Interview Techniques for Recruiters

As a recruiter, I've seen a lot behind the scenes. Here are 7 things you need to know (and how to overcome them to get the job): 1. They know if you're a fit in 5 minutes. 💡First impressions are everything. Your energy and confidence are deciding factors. ✅ Be polished, confident, and engaging right from the start. 2. They test you outside the interview. 💡How you treat the receptionist is part of the evaluation. ✅ Be courteous to everyone as people talk, and it counts. 3. Cultural fit > skills. 💡 If you don’t align with the company’s culture, your skills won’t matter. ✅ Research company values and align your answers to show you’ll fit with the team. 4. They might not read your entire resume. 💡They expect you to bring attention to key achievements. They may have skimmed it. ✅ Highlight your top accomplishments in conversation. Don’t assume they already know. 5. They want to see your weaknesses. 💡Your body language and reactions to tricky questions reveal more than words. ✅ Stay calm and show how you’ve learned from challenges without getting defensive. 6. They judge if you're manageable. 💡 Being difficult, defensive, or resistant to feedback signals you won’t fit. ✅ Show openness to feedback and a positive attitude toward collaboration. 7. Soft skills are just as important. 💡Communication, teamwork, and EQ are harder to teach than technical skills. ✅ Highlight your soft skills, like collaboration and problem-solving, over technical. Which one surprised you the most? If you are struggling to land job interviews, book a Resume Review session with me. I will help you position your resume to start landing interviews. ♻️ Share this to support fellow job seekers ➕ Follow Anna Chernyshova for more tips

I’ve looked at 100+ resumes and interviewed dozens of candidates over the last 3 months. Meeting candidates is one of my favorite parts of what I do. Yet so many people show up for an interview without having prepared to stand out and be relevant to the opportunity. So I want to share my process, in the hopes that it helps those going through interviews right now. And share what candidates who stand out do. First, before every interview I do a few things. I know candidates are taking their time to apply and then show up for several interviews. Interviews are a two-way street, and as a hiring manager I do my part too. Here are a few ways hiring managers can prepare, with a social media lens as that’s what I hire: 1. Read the resume, cover note if there’s one. 2. Visit their LinkedIn profile, posts and conversations. And the rest of their social footprint. 3. Explore the social media feeds of their current/past companies. 4. Experience their past company cultures on social media. 5. Research accomplishments and accolades highlighted in the resume. Now it’s your turn. Want to stand out and get the offer? Here are six things I look for: 1. Learn about the company you’re interviewing with so you can integrate relevant points for the role into the conversation. Example, if you’re applying for a social media role, look at the company’s social channels and come prepared to demonstrate your skills, highlight something that resonates, ask questions, etc. 2. Slow down, it’s not about answering questions the fastest. It’s about demonstrating that you’re a direct fit for the role through your answers. If you’ve not done it before that’s ok. Show your interviewer that you’re prepared to do it. 3. Share why you want this role at this company. Shared values? Connection to colleague culture? Speak to how it connects into your career goals, etc. 4. Lead with your skills and how they equip you to deliver results and impact for what the job description outlines. You may not have direct experience but skills are transferable, put that front and center. 5. Demonstrate that you understand the strategy behind your work, IE the ‘why.’ By doing this you show how your goals align to your team’s goals which align to your company’s goals. It speaks to your growth mindset, and that separates you from the pack. 6. Focus your resume to emphasize your skills and relevant experiences in relation to the job accountabilities. No relevant experience? That’s ok, lead with headlines that put your transferable skills front and center. Applying for job opportunities and the interview process can be can be stressful and intimidating. But when you get that interview it’s your time to shine! What tip can you add to help candidates land their next career experience? Please share in comments. #career #futureofwork #interviewtips #jobsearch

Getting a job in this market is tough, but not impossible. I spent most of last year recruiting and these are the most effective things that helped me land a new job 👇 Spend more time tailoring your resume and networking instead of applying to hundreds of jobs and hoping to hear back. Why? Mass applying to jobs is not effective. ❌ It's very time-consuming ❌ You'll have a high rate of rejections ❌ For every application you don't tailor, someone else did (lowering your chances) Here's what I do instead 👇 ⭐️ 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 "𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐀" 𝐚𝐧𝐝 "𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐁" Plan A → Roles that you want to transition in, like your first PM role, a new industry, new technology, etc. (lateral move) Plan B → "Good Fit" roles for which your skills and experience are a great match. (vertical move) Use the ratio 1:3 → For every 1 "Plan A" job you apply to, apply to 3 "Plan B" jobs. Make a list of your Plan A and your Plan B roles - I use Google Sheets to track: - Company - Role Name - Plan A or Plan B - Link to the job posting ⭐️ 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Tailor your resume, I can't state how important it is. For my Plan B (AI/ML roles), my resume has accomplishments related to the problems I solved with AI and the impact the models had on the business. For my Plan A's I grouped them by industry/technology and did a version of my resume for each one. Tip: Look at the required/basic qualifications of 3~5 job postings for each job category and write accomplishments based on those. For your LinkedIn → You can mix your Plan A and Plan But know that the more you align with one of the plans, there's a chance for higher success. → Turn on Open To Work. ⭐️ 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 Apply on the company's website first. Next, find recruiters: → Find the company's LinkedIn page → On the people's tab, filter for "recruiter" (Tech recruiters usually hire PMs) → prioritize reaching out to recruiters with purple banners, then those who are active on LinkedIn (posted recently). You don't know who is the recruiter for your role, so you'll send a message with this structure: Intro → quick intro about yourself and what you currently do Application → let them know the role (and ID) that you applied to Your ask → let them know you are aware they might not be the recruiter for your role, so ask them if your profile can be shared with the team. Why are you a good fit? → after the ask, let them know why you are a good fit for the role. Write 3 to 5 things about your experience that are RELEVANT to the required/basic qualifications of the job you applied to ⭐️ 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 On LinkedIn's search bar type "hiring Product Manager" and in the [all filters] menu use the [Author Company] to filter companies you are interested in. Send a similar version of the message above! --- 🚀 Need help with your resume and interviews? check my comment below!

✅ Tip 1 How to confidently tell your interview stories with humility. My client, a director at a global high-tech company, and I worked on interview prep this week. Story after story, she glossed over how she had to present a business case to win the time and financial resources for the multiple projects she and her team were working on. These complex stories involved deep market analysis, collating the insights, and then presenting them to the executive team for buy-off. And then ... she and her team won. They created products and services that make a difference for millions and millions of business owners. Flip the script! Focus on *both* 'I' and 'We' 🔦 . On one hand, you strip away your power when you do not explain what *you* led. On the other hand, you fear you will come across as a braggart if you say 'I' too much. Balance the two words - 'I' and 'We.' What did you lead? How? What were the challenging conditions? Then, talk about "we accomplished" and "the team achieved X results" while subtly including your role in leading or driving that success. You can show you are a humble leader who lifts and showcases other people's work without diminishing the hoops you had to jump through to achieve those amazing results. Do you struggle with sharing your success stories? #jobs #careers

"So, tell us about yourself..." Are you squirming just reading that? I've coached 1000s of people through interview preparation. This question makes everyone nervous. The answer will make or break your interview. And even people with great experience get it wrong. What you need is a formula that will: ↳ Boost your confidence 💪 ↳ Make a great first impression ✨ Here's the exact formula that has helped my clients land great jobs: 1️⃣ Context: Start with an attention grabbing statement. ↳ It should tie directly to the role ↳ It should be about who you are Examples: ✅ For as long as I can remember I have loved puzzles. That led to a passion for math and how things are built. Engineering was an obvious choice for me... ✅ When I noticed that people turn to me when something needs organizing, it inspired me to look into project management. It's been a great fit... 🚨Common trap: Starting with where you went to school, your major, a job chronology. 2️⃣ Background: Transition to reference your experience. ↳ Include one or two recent roles emphasizing top skills ↳ Summarize similiar experiences Examples (You will say more based on your background): ✅ Currently, I'm working on the plant floor overseeing production and quality assurance, and prior to that I was on the design team. ✅ Since getting my PMP, I've advanced to a senior project manager for a commercial real estate company. 🚨Common trap: Giving too much detail, leaving out measurable achievements. 3️⃣ Connection: Draw the connection between your skills and this role. ↳ Focus on the key skills the role requires ↳ Share research and insights to highlight why you are a good fit. Examples: (You will say more based on your experience) ✅ My favorite part of my current job is the robotics. In fact, that's what attracted me to this role. I've been interested in applying my skills in that direction. ✅ While I have loved my work in commerical real estate, I've always had a personal interest in health and wellness. Your products align with my values and I would love to apply my skills to your work. 🚨Common trap: Not tying your skills directly to their top priority needs. Not showing you understand the demands of the role. 4️⃣ Pivot: Clearly hand the conversation back to the interviewer with enthusiasm. ↳ Express gratitude ↳ Invite them to ask you questions Examples: ✅ I'm very glad to be here today. I'm excited to learn more about the opportunity and answer your questions. 🚨Common trap: "So, yeah," as an ending that lands with a thud. Context > Background > Connection > Pivot That's the winning formula! 💡Pro-tip: The key to a great answer is practicing! Record yourself on video, and WATCH it Lather, rinse, repeat, until you can say this in your sleep! ➤ For a detailed guide to crafting a great Tell Me About Yourself answer Send me a DM with "TMAY" in the subject. ♻️Repost to share this with others who are in the interview process! 🔔Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more interview tips

Don't ever be the "I should have cared more" person. I can't even begin to tell you how many candidates I have spoken with that not just half-assed a conversation with me, an initial recruiter, but on interviews. They get rejected and then say: "Wow, I really liked that role; I wish I had done some research beforehand." ❇️ The single most important advice for someone looking for a new job is to thoroughly research and understand the company and the position you are applying for. This encompasses several key aspects: 1. **Company Research:**  Learn about the company's mission, values, culture, products or services, and recent developments. ↴ ➡ Deeper than a quick website scan, understanding the company's background and goals will enable you to tailor your application and interview responses to align with what they are looking for in a candidate. 2. **Job Description**  Read the job description carefully to identify the specific skills, qualifications, and responsibilities required for the role.↴ ➡ This will help you tailor your resume to highlight your relevant experiences and abilities. 3. **Customize Applications**  No one wants to keep entering the same application info each time. But you should avoid sending generic applications to multiple companies. ↴  ➡ Instead, customize (within reason) your resume and cover letter for each application to demonstrate your genuine interest in that particular role and how you can contribute to the company's success. 4. **Interview Preparation**  Prepare for interviews by practicing common interview questions and crafting thoughtful responses that showcase your skills and experiences. ↴ ➡ Also, be prepared to ask thoughtful questions about the company and the position during the interview to demonstrate your genuine interest. 5. **Showcase Your Value** Focus on showcasing the value you can bring to the company rather than solely emphasizing what the job offers. ↴  ➡ Employers are interested in candidates who can solve their problems and contribute to their organization's success. 6. **Positive Online Presence**  Ensure your online presence, including social media profiles and professional platforms like LinkedIn, represents you positively. ↴ ➡ Many employers and recruiters research candidates online before making hiring decisions. Yes, we do look at your profile for consistency, not content. 7. **Patience and Persistence**  Job hunting can sometimes be lengthy, so be patient and persistent. ↴ ➡ Stay positive, keep applying, and continue refining your approach based on feedback and experiences. 👉 By diligently researching and understanding the company and position, you increase your chances of making a solid impression on potential employers and finding a job that aligns with your skills and career goals. 🏆 If you require some personal Career Therapy, hit me up, and we can have a quick, free intro chat! #jobsearch #careerdevelopment #jobsearchadvice

Last week, I started discussing job hopping and what to reflect on if this may apply to you. Now, if you’re an SDR who’s gone through frequent job changes, you may be wondering how to address this during interviews. As a recruiter, I can tell you that we’re looking for three things: self-awareness, transparency, and clarity. To give recruiters a better understanding of your story, and increase your advantage against candidates with stable employment, here’s how to go about it: 🔸 How to address job hopping during interviews 🔸 Understand your situation: If your short stint was beyond your control or you left, recruiters want to know the reason to evaluate if you’re ready for long-term employment. For example, if you were at an early stage startup and there was a reduction in staff, focus on what you learned that will make you valuable on a larger team. It’s important you showcase self awareness, know what went wrong and why the job hops happened. State exactly what environment you prefer: If you left a much larger organization because you didn't like the office politics, you can mention how you’re looking for a more intimate team where you can work with various teams and at a faster pace. Be clear that you want a long-term role: Be honest about the work you've done, then say upfront that you’re looking to stay in your next role for X number of years. And remember, interviews go both ways; ask smart questions that will help qualify the company so you can land a role where you’ll remain for a long time.  It can be difficult explaining short job stints, but it should be tackled head on. Comment below your thoughts or questions on addressing job hopping during interviews.

Software to Hardware. Banking to Tech. B2B SaaS to ClimateTech. [insert basically anything] to AI. ↔ Career shifts come in all shapes and sizes, but shifting an industry can be challenging, particularly in a tighter hiring market where experience is valued. Over the years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of people who are looking to move into a new industry and I’ve found a few things influence whether or not someone will be successful at making the leap. 1️⃣ Find the thread - If you want to make a change, it’s your responsibility to craft a story that makes sense. Don’t force the person reading your resume or interviewing you to guess why you’re able to make this jump. At MuleSoft, I interviewed a program manager at a non-profit for a recruiting role. Sounds completely unrelated, but throughout the interview, she did the best job showing me how many of the things she had accomplished in her role actually translated incredibly well to recruiting. She took the guesswork out of it for me and actually convinced me over the course of the interview that she knew enough about the job and had enough of the skills that she could make the pivot. As you’re prepping for your interviews, make a list of all the things you’ve done that translate to working in the new industry and make it a point to share those in your conversations.  2️⃣ Do your research - I’m the biggest fan of benchmarking conversations when you’re hiring for a role on your team. The same logic applies here - find people who are experts in the industry you want to pivot into and ask if they’d spend 15 minutes with you so you can get advice on how to pivot. Come prepared with great questions and soak up the trends, lingo, etc. Doing even 3-5 of these calls will make you sound exponentially smarter and better researched for your interviews. 3️⃣ Ask great questions - Basic, surface-level questions, “what’s it like to work here?” indicate you haven’t done your homework and send a red flag that you’re potentially unable to make the shift. At Dropbox, I interviewed an equity analyst from a big bank for an Enterprise AE job. Sounds like quite a jump, but he asked the best questions about the product and company. He understood the role we were hiring for and sounded like he had been in our industry for years. His intellectual curiosity sold us on his ability to make the jump. 4️⃣ Network hard into companies - Part of the challenge in making a career shift is being able to get your story across on why you can make the leap. A reference at the company where you hope to work can do this for you. Maybe it’s not an obvious connection, but see if you can dig deep. For example, you may find a past coworker who knows an investor in a company you’re interested in, and that investor may be able to forward your information, with the appropriate color, to the hiring manager or recruiting leader so you get a proper look. What else have you all seen that’s been useful for those trying to switch industries?

Post-Interview Spiral? Read This. You walked out of the interview… And now your brain is like: 🌀 “Did I talk too much?” 🌀 “Should I follow up?” 🌀 “They said they’d get back to me — is it too soon?” 🌀 “What if they ghost me?” Let me stop you right there. Post-interview anxiety is real. But spiraling won’t get you the job. Strategy might. Here’s what to do instead: ✅ Within 24 hours: Send a real thank-you note. - Not the robotic “Thanks for your time.” - Mention something specific from your convo. - Remind them why you're excited. Leave them with a lasting impression. ✅ Haven’t heard back in 5–7 business days? Follow up. - Not to beg. Not to chase. - Just to check in like the thoughtful, professional human you are. Try something like: “Hi [Name], hope you’re doing well. I’ve been reflecting on our conversation and wanted to check in. I’m still excited about the opportunity and happy to share anything else the team might need. Any updates on next steps?” Clean. Calm. Confident. That’s the energy. ✅ And if they ghost you? That’s not failure. That’s data. It says more about them than it does about you. You didn’t miss out on a job. They missed out on someone who actually gave a damn. You did your part. Now protect your peace, prep for what’s next, and keep moving forward! The next company will be LUCKY to have someone like you on their team. — Follow me, Erica Rivera, CPCC, CPRW, for real-world career strategy, job search sanity, and bold advice that gets you hired—without the burnout.

You don’t need an interview to prove your skills. Not getting interviews is frustrating. I know. It feels like the only chance to show companies what you’re capable of. But you don’t have to wait. You can market your skills now. Every job is different but these 5 options were the top ways how I placed 22 clients in 2024: 1, Create and share content: • Post your expertise online. • Share project breakdowns, lessons learned, or solutions to industry problems. 2, Pitch a company project: • Research a company, solve a small problem for them, and send it to a hiring manager. • Show how you’d add value. 3, Build a portfolio: • Use GitHub, a personal site, or even LinkedIn to showcase your work. • Employers love seeing real-world examples. 4, Request informational interviews: • These are low-pressure ways to learn about a company. • And you can casually present your skills. 5, Cold outreach: • Send tailored messages. • Attach a project or analysis related to the company,   it’s bold but effective. Doesn't matter which one you choose, pick one, do it for 30-90 days and you'll get good at it. You don’t need permission to showcase your skills. Be your own advocate. If you need help with showcasing your skills, I’m happy to support you (if you’re serious about your career). Just send me a message and we’ll figure out the rest. Sharing is caring ♻️