What I Didn’t Know About Recruitment Agencies — Until I Worked in One

When I first started job hunting, I had very clear expectations about recruitment agencies. I thought recruiters were there to help me find the right role. To guide me. To advocate for me. To follow up.

Reality? A complete plot twist.

After working inside a recruitment agency, I realized how the system actually works, and why so many job seekers feel confused, ignored, or ghosted.

Here are the biggest myths I had to unlearn.

Myth #1: Recruiters help job seekers find the right role

The truth: Recruiters help companies hire the right person.

The company is the client. The candidate is the product.

This doesn’t make recruiters bad, it’s just how the business model works. Recruiters are paid by employers, not by job seekers, so their priority is filling roles efficiently and profitably. If you’re not a strong match for a current role, there’s often no incentive to continue the conversation.

Myth #2: Recruiters will talk to anyone who’s actively looking

The truth: Recruiters focus on niche or senior profiles they can place quickly.

Most agencies work under time pressure and commission structures. That means they prioritize candidates who:

• closely match an open role

• are in high-demand niches

• are easy to place fast

If there’s no immediate match, silence usually isn’t personal, it’s commercial.

Myth #3: If I spoke to an agency, I’ll definitely hear back

The truth: You’ll hear back only if the agency is confident they can place you and get paid.

If the recruiter doesn’t have:

• a strong relationship with the hiring company, or

• confidence you’ll move forward in the process

…you may never get an update.

This is one of the most frustrating parts of working with agencies but it’s also predictable once you understand the incentives.

What this really means for your job search

This isn’t recruiter-bashing. It’s expectation-setting.

Recruitment agencies can be a useful part of your job search but they shouldn’t be your entire strategy.

Relying only on agencies often leads to:

• waiting instead of acting

• confusion about next steps

• loss of confidence when you’re ghosted

A strong job search strategy puts you back in control, instead of depending on whether an agency decides to respond.

Final thought

Recruiters are not career coaches. They’re not your job search manager. And they’re not paid to guide you.

Once you understand this, your job search becomes calmer, more strategic, and far less personal.