Today we are going to cover the basics of speaking with a marketing recruiter for the first time. This is valuable information to those who have been interviewing and are already comfortable speaking with a recruiter, but may still have some questions about the process. This is also beneficial to our fellow marketers that have not worked with a recruiter before.
As a whole, the U.S. has a healthy job market at the moment and a huge demand for qualified marketing talent, but it doesn’t mean you’ll always work with a recruiter that understands your skill set and the challenges in your field. So in this post, we are going to discuss the important information you should get from your first call with a marketing recruitment firm and what to share with your recruiter to ensure you’re on the right path.
Have You Ever Had the Pleasure of Speaking with a Recruiter?
If not, we highly recommend doing so. Engaging with a marketing recruiter is a great career move and it will positively impact your search for a new role. During the first call, the recruiter serves two purposes: a) to inform you of the client and their expectations; b) to learn more about your career goals and what you are looking for in your next opportunity. It is also a chance to be professionally transparent with an expert whose job is to find the ideal match for your next career move. An added bonus, it’s confidential!
What Can I Ask the Recruiter?
Your conversation with a recruiter is not one-sided. The first call should be less of an interview and more so an introduction. They should introduce their recruitment firm and the parameters around the role they contacted you to discuss. This sets the tone for you to be able to ask general questions. For example, “Who will this role report into?” or “Who are my key peers?” to get a better understanding of the position. Your recruiter should be informative and precise with their answers. Questions are free rein, however, there is a disclaimer for confidential searches. This type of searches and candidate-specific shared roles are handled very differently. Once our client has shared with us that the role is confidential, that search is conducted by our senior executive recruiting team and is sourced without the knowledge of the general public. On the other hand, our shareable roles are still handled with care, but a candidate can know the brand going into the interviewing process with a recruiter. With this in mind, your questions can lead to a healthy conversation around the new role.
Recommended for You
Should I Share the Compensation Details?
Compensation is more than just a question about money. It is a title indicator, a gauge for the opportunity, and a power tool for the candidate. Here’s how to use your compensation correctly:
Your current compensation package is an indicator of where you are in your career and where you are looking to go in your next opportunity. For example, if you are a Senior Manager with a current salary of $135k plus 20% annual bonus, you may be interested in other Senior Manager roles or you could be ready to move forward with a Director role. All factors depend on the client, budget, and growth expectations in salary. Not to mention, discussing your compensation gives a recruiter a gauge to be sure the opportunity can meet your expectations.
Using the same example, with your salary at 135k + 20% annual bonus, the recruiter can then verify that you fit the role’s range. This is the time for transparency. The recruiter will inform you if your salary exceeds their budget or share the difference in salary expectations. If your current salary exceeds the budget, it’s in your best interest to seek other opportunities. Therefore, sharing your compensation details equips with necessary information to make an educated decision to move forward in the process.
Final Thoughts
Speaking with a recruiter should be a positive experience that really benefits you as a candidate. By the end of your first call, you should be educated on the role, notified about relocation or travel requirements, team structure, and much more. Most importantly, you should take the initiative to be an educated candidate. The more you learn, the better you will feel pursuing the job. At MarketPro, we take the time to listen to clients thoroughly before engaging with talent, so your time is used wisely and efficiently. We look forward to working with you!