Do: Ask questions even though it's safe to assume we don't know the answers
Recruiters don't have all the answers but peppering us with questions show the engagement and intrigue needed to give us the confidence to push you to the hiring manager. A lot of hiring managers are willing to work with lack of experience but they will certainly not entertain indifference.
Don't: Set a time limit on the call
We understand that your time is valuable as many screening calls take place during working hours. But those who jump on a call and say "I only have 5 minutes to talk" is a big red flag. We can talk another time. Those who do this are saying this without say it, "My time is more valuable than yours and I don't care about explaining what I can offer the company, I only care about what the company can offer me."
Do: Highlight your successes
It is unnatural, as we are taught from a young age to be humble; however, a resume does not speak for itself. It is important to speak about your successes in your career, it gives recruiters more peace of mind about a candidate. If you don't do it on the screening call how can we expect that you will do it on an interview.
Don't: Tale an interview to "see how it plays out"
As recruiters we may not know the exact parameters of a territory or how much PTO is offered. But we do know our hiring managers and we know what they are looking for in a candidate. It is our job to give you the expectations of a role so that you know what you could be getting into. If after hearing the expectations set by a recruiter, you are unsure if it is the right role for you, it is not the right role for you. One of the worst experiences as a recruiter is when you tell a candidate exactly what is expected of them, the candidate tells you they are up to the challenge, only for the candidate to tell you after the interview that the job would be too hard for them and they are not ready to make a change. It is just a waste of everyone's time.
Do: Be responsive post interview
Many think all a recruiter can do is get you the interview. This is not true! A good recruiter will have their finger on the pulse of the entire hiring process. Let us be a resource to you. We know interviewing patterns of our hiring managers and we would like to pass on that knowledge to our candidates. But if we can't get in touch with you after the screening call, there is no way for us to help you. Let's make this a team effort. We only win when you win!
Don't: Hear what you want to hear
Oftentimes opportunities are presented with a range for base pay on target earnings. Upon hiring, it is the discretion of the hiring manager to put any number they want on the offer letter. Things change all the time, sometimes without the knowledge of a recruiter. Of course everyone believes they should be receiving the top end of the base pay range but it doesn't always work out that way. It is not a part of the job for a recruiter to negotiate a higher salary for a candidate because they assumed that they were going to get the most amount of money possible.
