A day in the life of a job seeker

One of my friend’s husbands recently went for a contract role through a recruitment agency. He attended an interview with the hopes of getting the role. He was willing to relocate to Sydney at short notice, rent an apartment and buy a new laptop in order to start a role within a few days of the offer to only to turn the role down after the interview. Why?? The recruiter he dealt didn’t with wouldn’t discuss his salary expectations prior to an interview, so when it got down to the point of accepting a new contract position everything came to a grinding halt when the salary he was offered was half of what he expected to be offered. This meant he turned down the role and left frustrated for going out of his way for a job that was clearly not paying what he needed in order to accept the position.It frustrates me as a business owner and professional recruiter that things like this are happening in my industry. I know not everyone likes dealing with recruiters in securing a role but if you work with someone in my agency TaylorCare Recruitment or other great recruitment agencies I know out there this situation should not happen.As a job seeker, some points you should ask the next time you deal with a recruiter when securing your next role should be as followsWhere is this job located? There is no point being put forward to your dream job in Perth if you only want roles in Sydney. Be clear with the recruiter what locations you are willing to work.What is the salary range on offer for this role? As you can see from my story earlier there is no point going to an interview if the range is nowhere near what you’re willing to acceptIs there any relocation assistance or salary packaging options in the role to bump up my package? Fact is some roles may not pay as high as you would like but if the extra benefits can bump up your package dramatically e.g car, phone, salary sacrifice etc then it still might be of interest.Does the company I’m going to be put forward to have a good reputation and a good team to work with? Ask the recruiter if they have placed anyone else at the organisation before? Do they know the team dynamics and why does he think you would suit this company over others on offer in the market.Working with a good recruiter can really enhance your job prospects. We network daily with hiring managers looking for staff with a similar background to you. We know industry salary ranges and which organisations are good to work for and the ones to stay clear of. We can negotiate salary packages and be the voice to your cv when submitting it to organisations.If you have an open and honest relationship with your recruiter there is no reason why you can’t have a positive experience and end up in your dream job at a salary range that you could only dream of for your next job.