Working with Recruiters

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Recruiters come in all shapes and sizes. To simplify things, I’m going to focus on in-house and recruiting agency recruiters. This model is not unlike that for designers. In-house recruiters have a deep understanding of the company and are sometimes embedded on the teams they’re hiring for (design or engineering, for example). Agency recruiters work with multiple companies and bring the advantage of breadth—potentially placing you in a company that’s a great fit for your (and their) needs.

In-House Recruiters

In-house recruiters are usually your first point of contact when it comes to getting the lowdown on the company, the team, and the job itself. A good recruiter will do their best to answer your questions and make sure you’re left with a good impression (even if you might not be the right fit just now). Use them as a resource to understand the role.

​important​ Recruiters can be your best ally. Treat them well. Focus on high-quality recruiters—equip them to succeed and they’ll in turn help you.

Even if the role or you aren’t a good fit, it’s not a bad idea to still connect and stay in touch periodically. Sometimes things change internally and a position that was open is no longer there. But this doesn’t mean that another opportunity might not come up soon after.

Agency Recruiters

With an agency recruiter, you can potentially have a lot more flexibility since they work with multiple companies. You may also develop a strong relationship with them over time. The best agency recruiters also act as mediators. They work above and beyond to not just find a good match but to give feedback to the company and you (the candidate) on what each of you thought about the other.

For example, when I was working with a recruiting agency in the past, they would usually brief me on a role and the client first to gauge my interest. If I was interested, they would then set me up with a phone call or an in-person interview. After each interview, we debriefed to understand what the client was thinking. Not every recruiter might have this process in place, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

At the end of the day, agency recruiters are usually compensated based on commission. This could be a good thing and a bad thing. It can be good in the sense that they’re also motivated to get you a high salary (since they’ll get a percentage cut). However, it may be bad if the recruiter gets sales-y and tries to push you toward a role that you might not be interested in at all.

Of course, not all jobs that will come your way will be a great fit with your goals. In those situations, it helps to step back and see if the opportunity resonates with you based on the future mapping exercise that you’ve done earlier. If you have a good relationship with your recruiter, they will try to get you a good match; but bear in mind, some opportunities will take time to surface.

Bad Recruiters?

Sometimes recruiters get a bad rap for reaching out to designers with UX engineering roles. It’s a tough job, and many entry-level recruiters start off by spamming everyone with semi-relevant job titles. Don’t worry about those but focus on the ones that have their stuff together. Recruiters who have taken the time to understand the design industry are worth their weight in gold in connecting you to the right opportunity, so use them wisely.