The first step in your executive search
in Germany, is meeting the search
agency to get all the help you need to reach that hot seat where you will be
face to face with the client and convincing him you are perfect for the job.
Being one of the best executive search agencies in
Germany, we can say one thing for sure that we are like your casting
directors and there is only one question to answer, “Do I see this candidate in
a face to face interview with the client?” The answer to this question is
usually affected by a lot of factors, company’s leadership sensibilities and
priorities being at the top of it.
The executive search agency, the
company and you, the candidate are working towards exploring a possible long
term relationship with each other, where the recruiter would get you placed in
one or the other position depending upon what materializes for you. Therefore,
this first meeting is like the foundation on which all your future interview
calls would depend. Important right? So how do you prepare to put your best
foot forward and make this meeting count? Well! We have few tips for you:
Preparation Before The Meeting
- Take this
meeting as an interview and prepare answers to all the possible questions.
Prepare a note of all your accomplishments as this is the basis on which
recruiters would decide whether you would be a good fit for a particular
role or not. Experienced recruiters always focus on what you have done and
achieved rather than hypothetical questions.
- You need to
impress your recruiter in order to gain access to his client. You seethis
as a necessary step before you gain entrance into that room with the CEO
of an organization so, do your homework. Going without preparation can
create the impression in the recruiter’s mind that you might show up
unprepared on the day of the interview as well and no search agency would
want to send a non-serious candidate to their clients so, be prepared and
do your research using Google, Glassdoor, LinkedIn etc. Try to add one or
two references of your research into the interview so that the recruiter
gets the impression that you did your homework.
During The Meeting
- Dress
professionally as if you are going to have a meeting with the CEO of the
company and your job depends upon this last round.
- Be on time
or rather 5-10 minutes early. In case of an unavoidable delay, inform in
advance through email/call/text/ or as soon as you can.
- Do not over
prepare. There could be any reason behind any question, the only rule you
need to follow is be confident, look the recruiter in the eye and answer
with the best of your knowledge.
Follow Up
- A thoughtful
“Thank you” never hurts anybody right? Now that you have thanked the
recruiter for meeting with you, a follow up email within 24 hours would
not show desperation but your seriousness towards the matter. Now you do
not want to be too pushy as executive job openings may take a while. Still
if you have not heard anything in the next 10 days, you can send a polite
check-in email for an update. This would help you put back in the map and
again establish you as a serious candidate.
- Do not
bypass your search agency and contact the hiring manager directly. This is
a strict no-no and extremely unprofessional and would also the break the
trust with the recruiter. Also there is a risk involved that you could
fail to materialize the opportunity you have created
for yourself and end up losing a chance of having any opportunity in
future.