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Rescheduling and Cancelling Job Interviews

IT recruiters find that a surprising number of candidates ask to cancel or reschedule interviews for IT jobs last minute.  This might not seem like a big deal, but IT staffing firms see that it has some big repercussions for job seekers.   Here’s why technical recruiters suggest you never try to cancel or reschedule an interview last minute.

Cancelling the interview with very little notice (less than a few days) will definitely burn some bridges for you with potential employers and IT recruiting firms.  It’s almost always viewed as evidence that you’re possibly untrustworthy, disorganized, unreliable, or just plain rude.  (There are some exceptions to this rule, like medical or family emergencies, but these are obviously very rare.) Employers and IT staffing agencies often put a note in their system that you’ve done this.  They’ll usually blacklist you for it.  While you may not want to work for this employer right now, you never know about the future.

Asking your IT recruiting companies to reschedule an interview at the last minute may not totally burn bridges, but it won’t help you land jobs.  When you ask to reschedule an interview with less notice than a few days, employers will wonder if the job is a high priority for you.  (Again, there are exceptions to this rule, including family or medical emergencies, but these are rare.)  No companies want to hire people who aren’t excited about the opportunities they offer.  Depending on the reason you offer and how last minute you’re asking for a rescheduled interview, your IT staffing companies may also respond by submitting you to less jobs or sending you on less interviews.

So what should you do instead of cancelling or rescheduling last minute?  Start by making sure to really consider a job before letting your IT recruiting agencies submit you for it.  Is the commute ok with you?  Do you think you have the skills and experience to handle the work?  You don’t want to cancel the interview at the last minute because you’ve decided you don’t like something about the job or employer after all.  Next, when you give availability, make sure it’s not something that will change.  If you’re not positive you’re free on a certain day, it’s better not to take that risk.  Lastly, don’t lie about it if you do cancel last minute.  Some candidates do lie to their IT recruiters and fake a family or medical emergency.  If people find out you’ve lied, you’ll definitely burn a bridge with them and/or potential employers.

 

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Don’t try to reschedule an interview on short notice. Photo credit: Basti93 via Pixabay.

 

How to Write Resumes Recruiters Love

As you might guess, resume formats aren’t magic: if you have few technical skills and little experience, it’s hard to mask that with a great resume.  However, IT recruiters definitely see some candidates with amazing skill-sets and experience post resumes that don’t do them much justice.  Here are 3 tips to write a resume that will attract technical recruiters and land more IT jobs.

Write a resume, not a novel.  It’s definitely true that in IT you’re allowed to post a resume longer than a page.  IT staffing firms certainly don’t mind longer resumes.  However, sometimes tech professionals will take this too far.  IT recruiting companies definitely see resumes that stretch well beyond 5, 10, or even more pages.  In the end, you’re probably burying important information in less relevant details when you write resumes this long.  You’ll also potentially turn off hiring managers that IT staffing firms submit your resume to.  Extra long resumes can suggest that you don’t understand professional norms at all, that you have poor communication skills, or that you’re arrogant.  Edit your resume down to the most important information.  Leave off most of the technical details of projects or things like personal information, hobbies that are unrelated to your professional aspirations, etc.  You can explain previous projects and achievements in more detail during an interview.  You’ll also share relevant personal information with your interviewer if it comes up.

Put your technical skills at the top of your resume.  Create a short, well-organized section at the very top of your resume that lists all of your technical skills.  This will help IT recruiting agencies see right away that you might be a fit for the jobs they have.  Try categorizing skills by headings like ‘languages’, ‘frameworks’, ‘operating systems’, etc.  This is probably the most important section of your resume, so remember to keep it updated, organized, and easy to read.

Use your bullets to show your worth.  Don’t waste a single bullet on your resume.  Use them to show IT staffing companies what value you’ve brought to your previous employers.  Focus on achievements and major successes you’ve participated in, rather than just listing your duties.  As mentioned before, you can talk about things like daily duties in an interview or a phone screen.  Your resume is really mean to catch recruiters’ eyes.

 

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Write a resume recruiters will love. Photo credit: dosenwelten via Pixabay.

 

How IT Recruiters Work

If you’ve never used IT recruiting companies before, here’s a little information about how IT recruiters work and why you may want to use them to find your future IT jobs.

What Technical Recruiters Do:

IT recruiting companies build relationships with companies that need to hire IT professionals.  When these companies need to add somebody new to their team, they call IT staffing companies they trust and describe the job, the company culture and any other pertinent details.  These IT staffing agencies then search within their database of candidates for people who would be a great fit for the role.   Great IT recruiting firms want to find somebody who not only fits the role technically, but will also be happy in it and mesh well with their coworkers.  In the end, they want the candidate to be happy in the role, and the company to be happy with the candidate.  This is the only way to achieve a really successful hire.

What Questions Will IT Recruiters Ask:

When you talk to IT recruiters they’ll start off by asking you to send them an updated version of your resume.  They’ll then have you walk them through your past experience.  If you haven’t really worked with IT recruiting agencies before, they’ll probably ask you to go more in-depth about what you’d like in your next role.  Don’t hold back on this part.  Be as honest as you can with IT staffing firms about what you like in a job and what makes it easier for you to succeed.

 What is the Process?

Often, IT recruiters will start by making sure they get a good sense of what you want in a role and what your experience and skillset is.  Then, they’ll submit you to jobs that they think are a good fit.  It’s worth noting here that you have an advantage when technical recruiters submit you.  Your resume comes with the backing of their expertise.  Employers trust them to find the right people, so when your resume is presented, you automatically get that recommendation.  If an employer agrees that you’d be a good fit for a job, you’ll either be set up with a phone interview, an in-person interview, or some combination.  Often your IT recruiters will work with you to set this up.  They may even walk you into the interview and provide copies of your resume.  The last step depends on how well the interviews go.  If the employer wants to make an offer, your IT recruiters will provide another advantage here by negotiating compensation for you.  If the interviews don’t go well, your technical recruiters may be able to get you feedback you can use in the future.

 

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Are you ready to call IT recruiters? Photo credit: Mimzy via Pixabay.

 

AVID is Hiring – Ready to Launch Your Career in Sales?

For the past 13 years, AVID has been growing at an explosive pace.  From our first office in Boston, we’ve expanded into 12 offices spanning from coast to coast.  AVID now has IT recruiters working in Boston, California, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, and Iowa.  Even with all this explosive growth, though, one thing hasn’t changed: AVID has kept our team-oriented, work hard, play hard culture. 

Work as a team: Everyone at AVID is team-oriented.  We reach our goals together, even if we’re having a friendly competition.  We provide extensive training and pair new hires with mentors.  Managers are deeply interested in feedback from employees and their doors are always open.  To read more about this, check out our Glassdoor reviews here.

Work hard: Our technical recruiters work hard to meet their goals, and they get to see their efforts reflected in their paychecks.  AVID provides one of the most competitive commissions plans in the IT recruiting firms industry.  Additionally, our recruiters enjoy solid base pay, vacation time, sick time, and a benefits package.

Play hard: AVID recruiters don’t just work hard, though. They play hard, too.  When we hit our goals, AVID celebrates together.  Every office has a TV that we use to recognize people’s accomplishments, run contests, and share company announcements.  We have team outings to casinos, bowling lanes, beach houses, and more.  We also do happy hours, birthday celebrations, and bagel breakfasts.

If you’re ready to catch on with one of the fastest-growing IT recruiting agencies in the country, check out the list of requirements below.  Email careers@avidtr.com  with a resume attached if you’re interested.

Requirements
– You are interested in sales.
– You are competitive and positive
– You prefer to be surrounded by a team.
– You have a work hard and play hard mentality.
– You are persistent, assertive and goal-oriented
– You are a problem solver.
– You are looking for a company where you can make an immediate impact.

 

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4 Steps To Take When an Employee Resigns

It’s usually difficult for any employer when an employee resigns.  However, it’s particularly  difficult when you lose an IT professional.  In today’s market, it can be difficult to find the right person for your open IT jobs.    IT recruiting agencies suggest taking these 4 steps to make this loss for your team a lot easier—even if you have big looming deadlines.

1. Make a plan for knowledge transfer.  IT staffing agencies suggest you start by taking time to figure out what information you will need to transfer to this employee’s replacement. Figure out how you’ll get this information.  Will you have a meeting with the exiting employee?  Will they train their replacement?  Make a plan so you can get the new employee up to speed, no matter where the exiting employee was on a project.

2. Figure out what you need in a replacement.  IT recruiting firms suggest you continue by pulling up the resume you hired this employee with (if you have it).  Think about the strengths and weaknesses they brought to the position.  Create a list of what you think you’ll need.  The last thing to consider is if you need a full time employee to replace this person or if you need a contractor.  IT recruiters can help you find either.  There are certainly advantages to both.

3. Call your trusted technical recruiters.  Meet with your IT recruiters and share the information you’ve gathered in steps 1 and 2.  Be honest about what you need and give timelines for when you’d like to have the replacement employee.  Share your knowledge transfer plan.  The more you share with IT recruiting companies, the more they can help you find the best fit for your open job.

4. Consider taking feedback from the rest of your team as you complete the hiring process.  IT staffing companies suggest you ask for feedback and guidance from you team, as they may have a uniquely useful perspective on what you’ll need in a new hire.  It’s also important for the new hire to fit into your team.  Corporate culture is highly underrated.  Picking somebody who’s technically fit for the role and who gets along well with the team, end users, clients, etc will be far more successful.

 

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Don’t panic when an IT employee quits. Just focus on how to transfer important knowledge to their replacement. Photo credit: stevepb via Pixabay.

 

3 Things You Should Do the Old Fashioned Way in Tech Interviews

When you’re working with IT recruiting companies to find your next role, sometimes it can feel like technology rules the job interview process.  You might do a skype interview, connect with your IT recruiters on LinkedIn, or maybe complete a coding test online.  But there are some things that you really should do the old-fashioned way.  Here are 3 things that IT staffing companies suggest you consider doing the more traditional way, even if you’re applying for IT jobs using the most cutting edge technologies.

1. Send a hand-written thank you note.  If your IT recruiting firms can pass the note along for you or give you the address, a hand-written thank you note after a job interview can go a long way.  This is especially true for thoughtful notes that go beyond a generic template.  Time and again IT staffing agencies have seen that good thank you notes can be your secret weapon in a job search—they can be your last, and best, impression on an employer.

2. Bring hard copies of your resume and any presentation or applicable portfolio materials you might use.  Sometimes your technical recruiters will bring the hard copies of your resume for you, but you’ll always need to bring your own hard copies of your presentation or applicable portfolio materials.  You may be showing some examples of past work on a computer or a projector, but you should also try to provide a hard copy for everyone in the interview if it makes sense to do so.

3. Wait for your interviewers quietly, with your smartphone put away.  Even if you have to wait for a while, IT recruiting agencies find that it makes a far better impression if you use that time to look over your presentation materials, resume, etc.  Avoid playing games, answering emails, texting, or browsing the internet on your smartphone.  Send your interviewers the message that this interview is your priority at this moment—nothing else.

 

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A hand-written thank you note is far more effective than an emailed one. Photo credit: mhouge via Pixabay.

 

Don’t Do This When Working With IT Recruiters

Technical recruiters find that some candidates will make some desperate moves to ensure they land IT jobs.  Sometimes this means being a bit too pushy and overbearing in the interview.  Sometimes this means trying to reach out directly to the hiring manager too much after the interview.  Probably the worst mistake you can make when working with IT staffing agencies, though, is to apply for the same jobs both with them and on your own.

Why would applying to the same job twice be a bad thing?  Isn’t it just showing extra motivation and ensuring that you do the most comprehensive, best job search that you can?  The truth is, when you apply for the same job both with IT recruiters and on your own, you usually wind up taking yourself out of the running for a job completely.  Most hiring managers will actually nullify an application that comes from both IT staffing agencies and directly from the candidate.  The reason they do this is that generally these candidates become too complicated to consider hiring from a legal standpoint.  Since most employers have plenty of candidates to look at for the jobs in IT they’re trying to fill—ones that don’t come with legal complications—they’ll simply skip over your resume and move on to the others.

There’s also another reason this tactic is a bad idea: it reflects poorly on you as a professional.  When you work with IT recruiting firms, you make a commitment to follow certain professional norms.  Your IT staffing companies will handle certain elements of the hiring process (like negotiating salary, scheduling the interview, and getting your resume in front of the hiring manager).  You will handle the interview, writing a thank you note, etc.  When you apply to the same job on your own after IT staffing companies submit you, you’re  not showing extra initiative.  You’re showing a few negative qualities as a candidate.  You’ll show an inability to follow directions, an inability to follow professional norms, and you’ll be creating extra work for the hiring manager.  (Most hiring managers barely have time to read a resume once—never mind twice!)    No hiring manager is pleased when you try to jump the line or do things against their usual hiring process.  So when you apply to a job both with your IT recruiters and on your own, you’re not increasing your chances of landing the job.  Truthfully, you’re hurting your chances– if not taking yourself out of the running entirely.

 

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Applying twice is a quick way to get your resume thrown out. Photo credit: fill via Pixabay.

 

3 Tips for Writing a Good Résumé

Besides the technical skills section (which helps technical recruiters quickly decided if you might be a fit for their open IT jobs), the bullets under your jobs are the most important part of your resume to hiring managers and IT recruiters.  Cleaning them up and updating them is the best way to strengthen your resume.  Here are three tips to maximize these bullets so your resume will wow hiring managers and IT staffing companies.

1.     Make every bullet illustrate why you’re an asset to your employers.  When IT recruiting firms are scanning resumes, they’re not looking for an unedited laundry list of your duties at each job.  Especially in IT jobs that are not entry level, you may not even be able to list all your duties under each job without writing a short novel.  Focus on your major achievements and contributions in each role.  (Try quantifying these achievements or contributions with hard numbers and percentages to make even stronger bullets.) These are the pieces of information that really make you attractive to IT staffing agencies and employers.

2.    Edit your bullets down.  Keep in mind that the most powerful words in your bullets will be the first 5 or so.  Since hiring managers and IT recruiting companies are often scanning through many, many resumes, briefer bullets will be the most effective.  The first 5 or so words of each bullet will get the most attention because these are what people see as they scan.  IT staffing firms sometimes see bullets that are 4 or more lines long.  While it might feel like giving more information about your achievements gives you an advantage, you may just be turning off hiring managers and IT recruiters.  Be concise in your bullets and use strong verbs in the beginning of the statements rather than words like ‘responsible for’, which are obvious anyways.

3.    Make your bullets easier for technical and non-technical people to read.  You never know who will be seeing your resume.  Even if you’re getting hired for a programming job, you may have to pass through an HR screening with somebody who doesn’t know any programming languages.  Besides making sure your resume is appealing to whoever might be reading it, this tactic is beneficial for another reason.  You can demonstrate great communication skills by making highly technical information easier for everyone to understand.  Great communication skills are especially in demand in the tech field.  IT recruiting agencies find that many employers want people who are both well-versed in various technologies and able to communicate well with end users, clients, non technical employees, etc.  So take the time to make your bullets easy for everyone to understand—it might just help land you a new job!

 

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Recruiters and hiring managers may just be skimming your resume. Make it easy for them to quickly decided you’re a great candidate. Photo credit: Jarmoluk via Pixabay

An Easy Job Interview Mistake to Avoid

You probably spend valuable time prepping for your interviews.  You talk with your IT recruiters, you brush up on the relevant technologies, you prepare some questions about the job, iron a suit, etc.  When you go to all this effort to wow your interviewers, why hurt your chances by making small mistakes?  Here’s one silly mistake that IT staffing companies see candidates make far too often: arriving too early for the interview.

Arriving too early might seem pretty harmless, but there are a lot of reasons IT recruiting companies see this mistake hurt candidates.  Firstly, when candidates show up more than 10 or 15 minutes early, it can be pretty frustrating for the company.  Some companies simply don’t have the room to accommodate guests for long periods of time.  In the tech field in particular, IT staffing firms find that there are plenty of startups that don’t have much space for the reception area.

Another reason that IT recruiting agencies don’t recommend that candidates get to interviews earlier than 15 minutes is that it might suggest negative things about you.  When your IT staffing agencies give you a time to show up, you make a favorable impression if you show up on time.  Showing up 20 or 30 minutes early simply isn’t on time.  It’s obviously not as bad as showing up late, but your interviewer planned to see you at a certain time.  It’s your responsibility to be there for it.  Not being on time can make it look like you’re disorganized, can’t follow directions, are inconsiderate, don’t have reliable transportation, etc.  IT recruiting firms find that some candidates think people will only assume negative things about you if you’re late.  It’s not true.  The way to make the best impression is to show up at most 10 or 15 minutes earlier than the time your technical recruiters tell you to.

So what do you do if you are more than 10 or 15 minutes early to an interview?   If you’re meeting your IT recruiters to be walked into the interview, call them.  They may have you meet them at a nearby coffee shop or somewhere else to wait.  If you’re not meeting your recruiters, find a coffee shop yourself to wait.  Or take a walk around the area to kill time.  You might even find that the extra minutes are a good time for you to get ready, go over your notes one more time, or simply relax and ease your nerves.

 

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‘Too early’ isn’t the same thing as ‘on time’ to your interviewers! Photo credit: steinchen via Pixabay.

 

Why Make a Resume That’s Less Technical?

When you’re getting ready to work with IT recruiting firms to find your next role, the most important part is probably polishing and updating your resume.  If you can’t hand your technical recruiters a great resume, you’ll severely limit the amount of IT jobs you can be considered for.   Your IT recruiters can help you polish your resume a bit, but the only person who can really update it the best is you.  You are the person who understands the projects you’ve completed and their impact, not the IT staffing agencies you work with.  So as you put in the time to really flesh out each major role, project, and professional achievement in your resume, remember that the best resumes are easy to read for both non-technical people and very technically adept people.

Why is it necessary for your resume to be easy for technical and non-technical people to read?  Firstly, it’s because your resume is a document for the hiring managers, HR people, and technical recruiters who will be involved in the hiring process.  Sometimes IT professionals assume that all of these people will be up to speed on the technologies they work with, but this simply isn’t the case.  In fact, it’s relatively often that IT recruiting agencies hand resumes off to a hiring manager or HR person who doesn’t have much experience with programming languages or troubleshooting, even if they’re the ones hiring for it!  If you can’t make your resume readable for these people, you may find that you lose out on jobs.  IT staffing firms can only do so much to sell you; if your resume doesn’t entice a hiring manager, it will get tossed.

Another reason you need to make sure your resume isn’t too technical for laymen to read is that doing so demonstrates great communication skills.  IT recruiting companies have a much easier time placing candidates who are not only great at C# or SQL, but can also communicate well with people who aren’t great at these things.  When you are adept with relevant technical skills, but you can also explain to non-technical people what you’re doing, you are infinitely more valuable.  One powerful way to show this skill is by making your resume easy for anybody to read.  This does more than a bullet saying that you’ve got good communication skills.  It lets IT staffing companies and hiring managers experience these great communication skills firsthand.

So when you go to make a resume for your IT recruiters, take the extra time to make it easy for everyone to read.  It may take extra time and effort on your part, but it will pay off quickly.  Your IT recruiters will have no trouble finding you your dream role if you can give them a thorough, clear, easy to read resume!

 

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Remember to make a resume that’s readable for everyone, not just people in your field! Photo credit: janeb13 via Pixabay.