By Maria Jose Gomez, Search Director, Hawthorne Lane
At some point or another, everyone finds themselves on the job market. Whether you’re fresh out of school, ready for a new challenge, making a career pivot, or experiencing an unfortunate reduction in force, there are many ways to find your next opportunity.Working with the right recruiter can make your job search more straightforward, strategic, and competitive, and provide you with a support system to help navigate every step of the way.
Partnering with a recruiter rather than applying to jobs directly is different in a few ways, and it’s important to understand these differences so you can benefit from day one. The first sign you’ll be meeting with a recruiting agency is that the job listed is with the recruiting firm and not the employer. Like any job interview it’s important to come prepared.We look for candidates who are well prepared for an interview (dress code and all) and who have thought in advance about key talking points surrounding their work experience, career plans, and logistics. Treating this first encounter like a “real interview” makes an important first impression and showcases your technical skills, communication skills, and overall approach to interviewing.
Transparency is the first pillar in establishing a great relationship with your recruiter. Sharing information upfront allows your recruiter to advocate for your interests and help you make the right decisions. If you’ve found a great recruiter, you’ll quickly feel that this transparency goes both ways. Being open with each other from the start is ultimately how we help get you where you want to be.
Topics such as gaps in employment, layoffs, unique work environments, or personal commitments that have shaped your career path are things candidates often want to navigate carefully in front of an employer, and these areas are exactly where your recruiter can help. Coming to the table open and ready to share more about these experiences allows us to build a strategy around how to frame your circumstances.
Once we’ve mapped out the strategy together, the action begins. Most candidates don’t realize just how competitive and fast-moving interview processes through a recruiting firm can be, another key difference from applying directly. Responsiveness and a sense of urgency are two of the most highly valued qualities a recruiter looks for in a candidate, and it goes both ways. You should expect the same from a top-notch recruiter.
When we come to you with a role or request your availability for an interview, urgency matters. No one enjoys a slow interview process. We’re here to support that momentum, but we need your help too. If you want to be put forward for great opportunities, be responsive.
As you make your way through one, or several, interview processes, you’ll find that a good recruiter wants to talk to you a lot. We know that’s a big ask. You’re already investing time in interviewing, and it can get tiring. But staying in touch throughout the process, not just over email, but through live conversations is where we really shine. Think about it: you have a personal advisor available as a sounding board throughout your entire job search. What’s not to love?
We want to know everything because we want to help. By gauging your level of interest, concerns, and hesitations, we can gather important information from the employer that ultimately helps you make the right decision. You’re in the driver’s seat, this is your job search, but we bring knowledge and perspective that others in your network may not have, and that’s where trust and transparency become the foundation of everything.
Our hope is with consistent honest communication we will lead you to the most exciting part of your journey: a job offer! It is one of the most complex stages of the process, and not just because compensation is involved. You could be navigating multiple interview processes at different stages, competing offers, a counteroffer from your current employer, or unexpected terms, scenarios we encounter and help mediate every day.
This is the moment when having built a great relationship with your recruiter pays off because those initial expectations were established from the start on both sides of the table. Those regular check-ins have helped both of us recalibrate along the way, so you’re actively participating in shaping the outcome.
Recruiters are hired by companies to identify exceptional talent, but the best recruiting partnerships go far beyond filling open positions. For that partnership to be successful, we encourage candidates to be open and honest with their recruiter. Whether it’s your salary expectations, concerns about a role, competing opportunities, or long-term career goals, sharing that information allows us to represent you more
effectively and advocate for what’s in your best interest. The more we understand what matters to you, the better equipped we are to help you make informed decisions and find the right long-term fit.
Maria Jose Gomez is a Search Director at Hawthorne Lane. With nearly a decade of full-cycle recruiting experience in the DMV market, Maria specializes in direct-hire placement across all sectors of corporate services. She takes an intentional, consultative approach to every search, partnering closely with both candidates and clients to create matches that are built to last.
