The Unemployed Life

Why that Headhunter Won’t Call You Back

Recruiters can be like cads: They lead you on, pretend to be interested, and then never call you back. Lots of people have horror stories about recruiters who reach out for their resumes, interview them in-office, and then never speak to them again.

There’s a reason. And, it’s not pure malice. Generally. But I might need you to thicken your skin for a moment.

1. They Don’t Have Anything For You Right Now. The simplest answer is often the truth. Why, you ask, would they waste everyone’s time if they don’t have any positions for you? It’s in their interest to find out what you’re all about so that you’re good to go when a position does arise for your background. Above and beyond actual placements, candidates are valuable because they keep recruiters abreast of what’s happening at individual companies, and recruiters are valuable because they keep candidates abreast of the market in general. Even if this particular recruiter isn’t the one who places you, my money says that she’s a good contact to have.

No one pays a recruiter to convince them that a candidate they don’t want is really the person they do want.

2. Your Resume Isn’t Cookie-Cutter Enough. Recruiters make their money from clients, not from candidates. Companies pay often hefty fees in order to find their ideal candidate, whether or not someone from a more nontraditional background could do the job. Lots of candidates say, “I know that I don’t have the experience they’re looking for, but I have the skill sets! Make them give me a try!” That’s lovely. Really. But no one pays a recruiter to be convinced that someone they don’t want is really who they do want.

The sad but brutal truth is that companies expect recruiters to provide them with cookie-cutter resumes. If a client is specifically looking for an equity researcher who covers beverages within the consumer sector, a candidate who used to do corporate development and now specializes in the tech sector could get the job—but probably not through a recruiter. Candidates like that generally get in because they know people…

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Tags: employment, headhunters, job-hunting, jobs