View The Recruiter As Ally, Not Antagonist

Recruiters get a bad reputation, but they can actually help you a lot! The recruiter's job is to get qualified people to work for the company, so there is incentive alignment between both parties.

Instead of viewing the recruiter as an obstacle you must overcome, view them as an ally and a valuable source of information.

• Before the interview, ask them what will be on the interview and what advice they'd have to prepare.
• After the interview, ask them what parts of the comp are likely to change, and build the relationship with them so they can advocate for you.

How do you build a relationship with the recruiter?

• Say thank you whenever the recruiter shares an update with you: "Thank you for sharing, I appreciate your clear communication throughout this process!"
• Show an interest in the job and what makes it unique. Don't ask generic questions.

Keep in mind that most recruiters are not technical and may not understand the value you bring as an engineer. (Unlike the hiring manager, who will know intimately what role they're hiring for.)

Understand 2 different types of recruiters:

• Contract (agency) recruiters are compensated for landing a butt in the seat: they’ll be much more transactional and focused on getting you to accept an offer (any offer).
• In-house recruiters will usually NOT see a direct financial gain if you accept the offer. They are evaluated based on goals around recruiting conversion metrics.