How to prepare to speak to a recruiter with (Steps and Tips)

Oh no! Oh my Gosh! What do I say? I am so nervous! What if I say the wrong thing? Relax!!!!! When a recruiter reaches out to you, you should be flattered you made it through the hundred plus candidates in the pipeline. This means you are a great fit for what they are looking for! You were hand selected! It probably took them days, possibly weeks to find you! So what goes down on a recruiting call?

A recruiter call, or phone call, is a brief conversation that helps a company understand more about you as a candidate. This is the initial first point of contact to begin the hiring process. It's a brief summary of your experience, skills, qualifications. This phone screen is a great opportunity for you to also ask questions about the company and the position.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A RECRUITER CALL

Someone once told me! If you don't plan, plan to fail! Creating a strategy to prepare for success wins every time! Identifying the questions you want to ask can enhance your professional demeanor. Don't be afraid to be transparent and core specific. Recruiters love transparency, open ended questions, and a high sense of urgency.

1. Review the job description

Take notes on the job description. Identify the soft skills, technical abilities, education, responsibilities, experience expectations. Can you see yourself in a position that meets the expectations of the role? Be mindful that a recruiter may dive into KPI's (Key Performance Indicators), metrics, goals, revenue, leadership, influence style.

2. Think about your job history

Examining your job history can help the recruiter discover specific examples you want to discuss during the phone interview. Listing these examples from your previous job history can help you remember these examples during the interview and improve the quality of the conversation.

3. Identify your strengths/ intrinsic value

You are more than what meets the eye and your resume! Recruiters want to hear all about your core skills and value. Identifying your top strengths, such as your skills or qualifications, can help you effectively address any questions they may ask. This can also improve your confidence when answering a recruiter call. We want to know how well you can solve problems, how you build rapport with others, how you handle stress/ disappointment. This allows a recruiter to understand the value and wisdom you bring to the table.

4. Spend some time crafting a few questions of your own

The last thing a recruiter wants is to pitch you a job that you will be unhappy doing. Do your research! Asking questions can help show your genuine interest in a position. Writing down a few questions that relate to the company can help you identify if their company culture and values align with your core values.

• What types of benefits does your company offer?
• Can you tell me more about the company's culture and work environment?
• How soon are you looking to fill the role?
• What skills do you think a person needs to be successful in this position?
• Do you have any additional questions about my resume?

Tips for Recruiter calls

• Have a notepad ready: Taking notes shows you care and you do not want to forget any helpful details for future next steps.
• Be Honest: This shows your integrity! Relaying verifiable facts can enable hiring managers to understand your accomplishments.
• Remain Positive: Recruiters have heard everything under the sun! Tap into the energy you bring to the phone call. You don't want to have an upside down frown on the other end! Recruiters are great people readers and can tell if your excited or not! This could potentially be your dream job!
• Keep it concise: Try to condense your examples or responses to 30 seconds or two minutes can help you convey the information and keep the conversation moving. Try to avoid monotone long- winded answers. Avoid generalized answers and awkward silence.
• Follow-up: Recruiters love thank you notes, emails, text! Don't be shy! We want to hear back from you. We are interested in your thoughts and what you think about the company. Tell us why you would be a great fit!

~Ashley Moses - Senior Talent Acquisitionist