When I graduated college, the dotcom boom was at its height. Although I just started a new job, I still got emails from recruiters every week.
Instead of ignoring them, I always politely replied them, and asked them to send me the job description. The timing might not be right for me, but I can always look for people in my network who might be a good fit.
I like to help people. I want to help both the recruiters and my friends who might be looking.
In a couple years I had built a small network of a dozen recruiters.
In 2000, the dotcom bubble burst. I was laid off. It was scary, frustrating and depressing.
I reached out to my recruiter friends. I got leads right away. I landed an offer in 2 weeks. I would not have been able to land on my feet so quickly without my recruiter friends’ help.
Having recruiters on my side is a safety net.
I encourage every client to build a network of recruiters. Cultivate the relationship by helping the recruiters first.
The more you give, the more you will receive.