The benefits of interview prepping with a recruiter

The importance of preparing for your interview, whether in person or virtual, cannot be overstated during the hiring process. If you’re motivated to land the role, this is your chance to prove it to the hiring authority.

Organizations use interviews to evaluate candidates’ enthusiasm, knowledge and personality. They often want to know that candidates have conducted deep research into the role and company, and there’s no better resource to help prepare for this than the recruiter working on the search. In our experience, candidates we prepare through mock interviews and structured planning sessions always outperform outside candidates who prepare on their own.

Here are a few reasons why working with a recruiter will make you a stronger candidate in your next interview:

Recruiters know the road you’re embarking on

Many recruiters work on multiple searches at a time, and even junior-level recruiters with a few years of experience have likely completed searches in the double digits. This means that no matter how prolific you’ve been in previous job searches, recruiters have almost always witnessed more interviews and worked with a wider range of hiring authorities. This experience means recruiters are uniquely qualified to guide candidates through the interview process, no matter their tenure or experience. We know what works, what doesn’t work and, importantly, we know exactly what the hiring authority wants to see during your interview.

We provide a structured approach to every interview prep

In addition to having the right experience to guide you through the interview process, most recruiters will have a structure, template or guidebook to help you prepare. At Charles Aris, we walk interviewees through our candidate resources to ensure they show up prepared to answer questions, ready with their own questions, dressed according to the clients’ standards and are knowledgeable about the role and organization. We also spend dedicated time meeting one-on-one to rehearse any info needed for the interview. We even help coordinate the travel and day-of logistics if your interview is in-person.

Search partners are the best research tools

If you’ve made it to the interview, your hiring authority is confident that you have the technical skills to do well in their position. However, interviewing is the best way to evaluate other factors such as cultural fit, interest and enthusiasm. One surefire way to meet all these criteria is by conducting thorough research on the company and its history before meeting the hiring authority face-to-face.

Google is a useful starting part for this research, but a recruiter is your best friend for getting to the heart of what a hiring authority wants you to know. When a client hires us to fill a search, we immerse ourselves in their organization to better understand who would add the most value to their team. If you need to learn more about the hiring organization, look no further than the recruiter who introduced you. They will more than likely be able to answer any questions you have and thoroughly prepare you for any nuances during the interview.

The takeaway:

If you’re looking for your next transformative career opportunity but feel hesitant to answer the phone to a recruiter, know that you’ve been selected based on a rigid set of criteria and that you’re uniquely qualified for the position at hand. Also, a recruiter’s job is to assist both the candidate and hiring authority throughout the hiring process, so they are the best resource to utilize when vying for a new position; they have the experience, expertise and toolkits to help you succeed, and it’s in their interest to do so.

Are you looking for a new role or growing your team? Contact Eric Spell at eric.spell@charlesaris.com / (336) 217-9116 or Kacey Toews at kacey.toews@charlesaris.com / (336) 217-9147 to learn more.