Get clues from your recruiter to help you get the job

Published on July 14, 2010

Your Recruiter Can Help You More Than You Think

Congratulations! Companies are in hiring mode again! But, before you start chasing recruitment consultants again, remember that a recruiter's assistance is by no means limited to just arranging job interviews with your desired companies.

Your recruiter can in fact become a valuable partner in your job search.

This is because most recruiters are familiar with the hiring organisations' ins and outs as they have been dealing with them over a long period.

This provides them inside information on not only the company but the potential interviewers as well. What's more, they are also privy to where other candidates went wrong and why they were rejected.

But being hard-pressed for time, they habitually do not offer these tips and suggestions on their own….. So it is up to you to make the most of your recruiter – tap this rich source of information and successfully stand out from the swarming jobseekers!

What to ask: Be proactive with your recruiter from the word Go. Try to seek advice by asking as many questions as possible about the company, the hiring manager and the interviewer(s). But, obviously the recruiter is not your trainer and cannot spend hours with you.

So pre-equip yourself with primed queries to the tune of:

What exactly is the organisation looking for? Which skills/experience should be highlighted in the interview?

What questions is the interviewer likely to ask and what he wants to hear?

The questions that he would expect you to ask.

Further suggestions on the best way to interview with the organisation.

Why previous interviewees were rejected and how to avoid those mistakes? How to close the interview?

The suggested follow-up after the interview?

Pressing the right buttons can yield detailed information about the hiring company and some ‘inside scoop' on not only the interviewer's personality and behaviour, but some of his individual quirks as well. Imagine, it is almost like you know the interviewer even before you walk into the room! There's not much that can take you by surprise now.

Armed with the inside information, you can easily tailor your body language, communication style and interviewing approach to suit the potential interviewers while smartly sidestepping the unintentional mistakes and pitfalls that proved to be the unfortunate undoing of other candidates. Furthermore, tweaking your answers a bit (without resorting to lies) and focussing on the right skills/experience that the interviewer wants to see, can multiply your chances of successfully landing the job manifold.

Later on: Apart from this, do not forget to follow-up with the recruiter after the interview. Debriefing him on how the interview went will give you a chance to seek valuable insight on your interviewing skills as well as any concerns expressed by the interviewer later on.

In short, a recruiter can tell you a lot, you only have to ask the right questions. Yet, many candidates either hesitate or feel shy to solicit such information. Rest assured that the recruiter is not doing you any favours as he too has a vested interest in getting you hired. You are not only representing his agency, but his very income also depends on getting the open position filled.

Moreover, your queries will also highlight your interest in the job while the opposite paints you in an indifferent light! So, help your recruiter help you. But also keep in mind that his advice can only point you in the right direction. The rest is up to you!

Payal Chanania