top of page
Writer's pictureDelia Caluser

What You Should Not Tell Recruiters

Recruiters match people to jobs and company cultures. Their goal is to identify the most suitable person for the complexity of a role. Some of the information is included in the resume, which is also the first impression you make on recruiters and potential employers, and the rest remains to be discovered during an interview. Unnecessary information won't get you anywhere near your dream job.


What I have learned so far after conducting many interviews (I don't count how many there were, but definitely enough to form an opinion) is that there is a distinct category of persons who confuse you with friends and they tend not to keep the discussion professionally. They reveal too much private information, and that's no help in the hiring process and by far most of them can have a negative impact on your image. Not to mention bias that occurs automatically.


Recruiters are not psychologists or psychiatrists and therefore are not interested in your struggles, personal relationships, family or financial status, pets, weird hobbies, alcohol or smoking habits, etc. Instead of presenting yourself in negative tones, I would suggest giving only the necessary information during an interview. Recruiters and hiring managers only collect data that is relevant to an open role and a particular corporate culture, the rest of the information is unnecessary.



I have some suggestions regarding what you should not tell recruiters:

  • Do not let them know that you are desperately looking for a job, even if you are.

  • Do not explain your financial difficulties and plans.

  • Don’t say what you are earning, say what you want to earn.

  • If you are unemployed, do not let them know that you would accept a lower salary than in your last job.

  • Don’t express your hatred for the current job/boss/colleagues, even if this is the case.

  • Don't explain your relationship or marital status in detail.

  • Don’t include someone else’s story in your story (e.g. children, relatives, neighbors etc.).

  • Don’t be too enthusiastic about weird hobbies because they are not shared by all.

  • Don’t assume that everybody loves sports and has a favourite football/soccer team.

  • Pay attention to what kind of jokes you include in your speech.

  • Never curse when talking to recruiters or hiring managers.


Next time you speak to a recruiter, remember not to discuss the above points.

26 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page