The first time I was discovered by a recruiter I was so confused. Who was this person contacting me and why. And also, what does it mean?
Before I started freelancing I found jobs in a more traditional way but now that I understand how recruitment agencies work I think this is such a smart way to look for work, either full time or as a freelancer.
What is a recruiter?
Here’s how recruiters work. They look for qualified individuals to fill open positions. The companies with the open positions are their clients. The better their candidates are for the companies, the happier their clients are. So you can see why it’s so important they choose the right people for these open roles.
In a traditional model, recruiters are paid by commission based on the salary of the position they fill. So they’re typically motivated by high-end jobs, where the commission will be larger.
This is great if you’re a top candidate looking to be headhunted for a six-figure role. But many of us aren’t looking for a CEO-level role, or even something permanent.
Are there recruiters that work off a different model? Of course!
One of my ongoing freelance tasks is curating the job bank for the Canadian Freelance Guild. I absolutely rely on recruitment software to help me discover freelance jobs. How do I learn about these? Often from job sites or email subscriptions I belong to. It’s a whole hodgepodge of looking through posts and vetting individual opportunities.
If you want to learn more about my process, check out my post on how to find great freelance writing jobs. There I go a bit more into depth about how I search for freelance jobs using AI software and job boards.
How to be discovered by a recruiter
If you want to appeal to a recruiter, or get listed with a recruitment agency as a freelancer or contractor, here are a few tips for making sure you stand out.
Create profiles on freelancing platforms
You don’t need to actually take work from Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, Guru or Hubstaff Talent but there are definite benefits to having updated profiles. This is where recruiters will be looking for qualified candidates and if your skills and experience match their needs, you’ll be hearing from them.
Use portfolio sites and keep your portfolio updated
When you’re a busy freelancer it is so tough to keep your portfolio updated in once spot, let alone maintaining portfolios on multiple sites. However, sites like Behance, Dribbble, Carbonmade, Stack Overflow, GitHub or Contently make it easy to be discovered by a recruiter so it’s worth thinking about.
How does this sound for a compromise? Maintain one stellar portfolio and then have optimized portfolio snippets on a few portfolio sites. Showcase your absolute best work, the work that will attract recruiters.
Want to be discovered by a recruiter? Optimize your social media profiles
Audit your social media presence and make sure you have a consistent and professional (yet fun) vibe that makes it clear the type of work you do and what you’re looking for. I’ve written out five tips for optimizing your social media profiles so if you’re stuck or not sure if you’ve nailed it make sure to check that out.
Download the free ebook, 5 Tips for Optimizing Your Social Media Profiles! Pop your email address into the form below and I’ll send you the password to my resource library.
Once you’re in the library, navigate to the social media section and download the ebook called “Social Media Optimization.”
Know your cost of doing business
When you’re prospecting and feeling the like you need work yesterday, you run the risk of taking any old role a recruiter offers. Pause and take a moment to calculate the true cost of running your business. If you know this, you’ll know what roles and rates you need to bring in. Hold out for jobs that meet your task and your salary needs and expectations. If you do, you will improve your business’s finances and leave margin to take on more. And you’ll increase your profits as well.
One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.
This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.