jobs.dcrecruiters.org

As a metaphor for this post I'm using the hit Discovery Chanel show “Deadliest Catch”.  On the show whenever a pot comes in, the critters are all given a quick test to determine whether they qualify as “keepers” or if they should be thrown back into the sea. This process all happens with lightning speed, with dozens of crabs being sorted in a matter of minutes.
 
Let's consider why this process goes down so quickly. It's because the fishing season is of limited duration and there are plenty of other ships competing over a limited resource. Put another way, time is limited and therefore “time is money”.
 
Our philosophy here at DC Recruiters is that when job hunters and recruiters interact there is quite a bit of potential for both parties to gain. Recruiters of course, have to meet new people in order to find prospects to potentially fill job openings. Job seekers can use each interaction with a recruiter or hiring manager as an opportunity gather new information.

 
In talking to a recruiter you may gain tips for improving your resume or a suggested strategy on how to frame a past work experience in the best possible light.  These of course are just examples of the kind of benefits a candidate might get from such a meeting.
 
Please keep in mind that it's not that the recruiters are obligated to offer their help, rather that such benefits often arise as a natural side effect of the interaction between the two parties seeking mutual benefit. For job seekers to get the most possible benefit out of such interactions it helps to think in the recruiters terms.
 
So now we come back to our analogy. Please do not get me wrong, I don't think of job seekers as “crabs”, nor do I think of human beings as “throw backs”. But if we allow ourselves to think in these terms for a moment, it helps us to understand the dynamic at work.
 
Since at any point in time, there are a limited number of job openings as well as limited number of qualified candidates floating around, a job recruiter seeking to maximize profits has to sort the keepers from the throwbacks as quickly as possible and then move on to new leads.
 
The takeaway for job seekers is to approach each such meeting with a reasonable amount of effort. Come with a resume that already looks professional and is decently organized, be well dressed and early for your meeting. My point here is not to reiterate all of the most basic job hunting advice, but rather to point out that you will  most likely get out of the process what you put into it.
 
If you put a good effort into such meetings, chances are better that you will be viewed as a keeper, and even if you don't land a job on your first meeting, each meeting will bring the chance to collect new information. This is an iterative process with each step bringing nuggets of knowledge which you will hopefully be able to spin into gold latter down the line.