Working with an executive recruiter requires maintaining two views: short- and long-term. The short-term perspective sees the recruiter as an immediate source of jobs to facilitate the search. In contrast, the long-term perspective leverages the recruiter as a partner throughout one’s career.

Sure, it’s a natural inclination when actively seeking employment to focus short-term for immediate gains. However, recruiters are not placement agencies that seek out opportunities for you—they seek you as the right fit for their client’s job opening. Embracing both a short- and a long-term view of the recruiter’s role in your career is a good strategy.

Here are some tips for proactively establishing relationships with recruiters for now and well into the future:

• Target firms that recruit professionals in your specialty. Recruiters want candidates who meet the specific criteria of their client. “The best way to get in a recruiter’s good graces is to have people know who you are, to market yourself through your industry,” says Tom Goodwin, president of Goodwin & Co., a Washington, DC-based retained-search firm.
• Ensure the recruiter knows what you’re looking for. Contingency recruiters—those who are paid upon placing a candidate—typically maintain an extensive database of candidates. There are two steps necessary to make your profile most useful to the recruiter: include keywords in your resume and specify the roles for which you want to be considered.
• Provide regular updates. “Anybody who has established a relationship with a recruiter ought to nurture it,” says Goodwin. Notify the recruiter when you receive a promotion, change jobs, relocate, or gain significant experience that would open doors to positions the recruiter may be trying to fill. However, keep contact professional and limited to the essentials. “Don’t go overboard and try to be their best friend,” advises Goodwin. “Keep them apprised, and if a recruiter calls and asks for advice on something, be willing to give it.”
• Have patience. In the short-term, once you make an initial contact with a recruiter— providing a scannable resume with keywords— you’ve done all you can do until the recruiter contacts you. Send your resume and call once to ensure it was received, but then leave it to the recruiter to make contact.
• Understand the recruiter’s business. A recruiter gets paid by an employer and exists to meet the employer’s hiring needs. As you forge a longer-term relationship with a recruiter and update him or her on your new capabilities, understand that the recruiter will add your qualifications to your profile, but may not contact you unless a potential fit exists.
• Have a few choices. Partnering with a few recruiters increases your odds of success—you won’t put all your effort into a relationship with one recruiter or spread yourself too thin with too many. Darrell W. Gurney, author of Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters advocates establishing and maintaining two or three ongoing relationships with recruiters.

Taking a long view definitely helps executive job seekers be connected with recruiters throughout their careers, says Gurney. “Think of a recruiter as a broker who can keep their eyes on things in the job market while you’re working.”