If you have ever given your CV to a recruiter and then found it turning up at companies you did not know about, with people you had never spoken to, you will understand exactly what this is about. It is more common than it should be, and the impact on your career in a small, relationship-driven market like construction and infrastructure in New Zealand is more significant than most candidates realise.
Some recruiters operate on volume. You have one conversation about one role, and within days your CV has been distributed across a dozen companies. You may not even know who has seen it. The immediate problem is obvious, you have lost control of your own information, but the longer-term issue is what it does to your positioning. If multiple businesses have already seen your CV through a third party, and you later approach any of them directly or through a different firm, it creates complications and can compromise your negotiating position. It can also signal to employers that you are broadly available rather than selectively in the market, which changes how you are perceived before you have even had a conversation.
The right recruiter relationship is a genuine partnership. That means full transparency about which roles your CV will be submitted to before it goes anywhere, a selective and considered approach rather than blanket distribution, clear communication at every stage about timelines, feedback, and what happens next, and a real understanding of what you are looking for, including what you are not. You should know exactly where your CV is at all times, and if that information is not forthcoming, that tells you something important about the relationship.
Candidates in this market are cautious, and that is understandable, but caution should not turn into passivity. Part of protecting your long-term interests is being deliberate about who represents you and how they operate. Ask the questions upfront: where will my CV go, who will you be speaking to, what does the process look like? A recruiter who cannot answer those questions clearly, or who sidesteps them, is not working in your interest. Work with people who genuinely know your sector, who have real relationships with the right businesses, and who will give you an honest read of the market rather than just telling you what you want to hear.
Every interaction you have in this sector, through a recruiter, directly with clients, or online contributes to how you are known in the market. Construction and infrastructure in New Zealand is a small world, and people have long memories, in both directions. Being selective about who represents you and how you show up professionally protects your reputation over time and tends to lead to better outcomes, because you are working with people who are genuinely invested in finding you the right fit rather than simply closing a placement.
At Assemble, we operate on a partnership model. We will always tell you exactly where your CV is going and why, and we will not submit it anywhere without your knowledge and sign-off. If that is the kind of relationship you are looking for, we are happy to have a conversation.