How to manage a recruiter call

It’s a conversation where both sides are trying to work out whether continuing makes sense.

The recruiter wants to know whether you could do the job, whether you actually want it and whether there are any practical problems that could cause everything to collapse later.

You should be doing the same thing.

Before the call, read the job description again. If you don’t have it, ask for it. Some recruiters prefer to introduce the job themselves, but you are 100% allowed to ask for the job spec beforehand.

People apply for a lot of roles. Nobody expects you to have memorised every bullet point, but you should know which job you’re discussing. “Sorry, which company is this again?” is not a magnificent opening.

Be ready to explain your experience without reciting your entire CV.

Focus on the parts relevant to this particular job. If it’s a Platform Engineer role, tell me about your platform work. I probably don’t need the full history of the Java project you worked on in 2017, unless it somehow involved Kubernetes travelling backwards through time. (Is that possible, or is it an Istio thing?)

You’ll usually be asked:

What are you doing now?

Give a quick synopsis of your current role, focusing on the work most relevant to this opportunity.

Why are you considering leaving?

Be honest. If you’re leaving because your current company has ten layers of decision-makers standing between you and getting anything done, and the company I’m recruiting for has exactly the same problem, it probably isn’t a job you’ll thrive in.

What kind of role are you looking for?

Think about company size, type of work, level of responsibility and what you want to be different in your next job.

What salary are you targeting?

As I’ve said elsewhere, you don’t have to answer. But I will ask.

What is your notice period?

A long notice period isn’t necessarily a problem, but the company needs to know about it.

Do you need sponsorship?

This can determine whether the company is able to hire you, so we need to establish it early.

Where are you based, and what working arrangements can you manage?

If the role requires three days a week in an office 200 miles away, we should probably discuss that now.

These questions aren’t designed to catch you out. We’re checking whether the role matches your experience and whether the practical details line up.

When I’m talking to someone, I’m already thinking about the possible job offer. I want you to get the job, accept it and stay in it. If you don’t, I don’t get paid. So I’ll be looking for anything that might prevent that from happening.

You should be looking for those things too.

Ask why the company is hiring, what the team looks like and what the priorities are for the person joining. Ask about salary, location, interview stages, sponsorship and anything else that could determine whether you want the job.

If the salary is too low, say so. If five days in the office won’t work, say so. If the job sounds completely different from the advert, ask why.

It is much better to discover a mismatch during a 30-minute call than after three interviews, a technical task and an emotional attachment to an office dog you haven’t even met.

Be honest, but don’t talk yourself out of the job.

You can say you haven’t used a particular tool without announcing that you are fundamentally unqualified for employment. Explain the closest experience you do have and how you would approach the gap.

You don’t need to claim you’re perfect/the job is perfect. In fact, I find it a small red flag when someone responds to everything with, “Yes, that sounds great. Yes, I’m happy with that.”

They might simply be nodding along rather than thinking seriously about what I’m telling them. A thoughtful question or a qualified answer is usually more reassuring than endless enthusiasm.

The recruiter is deciding whether to put you forward. You are deciding whether the job could be a good next step.

Get in touch if you have your own thoughts about talking to recruiters and if you want to talk to a recruiter about a job, check out ninedots.io