US IT Recruiter vs Bench Sales Recruiter vs OPT Recruiter

In the US staffing industry, US IT Recruiters, Bench Sales Recruiters, and OPT Recruiters play distinct roles in hiring and placing IT professionals, especially in H-1B, OPT, CPT, and other visa categories. Here’s a detailed comparison:

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1. US IT Recruiter

🔹 Focus: Finding and hiring IT professionals for direct clients, vendors, or implementation partners.
🔹 Responsibilities:
✅ Sourcing and screening candidates from job boards (Dice, LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed)
✅ Understanding job requirements and matching candidates accordingly
✅ Negotiating salary and coordinating interviews
✅ Working with US citizens, Green Card holders, H-1B, L-1, EAD, OPT, CPT candidates
✅ Coordinating with clients or vendors to fulfill job openings

📌 Best for: Professionals interested in end-to-end recruitment for US staffing firms.

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2. Bench Sales Recruiter

🔹 Focus: Marketing and placing candidates who are already on the company’s "bench" (on payroll but without projects).
🔹 Responsibilities:
✅ Finding contract job opportunities for H-1B, OPT, CPT, GC-EAD, L2-EAD candidates
✅ Reaching out to Prime Vendors, Clients, and Implementation Partners
✅ Submitting resumes, negotiating rates, and finalizing contracts
✅ Handling contract negotiations and onboarding
✅ Maintaining strong relationships with recruiting firms and staffing agencies

📌 Best for: People with strong networking and sales skills in IT staffing.

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3. OPT Recruiter

🔹 Focus: Recruiting and placing OPT/CPT (F-1 visa) candidates for contract roles.
🔹 Responsibilities:
✅ Finding and onboarding OPT/CPT candidates (mostly fresh graduates)
✅ Training and placing them in IT job roles
✅ Sponsoring and handling H-1B visa processing (if required)
✅ Working with vendors, direct clients, and consulting firms to secure job placements
✅ Assisting candidates with resume preparation and interview training

📌 Best for: Recruiters focused on fresh graduates and F-1 visa candidates.

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Comparison Table

Feature	US IT Recruiter	Bench Sales Recruiter	OPT Recruiter
Primary Role	Finding candidates for open IT jobs	Marketing existing consultants on the bench	Finding and placing OPT/CPT candidates
Candidate Type	US Citizens, Green Card, H-1B, EAD, OPT, CPT	H-1B, OPT, CPT, GC-EAD, L2-EAD	OPT/CPT (mostly fresh graduates)
Client Interaction	Works with direct clients & vendors	Works with vendors & implementation partners	Works with OPT candidates & training institutes
Job Type	Full-time, Contract, C2C, W2, 1099	Contract, Corp-to-Corp (C2C)	Contract (C2C, W2)
Networking Focus	Candidate sourcing & job portals	Vendor marketing & networking	University & F-1 visa student connections

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Which Role is Best for You?

✔ Choose US IT Recruiter if you like sourcing candidates and full-cycle recruiting.
✔ Choose Bench Sales Recruiter if you are good at sales and marketing consultants.
✔ Choose OPT Recruiter if you want to focus on placing fresh graduates in IT jobs.

Would you like guidance on how to start in any of these roles? 🚀