Employee Insights Volume 7: What can I do as a candidate to support my recruiter in the interview process?
When looking for work, you need all the help you can get! Fortunately, in today’s hyper connected world, there are many recruiters out there, like Top Tier professionals at FLAG that are ready to help! Working with a recruiter can help save you time, energy, and even money with their industry knowledge and best practices.
While there are many great options out there for you, your success with that recruiter will still be limited to the extent you partner with them. In other words, the recruiter still can’t guarantee your ideal result every time. Be your own guarantee!
Part of this new dynamic duo you are developing with a recruiter is allowing them to guide you in the process while you go execute your portions throughout the interview process. In basketball terms, the recruiter is running the show like Kobe, and you’re Slam Dunking the interview like Shaq! A 1-2 Punch Combo, but for your next career move!
Today’s Masterclass gives you the moves and steps to work in tandem with your next recruiter. Remember, there are other parties beyond you two involved, in this case, your prospective employer and the team around them. Your recruiter and their team have other relationship dynamics to navigate, and it is in your best interest to equip them with the information and follow through with what they need from you.
Mindset: All recruiters measure success the same way, helping you get placed at the best opportunity currently available to them! This person only wins if you do. Be flexible and open minded throughout your interaction with your recruiter. This can open up new opportunities you might not have been aware of. Lastly, be engaged! After all, this is your personal career, help them help you!
Be Transparent: Your recruiter will only know the information you give them. This is the information they use to present you as a viable candidate to their clients. If the clients come across any discrepancies your recruiter might have missed, like dates of employment, gaps in your resume, or skills gaps, negotiation discrepancies, etc. not only will the client pass on your candidacy, but the recruitment team also loses credibility. While it is the recruiter’s job to be thorough while screening you, if you are not transparent, it only delays you from starting at your next opportunity! Be transparent on your work history, level of skills, and salary expectations.
Be Detailed: During the screening process, you will find that most skilled recruiters will take their time getting to know more about your work history, skillsets, salary expectations, goals and ambitions. This stage is extremely important in setting the tone for how the recruiter perceives you for future opportunities. Let them know what it takes for you to move forward in terms of pay, schedule, and commute. Be sure to go through multiple scenarios to allow you to consider different roles that might still work out for you. As they assess you for different roles, allow them to educate you on your level of market competitiveness based on your resume work history to give you an insight as to how you rank among other qualified talent.
Be Punctual: First impressions go a long way in an interview process. As soon as your recruiter lets you know that you have been selected for an interview, take the time to go over the details provided to ensure you arrive punctually. Consider the time it takes to get ready, the time of day of the interview, potential traffic, with the goal of arriving 15 minutes before the interview start time. Use this time to gather yourself and go over any last-minute details for your interview. By this time, you should have already done “your homework” on the employer and learned simple things such as what they specialize in, and what industries/clients they serve. Being “On Time” to an interview should be considered “Easy points” in the interview game! Don’t lose these easy points!
Ask Questions: Don’t let your time with your recruiter be a process you just go through but also an opportunity to learn new things or address questions you might have. When thinking of your next opportunity, you should naturally have a question that comes to mind right away. These could be related to the company, job details, resume tips, or even interview tips. Some details might be really important to you, your recruiter will appreciate you asking instead of committing to something you are unsure of. They might even have “tribal knowledge” about the client or other interview tips that you can use to be better prepared for your interview.
Respect Their Time: Going back to the dynamic duo example, your recruiter is actively investing their limited 8-10 working hours a day to help facilitate interview processes to opportunities you might have otherwise not known of; make sure you show them you are also someone they should be working with instead of someone else. If you are genuinely looking for support with your next role, avoid being someone difficult to work with based on the above tips.
Check in with your recruiter periodically to ask for progress, or feedback.
Partner with our Top Tier recruiters at FLAG and create a dynamic duo like never before to find your next ideal opportunity.
With FLAG, you’ve got a partner on your career journey every step of the way.
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