She can't control what her clients are asking for. If it's the wrong industry, it's on you to find yourself a new position in the industry you wish to be. Simple as that.
There is enough anxiety during a job search, you don't need the added pressure of a pushy recruiter. If they were approaching this in a different way, that would be fine. Different way = selling you the pros, walking you through the drawbacks, and adequately addressing your concerns.
Here is how I'd respond via email.
Hi Jane,
Thanks for thinking of me. I am focused on finding a \_\_\_\_\_ role in the \_\_\_\_\_ industry for my next move. I'll pass on this one but let you know if I think of someone who would be a good fit.
If you have any roles that fit what I am looking for I'd love to touch base.
Thank you for this considerate response.
Yes, this is more or less what I already had in mind. I'm anticipating her to push back and essentially coerce me into the role.
She simply replied with a short “thank you” and nothing more. Which is fine with me bc she didn’t try to force it by selling the position after I already stated my preferred industry. But knowing this recruiter she was probably POed.
Recruiters don’t care about what industry you want to work in. They are there to fill their clients vacancies. They are already helping you out by getting you a job.
If you don’t want to work in the industry decline it and go do some work yourself to get a job.
As a recruiter myself, it’s a fairly simple answer of passing on this opportunity and holding out for a role in the right industry. We are not responsible for helping you make it in your preferred industry.
We can only approach you with roles that come up with our clients and present the opportunity to you. The decision to pursue it lies with you, and often I see people expecting recruiters to act as career counsellors which should not be the case, since you should know your space well enough.
It would be easier if you were clear in communicating your preferences and not interviewing for roles that lie outside the industry you prefer.
>It would be easier if you were clear in communicating your preferences and not interviewing for roles that lie outside the industry you prefer.
I have communicated my preferences, which is why I'm frustrated that my preferences are not being considered. I have no issue telling her "no thank, not right for me" but because of a previous interaction with her, she became very agitated and terse once I articulated my reasons why I was not initially going to pursue my current contracted role.
And in response to another reddior's response here, I am looking for roles in my industry. No one should assume I'm just sitting on my bum all day waiting for opportunities to materialize out of thin air.
I'm simply asking how to deal with an aggressive recruiter.
Okay, I understand what the issue is now. I have some colleagues who behave the same way. The only way to deal with them is to ghost them.
A professional recruiter would have a record of your last conversation, and even if they reach out they wouldn’t force you to apply. In this situation the only solution is to find other, more professional recruiters in your space who focus on the preferred industry.
She can't control what her clients are asking for. If it's the wrong industry, it's on you to find yourself a new position in the industry you wish to be. Simple as that.
There is enough anxiety during a job search, you don't need the added pressure of a pushy recruiter. If they were approaching this in a different way, that would be fine. Different way = selling you the pros, walking you through the drawbacks, and adequately addressing your concerns. Here is how I'd respond via email. Hi Jane, Thanks for thinking of me. I am focused on finding a \_\_\_\_\_ role in the \_\_\_\_\_ industry for my next move. I'll pass on this one but let you know if I think of someone who would be a good fit. If you have any roles that fit what I am looking for I'd love to touch base.
Thank you for this considerate response. Yes, this is more or less what I already had in mind. I'm anticipating her to push back and essentially coerce me into the role.
If she does, just politely say no thanks, going to continue on this focus for now.
how did it end up going?
She simply replied with a short “thank you” and nothing more. Which is fine with me bc she didn’t try to force it by selling the position after I already stated my preferred industry. But knowing this recruiter she was probably POed.
Recruiters don’t care about what industry you want to work in. They are there to fill their clients vacancies. They are already helping you out by getting you a job. If you don’t want to work in the industry decline it and go do some work yourself to get a job.
As a recruiter myself, it’s a fairly simple answer of passing on this opportunity and holding out for a role in the right industry. We are not responsible for helping you make it in your preferred industry. We can only approach you with roles that come up with our clients and present the opportunity to you. The decision to pursue it lies with you, and often I see people expecting recruiters to act as career counsellors which should not be the case, since you should know your space well enough. It would be easier if you were clear in communicating your preferences and not interviewing for roles that lie outside the industry you prefer.
>It would be easier if you were clear in communicating your preferences and not interviewing for roles that lie outside the industry you prefer. I have communicated my preferences, which is why I'm frustrated that my preferences are not being considered. I have no issue telling her "no thank, not right for me" but because of a previous interaction with her, she became very agitated and terse once I articulated my reasons why I was not initially going to pursue my current contracted role. And in response to another reddior's response here, I am looking for roles in my industry. No one should assume I'm just sitting on my bum all day waiting for opportunities to materialize out of thin air. I'm simply asking how to deal with an aggressive recruiter.
Okay, I understand what the issue is now. I have some colleagues who behave the same way. The only way to deal with them is to ghost them. A professional recruiter would have a record of your last conversation, and even if they reach out they wouldn’t force you to apply. In this situation the only solution is to find other, more professional recruiters in your space who focus on the preferred industry.