It might not come as much of a surprise that at Rutherford Cross we advocate for taking the time to build a strong relationship with your recruitment consultant, but the reality is, the majority of senior finance roles are outsourced to professional recruiters and establishing a good relationship early is hugely beneficial. In doing so, you will gain a confidant and a trusted advisor who can not only provide valuable information on current market trends but, advise and direct you through those all-important career changing decisions.
Below we have outlined a few ‘top tips’ to help the newly qualified community build a relationship with your recruiter
Tip 1 – Time to impress
Come prepared! Before meeting a recruiter note down reasons why you are beginning your search – what is motivating you to want to make a change, and what is missing from your current role. In turn, we come prepared to discuss the market and assist you with representing yourself in the best possible way. To do that effectively it is important to be prepared with the below:
- Comprehensive CV
- Key achievements in each of your roles
- Ability to discuss through motivations/decision making
- Thoughts on aspirations/what your next move will look like
- Description of the sectors/cultures and types of organisations you aspire to work with
- Timescales on how quickly you want to make the move
- Questions for us!
Tip 2 – Transparency
This may seem simple however, being completely upfront about what you want throughout the process is essential to ensuring a successful relationship and that the correct role is sourced for you. Building a relationship based on trust will allow your recruiter to represent you in the best possible way and match you with the right role and organisation first time round.
Tip 3 – Communication / Action Plan
Communication is key in everything we do. Agree an action plan with your recruiter and stick to timeframes. Advising on any changes or developments during the process is crucial, as sometimes, something that seems quite insignificant can have an impact futher down the line.
Tip 3 – Build a lasting relationship
You want to make sure you are the first to hear about the latest opportunities in the market! A strong relationship with a trusted recruiter will likely continue through both of your careers and can be invaluable at times when faced with career changing decisions. Taking time to attend industry networking events can help strengthen your relationship with your recruiter and keep you informed in the market.
Tip 4 – Welcoming feedback
You can’t win them all. The best candidates embrace constructive feedback and by doing so become more self-aware of their strengths and development points. This will enable you to improve for next time and give you confidence to highlight the areas in which you naturally excel. Feedback is always helpful – listen, seek clarity, quantify opinion and don’t shoot the messenger.
To find out more about roles for newly qualified accountants, contact [email protected]
An earlier version of this article originally appeared on icas.com
