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How to reply when a recruiter leaves the job out

A recruiter wants a call but hasn’t named the role. Ask for the details you need before picking a time.

Ghosted editorialPublished 11 min read

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The reply

Ask what the call is about

The message usually looks something like this:

SubjectQuick chat?

Hi Alex,

I’m working on a role that could be a great fit for your background. Do you have ten minutes for a call this week?

Jo

Made-up details

Reply in their thread, and replace everything in square brackets:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks for reaching out. Could you send the job description and let me know [the detail that decides it for you, such as where the team works]? I’m looking for [the kind of role you want] and would be happy to talk if that lines up.

Thanks, [Your name]

Filled in, Alex’s reply reads like this:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi Jo,

Thanks for reaching out. Could you send the job description and let me know where the team works? I’m looking for a remote support role and would be happy to talk if that lines up.

Thanks, Alex

Made-up details

Two questions, one sentence about what you want, and a yes that depends on the answer. It’s friendly, it’s quick to answer, and it means the call, if it happens, is about something you’d actually consider.

What if I’m already interviewing?

Ask whether this is about an existing application. “I have a couple of conversations under way. Could you remind me which role this is for?” works on the phone too.

No company name

If the company name is confidential

Ask who you’d report to, what you’d work on and when they can share the name. If the recruiter wants to submit your CV, ask to confirm the employer with you first so you can spot a duplicate application.

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks, that sounds interesting, and I understand you can’t name the company yet. Could you tell me who the role reports to, what I’d work on in the first few months and when you’ll be able to share the name?

Before you send my CV anywhere, could you confirm the employer with me first? I’ve applied to a few places recently and don’t want to end up applying twice.

Thanks, [Your name]

Two applications to the same job, one from you and one from a recruiter, can leave the employer with two records of you and a question about which one counts. Asking to confirm first costs one email, and it means nothing goes out under your name that you haven’t agreed to.

Why they keep it quiet

There are ordinary reasons: a company replacing someone who hasn’t left yet, or one that doesn’t want competitors to see it hiring. It’s fine to wait for the name before your CV goes anywhere.

Start here

Why the job comes before the call

A ten-minute call is rarely ten minutes. There’s the time to prepare, the call itself and the follow-up questions about your salary and notice period. That’s worth it for a job you might take. For one you’d turn down after the first sentence, it isn’t, for you or for the recruiter.

  1. It saves you both a call

    If the role is in an office you can’t reach, or at a level you’ve moved past, a one-line answer settles it. Nobody has to find a slot to say no.

  2. It tells them what you want

    “I’m looking for a remote support role” helps the recruiter now, and the next time they have something that fits. Many of them keep notes on who wants what.

  3. It keeps your search straight

    Knowing the company before you talk means you can check your own list first. You’ll know if you’ve applied there, or been turned down last month.

None of this is rude. Recruiters write to a lot of people, and a short reply with a clear question is one of the easier messages they’ll get that day.

The details

Ask for the one detail that decides it

The job title and description come first; ask for those every time. Then add the one or two things that would make you say no on their own. Asking for five things at once reads like an interview of your own, and gets a slower answer.

Made-up examples: what matters to you, and what to ask
  • What matters to you: Where you work

    What to ask: Where does the team work, and how many days a week in the office?

  • What matters to you: Pay

    What to ask: What’s the salary range for the role?

  • What matters to you: The work itself

    What to ask: Could you send the job description?

  • What matters to you: Seniority

    What to ask: Who would the role report to?

  • What matters to you: Timing

    What to ask: When are they hoping to have someone start?

  • What matters to you: Who’s hiring

    What to ask: Are you recruiting for the company directly, or for a client?

The last one is worth knowing. A recruiter employed by the company knows the team and the process from the inside. An agency recruiter is filling the role for a client, may be working on several roles at once and may not know every detail yet. Both are normal; the answer just tells you who to ask what.

Say what you want, in one line

“A remote support role” or “a team lead job in Leeds” does more than a list of requirements. It gives them something to match against, today and next time.

Is it real?

Check the message before you share anything

Most vague messages come from busy recruiters with a template. A few come from people who aren’t recruiters at all, and job scams often open the same way: a friendly note about a role, with very little detail. Asking for the job description sorts most of them out, because a real recruiter can send one.

A text or WhatsApp message out of nowhere

The US Federal Trade Commission tells people to ignore generic, unexpected texts and WhatsApp messages about jobs. Recruiters do use phones, but a first contact from an unknown number with no name or company is a reason to be careful.

No name, no company, no profile

A real recruiter has a name, an employer or agency, and usually a profile you can look up. Check the email address matches the company they say they work for.

A request for money

Never pay anyone to get a job, for training, equipment or a “starter kit”. The FTC is blunt about it: never pay anyone to get paid.

Personal details before an interview

Bank details, ID documents or your date of birth have no place in a first conversation. Employers usually ask for them once you’ve accepted an offer, not before you’ve spoken.

Reported losses to job scams

$220 million+

What people reported losing to job scams in the first six months of 2024 alone: more than $220 million, in reports to the US Federal Trade Commission. It says one common kind, task scams, often starts with a text or WhatsApp message about online work, “but with few specifics”.

Source: US Federal Trade Commission, December 2024

Other situations

Four more replies you can copy

Each is a reply in their thread. The answer comes first, then the one question you need answered, if there is one.

On LinkedIn, kept short:

SubjectRe: their thread

Thanks, [Name]. Could you send the job title and description? I’m looking for [the kind of role you want], [where you want to work], and I’m happy to talk if it fits.

[Your name]

You might already have applied there:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks for getting in touch. I’ve applied to a few roles recently, so could you tell me the company before we talk? If I’ve already applied there, I’d rather not be put forward twice.

Thanks, [Your name]

The details arrived and it sounds right:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks for sending the details. The [Role] role sounds like a good fit. I could talk on [Day and date] between [time] and [time], or on [Day and date] between [time] and [time]. Both are [your city] time. Would either work?

Thanks, [Your name]

It isn’t for you, but you’d like to hear about the next one:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks for sending the details. This one isn’t right for me, as I’m looking for [what you want instead]. I’d be glad to hear from you if something like that comes up.

Thanks, [Your name]

Before you reply

Three things to know about your own search

What you’d say no to

The pay you couldn’t accept, the commute you won’t do, the kind of work you’ve left behind. That’s your one detail to ask about.

Where you’ve already applied

Keep a list of companies and roles with the date you applied. When a recruiter names the employer, you can check it in seconds.

What you’ll share, and when

Your CV goes out once you know the employer. If they ask about your current pay early, you can ask for the role’s range first.

What goes wrong

The mistakes people make with a vague message

Booking the call blind

You spend ten minutes finding out it’s an office job two hours away. One question by email would have told you.

Sending your CV before you know the employer

Once it’s out, you can’t control where it goes. Ask to confirm the company first, every time.

Ignoring it

If it’s a real recruiter, a one-line “not for me, but I’m looking for…” costs nothing and puts you on their list for the right role.

Asking everything at once

Ten questions turn a quick reply into homework. Ask for the description and the one thing that would decide it.

Forgetting who said what

Three recruiters, two unnamed companies, one of them the same role. Write down who contacted you, for which job, and what you agreed to.

Last look

A checklist before you send

After they reply

When the details arrive

Read the description against what you said you wanted. If it fits, offer two times and treat the call like a first interview: they’ll ask why you’re looking, what you want to earn and when you could start. The reply to an interview invitation has the words for confirming a time.

If they put you forward, ask them to tell you when, and to which company. Then write it down next to your own applications: the recruiter, the employer, the role and the CV they sent. Later, when an interview invite arrives, you’ll know where it came from. If you’ve lost track of which version went where, here’s how to find the CV you sent.

Questions

Questions people ask about vague recruiter messages

Is it rude to ask a recruiter for details before a call?

No. It’s a normal question, and it saves you both time. Thank them, ask for the job description and the one detail that matters most, and say you’d be happy to talk if it fits.

What if I’m already interviewing?

Ask whether this is about an existing application. “I have a couple of conversations under way. Could you remind me which role this is for?” works on the phone too.

Why won’t the recruiter tell me the company?

Sometimes the search is confidential, for example when someone is being replaced. Ask who you’d report to, what you’d work on and when they can share the name, and ask them to confirm the employer with you before sending your CV.

Should I send my CV if they ask for it straight away?

Not before you know the employer. Once your CV is out, you can’t control where it goes, and you might end up applying to the same company twice.

What if they call instead of writing?

Ask the same thing out loud: which role it is, and the detail that matters to you. If you need time, ask them to email the description and say you’ll reply the same day.

Do I need to reply if I’m not interested?

You don’t have to, but a one-line reply saying what you’re looking for is often worth it. Recruiters remember who wants what.

How can I tell if a recruiter’s message is a scam?

Be careful with messages that arrive by text or WhatsApp out of nowhere, ask you to pay for anything, or want bank or ID details before an interview. Look the recruiter up yourself rather than using links in the message.

Keep every recruiter’s role straight.

Keep each conversation with its job: who got in touch, the company once you know it, and what happens next.

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