There’s a lot to worry about before an interview – are you wearing the right clothes? Have you prepared well enough? But have you ever thought about your body language? Research suggests that between 60% and 70% of human communication is nonverbal behaviour – in other words, body language. Your interview is actually composed of two conversations at the same time: one with words, the other with subtle social cues. Subtle body cues and social signals comprise more of the interviewer’s impression of you than your CV or what you say during the interview. So even if you’ve got the perfect skills and experience, have fully researched the company and have given the best answers to their questions, if you come across as unfriendly, distant or disrespectful, it’s unlikely the interviewer is going to think you are right for their company.

These negative social cues are often just down to nerves, so even though you might feel you are ready to explode with anxiety, here are some quick tips on body language to help you appear relaxed and confident on the day:

Start strong

First impressions count, and nothing says confidence like a firm handshake. So when your interviewer approaches you, grasp their hand firmly, smile and make eye contact. Eye contact is very important as it instantly establishes rapport and conveys mutual understanding and attention. Approach the interviewer with an open stance, which signals friendliness and honesty.

Maintain Interest

When you sit down to talk, don’t slouch or lean back as these both imply disinterest. Sit straight up and lean slightly towards your interviewer, suggesting respect and attentiveness. Be sure to nod occasionally, smile and leave your hands casually in your lap or resting on the arms of the chair. In difficult situations we are often inclined to fold our arms across our body. This helps us to feel more secure, but during a job interview it can be interpreted as a defensive move. It’s worth observing your interviewer’s body language to make sure you are both on the same page.

Don’t be distracting

Be careful of fidgeting. Playing with your hair or scratching your skin is a tell-tale sign of nervousness. Shuffling your feet or tapping your fingers can also be very annoying. Keep your focus on the interviewer and what they are saying as this shows that you are attentive and a good listener.

Remember to relax

Unfortunately stress shows in your face and throughout your entire body, and it can be difficult to hide unless you are genuinely relaxed. So try your best to be as relaxed as possible. Think positively and do some deep breathing before the interview to help calm you. And remember, as badly as you want this job, you’ll have other opportunities. Don’t put undue stress on yourself by believing that one mistake will change the course of your life. This is the first of many job interviews you’ll go on in your lifetime. It’s normal to be nervous, but try and turn that feeling into excitement.

End Strong

You’ve made it to the end of the interview, but it’s not quite over yet. Stand up, smile, and shake hands. Be respectful and thank the interviewer for their time. Exchange the necessary pleasantries and leave slowly, and confidently.

To begin with you may feel like you have to concentrate a lot on your body language, but this will improve over time and soon you will be showing positive social cues in your interviews without even thinking about it.

Although body language won’t get you a job on its own it could the icing on the cake that makes you stand out from other candidates. Your interviewer will remember you as a confident, assertive, friendly, and honest applicant – all the important characteristics that employers look for in an employee. So whether you get the job or not, at least you came across as confident and professional.

So you’ve got yourself an interview, well done! But what do you do next? Interviews can be daunting so in order to perform to the best of your ability on the day, you need to do a bit of preparation beforehand. That includes thinking carefully about how you may answer the interview questions.

Aspire Rec2Rec have put together a list of typical questions which you may be asked in a recruitment interview, as well as some useful questions you may want to ask them. Read through the questions, and think about the best way you could answer them. It’s better to come across a question you don’t know how to answer now than in the interview, as you have time to go away and think about it or do some extra research on the company, so take advantage of this. You should be prepared to answer questions on every aspect of your education, career to date and future aspirations.

Typical questions you may be asked:

• What are your professional and educational qualifications to date?
• Why do you want to work in recruitment?
• What skills do you have that will make you a good recruitment consultant?
• What experience do you have that is relevant to a recruitment role?
• What motivates you?
• What are your unique selling points?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• Where do you see yourself in five years time?
• What achievements are you most proud of?
• What have you done in your career that demonstrates initiative?
• What are your strengths/weaknesses?
• How would your manager/previous employer describe you?
• What aspects of your job do you find easiest/hardest?
• Where would you rank yourself in your current team?
• What qualities can you bring to a business?
• How would you prepare to win new business?
• What do you know about the recruitment marketplace?
• What is your understanding of the role of a recruitment consultant?
• When have you worked to targets?
• How have you faired against those targets?
• When have you demonstrated resilience?
• When have you demonstrated persuasive skills?
• When have you shown a competitive nature?
• When have you had to deal with a difficult situation?
• How did you overcome that situation?
• What else have you done with regards to securing a position within recruitment?

You’ve made it to the end of your interview, and the employer has asked if you have any questions for them. Don’t reply with “No, I think you’ve covered everything”. This is your opportunity to find out if the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development that you want. Interviewers want to hear thoughtful questions about the work, the culture, and the organization – questions that show that you’re really trying to figure out if this is the right fit for you.

Questions you may wish to ask:

Company

• Why is the position available?
• What is the company turnover?
• What plans for future growth does the company have?
• Who are your competitors in the market?
• Are you candidate or client led i.e. do they have more jobs or more candidates?
• What is the company culture?
• How is the company structured?
• Which is the most successful consultant/team and why?
• How many candidates do you interview per week and how? i.e. face to face/by telephone
• What is the ratio of candidates interviewed to placed?

Role

• What training will I receive?
• What are the long-term opportunities for progression?
• What % of my role will be candidate generation and business development?
• When are trainees generally promoted to consultants?
• What commission can I earn as a trainee and then as a consultant?
• What expectations will you have of me in the first three months/six months?
• How soon will I be interviewing, going on client visits and making placements?
• How will my performance be measured?

Team

• What size is the team in which I would be working?
• How are the teams structured?
• Which is the most successful team and why?
• How competitive are the teams?

Once you’ve asked the employer your questions, always be sure to close the interview at the end! There are several ways in which you can do this:

• Thank them for taking the time to see you, and if they haven’t already covered it then you can ask:
• What is the next step from here?
• When should I expect to hear from you?

But don’t forget, interviews aren’t just about answering the questions well. Here are a few others things you need to consider:

Do:

• Make sure you are well presented – shoes polished, tie tied neatly, top button done up, don’t wear anything revealing
• Plenty of research prior to the interview
• Prepare questions you would like to ask at the end of the interview
• Arrive on time or a few minutes early
• Shake hands firmly but not too vigorously
• Sit upright, be alert and attentive
• Look the interviewer in the eye when you talk and smile as appropriate
• Answer questions appropriately. Listen and keep it concise
• Wherever possible, avoid answering questions with a simple yes or no. Expand your answers sufficiently to reveal anything which will enhance your suitability for the job but don’t waffle
• Know your CV and any gaps that may be questioned and reasons for leaving jobs
• Be honest about other interviews you have had
• Back up competency based questions with examples
• Appear to be interested in the opportunity even if you are not. Never shut out an opportunity, it is always better to have more than one choice
• Show loads of energy and enthusiasm. Remember enthusiasm sells.
• Thank the interviewer for their time and always remember to close!

Don’t:

• Lie about your experience
• Talk negatively about past employers
• Bore the interviewer with anecdotal stories that have no relevance
• Be facetious
• Say any more than is necessary if the interviewer raises political, religious or economical issues
• Slouch and appear too relaxed
• Swear
• Chew chewing gum
• Smoke immediately before the interview – the smell can be off-putting
• Fiddle with anything
• Look into space/floor and seem uninterested

So you’re considering entering the exciting and fast-paced recruitment industry. Great! This blog aims to provide you with all the information you need to help you make the decision. So let’s start at the beginning:

What is Recruitment?

In basic terms, recruitment is a type of sales, the key difference being that you are selling ‘people’ as opposed to a product or service. In simplistic terms it requires selling people to companies and companies to people. The industry is however very diverse and covers different sectors and different levels so the job itself can differ.

The role of the recruitment consultant is fast paced and demanding. It is also very challenging and exciting where no two days are ever the same.

The role involves attracting business from client companies by using sales, business development and marketing techniques. This includes building relationships with clients by going out and meeting them, keeping in touch over the telephone and also in writing. It involves getting to know the client companies, what they do, how they operate and the general culture or atmosphere of the workplace. An important attribute for a recruitment consultant is the confidence to contact prospective clients and win their business. If you don’t have enough jobs you won’t hit your targets so the more clients you win the better!

Recruitment consultants are also required to proactively attract candidates by drafting advertising copy and using a wide range of media. The truly successful recruitment consultant will also use their networking ability to find candidates who are only speculatively looking or hadn’t even considered changing jobs. Selling opportunities to candidates is an often overlooked but very important part of the recruitment process, not every candidate is going to automatically use your services. If you don’t have any candidates you won’t make any placements!

When you have found candidates you then have to interview and assess their suitability to relevant roles and arrange meetings with your clients. Recruitment consultants are also involved in negotiating pay and salary rates and finalising arrangements between client and candidate. The sense of satisfaction you receive from placing the right candidate in the right job can be overwhelming.

Why get into Recruitment?

The first and most important reason for wanting to work in Recruitment should be the amount of money you can make. Working towards uncapped commission could see you earning up to 40k in your first year.

Recruitment also offers fast track career progression. If you want to become a Manager and head up your own team, this can be done in as little time as 18 months. How quickly you progress depends solely on you – the harder you work, the more you get back.

The variety of the job role ensures you are not sitting behind your desk all day every day, you are out visiting clients, interviewing candidates and attending events.

Recruitment is also a very empowering career. You run your desk like you would run a business and you will determine your salary, your progression and how successful you become.

Recruitment companies recognise that hard work deserves recognition and so you will find that incentives go beyond just monetary. A lot of firms offer holidays, nights out, lunch, company car schemes and gym memberships to keep you motivated.

The people you work with also make it a fun place to work. Imagine a room full of like-minded individuals who all want to be successful and you have a great working environment. It is true to say that one of the main reasons people enjoy working in recruitment is that they love the environment they work in.

There is of course the buzz you get from filling a vacancy. For many people it isn’t purely about the commission it is also the feeling of satisfaction you get from hitting a target or being top of the company leader board.

All in all, if you are a confident, hard working, money-motivated individual, Recruitment is one of the best careers to get into!

What makes a successful recruitment consultant?

• Proven track record of success/achievement – this may be in an academic/ sporting/ social or work environment
• Ability to work to targets and under pressure
• Tenacity and determination
• Listening skills – important to define needs of your clients and candidates
• Good communication skills – verbal and written
• Good telephone manner with excellent rapport building skills
• Ability to conduct face to face presentations with senior personnel
• Employers will expect interviewees to research their company, have a basic understanding of the role of a consultant and be prepared to explain why they want to follow a career within recruitment

Types of entry level roles in Recruitment:

Resourcer/Head Hunter

These roles can be an ideal introduction to the industry although some people choose to become an expert and stay within the role. The majority of work involves a one-sided sell to candidates. Your focus will be to source candidates, which can be done by screening advertisement response, searching internet job sites or possibly more proactively by headhunting or networking within the industry. Once sourced, you will be responsible for contacting the candidates to assess their needs and requirements and discuss possible job opportunities.

Researcher

A Researcher role is the role that most people will take on if they choose to work in the Search recruitment sector. As a researcher you are more likely to only have candidate contact and the primary focus of the role will be researching target companies, mapping out the market and ultimately searching for individuals either you or a consultant can then go on to headhunt. Successful researchers will have strong analytical and organisational skills.

Trainee Recruitment Consultant

The next entry level involves both clients and candidates. It is often referred to as full-cycle recruitment because you will be involved in every stage of the recruitment process. You may be given a growth area or develop existing accounts or both. On a daily basis you will be selling the services of the recruitment company to your clients and negotiating terms of business and learning about their requirements. You will also be sourcing candidates and assessing their suitability for the vacancies you are working on as selling the benefits to them and arranging interviews. As you take on board the training provided, your responsibilities will grow so excellent time management skills will be needed.

Business Developer

Some companies have a dedicated sales team to focus purely on new business development. Your role will be to research potential clients and contact them to negotiate a business relationship. Once relationships have been developed and vacancies acquired, they are usually passed to a team of consultants who will start resourcing candidates for the role. As the day-to-day role is predominantly client contact, confidence and credibility are key as well as the ability to negotiate and build a good rapport.

Still interested?

Our clients have lots of exciting positions to gain you entry into the recruitment industry, and our Rec2Rec team are here to help you get there! Register your details with us today and we will be in contact with you to discuss your current experience and what you’re looking for in your next position.

Attending an interview can be a daunting task for anyone. We at Aspire Rec2Rec have designed these helpful guidelines to make the interview process as painless as possible. Prepare for your interview thoroughly, so that you feel calm and relaxed on the day. Following these suggestions should help you perform to the best of your ability and help you feel more relaxed during your interview. Remember, although the interviewer wants to know how you would fit into the position, they are not there to trip you up.

Before the interview:

• Find out about the company. Check out their website and look to see how long they’ve been in business, what they specialise in, who their clients are and what their turnover and profits are.
• Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer’s full name.
• Find out how long it takes to get there (Try entering the clients postcode into multimap.com). Then make sure you arrive a few minutes early.
• Dress appropriately for the industry.
• Reread your CV or application form to refresh your memory.
• Take along a clean copy of your CV, and any samples of your work you may have.
• Think about the personal skills the client is looking for and about when you may have demonstrated these skills in the past – at work, school/university or in a social environment. Be able to provide details of these, and think about why and how they might be relevant for the position you are interested in.
• Refresh your memory on the facts and figures of your present employer and former employers.
• Be prepared to answer typical questions such as:

1. What kind of job are you looking for?
2. What are your strengths?
3. What are you really good at?
4. What are your weaknesses?
5. What are you doing about addressing them?
6. What do you know about our company?
7. Why did you choose your particular career?
8. What are your qualifications?

During the interview:

• Greet the interviewer by their surname, shake hands firmly, and make eye contact and smile.
• Take along proof of your sales figures and/or payslips. It will add massively to your credibility.
• Maintain good eye contact during the interview.
• Get the interviewer to describe the position and the duties to you early in the interview so that you can relate your background and skills to the position. Ask what the qualities are of the people who are already achieving in the company and relate your qualities to them.
• Make sure that your good points get across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner.
• Prepare the questions YOU want answered. This is your opportunity to find out if the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development that you want.
• Some questions you might ask are:

1. Do you have a detailed description of the position?
2. What is the reason the position is available?
3. What is the culture of the company?
4. Is there an anticipated induction and training programme?
5. Are there advanced training programmes available for those who demonstrate outstanding ability?
6. What types of people have done well?
7. What are the most successful sectors / disciplines?

• Don’t answer questions with a simple “yes” or “no”. Explain whenever possible. Tell them those things about yourself that relate to the position. Back up your statements about yourself with specific examples whenever possible.
• Exhibit a positive attitude. The interviewer is evaluating you as a potential co-worker. Behave like someone you would want to work with.
• Evaluate the interviewer and the organization s/he represents. An interview is a two-way street.
• Ask the interviewer about the next stage.
• When the interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye contact.
• After the interview, make notes right away so you don’t forget critical details.

Your CV is your first opportunity to shine and stand out from the rest; it must highlight all your skills, qualifications, experience, and indeed anything that will sell yourself to the reader to convince them that you are the candidate they want.  This information has been designed to give you some advice on preparing your CV. There is no such thing as a perfect CV and people will always choose different styles and layouts for it, however the following may provide you with some handy hints to target your CV, to ensure that yours stays at the top of the pile, rather than the bottom of the bin!

PRESENTATION

Spread your CV out, as it comes across as more attractive to read. The average length for a CV should be 2 sides of A4. One side doesn’t give enough opportunity to sell yourself, yet employers do not want to read 7 or 8 pages about your life experiences! Don’t use bright colours or a very small typeface. Small typefaces often become blurred when faxed or photocopied and colours will not show.  A Recruiter does not have time to spend deciphering CV’s so is more likely to pick out CV’s that are clear to read.

PLANNING

Before getting anything down on paper, bear in mind your CV should be targeted to the right industries. Think of the job that you are applying for and adjust your CV accordingly – emphasise aspects of your life that are particularly important for the role – experience, skills and so on. Remember that there is no such thing as an all-purpose CV, and an employer can spot a mass produced CV a mile off! This will come across as lazy and does not put you in a good light. Try to consider the personal attributes the employer may look for – commitment, team-work, initiative etc, and use examples of where and when you may have demonstrated these skills.

WHAT TO INCLUDE ON YOUR CV

Start with your basic details – full name, address, contact telephone numbers, email addresses, date of birth and so on.  You should then follow with the main body of your CV.  The order in which you place this may vary according to the importance you place on each of them.  For example, a college leaver may wish to emphasise their qualifications by detailing them first. On the other hand, a person with many years working experience will want to put their current position first to catch the attention of the reader immediately.

PERSONAL PROFILE

A personal profile at the start of the CV can be useful in explaining your career aims to the reader, but this should not be too long or sound too pompous or contrived.  This section is not essential, but you may find it beneficial to include a few sentences explaining the position you are seeking and the kind of company you would ideally like to work for.  This is also an opportunity to show your personality in a subtle way.

EDUCATION

Reverse chronological order is standard here and enables the reader to focus on your most recent and important achievements.  The detail you provide will depend upon what is likely to be considered important by the reader.  For example, someone with a degree would be better off allocating more space to these details than their GCSE achievements.  Professional qualifications should include the type and level attained and the University attended.

EXPERIENCE

When describing different positions undertaken, you should include the company name, position or job title, job description (duties and responsibilities), reason for leaving (if applicable) and salary (if desired).  Try and list at least your last three positions.  If you have any gaps in your work history, explain them, so that the reader can see what you were doing during that time – i.e. travelling, further education and so on.

INTERESTS

This section should be enough to help the employer understand more about you as a person.  Try not to just list these – tell the reader why you do them and what you get out of them. Bare in mind to keep it professional though, a Recruiter does not want to hear about you dancing on the bar last night!

OTHER

Any additional skills or qualifications should be described here, such as the holding of a driving licence, language skills and so on.

REFERENCES

These tell the reader that you are confident that there are people who will speak highly of you!!  The names and addresses of two references should be provided, either work, personal or academic references.  When including a work reference, try to make this your most recent employer.  If you find you do not have space for this, you may at least like to state that references are available upon request.  Remember to always get your referees’ permission before naming them on your CV.

Remember that the above points are only guidelines.  You should use the space you have available carefully and according to the importance of the information for the particular position.  Decide what is going to impress and give it the most space on your CV.

COVER LETTER

A covering letter should be included whenever you send a copy of your CV to a potential employer.  This enables you to target your CV even more and adds a more human and personal touch.  The idea of a covering letter is to draw attention to the important sections of your CV.

Again, there are many different styles that can be used for a covering letter, and as with your CV it is crucial not to send out a standard covering letter to everyone – vary the content according to who you are sending the letter to.  Like the Personal Profile section in your CV it is an opportunity for you to give your application a more human touch.

PRESENTATION & STYLE

One side of A4 is more than enough for a covering letter – any more than this and the reader will become bored and may switch off.  Be brief and to the point.  Handwritten covering letters are fine if you have good handwriting, however a printed letter is usually preferable and looks more professional

INFORMATION TO INCLUDE

Firstly, explain where you saw the advert for the position, and the position you are applying for, if appropriate.

Follow on by explaining why you want the job and why you feel you are suitable.  Much of this information will already be included in your CV and remember the letter should complement the CV, not reiterate it. Highlight important points detailed in your CV, but try not to use the same phrases.  Personalise your letter by mentioning the company and show that you have done your research and know something about them. Try to include why you would like to work for that particular company.

Finish the covering letter by looking to the future – explain that you look forward to hearing from them, or hope to hear from them soon.