Be Genuine, Show Your Passion and Be Confident: Top Tips From a Senior Recruiter

If you asked Shannon Limpert, a senior recruiter at World Wide Technology (WWT), what the best career advice she’s ever heard was, she would tell you this: “set a goal to improve personally and professionally one percent each day.”

Want to act on this advice now? Well, Limpert has a wide variety of advice that you can use to improve your professional skills. From preparing for an interview, to being genuine when talking to a recruiter, to growing your career — Limpert has top tips no matter where you are in your career journey. Read on to learn more!

1: Preparing for an interview (and what to do if you can’t get an interview).

The top thing you need to do before an interview? Prepare! “When interviewing, do not come in without any knowledge about the company or position you applied for,” emphasizes Limpert. “Always do research and prepare for the interview.” 

For example, if you were interviewing at WWT, Limpert would suggest researching WWT and their culture beforehand via resources such as LinkedIn, the company website and existing employees. “I always ask what the individual knows about WWT,” says Limpert about her own interviewing procedure. “I expect candidates to come to the table with some knowledge of WWT. It sets up a strong interview!”

Interviewees should also be sure to review the job description and be prepared to talk about how their skills and experience relate to the position, Limpert tells us. “I also ask candidates to give me their quick elevator pitch to highlight current experience and what they are looking for,” she says. “This helps me understand their passions/interests and navigate the conversation.”

What about if you keep applying to a company and getting rejected? In cases like these, Limpert suggests making sure that you are applying to a position that aligns with your background and skills. Also, “I highly recommend reaching out to recruiters at companies via LinkedIn,” she states. “This really stands out and gives candidates that personal touch! Additionally, if you have any connections, take advantage of it. Ask for an introduction or if the individual can chat with you about the company. This will help tremendously!”

And, if you are switching careers, apply to positions that align with your career goals and passions. “Organizations will be flexible with entry-level talent, but they’ll look for candidates who are driven and passionate,” shares Limpert.

2: Acing an interview.

So, you’ve done your research and are sitting down to talk to a recruiter. What's next? 

During an interview, Limpert emphasizes the importance of asking questions. And, “don’t ask a question just to ask a question; really listen to the manager to understand what they are looking for and ask questions as it relates to the role,” she advises. Also, she emphasizes the importance of displaying the following three traits: 

1. Be genuine!

2. Show your passion and excitement for the opportunity throughout the interview.

3. Be confident! “Candidates who have confidence in their skills as it relates to the position stand out,” explains Limpert.

3: Growing your career.

For those who are past the interview stage, Limpert has advice for you, too! In regards to elevating your career, she suggests finding a mentor or joining a resource group. “If you don’t know where to start, talk to your manager about your career goals and aspirations. They can help you find a mentor to meet your goals,” she advises.

Stepping outside your comfort zone is also key! One concrete way to do this is to raise your hand to take on a new project/skill. “This will help you learn more about your organization, team and unlock some of your interests,” Limpert says. And, in general, always be on the lookout for further growth and education opportunities, including internal and external training and programs.

Finally, finding a company with a great culture that will support you is key for career development. This is something you will find at WWT — and is something Limpert herself highlights to potential candidates. In fact, she makes sure to share the following three things with candidates:

1. “Culture is a huge piece of WWT, so I always hit on our culture with candidates and give my experience over the last five years.”

2. “We are an organization that truly lives to our core values, THE PATH (which stands for Trust, Humility, Embrace Change, Passion, Attitude, Team Player, and Honesty & Integrity). The PATH is what has led our company and employees to success.”

3. “Finally, our mission is to create a profitable growth company that is a great place to work for all. We are very profitable, closing over $14 billion in revenue in 2021. Additionally, we are a growth company: investing in our employees, technologies and services. Finally, our focus on being a great place to work for all, which really ties back to our culture and core values.”

Want to try out some of these interview and career advancement skills yourself? Apply to a job at WWT today!

Fairygodboss is proud to partner with World Wide Technology. Find a job there today!