How to prepare for a recruiter screen

What a recruiter screen is for

A recruiter screen is a short first call, usually by phone or video. The recruiter isn't testing your deepest skills. They are checking a short list.

• Does your background match the posting?
• Do your pay and start date fit the budget and timing?
• Can you explain yourself clearly in a minute or two?
• Are you easy to work with?

So preparing takes an hour. You are getting a few answers ready.

Step 1. Open the posting and your resume

Open the exact posting you applied to. Copy the five or six items it asks for most. Next to each, write one example from your past work with a result you can state in a sentence.

Then pull up the resume you sent. Many people skip this. If you tailored your resume for the job, the recruiter is holding that version, and every line on it is fair game. If you sent a generic one months ago, you may have forgotten what it says.

Salvo applies to the job for you and rewrites your resume for each job, so the file it sent is saved with the submission. Open that file before the call. If you apply by hand, keep each version in a labelled folder for the same reason.

Step 2. Learn the company in 15 minutes

You don't need a deep study. You need enough to sound like you chose this company on purpose.

• What does the company sell, and to whom?
• How large is it, and where are the offices?
• What was one recent announcement, product launch or hire?
• Who might the job report to?

Use the company site, its newsroom and LinkedIn. Write three lines of notes. You'll seldom need more.

Step 3. Write and rehearse a 60-second pitch

The first question is nearly always some form of "Tell me about yourself." Answer it in about a minute, in three parts.

1. Where you are now, in one sentence. "I'm a marketing analyst at a regional retailer."
2. Two things you did that match the posting, with a result for each.
3. Why this job. One sentence tied to something you learned about the company.

Say it out loud at least three times. Time it on your phone. The first draft usually runs two minutes, so cut it. A recruiter will interrupt if they want more.

Step 4. Settle the practical answers

Recruiters ask these on nearly every screen. Decide your answers in advance so you aren't inventing them live.

Pay comes first. Look up a range for the job title and location, using postings for similar jobs. Give a range instead of a single amount, and make sure you'd accept the bottom of it. If you don't know yet, you can say you want to learn more about the job first, but have a range ready if they press.

Start date is next. If you're unemployed, say you're available right away. If you're working, give the notice you owe, often two weeks, and say so.

Know your work setup too. Decide if you want remote, hybrid or onsite, and how far you'll commute.

Have a short, plain answer for work authorization.

For why you're leaving a job, keep it neutral and forward-looking. Don't criticize a past employer.

Step 5. Prepare two or three questions to ask

Good questions show you listened to the posting. Pick from these.

• What are the next steps, and how long does each take?
• Why is the job open?
• What would success look like in the first 90 days?
• Who is on the team I would work with?

Don't open with pay or perks. Wait for the recruiter to bring them up, or ask near the end.

Step 6. Set up the call itself

• Test your audio and camera ten minutes early if it's a video call.
• Sit somewhere quiet, with your phone on silent.
• Keep the posting, your resume, your notes and a glass of water within reach.
• Have pen and paper ready. Write down the recruiter's name, the next steps and any dates they mention.
• Dress as you would for the interview itself, even for a phone call. It changes how you sound.

How the call usually runs

Expect an opener of two or three minutes, the "tell me about yourself" question, a few questions about your background and fit, the logistics round on pay and timing, then your questions. Keep answers to 60 to 90 seconds. If you ramble, the recruiter can't cover the rest of their list, and that can count against you.

If you don't know an answer, say so and offer to follow up by email. That beats a vague guess.

After the call

Send a thank-you email the same day. Two or three sentences is enough. Name something specific from the call, restate your interest, and confirm the next step. If a week passes after the date they gave you, send a short note using the guide on how to follow up after you apply.

Also write down what they asked. If the same question trips you up twice, fix that answer before the next round.

Where Salvo fits

None of this needs an app. A notebook, a folder and an hour will do it. But the steps before the call, finding jobs, tailoring a resume and applying, take hours each week. Salvo handles those for you and preps you for each interview, so you spend your time on calls like this one. It is free to start, no card, and your first 2 interview requests are free. The pricing page explains what counts as an interview request.

What to do next

Pick the next posting you're excited about and run the six steps above for it, even before anyone calls. If you don't want to spend your evenings on application forms, start free with Salvo and let it apply for you. You can sign up here in a few minutes.

Related

• How to follow up after you apply
• /how-salvo-applies.html
• /pricing-qualified-interview.html