Inside the Head of a Recruiter – Part 1

Written by Alissa Ochs

Senior Campus Recruiter

Western Region

I am confident that I could write a smash hit stand-up comedy act with everything that I have had the fortune, or misfortune-- depending on your take, of seeing and experiencing during my time thus far as a Senior Campus Recruiter at McGladrey. In order to quell some of the material that inevitably, I have yet to have the opportunity to encounter, I am giving you a rare peek into what a recruiter is thinking, what they are looking for, and bluntly, what will send them running for the hills.

Top Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Successfully Navigating through the Recruiting Process;  #10 – #6

10)  Don’t address your cover letter or resume to the wrong recruiter or company. We know you’re applying to several places, but we don’t like to be reminded of it. When sifting through hundreds of resumes, it can often times be a deal breaker.

9) Do wipe your palms before shaking hands if they tend to get a bit clammy, and do pop a breath mint before speaking with your potential employer. There, I said it. I know we don’t often speak about such things, but in keeping with our theme of honesty and openness, I would encourage you to be self aware.

8) Don’t write verbatim emails to several people within the same firm. We tend forward on emails to let each other know that we’ve heard from candidates. Needless to say, it doesn’t behoove you to copy and paste.

7) Do research the company in depth! Recruiters and Hiring Managers love to hear that you’ve done your homework and it serves to show that you have a genuine interest in working for the company. Cater your interview answers towards the company you’re interviewing for rather than using the “canned” version that can be easily accessed on your local search engine that may or may not start with a G and end with an oogle. Trust me, we’ve been on that search engine and we’ve heard all of those answers-- probably a hundred times. Make the meeting or interview memorable, for the right reasons.

6) Don’t show up to a recruiting function, no matter how insignificant you may believe it is, without paying attention to your outward appearance. First impressions happen quickly and they last.

Alissa's top five tips will be shared tomorrow!  Subscribe to our feed to be directly notified.