Staffing agencies make their living and stake their reputation on finding quality employees for clients looking to hire. Therefore, it’s important that they make sure their candidates are both qualified for the job and well prepared for the interview.
For this reason, candidates can look to their recruiter for guidance and assistance as they move through the interview process.
5 Ways Agency Recruiters Prepare You for Success
Resume Advice
Early in your relationship with a hiring agency, a recruiter can offer advice about your resume. They can suggest ways to positively describe your work history and skills. They also can provide input on your portfolio, if you have one.
Your recruiter will talk with you about your background and career goals and guide you regarding skills you may need to update. They also will have information on the pay range you can expect for the type of position you seek.
As part of understanding your career goals, they may help evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, also known as a personal SWOT analysis.
Interview Assistance
Just going through the agency’s screening process gives you some idea of the types of skills an employer might require and the questions they are likely to ask.
However, since your recruiter is familiar with the company and the hiring agent, they can describe the hiring process and the company’s interview style in more detail.
Your recruiter also can provide tips on interview etiquette and how to respond to some of the top interview questions.
Inside Information
Having seen the company close up, recruiters have valuable insight about company culture and the hiring process. They’ll also have background about the company’s goods, services and potential for growth. During your pre-interview research, don’t forget to plumb the inside knowledge your recruiter has gained through their own professional relationship with the organization.
Logistics
The staffing agency will set up your job interview and obtain all the important details surrounding the meeting. Your recruiter or agency scheduler will tell you who you’ll meet, where and when. They can tell you how to get to the interview location or log onto a virtual meeting, what to bring with you and how long the meeting might last.
They’ll even provide details you might not have remembered to ask about on your own, such as where to park, which door to enter and special instructions regarding security or after-hours access.
Post Interview Assessment
Interviewers don’t tell you if you blew an interview question or failed to communicate your strengths, but they may tell your recruiter. Your recruiter can then provide constructive feedback to help you learn from the situation and improve your interview skills moving forward.
Priming You for Success
When you succeed, the recruiter succeeds. That’s why they focus on ensuring that your skills and background are a good match for a position, that your resume is complete and professional and that you’re prepared for the job interview. When these factors fall into place, you’re more likely to get positive results.
To find out more about how a recruiter can assist in your job search, contact the placement experts at STS Staffing.