If you are tapped on the shoulder by a recruiter, or if you initiate the conversation, it’s important to know them as much as they will be interested in getting to know you. If you aren’t comfortable at any point, be clear and move on. Let’s start with the basic questions:

“What types of companies do you serve and what types of jobs do you currently recruit?” This will give you insight on whether or not it may be worth your time to work with them.

“What type of volume to you currently see?” This will tell you if they’ll be contacting you with job leads weekly, every month, a few times per year, etc. Cross-reference this information with your particular career situation and your sense of urgency.

“How are you paid?” These days, most recruiters are paid by their companies, so services are often free to you.

** Now, let’s move to more strategic questions whose answers will guide your interactions, career path, time invested and privacy. **

“What’s your professional background? For some recruiters, recruiting is all they’ve known. Yet, many recruiters have previous career lives, frequently in Sales or Management, or sometimes in Law or non-recruiting HR roles. If the recruiter has an executional background in your professional area, that is ideal.

“What should I expect from you when you don’t have something for me, and when you do?” If your initial discussion with the recruiter doesn’t involve an actual opportunity, they should set expectations regarding how long it may take for them to call you with one, and the best communication rhythms during the interim. They will also explain their formal partnership process when they do have something for you, from phone conversations through sending you on interviews and everything in-between. If they don’t, you should ask what their general process entails.

“What can I do to help our partnership?” Like any partnership, it’s good to be proactive about how to best work together. The recruiter will appreciate establishing processes and parameters, especially when it’s “go-time” with a job that may be a fit. If you find yourself discussing when you two should hop on phone calls or return messages, being honest and transparent with feedback, and respecting each others’ situations and responsibilities, that’s a sign of a great recruiter-to-candidate relationship.

(After you’ve discussed your background with them): “Do you need to know more about me?” Your recruiter may not fully interview you – to the point of being able to submit you for consideration to a hiring manager – when you first speak. However, they should get to know your work history a bit, what you’re seeking and why, where you like to ‘professionally play,’ etc. If they don’t probe at these details sufficiently, that’s a sign they could more interested in your resume and surface-level marketability than you and your actual needs.

(When they have a job for you): “What’s your relationship like with this company?” Your recruiter will be acting like a liaison between you and the company. The information you learn here will help you gauge the rapport they have with the company, how much you should trust the recruiter when they speak on behalf of the company. Lastly, make sure the recruiter has a job description available.

(When they have a job for you): “What made you decide this could be good for me?” Listen carefully and make sure their response is genuine and truly reflective of you. “You seem like a real go-getter…” or even “You said you’re seeking a bigger retail company…” is to me, still generic. If you hear: “[Name], you had mentioned an interest in this size and type of company as your primary motivation. Also, one of the biggest initiatives for this open seat is a big enterprise [XYZ] project, and being that you’ve got two of those under your belt already and that you enjoy them, I called you right away…” that’s far more personalized, and an indicator that the recruiter is thinking about you specifically, not just filling the job.

(If they ask for your resume but don’t have a feasible job for you):“What are you going to do with my resume?” Make sure you feel good about their commitment to confidentiality. They should never send your resume to anyone without your permission. They should simply use it as guide and reference to what may fit you as opportunities cross their desk.

“Can you provide references from those who’ve worked with you?” You are completely free to ask. The recruiter may not have people immediately teed-up and ready to vouch, but a good recruiter will – and should – be able to produce some for you, or connect you with others with whom they’ve worked.