Picture this: your phone pings with a personal email. You take a look. It’s a recruiter asking to talk with you about a job. You send a note back with a time and then sit back to try to figure out what you are going to say.
Before the Call
Read about the opportunity
Think about what would find appealing in a new role or a new manager or a new company.
Think about where you want to be for the call. An enclave in your office will do but if you can be offsite, it would be better. Your car is okay or a coffee shop as long as it’s not too loud.
Be ready to talk about your responsibilities and career path.
Make sure your phone is charged.
Have a list of questions ready to ask.
Take a few deep breaths and wait for the phone to ring.
During the Call
Wait for the full questions to be asked. Resist the temptation to jump on the answer before you know the question.
Speak as clearly as possible. Slow down a little.
Keep your answers concise.
Make sure to ask about the next steps in the process so you can be prepared.
After the Call
Send a note acknowledging the conversation.
Write some notes about what you learned.
Think about what you want to do about the opportunity.
If you are not going to pursue it, maybe there is someone you know. Passing on this sort of information to a friend or former colleague is always very appreciated.
You can turn a luke warm conversation into big pile of good karma.
Recruiter's Couch 