Q&A: How to Get a Recruiter to Notice You & What to Do When Ghosted From a Job

You asked, they answered. In this episode of Finding Career Zen, Pete Newsome is joined once again by HR professional, Ricky Baez to answer some questions from our listeners.  

Both questions asked this week deal with recruiters, and with Pete as the president of his own staffing agency and Ricky as the HR expert, who better to answer them? Pete and Ricky share their insight on the best ways to stand out and deal with ghosting. They even discuss the secret to success with recruiters by explaining how to set the stage with them from the very beginning. 

Tune in for some great advice and send any questions to [email protected] that you want Pete and Ricky to answer on the next Q&A episode!

Connect with Pete and Ricky on LinkedIn!

Tips for how to get a recruiter to notice you

• Start developing relationships with recruiters when you don’t need a job. Engage with their posts on LinkedIn. By building these relationships, you’re always going to be in the back of their minds when a position comes up. Recruiters want to understand you’re objectives and what your desires and goals are. If you make that connection ahead of time, you will be the one they call when the time & job is right. 
• There is no better way to stand out individually than by writing a personal note. Write that recruiter a handwritten note, expressing your interest and describing what makes you different. If you’re not comfortable doing that, send a cover letter or make a phone call. It’s rare for recruiters to come across proactive and personal approaches, so do something others aren’t.

Advice for what to do if a recruiter ghosts you

• Don’t burn the bridge yet. Leave the door open and wait a few minutes longer on the meeting, and then shoot them a quick text or email. Give them the benefit of the doubt. They may have forgotten, emergencies happen.
• If you are expecting bad news, let the recruiter off the hook in order to get the closure and finality that you want and deserve. Send a quick note and ask for 30 seconds of their time to let you know what happened and not leave you in the dark. These are likely difficult conversations for them, so send a message and acknowledge the issue. 
• If things are going well, send them a message and try to connect live to get feedback. And if you want to maximize your potential, you can always escalate and go to the next person. 
• Handle the rejection well. You don’t know what the future holds, so it’s best to end this relationship on a good note.
• Avoid ghosting altogether by putting everything on the table up front. Don’t let the recruiter be caught off guard.