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Ask HN: How to respond to recruiters who barely speak English?
I'm currently in the process of looking for a junior development job. As such, I have my resume up on a bunch of different sites (Monster, indeed, etc.)
I've lately been getting many calls from recruiters I think are in California (that's what caller ID said) who can barely speak English.
I'm having a hard time understanding what they are saying or asking me, and talking to them seems like a waste of time. Would it be poor form to tell them I don't want to chat, or what?
- chrisbennet 11y ago"I'm sorry, I can't understand you. Just send me an email thanks. Gotta go. Click"
- informatimago 11y agoAsk them their native language, and start talking in it, of course.
- JSeymourATL 11y ago> How to respond to recruiters who barely speak English? Ignore them; overseas recruiters are indicative of low-rent clients and bottom feeders. Having your CV associated with them damages your brand. A few suggestions-- Remove your resume from the job boards immediately. Instead, focus your search on companies and senior executives who you can help. Linkedin is good for this. (BTW, I'm assuming you've punched up your profile.) Do look for seasoned, established stateside recruiters who focus on your industry or market. Reach out to them selectively. One way to get on a serious recruiters side-- show interest in what they are working on, ask how you may be able to help them. There is power in a networking relationship.
- feybay 11y agoAlright, thanks for the advice. I had similar thoughts but wasn't totally sure.
- notahacker 11y agoDon't?
- sarciszewski 11y agoThe correct answer is to not respond. Seriously, they're not going to be able to sell you to a prospective client if their English is clearly that terrible. It does more harm than good to have your name associated with them.
- gesman 11y agoOne of the best job offer I got was from recruiter that was exactly like that. He was some sort of front line caller that was hired by pretty decent enterprise. In fact some of my worst interactions (lots of time wasted) were from perfectly english speaking, good looking recruiters. Go figure, but as a rule of thumb there are not hard and fast rules here :)