Think Like a Recruiter to Get Your Next Job: Part 2

Following our last week’s post with tips on how to get your resume picked by a recruiter, this week we want to share a few tips on how to prepare for an interview and what important details you should mention during the process.

You were invited for an interview; how should you prepare?

The first thing you should do is research the company to understand their business and the products or services they offer in the market.

Researching the company could be beneficial in different ways:

• Knowing that you read about the company could show to the recruiter your commitment and desire to get the opportunity. It’s natural for recruiters to choose people who are motivated to get the job.
• You will also learn about the company and could ask smarter questions to understand if the job is a good match for you. In case you get more than one offer, you will have enough insights to decide what is best for you.

You should also save the job description to remember the employer’s requirements so you can initiate discussion about the most relevant facts.

Another important point to remember is the questions that you might have for the recruiter — we recommend that you write a few down. Asking questions will give you insights about their expectations from the role that aren’t mentioned in the job description.

If you know someone that works for this potential employer, that’s a great asset!

Contact them and ask questions about the company, their values, what they look for when hiring. There is no such thing as too much information.

What important details should you mention in an interview?

For those who have been working for long, compressing your experience over a 30-minute phone conversation can be difficult. Instead of going over every past work experience, try to understand what the recruiter wants to know by their questions and use your time in a smarter way.

Maybe your past experiences will not be as relevant for the position so there is no need to mention it unless they specifically ask about a role.

Your answers should be direct and include brief details about what you did and achieved with examples. When time is limited, you need to divulge relevant facts while being succinct.

Don’t be afraid to miss a few things. The recruiter will ask you if you forget to describe anything important. On the other hand, sharing details that are not relevant to the position could consume your time and may not impact the outcome.

Even if your past jobs weren’t easy for you or you were unhappy with your role, avoid being negative. The interview should be a constructive conversation and you should try to be positive by focusing on your learnings.

Also, don’t be afraid to seek clarity on any question if you can’t fully understand what they want to know. You can also repeat what you understood to confirm so that you can answer it correctly.

Always be honest! You aren’t expected to know everything. If you have never worked on something the recruiter is asking about, you can say that you don’t have experience in that particular area. You may have similar experience to share that could help, and you should bring it up.

Stay tuned for next week’s tips on what makes a good interview and how to leverage referrals.