Good news, you have a CPG recruiter working with you, they landed you an interview, and you feel like you brought your A-game -- you even wore your lucky socks. Good job!
The bad news? You receive nothing but silence, no follow-up call or emails from your recruiter about the interview. What now?
While your anxiety as a job-seeker might push you to call your CPG recruiter in a fit, that could be detrimental to your relationship with the recruiter. Communication that does not follow best practices, or that is filled with anxiety and desperation could lead to your candidacy twirling down the drain. If you are fretting about how to reach out to your recruiter about a job or interview, here are a few tips to ensure healthy communication.Tip #1: Choose the Right Medium
Make sure your interactions with your recruiter are tailored to their preferences in order to increase the likelihood they will get back to you in a timely manner. Hopefully, when you first met with the recruiter you established ground rules such how often you will be communicating, who will call who, and their preference of phone call vs. email.If you’re not sure, do some researching on their website and you will likely discover the recruiter's preference as far as communication. If you’re still unsure, it’s better to send an email rather than call. Your CPG recruiter is juggling calls all day, and an email leaves your recruiter everything they need to look up your job status without straining to listen to a voicemail and without playing phone tag.
Tip #2: Maintain Confidence
Any correspondence you leave should be confident and not desperate. Maybe you haven’t received any word on setting up an interview when you thought you were a perfect fit. If you already had an interview that went well, you are probably eager for news on next steps -- or any feedback at all. It’s important not to sound needy, or like you’re beating yourself up when you inquire about the position with your CPG recruiter.
When you send an email, make sure you give the job title, company, and job position number if you have it, so there is no confusion. Highlight why you feel you’re especially qualified for the position. It’s good to sound enthusiastic about a job and the prospect of being hired. Don’t reiterate your entire resume, but remind the recruiter of your unique skills and how they make you an excellent candidate for consideration.
Tip #3: Be Persistent but Respectful
Nobody likes a pest. When you follow up with a CPG recruiter don’t become informal and incessant. Leaving five voicemails a day is a big red flag, or emailing the minute after you sent materials to follow-up if they received your information. Make sure you’re remaining professional, this recruiter is not working for you and you are not their friend. After you have submitted your resume materials to an expert recruiter or a job opening leaving a follow-up call or email one-two later is a good rule of thumb. Don’t step on your recruiter’s toes by contacting the company hiring directly, ever.
Nerves will make or break your communication with your recruiter. Before you leave them a long-winded, rambling voicemail remember these tips. The hiring process can be strenuous and stressful, but following up doesn’t have to be. Make sure you follow these best practices to stay on your recruiter’s good side and to maintain a positive relationship with them.