Following Up with Recruiters

Question:





Cheryl, I received a couple of voice mails from recruiters regarding my resume. They indicated they'd like to talk to me. I have let them know I will be available on Monday/Tuesday. (I plan to brush up my interview skills over the weekend).

• I imagine this would become a phone interview with the recruiters..? Or do they just want to collect information?


• If it becomes a phone interview, how do I make sure it does not end there? I know my ultimate goal is to meet with the hiring manager face to face.


• Is it appropriate to request to meet the hiring manager?

Answer:

Sally,

Congratulations! It's wonderful to receive such interest so soon after submitting your resume.

This first phone call with the recruiters is probably a combination of screening/interview. They will probably seek to verify your credentials, scope of experience, and interests, so they know whether or not to recommend you to the next level.

Your focus in these calls is to sell yourself, and by that I mean for you to stress your achievements, values, personality, and career goals. If you make use of the three handouts I sent you earlier this week, you'll be in excellent shape for these calls/interviews.

You cannot ensure that your candidacy doesn't end with these calls, but you can do as much as possible to make that happen by demonstrating clearly how well you would perform in the job(s) in question. You certainly can/should also make sure that you strongly express your interest in going to the next step, being invited to interview with the hiring manager, and meet the team.

You can accomplish that by not just expressing your interest, but by telling them how this position matches your goals for yourself and how much you know you can contribute in the future based on your current achievements. One question you can expect them to ask is why you are job searching outside your current company so soon into your current role, so give that question some thought.

As you can see, it's critical that you're able to outline and demonstrate your achievements quite fully. Good luck!