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I recently was put in touch with a recruiter who had done a great job for a friend of mine. Of course, just before that, I basically did a mass-mailing to firms in my target area - probably around 40 or so. Most of my emails were not in reference to a specific job but just expressed an interest to work for their firm along with a copy of cover letter and resume. Now that I am working with a recruiter I really wish I hadn't done that and am not sure if I should tell the recruiter, try and withdrawal my emails, or just see what happens, for lack of a better phrase. Many of the firms have gotten back to me encouraging me to review open positions on their websites so my biggest concerns are those that I have yet to hear from.

I'm not sure if it's a firm-by-firm rule or some kind of NALP-esque rule, but a recruiter cannot submit your resume to a firm for a period of six months after the date the firm had previously received your resume.

SmokeytheBear wrote:I'm not sure if it's a firm-by-firm rule or some kind of NALP-esque rule, but a recruiter cannot submit your resume to a firm for a period of six months after the date the firm had previously received your resume.

I heard this from a trusted recruiter also, and have made a similar but lower-scale version of OPs mistake in the past.

Hey Op here. Thanks for the helpful info! Is it possible to withdraw an application to allow the recruiter to re-apply?

Anonymous User wrote:Hey Op here. Thanks for the helpful info! Is it possible to withdraw an application to allow the recruiter to re-apply?

Even if it was possible, I don't know that it would be the smart thing to do. Generally, from my experience at least, recruiters are helpful for knowing about openings with firms that aren't publicized/advertised, but usually you're best going on your own, so that the firm doesn't have to pay a recruiter fee. I don't think there's too much a recruiter can do to really boost your application, and usually your resume/experience speaks for itself.

Hopefullitassociate wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Hey Op here. Thanks for the helpful info! Is it possible to withdraw an application to allow the recruiter to re-apply?

Even if it was possible, I don't know that it would be the smart thing to do. Generally, from my experience at least, recruiters are helpful for knowing about openings with firms that aren't publicized/advertised, but usually you're best going on your own, so that the firm doesn't have to pay a recruiter fee. I don't think there's too much a recruiter can do to really boost your application, and usually your resume/experience speaks for itself.

Respectfully disagree. There are good recruiters out there who have taken the time and effort to cultivate good relationships with the internal recruiter at firms. If you find/work with one of those recruiters, they can much better place your resume with a firm than just submitting it through an online resume drop on your own.

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts on this. I think the recruiter I've chosen seems really dialed into my strengths/weaknesses and where he sees me as a good fit. But at the same time, I definitely understand the drawbacks that using a recruiter can bring. I did send out an email to a few firms that had yet to contact me after I emailed them last week and respectfully withdrew my inquiry into openings. Whether or not that was the smart move remains to be seen, but at least all of the emails that I had sent were more general inquiries with my resume attached as opposed to applications to positions posted on their websites. I hope it all works out. More advice is appreciated and I will keep everyone posted.

SmokeytheBear wrote:

Hopefullitassociate wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Hey Op here. Thanks for the helpful info! Is it possible to withdraw an application to allow the recruiter to re-apply?

Even if it was possible, I don't know that it would be the smart thing to do. Generally, from my experience at least, recruiters are helpful for knowing about openings with firms that aren't publicized/advertised, but usually you're best going on your own, so that the firm doesn't have to pay a recruiter fee. I don't think there's too much a recruiter can do to really boost your application, and usually your resume/experience speaks for itself.

Respectfully disagree. There are good recruiters out there who have taken the time and effort to cultivate good relationships with the internal recruiter at firms. If you find/work with one of those recruiters, they can much better place your resume with a firm than just submitting it through an online resume drop on your own.

I agree with Smokey here. Good recruiters are helpful for both knowing about openings that aren't publicized/advertised and also for the relationships they have developed with certain firms over time. I think there are some firms that rely on certain recruiters for their lateral hiring. At least I vaguely remember reading about that.

As far as OP's question, I really have no idea, but I do know all the recruiters I've worked with in the past (both good and bad) have asked me for where I've already applied in the past X months (it may very well have been 6) because they couldn't submit my resume if I already had.

I don't think having a recruiter submit on your behalf vs you applying directly matters that much. If anything, it's better to have applied yourself, because the firm doesn't have to pay the recruiter and that plays into the hiring factor. Seriously though, recruiters are there just so you can avoid the time and energy spent applying yourself. These people don't have some kind of leg up on hiring and firms don't give a fuck about them. Relax.

Some folks here have already mentioned the difference between good recruiters and otherwise. I'll just say be careful who you use. I had a good friend who did well with a recruiter because she wasn't a hard sell, but our classmate who took her recommendation did not do well with the same recruiter. Sometimes you're better off being your own advocate.