Candidate accessibility is one of the biggest factors of how recruiters choose who they work with. If a recruiter has 10 Business Analyst’s in their pipeline but only four of them call/email consistently, those candidates will be the first people they reach out to when a new position is released.
In order to keep yourself on recruiter’s radar, make sure you’re calling them back promptly. I dream of the candidates that pick up the phone every time you call or call back immediately once they’ve gone to a more private place to talk. If you are serious about wanting to make a move, step out at lunch time to check your email and voicemail and to return phone calls. If I know when you’re able to talk, that’s when I’ll reach out to you and we’ll both be able to better manager expectations.
In addition to answering phone calls, you have to make yourself available for interviews. The days of being hired off of your resume alone are long gone. If you submit your resume somewhere, be prepared to make arrangements for a phone and/or face to face interview. You also need to be reasonable with your requests of when you are available. Customers are not typically willing to meet with you during non-business hours so ask for something at lunch or first thing in the morning to limit time away from your current position.
With the summer months quickly approaching, you should still stay accessible while on vacation. The same rules/tips apply here. Read this article for a little more information. It hones in on the same topics but focusing it more on how to handle it while on vacation.
Working within these guidelines are sure to make your career search a much smoother process. If you are easily accessible and highly responsive, recruiters are sure to keep you at the top of their list.