How To Say No To A Recruiter (Without Burning A Career Bridge)

How to Say No to a Recruiter (Without Burning a Career Bridge) I acquired a name yesterday from an unknown number in Colorado. I’m not huge on answering unknown calls from outdoors Southern California as a result of they're hardly ever anything however automated advertising calls. For whatever, reason I thought this name would be totally different, and I was proper. It was a recruiter that had found my resume on TheLadders.com. What was humorous is that she knew it was an old resume (no less than two years old), but when she Googled me, she found myLinkedIn profile and thought I would be an excellent fit for the place she was looking to fill. I was flattered, but by following the steps beneath, I found that the position was not one thing that involved me, yet I still gained a brand new connection and started a relationship I could at some point have a necessity for. I thought this may be an excellent experience to share as a result of not only was it a result of my online professional model; it’s additionally one thing that may sometime occu r to you, and it’s essential to know how to handle the state of affairs. First things first: Ask Questions When a recruiter reaches out to you out of the blue, the very first thing you want to do is >ask qualifying questions. You do this so as to decide shortly about whether this opportunity is price consideration or not. This is to keep away from wasting your time on an interview that isn’t a fit. Remember that recruiters are sales individuals, too. They’re trying to promote the place and firm to you. They will focus on the positives of the job and firm; it’s your job to vet the chance to see if will probably be a match for you. Some questions you might want to ask include: Give Them a Straight Answer Once you’ve certified the place to your satisfaction, you must have the ability to give them a straight reply immediately. It’s a professional courtesy to not waste their time, as a result of I’m positive they aren’t making an attempt to waste yours. You can give them a simple “Yes, I’m fascinated” or “No thank you,” but I believe there is a much better response. If you’re involved, then you definitely’ll doubtless discuss next steps with them, together with organising a more formal interview. Your response ought to embody your expectations transferring forward, in addition to what your present state of affairs is. Many folks choose to keep their job search a secret from their current employer, so remember to mention that up front. Every recruiter will perceive, respect and know the way to handle that. Also remember to ask if there is any travel required for the interview process. When I interviewed for my current role, I had to fly to Ohio for a night. My reply for this particular recruiter, nonetheless, was a confident no. One of my qualifying questions was, “Is this an individual gross sales position or a gross sales administration place?” The place title wasn’t very helpful. So my response to her was quick but to the point: I’m flattered you reached out, but I’m very pleased in my present function. I’m not thinking about a lateral move like that right now. I’d actually solely be in a position to think about moving for a gross sales management function. My experience and ability set lend themselves to main a team. She appreciated my candidness and understood my motivation for not wanting to debate the present open position further. Keep the Conversation Open Although I wasn’t involved on this place, that doesn’t imply that later down the highway I wouldn’t worth being linked to her. I can’t predict the future, but I can positively prepare for it. I can’t predict changes in my job status via more than my actions. The incontrovertible fact that she found my experience appealing now means she very nicely might later, as well. I requested to connect along with her on LinkedIn to stay in touch within the hopes that in the future we may be able to assist one another out. I love connecting with recruiters. They have great networks and are great friends to have when you end up in search of a job. Offer to Help Finally, you need to offer to help them out if you can. If they’re taking a look at you to fill their position, then it’s very probably you know others in the industry who could be an excellent fit for the job as properly. Not solely are you able to assist them; you might also be able to help an out-of-work good friend or community connection. It’s typically a win-win. Not solely does this create a brand new relationship; they recruiter will really feel like they owe you one. When the time comes and you're looking for a brand new position, you’ll have yet one more strong relationship you can leverage. I requested this recruiter to send me the job description and stated that if I can consider anyone who’d fit it, I’ll cross them along. “No” Is Not Forever There is a right way and a wrong way to turn someone down. (Click right here to tweet this thought.) As a professional, you’re in a significantly better place if you strengthen your community instead of simply attempting to get someone the telephone as quickly as attainable. Yes, a easy “no, not fascinated” followed by a dial tone will get you back to what you have been doing faster, however it does nothing for you and could probably get rid of you from that recruiter’s candidate pool completely. Be professional, be courteous, and at all times be connected. This publish originally appeared on the Sales Pro Blog. Image: Photobucket