After the virtual career fair, I hope many of your resume or LinkedIn profiles caught the attention of  recruiters. If so it is likely that you will receive a phone-call interview invitation. This is a great opportunity to connect, which also laid the foundation for the subsequent process. Then, how should we make sure that we will do a great job at the first step?

First, we need to understand the role of Recruiter/HR. Their responsibility is to screen out qualified candidates for the company initially and then send them to the corresponding department for follow-up interviews. Therefore, the focus of the recruiter interview and the follow-up interviewer (such as the interview that manager of the department you apply for) are not the same.

Below I would like to share some tips on how to have a fruitful and professional interaction with a recruiter which will put you on the right path to securing a follow-up interview.

1. Quickly show that you meet the basic requirements of the position

Under normal circumstances, recruiters will not ask candidates for technical details. For example, if you are interviewing for a Business Analytics position, recruiters will not examine the technical details related to analysis and code. These technical details will appear in follow-up interviews.

Recruiters are more concerned about whether you meet the basic requirements in the Job Description. So you should try to prove as straightforward as possible that you meet these requirements and prove that you are the person the company is looking for!

2. Show that you are really interested in the company

Recruiters hope to recruit people who truly love the company. If they find qualified candidates, but these candidates are not passionate about what the company does, then they are easily recruited by other companies. This is what recruiters don’t want to see. Therefore, sometimes, sincere enthusiasm for the company can even make up for the lack of skills.

Candidates should understand the company’s business, strategy, products, culture. Learn about the department’s development and the corresponding field they apply for through Job Descriptions to express their enthusiasm for the company.

3. Show that you fit the company culture well

In fact, when the recruiters recruit people, there is a question in their minds: “Will we like him/her?” “Are we willing to work with him/her?” Since colleagues have to work together for more than 8 hours a day, even more than the time spent with family. Thus, it’s important to show that you are in line with the company’s culture.

So before you talk on the phone with recruiters, you have to find the cultural fit between you and the company. You can learn about the company’s brand personality, tone, and atmosphere through the Facebook page, the company’s official website, and LinkedIn’s employees of the company Networking. If the company’s overall atmosphere is very serious and academic, and you tell the recruiter, “I like your fraternity-like atmosphere”, it is not wise.

4. Try to understand the psychology of recruiters

Recruiters also hope to find suitable candidates for the company as soon as possible. If you meet the conditions, in fact, you and the recruiter are on the same front. So please don’t be nervous and afraid, and don’t treat them as enemies. Instead, treat them as friends and help them convince yourself why you are the right person and why you are a better choice for the company.

At the same time, if you have any questions, you should discuss and communicate with the recruiter in time, which shows your enthusiasm and reflects the advantages of your willingness to communicate.

Those are the magic strategies of first-round interview I have brought to you. I hope to help you face the recruiter interview calmly and successfully pass the first level of the interview.