We all need all the help we can get. A trusting relationship with a professional recruiter can move your career ahead. You can do your part to establish that trust by observing the following guidelines. Remember that the employer compensates recruiters. But it’s a win-win situation. They win when they refer you for a position you accept.
These are 25 best questions for headhunters, recruiters and staffing agencies
There are two types of recruiting agencies: contingency and retainer. Some agencies do both. But in general, contingency agencies are paid only if they present a candidate who accepts a position. Retainer agencies are paid whether they present a candidate or not, but they look a hell of a lot better if they present qualified candidates.
Headhunters and recruiters can be your best friends during your job search. They can present you to dozens of employers. They can coach you on your résumé and interview skills. And frequently they can get the kind of feedback that employers rarely entrust to individual candidates.
What about electronic devices such as Palm Pilots, other personal digital assistants (PDAs), and notebook computers? Should you bring them with you into the interviewing room?
The most important thing to remember is that you should take notes only when the interviewer is speaking. You should never take notes or even refer to them when you are answering questions. Interviewers want to see how you think on your feet, not how you read notes. The one exception, as mentioned earlier, is that when the interviewer asks if you have questions, you can ask permission to refer to your notes.
Make sure your body language remains open. That means keeping the pad on the table instead of on your lap. Learn how to take notes while still maintaining occasional eye contact. “Don’t let your note taking close you off from the interviewer,” Mays says. “If you can’t take notes without interfering with open body language, don’t take notes.”
One of the reasons for having a notebook in the interview is that you will think of questions to ask the interviewer. Perhaps the interviewer is talking about a new product that the company is about to launch. You remember in your previous job how one of the product launches hit an unexpected snag and how you helped unravel the problem. You don’t want to interrupt the interviewer, so you make a quick note to talk about the incident later in the interview.
Asking permission is a simple thing, but it makes a big difference. First, it’s respectful. Second, it draws attention to the behavior, so that the interviewer is not surprised. Surprises are rarely in the candidate’s favor.
Most job coaches and recruiters favor note taking. They believe the very real upsides outweigh the potential downsides. The fact is, most interviewers take notes themselves.
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