Yes, and a time when you are not looking is often the best time to have that conversation. Nothing is at stake, you choose what to share, and when the right role does come up, the recruiter already knows what you do and what you would not take. A good recruiter will not send your details anywhere without your agreement to that specific role, so the conversation commits you to nothing.
The best candidates for a senior role are usually employed and are not reading job postings. That is why so much of a search is spent reaching out to people who are happy where they are, and why it pays to have had a first conversation before the call that matters.
Why would a recruiter call you when you are not looking?
Because recruiters source directly. A search for a senior marketing, digital or creative role starts with working out who does this kind of work, at what level, and who might realistically be persuaded to move. Posting the job reaches people who are actively looking, and for senior roles that is only part of the market.
Some of the searches you would most want to hear about are never advertised at all. A company replacing someone who is still in the seat cannot post the role publicly. Those searches run on conversations, and the people who hear about them are the people a recruiter already knows.
What do you get out of the conversation?
More than most people expect, even when nothing comes of it right away.
- 01A read on your market value. Where your experience is worth the most right now, and which parts of it carry the most weight.
- 02Access to roles that are never posted. You can only be considered for a confidential search if someone running it knows you exist.
- 03Honest feedback on how you come across. How your title, your resume and your LinkedIn profile read to someone who searches for people like you every day.
- 04A relationship that outlasts any single opening. The useful version of this relationship is the one that exists when there is no live role.
What should you tell a recruiter in the first conversation?
Keep it short and specific. In order of importance:
- 01What you do, in the words the market uses for it. If your internal title is something nobody would search for, say the recognizable version too.
- 02What you would not take. This is the most useful thing you can share. It saves you from calls about roles you would never accept, and it tells the recruiter more than a list of what you want.
- 03What would make you move. A bigger team, a different kind of company, more ownership of the work, a shorter commute. Be honest, even if the honest answer is that very little would.
- 04A rough sense of the compensation it would take. You do not need to give an exact figure. A range saves everyone time later.
- 05Your real timeline. "Not for a year" is a perfectly good answer. Say it, and the recruiter will know when to come back.
How do you keep the conversation confidential?
This is the worry that stops most employed people from picking up the phone, and it is a fair one. Plenty of people have had a resume turn up somewhere they never agreed to. Here is what to expect from a recruiter who handles this properly, and what should make you cautious.
| What to ask about | What a good recruiter does | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Before you are put forward | Tells you the company and the role first, and asks for your yes on that specific role | Says they will "send your resume around" |
| Your current employer | Makes sure nothing about your search reaches them | Is vague about who will see your details |
| Your resume | Keeps it with them, used only for roles you have agreed to | Adds it to a database or a job board |
| The role itself | Tells you about the team, the manager, why the seat is open and the real pay band | Can only repeat the job description |
| When nothing fits | Stays in touch and gives you a straight read on your market | Goes quiet until they have something to place you in |
You are entitled to ask any of these questions on the first call. A recruiter who works this way will be glad you did.
What should you have ready before you take the call?
Less than you think. Your resume does not need to be polished, and if it is out of date, that is a useful place to start the conversation rather than a reason to put it off.
What does help is a LinkedIn profile that says what you do rather than only where you work, with titles that match your resume. Recruiters find people by searching, and a profile that comes back in those searches is working for you while you are not looking. If you want the mechanics, I have written about how to get a resume past an applicant tracking system, and most of the same rules apply to your profile.
It also helps to have thought, even briefly, about what you would not take. People who know that answer have the shortest and most useful first conversations.