How to Excel in Your Next Recruitment Consultant Interview

You’re CV has got the Talent Acquisition teams attention, and now its time to showcase your skills and personality in person.

Read our top tips to excel in your next Recruitment Consultant interview, helping you to stay calm, and ultimately secure your first position in recruitment. 

Research, research, research!

Companies love to see that you have done research on them, and it will help you understand if they are the sort of business you want to work for. Although this may be the 20th company you have interviewed with, you may also be the 20th person they are interviewing that week. Resist the urge to give generic answers for similar jobs.

• Find out the company's mission, key facts, specialisation, any recent news and even check out your interviewer on LinkedIn.

Weave in your research into all your answers and questions to make you stand out.

Prepare your pitch

Every interview is a sales pitch about yourself. Think... Why hire me? Why am I better than other candidates?

• Prepare a pitch of 3 clear points referencing relevant points from the job description.
• Think about when you have shown those attributes in your work experience, education or extracurriculars. 

Showcase your skills with quantifiable examples

Interviewers love tangible examples, that demonstrate your skills. But keep it short, sweet and to the point!

You can be the best fit but if you can’t get to the point, interviewers may write you off when applying for a sales job that requires clear communication.

• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to highlight your achievements.
• Don’t forget to quantify your achievements with numbers e.g. made xx number of calls per day. 

Ask specific questions

Be sure to ask questions that show you are personally interested in the role/ opportunity/ interviewer. Questions should be suitable for the stage of interview (don’t ask about work from home allowance unless at a final stage!).

• Good examples include: Tell me about your biggest success in your own role? What has been the biggest challenge while working in recruitment? Where do you see the company in X years?
• Prepare 5 specific questions from your research about the company. This will show your interest and depth of thought!

Be yourself

Everyone says this, but the key is to let your personality shine through and limit nerves (we know this is easier said than done!). In an interview it is important to be yourself and make a good impression. The best way to calm your nerves is to be prepared!

• Practice introducing yourself and giving a 3-5 sentence overview about your education, work experience and extracurricular activities.
• Think about your motivations and what you want to achieve in a career – practice saying this out loud.
• Write down what you think your personal strengths and development areas are – sometimes the most straightforward questions can be the hardest to think of on the spot.

Ready to start your recruitment career?

With these tips in your toolkit, you’re well on your way to smashing your interviews and landing that perfect role. Remember, interviewing is a skill – the more you practice and do them, the better you get!

View our current Trainee Recruitment Consultant jobs here.

Or send in your CV and we’ll match you with relevant job opportunities.

Connect with the author Mica Reid here.