Showing Your IT Recruiter Some Gratitude
The priority for technical recruiters is to find qualified candidates for their open IT jobs. Unfortunately, IT people in the IT recruiting industry are often perceived as pushy, money hungry individuals whose main concern is their commission cut. Working with technical recruiters on a daily basis, one will find this misconception to be far from the truth.
Successful IT staffing firms earn their keep through communication and research. Hours extend beyond the typical 9-5 to accommodate candidates’ availability. IT headhunters do not pry for details to be nosey, they are conducting preliminary screenings to ensure an applicant fits the hiring client’s criteria. From the countless hours spent sifting and tweeking resumes while also prepping for interviews, a thank you is well deserved!
The Overlooked IT Recruiter
You may have interviewed with the hiring manager, but remember who helped you along the process. You are most likely not your technical recruiter’s only candidate. By the end of the day, he has probably spoken to dozens of existing and prospective applicants. Let your IT recruiter know his hard work and determination are appreciated!
Make a Lasting Impression While Showing Character
Networking happens to be one of the top ways to secure an IT job in a competitive market. IT staffing representatives are your gateway to new career opportunities. Maintain a relationship with your IT headhunter and stand out from other candidates with follow up emails and thank you notes. Thank you’s might seem second nature, but you would be surprise what separates strong applicants from weak applicants. If your contract should come to an end, he may remember you for upcoming positions.
Going Beyond the Thank You
If your IT recruiter did an outstanding job, why limit your thank you to just him? Pay it forward and let others know how privileged you were to work with him. Yelp and Google Places are just some of the ways you can extend your thank you beyond email and phone calls. Your review can help others land positions and bring in more business for your IT staffing representative!
Putting All Your Technical Eggs in One Basket
Technology- Friend or Foe
We have all heard the saying that you should not putting all your eggs in one basket. With technology becoming more advanced and easing the barriers of communication, it is hard to resist the temptation. Before you upload all your contacts, appointments, and mp3s to your handheld mobile device, consider reading this article on why daily planners and in person meetings are not so obsolete.
Building a Rapport
Smart phones are the jack of all trades, offering internet access in addition to the standard texting and calling features of a regular cell phone. They allow its user the ease of emailing a client versus calling or sending an informal text. Face to face meetings between candidates and technical recruiters can ultimately be eliminated with webcam programs such as Skype.
While this makes communication instantaneous, IT recruiters Boston sacrifice building a relationship with applicants in the process. Crucial elements such as tone and demeanor can be misconstrued or a question regarding an IT job that could be answered over the phone in two minutes could take six email threads to finally reach a consensus. Webcam meetings are ideal only for IT staffing representatives and clients who work great distances apart. When IT recruiters meets with a candidate for the first time, it should always be face to face. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so why not make it the best impression you can offer?
Losing Your Phone
Whether your phone gets water-logged, crushed, or lost, you will feel a sense of immediate withdrawal if you live by your phone. Appointments will be lost, contact numbers erased, and, unless you have insurance, you are looking at a pretty penny to replace your mobile device. Regardless of if it was your fault or not, people who regularly lose or break phones are not considered responsible.
Imagine receiving a text message from an unknown number, do you really want to risk the embarrassment of asking a prospective client “who is this?” If you find yourself without a phone, be sure to have a hardcopy contact book to update and keep in touch with clients. Mark appointments in a separate calendar as well.
Crossing Boundaries
Remember to keep your personal life separate from business. What looks like emailing during a business meeting could be a candidate playing a game or checking Facebook on his phone. Stay focused and if necessary, put your smart phone away where you cannot see it or be easily distracted.
While technical recruiters are practically glued to their phone, they must remember to keep things professional, especially in emails. Sloppy grammar, abbreviations, and poor spelling habits might be acceptable to their friends, but they must be mindful of the relationship with their clients.
Technology is not necessarily an evil, it just depends on how you use it!
Living a Double Life—The Dishonest Candidate
Working with technical recruiters should not feel like a controlling relationship. You do not need to tell them your every move or what you had for lunch. IT recruiters are not intentionally being nosey when they ask you questions, they are just trying to get an idea of what you want and where you would fit most with IT job openings coming their way. Telling your technical recruiter that you are not interested, providing constructive feedback, or saying you would prefer to not work with him or her might be difficult, but it actually helps them improve their recruiting tactics in the long run. The worst thing you can do is lie to your IT staffing representative.
Previous Employment
Not listing all your experiences, or worse, including positions and titles you have never held is setting yourself up to be shot down. At first glance you will shine on paper, but you cannot back it up through references or experience and your lies will soon be recognized. Because you have embellished your information technology skills and misled IT recruiters Boston, the likelihood that he will keep you in mind for other positions is slim.
Lying about why you have left a previous position can come back to haunt you, especially if the hiring company requires an employment verification or the manager happens to know your former employer. The six degrees of separation are becoming increasingly slim with social networking sites highlighting your relationships to others. Avoid burning bridges and always end assignments on good terms.
Background Check
Be honest about past convictions or if you are at risk to fail a drug test. Telling your IT recruiter up front about these issues will save you and your recruiter potential embarrassment and prevent wasted time on a position that you would not have had a chance nabbing. Your IT staffing company representative might keep you in mind for other positions and will appreciate your honesty.
Skills
You might seem to be a catch on paper by sprucing up your resume with technical skills and keywords, but always make sure they pertain to the IT jobs you are applying and you actually have the experience. Your IT headhunter will ask about your level of skills and how often you practiced them. If you lie about your experience, it will show in your work. The project manager might have to let you go if you cannot complete the required tasks, leaving you unemployed with severed ties.
Applying for Other IT Jobs
When an IT recruiting company representative asks if you are working with other recruiters or applying to other positions, they are not trying to limit your options. The IT recruiter is looking to make sure you do not get double submitted for an opening. Being submitted twice for an opening might sound helpful, but it can actually hinder your chances of securing the position because hiring managers will assume you are either careless or your submission was made in error. Letting IT recruiters know you are actively interviewing shows determination, but also helps the technical recruiter to understand your availability.
IT staffing firms are not out to scam people, their job is to find the right candidates for open positions. If working with recruiters does not sound like something that interests you, express your opinion. The keys to a successful recruiting relationship are communicating and being honest.
For more tips, please visit AVID’s Job Seekers page.
Living a Double Life—The Dishonest Candidate
Working with technical recruiters should not feel like a controlling relationship. You do not need to tell them your every move or what you had for lunch. IT recruiters are not intentionally being nosey when they ask you questions, they are just trying to get an idea of what you want and where you would fit most with IT job openings coming their way. Telling your technical recruiter that you are not interested, providing constructive feedback, or saying you would prefer to not work with him might be difficult, but it actually helps him improve his recruiting tactics in the long run. The worst thing you can do is lie to your IT staffing representative.
Previous Employment
Not listing all your experiences, or worse, including positions and titles you have never held is setting yourself up to be shot down. At first glance you will shine on paper, but you cannot back it up through references or experience and your lies will soon be recognized. Because you have embellished your talents and misled your IT recruiter, the likelihood that he will keep you in mind for other positions is slim.
Lying about why you have left previous positions can come back to haunt you, especially if the hiring company requires an employment verification or the manager happens to know your former employer. The six degrees of separation are becoming increasingly slim with social networking sites highlighting your relationships to others. Avoid burning bridges and always end assignments on good terms.
Background Check
If an opportunity includes a mandatory background check, be honest about past convictions or if you are at risk to fail a drug test. Telling IT recruiters up front about these issues will save you and your recruiter potential embarrassment and prevent wasted time on a position that you would not have had a chance nabbing. Your IT staffing representative might keep you in mind for other positions and will appreciate your honesty.
Skills
You might seem to be a catch on paper by sprucing up your resume with technical skills and keywords, but always make sure they pertain to the IT job which you are applying and you actually have the experience. IT recruiters Boston will ask about your level of skills and how often you practiced them. If you lie about your experience, it will show in your work. The project manager might have to let you go if you cannot complete the required tasks, leaving you unemployed with severed ties.
Applying for Other IT Jobs
When Boston IT recruiters ask if you are working with other recruiters or applying to other positions, they are not trying to limit your options. The recruiter is looking to make sure you do not get double submitted for an opening. Being submitted twice for an opening might sound helpful, but it can actually hinder your chances of securing the position because hiring managers will assume you are either careless or your submission was made in error. Letting IT headhunters know you are actively interviewing shows determination, but also helps the technical recruiter to understand your availability.
IT recruiting companies are not out to scam people, their job is to find the right candidates for open positions. If working with recruiters does not sound like something that interests you, express your opinion. The keys to a successful recruiting relationship are communicating and being honest.
For more tips, please visit AVID’s Job Seekers page.
Social Media is the New IT Job Board
If you are a like most people, you use Facebook on a daily basis. If you are more tech savvy, you might also have a Twitter or use a blog site. Perhaps you are a professional and prefer LinkedIn. Whatever your social media outlet is, be sure to take advantage of the job opportunities these sites provide.
The Benefits—Applicants
Both technical recruiters and job seekers benefit from social media. Applicants are no longer applying to an ambiguous IT job board with postings from all industries. They are specifically following companies and positions that fit their interests. Candidates can see if they have connections with the hiring manager for a gateway to the company. Also, job postings and statuses are constantly being updated so there is no room for lag.
The Benefits—IT Recruiters
IT staffing firms post their positions at a low cost and bring in job seekers, including people within their network and who meet the hiring board’s criteria. IT recruiters Boston no longer sift through countless resumes and take a stab at who would be a fit. Though it might be considered biased, interests and photos help bring a face to a candidate so technical recruiters can determine if the candidate would be a match for the office environment.
Though Facebook often has a bad reputation due to users’ lax privacy controls, the site can help IT headhunters and job seekers fill positions. A company can create its own page for users to visit, hear about news, and learn about open positions. IT recruiting firms can create groups such as Boston IT Recruiters and IT Job Openings for candidates to join and learn about upcoming opportunities.
The beauty of Twitter is that its 140 character messages are short and to the point. Technical recruiters can post their open positions to followers and prospective candidates by tagging keywords for trending topics. For applicants, following, tagging, and retweeting an IT staffing company’stweets is a sure way to get noticed. Though Twitter is not nearly as popular as Facebook, it certainly is a growing trend.
LinkedIn can be thought of as a professional Facebook with less noise. There is no wall to post on or anyone to send a tweet (though they can appear in a status). User profiles consist of previous positions and recommendations, groups, experiences, and interests. LinkedIn allows IT recruiters and candidates to network for upcoming IT jobs, join groups, update their status, and post or apply to open positions.
Some might say that social media is a fad, but soon job boards will become as obsolete as newspaper listings. It’s better to act on these job opportunities before others discover this hidden treasure!
Common Mistakes in the IT Recruiting Industry
You may be a technical recruiter or you may be seeking IT jobs. Wherever you stand, if you feel like you are pitching without reeling in any buyers, it’s time to reevaluate your strategy. Take a step back and focus on what is working and pinpoint your weaknesses. Here are some common mistakes in the IT staffing world:
The Sloppy Grammar and Poor Spelling Candidate
Coming across a resume that is filled with grammatical errors and typos is an eye sore for IT recruiters. Typically, technical recruiters will toss your resume aside and find someone who knows how to communicate their skills in writing. Clean up your resume so your experiences, skills, and achievements are clear.
Flip Side: The Sloppy Grammar and Poor Spelling Candidate
Most candidates will not trust an IT staffing representative that sends emails with typos and grammatical errors. Job seekers may see this as a sign that the staffers do not take their work seriously… and IT recruiters work is finding the right person for a position which directly involves the job seekers!
The Vague or Convoluted Candidate
If an IT job seeker lacks communication skills, he cannot properly explain his skills, experiences, and how they pertain to the position. At the same time, do not downplay or fail to mention experience and skills as these are key components that sift candidates from the applicant pool. Keep it concise, but with the right amount of information.
Flip Side: The Vague or Convoluted IT Recruiter
Just as the candidate should be clear with his resume, IT staffing firms should properly articulate the skills, tasks, and qualifications of each role they are filling. A candidate might feel the IT headhunter is being condescending in his tone or choice of words. At the same time, the IT staffing representative should avoid being too laid back, using slang or being overly wordy. Choosing simplicity with an upbeat attitude and enough detail is best for both parties.
Coming on too Strong
Having a candidate that wants to be your best buddy when you are a technical recruiter is flattering…until it starts to affect your work. Your IT staffing representative is there to provide assistance and answer any questions you might have. Building a relationship with your recruiter is essential to fulfilling your needs, but try to keep it on a friendly, yet professional level.
Flip Side: Coming on too Strong—IT Recruiter
When your inbox and voice mail are cluttered with messages from your recruiter about open positions, it can become overwhelming and an annoyance—especially when you are not qualified for these openings. If your recruiter is coming on too strong or pressuring you into positions that do not fit your skill level or interests, it’s time to be honest. Tell them what you specifically want and if they do not follow your wishes, it might be time to move on with another IT recruiting agency.
The Disappearing Candidate
When your recruiter contacts you, be sure to provide a prompt response. Never leave questions open or ignore your recruiter, even if you are not interested in the position or have possibly found employment. Provide updates and express your opinion so they do not waste their time and annoy you in the process. Also, make sure it’s a two sided relationship.
Flip Side: The Disappearing IT Recruiter
Imagine the frustration and disappointment when an IT staffing representative contacts you about a position you are interested in, builds up anticipation, and then never contacts you again. This is one of the reasons recruiting gets a bad rep. Always keep in touch with your candidates. If an upcoming position has budget constraints or is canceled, inform your clients and keep them in mind for other positions. Return phone calls and all messages, never leave a candidate in the dark!
For more tips on working with recruiters, visit AVID’s Working with a Technical Recruiter page!
Reel in the IT Recruiters—Choosing Your Resume Title
When publicly posting your resume on IT job boards such as CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, and Monster, you are allowing IT staffing agencies to approach you with open positions. But how do you specify which jobs are a fit for you? Are technical recruiters mind readers when it comes to dubbing resumes? Here are some tips for choosing your resume title to narrow down your career options:
Include Qualifications and Details
Placing your title just as your name is taking a stab in the dark. How will IT staffing firms know who they are dealing with? Research the title of the IT job you are seeking. If you have experience in this area, do not be afraid to include it in the title. This could help maintain your game as IT recruiters Boston filter candidates. You might think it is clever to create your own IT job title, but IT recruiters could overlook your resume. Keep it professional and the more specific you are the better an IT staffing company can assist you.
Abbreviate—Don’t waste space!
Sites such as Monster have a limit on the number of characters when choosing your resume title. Abbreviations allow candidates to catch the eye of technical recruiters by not leaving out key criteria. While abbreviations are helpful, do not go overboard and try to jam all your skills in your title. Too much abbreviation can hinder your chances of being selected by an IT staffing firm as it can cause confusion, stick with the basics.
Tailor Your Title
Just as you fit your resume to IT jobs, tailor your title to the prospective position. Monster allows its users to have more than one resume on file. The flexibility expands your choices as some job markets are severely limited. If you are open to more than one position, keep different resumes named and geared for each.
Remember when you post your resume on public job boards it is not all about having the technical recruiter come to you. Be aggressive and make the first move by reaching out to IT recruiting agencies. Your resume will now be on file, potentially build a relationship, and score some career advice!
Managing Your Management
No two IT recruiters work the same, each must adapt to his own form of management. Unfortunately, you cannot choose who you work with, but you can adjust your working habits. Here are some guidelines to ease transitions into new IT recruiting job:
Responsibility
Maintaining your responsibility and staying focused is ideal in all work environments. Allowing projects and questions to slip through the cracks or exceed deadlines creates a snowball effect which leads to future issues. Stop the problem in its tracks and be one of the technical recruiters in the office people look to for problem solving. You will be recognized for your proficiency and boost your confidence. Taking action and following through on your projects are key traits for upward mobility with most IT staffing jobs and positive feedback from your fellow technical recruiters Boston could mean future advancements.
WARNING: Take care of yourself before you help others. Often people will seek you out for advice and help on projects, but make sure all your work is complete before you take on additional responsibilities.
Honesty
Be honest about tasks you cannot handle. If you are working above and beyond your work capacity, it will show in your output. Take a step back and analyze what you can complete in terms of importance and time sensitivity. IT staffing firms assure that upper level management would rather see you complete one of your tasks with 100% competence than finish three projects with errors.
If you find you have made a mistake, bring it to the attention of your IT Recruiting Manager so you know the proper way to amend it. Trying to cover slip ups might cause you to make more errors while trying to balance current work.
Never guess answers to anyone’s questions. When you do not know the correct response to someone’s inquiry, tell them you will find out an answer for them and seek out the appropriate staff. Remember to follow up and ask if there are any additional questions you can help with. Honesty and integrity can get you far in the work place.
WARNING: Too much honesty is not best in the work place. Keep all personal matters to yourself as it can interfere with work relationships amongst your fellow IT recruiters.
Communication
Openly communicate with your fellow IT recruiters Boston, supervisors and other co-workers, especially when you are collaborating on a project. Not only will you not waste time on tasks that are possibly complete, you can learn new ways to handle tasks. Communicating frequently keeps all technical recruiters on the same page and helps to build solid relationships. Use it to your advantage, as you have the potential to network from these connections.
WARNING: Do not communicate too much. Inbox clutter and irrelevant phone calls are not efficient as it is a distraction. Stay on task and communicate when necessary, but if you are busy stay on task!
Motivation
Staying motivated and recognizing achievements helps IT staffing employees improve their tasks. Commending work while providing tips for improvement also gives employees an idea of how well they are doing and ignites a drive. Reach out to your peers if you feel you need additional inspiration or support.
WARNING: Some people cannot handle criticism well, be aware of sensitivity. A compliment sandwich (providing two compliments with a criticism in between) might ease the initial response.
Follow the Leader
Upper level management within IT recruiting companies should be setting examples. When you are in doubt about how to respond in a certain situation, follow the discretion of your supervisor. Plan and organize according to your style. If you find it is not working for you or there is a more efficient way, make suggestions.
WARNING: A manager might have the work ethic ‘do as I say, not as I do’. Unfortunately, this is not a rarity with IT recruiting jobs. In this instance, follow the command of your supervisor and be sure to complete your work the CORRECT way. If your manager involves you in unethical activity or asks you to perform tasks which you do not feel comfortable, reach out to his manager or your with your concerns.
From laid back to strict management, always carry yourself in a professional manner. You can adapt to a style of management, it just takes focus and commitment. For more helpful articles visit AVID’s job seekers page!
Listening to Music at Work in Your IT Recruiting Office
Look around today and you will see a majority of your IT recruitment peers plugged in. You might even be plugged in while reading this. What does this say about work ethic, or does it have an influence on efficiency? Do technical recruiters plug in to escape or to focus?
It’s common to walk into an IT staffing office and see almost every cubicle dweller anchored to an iPod or streaming music on the web. Listening to music at work has been the heart of studies for years, but none seem to produce consistent results in terms of work behavior.
Supporters of tunes in the workplace claim music creates an escape from background noise that otherwise might be distracting. Other IT recruiters listen to make the day go faster while they try to match candidates with IT jobs. Those against the office music movement claim employees get distracted by lyrics in the music or that traveling noises affects others’ work. Despite the opposing views, studies found that listening to music prior to beginning a task allows the employee to maintain focus and improve one’s mood.
Here are some tips if you choose to plug in on the clock:
- Check with your manager before you crank your favorite tunes. Not all IT staffing firms and offices are music friendly, this can save you the embarrassment of having your headphones revoked.
- Be respectful to your fellow IT recruiters. If music is allowed, it’s guaranteed not everyone shares your tastes. Do not take offense, just pop your headphones in and keep it at a low volume.
- IT staffing salespeople and technical recruiters are typically glued to their headsets and phones. Maintain your volume at a low setting so important calls are not missed.
Do not use your headphones as a way to avoid people, remember to be personable at your. People often hide behind objects in uncomfortable situations. Building a relationship with coworkers and your technical recruiter is a way to make work more enjoyable.
The Key to Being Successful in the IT Recruiting Industry
The key to being successful in the IT staffing industry is building a strong relationship with your client. A lot of people think that as an IT recruiter you are just responsible to find candidates to fill the open IT jobs. But how do we as teams get these open jobs? By building strong relationships with our clients.
Key attributes to being well rounded IT Recruiters:
We need to know what the product is. The product is your client. IT recruiters Boston need to get to know the client and the IT job before being able to help them. Technical recruiters need to know the service they client provides, their background and anything else that will help them identify the right candidate. This is an important piece of the IT recruiting firm’s ability to successfully service their client.
Being a good listener is also an important trait for IT recruiters. Thinking you know what your client wants and really knowing what their wants and needs come from listening. As a technical recruiter you need to be able to stand back and just listen and know the right questions to ask to get more information to better be able to understand what the client is looking for in a candidate.
Timely feedback is an important step in the IT recruitment process so everyone is on the same page as to the status of the candidate and assignment. You want to provide your candidates with immediate feedback so nobody is left in the dark.
Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver. It’s important for IT recruiters to land the deal but keeping your credibility is more important. Be honest with people about the standings and not telling them what you think they want to hear might get you further.
Another thing that plays a key role in an IT recruiter is their attitude. Attitude can really make or break someone. Having a bad attitude is not a good thing in the IT recruiting industry. You need to always be positive. You want to be your client’s solution not a problem to them.
To be a successful technical recruiter all of these aforementioned attributes are key, but wanting to be successful is important too. You have to want it and want to work at it every day to really be good at what you do. The IT staffing industry changes all the time and you have to be able to change with it and understand why it is changing the way it is.