2 Seemingly Small Things That Hurt Your Job Search
Sometimes IT recruiters find that candidates make mistakes that seem small, but actually have a big impact on their job search. Here are two mistakes that seem pretty insignificant, but will likely make it hard to land IT jobs.
1. Your email signature has an inflammatory or unprofessional quote. IT recruiting companies do find that from time to time people will have quotes in their email signatures. This looks pretty innocuous, but it becomes a problem when the quote is about controversial things like politics, religion, or is just plain rude or unprofessional. When you email with IT recruiting agencies and hiring managers, they know very little about you. For this reason, your emails wind up making a big impression on the IT staffing firms and interviewers you send them to. So to make sure you’re doing your best job search: take out all the quotes in your email signature. Don’t risk either making technical recruiters uncomfortable or leading them to possibly conclude anything negative about you.
2. Did you leave track changes on the resume you sent to your IT recruiting firms? Some IT recruiters will look the other way. However, to some IT staffing agencies, this is a sign that you aren’t very detail-oriented or polished. Considering how important it is in the tech field to pay attention to little details, making this mistake could send a bad message about you. There’s also a chance that you’ll wind up leaving some unflattering, negative, or unprofessional material on your resume if you don’t turn off the track changes function. Maybe one of the comments on your resume suggests that you not add a certain technology because you’re weak in it. Perhaps a comment has a curse word in it. Double check to make sure that the track changes function is off and that you’ve made all the changes you need to for your resume to sparkle.
Resume Too Long? 3 Easy Cuts to Make
Most IT staffing firms will concur that IT professionals don’t really need to adhere to the 1 or 2 page rule for their resumes. IT recruiters routinely work with candidates who have very long resumes, sometimes over 5 or 6 pages. However, IT staffing agencies’ best candidates aren’t always the ones with novel-length resumes. Technical recruiters find that busy hiring managers tend to respond much better to concise, efficient resumes. If your resume could use some trimming, here are a few things IT staffing companies suggest you consider cutting.
1. Objectives. You don’t need to spell out the kind of IT jobs you’re looking for in an objective, so it’s really just wasted space. This is true for two reasons. Firstly, IT recruiting companies are trained to read technical resumes, even complicated ones. They will be able to figure out what kind of role you’re seeking or what kinds of roles you’d succeed in. If you have an objective because you’re looking for a particular type of work environment or certain accommodations, this is better said in conversation with IT staffing agencies or interviewers. Putting a detailed description of what you want in your next role doesn’t really do anything– other than possibly make you look demanding.
2. The words ‘responsibilities,’ ‘responsible for,’ or headings for internal jobs bullets like ‘duties’, etc. IT recruiters see a lot of resume examples or resume templates that spell out the obvious. Again, this is wasted space. Use the bullets under your jobs to note major professional achievements, as well as some of your duties. You don’t need to indicate that this is what you’re listing, though. Recruiters and hiring managers will already know.
3. Your references or their contact info. Technical recruiters do find that some candidates will actually put references and their contact info directly on a resume. Don’t do this! For one thing, it wastes space because people tend to want to see this info on a separate email or document later. For another, it makes you look a bit unprofessional. You are breaking norms by adding this info to your resume. You’re also making people’s information public if you’re posting this resume on Monster, Indeed, etc. Cut this section of your resume—it’s more likely harming you than helping you.
Are You Making This Huge Job Interview Mistake?
Technical recruiters see plenty of candidates who are perfectly suited for IT jobs but still don’t get them. Perhaps they don’t interview well, got nervous, or arrived very late. The most egregious mistake though, the one that makes IT staffing firms never want to work with a candidate, is when they act arrogant in job interviews. No matter how amazing your technical experience is or how impressive your digital portfolio, IT recruiting agencies will not want to work with you if the hiring manager finds you arrogant.
What does this mean exactly? IT staffing agencies find that today’s hiring managers want people with both technical acumen and great communication/people skills. Things like a deep knowledge of C# may be important to some jobs in IT, but it’s likely IT staffing companies also need the person in that role to be easy to work with, too! Arrogance is a strong mark of somebody that nobody will want to work with. If you go to an interview and seem arrogant, you’re essentially showing that you’re missing a very key skill, even if it’s not technical.
It seems like avoiding appearing arrogant would be pretty straightforward. Here are a couple easy tips that IT recruiting companies would suggest you consider, though. Firstly, let the interviewers, their coworkers, even receptionists that you encounter, be in control and show them respect. Don’t try to lead the interview. Don’t ask the receptionist for coffee. Don’t mention it if you’re inconvenienced or have to wait for anyone.
Secondly, if you don’t feel you’re treated well or are frustrated by something, wait to go back and talk about this with your IT recruiters. They’ll help you decide if it’s a toxic work environment, the interviewer was acting out of character. This is the advantage of working with IT recruiting firms. They can help you figure these things out, without you having to risk appearing rude or arrogant to your interviewer. IT recruiters want you to land in the best IT job for you– and that includes a job that you’ll be happy in.
Tips for Responding to Counter-offers
From time to time, IT recruiters do work with candidates who receive counter-offers from their employers. While counter-offers seem pretty flattering, the truth is that IT staffing agencies would suggest you proceed with caution. The promise of more money is always exciting, but there are 2 major cons to consider.
Con 1: Accepting a counter-offer may mean that you burn a lot of bridges. Firstly, obviously the IT recruiting firms you’re working with will terminate your relationship if you take a counter-offer. All IT staffing companies have is your word. If you break their trust and negate all their work in searching for your new IT job, they’ll likely never work with you again.
Secondly, you’ll also ruin your reputation with your potential new employer and perhaps other companies in the same industry. IT staffing firms never find that employers are ok with it when a candidate takes a counter-offer. In fact, that candidate is usually blacklisted at that employer. Sometimes, this reputation carries on to companies that are connected to this employer, too. Social media and LinkedIn make it especially easy for word to spread when you do something like accept a counter-offer. In the age of a quick LinkedIn check for unofficial references, taking a counter-offer could seriously damage your professional reputation and hold you back from getting top IT jobs later on.
Lastly, with your current employer, you’re likely to have seriously damaged their trust in you as a loyal, reliable employee. They may try to replace you quickly with somebody cheaper, they may retaliate in small ways, or you might find that you’re held back from future raises, promotions, training opportunities, transfers, etc. All of this makes it hard to be happy in your current IT role long term, which leads to con number 2.
Con 2: You’re likely just be delaying the inevitable and creating more work for yourself. You reached out to IT recruiting companies for a reason: to find new IT jobs. Technical recruiters rarely see a candidate who wants to leave their job solely for more money. There are usually other things at play like work environment, maybe a bad boss, or an unreasonable work load. You might feel ok with a pay bump now, but it won’t change any of the other factors for you long term. Nobody loves job searching and all the work that comes with it. Accepting a counter-offer will really just mean you have to search for jobs in IT all over again later when you realize you’re still unhappy at your current job (even with the pay bump).
Don’t Say This When You’re Interviewing
IT recruiters see candidates say unfortunate things in interviews for IT jobs all the time. Mistakes happen and IT staffing companies rarely come across candidates who can give a perfect interview. (In fact, perfect interviews are so rare that some hiring managers will tell IT recruiting agencies they’re rejecting a candidate because their interviewing felt suspiciously perfect!) Here’s one mistake that is very easy to avoid, though: saying you’re a hard worker (especially when you say it’s one of your strengths or selling points).
Why do hiring managers and IT staffing agencies think this is a mistake in a job interview? What if you actually are a hard worker? The problem is that this phrase isn’t easily proven. While it’s easy for you to prove that you have experience with particular programming languages, or understand what great customer service for an end user requires, it’s not easy to prove that you are a hard worker. It’s something that others must decide about you, particularly because it’s such a subjective thing. So when you list being a hard worker as one of your main strengths as a candidate, you’re basically wasting your time to sell yourself in an interview.
What would IT recruiting firms suggest that you say instead of this? As mentioned before, it’s better to point to things you can prove. Especially in the tech field, being able to quantify your professional achievements can really go far with an interviewer. Maybe you consistently deliver code ahead of the deadlines. Maybe you regularly get feedback from end users that you provide excellent and efficient service. These are the kinds of things that IT staffing firms suggest you talk about with hiring managers. Clichés that are hard to prove (like saying you’re a hard worker) are just a waste of your time and the hiring manager’s time. So avoid this easy mistake the next time your IT recruiting companies set you up for an interview!
How to Interview for Your Dream Job
When your IT recruiters set you up for an interview for your dream job, your first instinct is to probably to tell your interviewer that. You probably just want to gush to your interviewer about why this job is everything you told your IT staffing firms that you wanted. Some IT professionals even say this their dream job– even if it isn’t. Plenty of technical recruiters have had candidates say this in hopes of landing a job. The problem is that this phrase is pretty meaningless to interviewers. If the job you’re interviewing for is your dream job, or it just sounds good, here’s what you should do:
1. Strike a balance. Talk about why you’d be a great fit for the role and why the role is something you think would be ideal for your strengths, work style, technical skills, etc. The candidates that IT recruiting firms place in IT jobs are the ones that can show how hiring them will be great for both sides. Don’t just say the job is your dream job—show them why you’ll be a great hire too!
2. Get specific in talking about why you’re ideally suited for a job. When you say a job is your dream job without much elaboration, you’re just drawing on a meaningless cliché. (IT staffing agencies suggest you avoid any and all clichés in job interviews anyways!). Give specifics that will help interviewers easily picture you in the role. Tell your interviewer that you’ve tackled similar projects before, or you have a deep familiarity with the technologies they use. IT recruiting companies find that the candidates who get hired can present hard evidence that they’ve had successes similar to the job description. Can you say you’ve provided support for end users 50% faster? Can you point to a specific project in which you successfully used a certain technology? This is what interviewers care about. They don’t care if you dream about the job, they care if you can prove you’re prepared to take it on and knock your goals out of the park!
How to Use Employee Reviews in Your Job Search
When you’re working with IT recruiting agencies to find your next role, they will usually tell you to do research on companies you’ll be interviewing with. You probably are already doing basic Google searches and checking out the company’s website. Many IT staffing companies find that candidates are also checking out reviews for potential employers on sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, Vault, Careerbliss, Google, or other sites. If you like to peruse Glassdoor or similar sites before you interview for IT jobs, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Don’t take it all at face value. IT recruiting firms would suggest you remember that people are more often moved to write negative reviews than positive reviews. When people are happy at their employers, they don’t always take time to leave a review with all the benefits of working at their company. Whereas disgruntled employees are absolutely more likely to sound off on everything they’re unhappy about.
2. Ask your technical recruiters questions first. It’s much easier to talk to your IT staffing agencies honestly about any concerns or questions you might come up with after reading a company’s online reviews. When you ask an employer, you have so much at stake. You risk appearing less committed to the job, less professional or even offending your interviewer. Your IT recruiting companies want to make sure you land in an IT job that works for you. If you have a concern about a company after reading its employee reviews, your IT recruiters will want to make sure it’s addressed or that you don’t interview for a position that wouldn’t be a good fit for you.
3. If there are things you love about a company’s Glassdoor company reviews, IT staffing firms suggest you take notes about it. Bring them with you and mention them to your interviewer when you talk about why you think you’d be a good fit for a company. Interviewers will love to hear specific examples of why you think their corporate culture is a good fit for you. A great hire isn’t just about filling a job with somebody who has the necessary skills. It’s also about hiring somebody who is interested in the work and happy with the team, company, and corporate culture. Happy employees are the often most dedicated and productive assets a company has!
Are You Making These 3 Job Interview Mistakes?
IT recruiters see plenty of candidates who have been interviewing for years, but they still don’t land the job. Of course, there are plenty of reasons why you might not land the IT jobs you interview for that have nothing to do with you. (IT recruiting agencies see this all the time!) However, it’s worth stopping and checking to make sure you aren’t making these mistakes.
1. You’re not presenting your best, most professional self. Especially in the tech field, where things can feel a bit more laid back, technical recruiters see this too often. Even if the company you’re interviewing for lets people dress in jeans, curse and joke around, or act in some other casual way, don’t let it influence you. While you don’t want to be a stick in the mud, IT staffing firms find that the candidate who comes to the interview dressed in a suit and acts professionally and politely is usually the one who gets the job. So don’t get too casual before you get the job, no matter what your interviewers are like!
2. You’re not prepared with good questions to ask at the end. IT recruiting companies see this too often. Great candidates who have studied the relevant technologies inside and out can still bomb an interview if they don’t have at least a few good questions. Don’t ask anything you can google or get the answer to from your IT staffing agencies. Don’t ask anything that doesn’t feel like a genuine inquiry. Just do your research and check out these suggestions for great interview questions here.
3. You’re too busy selling yourself to make sure the job is a good fit for you, as well. While job interviews are about selling yourself, they’re also about making sure you land in a job you can succeed in. IT staffing companies find that employers want candidates who are at least a little picky about the jobs they take. If you just take any job, you may wind up in a situation in which you can’t perform well, don’t mesh well with the team or clients, or are simply very unhappy (and thus probably don’t perform well). Employers want to see you sussing out whether a job will let you exercise your strengths and fit your work style.
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!
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.
