Talking with an interested job recruiter
April 9, 2018 10:04 AM Subscribe
A recruiter with an agency contacted me about a position with Local Company. I sent my resume to the recruiter, now they'd like me to call. This will be my first time returning a recruiter call, so I just wanted to ask what I might expect at this stage. Question: I guess this is an initial screen and if all is satisfactory for both of us, the recruiter will contact Local Company, who will take it from there? Thank you!
For those interested in the topic, some previous questions:
Contacting Company Directly vs Third-Party Recruiter
Questions about "recruitment agencies"...
For those interested in the topic, some previous questions:
Contacting Company Directly vs Third-Party Recruiter
Questions about "recruitment agencies"...
Best answer: Likely an initial screen, find out what you'd like to make, and if you're a fit.
They'll submit if you mutually agree, you may need to sign something authorizing them to submit you. Then, if the company likes you, they'll call the recruiter for interview scheduling.
Whatever you sign, it should include the name of the company htey're submitting you to, and restricts their representation to a limited time and scope. I'd advise against signing anything that commits you in any way financially (for example, requires that if you interview for the job and ditch the interview or turn down the job offer, you have to pay the recruiter. I've had that requirement asked of me and refused.
I've been ghosted by recruiters as well, so make sure you follow up with them. If they insist on getting your resume in "Word format", make sure they send it back to you so you have it, along with the cover letter ... then you know exactly what they've told the employer.
posted by tilde at 10:22 AM on April 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
They'll submit if you mutually agree, you may need to sign something authorizing them to submit you. Then, if the company likes you, they'll call the recruiter for interview scheduling.
Whatever you sign, it should include the name of the company htey're submitting you to, and restricts their representation to a limited time and scope. I'd advise against signing anything that commits you in any way financially (for example, requires that if you interview for the job and ditch the interview or turn down the job offer, you have to pay the recruiter. I've had that requirement asked of me and refused.
I've been ghosted by recruiters as well, so make sure you follow up with them. If they insist on getting your resume in "Word format", make sure they send it back to you so you have it, along with the cover letter ... then you know exactly what they've told the employer.
posted by tilde at 10:22 AM on April 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Recruiter here w/25+ years experience ...
Comments above are accurate representation of likely next steps. Answer the recruiter's questions forthrightly. Discussion of compensation can be uncomfortable, but engage anyway. Require that your resume not be submitted to any employer without your prior knowledge.
I'd advise against signing anything that commits you in any way financially
Reputable recruiters do not ask you to sign things like this. In the same vein, don't let an employer guilt you into an agreement where you cover the recruiter's fee.
Two other tips:
- Ask whether the recruiter has earned a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential. Doing so requires study/understanding of employment law and issues around discrimination.
- Ask whether the recruiter (or recruiting firm) is a member of NAPS (National Association of Personnel Services). Membership requires adherence to standards of ethics and integrity that are in your best interest.
posted by John Borrowman at 11:35 AM on April 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Comments above are accurate representation of likely next steps. Answer the recruiter's questions forthrightly. Discussion of compensation can be uncomfortable, but engage anyway. Require that your resume not be submitted to any employer without your prior knowledge.
I'd advise against signing anything that commits you in any way financially
Reputable recruiters do not ask you to sign things like this. In the same vein, don't let an employer guilt you into an agreement where you cover the recruiter's fee.
Two other tips:
- Ask whether the recruiter has earned a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential. Doing so requires study/understanding of employment law and issues around discrimination.
- Ask whether the recruiter (or recruiting firm) is a member of NAPS (National Association of Personnel Services). Membership requires adherence to standards of ethics and integrity that are in your best interest.
posted by John Borrowman at 11:35 AM on April 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
I've never gone further than an initial screening call with a third-party recruiter (just due to circumstances), so I don't know what happens past that. One thing I do know is that you have the advantage of being able to ask up front what the salary range is.
posted by radioamy at 11:37 AM on April 9, 2018
posted by radioamy at 11:37 AM on April 9, 2018
I'd advise against signing anything that commits you in any way financially
Reputable recruiters do not ask you to sign things like this.
This was a fairly large, but not national recruiter, who holds an exclusive contract to place workers within the state government entity.
/derail
posted by tilde at 11:53 AM on April 9, 2018
Best answer: Ask if the recruiter has been contracted to search for the target company or if they are going to be presenting your resume cold to the hiring manager.
If they say they're contracted, proceed slowly and don't give away too much about your salary history. Talk in terms of salary/comp expectations only.
If it's the latter, tell them no thanks. See if you can find the company on your own on Indeed or Monster or ZipRecruiter. They'll probably have a listing, and you'll have marginally better results.
I'm also big on not sending resumes in Word format, where your name and contact info can be stripped out and replaced with a recruiter's information. That implies they're the second type and not the first. Send it as PDF when possible.
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:30 PM on April 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
If they say they're contracted, proceed slowly and don't give away too much about your salary history. Talk in terms of salary/comp expectations only.
If it's the latter, tell them no thanks. See if you can find the company on your own on Indeed or Monster or ZipRecruiter. They'll probably have a listing, and you'll have marginally better results.
I'm also big on not sending resumes in Word format, where your name and contact info can be stripped out and replaced with a recruiter's information. That implies they're the second type and not the first. Send it as PDF when possible.
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:30 PM on April 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer:
Just to be clear, this is NOT why I don’t send resumes in Word. I don’t send them in Word for the gross reorganization and misrepresentation that has gone down in the past.
At the recruiters request, I will send a pdf version on their header (they send me the header) and sub their contact information for my own. I have *no* problem with that standard practice.
posted by tilde at 2:34 AM on April 10, 2018
I'm also big on not sending resumes in Word format, where your name and contact info can be stripped out and replaced with a recruiter's information.
Just to be clear, this is NOT why I don’t send resumes in Word. I don’t send them in Word for the gross reorganization and misrepresentation that has gone down in the past.
At the recruiters request, I will send a pdf version on their header (they send me the header) and sub their contact information for my own. I have *no* problem with that standard practice.
posted by tilde at 2:34 AM on April 10, 2018
Response by poster: Thank you everyone! VERY useful, as always.
posted by life moves pretty fast at 5:45 AM on April 13, 2018
posted by life moves pretty fast at 5:45 AM on April 13, 2018
Hope it went well. Sat in on an interview panel and the interviewers hated what the recruiter did to my resume (formatting inconsistencies and random bold words).
posted by tilde at 4:07 PM on April 13, 2018
posted by tilde at 4:07 PM on April 13, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
When I worked in recruitment we had to do a bunch of phone screens every day. If we liked what we heard on the phone we would invite the candidate in to the office for a face to face meeting where we would gather enough information about a candidate to officially get them onto our books and then we'd start looking for work for them.
Regardless of how this Recruitment agency does things, I assume this is just an intro/ information gathering call.
posted by JenThePro at 10:17 AM on April 9, 2018 [3 favorites]