In today’s market, job seekers are working harder than ever to find a job. There are many resources available to someone on the job hunt but one of the most obvious is to work with a staffing company or a recruiter. They have a direct line to the companies that are hiring.

But there is a way to be most effective in your relationship with a staffing agency or recruiting firm, simply referred to as “recruiter” from hereon out in this article. If you fail to follow some simple rules of thumb, you may find yourself not being given the chance you may really deserve.

Below are some helpful tips on how you can maximize a relationship with a recruiter, which could result in your finding the job of a lifetime!

1. It’s a real interview. When you interview with a staffing company, you must understand that is your first test. A recruiter will see how you present yourself, follow directions and communicate in an interview. They have no choice but to assume this is how you will handle yourself in an interview with one of their clients. If you fail to dress appropriately or follow directions regarding their process, that could be detrimental to your search. Recruiters have relationships with more hiring managers than you likely do as a job seeker. Embrace that and try to win them over. Too often, candidates don’t understand that this is a “real” interview. Some tips to follow would be to arrive early for an interview, dress exactly how you would on other interviews, bring a printed copy of your resume that is current, up-to-date and without errors, follow instructions by completing an application if asked to do so (this includes listing your past jobs separately from your resume), show a positive attitude and positive body language. If you are difficult or rigid, you may not be presented to any of the recruiter’s clients.

2. Open Communication. Always be open and honest with your recruiter. Tell them everything they need to know about you, your job search, pending interviews and offers, reasons for leaving previous jobs, etc. The more they know about you, the more they can be an advocate for you. If anything changes in your job search, tell them. They are on your side. Placing you in a job is indicative of their success. You must also follow up with your recruiter every time you are asked to do so. Failure to follow up could leave them with the impression that you either do not understand the importance of following directions or that you are not that serious about your job search. And, don’t forget, recruiters have an opportunity to put you in front of many companies, not just any one position.

3. References. Too often, job seekers don’t present valid reference information. You should always present the most current, up-to-date contact information. If you are using a contact from several years back, make sure that the information is still correct. Always offer a list of professional references along with your resume. You should include your name at the top in the event the list of references gets separated from your resume. Also, as you list your references, you should identify the business relationship with that particular person. For example, you may want to identify that the individual was a former manager at XYZ Company. When possible, please list multiple ways of contacting your references such as a business number, cell number and an email address. Include the location if outside of your state so the person checking references on the East Coast doesn’t try to call someone on their cell phone out on the West Coast at an inappropriate hour.

4. Don’t blast out resumes. There are so many candidates and so few jobs without having to send and receive irrelevant resumes. If you really want a job, be careful to only apply to those positions for which you actually qualify. Candidates are rarely given consideration when they send in resumes completely unrelated to the job they are qualified to do. Doing so causes a recruiter to spend far more time sifting through resumes to find the small percentage of resumes that actually meet the requirements of the position. Also, please consider having a professional sounding voicemail when you leave a message but also when someone tries to contact you and needs to leave you a message. Sometimes, those casual voicemails or non-professional emails you use for your job search, can cost you an opportunity.

5. Be Open to Feedback. Recruiters are often able to give you constructive feedback to enable you to understand how you can improve your resume, the way you present yourself or how you might handle difficult questions. A recruiter is often paid on commission. That means they get paid when they place you as the job seeker in a new position or assignment. If they can give you feedback that will help to make you more placeable, they are likely to be open, frank and candid with you. The benefit is a win-win for everyone. Don’t take the feedback personally. Being defensive or unwilling to listen to their feedback could indicate that you won’t be able to handle criticism on the job. The best candidates are candidates who will voluntarily ask for feedback in the interview process. They want to know how to improve their skills and are open to an expert’s opinion. Recruiters will only give you feedback based on what they’ve learned about how client’s respond or react when faced with certain interview blunders, etc.

6. Flexibility. Realize that today’s market does not give the job seeker the upper hand. It’s an employer’s market. What that means to you as a job seeker, is that competition is very steep and there are likely dozens of other qualified candidates who may be willing to take a lesser salary. It’s all about supply and demand. If there are increasing numbers of candidates available, then companies do not have to offer salaried as competitively as they may have a few years ago. We all know that in a shaky economy, companies are cutting costs and expenses just like everyone else. That means you may need to consider taking a bit less in pay than at your previous job, particularly if you consider temporary positions. Consider getting in front of prospects by accepting contract roles. You just might be surprised how you can increase your network, gain visibility and even pick up a few new skills! If you are inflexible, you may not be selected for that perfect opportunity which could cost you more in the long run.