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I feel like I need to point out that I have nothing against recruiters, and frankly they generally do a great job, particularly in times such as these.

The situation:

I was recently approached by a recruiter, conversation went well, and they suggested a role for me. They even went as far as telling me the actual company name, this was done so in confidence.

Since agreeing to have my details sent over to the company I have heard nothing back. It's been two weeks since the original conversation. I emailed 1 week after asking if there was any news, on the back of a separate application with the same recruiter. I plan to contact them again when it will be 3 weeks since the original correspondance.

My question:

If I do not hear anything back, despite several reasonable attempts to get in touch, would it be acceptable to apply directly to the company, in doing so circumvent the recruiter? If so, when?

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  • 1) Pick up the phone already. 2) Did you agree to any right of exclusive representation or similar with the recruiter? – Philip Kendall Aug 25 '20 at 12:23
  • 1) I'll do that! 2) No. He just told me to keep the company confidential. – Phizzy Aug 25 '20 at 12:34
  • Did you give the recruiter any personally identifiable information? (PII) There are scammers out there that are doing this. – Old_Lamplighter Aug 25 '20 at 13:01
  • Yes, but I am confident that this is a legitimate recruitment company. – Phizzy Aug 25 '20 at 13:05
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    @Daniel if it is even a recruiter. It could be a PII harvester. They are getting sophisticated. Some of them even have what look to be legit websites with positive reviews on the BBB website. – Old_Lamplighter Aug 25 '20 at 14:20
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If the recruiter has a contract with the company, and they already sent in your resume, and the company rejected you for an interview; then sending it in directly to the company won't help you because if the company picks you they still have to pay the recruiter.

But there is little harm if after reaching out to the recruiter again they still don't respond, then apply directly to the company. If you don't send in your resume, and the recruiter didn't send in your resume you will never get the job.

You may also discover that after a few weeks the original job posting is gone. Companies in a hurry to fill a position keep the posting open only long enough to get the resumes they need, then they close it so they can start the interview process. In that case there might be other positions you qualify for, and your new application might not still be linked to the recruiter.

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  • Great advice. Thanks. – Phizzy Aug 25 '20 at 13:06

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