5 Ways to Impress A Recruiter

Having been a recruiter for many years here are my top 5 tips:-

1. Do Your Research

As part of your interview preparation, you should research the company, the role and your interviewer/s.  Showing that you have done your research demonstrates to the interviewer that you are invested in the role and will put you in a positive light.  

What should you research?

Who is interviewing you?  What is their role in the company?  What is their background?  How long have they been with the company? 

What can you find out about the company?  Do you know anyone who works there; can your network connect you to someone who does?  What is it like to work there? How do their employees describe the culture?

Has the company been in the news recently?  What projects are they working on?  Who are their major clients?  Try to find something of interest that will show you have done your research and that you can mention during your interview

2. Demonstrate Self Awareness

An interview is all about putting your best self forward.  However, as well as finding out about your strengths, the interviewer is also interested in learning about your weaknesses/areas for development and finding out how self-aware you are.  Try to avoid the overused and predictable “I’m a perfectionist” response.  Instead, think of examples where you can show that you are aware of a development need and what you are doing about it.  For example, you may feel nervous giving presentations and not had much experience.  So how are you trying to work on this? 

3. Be Positive

Recruiters are drawn to candidates who are positive even in the face of setbacks.  As we all know, particularly from recent history, when the pandemic has disrupted many of our careers, things can go off track.  You may have been made redundant; not got the promotion you hoped for; failed a module of your professional exams; lost a client account; had a personality clash with your manager.  Whatever the event or circumstance, try to put a positive spin on it.  What did that missed opportunity or failure teach you?  How would you handle a difficult relationship at work in the future?  If you have been made redundant or are looking to move from your present job, what are the positives you will take away from it that will benefit you and potentially your next employer?

 

4. Think Like a Recruiter

Not all the interviewers you meet will have been trained as interviewers.  They may not have had much experience conducting interviews.  Therefore, be careful not to assume that they will ask the best questions for you to demonstrate your knowledge, experience and fit for the role.  My advice, whoever your interviewer is, is to put yourself in their shoes and think like a recruiter.  Anticipate what they need to know about you.  What does the person specification say they are looking for in a candidate?  What do you know about the company culture and values?   How can you bring examples of your key strengths into the conversation without waiting for the right question to be asked?  Never leave an interview thinking “I wish they had asked me about ….”  It is down to you to weave relevant points and examples into the conversation to demonstrate you have the competencies they are looking for.  At the end of the interview you may be asked “Is there anything else you would like to tell me?” This is your final chance to mention anything important not already covered.   If you feel that you are repeating yourself you could say “I would just like to summarise by saying that, I believe my  skills (mention the top 3 that match the job spec)  make me a good fit for the role and I hope that I have demonstrated this to you today.

5. Follow Up

Most candidates leave the interview room relieved that it is over and pleased if they have been told when they are likely to hear about the outcome and/or next stage.  Very few candidates take the time to do a personal follow up.  Usually this is because they feel it will look too “pushy”.  However, if you met the interviewer in person you may have their business card and email address.  You can send a short email to thank the interviewer for their time , say how much you enjoyed meeting them and learning more about the role and company.  Restate (not in a pushy salesy way) why you believe that you are a good fit.  Simply sign off the email by saying “I look forward to hearing from you in due course”.  Of course, the interviewer may have already decided that you are not the chosen candidate but there is nothing to be lost by leaving them with a final positive impression of you.

Good Luck!