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Always take the first interview

Have you ever received a call from a headhunter or recruiter out of the blue? Sometimes, they’ll call your work phone and leave a voicemail you weren’t expecting. They’re recruiting for a new position. It’s one you haven’t heard about, but they want to speak to you. You don’t even know how they got your name, or your phone number. The recruiter says, “I have a new position I’m trying to fill. I wanted to reach out to see if you know anyone who might be interested.”

It’s always a strange call to receive because it’s such a surprise. If you’re like many people, you may start to run through the list of your friends ‘might be interested.’ But, here’s the thing. When the headhunter asks if you know someone who might be interested, they’re really asking if you might be interested. It’s a polite way of asking if you would want to be interviewed for the job. They only want to know if you have a friend if you aren’t interested.

Once you realize the real question, you’ll probably try to decide which response you want to give. You may initially want to say you aren’t interested. You aren’t looking for a job right now. Things are just fine at work. Or, if you are looking, you may want to say no because you don’t have enough information. You haven’t seen a job description. You don’t know how much the job pays or where it’s located. You don’t know much about the company.

But, when you aren’t looking for a job can often be the perfect time to find one. It means that things at your current job are probably going pretty well. And, if that’s the case, you’ll have more leverage if you do land a job offer. You won’t feel pressured to take something that’s not the right fit if you have a job that’s going just fine.

Still not sure if the job is for you? The best way to find out is to have the interview. When the recruiter asks if you know anyone, let them know that you would like to learn more. You would be interested to speak with the hiring manager. Then, before you interview, ask for the job description and research the company. During the interview, ask questions to learn more.

Very often, job seekers tell me that they don’t want to waste the company’s time. If the job didn’t end up being the right fit, they would feel guilty. But, why? The company will interview many candidates who won’t end up being the right fit. But, they wouldn’t know who to hire if they didn’t interview them. How is going to an interview any different? And, how will you know whether or not a job is for you if you don’t learn more?

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard is this: “Always take the first interview.” You really never know where it might lead you.

Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.

143 | Indeed Prime – Raj Mukherjee, San Francisco, CA

Episode 143 is live! This week, we talk with Raj Mukherjee in San Francisco, CA

Raj is the SVP of Product at Indeed.com. Indeed is the world’s #1 job website with over 200 million visitors per month from over 60 countries. In addition to Indeed, Raj has also worked at a number of other organizations, including GoDaddy, Google, and Microsoft.

On today’s episode, Raj shares everything you need to know about using Indeed Prime. Indeed Prime’s tagline is “Get hired within one month – job search not required.” Listen and find out how this recruiting tool (that targets technology candidates) is helping both employers and job seekers.

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Indeed Prime or to try it out, visit the Indeed website here.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

141 | Therapy Professionals – Brian Weidner, Milwaukee, WI

Episode 141 is live! This week, we talk with Brian Weidner in Milwaukee, WI.

Brian is the President of Career Tree Network where he helps therapy professionals research new career opportunities. Career Tree Network helps healthcare organizations all over the U.S. with hiring and recruitment marketing for jobs including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and more.

On today’s episode, Brian shares the biggest challenges therapy professionals face when looking for a job, and how to overcome challenges of job searching. If you’re interested in switching to a role in the healthcare field, this episode is for you!

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Brian, visit http://www.careertreenetwork.com/. You can also reach out to Career Tree Network at info@careertreenetwork.com.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

 

119 | Landing a Tech Startup Job – Anne Lewis, Betts Recruiting in San Francisco, CA

Episode 119 is live! This week, we talk with Anne Lewis in San Francisco, CA.

Anne is the Director of Sales at Betts Recruiting. Betts Recruiting is a recruiting agency that partners with the most innovative and rapidly growing VC backed companies. They help these organizations scale their sales and marketing teams and partner to find their crucial hires. Their team is experienced in finding talent from VP level to recent graduates and everything in between.

On today’s episode, Anne shares her tips on how to increase our chances of working at a California tech startup. She also gives us advice on how to best work with a recruiter during our job search.

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Anne and Betts Recruiting, check out her website at http://bettsrecruiting.com/meet-the-team/.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching. Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!