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.