A Day in the Life of a Recruiter: Behind the Scenes of Job Hunting

We do love our sticky notes!

Ever wondered what a recruiter’s day looks like? You might think it's all about scanning resumes and making a couple of phone calls. Easy, right? Well, not quite. A recruiter’s day is more like an endless game of phone tag, back-and-forth emails, and constantly reworking schedules—sprinkled with a dash of no-shows and ghosting. If you’ve ever wondered what we do all day, here’s a humorous look at the madness that happens between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM, and why knowing this can help you navigate the hiring process like a pro.

8:00 AM
It’s go time! The inbox is already loaded with unread emails from candidates asking for status updates and hiring managers sending over more “urgent” positions. Time to sift through the chaos.

9:00 AM
First interview of the day. The candidate is 15 minutes late. I check my phone. Did they ghost? No, they just “forgot” they had an interview today and ask if we can reschedule for tomorrow. Cool. Reset the calendar.

10:00 AM
Round two! Finally, a candidate who shows up on time, camera on, ready to go. The interview is smooth sailing until—oh wait—background noise! Is that a dog barking or a child crying? Either way, we power through.

11:30 AM
Quick check-in with a hiring manager to discuss the “perfect candidate” they had yesterday. Spoiler alert: the candidate bombed the interview, but the hiring manager is convinced “we can still make it work.” Sure... let’s revisit that.

12:30 PM
Lunch break—except not really. While eating, I’m playing phone tag with another candidate who keeps missing my calls. We’re on round three of voicemail roulette.

1:30 PM
Another round of interviews. This time, the candidate says they’re excited about the job... but they actually have no idea what the company does. We’re back to square one.

3:00 PM
Finally, some progress! A candidate we’ve been trying to schedule for weeks confirms an interview for tomorrow. Fingers crossed they don’t disappear.

4:00 PM
Time to call a hiring manager and discuss rejected candidates. It’s always fun breaking the news that their “top pick” wasn’t as great as they thought.

5:30 PM
The day is technically over, but I’m still firing off last-minute emails and locking in tomorrow’s schedule. Because in recruiting, the hustle never really ends.

So, why does this matter to you as a job seeker?

Knowing what goes on in a recruiter’s day can help you set realistic expectations for communication. We’re constantly juggling multiple tasks and trying to keep things moving smoothly, so a little patience can go a long way. It’s also a reminder to be on time, prepared, and communicative—because when you make it easy for us, we can help you get where you want to go faster.