How Unemployed Job Seekers Can Gain Traction With Recruiters (Recuiters Voice)

We’ve all heard that it’s easier to get a job when you already have one, but for those who find themselves out of work this can be a tough pill to swallow. Are employed candidates more desirable to recruiters and the companies who employ them than unemployed ones? If so, how can out-of-work job seekers raise their appeal? To determine if this is true, the CDI Education Committee posed the following questions to a handful of recruiters from various industries:

In the past we have heard that recruiters prefer not to present their clients with out of work candidates and would rather cherry pick employed professionals from their current roles.

Is this something that job seekers need to keep in mind when considering contacting recruiters, or is it just a myth?

Also, if this is fact, do you have any suggestions for how out-of-work professionals can raise their appeal on LinkedIn?

We heard from four recruiting professionals on:

Importance of following up with recruiters.
Easiest types of positions to target with recruiters for unemployed candidates.
Tips to maximizing LinkedIn as part of the job search.
Top unemployment reasons that don’t turn off recruiters.
How to help recruiters understand the gap in employment.
Necessity to keep good records, get references, and maintain copies of annual performance reviews.
What to do when a job ended because it wasn’t a right-fit and there are hurt feelings.
Where and how to notify recruiters of the reason for unemployment.
Plus a link to CDI best practice tip sheet on handling gaps in the resume.

Special thanks to recruiters:

Christian Kaijser | Managing Director at Career Evolutions

Ron Beck | Director of Healthcare Leadership & IT Recruitment at Carecor Health Services Ltd.

Heather Bellingham | Talent Acquisition Lead at Bonfire

Claire Petrie | Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Unifrax