Every Friday our Senior Consultant, Marta Kollock kindly shares her ‘Recruiter Tip Friday’ with her LinkedIn network. If you missed any, don’t worry, we’ve popped them all into a handy blog post below…
Tip #1 – Smile while you’re speaking on the phone 😊
I know that might sound silly but you can *hear* that smile and it makes someone seem much more friendly and approachable, especially in a remote working world.
Tip #2 – Do not walk around while talking and answering questions on a phone interview
It may seem like a good way to release some stress but instead, you’ll just find yourself winded while trying to get out your answers.
My trick prior to interviewing for my current position was to get a little dance session in prior to the interview! There is also the squeeze technique where you start from your toes and move up your body, squeezing each section one at a time until you get to your face. Squeeze everything and then relax.
Tip #3 – ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS! Easier said than done
Yes an interview will be, for the most part, someone else asking you questions or you solving a problem but an interview goes both ways. I recommend writing down a couple of questions you have about the company and grabbing your notebook to ask when that part of the interview comes up. This shows that you had prepared for the interview and actually care.
Tip #4 – Even technical interviews have a cultural aspect
While in a technical interview some friendly advice is to: ask questions before diving into the code, think out loud and collaborate when possible.
Tip #5 – ALWAYS look into the company you’re interviewing with BEFORE your interviews
I know this sounds like an easy one but you’d be shocked how many times candidates don’t do this! Internal recruiters, engineering managers, engineers, etc. at any given company want you to be excited about their company so do your research.
Tip #6 – When you’re going through an interview process make sure to be overly communicative and honest.
If you end up taking an offer or not that is the best way to make a long-lasting positive impact.
Tip #7 – While interviewing always make sure that there is a next touchpoint from where a conversation ends to what comes next
Open-ended communication can be a pain and leave people confused! This goes for working with an agency recruiter or an internal recruiter too.
Tip #8 – Put the most important information at the top of your resume
Did you graduate from Stanford with a Computer Science Degree? Put that first! The “about me” sections of resumes are slowly disappearing – market your strengths first to gain immediate interest from a potential employer.
Tip #9 – If you have decided to start looking for a new opportunity don’t just interview with one company at a time
It’s important to compare and contrast different roles at different companies so you can figure out which will be the BEST fit! You could love a company from the outside looking in but what they ask of you internally could be the opposite of what you want. Aside from that, the time it takes to interview for most tech companies is about 20 – 45 days (give or take) so to take opportunities one at a time will be a very lengthy process in the long run.
Tip #10 – If you’re working with an agency recruiter (which I’d recommend you do 😉) always be open about your salary expectations
I might be a little biased with this tip but hear me out. When you work with a recruiter you don’t have to have the hard conversations – that’s our job. At the end of the day, an agency recruiter works off of a percentage of your base salary so the higher salary you get = the more money you get. We understand our market and what the market rates are for engineers so we’ll be honest with you on if you’re levelling yourself too low or too high.
If you would like more interview advice, click here to connect with Marta on LinkedIn or get in touch directly using the details below:
Marta Kollock
marta.kollock@goodmanmasson.com
(612) 224-6426
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