Ask a Recruiter: Tips for Job Search Success

As a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant at Assurant and with 18 years of combined recruiting and staffing experience, I’ve always been passionate about making an impact on candidates’ lives. It is my mission to help candidates find their dream jobs and become much more fulfilled in their professional and personal lives. I’ve outlined some tips to not only ensure you as a candidate are matched with the right employer, but also equip yourself to showcase your skills and experience to land your dream job.

Choose Company Culture & Values That You Align With

Remember that when you’re interviewing for a role within a company, you’re also interviewing them to see if they’re the right fit for your career goals and lifestyle. Make sure a company’s values align with yours and try to get a sense of the culture within the organization. This will help ensure that it’s the kind of environment where you can flourish.

But how do you learn about a company’s culture or values without directly speaking to a current employee? Here are a few resources you can use to gather information about a company:

• Company Website
  • Companies often display their core values or mission statements on their company website. Explore any annual reports they may publish related to topics on corporate social responsibility, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and sustainability. This will give you a wider lens into the company’s key focuses and priorities
• Social Media pages
  • How does this company position itself online? Do employees engage with the posts? You can learn about a company and its culture with the content they share on their feed.
• CEO or Executive Leadership Statements
  • Culture begins from the top-down. Look to see if leaders of the company make external statements in response to matters that mean the most to you. This shows integrity and transparency within the organization.

What Kind of Benefits Do They Offer?

Benefits are a great way to see how companies invest in their employees. A dynamic benefits package can show that an employer places a heavy value on their employees’ happiness, growth and well-being. Everyone’s needs are different, so strong employers will offer benefits that aren’t intended as a one-size-fits-all solution.

If you’re in strong consideration for the opportunity and you’re curious about the company’s benefits package, you can ask the Recruiter or HR Representative for more details.

Consider Job Security & Growth Opportunities

Ask questions during the interview process so that you can get a clearer picture of how the company is performing, financially. It is also a good idea to ask what advancement opportunities might be available in the future if you were to exceed expectations in the role.

When you interview the company, it allows the recruiter to articulate what makes this company unique. And when you inquire about career growth, it tells the recruiter you’re not only confident and ambitious, but you’re looking for a long-term commitment in your next role.

Consider questions like:

• “What do you like most about working for XYZ Company?”
• “What excites you most about where the company is headed?”
• “What does a typical career path look like for someone stepping into this role?”
• “What role(s) does a high-performing associate typically grow into after starting out in this position?”

How to Stand Out from Other Candidates

• Social Media Presence
  • Your social media accounts should professionally reflect you. Recruiters generally search for public information they can gather on potential candidates, including reviewing social media accounts to uncover any red flags in their candidacy.
• Revisit your Resume
  • Don’t forget to include any certifications or completed training on your resume that relates to the jobs you are applying for or shows your interests. It is also a good idea to add those details to your LinkedIn profile.
  • Also consider including specific keywords in your resume. When recruiters search for candidates, they screen for specific keywords related to the job, such as specific job titles or ideal skillsets for the position. Before applying to the role, review the job description and determine applicable skills to include in your resume and LinkedIn profile to show your qualifications and stand out to the recruiter.
• Do your research on the role and the company
  • As a recruiter, I ask candidates, “Are you familiar with our company and what we do?” to get an idea of how engaged they are in pursuing the opportunity. I don’t expect the candidate to be an expert on our company, but it is encouraging to hear when a candidate has a basic understanding of Assurant.

If you want to find out more about Assurant and take the next step in your career, explore our Careers page to learn more and apply.