Interview your Recruiter

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN INTERVIEWING YOUR RECRUITER

Many times when heading to meet with a recruiter for an initial discussion or interview, a job-seeking professional can go through a series of anticipated questions and prepare well-crafted answers. However, an initial meeting with your recruiter is also a good opportunity to interview them and figure out if the relationship is a fit for you in meeting your long-term career objectives.

1. What’s your track record with placing professionals?
Given that we have been in “the great recession” since late 2008, this might be a little more difficult to get a positive answer for since there have been fewer jobs to fill. However, you might want to look for success in making placements pre-recession, or success rates (i.e. what percentage of the candidates who you have sent to in-person interviews have received job offers?).

2. Tell me about the market?
The best recruiters follow legal publications like the AmLaw Daily, National Law Journal, Texas Lawyer, etc. and always have their ear to the grounds about what’s going on in the legal market. I would be weary of a recruiter who can’t easily name the AmLaw 100 firms in Dallas and tell you who’s hiring and firing.

3. What do you think my chances are of finding a job in the next 6 months?
With this question the most important response is receiving an honest answer, and seeing your recruiter as a consultant rather than a self-interested salesman. If you are a real estate associate in a down economy, it might be 9 months until a good opportunity arises and you might want to sit tight. A good recruiter also looks out for your welfare, and isn’t looking for you to bite on the first firm opportunity which arises (which might be drastically below your salary requirements and require more billable hours, etc.).

4. What are you asking of me?
This is a biggie! I wouldn’t trust a recruiter who wants your firstborn child and exclusive rights to distribute your resume to every firm in town. I have great relationships with some firms and no relationships with others. The good ones are really good—they trust my judgment and know (because of successes in the past), that I will only send them the best of the best. I would be greedy to try and stake claim on your resume with firms whom I have no relationship with and not a viable opportunity at the time.

5. Who do you work with at different firms or companies?
Here I would look for recruiters who go to the top in terms of their contacts—Managing Partners, Hiring Partners, General Counsels and law firm Administrators. Getting your resume to the top is a HUGE advantage of using a recruiter, and you want to make sure you know where your resume is headed.

6. Will you ever send out my resume without my permission?
Unless explicitly agreed to beforehand (this might be an especially viable option if you are unemployed and your recruiter does not want you to miss a brand new opportunity and your recruiter knows your interests well), this should absolutely be avoided. Why? First, having your resume submitted by both you and the search firm, or by two search firms, is looked down upon by potential law firm or corporate employers and may cost you the opportunity. This can happen if you do not know where your resume is going and you are actively seeking employment. Second, you want to make sure there are not any “hot” confidentiality issues that need to be handled delicately (i.e. your boss is brothers with a Partner at that firm or you have a case pending against them) or avoided altogether. Third, if you are submitted to a firm you would absolutely not be interested in, you can potentially burn a bridge by having them build an interest and then ultimately withdrawing your resume. The DFW legal market is a tight one, and it’s important to appear at all times professional in valuing potential employers’ time and efforts.

7. Who do you know at my firm? Who would be a good reference for your services?
These are questions to determine, again, how well-connected your recruiter is and how well they know the legal market. As well, it is not necessary to call or contact the reference but instead see how quickly this can be answered and the caliber of professional provided. On a side note, Linkedin is a great way to see references for potential recruiters (I know I ask all my placed candidates to write a recommendation for my page).

As you interview your recruiter, perhaps you will also gain insight into the mindset of potential employers who interview you. Choose a recruiter wisely—a great relationship with a trustworthy one can alter the course of your career!