What not to say to a recruiter

Table of Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    When meeting with a recruiter to discuss your career and upcoming roles that may suit your skillset, there are a few things we recommend not mentioning.

    For starters – when a consultant asks what type of role you’re looking for, don’t just say “anything”. Yes, that’s great you’re willing to work in various industries and areas, but you need to be specific. If you cannot specify what you’re looking for, perhaps you haven’t done enough research yet to know what you want. Being focused and confident about what you want to obtain is more appealing than someone who “just wants a job”. As a starting point, when asked what you’re looking for, be prepared to talk about the type of industry, tasks, company size, location, and salary you want.

    Another big no-no is giving your recruiter incorrect information. We strongly recommend telling the truth about your current salary. Your potential new employer won’t be happy if they find out you have lied. It will also make them question what else you’ve lied about on your resume.

    Last but not least, don’t give us excuses; we can handle the truth. For example, one of our consultants recently received a text from a candidate saying he missed the appointment because his “dingo escaped”. Although the office had a good laugh from this awful excuse, we also agreed it’s better to be honest. If you’re no longer interested in a role and want to cancel an interview, let us know. Believe us; we would rather someone have a change of heart than be a no-show.

    Truth wins respect every day of the week.

    FROM OUR PULSE NEWS, EMPLOYER AND JOB SEEKER HUBS

    Featured Articles

    The Future of Sales is Tech

    For decades, the foundation of sales was the “A-Player”—the charismatic, relationship-driven closer who succeeded through sheer grit, intuition, and an overflowing contact list. That era is over. Today, the sales landscape is being fundamentally redesigned by technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a tool for optimization; it is the Chief Strategist, the tireless SDR,…

    New to Fintech? We’ve Got You

    The Financial Technology (FinTech) industry is a powerhouse, valued in the trillions and constantly reshaping how money moves, how we borrow, and how we invest. It’s an arena where cutting-edge tech meets complex financial challenges, creating a career landscape that is vibrant, lucrative, and high-impact. If you are a job seeker or a working professional…

    How to Build a Personal Brand in Cyber

    In the high-stakes world of cybersecurity, trust and credibility are the ultimate currency. Whether you’re a seasoned Security Engineer, a budding SOC Analyst, or a CISO looking to influence policy, your personal brand is your most valuable professional asset. It’s no longer enough to be technically brilliant behind closed doors. The most successful professionals are…

    Mitigating Enterprise Cyber Risks

    In the digital economy, cyber risk is not an IT problem—it is a business risk. Every board meeting, every product launch, and every major partnership is underpinned by the assumption of security. When that assumption fails, the consequences—regulatory fines, intellectual property loss, reputational damage, and operational downtime—can be catastrophic. For enterprise leaders, the goal is…

    How to Fix Gaps in Your FinTech Team

    The FinTech industry is a high-speed collision of finance, technology, and regulation. To win in this environment, you need a team with an impossibly rare combination of skills: deep financial domain expertise paired with cutting-edge tech proficiency. The result? A pervasive and persistent talent gap that threatens to stall innovation, increase compliance risk, and slow…

    Your Guide to AI in the Workplace

    The conversation around AI in the workplace often focuses on automation—the replacement of routine tasks. For ambitious job seekers and forward-thinking professionals, however, the real story is augmentation: how AI acts as an unparalleled co-pilot that dramatically enhances your ability to make better, faster, and more strategic decisions. In a world drowning in data and…

    How AI Helps With Decision-Making

    For decades, strategic leadership relied on two pillars: experience and data. Today, the volume, velocity, and complexity of data have simply outstripped the capacity of human experience alone. The time between insight and action—the decision cycle—is collapsing. In this environment, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer an optional tool; it is the force multiplier that…

    Top Skills for Cybersecurity Careers

    The field of cybersecurity is no longer a niche corner of IT—it is the indispensable backbone of the global economy. Every major digital transformation, from AI to the cloud, creates new avenues for innovation and, simultaneously, new surface areas for attack. This constant state of evolution means the skills required for success are changing faster…

    What’s Missing on Your Sales Team?

    The classic image of a successful sales team is simple: a pack of hungry Account Executives (AEs), led by a visionary Sales Manager, all fueled by coffee and a killer instinct. This is the “hunter” model, and while it was effective in a simpler age, it’s now a relic of a bygone era. Today’s B2B…

    Can AI Improve Workplace Culture?

    The phrase “workplace culture” often conjures images of ping-pong tables, catered lunches, or inspirational posters. But the true measure of a great culture is far more fundamental: it’s the sum of shared values, behaviors, and the collective experience of every employee. It’s about feeling seen, valued, and empowered. For decades, shaping this intangible yet critical…