Why Recruiters Prepare People for Interviews Better Than Interview Coaches
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
I know I do a great job of getting people ready for interviews but certain types of recruiters will always do a better job than I will and other coaches will.
00:00 Intro
00:32 Provisos
01:37 Understanding the hiring process and what they look for
01:59 Practical advice
02:51 Second proviso
03:19 Long term relationship with a hiring manager
03:39 Summary
04:19 Outro
So we’re going to talk about why it is agency recruiters, third-party recruiters, do a better job of preparing candidates for specific company interviews than interview coaches and career coaches do. I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. I worked in recruiting for a long time and filled a lot of positions. And now I provide no BS coaching and career advice to people globally.
And I want to be clear, there are a couple of provisos here. It isn’t here per se that this person has a lot of experience because I want this person that’s preparing you to have a lot of experience. But they need to have worked with this client for a number of years and understand the ins and outs of working with them. Why do I say that? Because such a recruiter is going to have access to specific and current information about how the firm is evaluating and assessing people, its corporate culture, their expectations, and what this manager is going to look for. It’s targeted guidance for you about the skills and experiences that they value most, and how to package that in a way that the interviewer gets you. A good career coach, I’m going to put myself in that category, has great knowledge about interviewing, but it’s not specific to this firm. And that can be a differentiator that tips the scale toward an agency recruiter.
They understand the hiring process at this specific company, with this specific manager, and thus, they have a good understanding of that process, including the kinds of questions that are typically asked during the interview, the format, the qualities and experiences that they’re looking for in the way of an answer.
They can get you ready, with practical advice about how to prepare for the first, second, third or ninth interview with this firm. An interview coach, or a career coach isn’t going to have that specific knowledge. The coaching is also personalized. Recruiters work closely with individual people. Both interview coaches and recruiters can do mock interviews. But again, the mock interview here can be with an eye toward the specific things that a firm, this firm, this manager is looking for, give you feedback, give you individualized coaching that’s tailored to your specific needs to deliver your background in a way that the client gets you and understands what you can do for them.
Remember, if you’re not qualified, nothing matters. But if you are qualified, this is about delivering for this specific client in a way that an interview coach may not be able to do. Some can. I know I’ve been able to do this many, many times. But statistically, a good recruiter who has in depth knowledge of this specific firm will always do a better job.
And that’s because they’ve built a long-term relationship with their hiring manager, where the manager trusts them, and is willing to share more information with them, even from previous rejections as to why people got rejected, which can make it easier for you because they can transfer that knowledge to you.
So there are lots of reasons why it works, and why recruiters do a better job. And it really has nothing to do with the fact that they’re paying or they’re being paid by the company. Everyone in this process wants to be more effective. They want to help you find work, whether that’s an interview coach, a career coach, or a third-party recruiter. But a good recruiter who’s worked with a client for a number of years is just going to know more and be able to transfer that information to you in a way where you can present yourself effectively so that you get hired.
I ope you found this helpful on Jeff Altman. Visit my website, TheBigGameHunter.us. Go to the blog and go exploring. There’s just a lot there that’s going to help you. In addition, if you’ve got questions about job search, hiring, managing and leading the totality of you and your career, you can schedule time for what I call Trusted Advisor Services, and we can speak and I can help you. And if you’re interested in my coaching you over a period of time with your job search with your career with how to hire better and lead better. You can schedule time if you’re not sure for a free discovery Call or go over right into coaching with me. I want to help. At my site. You can also find out about my video courses, books and guides. There’s a lot there that will help. Lastly, connect with me on Linkedin at linkedin./in/TheBigGameHunter. Have a terrific day and most importantly, be great
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.
Website: www.TheBigGameHunter.us (schedule a paid coaching session, a free discovery call or ask questions using my Trusted Adviser Services)
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They may have used to.
Lemme recall:
1. Drink a gallon of water the day before
2. Sit up straight.
3. Firm handshakes.
4. Make a quick map of everyone’s name around the table and on the phone/conference call app.
5. Always start with a 15-second elevator speech.
6. Use the S.T.A.R. Method for all your accomplishments.
7. Phrase anything you did into dollars, or percentages for the client to understand.
8. End on a summary that screams “hire me”.
Now, things a recruiter never helped me with:
1. How many rounds of interviews a client requires. 2? 3? 4? 7?
2. Who are the REAL decision makers in an interview. And are these folks serious about hiring or just window shopping (“we’re interviewing to better figure out what we really need” <- actual quote by the CIO). 3. What the idiosyncrasies are of this client (management by PowerPoint, office politics to be aware of, what was the fate of my predecessors). 4. A truthful explanation of how long the org and its inhabitants last.
The things you point to as things they never helped you with are things a coach cannot prepare you for. As for the things they tell you to do, those sound like less experienced people. I put a proviso in early that says that the recruiter has to be very experienced and have worked with the client for a while. It makes a difference.
@JobSearchTV Unless an account rep is truly motivated by bonuses, their performance is absolutely lackluster. glengary glenn ross’ “coffee is for winners” speech needs to be nailed to every wall in a sales org which is recruiting
@Maurice Levie coffee is for closers! And those reps aren’t the ones I was talking aboutRemember tre provisos? A very experienced recruiter who has worked with the client for years. Those that you described aren’t that