Part of the job search often involves speaking with recruiters. But how do you go about it? When can you bring up pay? How often should you check back with a recruiter? If you’re curious how to talk to recruiters when looking for a role, there are some guidelines below that you should keep in mind.
How To Talk To Recruiters: Dos & Don’ts
DO ask the right questions.
Talking to recruiters is also a time for you, the candidate, to learn as much as you can so you can provide them with whatever info they need. Two excellent questions to ask: “What is the ideal candidate for this job?” and “What types of companies and industries have you placed people like me in?”
It’s important to get to the heart of what they’re searching for in a candidate. From those two questions, you should be able to tell the recruiter exactly what you have and don’t have in order to be the ideal candidate.
Remember not to expect the recruiter to carry the entire conversation. Be armed with your own questions. Also, make sure you tell the recruiter what YOU are interested in — not what you think the recruiter wants to hear.
DON’T bring up money right away.
If you bring up money too quickly in the game, it might look like money is your sole motive for a position.
A recruiter must assess your qualifications before discussing salary. Many salary ranges depend on experience. Your communication skills and people skills might increase your value when talking with recruiters.
DO check back with the recruiter (but not too eagerly).
When it comes to how to talk to recruiters, it’s important to ask how often you should check in and what sort of communication the recruiter prefers. Finding a role that perfectly matches your skill set doesn’t necessarily happen overnight. Furthermore, it’s crucial that you don’t bombard the recruiter with follow-up emails and calls about the job.
Of course, you’ll be eager to hear any updates, but it may be best to follow up every week or two via email. Although your recruiter may not have a job lead for you when you check back in, follow up diligently — as market demands might change at any minute.
DON’T sound desperate.
Again, bringing up money right off the bat isn’t a wise idea. Want to know how to talk to recruiters? Be patient, and be genuinely honest about what motivates you, what sort of role you’re seeking, and your work history. The chips will fall into place. Rome wasn’t built in a day — and neither will your career!
DO interact politely and openly.
If a recruiter catches you and you have the time to talk, then take the call. If it’s a bad time for you, ask them to list other times that work (or ask them to send you an email listing a few times). Try your best to accommodate the recruiter’s schedule. You don’t want to lose their attention by being constantly unavailable.
Also, offer to help the recruiter build a profile on you. For instance, you might offer to supplement your resume with other documents to help them help you.
If this isn’t your ideal job, then offer to put the recruiter in contact with anyone you feel might be a great fit for the position. This demonstrates you have confidence in yourself to recommend other candidates.
DON’T direct the recruiter to your resume to answer a question.
This is sometimes seen as rude and unnecessary. The recruiter has likely read through your resume plenty of times, and a question about something on your resume marks an invitation for you to expand further.