs in your field. This is a huge advantage in this work-from-home world that so many employers now embrace.
A good job recruiter will also get to know you—your skills, your goals, your workstyle and your preferred workplace culture. It’s a professional familiarity that goes deeper than any list of attributes and interests presented on a resume, and it may make the difference when it comes to the recruiter knowing what jobs would be suitable for you.
This personalized approach to working with you is critical to placing you in a role where you’ll be happiest. When job candidates thrive in jobs the recruiters helped them find, the recruiters thrive, too. Once the connection is made, you’ll have a key partner in your job search.
Many Robert Half job recruiters have professional experience in your field, so they understand your passion for your work. Equally important, they know what employers look for in top talent and what they’re willing to pay for it—and they know how to close the deal.
To the job hunter, there’s no better best friend than the one who can give expert advice on how to land the best job and a healthy salary (more on that below).
Job recruiters do more than share your resume. They’re in direct communication with hiring managers or their HR counterparts, so your application isn’t treated as another name without a face.
The recruiter can advocate for you, highlight your talents and how they suit the employer’s needs, and vouch for your soft skills (difficult to gauge from only a resume and cover letter, but always of great interest to an employer).
Finding a job takes time and energy—both in short supply if you’re already working a 9-to-5. Rather than spending hours each week scanning job boards or preparing applications, you can partner with a job recruiter who can put you in almost instant contact with employers looking for someone with your skill set.
Oh, and those tailored cover letters you stress over, looking for the right words, the right tone, the right touch? That’s another big way working with a recruiter can help you. For almost any position you apply for, the job recruiter will be your introduction to the employer.
Starting pay for professional occupations is expected to rise in 2025, especially for roles in high demand. That might even be why you’re looking for something new. If so, be sure to benchmark your market value with trusted sources like the most recent Salary Guide From Robert Half.
But talking money and negotiating better benefits is a skill—one that professional job recruiters are very good at. Their access to the latest salary data and knowledge of what perks and benefits are standard in your industry means you’ll have an ally with the insight and acumen to negotiate a compensation package both you and the employer will be happy with.
Whether you’re an industry veteran or you’re entering the job market with little work history, you need a carefully crafted resume that’s compelling, honest and customized for the role you’re pursuing. Putting that together can be a tall order, even overwhelming. But you can spare yourself a lot of stress and pain with an expert in your corner.
A job recruiter will offer honest feedback on your drafts, advice on how to emphasize your talents and successes, and where to tailor your resume for the positions you apply for. If you have a portfolio to show, the recruiter can help with that, too.
The job recruiter’s job is to help you get a job; they’re going to make sure your application presents you in the best possible light.
Read any respected book or blog on finding a job, and you’ll find a discussion about the importance of preparing for the phone vetting and interviews. That includes researching the company where you’re interviewing, identifying career highlights and skills to mention, preparing for tough questions, even deciding how formal or informal to dress, which is important even for video interviews.
A job recruiter can offer guidance on all that. As the one who’s submitted your application or discussed your candidacy with the employer, the recruiter will have insight into how the company operates, its workplace culture and hiring process. If you want to rehearse some awkward questions—such as responding to a question about your on-the-job weaknesses—the recruiter can offer some coaching. By the time you interview, you’ll be able to speak confidently about how you can help the employer be successful and why you’re the best person for the position.
A good job recruiter will stay in contact even after you’ve found a job. At Robert Half, for instance, recruiters will check in with the candidates they’ve helped place in a new role to make sure all is well.
And that’s not all. If requested, they’ll offer professional development advice and other career tips.
Whether you’re just starting your career, reentering the workforce after a layoff, or ready to move on to something new or more challenging, a smart job hunt requires strategy and a lot of hard work. Professional networking, researching potential employers, sharpening the resume and crafting cover letters are just the start of a successful job hunt.
You can fly solo on your job hunt, but why wouldn’t you want help finding a job? After all, finding you a job is what a job recruiter does. You can tell a recruiter, “Find me a job,” and let them start working on your behalf. Working with a recruiter can greatly increase your chances of getting a good job suited to your particular talents, aptitudes and overall skill set.
Finally, for those who have decided they want a recruiter’s help to advance their job search but are also wondering just how to find an experienced recruiter nearby, all is well. You are in exactly the right place; just upload your resume to get the process started!
Discover what fields our skilled recruiters specialize in—and how Robert Half can help with your job search.
