> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.staffer.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# When a recruiter contacts you

> Why a company might reach out to you first, what the link in their message can do, and how long it lasts.

Sometimes a company finds you before you apply anywhere. A recruiter can add you to their hiring process and message you directly, without you having applied or created an account first. Their message is how you find out.

## Why this happens

A recruiter working on a job searched for people who might fit it and found your profile on Staffer. They can add you to their process and reach out before you've done anything on your side. See [What Staffer is](/candidates/what-staffer-is) for where that profile comes from.

## The message and the link

A person at the company writes and sends the message. Staffer doesn't send a separate "you've been added" email. The message includes a private link to your application.

## What you can do from the link, no account needed

Open the link and you'll find your application laid out in tabs: **Job**, **Resume**, **Process**, **Messages** and **Privacy**. From there, with no account or sign-in, you can:

* See the role and where you stand in the company's process
* Complete any step that's waiting on you, like a questionnaire or an AI interview
* Read and reply to the recruiter, in the **Messages** tab
* Give or change your consent, or withdraw your application, in the **Privacy** tab
* Ask an AI assistant on the page about the company, the role, or where things stand

The assistant only turns on once the recruiter moves you into their process. Until then, the page tells you it's on its way.

## How long the link works

* Each time you open the link, it works for another 30 days.
* It stops working 90 days after the recruiter first sent it, however often you use it.
* Once your application reaches a final decision, the link works for 30 more days.

In the link's last week, a banner on the page warns you.

## Getting a new one

If your link stops working, or a recruiter tells you it's been revoked, ask them for a new one. Only they can send a fresh link, and it picks up exactly where you left off.

## Seeing everything in one place

The link only ever shows this one application. If you sign in to Staffer separately, this application might not appear in your list right away: one a recruiter started for you only shows up there once they've moved you past their first review stage. See [Track your applications](/candidates/tracking-your-application) for why. The link itself keeps working regardless.

## If you'd rather not

The first time you open the link, or sign in, Staffer asks how the company can use your information: only for this role, or also for future ones. Choose only this role if you don't want to be considered for anything else. To stop the current process entirely, withdraw your application from the **Privacy** tab. See [Withdraw an application](/candidates/withdrawing).

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I never applied anywhere. How does Staffer have my information?">
    A recruiter found and added your profile while searching for candidates for a role. See [What Staffer is](/candidates/what-staffer-is) for more on this.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to create an account to respond?">
    No. Everything in the link works without one. Creating an account later brings this application into one signed-in view alongside anything else you apply to, once it's visible there. See [Track your applications](/candidates/tracking-your-application).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I lose the email with my link?">
    Ask the recruiter to resend it. There's no self-service way to recover a link you no longer have.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Track your applications" icon="list-checks" href="/candidates/tracking-your-application">
    See every application, including ones you didn't start yourself.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Withdraw an application" icon="log-out" href="/candidates/withdrawing">
    Pull out of a process you no longer want to be part of.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>