7 Recruiting Secrets All Job Seekers Should Know

7 Recruiting Secrets All Job Seekers Should Know As a job seeker, if you knew all the recruiting secrets that existed before applying to a job, you would be better prepared for job interviews. Unfortunately, while working with a recruiter to get a job, they may avoid revealing these recruiting secrets.Why? The truth is often hard to swallow and usually leads to confrontation or debate. There is an abundance of secrets to getting a job, so this post focuses on those recruiting secrets that would definitely open up your eyes to what you, the job seeker, should be thinking about before working with a recruiter to get a job.1. Your References Threw You Under the BusA main recruiting secret you are never told is when that assumed “powerful reference” turns around and completely throws you under the bus. If you are working with a recruiter to get a job, and something seems to not be clicking, stop and ask the recruiter: “Did my references express any negative comments. It is ok to tell me. I can handle it. I just want to know if I should still use them.”Now, if you have to ask that question, you knew all along there was the possibility your references may not be so nice in their description of you. Recruiting secrets like this are usually never spoken because you have to be honest with yourself about who you want as a reference.2. You Undersell Yourself and Could Ask for More MoneyOne of the secrets to getting a job is knowing how to negotiate a salary. The usual trick for negotiating money is to decide on “what you will accept” and then ask for more. If you are working with a recruiter to get a job, the recruiter can never tell you when you should ask for more money. You have to know your own market value. You also have to be brave enough to discuss salaries, especially if you just want the job and fear salary negotiations will hurt your chances. I3. The Job Was Already FilledThis one of the recruiting secrets simply because we live in a litigious society, where the very act of not interviewing someone can lead to legal trouble. Many times, just to go through the effort of working with a recruiter to get a job, recruiters avoid letting you know when the interview is all for show.Oddly, this is time spent avoiding confrontation by making a job seeker believe he or she has a chance, long enough to reject you peacefully. As a job seeker, all you can do is your best to just be your best. Make recruiters see the company made a mistake. They should have hired you, first.4. They Are Holding out for Someone ElseA recruiting secret learned from a recruiter I befriended was that, as a job seeker, I was only being interviewed because the person they really wanted was making them wait. In truth, I am glad I knew this little recruiting secret (only because I went to college with the recruiter) because it taught me I should always step up my game and show companies that they will regret not hiring me.5. You Need to Ditch Your Social Media ActivityThis is a major recruiting secret because no on e wants to get caught up in a debate about free speech. The United States has been a politically hostile country for the last decade and discussions on social media slowly crept into the workplace. If your posts on social media paint a negative picture of you or even something that does not match the company culture, it can cost you work.6. I Really Want to Get You Hired Because It Makes Me Look GoodWhy would something so positive be kept a recruiting secret? After a recent interview with a recruiter/friend of mine, I was told that “getting me and my wife jobs would make the recruiter look incredible”. I wondered why I only heard that bit of news from people I know well. It is a great thing to hear!But then, I realized that saying such a thing may build up false expectations or the belief that the recruiter cares more about his/her reputation than the job seekers. This means, while working with a recruiter to get a job, he may put my resume in front of companies he likes more th an I do.7. Your First Impression Turns Everyone OffThe reality of this world is that we often trust our first impressions to be everlasting. We rarely stop and ask, “Did I make a bad impression?” Perhaps this information is never revealed out of fear of a negative reaction by the job seeker.Overall, finding out you are making a bad impression depends on someone being honest with you, or through personal discovery.These recruiting secrets would be great to know, but until all job seekers prove they will not retaliate after hearing the bad news, they will remain recruiting secrets. At the end of the day, you might just be working with a bad recruiter. Check out these signs you are working with a good recruiter.