If you haven’t worked with a recruiter before and don’t know what to expect from your initial interview, here are some important things to remember.
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If you’re not early, you’re late. Arrive 5-10 minutes early, no more no less. Arriving right on time is cutting it too fine. But, don’t be half an hour early either, it’s a long time to sit in the interview room before we meet with you and you can lose your momentum.
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Dress as you would for your dream job interview with a hiring manager. We need to know how you are going to present moving forward, especially with businesses that are more corporate. If you need to come in casual attire, please let your recruiter know. Otherwise, we may be fearful of you showing up to a hiring manager’s interview in jeans and sneakers etc.
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Relax, we want to see the real you. We are here to help, no need to be nervous.
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This may sound like a no brainer, but please no chewing gum or food. Yes, I have actually had a job seeker ask if they can eat a banana in an interview with me. I didn’t represent them.
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Be open and clear around your salary. A lot of people can “um and ah” around the subject, so think about it before you meet with your recruiter. They can then consult around what they are seeing in the market and what is realistic or not in relation to the roles you are looking to secure.
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After registering with us, please keep us informed as to where you are at with your job search. We will always keep in touch but please feel free to be proactive and pick up the phone as well.
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Have a list of businesses in mind that you have identified as being of interest to you and why.
Then ask if you can work with your recruiter exclusively for a period of time that you agree upon, and let them take you to market to those businesses. That way, you know exactly where you are being represented and it’s a more targeted approach with, hopefully, a higher success rate of securing a position. Because even if that hiring manager isn’t advertising for a role, we may already have an existing relationship with them, and they will be happy to hear from us about you as a stand out candidate.
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And finally, please make sure we have managed your expectations around the next steps of the process and you are clear on this process moving forward.
I hope these pointers are helpful in your next recruitment agency interview.
