Question 1

What is the difference between a recruiter, a headhunter and an agency?

Accepted Answer

The critical question with all of them is **who pays them**, because that determines whose interests they serve — and in almost every case, it is not you.

**Internal (in-house) recruiter.** Employed by the hiring company. They work for that employer, fill its roles, and are measured on time-to-hire and quality. They are usually the most transparent about the role, because they know it well and have no incentive to place you somewhere unsuitable — a bad hire is their problem too.

**Recruitment agency (contingency).** Paid a fee by the employer **only if a candidate is placed**, typically a percentage of first-year salary. This is the most common model and it shapes behaviour:

They work at **volume**, since most submissions do not convert.

They compete with other agencies for the same role, which creates pressure to submit fast.

They have **no incentive to discourage you** from a role that suits you poorly.

They may submit your CV to employers **without asking**, which can block a direct application. Always require explicit permission before your details go anywhere.

**Executive search (headhunter, retained).** Paid an agreed fee **regardless of outcome**, usually in instalments, for senior or specialised roles. Because payment is not contingent, they can afford to spend months on a thorough search, approach people not looking for work, and advise the client that nobody suitable exists.

Headhunters typically approach you rather than the reverse, and being on their radar is a long-term relationship rather than a transaction.

**What good agency recruiters genuinely offer:** access to roles not advertised, knowledge of what an employer will actually pay, feedback that employers will not give directly, and salary negotiation on your behalf — since their fee rises with your salary, this interest is genuinely aligned.

**Practical guidance:** ask who the client is and whether they hold the role directly; never let a CV be sent without consent; and be wary of roles that seem to exist mainly to collect CVs.

Question 2

Why don't job adverts list the salary?

Accepted Answer

Because withholding it has historically favoured the employer in negotiation, and until recently almost nothing compelled them to publish it. The reasons employers give: Flexibility. They want to pay

Question 3

What is the difference between a contractor, a consultant and a temp?

Accepted Answer

The terms are used loosely and overlap, but they describe genuinely different relationships — in who you work for, what you are selling, and how you are paid and taxed. Temporary worker (temp).

Question 4

What is an applicant tracking system and how do I get past it?

Accepted Answer

An applicant tracking system is software employers use to receive, store and search applications. Understanding what it actually does matters, because the folklore around it is worse than the

Question 5

What does pre-employment screening actually check?

Accepted Answer

Considerably less than candidates fear and more than they expect, with the scope depending heavily on the sector and the seniority of the role rather than on a single standard process. What is almost

Question 6

How do you write a useful job advert?

Accepted Answer

By describing the job and the conditions honestly, and by removing the barriers that quietly exclude good candidates — most job adverts fail at both, which is why they attract the wrong applicants

Question 7

What is the difference between a job description and a person specification?

Accepted Answer

The job description describes the role; the person specification describes the person who could do it. They answer different questions, and reading them as one document is why applications miss the

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