Communicate..  One of the most important things you can do to improve the experience you have when working with a recruiter is to communicate regularly. This could mean simply returning phone calls or emails that the recruiter sends your way. Scheduling a time with them to chat works well, as well as, utilizing email for quick questions or scheduling issues aids in coordinating things. By showing an interest in the jobs a recruiter has available and communicating quickly and efficiently with them is the best way to show your interest in a particular position.

Know Your Core Skills.. Make sure you are able to portray your skills to the recruiter. For example, if you are more experienced in commercial construction and less with residential, this is something you will want your recruiter to know. Taking a look at your specific skill set and discussing this with the recruiter you are working with will aid greatly in them finding the best position to fit your needs. Building a specific set of skills will help them discover jobs that will most fit your experiences. This will help give you a better opportunity of being selected for your job of choice.

Honesty.. Finally, always be honest with the recruiter. Most experienced recruiters have seen everything and can navigate the screening and interview process effectively for you, if they know your career history, salary expectations, etc. For example, if a recruiter has a particular engineering job open, but you may have a negative perspective of the hiring company, be honest about the situation at let the recruiter and let them know. If you have had issues with your last employer or gaps in your employment history take the time to discuss these issues and how that helped shape your career (positives and negatives). A recruiter is very skilled and can find you that perfect position for you, but this requires a straight forward approach on your part.

These are a few of the things that can help make your relationship with your recruiter strong and effective. Make sure you keep them in mind when you are going through the job hunt process.

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his Blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com