Thank you! I love that. Why would I say that? I have gotten jobs because a recruiter has gone to bat for me and argued for my qualifications.
Now of course arguing isn’t always fun with recruiters. Every now and then I will get a recruiter who will argue with my decision. When a recruiter offers a position and I say I am not interested, it means I am not interested. Some recruiters, they think that telling the rate is flexible, or other things are flexible will change my mind. I only apply for jobs that I know I can do.
When are other times that recruiters argue helpfully? When it comes to salary. At times you have to have a boundary that you won’t cross. I don’t go backward on salary. It just doesn’t make sense. There are too many jobs that I can do that don’t look for the cheapest worker. I once was told that your salary has to do with your self-esteem. I have plenty of self-esteem.
Every helpful quality can also be unhelpful. For most of the recruiters, it has been a pleasure dealing with them, and some are exceptional. Perhaps another time when arguing doesn’t help a recruiter/candidate has to do with leaving a position. There are times when you have to leave a position because you have a better offer or a toxic work environment. Those conversations are uncomfortable but necessary because of course your own well-being comes first. A company puts its well-being first, why not you?
A positive consequence of recruiters who argue is that they see value in you and they are looking for a way to get a win/win for both parties. Apathetic recruiters are the worst. Maybe you are the best candidate for the job, but they would rather do what is easy and not challenge their client if you don’t fit the traditional ask. They end up with someone and then months later you see the job listing again. When a job keeps getting posted, you know two things. Either the management sucks or the recruiter. Reality is hard for some companies to accept.