You Don’t Have to Know Everything (But You Do Have to Learn Fast)

Every recruiter has had to ramp up quickly on a role or industry they weren’t familiar with. That's one of the truths of our industry; we don't always start with deep knowledge of the role we’re hiring for.

We rarely kick off a new position knowing every detail of what it requires. That’s especially true when we’re working across multiple industries or niche technical roles. There’s always a learning curve, and that’s part of the job.

What makes a good recruiter isn’t just their network or instinct, but also their ability to self-teach, research, and absorb new information quickly.

Here are some go-to strategies for learning new roles or verticals:

• Start with a glossary. Go through the job description and highlight any unfamiliar terminology. Then build yourself a “Position 101” doc with definitions, notes, and context. Having it all in one place makes it easier to reference as you build on your knowledge.

• YouTube, articles, forums. Start with the basics. Watch explainer videos, read blog posts, and browse Reddit threads or niche forums. You’ll start recognizing patterns and terminology faster than you think.

• Quizlet & flashcards. Making your own flashcards with acronyms, tools, and jargon can help build confidence quickly. Bonus: some kind souls on Quizlet make their sets public, so you might find a ready-made set for the role you’re learning.

• Colleagues. Ask other recruiters what they’ve seen in the space. If your team has hired for similar roles, tap into that knowledge! No need to reinvent the wheel. Knowledge sharing helps everyone!

• Candidates themselves. Every conversation is a learning opportunity. Ask about their day-to-day, the tools they use, what they value in a team. These details add up and give you language that job descriptions alone cannot.

• AI tools. This one’s newer, but a total game changer. Use tools like ChatGPT to break down technical terms, brainstorm screening questions, compare similar roles, or just confirm that you’re on the right track.

  
  

At the end of the day, we don’t need to be experts on every subject to recruit well. You just need to be curious, resourceful, and open to learning as you go. It’s okay to start with “I don’t know”, as long as you follow it with “but I’ll figure it out”!

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