Four Things You Must Know Before You Meet With A Recruiter

It makes sense to include an employment service like AppleOne in your career planning. They are experts in the local employment market, and they have the connections you need with local companies. Plus, their services are completely free to the job seeker, so your only investment is time. Your time is valuable though, so here are some things you should do to increase your chances of landing a great new job.

Tip #1: Your Meeting is a Job Interview; Prepare Accordingly

Your meeting with a Hiring Advisor may be a bit looser than a typical job interview, but don’t let that fool you: you need to prepare for it like you would with any interview. They need to know you have skills and experience that local employers are willing to pay for and that they would feel comfortable having you represent their credibility with their clients. This includes being “dressed to impress,” making sure you bring hard copies of your completed resume and being ready with follow-up questions throughout the meeting. Also, like any other interview, make sure that you have your route to the office properly planned out beforehand so you can arrive 10 minutes early.

Tip #2: Know What You Want and Where You Can Be Flexible

Knowing exactly what you want helps your hiring advisor know how they can best help you. Knowing where you can be flexible expands the options to increase the chances that your hiring advisor will be able to help you. For instance, “I want a customer service job ideally within five miles of my house. I’m willing to drive a bit farther though if the hours are a bit more flexible or the pay is a bit higher.” Now your Hiring Advisor knows exactly what you want so they can start looking for you. Your priorities may include salary, schedule, company culture, dress code, and maximum commute range. Having a list of these will help your recruiter find a job that matches as many of them as possible. Use this tool to get started and make sure you bring it with you.

Tip #3: Have References Ready to Go

Things can move quickly at AppleOne, so you need to come into your meeting with a list of references ready to go. Recruiters may have a job in mind that they can place you at ASAP, meaning that they will need to contact your references immediately. Before you go to the interview, let your references know that they can expect a call in the near future, and ask them to please pick up the phone when they get a call from a number they don’t recognize. You can find more on finding and preparing references here.

Tip #4: Be Prepared, Take Notes, and Get Clarity On The Next Steps

Hiring Advisors want to see that you are engaged in the interview, and taking notes is a good signal that you are listening intently to what they are saying. Of course, these notes will also come in handy as the process continues.

And speaking of what comes next, you need to make sure that you are clear on what the next steps are, and what you need to do on your end to complete it. If you have questions, you need to ask your hiring advisor. They want you to walk out of the interview with a clear idea of what happens next.