Recruiter Question

I was reached out to by a reputable (I feel pretty confident in this) recruiter for a position that would be a substantial pay increase from my current position.

The position isn’t that much different than what I do now and the truthful reason why I would take it is simply the pay increase. Obviously I don’t communicate this fact to the potential employer if it gets that far, but do I ‘dress up’ why I’m leaving to the recruiter as well or should I be more straightforward?

I don’t have much experience with recruiters but I hear only great things… (sarcasm)

Given that the recruiter is going to talk to the other party on your behalf, you should put some words in his or her mouth, meaning that you should mention long term progression opportunities or other things that you would say to the actual interviewer. At the very least, it will show that you have your presentation together and that the recruiter is less likely to embarrass themself by presenting you as a candidate.

Thanks Ohai, I think that is a fair point and makes sense.

What about discussions regarding current salary? Should I try not to discuss with the recruiter?

I guess my questions is, is it in the recruiters best interest to get the right candidate for as cheap as possible (i.e., their client says we have x allocated for this person, we will give you a bonus of 50% of the difference between our x allocation and what we end up paying) or is it to get me as much as possible because they make a percentage of starting salary?

It is impossible to say. The recruiter will probably get compensated based on the salary of the successful applicant. However, if you request too much, you might not look as attractive to the employer relative to other candidates. Compensation tends to be pretty standard across the industry. So, for instance, when I say I need 15% or so over my current pay to change, that usually puts me out of the running. You should probably just be honest about what price you would need in order to change jobs.

The pay increase can come at a cost of a short-term involvement. Noone will never tell you that of course and the recruiter might not even know.

I would leave out any discussion about the money until you meet the company. Recruiters are not to be trusted IMO.