{"id":384,"date":"2014-02-13T07:07:31","date_gmt":"2014-02-13T07:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/?p=384"},"modified":"2014-02-13T07:07:31","modified_gmt":"2014-02-13T07:07:31","slug":"what-to-do-when-a-recruiter-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/what-to-do-when-a-recruiter-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Do When a Recruiter Calls"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WhatIf you\u2019re a professional, you can expect to get an occasional phone call or an email from a recruiter.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a startup executive, it might even be from me.<\/p>\n

That call or email might change your life. Or it could be a total bust. You\u2019ll never know, though, unless you answer it.<\/p>\n

Here are some things to do when the recruiter calls or emails.<\/p>\n

Talk to them.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Even if every previous recruiter was a waste of time, this could be your big break. If the phone rings out of the blue, it\u2019s perfectly fine to ask to return the call at a time that works for you. If you get an email, respond as soon as possible. Never just blow it off, though.<\/p>\n

Treat it as a networking call.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019re not open to a new job, it\u2019s worth talking because you might make a new contact who will be there to help when you are. Or they might be someone to call the next time you have a job to fill. Recruiters can be good people to know, you know.<\/p>\n

Check them out online.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes you are contacted by a research person who is sourcing candidates, and sometimes you may be talking to a high-level headhunter. They might be an employee of the hiring company, or a third-party recruiter retained to fill that position. Check their company\u2019s profile and find their profile on LinkedIn so you know who you\u2019re talking to.<\/p>\n

Have your resume or LinkedIn profile handy. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easier to talk about your experience when you have your resume or LinkedIn profile right in front of you. That\u2019s probably what the recruiter is looking at and what got them to contact you in the first place. Keep one where you can get to it quickly to refresh your memory.<\/p>\n

Be gracious and professional.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Treat a recruiter with the same respect you would a hiring manager. Rudeness is never appropriate. Again, think of it as a networking opportunity with someone who might be a great long-term career connection.<\/p>\n

Be warm and energetic.<\/span> <\/b><\/p>\n

You are making a first impression, and no matter how tired or busy you are, you have to sound interested and interesting on the phone. Stand up and smile during the conversation. A little small talk first will make the rest easier.<\/p>\n

Ask the recruiter to tell you what they\u2019re looking for.<\/span> <\/b><\/p>\n

A good recruiter will know what the job requires. Take notes of everything they say, so you\u2019ll be able to do some research later or refresh your memory in a later interview. Listen between the lines, and make notes of questions you might have. Ask if they can send you a description or link to a posting.<\/p>\n

Balance honesty with discretion.<\/span> <\/b><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t give away any confidential, proprietary or personal information to a recruiter you don\u2019t yet know. If you\u2019re not interested in changing jobs, say so. Don\u2019t be coy and don\u2019t lie about your expertise.<\/p>\n

Recommend someone else if it\u2019s not for you.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not interested, and think the job sounds interesting, I bet you know someone else who could be right. Recruiters love and appreciate your suggestions. You can stay anonymous if you want, but it\u2019s never a bad thing to be someone who connects people together for good things.<\/p>\n

Follow up right away.<\/span> <\/b><\/p>\n

After your phone call, reinforce the good impression from your call with a follow-up email. Include a copy of your resume if you\u2019re actively looking, or send an invitation to connect on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss a perfectly good networking opportunity. Be open and share ideas. Make a new contact. Who knows\u2026 the next job that recruiter gets might be exactly what you\u2019ve been waiting for.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a professional, you can expect to get an occasional phone call or an email from a recruiter. If you\u2019re a startup executive, it might even be from me. That call or email might change your life. Or it could be a total bust. You\u2019ll never know, though, unless you answer it. Here are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,9,12],"tags":[53,43,27],"class_list":["post-384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-articles","category-interviewing","category-inspiration-and-motivation","category-networking-and-finding-job-leads","tag-headhunters","tag-networking","tag-recruiters"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":392,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions\/392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejobsearchguru.com\/notesfrom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}