4 Things to Prepare Before Your Introductory Call

When looking for a new role, it can be extremely helpful to work with someone who has experience working in the industry and can guide you in the right direction when it comes to resume formatting, salary expectations, growth opportunities, and more. Since account managers have pre-existing relationships with their clients, they can gain insight on what the role will be like even before you interview for a new role. If you're looking for something specific in a new role, a recruiter can coach you in the right direction to achieve your personal and professional goals.

Many candidates have never worked with a recruiter before and are unaware of the items and topics a recruiter will be reviewing with them when they schedule an introductory call. We wanted to provide a quick checklist of things to have prepared prior to speaking with your recruiter!

Update Your Resume with Keywords / Phrases

Before speaking to your recruiter, it's important to update your resume with your most recent experience and projects! This may include incomplete or complete projects, technologies or skills used for the role, and other additional responsibilities included within the role. NOTE: When updating your resume, be sure to put your most recent experience first! This quickly allows the hiring manager to see you've been recently working on these specific kind of technologies or projects necessary for the role! Be sure to include the company name, your position title, the dates you've been employed by the company, and a few bullets listing your responsibilities for the role on your resume.

The general format of a resume that hiring managers are looking for should include a summary, a list of technical / soft skills you possess alongside any certifications you hold (if any), your professional and project experience, and lastly, your educational experience (if any). Include any technical bootcamps or online certification programs you've completed that are relevant to the job applying.

Consider What Kind of Role You'd Like

The next thing is to consider if you would like a role similar to the one you had before or if you'd like to transition to a different kind of role in a new company. Prepare a list of things you do / don't like about your current role and what your ideal position would include for yourself and your recruiter to help you both better gauge what your end goal is in finding a new role! This also helps the recruiter think of different clients they may be working with that may be a great fit for you and your personal / professional goals!

Prepare to Talk About Money

While salary may be something you would never discuss with a colleague, friend or stranger it's important to have a salary minimum in mind before speaking with your recruiter. While it may be uncomfortable to discuss, a recruiter can help you negotiate a pay raise if you choose to discuss your ideal salary expectations. An added bonus is the fact that recruiters are specifically dealing with similar roles and industries, offering additional background on what the market might be looking like currently and how it might relate to your salary and role expectations.

Be Prepared to Be Tested on Your Tech Experience / Skills

While it may not be as common for the agency to administer a technical skills test, it's important to remember that it is a very common practice among their client base to administer skills tests for candidates. Before the interview with the recruiter, be sure you can back up your experience with a technical test when interviewing if the client desires. This is something we've noticed candidates struggle with, so we have some pre-interview practice tests that you may have access to if desired to refresh your memory or get an idea of what to expect. (This is one of the many benefits of working with a recruiter since they can guide you on what technologies are more important in the tech exam).

Interested in Speaking with a mCubed Recruiter?

Are you interested in speaking with a mCubed recruiter about what opportunities we have available for you? Feel free to contact us by sending an email to info@mCubedStaffing.com or visit our website at www.mCubedStaffing.com and submit your information into our contact form! We're always more than happy to speak with you and help guide you towards your personal and professional goals!